‘Man
cannot discover
new oceans, until he has courage to lose sight of the shore.’ Anon
For those of you who may be new to my writing,
this blog
began in 2011 and recently, I launched a second blog in March 2013
called Touching
Landscapes. As I have been writing so many stories of late, I felt
I needed to divide
my work into two blogs on different themes.
Gateway to Blindness – is like my personal
journal, the
place where I write about matters close to my heart. The good, the
bad and the
ridiculous.
Touching Landscapes: is my travel blog
devoted to
adventures, near and far with your vision-impaired tour guide
and intrepid companions,
Harry and Mike. The new blog invites other
travellers to submit their stories so come on over...there is so
much to share
in the world unseen.
Note: A series that began here called
Touching the Sights
of France will be removed from this site as of
today...gulp...but, all is not
lost - they have been lovingly recaptured to the travel blog by
my wonderful
webmaster, Harry Williamson.
If you would like to read about our travels
through France
and Spain so far and how a vision-impaired traveller uses
every sensory
fibre of her being to delight in the history and culture of
another country - here
are the posts in order under the heading, Europe on a White
Stick.
Touching the Sights of France
Truly, Paris is a city of beautiful smells!
From the moment
we left Charles de Gaulle airport, I have noticed the fragrance of
this
enchanting city...
Inhaling History, Touching time
Mike nudges close to my side as we gaze upwards
and trace
the giant panels of 13th century coloured glass that fill the
entire nave. My
awestruck son tries to describe in low whispers, as his eyes
travel over the
intricate pictures painted within gilded glass on the fifteen
panels, but can
only say, oh, WOW! – over and over again...
Adventures on the Canal Du Midi
After our first hectic week in Paris, we stumble across the second oldest town
in France, a
township tucked away on the far south-west coast known as the
Black Pearl of
the Mediterranean...
Are we there yet?
Fourth day aboard the boat and the weather
turns wet and
cold. First mate and quartermaster are beginning to grumble under
the gloomy
conditions within the mildewy floating shoebox. It occurs to me
that canal
boating would really suit honeymooners who would just love this
confined living
space and can’t get enough of each other, snuggled like cosy
puppies ALL the
time. But my teenage son and me are not feeling like cosy
anythings...
Mystery in The Pyrenees
As we drive away, a sudden burst of afternoon sunlight parts the dense clouds to reveal the misty summit and we are moved to collect sprigs of elderflower and offer a salute to the spirit of the Cathars...
Inside a Kaleidoscope of Sound
Where I can really excel without the need to
see is when I
listen to the landscape, when I hear the sound within ancient
stones. One of
the extraordinary surprises we discovered on our tour through
southern France
was the deep resonance within century old stone churches, medieval
castles and
handmade brick wine vaults...
Don’t Say We’re Lost
Harry and I
could not pass
up the opportunity to stretch our toes over the Franco-Spanish
border to set
foot on the Catalan frontier of Northern Spain. How could we be
this close to
my mother’s homeland and not show Michael part of his family
heritage...
Barcelona – All wrapped up in a bag
“Looks like it’s too late to
do an afternoon
bus tour,” Harry informs us, pointing to the row of tourist
buses pulling away
from a nearby kerb. “What do you want to do now?”
“I don’t know.” I pout;
annoyed we have
missed the opportunity to be driven around this hectic city and
to find myself
suddenly appointed as the blind tour guide...
© 2013 Maribel Steel
1 comment:
Love, love that quote! Will be following your other blog as well :). Keep writing!
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