My mate Pete Greenrod sent me this photo so I’m including it nice and large to encourage him to take more (click it to make it larger). Firstly, I’ll tell you that it’s along the disused railway line that runs between Penmaenpool and the south side of the Mawddach estuary opposite Barmouth. This is now a popular cycling, walking and dog-fouliing route. There’s such a lot about this photo that pleases me. The disappearing perspective of the old iron poles and their rusting air of melancholia. There’s the dusty road from infinity with persons unknown distantly visible inviting curiousity. Then there’s the magnificent backdrop. I know I am not alone in my opinion that the Mawddach Estuary is one of the most beautiful places on earth. To stand mid-point along the wooden railway bridge – still in use – and marvel eastwards with a tide in full flow beneath you is invigoration itself.
Dennis Keen is a man after our own hearts. Dennis lives in Almaty which is the largest city, though not the capital, of Kazhakstan. We have been in communication with Dennis before as he has sent us some telephone pole photos with an, as yet, unanswered conundrum.
As far as I can tell Dennis is living there to study the Kazakh tongue and walks many miles daily between his digs and his university classroom. He takes a different route each day, and as you will see, has an exceedingly keen eye for detail. He has produced a blog called Walking Almaty which describes his walks through this amazing city – one that is completely alien to so many of us westerners – and photographs and logs the minutae of their world. The word “blog” does not do what Dennis has created any justice and I must insist you give it a look. As well as pages on the shops, doorways, televison aerials, the birdlife, the grafitti, he also has a whole page on their telephone poles, which is where the link to us comes full circle.