Post a good thing that happened in your life today

[wiskerke]

  

On 25/06/2023 at 21:59, Jeffrey Isaac Greenberg said:

good news...

just booked October 22-night Spain itinerary!
MIA-MAD (2-nights to "recover" & shoot -- been there)

Cordoba, Malaga, Seville, Granada, ~4-nights each, all first time;

Madrid final 2 nights, MAD-MIA (Iberia rt prem econ using Avios points)

if anyone has South-of-Spain other city suggestion worth

2-3 nights, details please !!

💃🏽__ 💃🏽__ 💃🏽

 

Madrid; Seville; Granada and Cordoba are obvious.

- Malaga is a good choice. It is the 6th city of Spain and sort of it's Silicon Valley. Good airport and train station with high speed train connection to Cordoba and Madrid.

You can easily spend a week here. Want my favorite BnB?

A day trip from Malaga gets you here. Now totally sanitized and safe.

- Nerja and neighboring white village Frigiliana. Just nice little places.

Nerja is to the East of Malaga. An easy 1.5 hr bus ride, or 45 min by car.

Last year I found Marbella not all that interesting. However it was low season. Still quite a few searches/year for Malaga. Maybe of more interest to the UK market. Some celebrity A-listers have holiday homes here. Celebrity spotting never ends of course, but with gated communities and blacked out car windows, it's not as easy as it was 20 years ago.

In February we found car rental prices had gone up since last year. But then it was a car that was slightly too wide for the narrow streets of Almeria. Which I would skip anyway, unless you're really deep into Wonder Woman 1984.

However if you are into film locations, there are a lot in the Almeria area in and around the Cabo da Gata (Cape Cat) National Park. The oasis of Lawrence of Arabia; all the outdoor locations of the early Morricone westerns with Clint Eastwood and the cave of Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade. The beach of Monsul is where they filmed this scene and also parts of The Wind and the Lion and The Neverending Story were shot here. The surprise attack on Aqaba (Lawrence) was shot a bit further to the North. There's a ton more. Admittedly, all best by car. Why I drove past Agua Caliente (real name Los Albaricoques) without at least taking a picture of the street sign for Calle Clint Eastwood, I don't know. Location of my favorite shootout. That pocket watch!

 

wim

Edited June 27, 2023 by wiskerke
lost the quote somehow

[Jeffrey Isaac Greenberg]

17 hours ago, wiskerke said:

...if you are into film locations...

WimW

Your cinematic acumen!!!

Almost never had I considered

checking destinations for famous movie scenes!
I think the composition of a scene should stand on its own, too?

Must tell the wifey Itinerary Planner to keep in mind...

There must be publications devoted to film scene locations...

regards jg

[geogphotos]

Book well ahead for the Alhambra palace. 

 

Ronda is photogenic and from there is a wonderful train journey down to Algeciras - from where you could get a fast ferry to Cueta and also visit Gibraltar ( if the border stays open) - and bus along the coast towards Malaga. Or vica versa direction.

 

Maybe 2 nights rather than 4 in Cordoba, maybe 3 in Granada?

 

Malaga and surroundings is so underated - agree with Wim

 

You can't go wrong in Andalucia. 

[wiskerke]

2 hours ago, Jeffrey Isaac Greenberg said:

There must be publications devoted to film scene locations...

Many!

There's such thing as movie tourism: Diving to the wreck of the Titanic 😂. Wandering around in the Shire in New Zealand.

Sitting on that bench from The Fault in our Stars.

(which I first pinned on Google)

 

IMDB can be set to search for locations.

Movie locations run in association with the books The Worldwide Guide To Movie Locations and Movie London.

Filmaps

Sceen it (It works well on Chrome where the map will open in Google Maps. Only just found that out checking this link. Not so much on FF. Aaarggh.)

Wikipedia sometimes includes locations in it's film descriptions.

Google maps has some locations like that bench, but you often have to zoom in to the max.

And otherwise just Google.

Moviemaps.org seems down or out but used to be good.

And then there are ultimate fan sites, like the Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade Ultimate Location Guide 

 

wim

[Michael Ventura]

9 minutes ago, wiskerke said:

Many!

There's such thing as movie tourism: Diving to the wreck of the Titanic 😂. Wandering around in the Shire in New Zealand.

Sitting on that bench from The Fault in our Stars.

(which I first pinned on Google)

 

IMDB can be set to search for locations.

Movie locations run in association with the books The Worldwide Guide To Movie Locations and Movie London.

Filmaps

Sceen it (It works well on Chrome where the map will open in Google Maps. Only just found that out checking this link. Not so much on FF. Aaarggh.)

Wikipedia sometimes includes locations in it's film descriptions.

Google maps has some locations like that bench, but you often have to zoom in to the max.

And otherwise just Google.

Moviemaps.org seems down or out but used to be good.

And then there are ultimate fan sites, like the Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade Ultimate Location Guide 

 

wim

 

I'm a sucker for TV/movie scene locations.  When I went to Corfu a few years ago, I had to seek out some of the scene locations for The Durrells in Corfu BBC TV series.  Found the home where they filmed all the outside scenes and also this spectacular vista they often filmed.  Sadly, you could not get too close to the home they used, surrounded by fencing

 

 

[sb photos]

Last night I tried to get our cat in for the night, but he wouldn't play ball. He was staring at the garden flower bed and wouldn't move. I assumed there was another cat there, but when investigating I found it was the largest hedgehog I can ever recollect seeing. Years back smaller hedgehogs would gather outside our back door for plates of cat food. The hedgehog was sitting under the bird table, perhaps attracted by grain that fallen. It certainly liked a plate of cat food, all gone this morning and the plate had been nudged away from where I left it, very hedgehog like. Am charging up my trail camera to setup with more food tonight. Hopefully cats won't eat it before the hedgehog arrives. Then might setup a remotely controlled camera if it continues to drop by.

[spacecadet]

5 hours ago, sb photos said:

Last night I tried to get our cat in for the night, but he wouldn't play ball. He was staring at the garden flower bed and wouldn't move. I assumed there was another cat there, but when investigating I found it was the largest hedgehog I can ever recollect seeing. Years back smaller hedgehogs would gather outside our back door for plates of cat food. The hedgehog was sitting under the bird table, perhaps attracted by grain that fallen. It certainly liked a plate of cat food, all gone this morning and the plate had been nudged away from where I left it, very hedgehog like. Am charging up my trail camera to setup with more food tonight. Hopefully cats won't eat it before the hedgehog arrives. Then might setup a remotely controlled camera if it continues to drop by.

Met a hedgipig at Langholm rugby club at 3am last Friday morning, long story. It wasn't even dark up there.

Edited June 28, 2023 by spacecadet

[Mr Standfast]

9 hours ago, sb photos said:

Last night I tried to get our cat in for the night, but he wouldn't play ball. He was staring at the garden flower bed and wouldn't move. I assumed there was another cat there, but when investigating I found it was the largest hedgehog I can ever recollect seeing. Years back smaller hedgehogs would gather outside our back door for plates of cat food. The hedgehog was sitting under the bird table, perhaps attracted by grain that fallen. It certainly liked a plate of cat food, all gone this morning and the plate had been nudged away from where I left it, very hedgehog like. Am charging up my trail camera to setup with more food tonight. Hopefully cats won't eat it before the hedgehog arrives. Then might setup a remotely controlled camera if it continues to drop by.

I built a feeding station for our hogs. The basic design kept the cats out but I had to add a baffle  this year to keep a fox out. We have two residents in the garden and occasional visitors. 😀

[spacecadet]

2 minutes ago, Mr Standfast said:

a baffle 

I thought foxes were pretty smart😉

[Mr Standfast]

14 minutes ago, spacecadet said:

I thought foxes were pretty smart😉

Oh this one was "As cunning as a fox who’s just been appointed Professor of Cunning at Oxford University" but stealing our hedgehogs dinner was not on! 

Edited June 28, 2023 by Mr Standfast

[NYCat]

I really don't know if this is good or bad.... mostly good. I've been ridiculously anxious about the new TV and when the stand I ordered still hadn't been shipped I decided to order another similar one and do the one month of free Prime to get faster delivery. I wake up this morning to find that both have been shipped. One arriving today and the other tomorrow. So no chance to cancel one. I had changed the date for my TV delivery to next Weds when the first one wasn't going to arrive in time. I'll let the installation guys pick the stand, I guess. Feeling ridiculously neurotic about this. Maybe I'll want Prime now that I'll have a digital TV. I don't find it difficult to get free delivery by ordering a couple of things at once and I"m not usually in a hurry for delivery so I've not wanted to pay for it in the past.

 

Paulette

[Michael Ventura]

13 minutes ago, NYCat said:

I really don't know if this is good or bad.... mostly good. I've been ridiculously anxious about the new TV and when the stand I ordered still hadn't been shipped I decided to order another similar one and do the one month of free Prime to get faster delivery. I wake up this morning to find that both have been shipped. One arriving today and the other tomorrow. So no chance to cancel one. I had changed the date for my TV delivery to next Weds when the first one wasn't going to arrive in time. I'll let the installation guys pick the stand, I guess. Feeling ridiculously neurotic about this. Maybe I'll want Prime now that I'll have a digital TV. I don't find it difficult to get free delivery by ordering a couple of things at once and I"m not usually in a hurry for delivery so I've not wanted to pay for it in the past.

 

Paulette

One good thing about Amazon, they make it very easy to return items.  If you have a Whole Foods near you, they often have return kiosks.  I hope the setup goes well!

[NYCat]

Thank you. There is a UPS down the street that does returns so pretty easy for me.

 

Paulette

[Betty LaRue]

My 3 tomato plants are loaded with tomatoes. 20 on one, 22 on one, and the cherry tomato plant over 40. Why do I count? OCD I guess.  None ready to pick, yet but several big enough. I’m just waiting for the blush.

Edited June 29, 2023 by Betty LaRue

[Betty LaRue]

2 hours ago, NYCat said:

Thank you. There is a UPS down the street that does returns so pretty easy for me.

 

Paulette

Excited for you & your new TV. I think you will like it because it’s like the clarity of looking through a clean window. Or a raised window. Truly more life-like.
Really, it’s only our own faces seen while looking in the mirror where we need that slight soft look. 

[Allan Bell]

5 hours ago, NYCat said:

Thank you. There is a UPS down the street that does returns so pretty easy for me.

 

Paulette

 

I like it. "UPS DOWN"

 

Allan

 

[gvallee]

5 hours ago, Allan Bell said:

 

I like it. "UPS DOWN"

 

Allan

 

 

In Australia, big cattle stations are called something + Downs. Example: Victoria River Downs, Brunette Downs, etc. One is called Upsan Downs. 😁

 

[Michael Ventura]

After having a pretty good May with lots of paid shoots, I decided to treat myself and replace my old Nikon 24-70 f2.8 lens with the newest version with VR (vibration reduction).  My retired lens was still working but was getting pretty worn...I think I have had it for around 10 years and was my primary go-to lens.  Plus good to have a tax deduction for 2023.   Today I have a shoot at a law firm so I will get to see how it performs!  The old one should still fetch some money on the used market...maybe $400.

Edited June 30, 2023 by Michael Ventura

[Michael Ventura]

15 hours ago, gvallee said:

 

In Australia, big cattle stations are called something + Downs. Example: Victoria River Downs, Brunette Downs, etc. One is called Upsan Downs. 😁

 

in the USA, we have the Churchill Downs, probably the best known horse racetrack in this country.  Now I am curious about the origin of the term, “downs”.

Edited June 30, 2023 by Michael Ventura

[Betty LaRue]

4 hours ago, Michael Ventura said:

After having a pretty good May with lots of paid shoots, I decided to treat myself and replace my old Nikon 24-70 f2.8 lens with the newest version with VR (vibration reduction).  My retired lens was still working but was getting pretty worn...I think I have had it for around 10 years and was my primary go-to lens.  Plus good to have a tax deduction for 2023.   Today I have a shoot at a law firm so I will get to see how it performs!  The old one should still fetch some money on the used market...maybe $400.

I had one of those, Michael, when I was still using Nikon. Alas, it was one that froze after the warranty expired, which was a known problem with them. Of course, I knew nothing about that problem until after the fact when I googled it.  I took a huge hit when I sold it to a guy who knew how to take it apart & fix it. During the time it worked, it was a great lens.

[Michael Ventura]

2 hours ago, Betty LaRue said:

I had one of those, Michael, when I was still using Nikon. Alas, it was one that froze after the warranty expired, which was a known problem with them. Of course, I knew nothing about that problem until after the fact when I googled it.  I took a huge hit when I sold it to a guy who knew how to take it apart & fix it. During the time it worked, it was a great lens.

 

Fortunately, that never happened to mine.  This will be my third one.  I gave my first one to my brother when he started to get into digital photography and I wanted a new one.  He is still using that one I gave him.  So knock wood, that my new lens will hold up.  I can't even calculate how many thousands of pics I take on them and never once had any been serviced.  While I shoot a lot, I am not too tough on my gear.  What I shoot is mostly portraits so gear comes of my bag, onto a tripod (mostly) and then back in the bag.  I don't do sports, daily news or wildlife where equipment can take a beating. I'm not saying you are tough on your gear at all, some things just fail and I have had my share of that too.

Edited June 30, 2023 by Michael Ventura

[Betty LaRue]

1 hour ago, Michael Ventura said:

 

Fortunately, that never happened to mine.  This will be my third one.  I gave my first one to my brother when he started to get into digital photography and I wanted a new one.  He is still using that one I gave him.  So knock wood, that my new lens will hold up.  I can't even calculate how many thousands of pics I take on them and never once had any been serviced.  While I shoot a lot, I am not to tough on my gear.  What I shoot is mostly portraits so gear comes of my bag, onto a tripod (mostly) and then back in the bag.  I don't do sports, daily news or wildlife where equipment can take a beating. I'm not saying you are tough on your gear at all, so things just fail and I have had my share of that too.

Yeah, I get that. My equipment is handled very carefully too. Always was in a bag, or carefully cradled in my hands. I’ve never had so much as a tiny scratch on anything, camera or lenses. I don’t think I ever used the 24-70 on a tripod, just hand-held. It shocked me when it froze because it worked one minute then not the next as I was shooting it. I think I shot it, turned the camera off, repositioned myself & turned camera on & it didn’t work. It wasn’t the camera because all my other lenses worked. My go-to lenses were the 80-400 for backyard birds, the 104 was it? For macro, flowers, bugs, outdoor portraits, & the 24-70 for everything else. I had a 50mm but seldom used it except for indoor family portraits which I didn’t do many of, not like you. I think I had an 18-to-something that was a consumer lens (kit) I used for wider angle landscapes before I bought the 24-70.

[sb photos]

7 hours ago, Michael Ventura said:

After having a pretty good May with lots of paid shoots, I decided to treat myself and replace my old Nikon 24-70 f2.8 lens with the newest version with VR (vibration reduction).  My retired lens was still working but was getting pretty worn...I think I have had it for around 10 years and was my primary go-to lens.  Plus good to have a tax deduction for 2023.   Today I have a shoot at a law firm so I will get to see how it performs!  The old one should still fetch some money on the used market...maybe $400.

 

My 24-70 lives permanently on one of my D750's and likely shoots at least 80% of of images at an event. Not a Nikon, but the Tamron g2 f2.8, I can't fault it other than its weight. As well as Nikon FF kit, I also have a crop sensor D500 which I love. It's often used when I travel light with 3 lenses. The other day I treated myself to another D500 body, used, as new and with only 10k shutter activations. I've been using it and checking it out during the last few days, and it will likely be used in earnest tomorrow. 

[zxzoomy]

A while ago I wrote to the CEO of Manchester Airport (UK) to ask that the travellators get switched on again. For years half were under repair, then Covid happened, since then they are switched off whenever I go there. The recent time I travelled I was delighted to see one boxed off and notices to say they are replacing them. There have been times when I have had trouble walking. And for older people, some disabled people, anyone with heavy luggage, anyone who injured their leg this morning etc travellators make a real difference. Inspired by this I have written to the manager of my local tram service to ask if the escalator at a major station, which is often switched off, can be switched on all the time? We shouldn't have to lobby for these basic access facilities.

[Betty LaRue]

5 minutes ago, zxzoomy said:

A while ago I wrote to the CEO of Manchester Airport (UK) to ask that the travellators get switched on again. For years half were under repair, then Covid happened, since then they are switched off whenever I go there. The recent time I travelled I was delighted to see one boxed off and notices to say they are replacing them. There have been times when I have had trouble walking. And for older people, some disabled people, anyone with heavy luggage, anyone who injured their leg this morning etc travellators make a real difference. Inspired by this I have written to the manager of my local tram service to ask if the escalator at a major station, which is often switched off, can be switched on all the time? We shouldn't have to lobby for these basic access facilities.

I agree. Since my back went from bad to worse some years ago, I’m limited in how far I can walk. While surgery helped pain & how long I can be on my feet around the house,, it didn’t seem to extend my walking distances before I get muscle spasms. If a rolling sidewalk didn’t work at an airport, someone would probably need to push me in a wheelchair if the distance was great.
Good job you are on top of it, even though you shouldn’t need to.