San Vicente de la Sonsierra

San Vicente de la Sonsierra is a small town in the heart of La Rioja region of northern Spain with its distinctive castle sitting on top of the hill overlooking the River Ebro. La Rioja is a province and autonomous community of northern Spain with its capital,  Logroño. This region is well known for the famous Rioja wines. The three principal regions of La Rioja are Rioja Alavesa, Rioja Alta and Rioja Baja with each area producing its own unique expression of Rioja wine.

Pont Neuf

The Pont Neuf is the oldest standing bridge across the river Seine in Paris, France. Its name, which was given to distinguish it from older bridges that were lined on both sides with houses, has remained.

Standing by the western point of the Île de la Cité, the island in the middle of the river that was the heart of medieval Paris, it connects the Rive Gauche of Paris with the Rive Droite.

The bridge is composed of two separate spans, one of five arches joining the left bank to the Île de la Cité, another of seven joining the island to the right bank. Old engraved maps of Paris show how, when the bridge was built, it just grazed the downstream tip of the Île de la Cité; since then, the natural sandbar building of a mid-river island, aided by stone-faced embankments called quais, has extended the island. Today the island is the Square du Vert-Galant, a park named in honour of Henry IV, nicknamed the "Green Gallant."

Steve McCurry's "Afghan Girl" Spotted in Chiang Rai

They sometimes say that you know you are a success when your product is mimicked, copied or cloned but for the first time I saw this taken to a new level during a trip to Chiang Rai in Northern Thailand. As I wandered through the night market in Chiang Rai I couldn't help but notice an artist's work displayed on one of the roadside stalls with an all-too-familiar image. 

Steve McCurry's iconic image of Sharbat Gula, the "Afghan Girl", is world famous since it's first publication on the front cover of National Geographic Magazine in June 1985 (shown below for reference) and is the "most recognized photograph" in the history of the National Geographic Magazine. I am actually proud to say I have my own copy of this photograph purchased from the Steve McCurry Studio which is displayed in my photo studio.

Original Photograph ©Steve McCurry

The very next day during another outing to the upper stretches of the Kok River we had lunch in a simple riverside hut after an elephant trek and in this small, simple restaurant they were also selling local handicrafts and some paintings. Imagine my surprise when yet again Steve McCurry's "Afghan Girl" popped up .... this time in a rather more hideous form as you can see.

Sunset over the Kok River

This is the first of a series of images I captured during a recent 4 day trip to Chiang Rai in Northern Thailand. At this time of year it is stiflingly hot there with temperatures around 40 deg C. So at sunset it cools off a little and sitting at the outside bar by the banks of the Mae Kok River with a cooling drink certainly helps to refresh you after a hot day in the heat.

We were lucky enough to stay at the Meridien Hotel Resort which was well positioned on the river and provided a number of photo opportunities ..... more images from this trip will be posted in the coming days.