Animals, Instagram, iPhone, Photo Challenges, Photography

Weekly Photo Challenge: Wanderlust

This week’s photo challenge starts with “Have you traveled anywhere exciting lately?”  Oh boy, travel is a topic maybe it’s best not to get me started on as “going to see things” is a bit of a hobby for me.  It also happens that I was on the road just a few weeks ago.  I visited a few well-known spots that pretty much everyone has heard of.  This post though is more about something I really love about traveling, and that is visiting some spot a bit off the tourist path and being utterly charmed by it.

I do enjoy history, so I often find myself at spots of historical significance.  I will admit though, if it has to do with World War II, it’s probably because my husband found it.  That’s how I came to be standing here:

ISO 400 4.15mm f/2.2 1/100 sec

Where am I? The Upottery Heritage Center.  Here’s a Google map link, if you would like to see a map of the area.  Why was I here? Well the Band of Brothers left from here for Normandy; that was my husband’s interest.  He had been in contact with Robin, a volunteer at the center, who had agreed to open the converted hut for us to take a look around.  This is one of those museums that has been put together by people who care about the history of the area.  It’s a small space, but there is an incredible amount of well researched detail here.  My husband talked to Robin about those details.  For me, it was the photographs, look at all the photographs!  Our youngest child was traveling with us and found the stash of newspapers from the time. Eventually, it was time to drag ourselves away from this room. The driving tour was next.  Robin was willing to take us around to show my husband where the old airfield was.  For me the highlight of the driving tour was this:

ISO 25 4.15 f/2.2 1/420

During the war it was a guard station.  It’s the last remaining one in the area and now if functions as a Remembrance memorial.  A beautiful tribute if you ask me.

Part of the tour took us through farms that are currently in use, so from my Instagram, I have this shot.

View this post on Instagram

On a #walk with a #cow #nofilter #england

A post shared by Amy Maranto (@marantophotography) on

A cleaned up version of that shot is in my Picfair portfolio.

This morning in Upottery was a highlight of the trip.  The well known places were good too, but this was unique, something that will stick in our collective family memory. In terms of the photography, I stuck with my iPhone for this visit and was pleased with the results. Have you perhaps had the experience as well, that a lesser known place ended up being a highlight of a trip? Can you believe how lush that grass is in the Instagram photo? That’s a no filter photo.  Feel free to leave your comments below.

Cheers!

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21 thoughts on “Weekly Photo Challenge: Wanderlust”

  1. Pingback: Wanderlust: Bike Ride | What's (in) the picture?

  2. It is always interesting observing a piece of history, one that dates back to the rough days. You wonder the stories that surrounded it back in the day. Lovely panorama, very crisp and it is pretty level. Couldn’t tell that you used your iPhone. It worked for your trip. I’ve been visiting a lot of off the road places over the last few months. They never fail to surprise and thankfully each time, I had a camera handy 🙂

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  5. Amy, your post reminded me that there are so many times when I see a historic sight and I think, oh! if only I could flash back in time, just for a few moments, to when this place was new, or when it was still being used, etc. My husband and I sometimes go to Port Townsend, Washington, where there is an old historic fort site, Fort Worden, which was built in the early 1900s. The housing for officers really makes my imagination go! What was it like, being a child – or an adult – in one of those old 1910s houses when they were brand-new? Was the woodwork mahogany-bright – before it had been painted over its current dull-gray? What was it like to be a servant, going up and down the back stairs taking tea to the family, having to cook on an old-fashioned stove, do laundry before modern washing machines? (Difficult and labor-intensive, I’m sure…). Nice post today! 🙂

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    • The really cool thing about it was the time and effort that had gone into the research. Not that he’s an expert, but my husband has done quite a bit of research on the topic, and he was really impressed with what was put together here. This museum certainly is a labour of love, something that I find very admirable.

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  8. Who guards the guard station. It’s kind of a sad picture. I can sort of personify the little brick edifice as though its a lonely old soul that has begun to weather away.

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    • It’s the last one too. It really appealed to me because it was obvious that some folks were trying to hang on to this part of the town’s history. The roof for example, had actually been replaced by a local farmer just because he thought it was important. The use of it as a Remembrance marker means that people are out to see it, even if it is only once a year. It’s worn appearance however, does fit in pretty well with the surrounding countryside which does have a bit of a wild, rough and tumble look about it. It is a guard station that has to fend for itself I guess.

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