Welcome back to my mini series of WOW moments captured on our adventures around the world.
Number 15:
Staying with architecture but of a similar vein to Number 16 on my previous post, let me introduce you to The Ben Youssef Medersa. This is truly a masterpiece, displaying Moroccan architecture through the ages with diverse motifs, vibrant colours, and astounding tile work. The walls and columns are covered with “zellige” -colourful, geometric mosaic tile work with friezes of calligraphy above.
I felt like I just wanted to drink it all in and create a forever indelible memory to return to in the future so I could always have this WOW moment.
Number 14:
This photograph was on display courtesy of the World Press Photo Foundation which has connected people to the stories that matter worldwide, spending 70 years championing visual journalism. The World Press Photo Contest “is one of the most prestigious competitions in photojournalism and documentary photography, celebrating the most impactful visual storytelling from across the globe.”
We were fortunate to visit last year whilst in London and when you view the photos at this exhibition there is no doubt that they each have a story to tell but behind each lens is a photographic journalist often risking their life to record these images visually for the whole world to see.
This photograph is called Paths of Desperate Hope and was taken on September 23rd 2022 in the jungles of the Darian Gap
Luis Miguel Arias (28) takes a break with his daughter Melissa (4) as they climb a hill. They are from Venezuela and joined the over 250,000 migrants who traversed the Darien Gap in 2022.
The Darién Gap is a remote, roadless, and dangerous area of rainforest along the border between Panama and Colombia, acting as a natural barrier between North and South America. The lack of roads, the presence of dangerous animals and insects (including venomous snakes and spiders), and the risk of criminal activity (like robberies and violence) contribute to the region’s dangers.
Sometimes a WOW moment can come from other peoples’ courage. I’ve never forgotten this photograph.
Number 13:
Like many I had seen pictures of the Plaza de Espana in Seville, Spain before but nothing prepared me for the reality when we were touring Western Europe by train in 2023.
As we rounded the corner I caught my breath as the magnificence of this Renaissance Revival Plaza spread out in front of me.
I am so pleased that we came here at the end of our day as there was no pressure on time and we could wander at will absorbing the atmosphere, taking a break whenever we wanted to and just being in this truly WOW moment.
Number 12:
Another cityscape but this time taken at night in Chicago.
We visited the city for a week before embarking on the famous Route 66 road trip from Chicago to Santa Monica pier in LA in the summer of 2023.
This particular WOW moment was just the sheer beauty created by the different lights below.
Number 11:
Keukenhof, also known as the Garden of Europe, is one of the world’s largest flower gardens, situated in the municipality of Lisse, in the Netherlands. According to the official website, Keukenhof Park covers an area of 32 hectares and approximately 7 million flower bulbs are planted in the gardens annually.
You cannot fail to have a WOW moment here with all the wonderfully curated flower displays with every colour of the rainbow. We’ve now visited it twice!
Number 10:
And so we finally reach my Top 10 WOW moments and at number 10 is this piece of street art in Seville, Spain. We often research the best places to see street art when visiting cities on our travels but on this occasion this wonderful piece of art showing a clear likeness to David Bowie caught us by surprise.
We stopped, we admired, we photographed and to date haven’t seen anything else to match it!
Number 9:
Just like my number 10 this landscape, (the photo honestly doesn’t do it justice), was also a surprise when we went off piste in Granada and found ourselves at the back of the Church of San Nicolas.
As we came around the side of the church there before us was an unforgettable panorama. We had chanced upon the Mirador de San Nicolas.
I honestly could not believe my eyes. The whole of the Alhambra Palace was laid out before me with the beautiful snow capped mountains of the Sierra Nevada nestled behind. The Palace dominated the skyline, leaving everything below in its wake.
There are not many views in the world that you see and know are going to stay in your memory forever but this is one of them.
Finding a vacant stone seat and ignoring the crowds I settled down and just stared in front of me feeling at peace.
Number 8:
The Market Hall in Rotterdam, in The Netherlands holds a very special secret.
Inside visitors are often so bewitched by the 100+ stalls and food outlets to choose from that they actually fail to ever look up which is such a shame as there are 11,000 square meters of artwork above their heads.
Designed by Arno Coenen and Iris Roskam and named “Horn of Plenty” pictures of vegetables, fruit, flowers, insects and enlarged fish adorn the ceiling.
These were created digitally and the file was so large that the artists had to turn to the Pixar Studios to actually store it!
Separating it into 4000 pieces they then printed each section on perforated aluminium panels and thus decorated the inside of the market hall. They are beautiful to behold and ironically made me feel as if I was inside one of Pixar movies like “Bug’s Life”!
Just WOW!
Number 7:
Another landscape captured on film in the moment. This photo was taken by my husband when we were crossing Lake Arenal in Costa Rica back in 2019. It captures the volcano shrouded in mist with a black vulture soaring on the thermals above the lake. Just magically WOW!
Number 6:
The Mosque–Cathedral of Córdoba is definitely one of those rare WOW places that stays with you long after you leave and that I had to write about on our trip through Western Europe in 2023.
This stands out for me as one of the most beautiful but also interesting religious buildings that I’ve ever visited. It stands not only as a place of architectural brilliance but a unique example of religious unity in a world that is full of religious conflict.
Ok, so I’m going to leave you waiting for my Top 5, they will be with you in a couple of days!
I’m conscious that lengthy posts mean you have to find time to sit down and concentrate and in this ever revolving world that isn’t always easy to find.
So I’ll see you in a couple of days and all will be revealed!
I hope my photos and narrative give you inspiration to go out there and find your own WOW moments amidst forthcoming adventures!
If you want to see other photos taken on our travels they are available on Flicker.
Let me know if you’ve visited any of the places I’ve listed, maybe give this post a like. Let me know what you thought when you were there, I’d love to hear from you in the comments
A Midlife Adventure 