El Faro in Albir,Alicante Spain

“El Faro” in Albir
It’s an easy walk from the Valencian seaside resort town of Albir to the lighthouse at the top of Sierra Helada, or “Ice Mountain”,  in the Sierra Helada Natural Park in southern Spain

We’d heard the stories about the Costa Blanca (White Coast) on the Mediterranean in Southern Spain: cheap flights from the northern parts of Europe makes this area a playground for “hens parties”, retirees, and school-leavers.

On our recent stay in Alicante Province, Spain, my husband and I met representatives of all these groups. We were staying in the planned resort of Platja de l’Albir (also called Albir, El Albir or L’Albir) – part of the Valencian town of L’Alfàs del Pi  and we discovered (like countless tourists before us) a region with a magnificent climate, good infrastructure, and innumerable reasonably-priced options for food, accommodation, and recreation.

One of Albir’s top attractions is the short walk from the Playa de Racó (“beach corner”) waterfront to El Faro (the lighthouse) in the Parque Natural de la Serra Gelada. 

Join us for a stroll.

Anchor sculpture on the Mediterranean, Albir, Alicante Spain

Anchor on the Mediterranean
A giant sculpture of an anchor give visitors to Albir a distinct sense of place.

Lovers on a Bench, Playa Albir, Alicante Spain

Lovers on Playa Albir
The Mediterranean Sea entertained us with endless blues.

Beach chairs, Playa Albir, Alicante Spain

Playa Albir
It is mid-May; the northern-European tourists have not yet arrived in their full numbers, but the beach is already busy.

view north on Costa Blanca from Albir, Alicante Spain

Costa Blanca – White Coast
As we walk towards the Sierra Helad National Park, we have views over the Mediterranean towards the rocky outcrop at Peñón de Ifach.

Pathway Markers, Parque Natural de la Serra Gelada,

Pathway Markers
There are a number of walking trails in the park.

Tunnel on Ruta Amarilla in Parque Natural de la Serra Gelada, Spain

Tunnel on Ruta Amarilla
Our trail to the lighthouse is on a short, well-marked and smoothly-surfaced section of the Ruta Amarilla (Yellow Route).

Fringed pink flowers in Parque Natural de la Serra Gelada, Spain

Fringed Pinks – Dianthus
The first section of the trail is a little steep – especially in the afternoon heat after a late Spanish lunch!

Fringed pink flowers in Parque Natural de la Serra Gelada, Spain

Fringed Pinks – Dianthus
The many herbs and wildflowers make good excuses to pause for rest.

El Faro on Serra Gelada, Spain

El Faro in Albir
The lighthouse comes into view 439 meters above sea level on Serra GeladaFrozen Mountain. The mountain’s name was reputedly given to it by fishermen who though it looked like an iceberg from the sea on moonlit nights.

Wild yellow Daisies in Parque Natural de la Serra Gelada, Spain

Wild Daisies – Calendula Arvensis

El Faro on Serra Gelada, Spain

El Faro on Serra Gelada
The lighthouse is another bend closer, sitting amid its scrubby vegetation. The smells from the Mediterranean heather, thyme, and lavender bushes are delightful on the warm air.

Yellow Thistles in Parque Natural de la Serra Gelada, Spain

Yellow Thistles
I had no idea thistles came in any colours other than purple! These yellow ones were all along the trail.

Ancient Ruins on the mountainside on Serra Gelada, Spain

Ancient Ruins
The base of the mountain is dotted with caves that were used by smugglers and pirates between the 16th and 18th centuries, and lookouts were built along the ridge tops to keep watch. 

Signpost to the ochre mines on the mountainside on Serra Gelada, Spain

Down to the Ochre Mines
The hillside also has ruins from 19th century ochre mining enterprises that you can visit. The stone pylons in the valley were part of the supports for the wagon rails.

El Faro on Serra Gelada, Spain

Path up to El Faro
Today the lighthouse operates a few hours a day as an information centre, …

The Light of Albir on Serra Gelada, Spain

The Light
… but it was closed long before we arrived.

view north on Costa Blanca from Albir, Alicante Spain

Marine Mists and Fish Farms
The views from the hilltop are stunning and well worth the walk. 

Sign Posting at the Albir lighthouse, Alicante Spain

Sign Posting
The whole walk is dotted with informative signs in Spanish and English.

Yellow Thistle and Ruins in Parque Natural de la Serra Gelada, Spain

Yellow Thistle and Ruins

Lavender in Parque Natural de la Serra Gelada, Spain

Spanish Lavender (Lavandula Stoechas)
Spanish Lavender grows wild in this arid Mediterranean climate… 

Spanish Lavender in Parque Natural de la Serra Gelada, Spain

Smell the Spanish Lavender!
… and it smells wonderful!

Looking through a tunnel towards Albir on Ruta Amarilla in Parque Natural de la Serra Gelada, Spain

Looking towards Albir
The walk down was much quicker than the walk up, and before long we could see the town of Albir and the mountains behind through the rock-slide tunnel.

Red Squirrel, Ruta Amarilla in Parque Natural de la Serra Gelada, Spain

Ardilla Roja
Our final treat was a red squirrel (Sciurus vulgaris) peaking out from behind an Aleppo pine (pinus halepensus) tree.

Red Squirrel, Ruta Amarilla in Parque Natural de la Serra Gelada, Spain

Red Squirrel (Sciurus Vulgaris)
I was especially excited because I had never seen one in the wild. The numbers of red squirrels have decreased markedly in much of Europe.

It was a pleasant walk, and we had absolutely perfect weather: sunny and clear but not too hot.  I was glad not to be doing it in the heat or crowds of summer!

Text: Happy Rambling

Until next time – 

Happy Rambling!

Pictures: 15May2017

View over Ho Chi Minh from the rooftop bar at Sheraton Saigon Hotel as the sun sets, Vietnam

Sun Setting over Ho Chi Minh City
The classic Level 23 Wine Bar at Sheraton Saigon Hotel & Towers is a great place to round out a day’s exploration of Vietnam’s old southern capitol, and to watch the sun set over the expanding contemporary city.

Oh, Saigon!

It was a name familiar to those of us who grew up in the West: first as an exotic part of France’s colonial empire, until – as Saïgon – it achieved a hard-won independence in 1955, and then as a component of the evening news for its pivotal role in the Vietnam War; the city now known as Ho Chi Minh (HCM) has been at a crossroads of history and culture for centuries. It started life as a small Khmer fishing village long before the expansion of colonisation by Vietnamese settlers in the 17th century.

The city today reflects this very mixed heritage: it is the most populous metropolitan area in Vietnam, and the county’s fast-growing economic centre. But, it still looks to the past, with magnificent French architecture rubbing shoulders with Asian street food and traditional temples, and reminders of the terrible legacy of the Vietnam War share space with tributes to “Reunification” under the current regime.

The last time I was in HCM, I was only overnighting en route to the Mekong Delta, and I had virtually no memory of the city itself. So, it was with interest that I mapped out a day’s walking-tour for my husband and myself.

I was pleased to find that there was still a roof-top bar at the Sheraton Saigon, as mentioned in my very ancient Lonely Planet guide; watching the sun go down in style over a mojito was a nice reward after a lot of walking! 

Join me for some of the sights of old Sài Gòn.

Notre Dame Cathedral Nhà Thờ Đức Bà from the road, Ho Chi Minh City Vietnam

Notre-Dame Cathedral Basilica of Saigon
Our shuttle drop-off and pick-up point was outside the amazing Nhà Thờ Đức Bà, officially called the Cathedral Basilica of Our Lady of The Immaculate Conception. Built between 1863 and 1880 to service a growing Roman Catholic community in Saigon, all the materials used in its construction were imported from France. The two 58 metre (190 ft) bell towers were added in 1895.

Vietnamese Wedding Couple in white in font of a red brick wall of Notre Dame Cathedral, Ho Chi Minh City Vietnam

Wedding Couple
The bright red bricks of the cathedral’s exterior were imported from Toulouse. Today they are ‘graffitied’ with sponsors’ names, and provide a colourful backdrop for happy wedding photos.

Dark Font area inside Notre Dame Cathedral, Ho Chi Minh City Vietnam

Font Area inside Notre Dame Cathedral
The stained glass in the cathedral is from Chartres province in France.

tiles inside Notre Dame Cathedral, Ho Chi Minh City Vietnam

Merci à Notre Dame
Countless tiles inside the cathedral give thanks to Our Lady (Tạ Ơn Đức Mẹ ; Merci à Notre Dame). Although the original tiles were all from France, many new ones have been locally made to replace those that were damaged during the war.

Nave in Notre Dame Cathedral, Ho Chi Minh City Vietnam

The Nave
Built in neo-Romanesque style, the interior of the cathedral is quite elegant.

Reunification Palace, Ho Chi Minh City Vietnam

Reunification Palace
Our next stop was at the Independence Palace (Dinh Độc Lập) or Reunification Palace.

Room Inside the Reunification Palace, Ho Chi Minh City Vietnam

Inside the Reunification Palace
Built between 1962 and 1966 on the site of the former Norodom Palace, this Vietnamese-designed building was the home and workplace of the President of South Vietnam and Chairman of the National Leadership Committee, General Nguyễn Văn Thiệu, during the Vietnam War.

Female Vietnamese Guide inside the Reunification Palace, Ho Chi Minh City Vietnam

Guide in the Reunification Palace
Tours through the palace recount the long and troubled history of the war years.

Vietnamese Visitors to the Reunification Palace, Ho Chi Minh City Vietnam

Vietnamese Visitors to the Reunification Palace
Fortified rooms under the palace are where the South Vietnamese managed their war effort …

Communication Centre in the Reunification Palace, Ho Chi Minh City Vietnam

Communication Centre in the Reunification Palace
… until a North Vietnamese tank bulldozed through the main gate on 30 April 1975, bringing the Vietnam War to an end.

War Remnants Museum, Ho Chi Minh City Vietnam

War Remnants Museum
Located in what was the US Information Service building, this is a challenging, but important museum.

Tank outside the War Remnants Museum, Ho Chi Minh City Vietnam

Tank – War Remnants Museum
Originally called the Exhibition House for Crimes of War and Aggression, presentations inside the building illustrate the brutal effects of war, especially on civilians. Horrifying experimental weapons are on display, as are sobering photos documenting the effects of US bombing and napalming. One section, the Requiem Exhibition, compiled by legendary war photographer Tim Page, is devoted to the works of photographers from both sides, who were killed during the conflict.

Ho Chi Minh Streets

Ho Chi Minh Streets
We needed some time out after the harrowing War Remnants Museum, so set off on a brisk 2 kilometre walk across the old city …

Jade Emperor Pagoda

Jade Emperor Pagoda
… to the Chùa Ngọc Hoàng, the little temple built in 1909 by the local Chinese community in honour of the supreme Taoist god: the Jade Emperor or King of Heaven, Ngoc Hoang.

Hand Lighting Incense inside the dark Jade Emperor Pagoda, Ho Chi Minh City Vietnam

Lighting Incense
Inside the Jade Emperor Pagoda, it is hot, dark, and heavy with the smell of incense and oil.

Woman with lit Incense inside the dark Jade Emperor Pagoda, Ho Chi Minh City Vietnam

Prayers and Incense
The majority of people in Ho Chi Minh City practice Mahayana Buddhism, often mixed with Taoism and Confucianism (via ancestor worship). It is not uncommon to see symbols of Buddhism in a Taoist temple like this one.

Woman pouring oil into a candle inside the dark Jade Emperor Pagoda, Ho Chi Minh City Vietnam

Pouring Oil
Religious practice is an integral part of daily life.

Countless green turtles in a cement pond, Jade Emperor Pagoda, Ho Chi Minh City Vietnam

Lucky Turtles
Back outside, in the courtyard of the Jade Emperor Pagoda, countless turtles – some with lucky symbols carved into their shells – clamber over each other.

Vietnamese woman paring vegetables, Quan An Ngon Restaurant, Ho Chi Minh City Vietnam

Preparing “Street” Food
We got very lucky! Tired and hungry, we managed to remember the name of the restaurant we had seen opposite the Reunification Palace, and took a taxi back to Quan An Ngon 138.

Vietnamese woman with fried spring rolls, Quan An Ngon Restaurant, Ho Chi Minh City Vietnam

Spring Rolls
It turns out that the Quan An Ngon Restaurant is known for presenting diverse regional Vietnamese cuisines in a village market style. We enjoyed our late lunch before setting off again, …

Ho Chi Minh City Supreme People

Ho Chi Minh City Supreme People’s Court
… past the courthouse …

Ho Chi Minh City Hall, Vietnam

Ho Chi Minh City Hall
… and the magnificent French Colonial City Hall

Saigon Central Post Office, Ho Chi Minh City Vietnam

Saigon Central Post Office
… to the Saigon Central Post Office, the most celebrated example of Renaissance architecture in Vietnam.

Inside Saigon Central Post Office, Ho Chi Minh City Vietnam

Saigon Central Post Office
The building, completed in 1891, was designed by the renowned French architect Gustave Eiffel. Stepping inside is like walking into the past.

Saigon Opera House, Ho Chi Minh City Vietnam

Saigon Opera House
We paused briefly to admire the stylish French Colonial Municipal Theatre of Ho Chi Minh City, also known as Saigon Opera House

Ho Chi Minh Skyline after Dark from the Sheraton Rooftop Bar, Vietnam

Ho Chi Minh Skyline after Dark
… before ending our self-guided tour with drinks on the roof and city lights.

As I said at the outset, it was the perfect way to round out a long but fascinating day.

Text: Happy Travels

Until next time, 

Happy Travels!

Photos: 29February2016

Guitarist Ian Neville under bright stage lights, Bluesfest 2017 Byron Bay AU

Ian Neville
Talent runs deep in some families! Ian Neville, one of the guitars with Dumpstaphunk, and his cousin Ivan Neville, the group’s founder, represent the next generation of The Neville Brothers, the soul, funk and R&B group formed in 1977.

One of the many joys of Byron Bay Bluesfest, that annual Easter long-weekend festival of blues, roots, and just about every other kind of music, is – for me – the very range of styles packed into five days, and the depth of talent offered up on the five+ stages.

Although Americans tended to dominate the “imported” acts I saw this year, they themselves represented such divergent backgrounds and styles that the international flavour was maintained.

I’ve said before (Women Rock!) that it is a photographic challenge for me to process the photos I take under these low light settings. I was a long way back most of the time, so all the pictures included here are taken with the ISO cranked right up on my “noisy” old Canon 5D Mark II, using a 2.8 70-200mm lens without image stabilisation.

Still, I hope you enjoy! 

Guitarist Eric Gales, Bluesfest 2017 Byron Bay AU

Eric Gales (aka Raw Dawg)
Hailed as a child prodigy, blues-rock guitarist Eric Gales started playing at age four, learning an unconventional left-handed style from his older brother.

Hanks holding a smart phone in a dark tent, videoing the California Honeydrops, Bluesfest Byron Bay AU

Videoing the California Honeydrops
These days, thanks to smart phones, anyone can make a recording. I came by the attached sound track legitimately!

(Double click for When it was Wrong by the California Honeydrops)

The California Honeydrops on stage at Bluesfest 2017 Byron Bay AU.

The California Honeydrops
Laying a New Orleans style over their roots, blues, R&B and soul music, The California Honeydrops are big, bold and brassy.

Lech Wierzynski with The California Honeydrops on stage at Bluesfest 2017 Byron Bay AU.

Lech Wierzynski
Band leader and front man, Warsaw born Lech Wierzynski is an accomplished trumpeter, singer, …

Lech Wierzynski with The California Honeydrops on stage at Bluesfest 2017 Byron Bay AU.

Lech Wierzynski
… and guitarist.

Mud Morganfield, Bluesfest 2017 Byron Bay AU

Larry “Mud” Morganfield
Eldest son of legendary Muddy Waters, Mud Morganfield performs his own original Chicago blues songs …

Mud Morganfield, Bluesfest 2017 Byron Bay AU

Mud Morganfield
… and reprises some of his father’s best-known numbers.

The Mountain Goats, Bluesfest 2017 Byron Bay AU

The Mountain Goats
I was intrigued by the write-up on John Darnielle, who until recently was the sum total of The Mountain Goats. Rolling Stone has called him the “Best Storyteller in Rock”: Darnielle has over 600 detail-rich songs that tell stories about the human condition. The mostly-male audience around me knew all the words to the songs from a recent concept album about wrestling; I’ll need to give them another try under clearer sound conditions.

Guitarist Ian Neville under bright stage lights, Bluesfest 2017 Byron Bay AU

Ian Neville
I often marvel how wonderful it would be to make a living playing music – especially joyful music.
Ian Neville (Dumpstaphunk) looks positively transported as he plays under lights.

St Paul and the Broken Bones, Bluesfest 2017 Byron Bay AU

St Paul and the Broken Bones
Paul Janeway is the voice and face of this American six-piece soul band which took Bluesfest by storm last year. Once again, he had the crowd breathless.

St. Paul and the Broken Bones, Bluesfest 2017 Byron Bay AU

St. Paul and the Broken Bones
I think St. Paul and the Broken Bones put every ounce of themselves into every performance …

Sound Mixing for St. Paul and the Broken Bones, Bluesfest 2017 Byron Bay AU

Sound Mixing
… and of course, there are whole teams of people ‘behind the scenes’, making sure they all look and sound great.

Leonard Sumner, Boomerang Festival stage, Bluesfest 2017 Byron Bay AU

Leonard Sumner
The Boomerang Festival of Indigenous Performing Arts ran along-side Bluesfest for three of the five days this year. One of the invited artists was Anishinaabe poet, singer/songwriter and MC Leonard Sumner from Canada’s Little Saskatchewan First Nation. His raps about the troubled history and current difficulties faced by Canada’s indigenous people were heartbreaking and confronting.

Trevor Hall, Bluesfest 2017 Byron Bay AU

Trevor Hall
Trevor Hall’s feel-good mix of acoustic rock, roots, folk, reggae and Sanskrit chanting cheered me up again, …

Bass Player with Trevor Hall, Bluesfest 2017 Byron Bay AU

Bass Player
… as did watching his bass player strum.

Percussionist with Trevor Hall, Bluesfest 2017 Byron Bay AU

Percussion with a Twist
Shells, prayer beads, Tibetan bells, plastic caps, chimes and a wooden box: the percussionist with Trevor Hall was a true sound-artist.

Nahko Bear, Bluesfest 2017 Byron Bay AU

Nahko Bear
One of the many beauties of music festivals is the spontaneous combining of musical talents. Nahko Bear, from Nahko and Medicine for the People, joined Trevor Hall on stage.

Vintage Trouble, Bluesfest 2017 Byron Bay AU

Vintage Trouble
We go back to retro rhythm & blues with the high-octane Vintage Trouble.

Nalle Colt with Vintage Trouble, Bluesfest 2017 Byron Bay AU

Nalle Colt with Vintage Trouble
The USA can be a true ‘melting pot’ and ‘land of opportunity’: Nalle Colt, born in Sweden, was a professional skateboarder before he picked up a guitar at age 13!

Ty Taylor and Vintage Trouble, Bluesfest 2017 Byron Bay AU

Ty Taylor and Vintage Trouble
Ty Taylor was a gospel singer from New Jersey before he formed Vintage Trouble in 2010 in Hollywood, California, with guitarist Nalle Colt.

Jake Shimabukuro under bright stage lights, Bluesfest 2017 Byron Bay AUh

Jake Shimabukuro
This wasn’t Hawaiian Jake Shimabukuro’s first visit to the Byron Bay Bluesfest, but it was the first time I’d seen the boundary-crossing ukulele virtuoso. I have seen some of his re-worked classics on Youtube. His instrumental compilation including Leonard Cohen’s ‘Hallelujah’ and Franz Schubert’s ‘Ave Maria’ had me in tears.

Tenzin Choegyal, Boomerang Festival stage, Bluesfest 2017 Byron Bay AU

Tenzin Choegyal
A return performer to The Boomerang Festival of Indigenous Performing Arts, Tenzin Choegyal’s Tibetan-based music tells heartbreaking stories of displacement. Attached to last year’s post on the the Boomerang Festival, I shared his lament, ‘Safe Passage’, a prayer-song based on the 8th Century classic Tibetan Book of the Dead.

Jerron “Blind Boy” Paxton, Bluesfest 2017 Byron Bay AU

Jerron “Blind Boy” Paxton
The music of “Blind Boy” Paxton builds on classic American roots and blues traditions. A multi-instrumentalist, Paxton sings old and original songs, plays banjo, guitar, piano, keyboard, fiddle, harmonica, Cajun accordion, and the bones.

Jerron “Blind Boy” Paxton, Bluesfest 2017 Byron Bay AU

Blind Boy Paxton
Paxton has a wicked sense of humour, which comes through in his patter and his original songs. 

Zac Brown Band under bright stage lights, Bluesfest 2017 Byron Bay AU

Zac Brown Band
If you want to close out your five days of music on a high, the Zac Brown Band is not a bad ways to go.

Zac Brown Band under bright stage lights, Bluesfest 2017 Byron Bay AU

Zac Brown Band
Based in Atlanta, Georgia, and billed as American (Southern) Country-Rock, the Zac Brown Band reminded me of the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band and the Ozark Mountain Daredevels, and made us all want to dance.

And so, after five days of musical breadth and high energy beats, we danced our way out of the festival grounds and back to the car for the long drive home.

Text: LetRest assured, we bought our tickets for next year first!

Bluesfest is too good to miss.

Until next Easter,

Let’s Dance!

Photos: 13-17April2017

  • Diane Rosenblum - September 19, 2017 - 10:44 pm

    I love the blues and fuchsias and the pictures do not come across as grainy! Most excellent!ReplyCancel

    • Ursula - September 20, 2017 - 1:28 am

      Many thanks, Diane! Low light photos with my old cameras are a real Lightroom-processing challenge! 😀ReplyCancel

Dead larch tree trunk on an open grassland, mountains in the background, Zavkhan Mongolia

Dead Trunk
Larch trees lay fallen like modern sculptures on the expansive steppes of central Mongolia. (Ikh-Uul Их-Уул, Zavkhan Завхан)

It looks like such a short drive: 

From Terkhiin Tsagaan Nuur in Tariat, Arkhangai Province, in Mongolia’s central west, it is just 203 kilometres through the Tarvagatai Mountains to Tosontsengel, in the western province of Zavkhan. That is about three and a half hours “without traffic” – and we expected none. Plus, we had the bonus of paved roads for much of our journey.

It was my third day of bumping along in a utilitarian Russian UAZ (Ulyanovsky Avtomobilny Zavod) four-wheel-drive vehicle organised by Within the Frame and local guides G and Segi. It was a short-driving day, considering the overall distance we needed to cover to reach our final destination, but it was off-season, and we were constrained by the availability of ger-camps in the almost deserted countryside.

It was my fifth day of living in hastily-purchased and borrowed clothing; Air China had finally found my suitcase, but they were offering no provisions to get it to me! Fortunately, our brilliant guides had connections everywhere and – at my own expense – my belongings and I should meet up by the end of the day. Even better: we had been promised ready-access to hot showers (which might be our last for several days), so it would be good to get into camp early. 

We started our morning with a short hike up Khorgo Uul, a volcano in the Tariat district in the mid-western Arkhangai Province (see: Terkhiin Tsagaan Nuur), then pointed the trucks west through the steppes and forest-steppes of Mongolia.

Cashmere Goats alongside a gravel road, Tariat, Arkhangai Province Mongolia

Cashmere Goats
Driving is slower when you have to give way to the regular flocks of goats and sheep that wander into the roadways. (iPhone6)

UAZ four-wheel drives on the grass, Tarvagatai Mountains National Park, Zavkhan Mongolia

Lunch Stop
Like a wild-west wagon train, we pull over and huddle the UAZs around the lunch tent at a likely looking spot in the Tarvagatai Mountains National Park. If you are looking for a shelter, the patches of larch trees are a long walk away… (iPhone6)

Larch tree on an open grassland, mountains in the background, Zavkhan Mongolia

Larch in the Wind
There are a few more trees at our next stop: the European larch (larix decidua) is the dominant forest species in Mongolia. With autumnal yellowed needles, the few trees standing on the open steppe are bent by the wind that blows through the passes.

Base of a European larch, mountains in the background, Zavkhan Mongolia

Larch Trunk
The twisting, reaching, trunks are very decorative with their roughly textured bark.

Dead larch tree trunk on an open grassland, mountains in the background, Zavkhan Mongolia

Dead Trunk
European larch (Larix decidua) trees live between 100 and 350 years, so I had to wonder about the dead trunks around our stop. These trees like well-drained soil, which is why there are more of them on the slopes than on the flat.

Close-up of tree bark, Zavkhan Mongolia

Almost Abstract
The tree bark presents a beautiful pattern.

Clump of grass on an open grassland, mountains in the background, Zavkhan Mongolia

Grasses on the Steppes
We are in the high plateaus of the Khangai Mountain Range; sparse grasses grow, and the mountains provide a backdrop.

Yaks on a sparse rocky hillside, mountains in the background, Zavkhan Mongolia

Yaks on the Hillside
Domestic yak (Bos grunniens) somehow manage to find grasses and sedges high up on the mountain ridges.

Man with a drone and drone controls, mountains in the background, Zavkhan Mongolia

The Drone
One of our participants takes the opportunity to fly his drone across the plateau. (iPhone6)

Two Mongolian men on a motorcycle, mountains in the background, Zavkhan Mongolia

Motorcycle Riders
There is not much traffic; two men in their traditional deel coats, and no helmets, smile as they pass us.

Pale green Ulyanovsky Avtomobilny Zavod on the roadside, Zavkhan Mongolia

UAZ
In spite of the dusty roads, our drivers manage to keep the Russian UAZ (Ulyanovsky Avtomobilny Zavod) four-wheel-drive trucks spotlessly clean: …

Reflection Pale green Ulyanovsky Avtomobilny Zavod on the roadside, Zavkhan Mongolia

UAZ-Selfie
… so clean you can see yourself in them!

Three Mongolian men, UAZ in the background, Zavkhan

Mongolian Drivers

View through the UAZ window at wooden bridge, mountains in the background, Zavkhan Mongolia

View from the Truck
Closer to our destination, the road gets bumpier. Rough wooden planks serve as a bridge to the next patch of gravel.

Cabins, Selenge Lodge, Tosontsengel Mongolia

Cabins on the Plain
There is no sense of crowding at Selenge Lodge where we are camped out for the night. Pretty little cabins are located well away from the gers, …

Torn greenhouse in a sun flare, , Selenge Lodge, Tosontsengel Mongolia

Winter Greenhouse
… and away from the greenhouses which sit empty in the winter sun.

Torn greenhouse in a sun flare, , Selenge Lodge, Tosontsengel Mongolia

Winter Greenhouse
The season is clearly finished: nothing is growing inside, and the torn sheeting flaps in the icy cold wind.

Mongolian woman and her two children, Selenge Lodge, Tosontsengel Mongolia

Family
The people who look after the camp are happy to pose …

Mongolian woman and her toddler, Selenge Lodge, Tosontsengel Mongolia

Proud Mum
… in the brightly angling afternoon sun.

Mongolian youth, Selenge Lodge, Tosontsengel Mongolia

The Elder Child

Two Mongolian men and a boy in firelight after dark, Selenge Lodge, Tosontsengel Mongolia

In the Firelight
The light falls quickly over the camp. Surprisingly, there are still enough trees for a bonfire! We all gather around it after dinner. (iPhone6)

Mongolian mother and toddler in firelight after dark, Selenge Lodge, Tosontsengel Mongolia

Mother and Child in the Firelight

 Boy with a Bucket, Selenge Lodge, Tosontsengel Mongolia

Boy with a Bucket
Early next morning, the son of the owners goes about his chores.

Mongolian Sheep Dog, Selenge Lodge, Tosontsengel Mongolia

Mongolian Sheep Dog

Mongolian woman in the Kitchen, Selenge Lodge, Tosontsengel Mongolia

Woman in the Kitchen
As we prepare to leave, mum at the counter …

Mongolian Father and Baby, Selenge Lodge, Tosontsengel Mongolia

Father and Baby
… and dad at the back door, see us off.

And so, after a feed of Khorkhog (Xopxoг – an awful lot of mutton and offal stewed with hot stones in a pressure cooker), a hot shower and a night’s sleep, we point the UAZs ever-westward and set off on another day’s drive.

Text: Happy Travels

May all your roads be less bumpy!

Happy travels –

 

Photos: 24-25September2016

Irish Mythen playing guitar at Byron Bluesfest 2017

Irish Mythen
Dynamite packaged in a blue suit: Irish Mythen, an Irish-born performer based in Canada, once again raised the roof of the Bluesfest tents with her soaring and passionate vocals.

With the radio cranked loud, I spent most of last week driving down New South Wales backroads, trying to not tap the beat too hard on the accelerator. The annual Easter-weekend Bluesfest music festival in Byron Bay had finished late Monday night, and I was on the way home with songs in my head and music in my heart.

I love Bluesfest!

It always takes me a while to absorb and “digest” the wonderful range of music that the five days of multiple stages offer up. But, while it is all fresh and raw, I’ll share with you a few portraits of the some of the powerhouse women, young and old, that rocked my festival.

These women couldn’t have been more different: different social and ethnic backgrounds, different experiences and ages, different musical genres and influences. But what struck was what they shared – beyond their indisputable talent and skill: they all seemed to be so very much themselves. While much of that may be stage persona, they each embodied their own personal style and commanded their performance spaces. The audiences were in their hands!

On a photographic note: I always find it challenging to process the photos I’ve taken under these low light conditions. I had trouble getting anywhere close to the action, so all the pictures included here are taken with the ISO cranked right up on my “noisy” old Canon 5D Mark II, using a 2.8 70-200mm lens without image stabilisation.

Even so, I hope they reflect some of the magnetism of their subjects. 

Lucy Gallant singing on stage at Byron Bluesfest 2017

Lucy Gallant
With sparkles, flowers, and stage lights in her hair, Lucy Gallant looks as etherial as her delicate chimes. Her free-wheeling eclectic music draws on her BurmeseRussian, Irish, and Australian heritage and fuses rock, reggae, soul, latin and folk-pop traditions.

Lucy Gallant singing on stage at Byron Bluesfest 2017

Lucy Gallant
Byron-based, British-born Lucy is a singer-songwriter who plays multiple instruments. Billed as an indie artist, she’s on her way to her third Glastonbury Festival after this, her first Byron Bluesfest appearance.

Fiddler for Lucy Gallant, Byron Bluesfest 2017

Fiddler
A fiddler was a lively accompaniment to Lucy Gallant’s set.

Melody Angel playing guitar at Byron Bluesfest 2017

Melody Angel
The next performer on our schedule couldn’t have been more different! A fierce guitarist on her Fender Strat, Chicago-born Melody Angel

Melody Angel playing guitar at Byron Bluesfest 2017

Melody Angel
… counts Prince and Hendrix amongst her many playing and song-writing influences. Definitely one to watch!

Irish Mythen playing guitar at Byron Bluesfest 2017

Irish Mythen
We’d seen Irish before (see: Blues All Over the World) and made sure we didn’t miss her this year. She did not disappoint! (For one of her original songs, check out: Irish Pewter and Whiskey)

Nikki Hill singing on stage at Byron Bluesfest 2017

Nikki Hill
This is another energetic firecracker that we’d seen at Bluesfest before (see: Musical Name-Dropping) and weren’t about to miss. Called a queen of R&B soul and rock, Nikki Hill had whole the audience dancing.

Kam Franklin in the Bright Lights on stage at Byron Bluesfest 2017

Kam Franklin in the Bright Lights
Even the brightest lights in the house …

The Suffers singing on stage at Byron Bluesfest 2017

The Suffers
… can’t hide the exuberant and ranging soulful mezzo-soprano vocals of Kam Franklin, who fronts The Suffers as they power through their Gulf Coast Soul sound.

Rhiannon Giddens on banjo on stage at Byron Bluesfest 2017

Rhiannon Giddens
I loved Rhiannon when I saw her in 2016 (see: Back to the Roots), and if anything, she has grown in vocal power. Her wonderful voice ranged across old songs and originals with their heartbreaking roots in American history. The attached audio track, At the Purchaser’s Option, written with Joey Ryan, is an example.

(Double click to start At the Purchaser’s Option by Rhiannon Giddens.)

Mavis Staples singing on stage at Byron Bluesfest 2017

Mavis Staples
Mavis Staples and her family were friends with Martin Luther King, Jr., and became the musical voices of the American civil rights movement. She is considered one of the greatest gospel, soul, and blues singers of all time, and still holds the audience in her her hands.

Patti Smith reading on stage at Byron Bluesfest 2017

Patti Smith
Another “elder” of the music world, Patti Smith, “punk poet laureate”, sang the album Horses and read short pieces.

Bonnie Raitt playing guitar at Byron Bluesfest 2017

Bonnie Raitt
Rock and Roll Hall of Famer and ten-time Grammy winner Bonnie Raitt looked small on the big stage in the huge Crossroads tent, but she filled the space with sound, …

Bonnie Raitt and The California Honeydrops on stage at Byron Bay Bluesfest 2017

Bonnie Raitt
… especially when she was joined by the jazzy horn section of The California Honeydrops.

Emily Wurramara playing banjo at Byron Boomerang Festival 2017

Emily Wurramara
The Boomerang Indigenous Arts Festival was running concurrently for three of the five festival days. With her sweet voice and sunny positivity, Emily Wurramara, singer, songwriter and musician from Groote Eylandt in the Gulf of Carpentaria, was a treat.

Saraima Navara singing banjo at Byron Boomerang Festival 2017

Saraima Navara with Emily Wurramara

Rickie Lee Jones singing on stage at Byron Bluesfest 2017

Rickie Lee Jones
There were quite a few “Living Legends” at Bluesfest this year. Everybody knows ‘Chuck E’s In Love’, but Rickie Lee Jone’s music extends well beyond that. The two-time Grammy-winner has 15 acclaimed albums to her name. I always think of her as the model for the singer Janice in the Muppet band Dr. Teeth and The Electric Mayhem, especially as she was associated with Dr John in the late 1970s. (It has also been argued that the model for Janice was Mary Travers from Peter Paul and Mary, but I think the musical style is much more Rickie Lee.) Clearly, she is still well loved: the tent was packed with Baby Boomers who stayed long after she had performed her 1979 hit.

Laura Mvula on stage with her keytar, Byron Bay Bluesfest 2017

Laura Mvula
One of the “finds” of the festival was Laura Mvula, British soul singer-songwriter. She looks tiny on the big stage, backed by her band and surrounded in light.

Laura Mvula on stage with her keytar, Byron Bay Bluesfest 2017

Laura Mvula
With her Caribbean roots, a degree in musical composition from Birmingham Conservatoire, a personable stage presence, and a white keytar called “Nina” (Simone), Laura is a force to be reckoned with.

Beth Hart on stage at Byron Bluesfest 2017

Beth Hart on Stage
We were blown away by Beth Hart the first time we saw her at Bluesfest in 2014 (see: Full Blast and Full Colour).

Beth Hart on keyboard on stage at Byron Bluesfest 2017

Beth Hart
A multi-instrumentalist, she played a number of songs from her new album, as well as older favourites.

Beth Hart on stage at Byron Bluesfest 2017

Beth Hart
This year, she took to the stage twice, singing auto-biographical songs of pain and hardship …

Beth Hart on stage at Byron Bluesfest 2017

Beth Hart
… in her powerful rock-chick voice that has played duo with guitarists like Jeff Beck, Joe Bonamassa and Eric Gales.

As I said earlier, each of these women is different in so many ways. Each has had her own struggles and demons, but each has found a way forward through music.

Text: To the Music

And I am so glad they have.

I loved them, each and every one.

Until next time – 

To the Music!

Photos: 13-17April2017