It’s mid-January and overcast here in the Pacific Northwest. Yesterday a friend told me she was suffering from the January doldrums; that blue feeling when the holidays are over, New Year’s resolutions are broken and you’re faced with the long haul until summer. I’ve always enjoyed January; especially with later winters giving rise to surprise snowfalls, but in order to lift our spirits a little, I’m looking up, literally, this week.
Looking up at Seattle’s Space Needle – even on an overcast day it’s pretty spectacular.
One of my favourite things to look up at – a beautiful moonlit night along the Oregon coast.
I’m not sure who was more startled; me or this little squirrel at Snug Harbor Botanical Garden on Staten Island.
On the subject of squirrels, how about taking a photo from a squirrel’s point of view? Autumn leaves at High Rock Park in New York.
The Scots found an almost perfect spot to build Edinburgh Castle. When you see it towering impossibly far up on Castle Rock, its defensive advantage becomes all too apparent.
When I was in Edinburgh I spent an awful lot of time looking up, because the Old Town streets are crammed with the most delightful rooftops I have ever seen, with turrets, chimneys and spires all jostling for attention.
It always surprises me to see people rushing around, especially in big cities, with their eyes firmly fixed on the ground. There’s an awful lot of stuff happening above your head, if you take the time to look. So now over to you for your interpretation of Up. If you would like to join in this week’s travel theme (everyone’s welcome!) here’s what to do:
- Create your own post and title it Travel theme: Up
- Include a link to this page in your post so others can find it too
- Get your post in by next Thursday, as the new travel theme comes out on Friday
- Don’t forget to subscribe to keep up to date on the latest weekly travel themes. Sign up via the email subscription link in the sidebar or RSS.
Things are looking up already!
xxx
Ailsa
Where's my backpack? 
Edinburgh Castle! Loved it, loved Scotland. (The squirrel is cute, too). 🙂
Scotland is such a magical country, isn’t it, Susie? I haven’t explored it much, but the little I’ve seen stole my heart!
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Love that last shot Ailsa…I hope mine still relates to UP…
http://jobryantnz.wordpress.com/2013/01/19/travel-theme-up/
🙂
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It certainly does, Jo – although it doesn’t look likely that the surfer stayed UP for very much longer, that wave looked like it might have got the better of him! 🙂
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Love the shot of the Space Needle. Here is my entry:
http://shaanthz.wordpress.com/2013/01/19/travel-theme-up/
Oh, good old New York, the Chrysler Building is one of my favourite buildings, along with the Flatiron. What building is that with the green and gold globes? It’s gorgeous!
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Hi Ailsa! You have taken another set of amazing photos to inspire us. Here is my, Up In The Air” http://wp.me/p23TG1-246
BE ENCOURAGED! BE BLESSED!
Hi Francine, I am with you on the Black Widow Spider ride – I got queasy just looking at your photos! Gulp. 🙂
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And here is my post 🙂 xx
http://emmahicks76.wordpress.com/2013/01/19/travel-theme-up/
Oh hey Emma, just working through the comments in order, and see you posted your link here – just in case you were thinking it hadn’t worked – there are so many entries for the weekly challenges that the comments are divided up into separate pages, with 50 comments per page. So, when you looked at the comments stream and didn’t see your response, it was because it appeared on the second page of comments – at the top and bottom of the page of comments you’ll see a little link that says “Newer Comments” – if you click on it, it will take you to the next page of comments (that’s where your comment is!) xxx
Thanks for this Ailsa ! Getting some great tips and lessons from you tonight (in Aussie time). xx
Oops, that reminds me, it’s past my bedtime (not on Aussie time!) hee hee. xxx
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Ooo..how fun…great photos…here is my “Up”
http://minous365.wordpress.com/2013/01/19/18january-2013/
Oops, the link doesn’t work, Minou. I had a look over on your blog but could only find your entry for the WP challenge. Can you check to see if your entry for the travel challenge posted correctly? If you put a link to this page in your post it will automatically show up in the comments stream here. The link to put in your post is:
https://wheresmybackpack.com/2013/01/18/travel-theme-up
Looking forward to seeing your entry! xxx Ailsa
Oh dear, thanks. I’ll try to see what the problem is.
Minou
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Sorry to copy you in one Ailsa, but I love the sky looking up the Space Needle! http://ayearinmyshoes.wordpress.com/2013/01/19/travel-theme-up/
Haha, the Space Needle with blue skies, I nearly didn’t recognize it! Love the shot of the TV Tower in Berlin too, Livvy!
Interesting challenge. My entry for this theme is here: http://romanemin.com/2013/01/19/travel-theme-up/
Hello Román, lovely shots, especially the Cordillera Andina and Aeropuerto de Quito – fabulous! xxx Ailsa
Thanks a lot for passing by. Have a nice day.
Pingback: Weekly Travel Theme: UP « Canadiantravelbugs's Blog
Cool variety of photos. True looking up can be even more interesting with cool details that may otherwise be missed.
I need to keep my chin UP this week, so looking at things from a new perspective. UP fits perfectly
.https://canadiantravelbugs.wordpress.com/2013/01/19/weekly-travel-theme-up/
Hya CTB, that shot of the Pearl Tower disappearing into the fog is wonderful! xxx
Thanks… these days it is disappearing into the smog… It has been bad here the last 3 weeks. I have been staying inside as much as possible.
Glad to be part of your adventures, thanks for cruising through my blog! :0)
Thanks for following the journey, Marilyn! xxx
Wow, great shots. Love the squirrel.
Thanks Sheila, he was awfully cute! 🙂
Your photos = Stunning. Amazing. Brilliant.
Have a great weekend Ailsa! Here’s my entry:
http://bebs1.wordpress.com/2013/01/19/ailsas-travel-theme-challenge-up/
Love it, bebs1 – so what dialect is tangad? I’ve learned a new word today 🙂 Lovely shots, especially the Getty! xxx
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Up there! http://wp.me/p16tta-nc
Wow, Stefano, you take the most magical of photos, this one is stunning! xxx
Thanks Ailsa, I’m glad you like it.
Great photos! As there is nothing better than a New York skyscraper to look up at – here is my “up”: http://thephotoseye.wordpress.com/2013/01/19/weekly-travel-theme-up/
Ha, I love it, thephotoseye, you’re so right, New York is all about looking up – I couldn’t stop looking up the entire time I was there – which made crossing the street kind of dangerous, especially with all those yellow cabs! Lovely shot. xxx
Hi Ailsa, can you guess what this is? http://ingriddendievel.wordpress.com/2013/01/19/travel-theme-up/
Wait, what? That’s really cool looking but I have no idea what it is, Ingrid. Looks like it’s made of wood – is it a pergola or something? xxx
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Upstairs: http://mothergrogan.wordpress.com/2013/01/19/travel-theme-up/
Ooh, that’s a great shot, mothergrogan, it almost looks like steps in a lighthouse. Where is it? xxx
It’s the Bismarck Tower in Mrągowo, Poland, built in 1906 to honour the German chancellor Otto von Bismarck. Here’s the full view of the tower on the old photo: http://www.ciekawemazury.pl/image/3554/Zabytkowa_wieza_Bismarcka_park_na_terenie_dawnego_cmentarza.jpg
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Fun theme! Here’s mine:
http://travelswithtoby.wordpress.com/2013/01/19/travel-theme-up/
Hya Toby, lovely choice of photos, the Alhambra is amazing, and I do love the Bellagio ceiling, it’s so spectacular in person, isn’t it?
It is!! and thank you 🙂
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Ailsa, a beautiful choice of photos, wonderful. I especially adore the tree and the moon. And the squirrel. Plus the castle 😉 Hehehe. Have a great UP weekend 🙂
Here’s my entry: http://drieskewrites.wordpress.com/2013/01/19/travel-theme-up/
You know, Marion, I’ve never taken a balloon ride, and I’ve always wanted to. It looks terribly romantic. Lovely photo! xxx
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Loved the pictures, the castle and squirrel are my favorites. On my post I have shared a picture of the space needle as well, hope everyone enjoys my take on UP.
http://agringoslifeincusco.wordpress.com/2013/01/19/travel-theme-up/
Hya Lyle, Happy New Year to you! The Space Needle is proving very popular this week! I love the shot of the illuminated fountains in Lima and the Nazca lines are amazing, but that little boy looking up at you stole my heart, so cute!
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Here’s one from Grand Cayman – http://mycaymanianlife.wordpress.com/2013/01/19/travel-theme-up/
Wow, that looks like a huge storm ahead!
Reblogged this on jeanne's blog…a nola girl at heart and commented:
Everday we travel, from here to there and back again. I am grabbing my camera and following Alisa and her traveling backpack.
Hurrah, thanks for the reblog 🙂 xxx Ailsa
You’re so right about looking up! Especially these days, with all our electronic toys (or maybe we’re just trying to keep the rain out of our eyes). Great perspective, and wonderful photos!
Thanks colormusing – I have to agree, especially living in Seattle, that rain is not very conducive to looking up 😉
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the squirrel was posing for that picture…really cute; my shot at looking up: http://canoecommunications.wordpress.com/2013/01/19/looking-up/
He was totally working it, c & c – I just love squirrels, they’re so precocious! Lovely series of ‘up’ photos, I especially love the water tower (it always strikes me as quintessentially American!) and the weather vane 🙂
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What’s up here: http://cobbledtoolbox.wordpress.com/2013/01/19/travel-theme-up/
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I love Edinburgh and that castle so much, and you captured exactly why. Thanks.
But Seattle is my fave US city, and I think I trumped you with my shot of the “Pin,” as an old lady on a cruise called the Space Needle: http://loganbruin.wordpress.com/2013/01/19/travel-theme-up/
Haha, can’t believe you lay down on the ground, that’s dedication, Logan! Those people swinging about on strings kind of freaked me out a little, looks scary!
Luckily it was an old shirt!
Reading that again inspired me to look it up, so here’s why those boys toss themselves off the tower to swing around. As suspected, it’s religious in nature. http://gomexico.about.com/od/historyculture/ss/voladores_de_totonacapan_2.htm
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This is my first venture into the world of photo collaborations. I love this theme! Thank you to Ailsa for the wonderful prompt!
http://suburbaphobe.wordpress.com/2013/01/19/travel-theme-up/
Welcome aboard, Nikki – stunning photos, Grand Central has a special place in my heart, and I adore those shots of the Brooklyn Bridge and the Freedom Tower! xxx
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Love the picture of the space needle, it looks like a really interesting building.
http://mostlymonochrome.wordpress.com/2013/01/18/into-the-great-beyond/
I hope you don’t mind my effort, I think it says Up.
Awww, love it, mostlymonochrome, put a great big smile on my face! 🙂
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Love the squirrel pic, Ailsa! Here’s mine:
http://weirdandcoolstuff.wordpress.com/2013/01/19/when-in-dubrovnik-look-up/
Wonderful shot, Ruth, it almost makes me feel like I’m standing right there myself!