This photographic journal is by Maria Pavlik, co-creator of With My Umbrella, I Can: The Magical Journey of Penelope Puddle, in B.C., CANADA. "There's a revolution that needs to happen and it starts from inside each one of us. We need to wake up and fall in love with the Earth. Our personal and collective happiness and survival depends on it." - Thich Nhat Hnah
British Mysteries & Things I Can't Explain
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It was four in the morning when I woke to a sound and peeked out the window. When rain isn't extreme but taps gently on roofs and windows like a friend begging you to skip down lamp lit puddles, it's tempting. There was something about the rain in London that felt terribly cozy like being in an Agatha Christie mystery novel.
I could easily imagine Sherlock Holmes skulking around the shadowy corners to solve crimes. British writers have a talent for creating unusual detectives that make fictional murder oddly friendly. Although we hate murder, we do love a good mystery.
Authors must be inspired by the eerie dark dampness of night settling into cracks where heritage buildings line streets and small shops with strange treasures snuggle amid sprawling castles, elaborate churches, ancient bridges and grand clocks.
Sometimes mysteries overlap.
How the Rosetta Stone, originating in Egypt, took a wayward turn to the British Museum is a story you can read about HERE. By chance, I discovered author Linda Stratmann merged the ancient stone with murder in her book, "Sherlock Holmes and the Rosetta Stone Mystery". Her tales about young Sherlock sound intriguing.
From hieroglyphics to modern alphabets, we've long communicated through scribbles.
Words continue to be etched in stone. Above is the resting place of English singer and songwriter George Michael. Below is a man seemingly taking a nap by a monument.
If an experiment to test the kindness of strangers, we failed. Why no one said a word is as mystifying as the man lying there. Holly Village (below), a private residence with an air of mystery, would be an ideal place to ponder his story and our inaction.
St. Margaret's Church (below) adorned in gorgeous architecture stood silent but must creak from centuries of worshipers and the simply curious who have stepped inside.
With some 942,560 street cameras in London, there was a vague sense everywhere ...
that when someone is looking in, someone else is almost certainly looking out.
I conclude this post with a song by the late George Michael. His voice lives on ...
Maria - well written, and with glorious pictures to match. I am getting quite excited about our upcoming trip to the UK!
It is so easy to overlook those who are "invisible". We might think that someone else will do "it", whatever "it" might be. It takes conscious effort to be in the moment and really focus on the people around us.
Thanks for linking to Mosaic Monday over the years - I always find something interesting and inspiring in your posts.
I enjoyed your post - so much to ponder and muse on. It rains all the time in London doesn't it - though not for the Queens funeral thank goodness. It looked to me like the fellow was just taking time out to rest from his crutches. Perhaps waiting for someone. Stay safe, enjoy your week. I am joining you at Mosaic Monday.
Such mood and mystery. Love the juxtaposition of images and captions. We hate murder but love a good mystery is so true. I so am intrigued by mystery that I looked up what the Rosetta Stone says: It translates as a bit of a list of all of the good things Pharaoh Ptolemy V did for the priests and the people of Egypt.
Such a great mysterious post with ties to the present. London is mysterious, on my one trip there long ago I sensed it all over the place. One morning I woke up to the sound of horses. Looked out my hotel window and there was a troop of soldiers all dressed in red overlain by yellow safety vests riding through the dark early morning streets of the city.
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"On the Web we all become small-town visitors lost in the big city." - Alison Gopnik President Joe Biden's inauguration was bursting with inspirational speeches and events. Heaven knows many who now breathe a sigh of relief also needed a good laugh. That's when Bernie stepped in with his cool attitude and awesome mittens. I couldn't resist joining so many others who included him in various ways in different spaces. I think he looks super cute and cozy on a sofa designed for the cover art of my Couch & Company story. Hope you enjoy it and explore more of the artistic side of life at Paint Party Friday . Still the kid I used to be Visit Postcards From Penelope Puddle and Penelope Puddlisms: BC Life Is A Whale Of A Ride to view more West Coast scenes. Because the state of our planet is the most pressing issue of our time, link up and learn about the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Report .
Remember the beloved children's tale The Paper Bag Princess by Robert Munsch? She had only a paper bag to wear after a dragon destroyed her castle and belongings. The shallow prince whom she rescued showed his true nature by complaining she didn't look like a princess dressed in that bag. Good riddance to the prince but here are some paper dresses any royal or awesome regular girl would be proud to wear. I came upon these works of art at the Oakridge Mall in Vancouver. Hopefully, they will end up in a local museum or someplace where more people will enjoy them. The lovely regal garments made of paper capture the elements and majesty of the natural world. The Langara College Paper Couture Exhibition by Vancouver design students explains what materials are used to create the clothing: "All of the dresses are made from a variety of recyclable white or brown paper, tissue, tapes, glue, spray paint, adhesives, paper twine, coffee filters, cardboard, string, thum...
There it was ... a bright dollop of sunshine in a tangle of forest greens, browns and silvery grays. The yellow door snuggled against a tree said Fairy Hall and, in tiny faint lettering beneath, No Trolls . Oh, how I'd love to know what goes on inside Fairy Hall. I wanted to tap on the door but, a giant by comparison, I didn't want to cause a scare. I often take the Sandy Trail with its gravelly path, woodsy stumps, well-trod stairs, rabbits, birds and squirrels. I know every twist and rustling sound. But I hadn't noticed the small door before. This unexpected bit of whimsy magic tucked into the forest floor made me curious about what else was in the mysterious thicket I'd yet to explore. When I continued on my way, the trees leaned in ... as if they had a secret to tell. Later, I found another fairy door (below), welcoming, but only to a select few. See OUR WORLD to explore more sights from around the globe and SIGNS, SIGNS . Still the kid I used to be ...
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Does it say something about the state of humanity that no one checked to see whether that fellow was okay?
ReplyDeleteMaria - well written, and with glorious pictures to match. I am getting quite excited about our upcoming trip to the UK!
ReplyDeleteIt is so easy to overlook those who are "invisible". We might think that someone else will do "it", whatever "it" might be. It takes conscious effort to be in the moment and really focus on the people around us.
Thanks for linking to Mosaic Monday over the years - I always find something interesting and inspiring in your posts.
I enjoyed your post - so much to ponder and muse on. It rains all the time in London doesn't it - though not for the Queens funeral thank goodness. It looked to me like the fellow was just taking time out to rest from his crutches. Perhaps waiting for someone. Stay safe, enjoy your week. I am joining you at Mosaic Monday.
ReplyDeleteSuch mood and mystery. Love the juxtaposition of images and captions. We hate murder but love a good mystery is so true. I so am intrigued by mystery that I looked up what the Rosetta Stone says: It translates as a bit of a list of all of the good things Pharaoh Ptolemy V did for the priests and the people of Egypt.
ReplyDeleteFascinating and intriguing post and photos ~ Wow! ~ Xo
ReplyDeleteWishing you good health, laughter and love in your days,
A ShutterBug Explores,
aka (A Creative Harbor)
Thank you for including the music
ReplyDeleteGorgeous night time pics of the rain, especially like the one of the lamp lit streaks... Soothes the Soul :)
ReplyDeleteSuch a great mysterious post with ties to the present.
ReplyDeleteLondon is mysterious, on my one trip there long ago I sensed it all over the place. One morning I woke up to the sound of horses. Looked out my hotel window and there was a troop of soldiers all dressed in red overlain by yellow safety vests riding through the dark early morning streets of the city.
Oooo ... the picture you painted so well of the soldiers on horseback does sound delightfully mysterious!
DeleteMarvelous photos, such a treat to see them through your camera lens.
ReplyDeleteHello,
ReplyDeleteI love the British mysteries and all your trip photos. I enjoy George Michaels songs, he is missed. Take care, enjoy your day!
A good mystery is hard to put down. I recently read Death on the Nile.
ReplyDeleteA trip of a lifetime!
ReplyDeleteThe first two images with the heavy rain are wonderful! Seeing people sleeping in public places is all too common these days. Very sad.
ReplyDeleteVery wet.
ReplyDeleteUnbelievable rain. Yes, just like in British murder mysteries. Oh, I love them. The cameras are rectangular?
ReplyDeleteI love British mysteries, especially Hercule Poirot and Sherlock Homes. The night rain photo looks like right from a film of murder mystery.
ReplyDelete