The subject of Tara’s Gallery this week is Sunshine. So I offer you this …

This was taken during our September 2009 trip to Washington, DC; actually in the herb garden of the National Cathedral.

The whole garden was swarming with butterflies in the September sun, which was unseasonably hot. There were lots of these ranging in colour from pale cream through canary yellow (as this one) and pale green and pale orange. Don’t know if they were all the same species, but they all looked the same apart from the colouring.

And there were also lots of Monarch butterflies and several delightful hummingbirds, which I totally failed to be quick enough to capture.

Another in my occasional series documenting some of the underbelly of Britain. Britain which we wouldn’t like visitors to see and which we wish wasn’t there. The trash, abused, decaying, destitute and otherwise buggered parts of our environment. Those parts which symbolise the current economic malaise; parts which, were the country flourishing, wouldn’t be there, would be better cared for, or made less inconvenient.

Click the image for larger views

This is London’s iconic Hyde Park Corner, at the junction of Piccadilly, Knightsbridge and Park Lane a couple of Sunday mornings ago. It was taken from the top of the Wellington Arch (now open to the public). What a mess!

This week is the 100th showing of Tara’s Gallery, and for the theme she has of course chosen Picture Postcard. So here’s a postcard from me …

Double Departure from Alexisbad

This is from a set of Steam in the Harz Mountains, Germany taken on a RailTrail tour in February 2008. It was taken, as the title suggests, at Alexisbad during a steam charter from Quedlinberg to Wernigerode.

This was a special photoshoot staged for our group; the train on the right is our charter train; the one on the left was a service train which had just terminated at Alexisbad. And I must say it was a magnificent sight and not something you will see these days during normal service.

It was a fantastic trip with travel entirely by train from London: well organised, excellent and interesting tour leaders, good company, good food and lots of trains! As well as this full day charter the five day trip also included a tour of the Harzer Schmalspurbahnen works, a trip up the Broken Mountain (yes, by steam train) and a stop-over in Wuppertal for a ride on the Schwebebahn, their hanging monorail.

The only thing missing was the snow that we should have rightly had in February!

In five days the only train that was late was the return Thalys service from Köln to Brussels, and that was by the staggering amount of just 10 minutes.

An absolutely first class trip which really wasn’t long enough!

Lots more of my photos from the trip on Flickr.

Another in my occasional series documenting some of the underbelly of Britain. Britain which we wouldn’t like visitors to see and which we wish wasn’t there. The trash, abused, decaying, destitute and otherwise buggered parts of our environment. Those parts which symbolise the current economic malaise; parts which, were the country flourishing, wouldn’t be there, would be better cared for, or made less inconvenient.

Click the image for larger views

These two properties are in London’s Piccadilly, on the edge of Mayfair and right opposite Green Park. The mansion on the left is the former premises of the Naval & Military Club (nicknamed the In & Out); it is apparently owned by an Arab but appears unoccupied and very neglected. I don’t know the history of the commercial premises on the right although it appears to have been the premises of a Middle Eastern bank. But both properties have been in this state for some years and are gradually falling into dereliction. Such a shame and a waste.

This is a composite of two shots take from the car while sitting in traffic.