Good travel engages all of the senses, combining to create a heady and unforgettable experience. I will never forget the sight and fragrance of wall to wall hyacinths one summer at Hampton Court Palace; the sounds, smells and sticky humidity of the Guatemalan jungle at night or the aroma and taste of my first trip inside a Parisian bakery. Photographs can only go so far in conjuring up the sensory elements of travel, but here are a few attempts. starting with a visual assault in the car graveyard that is Cadillac Ranch just outside of Amarillo Texas. No two visits will ever be the same as the graffiti is constantly changing.
Then there was the roar of eerily green, thundering waters, and the almost oily humidity of the air surrounding Niagara Falls.
Next the sights and smells of street markets, sun-warmed berries…
… and exotic spices…
…the pleasure of encountering music in unexpected places…
…walking in a rain-soaked garden…
…and the feel of the neolithic inscriptions of Loughcrew under my fingertips.
So are you ready to take leave of your senses to create your own interpretation of this week’s theme? If you would like to join in (everyone’s welcome!) here’s what to do:
- Create your own post and title it Travel theme: Sensory
- 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.
xxx Ailsa
I go to nature to be soothed and healed, and to have my senses put in order. – John Burroughs
The amount of sensory material stored up or stored down in the brain’s and the body’s systems is inestimable. It’s like a culture at the bottom of a jar, although it doesn’t grow, I think, or help anything else to grow unless you find a way to reach it and touch it.- Seamus Heaney
Where's my backpack? 