beaches ~ part two

“Doesn’t it seem to you,” asked Madame Bovary, “that the mind moves more freely in the presence of that boundless expanse, that the sight of it elevates the soul and gives rise to thoughts of the infinite and the ideal?” ~ Gustave Flaubert, Madame Bovary

Wishing you a wonderful LONG weekend…see you Tuesday!

Ring of Kerry, Ireland ~ Manfredi Merciai

West Bengel, India ~ Subhajit Mitra

Tenerife, Canary Islands, Spain ~ Shadi Nassri

Big Sur, California ~ Karen Schofield

Victoria, Australia ~ Florian Haid

Koh Rong Saloem, Cambodia ~ Emanuele Siracusa

Victoria, Australia ~ Jin Choi

County Sligo, Ireland ~ Ashleigh Ehnts

Langkawi, Malaysia ~ Anupama Mohan

Hermosa Beach, California ~ Donna Gatz

Arrabida Mountains, Portugal ~ Miguel Claro

beaches ~ part one

With Memorial Day weekend around the corner, I thought we could celebrate the unofficial start of summer with a look at beaches from around the world…from the crystal clear turquoise waters of the Bahamas to the rippled terra cotta sands of Pranburi Beach, Thailand, may this post transport you to a blissful world of beauty…more tomorrow!

Bahamas ~ Andre Axford Bryars

Onslow Beach, North Carolina ~ Josh Hairston

Patsee Ober

Kauai, Hawaii ~ Lorenzo Menendez

Cibuaya, Indonesia ~ Wafi Aljamili

Cape Town, South Africa ~ Connor Callaghan

Maui, Hawaii ~ Sharan Linzy

Long Bay Beach ~ William Torrillo

Varadero Beach, Cuba ~ Bryan Pereira

Phi Phi Island, Thailand ~ Qutaibah Altwairesh

New South Wales, Australia ~ Elvir Dugum

Seychelles ~ Anatoliy Kolyesnik

Ipanema Beach, Rio ~ Geraldo Pestalozzi

Long Island, New York ~ Galen Haas

Pranburi Beach, Thailand ~ Hendrik Will

Florida ~ Rachael Westergard

ocean house

On the heels of yesterday’s post, I thought you might enjoy a look at the NEW Ocean House located in picturesque Watch Hill, Rhode Island!

On 6/1/2010, the Ocean House, a luxury Victorian-era seaside resort, re-opened its doors after a $140 million rebuild and restoration…more than 5,000 salvageable artifacts and furnishing elements were lovingly harvested from the original structure’s historic interiors and are now part of the new construction…in addition to 49 spacious guestrooms and 23 private residences, the new Ocean House offers guests farm-to-table cuisine utilizing estate-grown ingredients from the resort’s 10-acre farm, a 12,000 square foot Spa, and a state-of-the-art fitness center complete with a yoga studio and 20-meter indoor lap pool…how wonderful to see this 144 year old grand dame re-imagined for the 21st century!

photos from the Ocean House

watch hill, RI ~ summer of 1946

Some of my fondest childhood memories are of summer vacations spent at the beach with my family…after a rigorous morning of body surfing and rock collecting, I remember gathering for lunch atop a sandy blanket, hands down the best tasting meal ever! When I happened upon these vintage photos, all of these wonderful memories came flooding back…moments in time as seen through the eyes of the late William Kendall Dingledine ~ Watch Hill, RI, summer of 1946

1946 ~ My parents were teenagers, Harry S. Truman was president of the United States, songs by Frank Sinatra and Nat King Cole topped the charts, the musical film Ziegfeld Follies starring Fred Astaire and Judy Garland was in movie theaters, Pablo Picasso painted Woman-Flower while Henri Matisse painted L’Asie and Aaron Copland composed his Symphony No. 3…

photography by William Kendall Dingledine

watch hill, RI

Two performances of A German Requiem by Johannes Brahms brought me to the town of Westerly, RI this past weekend…the glorious scent of salt water, the sunset glow over Watch Hill Harbor and the rich sonorities of the Brahms still linger in my mind…life is good

photography by danielle boudrot for a thoughtful eye

when I gaze at a sunset sky…

“When I gaze at a sunset sky and spend hours contemplating its marvelous ever-changing beauty, an extraordinary emotion overwhelms me. Nature in all its vastness is truthfully reflected in my sincere though feeble soul. Around me are the trees stretching up their branches to the skies, the perfumed flowers gladdening the meadow, the gentle grass-carpetted earth, … and my hands unconsciously assume an attitude of adoration. … To feel the supreme and moving beauty of the spectacle to which Nature invites her ephemeral guests! … that is what I call prayer.”

~ Claude Debussy

Wishing you a glorious weekend!

photography by danielle boudrot for a thoughtful eye

syrinx

syrinx by claude debussy, performed by danielle boudrot, flute

The story of Syrinx ~

“There was a certain nymph, Mercury said, whose name was Syrinx, — much beloved by the satyrs and spirits of the wood. She would have none of them, but was a faithful worshiper of Diana and followed the chase. Pan, meeting her one day, wooed her with many compliments, likening her to Diana of the silver bow. Without stopping to hear him she ran away. But on the bank of the river he overtook her. She called for help on her friends, the water-nymphs. They heard and consented. Pan threw his arms around what he supposed to be the form of the nymph and found he embraced only a tuft of reeds. As he breathed a sigh, the air sounded through the reeds and produced a plaintive meoldy. Whereupon the god, charmed with the novelty and with the sweetness of the music, said, ‘Thus, then, at least you shall be mine.’ Taking some of the reeds of unequal lengths and placing them together, side by side, he made an instrument and called it Syrinx in honor of the nymph.”

Claude Debussy composed “Syrinx” (La Flute De Pan) based on Pan’s sadness over losing his love. Written in 1913, “Syrinx” was the first unaccompanied flute solo of the 20th century and was dedicated to French flutist Louis Fleury. This brief atmospheric sketch is rich with programmatic references. See if you can hear the reeds blowing in the wind, leaves falling, or Pan’s heartbroken sighs of sorrow.