Every park bench has a story to tell and when I see one, I can’t help dreaming up a history; a first date, a stolen kiss perhaps, an argument, tearful goodbyes, old friends laughing, children feeding birds or a couple sharing a picnic. Here are a few benches with stories to tell.
Walking through the University of Washington campus in Seattle, I spotted this great stone bench against a bloom-filled hedge, with a drift of fallen cherry blossom on the ground. What an idyllic spot to cram for finals.
A bench with a view at the Snug Harbor Botanical Gardens on Staten Island, overlooking the Healing Garden; a living memorial to the Staten Islanders lost on 9/11.
Manhattan‘s Battery Park wins my vote for the comfiest and most beautiful benches I’ve found to date. I’ve whiled away many a happy hour here, watching the world go by.
I was stopped in my tracks along the Jersey Shore by this startlingly beautiful wreath and dedication on a bench looking out to sea.
These are my favourite benches in Central Park. There’s something so elegant about their simplicity, and a dusting of snow makes them look even lovelier.
I usually try to find an empty bench I can have all to myself, but sometimes it just doesn’t work out that way. This little guy didn’t even bother wiping the remains of his lunch off his whiskers before getting all up in my personal space.
Now it’s your turn while I take a back seat. 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: Benches
- 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.
I’m on the edge of my seat waiting to see what you come up with!
xxx Ailsa
Where's my backpack? 
Lovely post Ailsa! I shall be back for this one. I share your love of benches :0)
Excellent, Tina, looking forward to seeing what benches you find! 🙂
You saved the best shot for last — the squirrel. Impressive!
He seemed quite happy to model for me, Tom 🙂
beautiful post, and i love that final shot! the squirrel made me smile! z
Thanks Z, he was an awfully inquisitive little soul, he made me smile too 🙂
Yay I can do this one 😀 Great photos. Love love LOVE the squirrel 🙂
Hurray, looking forward to your post, Alastair 🙂
😀
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Benches http://wtofly.wordpress.com/2013/04/12/travel-theme-benches/
Ooh, how lovely looking out over that water. Where were these photos taken? Those rounded benches are cool too, they remind me a little of beer kegs 🙂
The only pics with benches that I could find, they were not the main subject of the photos but the view was awesome and they appeared in there lol! I took them at Lago di Garda, Italy, about an year back…
Love the Battery Park design.
Here is my contribution….. http://mrscarmichael.wordpress.com/2013/04/12/travel-theme-benches/
What a dizzying array of benches, Mrs C and yes, I’m afraid I got entirely distracted by that blue sky, how lovely! Fear not, beaches is a theme I haven’t done yet, so chances are it’ll show up sometime soon. When I make it to a beach 😉
thank goodness I got any dyslexic traits under control and reread the topic. So much to look forward to…..
Ooh, I eagerly await your beaches theme, Ailsa! You are welcome to borrow some of my beach photos if you can’t make it to one yourself. I have thousands 🙂
Excellent, I shall get on it, cinova – I could do with a little sun, sea and sand! 🙂
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Ailsa, the squirrel is sooo adorable but I love also the Manhattan‘s Battery Park bench. Beautiful captures as well as the theme.
Here’ re mine: http://esengasvoice.wordpress.com/2013/04/12/travel-theme-benches/
Lovely photos, Ese, and Bonaparte quote made me grin – so true 🙂
Pingback: Ailsa’s travel photo challenge: Benches | Sounds like wish
Great theme, as is usually the case. There is a poignant song from Simon and Garfunkel, from their 1960’s Bookends album: “old friends, sat on their parkbench like bookends” with a further reference noting “How terribly sad to be seventy…” the lyrics continue with amazing insight, concerning older, silent, contemplative thoughts amongst the old friends.
Love your commentary, and your pictures are extraordinary.
I don’t actually know that song, MV, I’ve never listened to the full album but I love their song Bookends. I shall have to listen to the album at some point. So glad you enjoyed my little homage to the humble bench.
What a creative theme, love it. And I love Snug Harbor, such a cool place! My own Jersey Shore bench photo coming up later 🙂
This was tough! Here’s what I came up with: http://areyourtwentiesajoke.com/2013/04/13/travel-theme-benches/
Ooh wow, that’s a lot of snow! It’s so weird to me to see snow like that right by the shore. That little park in Heredia is beautiful. 🙂
Snug Harbor is great, I was really surprised at the extent of the gardens when I visited. 🙂
Great bench pix – that squirrel looks like he is telling you that you are in his personal space! Back soon…
Haha, actually he was wondering if he could help me with my sandwich 🙂
I think you may well know what you’ll be getting from me… one or two along the canals?? Yep!!
Oh yes, good one aj! 🙂
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Such a stunning variety of benches, Ailsa! The stone bench in Seattle is my favourite as it’s so evocative and very cinematic-would be perfect place to shoot a scene for a film. Here’s my contribution, featuring benches from four different locations (in Canada and Australia). http://cinova.wordpress.com/2013/04/12/travel-theme-benches/
Beautiful, cinova, I loved your prose and that bench with the bird faces is adorable! Where was that? xxx
Thanks, Ailsa. If you hover over each photograph, there should be a description of the location. That bench is at the Banff Centre for the Arts in Alberta, Canada. I believe that it was carved by First Nations people.
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This is mine…and bravo for you
http://bambangpriantono.wordpress.com/2013/04/12/travel-theme-benches-bangku/
Oh, how sad to see those poor, forlorn benches. There’s something so poignant about those broken seats, with the frames still standing proud and elegant. I hope the government sees fit to return them to public use soon. Beautiful post. xxx
I show the reality and hopefully when I go there again, I’ll see it return to its initial beauty.
Thank you 🙂
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Really loving that top photo. Those blossoms are really something. And what a cutie that squirrel is!
Here are mine for the week. http://ididitforjohnny.wordpress.com/2013/04/12/travel-theme-benches/
Gorgeous shots, those O’Hare benches are really cool, and I love love love your shot of the benches at Strawberry Fields, those are the iconic Central Park benches, wonderful photo. 🙂
Thanks. I loved the Central Park benches, too, though I’d have loved them better if all the people would have moved out of the shot! I’m picky like that.
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Where exactly is that bench at U Dub? I don’t think I cuold study for finals if I was worried about getting my feet wet!
I looked for a shot of a squirrel on a bench, but all I had was on the rims of garbage cans. . . ;o)
If you need a place to rest, here’s mine: http://loganbruin.wordpress.com/2013/04/12/travel-theme-benches/
It’s just at the top of the steps leading to the fountain, yeah, you’d need to be dressed for the weather to sit there. Love your Stanley Park shot, and tell Gen she makes even an ordinary bus bench look cool. 🙂
I love photograph benches. I am always fascinated by. Hope I have time to join this challenge. Very nice theme, Ailsa. 🙂
Hi Inge, hope you have time to join in, but if not, don’t worry, there’s always a new theme next week. 🙂
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Not benches, exactly, but…: http://windagainstcurrent.com/2013/04/12/travel-theme-benches/
I actually missed that installment of your circumnavigation, what a wonderful treat in between beach camping, it looks idyllic.
I like your ‘themes’
Thanks Mark, I have a lot of fun coming up with new ideas each week, it keeps me thinking! 🙂
These are great benches you have. I really like the circular one!
Here is my entry for this week!!
http://www.ceephotography.com/2013/04/12/travel-theme-benches/
Love this theme (and your photos/post) ~ would love to participate but must go through lots of photos to find my benches. I need to have better photo organization.
Very nice theme, every bench has a story to tell. Awesome pictures, especially squirrel’s.
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Here is my entry for your challenge:
http://ohmsweetohmdotme.wordpress.com/2013/04/12/travel-theme-benches/
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Hi everybody
Have a nice weekend.
Here my benches…
http://wp.me/pjXOq-1se
Hi everybody, sorry for double, I didn’t understand why ask me all details… I’ve logged
Here my benches…
http://wp.me/pjXOq-1se
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Kongo’s monkey bench
http://travel-monkey.me/2013/04/12/ailsas-travel-theme-benches/
“Leave my bench alone” was it the message from the lovely fellow (iast photo)..?
Very well captured… 🙂
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Your post shows how benches can be part of the landscape design expressing the style of a park, pier or bordering building. Here is my fun, colorful take on benches: http://canoecommunications.wordpress.com/2013/04/12/travel-theme-benches/
It might be a post about benches but that squirrel go my attention. I thot he was going to jump right out of the computer.
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Yay for the travel theme! http://beyondpaisley.net/2013/04/12/travel-theme-benches/
Pingback: Travel theme: Benches
One of my favourites – again! You are amazingly inventive and it’s always a treat to see what you come up with. Beautiful benches and that lovely squirrel! I’ll see what I can find…
If benches could talk … every bench has some stories to tell. Fantastic gallery again, wouldn’t expect anything else from you. The round bench is my pick of this .. fantastic gallery. Have a great weekend now.
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It’s Friday! Time for a new Travel Theme, hurrah. You have captured a collection of special benches and a squirrel, so cute. The white bench is beautiful.
Here are mine – you might even recognize two of them, Ailsa!
http://drieskewrites.wordpress.com/2013/04/12/travel-theme-benches/
I love your benches!
http://geriatrixfotogallerie.wordpress.com/2013/04/12/travel-theme-benches/