Hi guys,
Thanks for the kind words of encouragement - it all helps to give an added reason for doing some of the things that we do...
Yes, Keith, travel indeed. I do think that I've always needed a purpose to travel: it was seldom enough to do the 'holiday' thing, possibly because all of my early travel was to do with domestic relocation because of family employment reasons etc. and not something about leisure. That experience spread into my own, adult life and I did most of my globetrotting with a professional cameras in hand, taking me wherever I was destined to go. And yes, I think I do mean destined - much/most of what happened in my life was probably in spite of my best efforts to eff it up, which I was sometimes able to do quite effectively - unfortunately...
As you might remember, The Canal du Midi thing has been playing on in my mind over the last few years, and I have met a couple of guys here who have taken boats through the thing, and the consensus seems to be that it's a lovely experience, but that one really needs younger bodies to do the pretty regular battle with locks etc, climbing steel ladders and generally being pretty nimble of foot. Moi?
I’ve considered doing it by car, instead, tracing the route along the waterway as much as is possible, but another chap I sometimes lunch with did that, and felt that it was a very poor and limited imitation of what he’d managed by boat.
The ideal is the holiday barge; it was something well illustrated (the experience) in the memorable Rick Stein cookalong series on his float from the Atlantic to the Mediterranean. Looking up decent Canal du Midi cruises on the Internet reveals that it’s millionaire territory – yet once again! Why are all the desirable things so reserved? Never mind, it’s all part of life’s juices and keeps us thinking thoughts of lottery wins and that kind of thing; I do have faith: the figures reveal that somebody always wins, even if they really are getting my share, poor devils. There is always next time!
What I have found in life is that doing things on the cheap is not for me, especially as I get older. Bumming along, concerned with survival, deprives one of time to enjoy the very thing one is trying to experience – you need mental and spiritual freedom to achieve that state of joy. At least, I seem to require it. That’s the difference between a well-financed commercial trip somewhere and doing it off the sweat of your own credit card. It’s also why I can’t bring myself to hire models for personal photography: money creates a barrier, a pressure that I find almost impossible to overcome. It was so pronounced with trips: when both the girls and I were being paid to shoot, we both felt free and motivated; when it was my money as in stock, I felt cramped and worried about wasting it and/or getting the best out of the investment, not conducive to great stuff at all. Doesn’t happen with a bottle!
Eric – if I get rich, I’ll do you a personal shot including both model and bottle; I promise to keep the bottle crisp.
;-)
Rob C
