ANOTHER HOUR IN THE LIFE OF A PHOTOGRAPHER. THERE FOR THE ASKING...

1. THE BRIDGE, driving into the hull.

2. WE ARE SAILING.

3. On deck 7, the boat makes a U-turn in the harbour.

4. ON THE BRIDGE.

5. THE BUSIEST SEA LANE IN THE WORLD, view from the bridge.

6. THE MAGIC FLOOR-WINDOW, 9 high!

7. THE MAGIC FLOOR-WINDOW, 9 high!

8. THE MAGIC FLOOR-WINDOW, 9 high!

9. THE MAGIC FLOOR-WINDOW, 9 high!

10. THE CAPTAIN and PAUL.

11. DECK 9.

12. THE BEST SEAT IN THE HOUSE.

13. NEARING THE WHITE CLIFFS of DOVER.

When I was a very young girl, my dad, one day, as a surprise, took me on a ferry from Ostend to Dover and back in one day. Over 8 hours at sea, wow!

Hundreds of times I saw the packet ships employed to carry Post office mail packets to and from Britain, glide in and out of the harbour, people running across the beach to see them closer and wave at the strangers on board, hello… or good-bye…

I was fascinated and hooked from that first time, always outside, on deck as high as possible, fortunate to be born with ‘sea-legs’, the North Sea can be so rough!

I often got frustrated as over the years I saw the areas more and more restricted on board. Good people, who know how to behave well and in a civil manner, too often paying the price for those who don’t.

I’d look up and wonder what it must be like to navigate a big ship like this!

As I mature and get wiser (lol?), I become more and more daring, realising at last that if you do not ask, it is a definite 100% NO, if you ask, you improve your chances by 50%!!!

The worst that can happen is that the answer is no, but then at least, you have the satisfaction of having asked!

The best feeling is when you get a yes, which is very often the case!

As we boarded the ferry home last Sunday, driving in I looked up at the bridge again, photographed it (1), parked the car, ran up, and I ASKED! Was it possible to please visit the bridge?

Obviously not a question they get asked every day, a bit taken aback, the captain was contacted, could we please wait? They took our name and we were told the announcement was going to be made over the tannoy.

Off we went,(2) the vibrant flag was flapping in the wind, the pale sun glistening on the churning water, outside deck, sunset, ship neatly turning in the port(3), we took our shots... when we heard our name.

Good news! The captain was about to have his meal (what????? We were not invited at his table??? LOL), after that, no problem, they’d call again!

Right we were also hungry and thirsty, walked to one of the restaurants, queues everywhere, the chips looked and smelled delicious, mmmmmmmmm, as we were close to our turn, and we heard our name again. This was it!

After a security check we were taken into a locked down area, through lots of coded doors, along a silent corridor.

The crew accommodations are located on a separate deck and include cabins, a day room, offices, laundry, stores and crew.

Then, at the top of the highest stairs, the supreme moment, we entered the bridge!(4)

The view was stunning, you could see 360°, France, England, the sea and one of the busiest shipping lanes in the world! (5)

(The Dover Strait (in French Pas de Calais, in Dutch: Nauw van Kales) is the narrowest part of the English Channel. The shortest distance across the strait is from the South-Foreland, some 6 km (4 mi) north-east of Dover in the county of Kent, England, to Cap Gris Nez, a cape near Calais in the département of Pas de Calais, France. Between these two points – the most popular route for cross-channel swimmers – the distance is just 33 km (20 mi)!

We were welcomed and given an interesting tour, explained the function of all the screens, radars, dials and levers. Another, exciting, world…

What caught my eye though, was a long window encased in metal frames, on both sides, in the floor.

Standing on it you saw the bow waves rushing way down, 9 decks, it was breath-taking, what a feature! I was mesmerised and kept photographing it from all angles. ( 6, 7, 8, 9)

They use them to ‘park’ the ship!

The captain arrived, holding his mug of coffee and after a brief check with the other officers, he came and introduced himself (10), he was easy going and we were told some more captivating facts, we learned a bit about what life is like for them, about the sea and about the traffic in The Channel. He was proud to tell us that if the lorries were end to end, they formed a 2 mile long queue.

The vessel is distinguished by an especially high service speed of 25 knots, a powerful maneuvering system.

Deck 3
Trailer loading space
Deck 4
Dangerous Cargo Aft &Trailer Deck
Deck 5
Private Cars
Deck 6
Buffet Restaurant, Atrium, Corporate Quarter, Children’s Playroom, Main Reception, Bar Lounge, Shop, P.C. Gaming, Open Deck, Atrium P.S, Fast Food, Children’s Playroom, Arcade Lounge, Cinema, Toilets, Elevators, Stairs
Deck 7
Truckers Restaurant, Truckers T.V. Lounge, Truckers I.T. Corner, Truckers Shower, Truckers Relax Lounge, Truckers Gaming, Gaming, Bistro, Business and VIP Reception, Business Lounge, VIP Lounge, Crew cabins, Toilets, Elevators, Stairs
Deck 8
Crew & Officer Cabins, Senior Officer Cabins, Crew Conference, Ship office, Officers Day room, Officers Mess, Crew Mess, Crew Day room
Deck 9
The wheelhouse, and Helicopter landing area. (11)

I made the observation that ferries had become so much more stable over the years thanks to the fin stabilisers which are used to provide roll reduction.

The captain gave me the title of my next image when he pointed at 'THE BEST SEAT IN THE HOUSE'! (12)

He was also thrilled to tell us about the dolphins, who on a fine calm day, in a specific area of the Strait, would be surfing in the bow waves, fetching a free ride and visible through the magic floor-windows.

A lot of fine humour!

The sun was now lower and less playful with the clouds, Dover was very close and we you could feel the tension mount, more activity, so we felt it was time to take our leave.

A last image of the screens and info that our lives depend on, in the capable hands of these officers of the Merchant Navy.(13)

We were escorted back down; it was strange to come from this silent vast space into the crowded area of the vessel, where most passengers didn’t have a clue of the men and women above taking care of them, while they were enjoying themselves, drinking, eating, shopping or sleeping…travelling…

It was too late for us to get anything to eat or drink, we watched the docking on the outer deck and than made our way to the car, the journey was over!

THE BEST EVER! A dream come true.

We drove our 5 hours back through the night with an ear-to-ear smile!

The main lesson is, don’t be shy, ask politely, enjoy the experience of the yes, and accept the no gracefully!

THANX, M, (*_*)

A LABOUR OF LOVE. THE RESTORING of OLD IMAGES

1. The part of the old photo I scanned on high res.



2. The burst of laughter when I saw that I was left with too many legs!



3. The finished image, lovingly restored.


4. Another detail of a 'rescue' image, before...


5. AND AFTER!

A LABOUR OF LOVE.

All about ‘restoring’ old and damaged images.

So very often, they are all we have left, those all important images, to stimulate, conserve and trigger our memories.

You may have forgotten about an event but you see an old photo and it releases a whole string of lost emotions.

Also, they can be portraits of family, people you know stories of, but that you never met… long gone…

You may see resemblances with far relatives… either in yourself, in one of your sons or daughters, even in grandchildren!

Those photographs, in attics, drawers, old shoe boxes… yellow and brown, dirty and damaged, can become so precious… some people find a photographer willing and able to lovingly restore them!

Because it IS a Labour of Love.

I, with my nature, become emotionally involved! I scan the old small print on as high a resolution as possible, makes the ‘clean-up’ easier, that also means that I work on the person sometimes BIGGER than life-size! Each little speck in the eyes, on the nose, lips, I get to know each inch of that face intimately! It is a slow process and you have lots of time to let your thoughts wander…

It takes a lot of time if you really want to do a fantastic job, get rid of EVERY spot, crack, tear (held together with tape??? LOL). Hours and hours of cloning and cleaning, till your eyes water!

Nowadays though, we are so privileged with the ‘digital darkroom’; it makes it easier to clone out all things ‘unwanted’, like someone else in the photo.

That brings me to the uploaded images.

A fun anecdote.

I asked the client if she wanted the gent in the back gone, she was surprised I even considered that, but eagerly agreed.

So I started, thought at some point I’d finished the job and was quite satisfied! Till I brought it to the ‘normal’ size… I burst out laughing; I was left with tooooo many legs!

What an oversight, well it was with a big grin that I continued and eventually was satisfied, the job was DONE!!!

I told the client and sent her the ‘mistake’, she thought it was hilarious!

To come back to the subject, if you are going to do it, do it well! It means so much to the relatives.

They got large prints, nicely framed, yes, the photos were given a new lease of life!

CLICK ON THE IMAGES TO SEE HOW BAD THEY WERE, and they were NOT the worst I've ever had, and how good the were after I finished, lol!

Hope you've enjoyed this.

THANX, M, (*_*)

PASSION INDEED!

1. NO IMAGE LEAVES MY DIGITAL DARKROOM UNTIL IT IS OF THE HIGHEST STANDARD!


2. THERE IS A PROPER WAY TO HOLD YOUR CAMERA!

3. A FROSTY VIEW FROM OUR NEW STUDIO/OFFICE.

I just read the blog that my husband wrote yesterday see here
http://paulindigo.blogspot.com/2008/03/wheres-passion.html.
Although I fully agree with most of what he writes, I wonder how realistic it is in this day and age, where we are being bombarded with image after image, we're supersaturated!

With all the upload-sites where you see thousands of photos being ‘awarded’ and ‘more awarded’… images that are nothing but snapshots, badly and sadly ‘not composed’, where people do not even care to love their work enough to do a simple bit of ‘cosmetic’ repair, some retouching. Where is the PASSION? I regularly am dumbfounded, do people not SEE anymore?

Numbed by volume? Blinded by excess?

Many photographers have ‘dust-bunnies’ on the censor, do they bother to ‘clean’ the image (elementary)? NO!!!!

Often the horizon is skew, overall the photoshopping has been done BADLY, if you can’t do it properly (and we all started out at some point!), wait, study and ONLY upload your BEST and finished (read ‘polished’) product!

I see great photos that do not get the recognition, what has been lost, besides the PASSION?

Do we really live in this unreal ‘virtual’ world where law is… you scratch my back and I scratch yours? Clique society rather than individualistic and honest opinion?

Sometimes I despair, and I may not have lost my passion for beautiful photography, it is more difficult to remain optimistic.

Where does your passion ultimately take you, except for the self-satisfaction and a few true photography LOVERS.

I am passionate... are you?

1. NO IMAGE LEAVES MY DIGITAL DARKROOM UNTIL IT IS OF THE HIGHEST STANDARD!

Lilium longiflorum.
This plant is native to Japan and the Ryūkyū Islands. It is a stem rooting lily, growing up to 1 m high and bears a number of trumpet shaped, white, very fragrant, and outward facing flowers.
I saw the curves and they looked quite architectural in a close up, also with a sensuality of 'you're making my toes curl'?

2. THERE IS A PROPER WAY TO HOLD YOUR CAMERA!
Here's a pro at work! He knows how to hold his camera 'properly'...
Often that is a dead-give-away, just something to smile about...
One of the things I love is that whole intensity, the 'oneness' between the man and his camera.


3. A FROSTY VIEW FROM OUR NEW STUDIO/OFFICE.
We have moved into our new home!
Moving used to be an easier affair, now with all the electronics and the ZILLIONS of cables!
We started about a month ago! I remember having to move with three kids! Much easier, lol...
AAhh well, almost there now...
This was the lovely surprise one morning, not often to be seen in the city.
Well worth opening larger for the full impact and beauty!

As you see, no matter the 'category' of images... at least IMMACULATE! No excuses!

Thanx, M, (*_*)

PS: Just moved into our new house, hence the long silence.

ALL THE SHADES OF GREY

1. MY FRIEND, THE ARTIST...

2. PAPA IS THE BEST...

These portraits were quite a challenge, a black hat, black b/g, the way I like it, push the boundaries!

Getting all the tonal values correct in a black and white is not always easy (without losing detail) and it is of course open to massive subjectivity and artistic interpretation.

The rule (often, once you know it… to be broken, look at all the good high key images around today!) is A TRUE BLACK, A TRUE WHITE …AND ALL THE GREYS IN BETWEEN, a reflection of life itself?

The Zone System (established by Ansel Adams) assigns numbers from 0 through 10 to different brightness values, with 0 representing black, 5 middle grey, and 10 pure white; these values are known as zones.

The second portrait has more contrast and less grey-tones, no side or back-lighting this time, aach lighting is so important, it is not for nothing that PHOTOGRAPHY means ( photon=light and grafein=to write, to paint) TO PAINT WITH LIGHT!

Sadly I all too often see interesting portraits that are too ‘milky’, because the lack of contrast, check this by putting it on the option black bg in PS.

You CANNOT SEE the dodging and burning, do it carefully! And also please keep your images ‘clean’, take the time to remove some dust or specks; it can ruin a great shot!!! TLC for your photos if you REALLY care about photography.

(1)

My long time friend, the Artist.

As a young artist, he transformed a van into a camper-van, drove all through Europe and North-Africa.
When he saw something inspiring, he’d climb on top of his van and paint until it was finished or dark.
In the South of France he encountered a French lady of the aristocracy, she taught him a lot about pigments, making your own paints, painting with your hands and palette knives.
He would tell me about the gorgeous smells of linseed oil, resin, right down to Indian cows urine.'
After a cup of coffee, we were all set for the next session.

He adjusted his French beret called 'un Alpin'...

In the seventies, Ivan had a fantastic gallery in Flanders, set in beautiful countryside, along a canal.
There, you met the locals and farmers, sitting next to the nobility, often in deep discussions
A French camera crew was making a film with the great Jacques Brel in the area; they sent a delegation to ask Ivan if there was the possibility of some food.
Never one to say no to a challenge, he agreed, called his wonderful mum.
The baker provided him with huge loaves of brown bread; from a farmer he bought an enormous cured ham on the bone.
He was struggling in the kitchen, when a man popped in and asked him if he could assist?
Reluctantly Ivan passed him the knives.
The guy started to cut very thin slices, neatly from around the bone.
Ivan, in surprise, watched the precise, meticulous and perfectly executed gestures. He said jokingly; looks like you’ve done this before...
Without stopping or looking up, the man replied; indeed, I’m a surgeon in a Parisian hospital, had my holidays, they needed a doctor, I liked the idea of experiencing how a film is made!
True story.

His father had died, suddenly, on a Sunday morning, sitting in his favourite chair, his fishing gear ready.
That’s how Ivan found him.
He was very serene about it, we talked and he said to me: my father and I had always spoken all the words that were needed, nothing was left unsaid, all was well.
Wise words of a sage that I carry with me.

I can tell you why we have been friends for so long, I respect Ivan, we are both idealists.
He did well in his artistic career, got very good reviews and successful exhibitions, when he was invited by Unicef in Paris, along with other young painters.
They wanted to make special Christmas postage stamps, and thus raise money for their charity.
So, he had to present them with some of his work.
He was very excited and set of for Paris, in his camper van; these were still his travelling days.
He arrived and parked in between all the BMWs, Merc’s, big cars, took his portfolio and walked towards the entrance of the imposing building.
Once in, he looked around and saw all the marble and expensive finery, turned around and strolled out.
They don’t need me here! He said and left…

He never looked back, it was not fame he was after, just to live of his Art and enjoy what he was doing, and he did, on both counts.

(2)

This is my son, Michel, with his little girl.
He came into the studio after we finished a shoot, so everything still in place, tjaaahhh, who could resist putting them in front of the camera?
Ever the joker, he had bought his daughter a dummy that said 'Papa is the best'...
Just look at her expression, is she in doubt? She clearly senses something's not right. Puzzlement.

Life goes on, as these portraits show in testimony...
THANX, Magda (*_*)

COMINGS AND GOINGS. PartII: THE RETURN.

COMINGS AND GOINGS.

PartII: THE RETURN.

We come back via Dunkirk, a bit closer to Belgium, a new company, we like trying new things! The Border controls are strict, they stop us and ask to open the boot, felt around and asked in French (my second language) if we had ‘une Bombe a bord’???

I smiled gently, not wanting to upset them, “non non, nous sommes photographes, aaahhh, allez”…

Again, we were waiting in our lane and saw our ferry arrive, rows of waiting cars, people hanging around, some impatient, last minute phone calls, to say they are either now leaving or coming closer!

Me I stood, taking everything in, inhaling deeply the sea-air mixed with the tar and diesel, so typical for ports…

The sadness of the good-byes still heavy in my heart and thick around my eyes.

We had a great time, it was wonderful to see everybody, we are taking back some good memories, the road ahead is long, it is around 7 in the evening now, the sun is starting to fall fast.

A ferry glides in elegantly, there’s a hype in the air, people get into their cars, more waiting…

At last we are ready to embark, everywhere personnel were guiding us in, the sun was right in my lens as I tried to take some shots through the car windscreen.

We parked the car and hurried upstairs once more, were we going to miss the sunset?

We rush past ambulating people, through restaurants where hungry people are queuing, the shops, across decks and up more stairs, camera at the ready… alas, just too late, we arrive and see a lovely afterglow, the sun, hiding behind a Payne’s grey band with a slight slither of pink.

Immediately, there is a chill in the air, couples huddle together, any reason a good one, hihi.

The light is still good, we look around and discover this harbour, we arrived in the night, and soon again it will be dark.

Once again the lorries are neatly parked, the crew are waiting around for the signals to do their job, work the ropes, set the ship free.

The ferry has turned in the harbour,
we are once more at sea, the lights of France receding fast, my eyes are moist… can’t see through the lens anymore, must be the wind speed picking up!

The water is sparkling bright, the turbulent wake glistening brightly in the moonlight.

We stay out as long as we can, really till there is nothing left to photograph.

We wander inside, smell the food and realize we could do with some food, there are different places to choose from, pass the pub,
fortunate to end up sitting at a porthole with our meal, looking at the French coastline getting further and further away.

The atmosphere has a holiday feel, people are relaxing and enjoying, although for many that Sunday night is the start of a heavy week, all the truck drivers look refreshed after the w-e, well not all, some never stop, just eat and sleep when they can or have to, often in their ‘mobile home’ which is their vehicle.

I’ve travelled this way, it all brings back good memories… but that’s another story.

As we near the Cliffs of Dover, we decide to go back on deck. We’re almost there, maybe another 15 minutes…

We are standing next to each other when we feel a shuddering vibration underfoot, a grinding, a change and slowing down in the sound of the engine. Everybody runs to the railings on the side, leaning over as far as we can.

Little groups start to form, lively discussions and arm waving conversations develop, most of them are Turkish, Greek, Polish, nobody knows anything, we are truly adrift…

After 5 minutes, a nasal announcement, there’s engine trouble, they are trying to fix it and will keep us informed.

Time goes bye and nothing changes, men looking more and more, and nervously at their watch, time is money… Deliveries have to be made! They HAVE to be in Scotland by tomorrow!

Suddenly, more news:’ They cannot fix it, tugs are on their way to tow us in’, almost an hour has gone bye.

It is quite cold now and many have resignedly gone for another cup of coffee.

I prefer to stay outside for when the action happens.

I have no tripod and the flash laughable under the circumstances, again it is a matter of go for it and see what happens or not take anything and come home empty-handed… my choice is ALWAYS: GO FOR IT!

I take my shots, a man comes up and indicates he’d love to see them, all I can understand is that he is a Turk, he speaks no English, no sorry, no other languages, we hand signal with a lot of laughter, one of his colleagues joins us, he speaks some Italian, MAMA MIA!

Hurray, we are moving, almost into the harbour, a few more shots, frantic activity on board by the crew.

Good-bye and bon voyage to my friends.

We hurry to our car; it was an interesting setback of 2 hours.

We begin the long drive north, into the night, it is fairly quiet on the road, we have good music…

2 hours later we drive under the Thames through the Dartford Tunnel.

We get home safely, tired and content, it’s good to be home, I already miss everybody again…

Thanx, M, (*_*)

COMINGS AND GOINGS. CROSSING THE CHANNEL

COMINGS AND GOINGS.

The travel story of getting to and from The Continent… via the Channel, the illustrated experiences of two photographers.

CLICK ON THE IMAGES FOR BIGGER AND BETTER VIEWING! (~_*)

England is our adopted country, especially the biggest county; Yorkshire, where we live... it was a choice we made. We love it here; it is so beautiful and varied!

However going back to the land where you were born, grew up, have so many memories, still a lot of family and your best friends, old and new, is always still a very special moment.

No wonder we go back regularly. To fly is very expensive (no cheap flights to or from Belgium! WHY NOT??? A gross oversight by the tourist-boards on both sides)

The ferries from this area are also outrageously pricey, but that’s no wonder as the ships are now equipped and designed as cruise liners, with restaurants, pubs, cinemas and casinos, well you do fare overnight as it is a 13hr journey at sea.

The cheaper route, especially when it is the both of us, is to drive the 6/7 hours South, around London, a highlight is the Dartford Crossing joins Dartford and Thurrock across the River Thames, to the east of London. It consists of the Queen Elizabeth II Bridge,

used for southbound traffic and of two tunnels under the river, normally used for northbound traffic. It is the furthest-downstream road crossing of the Thames, and effectively forms part of London's orbital M25 motorway on to Dover in Kent.

[The bridge, which was completed on 7 June 1991 and opened on 30 October 1991, is a four-lane cable-stayed bridge, designed by Dr. Ing Hellmut Homberg and Partner and Kvaerner Technology Limited. When it was opened, the bridge was Europe's largest cable-supported bridge. The central span is 450 m (1,476 ft) long and is suspended 65 m (213 ft) above the Thames (to accommodate ocean-going cruise liners). The approach viaducts on the Essex side measure 1,052 m (3,451 ft) and 1,008 m (3,307 ft) on the Kent side, giving a total length of 2,872 m (9,423 ft). It has an expected life span of 120 years.

It is a toll bridge and accommodates four lanes of southbound traffic from the M25. When closed, due to high winds for example, one of the two adjacent tunnels is used instead.

When built, the Queen Elizabeth II bridge was only the second bridge on the River Thames east (downstream) of London Bridge constructed in over a thousand years, and it is currently the only bridge east of Tower Bridge (the Thames Gateway Bridge will be the second, when completed). The historic reason for this is that bridges prohibited tall ships and other large ships from reaching the Pool of London, which has led to the building of numerous tunnels instead. Info wikipedia]

It is quite a journey, lots of traffic obviously and the inevitable traffic jams
; we try to circumvent that by leaving in the later afternoon, arriving at the port of Dover around 22.30/ 23.00 for the midnight ferry to Calais or Dunkirk in France.

Still a huge amount of hustle and bustle, mostly lorries and trailers driving on and off, up ramps and fly-overs. Some waiting in the correct lane, some drivers sleeping, others doing their paperwork, some stretching their legs or chatting to fellow truckers from all over Europe. You see all the nationalities there, there is a special vibe in the air, the seagulls are searing past, nothing but their bellies lit by the sodium floodlights… eerie.

The Channel traffic is non-stop. One of the ferry companies has 25 crossings a day!

In English: The Dover Strait,
French: Pas de Calais,
Dutch: Nauw van Kales.
Flemish: Het Kanaal.
It is the narrowest part of the English Channel. The shortest distance is from Dover in the county of Kent in England to Cap Gris Nez, the Cape near Calais in the département du Pas-de-Calais in France, the closest point between those two countries with a distance of only 33 km (20 miles).

While we wait, our ferry comes in, the disembarking starts immediately, from the different decks, it IS roll-on off roll-on!!!

Most people use the crossing to eat or drink or sleep

Once on board we hurry to the upper deck,
to see the last trucks being guided in and parked neatly, everybody on the ready to cast off the moorings.

All the activity, the anticipation, it is a moment we love, suddenly a slight shudder, more steam; we’re off, the land and lights more distant by the minute.

Once outside the safe ‘arms’ of the harbour, the cadence picks up, a foamy white wake broadens, we are at sea!

A few people come to have a look, the romantics standing close, holding each other, the girls cold, and the guys all macho, pretending not to be. It makes me smile, we are also holding, I am warm and snug in my sailor’s jacket (even in the middle of summer, I know the nights on the North Sea are cold!!!)

Crossing during the night has its own charm; the moon glistened on the black water, highlighting the spray and wake. We were standing on the top deck; some seagulls accompanied us gracefully and eerily.
Dotted lights all over the Channel, Ferries still crossing, boats waiting, sloops fishing, some intrepid sailors yachting, yes a very busy place!
The lights of Dover receding, those from France getting closer, a romantic experience, special, well we enjoy those things in life...

The delight and happiness of seeing my sons, family, grandchildren… friends, the favourite places and familiar sights, sounds and fragrance, it all makes my heart beat faster, the ferry steaming along, I can’t wait!

In between we were taking photographs, for fun and freedom.

There is so much to be seen, it is different, the materials, structures, safety equipment.

The water is rushing past along the sides.

In the middle of the Channel, we stand and watch, on the left the lights of England and on the right France!

We decide to go in for a drink, Paul has a latte and like so many weary travelers, stretches out for a cat-nap...

I look after him... and the cameras. I am far too exited to sleep, I enjoy the goings on, 'people watching'.

After a little over an hour, we are invited to return to our car, in no time we are on the mainland of the Continent, passing the waiting vehicles, ready to roll-on, back to England… an alien world, I think of everything we own, eat, wear… I’m sure at some point it MUST have been at sea… AND certainly in a truck, hauled on roads!

With the 1hr time zone difference it is after 2 o’clock in the morning when we reach the autostrade that will take us to where we are staying, it will be almost 4... feeling tired and happy, the end of an 11 hr trek!

THE SECOND PART "THE RETURN", soon, with more stories and images!

Thanx, M, (*_*)