Friday
Oct152010
Stop, Moment! You are so beautiful!
October 15, 2010 * * * * * Posted by: guest blogger 
The coach crept over an old, very narrow road along the rough coast of Cornwall - thick fog seemed to swallow the landscape all around – but to see St. Ives, the next point we wanted to visit that day, sunken in thick mist – oh, nobody might have wished that, especially since our guide had evoked such desire whilst describing enthusiastically the famous magic light of this town, which attracted and still attracts many artists and painters.
When we arrived at St. Ives, it was still raining and we felt a bit depressed as we stepped out of our bus looking down on the granite-grey town and its harbour – but our first surprise was the honey-yellow beach - the tide had receeded and the colourful boats, blue, red, orange –whatever you may wish, were waiting for high tide- a stone mole embraced the harbour. Never before had I seen such an intense yellow colour, almost looking like a painting by Van Gogh – never before had I expected to see such a hue in England reminding me of scenes in the Mediterranean, Provence or Greece, and now I believed I understood that expression of enthusiasm the guide had used: „Celtic coast with Aegean light“, but the light was missing although it had stopped raining and the sky was going to clear.
After lunch (Cornish pasty, of course) I bought a cone of Cornish Ice Cream. While I was staring at the sea - quite suddenly only a small stripe of the beach vis-a-vis flashed up, became broader and longer, stretching out along both sides, lit- up by white and open light-holes between the clouds, blue patches were lurking through the clouds which were changing permanently until finally the whole sky was captured by the brightness of the sun’s light that had managed to break through the clouds - and the honey-coloured sands of the beach were shining and glistening brighter and brighter – that must have been the magic light! - I was sure, and other persons seemed to feel like me. The people and even the gulls became quite silent while touched by this light. This light might have carried us off a bit from reality!
And I forgot reality, indeed – but some seconds later I came back and saw the sea- gulls circling in the air and crying, as usually. And I had to notice: While I had been attracted by the magic light in St. Ives - holding my cone of Ice Cream in my left hand, a sea-gull had stolen my half scoop, the rest of the ice ran down into the cone as a second seal-gull, almost touching my face, stole the second half of the scoop. A bit of Hitchcock- shocking, I thought for a moment - but the magic beauty of this light at St. Ives was quite intense, quite more impressive than all things around.
Some days ago I was asked if I would once have wished to say with Goethe’s Faust "Stop, Moment! You are so beautiful!” – “Yes”, I would agree, there are moments in our life we want to stop and we can never forget imprinted in our mind for ever, this was one of them - and I tried to capture this light with my eyes, my soul, and my little camera, but I have to admit to not being able to photograph it, you must go and see and feel it by yourself!
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Special guest post today by Philine Kleinknecht from Germany. Thank you for joining us here today, Philine, and for your wonderfully inspiring story and image.
Reader Comments (16)
Fine words, Philine. St. Ives is renown for the quality of its light; it attracts very many artists. I can just imagine those seagulls taking your ice cream; they are expert in helping themselves to people's food in St. Ives.
Thanks for taking the time and trouble to write.
What a wondeful experience you had Philine, as you say one of those moments tha will be inprinted in your memory forever. I am so pleased the sun shone for you. I was just visualising the gulls swooping down and taking your icecream. I wish I had been there to capture it.
Oh Philine..but you did capture the light. Both with your words..and with your image.
Thank-you for joining us today..and sharing this inspiring story of stopping a moment in time!!!
Oh, I thank you all for your very friendly words - yes, I like stopping moments in time - and our time is so transient! Photography may be one wonderful possibility to stop the time for moments! (Special thanks to Ginnie and yourself for help)
Wat heb je je indrukken voortreffelijk beschreven! Ik kan er als het ware induiken, in al die gevoelens en geluksmomenten.
Zulke ogenblikken wil je vasthouden en wensen dat ze nooit ophouden te bestaan. Het zijn de slagroomtoefjes op het leven.
PHILINE! I am so proud of you being our guest blogger today and just love what you have done for us, giving a glimpse of your world as only you can see it...as a teacher, a scholar, a writer, a traveler, a photographer. I love how fully you see the world around you and how you are a walking encyclopedia, able to pull the right file from your incredible brain to find the best author to quote. You are totally amazing to me! Thank you for being willing to join us today. I love your humor and your ability to see the bright side of Life!
Philie this is such a nice story of your day in Cornwall. I do like your encounter with the seagulls. Your image captures the fell for Cornwall perfectly for me well done.
Dear Philine, you were captured by the the allure of light and sky and then in turn robbed of your delicious ice cream by the animal hunger of the gulls. What a confrontation of worlds and experiences...how rude of the gulls to spoil your moment...how innocent you were to foget their hunger.
A splendid story and image! I miss you, Lynda
I had to laugh about the ice cream! Thank you for joining us here for the day!!
Dear Philine, this is a wonderful story and such a wonderful picture with it, we all have moments in our life that we always will remember.
I can say that you and 'we' are the lucky ones that see the beauty.
Those seagulls do have an appetite, I know, one stole a sausage on the BBQ when I was in Texel.
I like to agree with all what Ginnie said en ja Wilma heeft gelijk, dit soort dingen zijn de slagroomtoefjes op ons leven.
Thanks for sharing the story.
oh you so did capture the light, the literal light and the sense of wonder, you took me there though I have never been. such a beautiful description...
Oh Philine, this is absolutely beautiful. I had the feeling that I was there with you, captured by the light. Those sassy seagulls!!! I laughed when I read how they stole your ice cream. Oh, and I remember those Cornish pasty from way back when I visited Cornwall - oh yummy!
Hi Philine, beautiful shot and wonderful story, thanks for sharing!
What a lovely post Philine, I can see that light, as you described it beautifully, and in the shot as well. Lovely to have you around here!!!
I loved your story Philine, I am so pleased the sun came out for you. It couldn't have happened in a prettier place.Sorry about your ice-cream, my nephew was eating sausage and chips at a seaside and had his sausage taken out of his hand by a gull. It was shock at first then lots of laughter!
Hi Philine so nice to have you with us. I think you captured the beauty and light both in words and image.