must go down to the sea again….

Sharing some random moments from Vancouver Island’s Pacific west coast.

some Pacific moments

I first came here longer ago than I can imagine it has been. More than 25 years. Yet even now, after all this time, standing at the ocean shore, watching breakers crashing endlessly, with the pervasive roar filling the air, and the air rich with salt, it is still my favourite place to be.

But what is so compelling about a place that takes a good part of the day to get here? Is it the first impression of the Pacific Ocean, usually at Incinerator Rock, before we carry on to our ultimate destination a few kilometers further north along the west coast?

01 first impression

Is it the evening mist which makes this place seem so magical?

02 evening mist

Is it the presence of seagulls and other water fowl which lend their charm to the beach?

03 gotta love the seagulls

Is it the crashing of the surf against the rocks?

04 For perspective on the size of these waves, compare the size of the people on the rocks above

Perhaps it is the richness of the rainforest trails?

05 on the Wild Pacific Trail

Numerous trails beckon to be explored, with varying accessibility ranging from those that are suitable for wheelchairs or specialized wheelchairs, to those where sturdy walking shoes are a good choice. Many of them are not far from the ocean’s roar, and frequently offer spectacular views of the Pacific Ocean, such as the header photo above. And occasionally it is possible to see wildlife here, too.

06 rainforest view

07 morning tide

Is it the wonder of beachcombing on a sunny morning, and discovering some unexpected beach treasures?

08 sand dollar

Is it the unparalleled view of the sun bidding its daily evening farewell far to the west across the ocean?

09 the end of a cold and glorious October day, 2011. I still remember how the wind tugged at my camera while capturing this image.

Or the colours painted across the sky and on the sand when it has disappeared from view?

10 the colours of dusk, April 22, 2008

Or is it merely the contrast of the moments of relaxation and inspiration in this place where the ocean never rests?

11 sunlight breaking through a stormy sky at Incinerator Rock as we bid farewell to the Pacific once more

The answer to all of these questions simply is, yes.

So ironic, that it is called the Pacific. Peaceful, is what it means. And yet it ebbs and flows, and it roars unceasingly, with waves that can crash and surge quite dramatically. Some of the storms are incredible with waves that can easily top 6 meters (more than 20 feet). And every time I stand in this corner of the planet, on the sands of the Pacific, I relish in the wonder of it, and consider it a gift to be here once more.
 

all images captured at Vancouver Island’s unforgettable west coast
my favourite place on the planet
so far
 

---

 
For more sea sightings posted by bloggers from around the world, click here.

sometimes the changes are quicker than the plans

clockwise from upper left :: church tower of St Veit Church, Waldenbuch – the most prominent feature of the market square; Cafe am Markt, Waldenbuch; Black Forest Vista; wildflower in the Black Forest 

If you have previously visited photojourneying, you will know that the reason this blog was started was because of Change. A change of ownership which involved a change of plans.

For almost five years, more than 4,000 of my images and their accompanying stories had been uploaded to a much-loved photo sharing website – webshots.com, which was also home to more than 700 million other photos posted by some 32 million members.

My user name there was christianchen, and all was well and good. And fun! And then one day, an unexpected announcement was made that the ownership of Webshots had changed hands, and rather than continue with business as usual, there were plans in the works to shut down the site forever, and soon. The adage, that change is the only constant, was proving itself true.

And so it seemed like a practical idea to reinvent some of those photo stories in a blog rather than have them disappear from cyberspace altogether. More details on that big change can be found here.

It turned out that among the last set of photos posted there was a short collection of images from a trip to Germany in June/July last year (2012).

Highlights from that vacation include:

Departure from YVR
Vancouver’s somewhat green airport which has undergone much change and reconstruction and has since been found to be the top Canadian airport in two years of surveys.

changeable weather
The weather was unpredictable, and rain showers in the early morning

did not preclude sunshine and blue skies a few hours later.

 

Travelling into Times Past
One road trip brought us to a very old castle with a moat – with a foundation dating back to 1007 AD. What kind of changes it would have witnessed, and the stories it could tell if it could but speak….

castle dating back to 1007 AD ~ Holzgerlingen, Germany

Timeless Moments
And yet, some moments seem timeless, such as the beauty of the Black Forest – flowering meadows, and the dark (black!) trees which dominate many of the scenic views.

unforgettable Black Forest

 

Black Forest vistas

Yes, that is a fox on the upper right. The sign on the lower right says, ‘Wutachtalblick’, or view of the Wutach Valley, which gets its name from the Wutach River.

 
◆ originally published August 19, 2012 ◆

Related Post
PostCard :: on track

 

---

All images in this post © photojourneying 2013
 
For more changes posted by bloggers from around the world, click here.