I love travel symbolism and imagery. Recently discovered works by Troy M. Litten - a wordless evocation of place, with a real sense of discovery and wonder, Wanderlust captures the funny, mundane, and unexpectedly beautiful aspects of travelling the world, celebrating the too-often overlooked moments between destinations that are every bit a part of the pleasure of travel.

I couldn’t pass a visit without enjoying some of the offerings of the Edinburgh Art Festival to the Andy Warhol’s exhibition at the National Galleries of Scotland with its brilliantly decorated columns made up of Campbell’s soup cans, and the 3D/2D Craft and Design Fair.

We spent most of our time enjoying comedy shows that took place at the E4 Underbelly (dubbed ‘Udderbelly’) a purpose-built venue inside an inflated upside-down purple cow with legs akimbo. The Fringe can be an overwhelming experience for the uninitiated, street performers, so many choices (shows for all age groups and preferences), not enough time, and in the words of Cally, ‘leafleters that descend like locusts pimping their wares‘.

I’m back! Thank you friends for your well-wishes,
emails and surprises in the mail which I will share later.
Edinburgh is such a fantastic place where the old meets the new in harmony, a city of culture seeped in history (the ‘Castle in the Air’ and Medieval flags had me feeling like I was in a film-set) with the hustle and bustle of modern living. During the Fringe, the city’s population doubles in size made up of people from all over the world. It’s been such a lovely week of seemingly non-stop party, laughter and enjoying the summer sun, the first set of pictures are of the castle and the surrounding areas.

I’m off to Edinburgh (Scotland) for a week for the Festival Fringe - largest arts festival in the world. Fringe 2007 features 31,000 performances of 2,050 shows (made up of Theatre, Comedy, Music, Children’s, Musicals & Opera, Dance & Physical Theatre, Exhibitions and Events) in 250 venues.
The Fringe story began in 1947, when the Edinburgh International Festival was launched. It was seen as a post-war initiative to re-unite Europe through culture, and was so successful that it inspired more performers than there was room for. Hope the weather will be nice, and I manage to pack some sightseeing as well as enjoying the festivities :)

I am again inspired by Japanese aesthetics of lifestyle photography and home products. I can spend all day flicking through pages of inspiring pictures from Kraso’s online catalogues.

* Lisa Solomon returned from her trip to Japan, don’t miss her fascinating instalments with pictures to inspire the wanderlust.
* If that’s not enough, and you missed Amisha’s pictures from her trip to China & Korea, head over now, you won’t be disappointed.

~ Life outdoor always look more fun ~
Pedlars, a small family run business in UK sells cool household products, as well as being environmentally conscious, right down to their company vehicle (a Land Rover partly on biofuel - a combination of diesel and processed chip fat). They are even looking at building a private turbine end of the year to generate electricity.

* The Happy Campers book is available on Amazon
* Silver Palaces (via A Fanciful Twist)

Today, we have sunshine, albeit a little windy.
The British public is out in full force in the city, making the most of the warm weather. Here we have snippets of life on a Saturday in the busy city centre.
* Dreams of going away (page from a muji catalog), people sitting outside Sinclair’s Oyster Bar enjoying a beer, window display of Habitat, ‘I love her boots!’ The town hall-a neo-Gothic building completed in 1887, a Victorian edifice as a monument to the civic pride.

Visual Sunday (magazine images)

Beautiful photography by Lisa Congdon of ‘Bird in the Hand’.

I have a fascination with all things Japan. After reading about Bishvat (new year of the trees) on Julie’s blog, I was reminded of my favourite part from this book, ‘There are maple-viewing expeditions, evening parties under the cherry blossoms, and, although this seems to have been more common in earlier times, moon-viewing parties. Many old aristocratic residences have special platforms or rooms where nobles would gather to write moon-related verses as they gazed at the sky or into the moon’s reflection in a nearby pond.‘ So poetic…I am already dreaming of travels.