Whitcombe Church, Dorchester.
William Barnes, Dorset's own beloved poet and scholar, was curate of this beautiful church at Whitcombe, just outside Dorchester, England. The church is no longer used but remains consecrated.
Gumbo's World
Visual Bulimia? A Bloated Surfeit of Images?
Moments ago a newsletter landed in my inbox from Le Mois de la Photo à Montréal, announcing its 14th edition of the Biannale of Contemporary Photography, curated by Catalan artist/curator, Joan Fontcuberta, to be held in...
No-Aspirations-to-Best-Anything Destination Lists
In answer to DrFumblefinger's musing response to my last such post, essentially what, pray tell, is the criteria for various "best" travel lists, a perfectly sensible question, I offer another, more intriguing, compilation of places. This...
Lonely Planet's Best Bang for Your Buck in 2015
While some of the destinations they include will be no surprise to the well-traveled group here on Travel Gumbo, I was interested in some of the places mentioned. Samoa, for instance, I wouldn't have expected, or South Africa. And I'd...
Why the Return of Frommers Guidebooks is a Big Deal
Besides my review of Frommer's "France Color Complete Guide." permit me to share my own opinionated view of how monumental it is for the Frommers to get these guidebooks out. After looking over the new France and Spain books, I had some...
Odd Bits of Travel
August 8, 2014 The title is not my own. I swiped it off the poster you see here and I'm borrowing it as a ruse to get you to read something you may not have otherwise. Reading through my emails this morning, there was...
Currently in Boston, The Travel Art We Love
Who among us has not longed to travel back in time to the world we see in old travel posters, when seeing the world was a pastime reserved for the few and, in our imaginations, we are among them. International Poster Gallery in...
B&W in LA, July 25 - August 2 Only.
July 25, 2014: Until recently I lived in a small Arizona mountain town, rescued by artists when the copper mine shut down. There were a surprising number of world-class photographers and from time to time I'd organize a show and an...
Gumbo's World: The Exiled Statues of Budapest
This is, in a way, an essay on memory. Ever since ancient history, the winning side of history has erected monuments to itself, hoping to inspire greater love, respect or at least obedience. And, over time, newer rulers often change the script. ...
While We Commemorate D-Day...
I was born at the very end of World War II and it was a palpable presence in my California home as I grew up. That may be why I generally avoid anything to do with it while still being deeply moved by references to the war. This morning I...
More Life at the Edge: What’s in a Name?
June 1, 2014 After a conversation this morning with my overnight guests over coffee and toast, in which we talked...
Who are we when we travel?
Gumbo's Picture of the Day for April 13th, above, is an image I made nearly 55 years ago, on my first trip to Paris: a man sleeping on the ground at a side entrance to the National Assembly building. I like the picture; I’m pleased with its...
Why We Travel? Who Knows.
April 8, 2014 In the shower today, my best thinking place, I thought about the first moment I can recall when the idea occurred to me that I could travel to faraway places, if I chose to. My family lived near the top of the hill in...
On DVD, Friends in Fiction and Real-Life
April 1, 2014 I watch a lot of movies and, while I pay some attention to ratings and reviews, I can like them for any number of reasons, not necessarily related to the usual criteria. There are actors who I’ll happily...
Photography at the Edges, New York & San Francisco
March 31, 2014 Charles Marville: Photographer of Paris Edgy may not be the first word that comes to mind describing photographs taken a century and a half ago. But time travel is certainly an edgy prospect and...