Himeji . . . the Flying Egret Castle! Photo from our trip to Japan in 1993.
* You can read about it in an account from my travel journal describing my experience of snowfall at the Kyoto Imperial Palace . . . . click on Travel Journals!
In 1993 and 1994 we once again explored Kyoto and Honshu with our two girls, Louisa and Susie. We were lucky to enjoy both the wonders of cherry blossom time in the Spring and the Japanese landscape transformed by the awesome colours of Autumn.
Anyway my Japanese adventure in 2020 was not to be! I am extremely fortunate that Macs Adventure, the specialist adventure travel company who organised my trip, have enabled me to postpone my Japan trip to the Spring of 2021!
Above is a scrapbook page about my travels in Switzerland in September 2018
In November of last year I spent a month walking on my favourite trails in Hong Kong.
We lived in Hong Kong for 18 years from 1979 until 1997.
So the opportunity to spend more time at home on scrapbooking gives me a real focus for the day. I am in touch with all my scrapbooking friends via our Facebook group. Indeed our teacher, Virginia, posted a scrapbooking challenge a few days ago. We have all risen to the challenge and posted our completed scrapbook pages for everyone to see and comment on. Everyone is welcome to visit our public Facebook group at 'Skipton Scrapbookers Group' on FB!
I decided a couple of days ago to move a craft table into our conservatory so that I am able to 'scrap' with more natural light plus enjoy looking out into the garden.
My scrapbooking tends to be mainly linked to recording my/our travels. However I do enjoy doing pages about my family and also family history. So my plan with this blog is to share with you some of my latest scrapbook pages. I hope you enjoy looking at them!
* All my latest scrapbook pages have also been uploaded into my 'Scrapbooking Gallery' which you can find at the top of my homepage.
I am doing my scrapbooking on a craft table in my conservatory during this
'Stay at Home' time. It gives me plenty of light and a view of the garden.
I have put my challenge scrapbook page below the 'scrap map' . . . .
Our recent scrapbook challenge!
This is the scrapbook page I did at the weekend following the instructions in the challenge 'scrap map'.
Last summer I was fortunate to spend six weeks travelling with my youngest
daughter and son-in-law to Singapore, New Zealand and Bali. Above is a
scrapbook page devoted to climbing a volcano in Bali to watch the sunrise!
Scrapbooking is a method for preserving memories of travel, family celebrations and just 'life', including family history. A typical scrapbook page, 12 x 12 inches, usually includes photographs, embellishments and journaling. On our travel scrapbook pages I use photographs taken on my travels. Embellishments include stickers, stamps, brads, chipboard elements, titling letters, buttons, fabric, beads, sequins, ribbon and washi-tape. We sometimes include memorabilia such as tickets, postcards and items collected on our travels. The journaling briefly outlines details of the 'travel moment' including the place and time of visit. The journaling is usually written on a tag attached to the page or sometimes hidden behind a photograph or part of the page. The title should briefly sum up the travel inspiration.
I particularly enjoy using mixed-media to create a unique background page for my travel scrapbooking. I occasionally use my poems as an inspiration for a scrapbook page. You can find examples of my work in my 'Scrapbooking Gallery' at the top of my website home-page.
Standing with two of my 'perigrino' friends on my Camino in 2019
In the Spring of 2019 I walked solo for 47 days on the Camino de Santiago in memory of my wife, Lynne, who died in 2018. It was one of the most incredible experiences of my life. As a pilgrimage it was so powerful physically, mentally and spiritually. Although walking on my own I met people from all over the world both on the trail during the day and every evening. The scrapbook page above shows me with two other pilgrims. It was taken on my birthday! We had just had our very first glimpse of the Atlantic Ocean. After completing the Camino to its traditional end point at Santiago de Compostela I was walking for a further five days out to the ocean at Finisterre.
* There are two earlier blogs devoted to my adventures on the Camino de Santiago!
They are called 'The Way of St James (1)' and 'The Way of St James (2)'
This is me at 'Monumento Perigrino' one of the most famous points on
the Camino de Santiago near the city of Pamplona.
Franz Josef Glacier ....... South Island of New Zealand
* You can find my first New Zealand blog 'Aotearoa . . . Journey to the 'Land of the Long White Cloud (1)' below this blog. More travel blogs on my travels in New Zealand and Bali will be uploaded soon!
An incredible day seeing the Pope in St Peter's Square in Rome!
In September 2019 I spent a week exploring Rome. I probably walked at least 12 miles every day! Despite all our worldwide travels Lynne and I had never been to Rome. It was high on our list of must-see places in Europe. Sadly Lynne was not able to see Rome so I went to see the 'Eternal City' on behalf of both of us. It was a truly wonderful week!
As I write this I immediately think of the coronavirus situation in Italy. In fact as I watch the BBC News each day I am so sorry to hear about this crisis throughout the world. I pray for all doctors, nurses and medical support staff in our NHS (National Health Service) in the UK and medical teams worldwide.
I also pray that once we have got through this difficult and worrying time we will somehow have a more caring, compassionate and supportive humanity.
I am going to end this blog with one of my scrapbook pages about one early morning, while walking through the province of Galicia, on my Camino! Hopefully it conveys a sense peace and tranquility!
Please take care!
'Stay at Home! ..... Protect the NHS! ..... Save Lives!
For all our 'Key Workers', whatever their role, out there on the front line I pray for your health, safety and well-being at this difficult time. All families faced with the loss of loved ones you are constantly in my prayers.
Regards
David
I would love to hear from you either by commenting directly to this blog or by secure email as outlined in the 'Contact' section of my website.
My Camino Pilgrimage in 2019, my Japanese Pilgrimage now in 2021 and my Pennine Way walk in August 2020 have been organised and planned with Macs Adventure who are specialists in self-guided walking holidays throughout the world . . . more information can be found on www.macsadventure.com