Category: Uncategorized

Karytaina

Our final stop of the day was at Karytaina, where there is an old Frankish fort (from the time of the fourth crusade) which at present you can only see a little of, and a very fine Byzantine church, albeit with far less of the decorative use of Roman style brickwork than the others I have featured.

Enjoy some excellent pictures…

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This is a modern replica of a Byzantine church, though somewhat less ghastly than most of the genre.
This is a modern replica of a Byzantine church, though somewhat less ghastly than most of the genre.

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These little yellow flowers are called Stonebergia.
These little yellow flowers are called Stonebergia.

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A spectacular view of the old and new or high and low (ano- and kato- in Greek) bridges.
A spectacular view of the old and new or high and low (ano- and kato- in Greek) bridges.
The river from on high.
The river from on high.

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The Lousios Gorge and Ayios Andreas

The Lousios, the coldest river in Greece (although as the travel writer of the ancient world, Pausanias, is honest enough to point out, not by any means the coldest in the world), is a tributary of the Alfios, which featured in one of my earlier posts: https://aspiblog.wordpress.com/2014/10/16/leaving-olympia/ and it too flows all year round. The chapel of Ayios Andreas was closed, but there was a missing pane in the glass cross on the door, so I did get some internal pictures. Enjoy these…

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This is a modern monastery - the older ones are concealed from public view.
This is a modern monastery – the older ones are concealed from public view.

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One of the two internal views.
One of the two internal views.

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The Lousios in full spate.
The Lousios in full spate.

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The bridge across the Lousios
The bridge across the Lousios
This memorial is near where we dropped our second hitch-hiker of the day.
This memorial is near where we dropped our second hitch-hiker of the day.
It took a lot of effort to get a good shot of this lake.
It took a lot of effort to get a good shot of this lake.yios

A Birthday Party

I am currently in a hotel room in Olympia, having visited one of the most famous of all Greek sites and swum in the hotel pool, but this post is about yesterday (today will come later – probably after supper). Susan Shimmin, who helped my parents to arrange the purchase of their Greek house turned 70 yesterday, and I was among those invited to the party. This featured a very pretty walk between Stoupa and a place called Kalliope’s. Some of us, including me, did the walk twice, while at the other extreme were those who did not walk at all. Back at Stoupa there was a royal spread of wonderful Greek food and then the unveiling of the cake – and what a cake it was!

Even though I decamped shortly after the cake was unveiled I have some fine photos from the day…

The beefed up flip flops in which did both the walks I have thus far mentioned in my Greek blog posts
The beefed up flip flops in which did both the walks I have thus far mentioned in my Greek blog posts

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Getting pictures of butterflies is not easy, but this one is an unequivocal success.
Getting pictures of butterflies is not easy, but this one is an unequivocal success.

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This was the only LIVE millipede that I saw.
This was the only LIVE millipede that I saw.

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These distance signs (3 photos worth) are fun but definitely not to be trusted!
These distance signs (3 photos worth) are fun but definitely not to be trusted!

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This is surely the smuggest moggy you have ever seen, surveying the world from its comfortable, dog-proof perch!
This is surely the smuggest moggy you have ever seen, surveying the world from its comfortable, dog-proof perch!
For the walk from Kalliope's to Stoupa there were canoeists keeping pace with us.
For the walk from Kalliope’s to Stoupa there were canoeists keeping pace with us.

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The canoeists were far from the only people put in boats.
The canoeists were far from the only people put in boats.

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"Who's the slowest of us?" "Torto is" Rudyard Kipling's version of how the Tortoise got its name!
“Who’s the slowest of us?” “Torto is”
Rudyard Kipling’s version of how the Tortoise got its name!
Yacht and canoes heading in opposite direction
Yacht and canoes heading in opposite direction

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This striking edifice is the Stoupa Cultural Centre (the replica Byantine church is definitely ghastlier!)
This striking edifice is the Stoupa Cultural Centre (the replica Byantine church is definitely ghastlier!)
Stoupa Bay and it is so clear that you can see the cold water springs that feed into it clearly.
Stoupa Bay and it is so clear that you can see the cold water springs that feed into it clearly.
A close up of a cold water spring site
A close up of a cold water spring site
The cake from above
The cake from above
A side view of the cake.
A side view of the cake.

Saturday

Yesterday saw red sky in the morning, and in keeping with the old proverb the weather for much of the day was decidedly unpleasant, before it finally picked up in the evening. Also to heighten the contrast, the river was at low tide in the morning and high in the evening.

The Chinese food came about because I had some bacon left for last night’s supper, and also more Chinese leaf lettuce than I could eat at lunch time, so with the additional purchases of chestnuts and soy sauce I made my own version of a bacon and Chinese leaf dish that has been a family favourite for some years.

Last night saw week 2 of Strictly Come Dancing (available on iplayer from just after 9PM). The standard was astonishing – two couples scored 35 out of 40, and the Frankie Bridge – Kevin Clifton pairing achieved a second straight 30.

Enjoy a fine selection of pictures…Moon 2

Enough wind for waves to be breaking at the edge of a river!
Enough wind for waves to be breaking at the edge of a river!
Arctic tern casts a beady eye at the breaking waves.
Arctic tern casts a beady eye at the breaking waves.

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West Lynn Church
West Lynn Church

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These windows belong to King's Lynn Library
These windows belong to King’s Lynn Library

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Library with War Memorial in foreground.
Library with War Memorial in foreground.
The clock tower of Majestic Cinema
The clock tower of Majestic Cinema
Below this spectacular facade is a restaurant which is proving a great success.
Below this spectacular facade is a restaurant which is proving a great success.
This former chapel is now an auction house
This former chapel is now an auction house
Proof of the original usage!
Proof of the original usage!

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Under construction - Nar Valley Park
Under construction – Nar Valley Park

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Poppy with insect in attendance.
Poppy with insect in attendance.

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Group Meeting on Monday

Just a very short post to mention that the King’s Lynn Asperger Support Society of which I am group leader will be having its monthly meeting on Monday, starting at 6PM. The venue is Marriott’s and all are welcome to attend. Just a few extra photo’s with this post (will do a full post tomorrow)…

Marriott's
This is Marriott’s, where KLASS will be having its group meeting on Monday.

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Public meeting in Norwich

On Thursday I attended a public meeting in Norwich about the Scottish referendum, and as a bonus got some fine photos, including one which will soon be adorning the Great Centenary Charity Auction’s??????????

This is definitely a memorial of something, but as I cannot see what it goes only in the blog
This is definitely a memorial of something, but as I cannot see what it goes only in the blog

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This device adorns the door of a shop called East, just opposite Norwich Castle
This device adorns the door of a shop called East, just opposite Norwich Castle
And this is the window of the sadly (and very obviously) uninhabited flat above it.
And this is the window of the sadly (and very obviously) uninhabited flat above it.
This ornate bus shelter is in Guist, the last village the X29 from Norwich passes through before arriving at Fakenham and morphing into the X8 to King's Lynn. Several buildings in the village have the rounded roof ends seen on this shelter.
This ornate bus shelter is in Guist, the last village the X29 from Norwich passes through before arriving at Fakenham and morphing into the X8 to King’s Lynn. Several buildings in the village have the rounded roof ends seen on this shelter.

facebook and twitter pages…

A Minor Database Triumph and some October Imaging

I have finally cracked the production of an overall vendors report for each sale. That done I made a start on imaging lots in the October sale (given that I shall be on holiday for lot of the run up I badly needed to do some of this work early). I also have some King’s Lynn images to use, so lots of fine photos for you to enjoy…

Yes - a genuine gold nugget (9 ct) -the main image, not featured here includes the certificate.
Yes – a genuine gold nugget (9 ct) -the main image, not featured here includes the certificate.
Watch
I have never seen a watch like this before.

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Silver hook
If you look closely you can see the hallmarks…
...and in this close up shot, the hallmarking is in plain sight.
…and in this close up shot, the hallmarking is in plain sight.

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Fortunately plans are afoot to knock this down and build something decent in its place.
Fortunately plans are afoot to knock this down and build something decent in its place.

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Imaging a Military Aeroplane from a Moving Bus

This concerns my journey home last night. Having secured my preferred position on a double decker (front, top deck, non-driver side) I was most gratified to see a very low flying military plane directly out of my window. The Nikon P520 Coolpix was in its usual travelling place (around my neck), so I got the photo, and another good one of a crescent moon in an early evening sky.

Editing it this morning I came up with three different versions, one of which is going on the @great_auction twitter feed (as anticipated/ hoped we gained our 200th follower yesterday). See what you make of my efforts to get a good image from a moving bus…

This is the original picture, reduced in size but otherwise unedited
This is the original picture, reduced in size but otherwise unedited
The crescent moon was take before the bus started moving, and this image is the result of serious editing work.
The crescent moon was take before the bus started moving, and this image is the result of serious editing work.
This crop keeps the moon and the plane, but was edited slightly differently
This crop keeps the moon and the plane, but was edited slightly differently
This crop keeps the moon and the plane
This crop keeps the moon and the plane
This one loses the moon but instead shows some very diaphanous clouds behind the plane
This one loses the moon but instead shows some very diaphanous clouds behind the plane

King’s Lynn in two moods

Yesterday saw the weather change quite dramatically from a warm, humid morning to a rainy afternoon, and having been out twice for different purposes I have pictures showing both aspects. I also took some pictures of my new purchases (see post about the James and Sons auction on Saturday).

My social media role for the Great Centenary Charity Auction continues, with a landmark approaching in the near future on twitter since we are closing in on 200 followers there. We do also have a facebook page.

Enjoy some cracking photos…

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Gull flies low over Great Ouse
Gull flies low over Great Ouse

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Nar meets Ouse and sea birds meet freshwater birds
Nar meets Ouse and sea birds meet freshwater birds

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The Cormorant's eye view across the Great Ouse
The Cormorant’s eye view across the Great Ouse

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Arctic Tern lonely on a rock
Arctic Tern lonely on a rock

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Nine coins laid out in ten rows of three (yes, you read that right - see if you can identify each row)
Nine coins laid out in ten rows of three (yes, you read that right – see if you can identify each row)

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The picture cards
The picture cards