Windmills

One of the icons of the Netherlands are windmills (along with tulips, cows, canals and red light district).

There are over a 1000 windmills all over the country and where built to power a complex system of pumps to keep the water levels under control. I also learned that mill keepers would position the blades of the windmill (when in resting position) to announce important news like a birth, a death or help

Some are open to the public for visit but I did not get the chance.

Where is Don Quijote when you need him?

Alkmaar - Netherlands

Alkmaar.. A beautiful little town north of Amsterdam in the Netherlands.

I came to visit a friend (howdy Eva!) who lives here and we got the chance to walk around, along the "canals", the windmills, the small neighborhoods with their little gardens, the red light district at night (oh baby!) and all the little shops here and there.

A very lovely town where I could almost see myself living in!

Cheers!

Is Hope gone?

Never...

Hope never abandons you, you abandon it.

Even when everything seems to be going down the drain, even when you feel like you are in the gutter, it's always a cycle where things will turn out to be good if you continue believing.

Obstacles and problems are needed for our growth.

"I will love the Light for it shows me the way, yet I shall endure the Darkness for it shows me the stars"

~ Og Mandino ~

Purpose

On a foggy morning, I encountered many beautiful spiderwebs covered with dew.

I began to wonder: Those little tiny spiders spend their time building these webs and it can be destroyed the next morning because of water droplets, just like a flood.

And yet... They still continue weaving a web the next day, and again, and again.. Because these spiders know their purpose. They know why they are here, they know that no matter what, they need to weave a web in order to capture their meal.

They do not sit and weep because their efforts have been destroyed, they do not give up.

We humans tend to give up too soon, too often. And we often ask ourselves: What is my purpose? I have to find my purpose..

"Do not look for your purpose.... Be it! "

Montjuic

Barcelona is truly a beautiful city with an amazing atmosphere.

One of the places I loved is "Montjuic", the "Hill of the Jews". Located on a Hill in the city, it overlooks Barcelona in all its glory.

There is a beautiful fortress located on top of it (see pic) that served for many inglorious purposes during the war. It was a prison for political prisoners as well as the site of many shady executions.

Later it served as the site of the International Exposition in 1929. It also hosted the Spanish Grand Prix, an Olympic Stadium, a National Museum of Art de Catalunya, a botanical garden and a cemetery.

It's really a place to visit when in Barcelona, and chill in the many parks located there overlooking the city.

Enjoy!

Morning Treasure

The most beautiful things in Life can be found right in front of us, at our feet. And yet, we insist on looking for beauty elsewhere, on the other side of the fence where we can hardly reach.

I spent a good few days of the Camino on the ground, focusing my attention on details, capturing little moments of life, of Nature. I left my wide angle lens in my bag and concentrated only on macro photography.

One of my favorite pastimes was taking photos of droplets hanging on spider webs or clovers.

Speaking of clovers, I heard a beautiful story on the way:

"Most people know what 4 leaf clovers represent: Luck. It is very hard to find and yet most people look for it. In Korea, 3-leaf clovers also represent Happiness! So... too many people spend their time looking for Luck while being surrounded by fields of happiness at their feet..." That leaves a lot to ponder! (Thanks a lot Eun Ju).

Enjoy the present moment, open your eyes, look for details and be happy.

"There is no way to Happiness... Happiness IS the way"

Mind Fog

While traveling, people tend to fall out of their routine, and experience the NOW, enjoy the present moment.

The mind stops the endless and useless chattering that blocks us and nothing matters anymore. The only plans made are the daily plans.

This is when, after a long period of time the mind fog starts to clear up and you actually start enjoying and LIVING instead of planning the future or remembering the past.

This shot was taken in Barcelona, along the beach. It’s a long exposure (25 seconds) and makes the sea look like a creamy foggy substance.

Enjoy!