Spain

    It's April 25th and I'm on a United Airlines Boeing 767-300 at about 34,000 feet somewhere over the Atlantic Ocean. Next stop, the airport at Newark, New Jersey where we have a brief layover before catching a short flight to Pearson International in Toronto. In the seat beside me, my significant other, awesome travel companion and best friend is dozing comfortably. I write a short entry into the travel journal that I've fished out of my camera bag.

    I didn't want to come home. I know, I know. It's a conversation that has been overworked so much that it has become cliché. Friend or work colleague, "So how was your vacation?'' Answer, "Not long enough!" 

    But this time it's different. I really didn't want to come home. I firmly believe that I could happily spend the rest of my life making photographs and writing blogs in Spain. The place is that amazing! It's a profound change for a die hard Canadian boy, born and raised in Northern Ontario, the very heart of this country!

     What makes Spain amazing to me is the inherent beauty of the country. It's everywhere. On my first day there, I felt a bit  overwhelmed. But the longer that I was there, the more I came to accept this beauty as integral to what makes Spain what it is. In order to really appreciate beauty one need not be overwhelmed by it, but come to be at peace with it in a positive way. As I neared the end of my time there, my feeling was not so much a euphoric "Wow! This place is amazing!" (which it is) It was a more of a feeling of profound happiness and  gratitude that I had the opportunity to experience such an amazing place. 

    From the standpoint of a photographer, it caused me both joy and grief. Quite simply, I took too many pictures. So many that, upon returning home, I choked the drive of my laptop and was unable to edit the photos I had taken. For the past month, I've been in the process of editing down all the photos on my overworked laptop and transferring them one by one to a remote hard drive.  A month later and I'm just now at the point where I can open up editing programs like Photoshop and Lightroom. That being said, I apologize for the delay in getting these pictures out there. 

Plaza Mayor, Madrid, Spain

Palacio De Comunicaciones, Madrid, Spain

Roman Aqueduct, Segovia, Spain

 

     

Cuenca, Spain

Cuenca, Spain

While touring about in Cuenca, we came across this guy playing some beautiful Spanish guitar and singing. He asked if I played guitar and insisted that I play for him. Trust me when I say that things went from Spanish Flamenco to poorly played Bob Dylan really fast!

   

      Once again, I thank everyone for their patience in waiting for me to start getting some of these photos out there. Needless to say, there will be more posted on social media and in a few more entries to this blog. This is just the small tip of a very large iceberg! Spain is one the most beautiful places I've ever been and its effect on me was profound. There's a lot more to come.

                ...more later