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? 
Pingback: Travel Theme: Up | EhkStream
Things are looking up! Thanks for a fun theme, here’s a contribution!
http://ehkstream.org/2013/01/22/travel-theme-up/
Fun theme!!
http://ehkstream.org/2013/01/22/travel-theme-up/
oops.
Haha, what a fun post, EhkStream, you just made me laugh out loud with the ‘younger sibling’ of the Ponderosa Pine and those poor little nestlings in that wind sock! Brilliant. 🙂
Pingback: Weekly Photo Challenge: Balloons – Up in the Sky | My.Vivid.Visions
Weekly Photo Challenge: Balloons – Up in the Sky
Pingback: Travel theme: Up – Need to look up to feel the Richness(Historical Places) | My.Vivid.Visions
Travel theme: Up – Need to look up to feel the Richness(Historical Places)
Travel theme: Up – Squirrel http://myvividvisions.wordpress.com/2013/01/22/travel-theme-up-squirrel/
Aww, what a cutie!
Pingback: Travel theme: Up – Pole | My.Vivid.Visions
Travel theme: Up – Pole http://wp.me/p2RP4U-9K
Pingback: Travel Theme – Up! « thegingerbreadcafe
Here is my contribution for Up! https://wheresmybackpack.com/2013/01/18/travel-theme-up/
Oops wrong link! http://thegingerbreadcafe.wordpress.com/2013/01/22/travel-theme-up/
Love it, of course that last shot could be taken as ‘up’ too as they are coming up through the snow! 🙂
Wow! What gorgeous, inspiring shots! I really love that perspective on the Space Needle and the clarity of the moon.
That shot of the castle on the cliff is pretty awesome.
Pingback: Travel Theme: Up « Just in a second
Wonderful theme! The picture of the moon is beautiful. Here’s my entry:
Beautiful photo, ttanvi, such rich colours, isn’t India amazing? xxx
Thank you. It sure is picturesque! Have you been to India anytime?
Pingback: Weekly Travel Theme: Up | Paths Unwritten
Hate the climb, but sometimes the view from the top is worth it.
Travel Theme: Up | Paths Unwritten
It reminds me of an old English seaside hotel in the grand old style. 🙂
Pingback: Travel Theme: Up « Rainbow Bakery
I love that tower. Here’s mine: http://rainbowbakery.wordpress.com/2013/01/23/travel-theme-up/
Love it, Georgia, I felt like a pirate looking at that shot! 🙂
Pingback: Travel theme: Up « PragueByKaty
Great photos – the squirrel is so cute!
What an awe inspiring site. I will return to visit and reminisce as I only do Europe now. Seattle was first city I visited in the 90’s on what started my love affair with the USA.. I lived in Edinburgh in the 1970’s and have only been back twice. This year I’m planning a visit and will certainly look up!
My favorite photo is the first one.
Happy blogging and travel.
Pingback: Travel Theme: Up | Photography Journal Blog
Looking up seems like a good bit of advice just in general 🙂 Here is mine for the week:
Thanks for taking a look. Cheers!
Pingback: Travel Theme – Up to a Queen | Our Adventure In Croatia
this is my “London” interpretation for this week’s theme. Your squirrel is great by the way!
http://adventureincroatia.wordpress.com/2013/01/23/travel-theme-up-to-a-queen/
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Pingback: Travel Theme: UP | Donna Gwinnell Weidner
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Another one: http://hereandthere5.wordpress.com/2013/01/24/travel-theme-up/
Love your shot of the Space Needle. Nice.
Pingback: Travel theme: Up « Sasieology
Great idea Ailsa, I always try to remember to look up – you see so much more that you would have missed otherwise http://sasieology.wordpress.com/2013/01/24/travel-theme-up/
Pingback: Travel theme: Up « cooking travel-goth
Great photos. I loved looking up at the Space Needle back in the fall – and looking down from it too! Here’s what I came across while looking up in the trees this morning (the final picture in my set – I didn’t see the others in the tree! ha!): http://humantriumphant.wordpress.com/2013/01/24/now/
Great theme, thanks. Here is my late entry, up above the tree, up in the sky …
Pingback: Where’s My Backpack Travel Challenge: UP « Found Round & About
Well- I finally tried a new theme UP.
http://vastlycurious.com/2013/01/26/ailsas-travel-theme-for-this-week-up/
I finally tried a new theme- thanks Ailsapm
http://vastlycurious.com/2013/01/26/ailsas-travel-theme-for-this-week-up/
What great images-I love the Space Needle and the moon-thanks for the reminder that looking up can present interesting possibilities with the camera.
The shot of the Scottish castle reminded me of an incredible place I visited in France: Montsegur. Montsegur is a fortress perched on a steep mountain in a beautiful area of southern France. It’s where Cathars (a religious sect that eschewed materialism) held out against a French army backed by the Catholic Church. They were finally all slaughtered, and the sect died out afterwards. Very moving place.
Hi and thanks for reading about Granada, Nicaragua. I love to travel too.
It does the soul good to see new places 🙂 Thanks for the visit, Marty! xxx Ailsa
Loved the Space Needle each time I was up there to visit a cousin. Have you seen the Chihuly Glass Museum almost next door? It is beautiful to watch the glassblowing there.
Yes, the Scots did well placing the castle as they did. Perhaps now you are ready to take on France? Down here in the south we have Pays de Cathar. The Route de Cathar covers a large area and there are many stunning castles to check out. I have visited a few of them on one of my blogs and will eventually cover more. We get many backpackers through here and not only in the spring and summer. I have seen well over a dozen just this morning as they passed my window and even more as I walked to the café and they were leaving the small hotel there.
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Love your choice for the theme UP. Thanks for taking time to click the like button on my blog today. I appreciate it. 🙂
Thanks for stopping by, Ruth! Perhaps you’d like to join in the weekly travel theme, this week’s challenge is Mountains. 🙂
Thanks for the invitation to join. Right now I am in Ohio and boy is it flat. Will look in archives for mountains! Thanks again.
Haha, yes, it might prove challenging getting a good mountain shot in Ohio. 🙂
All the photos are quite amazing, but that one of the squirrel is really something. Thanks for visiting and the like of my post “Sun Help Me, My Limbs are Frozen”.
That squirrel was quite a showoff, Iamrcc, glad you enjoyed the photo 🙂