The Traveler...

From the Tropical Zone...

2012-02-17T10:05:00.002-08:00

(Photos by Tavarua)

My life is indeed very simple - so let me share a few photos of nature and simplicity of life.

Destinations Nicaragua...Panama

2012-01-15T22:32:00.000-08:00

(Photos by Tavarua)

(Anaconda/Coral/Feather II 2009)

Around the Campfire...

2012-01-15T09:05:00.000-08:00

(All Photos by Tavarua)

"It's the camp smoke. Watching a fire, seeing it sparkle, and the stars. You get the best out of people when they're sitting around a camp fire. People forget Belgravia and Fifth Avenue and finally become themselves." - F.M. "Bunny" Allen

Spicy/Hot Chorizos

Grilled Onions and Peppers

Aged meat on the Grate

(when meat is aged the flavor intensifies)

Dessert - Dutch Oven

Breakfast around the campfire...

Travellers move slowly from Continent to Continent...

2012-01-10T10:58:00.000-08:00

(Photos by Tavarua)

It is Time...

After thinking long and hard - It certainly would be pleasant to be back and set up a simple "Travellers Nest" under the sun in the Tropical Zone for some years.

So where would life take me? Here is the list;

The Hawaiian Islands?

Micronesia?

Caribbean?

???

I could change my mind the last minute.

Time Will Tell...

Finished...

2012-01-06T03:04:00.000-08:00

100 x 100

Abstract - Of course...

I do fully agree with Francis Bacon that:

"Painting is a duality and abstract is an entirely aesthetic thing. It always remains on one level. It is only really interesting in the patterns or its shapes."

nouvelle vague - "dance with me"

2012-01-05T00:33:00.000-08:00

“The creative person is both more primitive and more cultivated, more destructive, a lot madder and a lot saner, than the average person.”

- Frank Barron

Northern Europe - 2012...

2012-01-03T13:35:00.000-08:00

(All Photos by Tavarua)

We are closing the doors to 2011 and a new year is born...

Time is swift, it races by.

"Poetry lifts the veil from the hidden beauty of the world, and makes familiar objects be as if they were not familiar."

- Percy Bysshe Shelley

"Every man has a different idea of what's beautiful, and it's best to take the gesture, the shadow of the branch, and let the mind create the tree."

- William Faulkner

"A dream is your creative vision for your life in the future. You must break out of your current comfort zone and become comfortable with the unfamiliar and unknown."

- Denis Waitley

Our Tastes are Traditional, Old and Simple...

2011-12-25T02:10:00.000-08:00

Année 1811

You asked me the other day for some advise on rare bottles - my knowledge is limited but may I suggest the exceptional quality of year 1811 ...

Année 1811

Année 1840

Année 1895

And if you are a connoisseur - 1928 and 1948 Hine Grande Champagne Vintage Cognac for those special evenings.

and why not - a bottle of Laphroaig - Année 1887

and for Port a bottle of Tuke Holdsworth 1912 or 1920...

Timeless Furniture - Christmas Wish list for your "Travellers Nest"...

2011-12-22T00:48:00.000-08:00

Folding Chair in Oiled Walnut...

If you like a contemporary take on Campaign Furniture - Wood/Leather/Canvas - Pure understated Elegance and Simplicity - Get it from Richard Wrightman...Brilliant - we all are in need of portable furniture.

Folding Chair for your travels

Richard Wrightman’s campaign inspired furniture- simplicity taken from the Scandinavian designs - (A reminder about Designer Carl Malmsten's refined designs) mixed with the old English Campaign style.

Cot - for "Under Canvas" or in your "Travellers Nest"

Cot used as a Coffee table

Luggage Rack

Stool

Desk Chair

Folding Screen

Tray Table

Bookshelf

Coffee Table

All Photos from his site - click the below...to explore more of his designs

http://richardwrightman.com/

Christmas Gift list...

2011-12-16T02:24:00.000-08:00

From the " Travellers Nest"...

This is what you really need - The worlds best bookshelf to display all your leather journals/scrapbooks

Barbour - Vintage Leather Jacket

or a JL Powell - "Trapper" Jacket

Simplicity - I use them - the "Dutch Ovens" - last time I used them?

A few weeks back...

If you spend some of your time in the outdoors - this Sami knife will never ever fail you - I use this type of knife to almost anything when in the woods/Arctic - Unbeatable made by the Lapplanders/Nomads of the Arctic tundra - Reindeer horn/Leather/Steel

JL Powell - Hunting Boots

Ghurkha Cigars

Asprey - Sterling Cigar Ashtray for the Traveler

A Sterling Bone Holder - always practical - to have packed up somewhere...

For her travels - Antique Victorian Travel Perfume Bottles - case in sterling designed as a clover

When in Town or Country on Christmas Eve... buy her a newspaper wrapped cone with roasted chestnuts and hide a nice simple little gift from Kieselstein - Cord...

Kieselstein - Cord

(Photo from Sons of Savages)

http://sonsofsavages.blogspot.com/

The Ultimate Croc Bone Bracelet for Her.. the woman in your life designed by Artist, Hunter, Adventurer -

Audwin Pierre McGee (Blog: Sons of Savages)

Croc Bracelet here: http://www.kurtzandmarlow.com/

Christmas Wish List for Your Study/Library/Trophy Room? To Yourself A Merry Little Christmas

2011-12-06T07:06:00.000-08:00

Early Morning - A Walk With Nature - Northern Europe...

2011-12-03T14:10:00.000-08:00

(All Photos by Tavarua)

Waking up - another great day - a moth on the window...

"When you arise in the morning, think of what a precious privilege it is to be alive - to breathe, to think, to enjoy, to love."

- Marcus Aurelius

Today a walk with nature...

After breakfast in the old library...

The sun is rising...

Shadows from the old trees - reflections of the past...

The air is cold and crisp...

Some frost on the ground...

"Society speaks and all men listen, mountains speak and wise men listen."

- John Muir

"If nature were not beautiful, it would not be worth knowing, and if nature were not knowing, life would not be worth living."

- Henri Pioncera

"Keep your love of nature, for that is the true way to understand art more and more."

- Vincent van Gogh

"Nature is beneficent. I praise her and all her works. She is silent and wise. She is cunning, but for good ends. She has brought me here and will also lead me away. She may scold me, but she will not hate her work. I trust her.”

- Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

Sculptured by nature - a simple leaf of beauty...

Another evening and a walk in the park.

Evening smoke...

Travel Acquisitions - You Might Want for Town & Country

2011-12-01T11:40:00.000-08:00

Vintage - Jaeger LeCoultre - 18k - World Timer - to wear with your dinner jacket

Asprey - 18k ruby/lapis lazuli- Cufflinks and studs - for an evening at the Opera

Cartier - Wrap around Cufflinks - for your shirt from Turnbull & Asser

dunhill - pipe

Cigar holder - amber and sterling

Hermès - Ashtray - for the smoking room

Priceless...

2011-11-30T04:43:00.001-08:00

"The Aesthete" Column in Financial Times Magazine - How To Spend It

2011-11-17T12:24:00.000-08:00

(Photo by Unknown)

Thank you very kindly to...
British Fashion Designer

Joe Casely-Hayford

Early morning - I was walking the streets of Rome when I picked up a copy of Financial Times to read with my latte Macchiato at a nearby cafe. Well, of course I sat down to read the “How To Spend It” magazine. In the first part of "The Aesthete” column Mr. Joe Casely-Hayford talks about his watches, his books, music, restaurants, scent, travels and his two favorite websites:

The Traveler and Irenebrination

May I Recommend this Great and Excellent Designer ...

Remember that...

“Creativity involves breaking out of established patterns in order to look at things in a different way.”

- Edward de Bono

Below - Text from The Casely-Hayford website and photos from his autumn/winter collection 2011:

Philosophy:

All men possess elements of anarchy within their character. Anarchy is not about the total absence of rules, but rather the significance of autonomy. The Casely-Hayford ethos represents a unique expression of freedom created when conformity threatens identity, or convention restricts spontaneity; we fuse this expression of the free spirit with the very particular gestures of English sartorialism. The House aims to distil a multitude of ideas into a simple pure entity: innovation through tradition.

Craftmanship:

The Casely-Hayford house has been founded on two simple phrases: 'English Sartorialism' and 'British Anarchy'; phrases which embody key elements of the English character.

The House follows a tradition of adherence to the dress code which was first established in the 19th century, when, through adopting elements of attire from military convention and sporting pursuits, certain pointers came to define modern western dress. This timeless style has stayed close to the heart of the discerning 21st century man. Casely-Hayford has chosen to use these parameters to highlight the brand signature.

The journey continues...

2011-11-04T00:39:00.000-07:00

Where Will Life Take You?

"In France...

2011-10-30T09:29:00.001-07:00

(Collage - Photo by Tavarua)

Philip Glass...

2011-10-27T00:08:00.000-07:00

Grilled Wild Hare with Herbs de Provence

2011-10-22T13:23:00.000-07:00

Today...Fresh Game - Wild Hare...Well, on occasion I do prepare something ...

Ingredients:

1 1/2 whole Hare(3 - 4 1/2 pounds), cut into 9 pieces - Sea salt & pepper, to taste

1 1/4 cup of olive oil

5 cloves garlic or one whole small round garlic

Herbs de Provence

5 short sprigs rosemary

5 short sprigs thyme - once again more sea salt and pepper

Directions:

One hour before grilling the hare the pieces needs to be sea salted and peppered.

Heat grill. Meanwhile, prepare marinade by blending olive oil, garlic, herbs, salt & pepper. Brush the hare pieces with olive oil - sear the hare pieces on the grill.

Grill for about 20 to 40 minutes depending on the size of the pieces, brushing with marinade and turning them over every 5 to 10 minutes. Do not forget that the hare will look done before it actually is.

Look after it by controlling the temperature and basting it continuously with the marinade.

Serve with roasted potatoes seasoned in olive oil, sea salt, black pepper, and garlic. Add some thin sliced dried ginger, coated in fine powder sugar.

Tonight - A simple French red table wine.

Cheers!

Port and a Cigar under the stars - The silence of autumn.

Dora Carrington - Painter

2011-10-20T10:14:00.000-07:00

Self Portrait - 1910

Dora de Houghton Carrington (1893 – 1932) - Painter associated with the Bloomsbury Group. We know that The Bloomsbury Group had a strong influence on both art and society.

The question is do we consider Carrington's work to be of importance? or do we consider just her Bohemian lifestyle to be of interest?

She studied at Slade School of Fine Art in London. She married in 1921 and lived with her husband Ralph Partridge and Lytton Strachey. Partridge was educated at Christ Church and had rowed with Doras brother Noel while at Oxford. Dora was later introduced to him in Scotland.

"Partridge was the opposite of the kind of man who normally attracted her. He was tall and broad-shouldered and, in spite of her critical assessment of his looks, very handsome. He was in many ways a man's man, who wore his uniform as if he was meant to and was an athlete. Her friends in Bloomsbury took to calling him the major, and wondered how to assimilate such a seemingly stereotypical and masculine member of the English upper middle classes into their circle. They were to find that he fitted in rather well."

She met Lytton Strachey (British writer) (which who she would have a platonic relationship) while staying at Asheham House with Virginia Woolf. He studied at Trinity College and later joined other Cambridge graduates in the Bloomsbury group. Carrington was devoted to him for the rest of his life.

Virginia Woolf 1922 - Photo by G.C. Beresford

Lytton Strachey - Painting By Dora Carrington

The author of the book Virginia Woolf's Women (2002) stated that he was: "Attracted to Carrington from the moment he first laid eyes on her, he had boldly tried to kiss her during a walk across the South Downs, the feeling of his beard prompting an enraged outburst of disgust from the unwilling recipient. According to legend, Carrington plotted frenzied revenge, creeping into Lytton's bedroom during the night with the intention of cutting off the detested beard. Instead, she was mesmerized by his eyes, which opened suddenly and regarded her intently. From that moment on, the two became virtually inseparable.

Hmmm...

2011-10-20T02:53:00.000-07:00

(All Photos by Tavarua)

Purdey - for the season...

2011-10-19T08:00:00.000-07:00

A few photos from Purdey and their fall catalogue.

An echo of the past...

2011-10-17T12:16:00.000-07:00

(All Photos by Tavarua)

"The creative act is not performed by the artist alone; the spectator brings the work in contact with the external world by deciphering and interpreting its inner qualifications and thus adds his contribution to the creative art."

- Marcus Aurelius Antonius

Francoise Petrovich exhibition at Musée de la Chasse et de la Nature...

2011-10-16T03:42:00.000-07:00

(All Photos by Tavarua)

Where the past meets the present...father and son...

"Every father should remember that one day his son will follow his example instead of his advice."

Early morning at sunrise and then on our way to Paris.

A visit to Francoise Petrovich's contemporary exhibition at Musée de la Chasse et de la Nature with my son.

Sculptures, Paintings and Drawings...

France

2011-10-12T02:25:00.000-07:00

(All Photos by Tavarua)

"A house is no home unless it contains food and fire for the mind as well as the body."

"Sometimes we stare so long at a door that is closing that we see too late the one that is open."

- Alexander Graham Bell

" I do not want my house to be walled in on all sides and my windows to be stuffed. I want the cultures of all the lands to be blown about my house as freely as possible. But I refuse to be blown off my feet by any."

-Mahatma Ghandi

"Whatever course you decide upon, there is always someone to tell you that you are wrong. There are always difficulties arising which tempt you to believe that your critics are right. To map out a course of action and follow it to an end requires courage.”

- Ralph Waldo Emerson

Give your children roots and wings and teach them how to fly ...but be careful and remember that a broken winged bird cannot fly ...

Reflection(s)...

2011-10-11T12:59:00.000-07:00

(Photo by Tavarua)

You may wonder, 'How can I leave it all behind if I am just coming back to it? How can I make a new beginning if I simply return to the old?' The answer lies in the return. You will not come back to the 'same old thing.' What you return to has changed because you have changed. Your perceptions will be altered. You will not incorporate into the same body, status, or world you left behind. The river has been flowing while you were gone. Now it does not look like the same river. - Steven Foster

Town & Country - France

2011-10-10T13:22:00.000-07:00

(All Photos by Tavarua)

Fall - Paris - Arrival

Once again; Musée de la Chasse et de la Nature

After a day in Paris back to the country...

In the evening read a good book

...may I recommend:

Sir Patrick "Paddy" Michael Leigh Fermor

Destination - Paris...

2011-09-26T00:55:00.000-07:00

"If you are lucky enough to have lived in Paris as a young man, then wherever you go for the rest of your life, it stays with you, for Paris is a movable feast."

- Ernest Hemingway

Quality of life...Have a Picnic

(Photos below by Tavarua)

Liberia - West African Dwarf Crocodile

(adult size approx. 5 feet)

Well, Liberia was a good voyage although as one of the most humid regions in the world, mosquitoes enough to make you miserable, in Liberia, malaria is the number one killer.

It accounts for 18% of all deaths and if

I am informed right it has the highest rate of malaria in West Africa.

and now time for Paris, France....

Paul de Vos (1590? - 1678) - Flemish Painter

2011-08-22T12:39:00.000-07:00

"Game and Lobster"

Paul de Vos - a life mystery, little is known about his life. It is known that he worked with Rubens and Anthony van Dyck. His work was never signed.

His paintings were much desired by the aristocracy. (Hunting has been an aristocratic recreation since ancient times.) You find among his work mainly hunting and animal scenes as well as still-life(s).

A great artist which can not be forgotten

"Boars Head"

"The Leopard Hunt"

Travel Library: Sir Osbert Sitwell - Noble Essence...

2011-08-21T00:16:00.000-07:00

Sir Osbert Sitwell(1892–1969) - British poet, novelist, and autobiographer, he grew up at Renishaw Hall, his family's seat in Derbyshire.

May I recommend for your travel library:

His autobiography consists of five volumes;

Left Hand, Right Hand

The Scarlet Tree

Great Morning

Laughter in the Next Room

and Noble Essences

The perfect valet - I bumped into Harold today...

2011-08-20T07:09:00.000-07:00

(Photos by Tavarua)

"Harold"

The perfect valet

This is Harold - He has had a long life of traveling behind him. Since he once left my fathers study and made his home in a steamer trunk - life has been kind of rough for him. His tail has broken several times, he is limping due to that he has lost one leg. On occasions I have noticed that his neck is rather stiff.

He still is a good sport, never complains and holds his head high, smiles and carries his weight on all our travels.

Holland & Holland - Autumn/Winter 2011/2012 - Catalogue

2011-08-19T23:51:00.000-07:00

(All photos from Holland & Hollands Catalogue and their web site)

The .375 Commemorative "1912-2012 Centenary"

Traditional hand made oak and leather cartridge magazines capable of holding between 250 and 300 cartridges depending on the calibre size.

Frame them...

2011-08-18T10:49:00.000-07:00

Your Old Lithographs

Franz Christian Gundlach - Photographer, Traveller and Collector...

2011-08-15T09:27:00.000-07:00

Photos by F.C. Gundlach

born in 1926 - Hessen, Germany.

F.C. specialized in fashion photography journalism-style from 1953 and continued on to the 60s and 70s..

His travel reportages took him to
Paris, New York, Egypt, Morocco...

...the Middle and Far East as well as Central and South America.

He worked for the most important magazines and publications from the middle of the 1950’s to 1990s.

He has definetly achieved iconic status and his work is displayed in great museums and collections.

He is the founding Director of the House of Photography in Hamburg.

Greetings from Senegal...

2011-08-14T08:36:00.000-07:00

(All Photos by Tavarua)

Do you have the ability to find anything interesting in an "ordinary" place ?

It has to do with how you see and experience them... look around you wherever you are.

Albert Einstein said: "There are two ways to live: you can live as if nothing is a miracle; you can live as if everything is a miracle."

Sitting here by the ocean- thinking, reflecting, smelling the ocean and breathing in the fresh salty air...

Pleasure by simplicity - Your memory holds all those thoughts of brief encounters you loved in life and never want to lose - remember...

memories will last a lifetime...so there are no Good-byes.

Destination Senegal...

2011-07-31T00:19:00.000-07:00

"Tavarua"

(Photos by Tavarua)

A voyage of inner reflections and thoughts.

"A Moth and a Journal"

Quiet reflections - Can you hear what isn't being said?

"Journals"

"Rule Breakers?"

Exotic Foods - Hungry?

2011-07-29T22:32:00.000-07:00

(Photo by Tavarua)

Crocodile has white and delicious meat - delicate in flavour so use fresh tropical fruits which will compliment the taste of the meat.

Cook it from frozen for two minutes on either side and then allowed to stand for a few minutes.

Remove excess fat after cooking. Use only herbs or spices - Three different is recommended. If frying, use olive oil - and do not forget it is best served medium rare.

Crocodile with Sliced Mango and Guava - served on Banana Leaves...

300 g crocodile meat, cut into thin slices.
Heat peanut oil in a frying pan, sauté seasoned crocodile pieces for about two to three minutes then set aside and keep warm.
30 g peanut oil
20 g basil leaves
20 g parsley
5 g garlic, chopped
20 ml white wine vinegar
200 ml olive oil
Blend basil, garlic, vinegar and olive oil in a food processor until smooth, set aside.

1 Mango - peeled
3 Guava fruits - each sliced in four
Seasalt and pepper
Slice Mango and Guava - arrange and decorate on (banana) leaves. Place Crocodile slices in the centre, drizzle the sauce and garnish with fresh herbs.

Part II - Welcome back to Musée de la Chasse et de la Nature...Paris, France

2011-07-27T12:04:00.000-07:00

(All Photos by Tavarua)

A homage to hunting.

The Blue Room

The Weapons Room

The Wild Boar Room

The Dogs Room

The Birds Room

The Trophy Room

Thoughts...

2011-07-24T09:33:00.000-07:00

(Photo by Tavarua)

"Men fear thought as they fear nothing else on earth, more than ruin, more even than death. Thought is subversive and revolutionary, destructive and terrible, thought is merciless to privilige, established institutions, and comfortable habit. Thought looks into the pit of hell and is not afraid. Thought is great and swift and free, the light of the world, and the chief glory of man." - Bertrand Russell

South Africa - Leopard...early morning

2011-07-23T04:21:00.000-07:00

(All Photos by Tavarua)

South Africa - The Soul of the Ape...

2011-07-22T01:59:00.000-07:00

(All Photos by Tavarua)

Marais conducted a close study of the behavior and life of the chacma baboons (also known as Cape baboons) and their genetic memory and the intellectual memory reinforced by learning.

You also find the chacma baboons in Angola, Zambia and Mozambique...

.... then it was Thursday July 7th, 2011 - Paris, France...

2011-07-10T05:58:00.000-07:00

(All Photos by Tavarua)

On my way from Automobile Club de France to celebrate the Anniversary of the Independence of the United States of America... at...

Now it was time for a late evening at Cercle de l’Union Interalliée.

Part I - Welcome to Musée de la Chasse et de la Nature...Paris, France

2011-07-08T15:12:00.000-07:00

(All Photos by Tavarua)

"The Hunting Horn"....

"The Stag and Wolf Room"

I invite you to walk with me and experience an amazing home - Once the home of Francois and Jacqueline Sommer...situated in the historic Marais district.

Francois had a pure passion for Hunting and Nature as well as being a collector of weapons, books and art (featuring animals)... as you well understand by now the subject in all of his collections were Hunting and Nature...

"The Horse room"

"The Dog Room"

In the gallery of animal portraits you will find works by Jan Brughel, Francois Desportes and Peter Paul Rubens.

The bond between animal and man...our extension...the dog

A homage to hunting - to be continued...

The Travellers

At late afternoon you could find me here at The Travellers.

May I offer you something to drink...

before we walk for an evening at Cercle de l’Union Interalliée.

Fire and Ice - Arrivals and Departures - Iceland

2011-07-01T05:45:00.000-07:00

(All Photos by Tavarua)

Arrival at 22:30 hours...

Fire and Ice...

Warmed by the gulf stream - Iceland is a volcanic island country in the North Atlantic Ocean beautiful and definitely different...

Here located at Grindavik is the famous Blue Lagoon...

The Lagoon holds an average temperature of 98 to 102 °F

Steamy waters which are rich on minerals and sulphur...

Arrivals and Departures...

On my way to the airport -

My favorite - Travel Chocolate - In my bags you will find...

Anthon Berg (since 1884) - Plum in Maderia, chocolate, marzipan and fresh plum filling - which, was launched in 1956

Departure again...on my way to Paris (Why not? Always a pleasure) for a few days before ...South Africa...

Travel Acquisitions - You Might Want

2011-06-17T22:16:00.000-07:00

I was recently asked - Why do I travel with Roorkhee Chair(s) ? - Light Travel - Light Chairs...

Leather wrapped vintage binoculars with leather case

Beretta Safari Jacket

We keep on moving as travellers - Keep it to a minimum of books, safari chairs, steamertrunks, leather and canvas bags...

F.M. Allen - Long Sleeve Safari Shirt - repels water on the outside and wicks moisture away from the body on the inside which, keeps you cool and dry.

Holland & Holland - Leather Shooting Gloves

Purdey

Double-prong belt from J L Powell

of course we add on a few leather bound journals each year and...hmmm minimum will try to keep that in mind when I move to the next continent...

Hermès- leather bound event planner for those tropical evenings...

Toiletry Kit - Col. Littleton from Orvis

Leather Passport holders by Valextra- Valextra and Orphan Aid collaborated and a portion of the money goes to support orphans and vulnerable children in Ghana.

Valextra passport holder is available at Barneys New York.

More books for your collection...

or bring a book as a present to your friend...

A good cigar ...

A simple and elegant bench - You will leave this bench behind at your "Travelers Nest"

For your travels - Here is one of my favorites -

a Mulholland Brothers Safari Bag

Always have an oyster knife and a glove packed - you never know when you need it.

An old issue of The Beretta Magazine

- Bon Voyage -

Reflections...

2011-06-15T07:57:00.000-07:00

Do you belong to your possessions?

Rather than your possessions belong to you.

Now is time to reflect...

"Thinking is easy, acting is difficult, and to put one's thoughts into action is the most difficult thing in the world."
- Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

Greetings from Jordan - Dunes and Red stone...Under the Sun...

2011-06-11T01:58:00.000-07:00

(Photos by Tavarua)

"True friendship multiplies the good in life and divides its evils. Strive to have friends, for life without friends is like life on a desert island..to find one real friend in a lifetime is good fortune; to keep him is a blessing."

- Baltasar Gracian

Wadi Rum - here you can experience the typical desert climate of hot days and cool nights...

Recommended reading - "Seven Pillars of Wisdom" by T.E. Lawrence - Here he recounted his adventures...the book was named after the massive rock formation found here in Wadi Rum

“Tourists don’t know where they’ve been, travelers don’t know where they’re going.”

– Paul Theroux

My father was a true Eccentric... (Part II)

2011-06-01T14:15:00.000-07:00

(Photo - family archives)

Well, you asked and it is true.

My parents were different - they came from two "worlds" of eccentric behavior. Their understanding of society their own.

To be their only son I had the inheritance and privileges to observe at close these characters of an older era and the originality of their characters. I do think born to these conditions and to have the good fortune to understand what I saw made my life more interesting.

It is not my intention to portray my father whom I have inherited certain ranges of interest and veins of thought. Only a section of his character.

The behavior of our ancestors reincarnated once more in my dear father. The family shows a string of several successful literary members and artists - Could this be the answer? Very likely not. My father never wrote any books or any great poems of note although he was a gifted writer and could write at large. He did always find something to do and did this meticulously whatever it would be at the time. His eccentricity was clearly a family trait and he definitely displayed many unusual behaviors and habits in his daily life.

In his health and food habits - in his obsessive collections as well as in his artistic creations and inventions.

He had a vivid visual imagination and could explain in detail the most interesting stories. His rules - nobody else's.

Was it a limited choice that life presented for him?

He found a refuge in himself - Perhaps work, simplicity, collecting, and the sporting life narrowed down to his own perceptions. His unusual eating habits when convinced that he would live on a certain fish sort for years (which he did) or his focus on the onion family Alliaceae...(well then..garlic)for its culinary and medicinal purpose (but raw?)and was it just European garlic from specific regions in Italy and France - I never asked.

His habit of filling rooms to the "ceilings" with collections of whatever amused and interested him at that time for some years to come...He did not posses a great understanding...for life outside his own - his opinions could never be bent or molded...

His standards were high and he had many rules. We had numerous discussions and he spoke to me about family, honor, tradition and responsibility. I thank him, indeed because he taught me and I got to understand at an early age that life is far more interesting than we can ever imagined.

Our winds of thoughts are our blossoms to free ourselves and open our minds to make use of our desires, dreams, aspirations, and ideals.

My father did... so do I - Just slightly different...

Hemingway...

2011-05-26T21:22:00.000-07:00

“The man who has begun to live more seriously within begins to live more simply without.”

“Every man's life ends the same way. It is only the details of how he lived and how he died that distinguish one man from another.”

- Ernest Hemingway

Bahrain and the Tree of Life...

2011-05-25T23:14:00.000-07:00

(Photos by Tavarua)

Parked to walk a sandy desert hill to visit a 400 years old mesquite tree.

Bahrain has an arid desert climate - today 35 degree Celsius, it is hot and the temperatures stay high year round.

In the midst of a hot dry desert is a lonely tree named Sharajat-al-Hayat/The Tree of Life. The source of water for the tree is still unknown.

The local legend tells you that this was the tree of life in the original Garden of Eden.

and later in the shade of a palm tree something cold to drink and good book...

Departure: The Nordic Peninsula...

2011-05-18T21:17:00.000-07:00

(Photos by Tavarua)

Magical Istanbul or just another City...

2011-05-10T09:42:00.000-07:00

(Photos by Tavarua)

it all depends on you...you decide... to open the gates or not...

“Open your arms to change, but don't let go of your values.”

- Dalai Lama

Sunrise - Ballooning over Cappadocia ...Part II

2011-05-06T22:24:00.000-07:00

(Photos by Tavarua)

A beautiful morning - clear skies and it actually warmed up some...still chilly on the ground below...

The pilot has only the burner and his knowledge about the winds - weather conditions to control and navigate its "flight"...

Sometimes the air seems motionless around you ...

We were gliding through the landscape of Love Valley, the Three Sisters and Pigeon Valley...

The shadow from our balloon...

The winds have welcomed you with softness,

The sun has greeted you with it's warm hands,

You have flown so high and so well,

That God has joined you in laughter,

And set you back gently into

The loving arms of Mother Earth.

- Anon, known as 'The Baloonists Prayer,' believed to have been adapted from an old Irish sailors' prayer.

The flight is over - Still early morning and we have landed for a breakfast consisting of a few glasses of champagne and cake...

If you want to have a memorable flight - Balloon Cappadocia...Part 1...

2011-05-05T20:49:00.000-07:00

(Photos by Tavarua)

It is chilly this morning when we are getting ready for a balloon ride over Cappadocia...

The basket...

Best time to be here is between April and October when there are light winds and clear skies...and to rise with the sun in early morning is always a great experience of natures beauty...

The "launching" site...

The burner which directs the flame...

Our balloon pilot...

ready for...

take off...

The Valley of the Balloons...

Ballooning is the oldest way of flying....

Next - From the air - at Sunrise - we will be floating with gentle winds and experience Cappadocia with its unique environment, rock formations, deep canyons and valleys...

Cappadocia - Thousands of years ago the Melendiz river formed the Ihlara Gorge...

2011-05-01T03:08:00.000-07:00

(Photos by Tavarua)

This is the the deepest gorge of Anatolia and about 14 kilometers long.

Its canyon reaches a depth of approximately 300 feet and is located close to the Cappadocian volcanoes Mount Hasan and Mount Melendiz.

You can hike the gorge from Ihlara village and end it at Selime village.

One of the hundred Cave Churches - You can find them carved out from the rock walls along the gorge...

The Cave Churches dates back from the Byzatine period...

Hidden beauty of the valley...

I was told that almost eight thousand people once lived here in Ihlara Valley..

A taste of Cappadocia...

2011-04-30T02:14:00.000-07:00

"Tavarua"

If you have not been here yet...it would definitely be worth it...

(All Photos by Tavarua)

Here is where I stayed...

Cave rooms...

Outside the room is two small areas...

as well as a few other comfortable areas to sit and relax...and enjoy a glass of Çay. This is the national drink which is brewed from the tea leaves grown in eastern Turkey by the coast of the Black sea.

My view from the street where I stayed...

Pidgon Valley...

The Monasteries ...

Art as Flirtation and Surrender

In your light I learn how to love.

In your beauty, how to make poems.

You dance inside my chest,

where no one sees you,

but sometimes I do,

and that sight becomes this art.

- Rumi

A Travellers Life...

On my way again...Destination - the ancient region of Anatolia...

2011-04-20T22:39:00.000-07:00

(Photos by Tavarua)

Passport, Journal and Travel jacket....arrival sometime tonight...Cappadocia...here I will "explore" fairy chimneys, rock cut churches with their Byzatine art , monasteries (since the 8th and 9th Century - the earliest date back to the 4th Century) and the underground cities of Derinkuyu and Kaymaklı.

A few canvas and leather travel bags...for this trip...

and now ...on my way...Where will I stay? Somewhere like this...

Finally...

2011-04-17T05:28:00.000-07:00

(Photos by Tavarua)

Well, it took me sometime to finish it- but here it is

#1 - "Autumn Leaf and the running Rhino"

Dear Reader,

A simple rhino photo, a simple autumn leaf photo, some simple paint and there it is...Not really...First you look for that special rhino (you travel to the African continent to find him), next step ...in the process... you wait until autumn (take another trip ...we can always justify why we never stop traveling... to Europe, here you will search and find... one great leaf),you need some paint (that you can find in one of the travel bags from the "Travelers Nest")...now you wait for inspiration to create...and few months goes by and one sunny day it all comes together...

I need the sun...and a smile...I smile a lot - try it...life is great...so if you read this? what do you think?... This is a bad unhappy rhino - he should have been smiling...

I know you have some oriental rugs piled up.....pick out one rug - nail it to the wall and then center the picture...

There is no path...

2011-04-13T12:06:00.000-07:00

(Photos by Tavarua)

“A traveller without observation is a bird without wings”

- Muslih-uddin Sadi

Falconry -The Hunters and the Hunted...

2011-04-11T10:20:00.000-07:00

(Photos by Tavarua)

There is pleasure in the pathless woods,

There is a rapture on the lonely shore,

There is society, where none intrudes,

By the deep sea, and music in its roar:

I love not man the less, but Nature more,

From these our interviews, in which I steal

From all I may be, or have been before,

To mingle with the Universe, and feel

What I can ne'er express, yet cannot all conceal.

- Lord Byron

Buddha said "A jug fills drop by drop."

Add your experiences in life...drop by drop...

Falconry - A Wise Old Owl...

2011-04-09T14:01:00.000-07:00

(Photos by Tavarua)

"A wise old owl sat on an oak; The more he saw the less he spoke; The less he spoke the more he heard; Why aren't we like that wise old bird?”

Scrapbooks/Collages/Journals...

2011-04-06T10:57:00.000-07:00

Scrapbooks/Collages/Journals...by Tavarua

Frank Barron said - “The creative person is both more primitive and more cultivated, more destructive, a lot madder and a lot saner, than the average person.”

What is your opinion?

“Creativity involves breaking out of established patterns in order to look at things in a different way.”

- Edward de Bono

A few photos by Spanish Photographer - Eugenio Recuenco...

2011-04-05T10:02:00.000-07:00

From Madrid - Photographer - Eugenio Recuenco and his pictures...

If I rode a motorcycle...very likely it would be....

2011-04-01T14:19:00.000-07:00

a Indian...Could be something like this Indian Scout from 1928...

Being a traveler I do not have to many possessions...

This is my simple religion...a life of a nomad...

"You have your way. I have my way. As for the right way, the correct way, and the only way, it does not exist.”

- Friedrich Nietzsche

A Touch of Elegance and Rugged Simplicity ......

2011-03-29T09:03:00.000-07:00

Photographer Peter Beard

He needs no further introduction...from Africa to New York....or from New York to Africa...Photographer - Traveller - Artist - Author ...Peter Beard...and some of his works of art...

Enjoy - The Beauty of Women...

Photo by Peter Beard - Eva Mendes

Photo by Peter Beard - 1963

Photo by Peter Beard - Jenny's Jewelry, Montauk - 2006

Photo by Peter Beard - Princess Loingalani, El Molo Bay, Lake Rudolf, Kenya - 1967

Maureen Gallagher and a night feeder at Hog Ranch,February - 1987

Photo by Peter Beard - Veruschka

Photo by Peter Beard - Iman - 1985

Peter Beard and Iman

Travel Acquisitions - You Might Want....

2011-03-22T22:01:00.000-07:00

Tobacco is bad for your health...so it might be better just to keep it for your collection....

Time Will Tell....

Vintage Tobacco - "Safari" Blended for Active Sportsmen from Abercrombie & Fitch

dunhill pipe set - 7 days - Monday to Sunday

dunhill pipe set - 1933

dunhill tobacco jar

dunhill flasks

dunhill lighter wrapped in crocodile....

Clip-on Ashtrays (Asprey) for your Roorkhee chair...

add another Roorkhee chair (FM Allen)...we just....need them...

Traveling cups

if you have more needs - a pair of folding camp/fishing stools (Mulholland Brothers)

From Nigeria to .......

2011-03-20T02:07:00.000-07:00

(Photos by Tavarua)

a Spring Charity Event - in Europe.....

"A man's real possession is his memory. In nothing else is he rich, in nothing else is he poor."

- Alexander Smith

Very nice indeed...but I prefer to be back...

...under the Tropical Sun...being barefoot wearing a kikoy...

"I do not want my house to be walled in on all sides and my windows to be stuffed. I want the cultures of all lands to be blown about my house as freely as possible. But I refuse to be blown off my feet by any."

- Mahatma Gandhi