"There is some good in this world…and it's worth fighting for." ~ J.R.R. Tolkien
This post is a response to the theme “Sea”. Follow the link to see more entries in the Weekly Photo Challenge: Sea.
This week’s WordPress Photo Challenge invites us to share a picture of a”companion” with an explanation of the choice. In encouraging bloggers to interpret the theme broadly, the WordPress editor writes:
You might think “companion” refers to a person with whom you share experiences, but the definition is much broader:
(The Weekly Challenge also states: If your companion is actually a low-ranking knight, you win.)
I chose this photo of myself with four (I include my daughter, even though only her blonde curls can be seen in the lower right corner) of my favorite companions. A dear friend since childhood and former roommate, who has accompanied me though each stage of my life. The daughter of another dear friend and my own daughter, a new generation seeking guidance as they grow into the women that they will one day be. Another longtime friend, a leader and mentor to hundreds if not thousands of young people over the past 30 years – who just happens to also be a knight*.
These are all companions who I have met through Skogfjorden, Concordia Language Villages‘ Norwegian immersion program. This is my fourteenth summer and my ninth on staff. As we sing in Norwegian, “Vi er kompiser på Skogfjorden!” (We are companions at Skogfjorden). This photo captures that spirit of companionship for me.
*In 2009, Tove Irene Dahl, the dean of Skogfjorden, was named a Knight (Ridder) of the First Class of the Royal Norwegian Order of Merit by His Majesty King Harald V of Norway for the advancement of Norwegian language and culture in the United States.
The Order of Merit is lower than the Order of St. Olav – does that count as a low-ranking knight?
If so, what do I win?
CAUTION! GROWN UPS!
Accra, Ghana
Relax.
Minneapolis, MN USA
One year ago today, I stepped off the ferry from Athens to spend a long weekend on the island of Hydra with my parents, brother and sister-in-law. No kids, no work – it was a true escape! Yδρα, pronounced [ˈiðra] in modern Greek) is one of the Saronic Islands of Greece, located in the Aegean Sea between the Saronic Gulf and the Argolic Gulf. It is separated from the Peloponnese by narrow strip of water. It’s an easy ferry ride, only a couple of hours from Athens. The island has a storied maritime tradition and became a center of power and wealth in the 18th century due to the shipping industry. Hydra played a major role in the Greek Revolution against the Ottoman Empire in 1821.
There is one main town, known simply as Hydra Port, with a population just shy of 2,000. Tourists generally arrive by cruise ship, ferry or yacht. Most only come for the day and don’t venture far from the shops and restaurants on the harbor.
Steep stone streets lead up and outwards from the harbor area. Most of the local residences on the island are located on these streets.
I was told that the only motorized vehicle on the island is the town’s garbage truck.Instead of cars, the locals use donkeys. My parents spotted donkeys hauling everything from a refrigerator to a coffin. (This guy was eating his lunch.)
There are many churches and monasteries on Hydra. Unfortunately, I visited a few weeks too late to celebrate the Greek Orthodox Easter. I loved the colors on this little church, which I could see from the window of the house we stayed in.
I thought perhaps that the island was named after the Hydra in Greek myths, the gigantic monster with nine heads that grew back when you cut them off. The destruction of Hydra was one of the 12 Labors of Hercules, but it turns out that it has no relation to the island. In ancient times, the island was known as Hydrea (Υδρέα, derived from the Greek word for “water”), which was a reference to the springs on the island. Ironically, the springs have dried up and water now arrives by ship to supplement the rainfall captured in cisterns.
Hydra is knownfor its windmills.
Hydra is also known for its large population of feral cats.
A point of pride, I presume!
One thing that Hydra is not known for is its beaches. The travel sites all say there is only one decent beach on the island. While it’s true that the beaches are rocky, it also means that the water is crystalline; snorkeling is fantastic on Hydra! Just a few yards from shore, the ground drops away dramatically and you can see amazing fish, sea urchins, and other sea creatures.
This post is a response to the Weekly Photo Challenge: Escape. Read more entries here!
(I also wrote a post about human rights in Greece. Check it out! The Other Greek Crisis: Xenophobia and Mass Detention.
I know up on top you are seeing great sights,
But down here on the bottom,
We too should have rights.
– Dr. Seuss, Yertle the Turtle
This post is in response to the WordPress Weekly Photo Challenge: From Above. Click on the link to see more!
“True courage is like a kite;
a contrary wind raises it higher.”
-John Petit-Senn
Swiss poet and satirist
(1792–1870)
See more photos from the challenge theme UP here.
I took this photo last year during a family vacation in Center Sandwich, New Hampshire. A thunderstorm raged all afternoon, but just as we were finishing dinner the storm suddenly ended. Three generations of extended family went out into the still-damp field to watch the sunset reflected on the lifting storm clouds. As often happens in the mountains, it was a dramatic change. At the time, and ever since, the play of setting sun on passing thunderheads makes me think of Sam Cooke and “A Change is Gonna Come“. Recorded in January 1964, the song became one of the greatest anthems of the Civil Rights Movement.
A Change is Gonna Come
“Sam as a writer saw himself almost as a reporter,” said biographer Peter Guralnick said in one interview. “He took all of those experiences[of racism],” Guralnick says, “but he enlarged upon them and he broadened them to the point that the song… becomes a statement of what a generation had had to endure.”
Some of my more colorful Weekly Photo Challenge posts:
Weekly Photo Challenge: Color in the Kathmandu Valley
Weekly Photo Challenge: Geometry/γεωμετρία
Deciding on a photo for this week’s Photo Challenge theme COLOR was a real challenge. Nepal is one place where, in my experience, color continually surprises. Nepalis often clothe themselves in bright colors, which continually provides the eye with pops of unexpected color. Color in the Kathmandu Valley particularly surprises because of the tremendous contrast between the duns and browns of polluted, urban Kathmandu and the bright, rich colors of the surrounding countryside. Sometimes you see things better – appreciate things more – through contrast. Today I’m sharing a gallery of photos, taken in Kathmandu and the Kathmandu Valley, that show the contrast of color. Enjoy!
The Human Rights Warrior 
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