Welcome to 2019 one and all!
I am so happy to write those words.
What a privilege to be alive and well and still moving forward in my journey.
Each new day and each new step up the tall ladder of my dreams is a day well spent, and I regret not.
To celebrate the New Year, and also Diary of an Aesthete reaching its first 5000 subscribers, in over 150 countries, I have put together a little collage of pictures from my journey thus far, starting way back in 2014 with my first steps, all the way up to the present.
This really has been such an inspiring journey and I feel so blessed to have connected with such incredible individuals all round the globe, both on the road and through this blog.
Here’s to making dreams come true, to perfect imperfection, to life’s ecstasy, bliss, to chasing skies and taking the long way round…
“It is not the eyes that are blind, but the hearts.” – Qur’an.
Eternal love ❤
Ad Infinitum.
Senegal during Monsoon season.
Bracciano
She was the lady who sold flowers at the temple, Bangalore, India.
People of Tafi Atome
The power of sea. Agii Apostoli, Greece. pc – Frederick Peters.
Sahara with Berber flag
On a slum in Ho, Ghana
Before a Hindu wedding, Bangalore, India.
Me and my precious boy
wli lower falls
Reflecting at Avebury, Womb of the Earth Chakra point.
The Eye
Holy Light, India.
At home, Florence, in my birthday suit.
Fez, Morocco, 2018.
Pavel Colon, Seville.
Ancient temple, Mysore.
Missahoe Orphanage, Ghana
Venice, 2014.
Ghana
Shaking hands.
Venice, first time.
Sorisole, Italy
Connecting with the riches of the past, Christ Church Cathedral, Oxford.
Bathing in sacred crocodile pool, The Gambia.
Oxford University, England
Bangalore
Richmond Park
Ghana Africa
Giant standing stone at Avebury.
Monasterio, Fiesole
Gambia
alone in Western Ghats Jungle, India
Tuscany 2015.
On a slum in Ho, Ghana
Pavel Colon, Seville.
Florence 2018.
Senegal
Temple monkeys, Mysore.
wild zebra
at the Grande Mosquée Hassan II, Casablanca, Morocco
Venice, Bridge of Sighs
life-modelling in Florence, Italy
Running barefoot through the desert
Crossing The Gambia river.
San Miniato, Florence
My very own turban being fitted by Tuareg, Erg Chigaga, Morocco.
Sunset Ghana, Kpando
San Lorenzo, Florence 2015.
He Who Walk, Bangalore, India.
Tagounite, Morocco
White man of Erg Chigaga
Bangalore, India, 2015
Ghana
Young Boy, Senegal
Jungle Retreat, Masinagudi
A wild horse in the New Forest national park.
Staring out into Rainforests, Western Ghats, India
The Gambia
Dragonfly, India
Bobor tribe dance which I partook in.
Madrid, Jewish quarter
Mysore, India
Venice…
Rescuing a baby squirrel in forests of Tafi Atome
Deep in the jungle, Maharashtra, India.
Holy Water
Masai the Lioness
Berber Boy, Sahara Desert, Morocco
Florence, Italy.
On the Farm, Hunsur
Seville
Italy.
With Desmond, my Ghana Starchild.
the Python and the Man, The Gambia,
Fathala Wildlife Reserve
Self-portrait, Agonda, India
The Light, Indian Sky.
Slef portrait in Agonda, India.
Florence, 2015.
Bergamo.
Tuscany
Ghana
Lompoul Desert, Senegal
In the desert, Senegal.
Sahara Camp
Jungle Prince… he outdid me.
Hunsur, India
Vatican City
pc – Pavel Colon. Seville, Spain.
on a nomadic Berber camp, Morocco
Lompoul Desert, Northern Senegal
J.F.P.Clayton.
Sacred Banyan Tree, Bangalore, India
Florence
India
Agonda, India
He Who Walks
at an oasis, Sahara, Morocco
Bedouins, Israel
Ghana.
Venice
Capitoline Hill, Roma
Avalon
Bergamo, Italy.
Tafi Atome, Ghana
On Fathala Wildlife Reserve.
Rome
Children of remote village in Ghana
Bagbor dances.
Self portrait.
with modern Bedouins, Israel
My good friend in Hunsur, India, after swimming in the lake together.
Charles, who led me up the mountain…
Seville
Mount of Olives, Jerusalem
in the Power of Wli Falls
Followed her down to the river to collect water…
Plaza de Espana Seville – a great moment of liberty for me.
Autosave-File vom d-lab2/3 der AgfaPhoto GmbH
Chef, Morocco, June 2018.
Wild elephant, Maharashtra
L’erba magica.
Hindu Temple, Bangalore, India 2015.
J.F.P.Clayton
a Dieu
India
Lady of Rufisque, Senegal
Wild Vultures
‘le grand meaulnes’… Brussels, Belgium
In hilltown Coorg, with nuns from Catholic Convent, India.
India
Abdou, my brother
India
Tagounite, Morocco
London
Lompoul Desert, Senegal
The Gambia
June Morocco 2018.
Great Britain
self portrait, jungle, Maharashtra, India.
Wild peacock
Aire de Sevilla
Athens Central
Gambia
Greece 2014.
Venice, Italy…
Venice
Morocco
Venice
My Italian city… 2015
Casablanca, Morocco
My Tuareg brother, Noureddine
Deep in the jungle, Maharashtra, India.
Bracciano
Hunsur, India
My friend from
Mediterranean Waters, Greece
Feeling the winds of freedom on the Evian Gulf, Greece
Brussels, Grand Place.
in the might of the Wli Waterfalls, Ghana Africa
India
Ho, Ghana
Dome of the Rock, Temple Mount
Mona monkey
Self-portrait. Ghana.
Florence
Cape Sounion
This llama spat at everybody else but me… I never doubted him.
Casablanca, Morocco
Ghana, Africa
Holy Red ‘Chalice’ Spring
W. Bagley.
With my God Child, Ghana.
Florence, Italy. 2016.
Avalon
pc – Frederick Peters, Greece.
Como
in a Bedouin Tent in the Negev Desert, Israel
Vatican
Florence, Italy, 2016, Rose Greenfield
Digya National Park, Ghana.
smile…
Seville
Lago d’Iseo
Touching The Light, Madrid, Spain.
Accra, Ghana
Hindu Temple, Karnataka
Bangalore, 2015.
Plaza de Espana, Sevilla
Wli, Ghana.
Tuscany
With my slum warriors in Ho, Ghana, where I lived in a house with a tin roof, and had to jump over open-air sewers to get to the streets, for a few weeks.
Feeling Freedom of the World’s Greatest Desert
La Almundena, Madrid
bathing baby elephant, mudumalai national park, India
Grand Place Brussels
life-modelling in Florence, Italy
India, Jungle Reatreat
Monas
at the Missahoe Orphanage with my babies
Athena
– after being submerged in the Holy Chalice Spring, Glastonbury.
With ‘Prophet George’ The Gambia
Fez Medina.
Bangalore, India
Charcoal Tattoo, Ghana
The Blue Pearl ~ Chefchaouen
Remote village, name and location unknown, Ghana
Erg Chigaga
At Missahoe Children’s Home, Ghana
Sunset, Verona
Bridge of Sighs… apparently not for me!
Wild bat colony in flight, Ghana
Athens, Orthodox Priest
barefoot at the base of a sacred banyan tree, Bangalore, India.
With Muslim family, The Gambia.
One skin…
Trekking through Digya Jungle, Ghana.
With Ethel and Mary
Wild Cobra, India
Venice
Ponte Vecchio
With a greek farmer, Agii Apostoli.
Sahara Sky, Morocco, Africa
San Pellegrino
River children, Adaklu.
Lion pawprint
Missahoe Orphanage, Ghana
Tuscany, Fiesole.
with the rangers… Digya National Park, Ghana
Sitting beneath ancient trees at Avebury, Womb of the Earth
Wli Jungle
Ghent
in the might of the Wli waterfalls, Ghana, during monsoon season.
Erg Chigaga, Sahara, Morocco
Me and my boy, Ghana
people of the village who asked me to take their photo
Hunsur, India
Agii Apostoli, Kalamos
At a Hindu wedding, Bangalore, India.
Florence
eating my way through Rome…
Richmond Park, London
Holy Light, Hunsur, India.
Venice
Croc, The Gambia
on top of the Glastonbury Tor.
Burning sun, Agonda, Goa.
Rabat, Morocco 2018.
Santo Spirito, Florence. Rose Greenfield
Jungle, India
Venice
Morocco
Ghana, with my boy.
bathing child with fevers from malaria in Africa
dancing with Bagbor Tribe around the fire
Greece, 2014
Florence, Italy, 2014.
Il Davide. Mon amico.
Lompoul Desert, Senegal
Read my latest full story Palace of Earth here.
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all enquiries: diary.aesthete@yahoo.co.uk
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A pocket full of life!
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It’s been quite a ride…
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What glorious photos. You are such a beautiful man in all ways. And what a journey you’ve had friend. I’m so glad your health has allowed you to continue this amazing path of yours and to support you in sharing it with all you meet and all of us! I look forward to crossing paths someday and perhaps sharing the road for a bit 🙂
Many blessings for a joy filled 2019. May this be the year, and soon, that the shift into the light is finally and fully ushered onto this planet forever more.
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Thank you!!
I have been very blessed indeed, and you bless me more-so. My health has held up and I’m so thankful for that fact. My soul has a fire that, if fuelled, cannot be overcome. I’ve felt this so many times. I just have to manage my fire; sometimes it burns a little too low. Creating things and connecting with people and places brings me to life, quite literally.
Life meanders much this year, already bringing me a host of unexpected treasures to look forward to… it’s so lovely to have already done so much ~ now I have nothing to prove, can sit back and wait for the stars to speak to me their truth and plans… I’m always ready for the call.
I have every confidence that we will cross paths, my friend. When the stars speak it so.
Love Jx
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A beautiful kaleidoscope of photos. If we were to sit somewhere in the sky watching mother earth turn around slowly I guess we would have this view. It’s got everything, man, woman, the five elements, flora, fauna, edifices, everything brimming with a mystic quality, as it shall be if we see them with our five senses and our heart, putting aside our judgement. Beautiful inspiring work.
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Thank you 🙂
That’s such a lovely image you have created in my mind. Thank you for understanding my vision so well.
Jx
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You must be, in some not normal way, blessed. Your way has been amazing, to see all those places, to feel them…
Do you ever feel fear?
The photo collection is breathtaking. It has been very interesting to travel with you, in my armchair.
Have a great year 2019!
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Perhaps, you’re right… I don’t profess to know. I know only that when I travel alone something very special happens in the air around me… I feel different, everything feels different. I even move differently… speak differently sometimes.
But, yes, I feel Fear all the time. It’s like every emotion ~ it passes. I don’t nurture that feeling. I discard it at the first chance… like I do with all useless things.
I think that is the only key really, I feel fear, I don’t pretend not to, and, yet, it doesn’t stop me. Once I am ‘there’, the other side of dreaming, the ‘reality’ part, then the magic takes over… and I enjoy the ride.
Wishing you all the best with the new year.
❤
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You had wonderful journey. It had been pleasant to follow you throughout the year. I’m looking forward to your next stories..
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It really has been!
Thank you for following this tale.
Jx
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Thank you for your beautiful collection of visuals from your life’s adventure,
Deirdre
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My absolute pleasure.
Thanks for commenting.
Jx
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