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 <3
Ad Infinitum.
With a greek farmer, Agii Apostoli.
Abdou, my brother
pc – Pavel Colon. Seville, Spain.
Autosave-File vom d-lab2/3 der AgfaPhoto GmbH
Morocco
– after being submerged in the Holy Chalice Spring, Glastonbury.
J.F.P.Clayton
with the rangers… Digya National Park, Ghana, 2016.
Sunset, Verona
Oxford University, England
Deep in the jungle, Maharashtra, India.
Lion pawprint, 2016, Senegal
Seville
Tuscany
Venice
Ghent
This llama spat at everybody else but me… I never doubted him.
Tafi Atome, Ghana
Jerusalem 2017
My Tuareg brother, Noureddine
bathing baby elephant, mudumalai national park, India, 2015
Agii Apostoli, Kalamos
wli lower falls
Tagounite, Morocco
on top of the Glastonbury Tor.
at an oasis, Sahara, 2017
Florence, Italy, 2014.
Venice
Santo Spirito, Florence. Rose Greenfield
Rome
Charles, who led me up the mountain…
Plaza de Espana, Sevilla
eating my way through Rome…
The Light, Indian Sky.
Brussels, Grand Place.
Venice
Venice, Bridge of Sighs
Athens, Orthodox Priest
L’erba magica.
2017 Mount of Olives
Holy Light, Hunsur, India.
Seville
Fathala Wildlife Reserve
Florence
Me and my precious boy
White man of Erg Chigaga
India
Erg Chigaga
Tuscany
Bathing in sacred crocodile pool, The Gambia.
Crossing The Gambia river.
Athena
On Fathala Wildlife Reserve, 2016
Ghana Nov 2017.
Ghana, 2017
He Who Walks
My friend from
Jungle Prince… he outdid me.
Jungle Retreat, Masinagudi
in the Power of Wli Falls
Great Britain
India
at the Grande Mosquée Hassan II, Casablanca, Morocco
Sunset Ghana, Kpando
With Desmond, my Ghana Starchild.
Greece 2014
Monas
Como
a Dieu
Tuscany 2015.
Erg Chigaga, Sahara, Morocco
Florence, Italy, 2016, Rose Greenfield
Fez, Morocco, 2018.
Gambia
Pavel Colon, Seville.
Aire de Sevilla
India
Venice, first time.
With Muslim family, The Gambia.
wild zebra
On the Farm, Hunsur
Senegal
India
June Morocco 2018.
People of Tafi Atome
San Pellegrino
Bracciano
India, Jungle Reatreat
Deep in the jungle, Maharashtra, India.
London
Mount of Olives, Jerusalem
Venice
Hunsur, India
At a Hindu wedding, Bangalore, 2015.
Ghana, with my boy. 2017
Wild peacock
Ponte Vecchio
Bangalore, India, 2015
Reflecting at Avebury, Womb of the Earth Chakra point.
Bobor tribe dance which I partook in.
Grand Place Brussels
Ghana
A wild horse in the New Forest national park.
Vatican City
Ghana.
The power of sea. Agii Apostoli, Greece. pc – Frederick Peters.
Wli Jungle
Monasterio, Fiesole
Hunsur, India
Shaking hands.
Holy Water
W. Bagley.
Cape Sounion
Lompoul Desert, Senegal
Charcoal Tattoo, Ghana
Nov 2017 Ghana
Florence
The Gambia, 2016
Bangalore, India
Running barefoot through the desert
life-modelling in Florence, Italy
Florence
Avalon
Pavel Colon, Seville.
Richmond Park, London
With my slum warriors in Ho, Ghana, 2015
Temple monkeys, Mysore. 2015
Accra, Ghana
Wild elephant, Maharashtra
Self-portrait, Agonda, India
She was the lady who sold flowers at the temple, Bangalore, India.
Athens Central
Morocco
Bangalore
England
In the desert, 2017
J.F.P.Clayton.
Venice…
Missahoe Orphanage, Ghana
Staring out into Rainforests, Western Ghats, India
Ghana 2017
Madrid, Jewish quarter
Venice, Italy… back in 2013.
Ghana, Africa
Sahara 2017
On a slum in Ho, Ghana
smile…
Bergamo, Italy.
Lago d’Iseo
Venice
Croc, The Gambia
In hilltown Coorg, with nuns from Catholic Convent, India.
Mysore, India
San Lorenzo, Florence 2015.
Casablanca, Morocco
Giant standing stone at Avebury.
Vatican
Sitting beneath ancient trees at Avebury, Womb of the Earth
Feeling Freedom of the World’s Greatest Desert
Me and my boy, Ghana 2015
Wild bat colony in flight, Ghana
Ho, Ghana
Ghana 2017
Morocco
With ‘Prophet George’ The Gambia
At home, Florence, in my birthday suit.
Bridge of Sighs… apparently not for me!
Sahara Camp
Richmond Park
River children, Adaklu.
Hindu Temple, Bangalore, India 2015.
India
Sacred Banyan Tree, Bangalore, India
He Who Walk, Bangalore, India.
‘le grand meaulnes’… Brussels, Belgium
Greece, 2014
Tagounite, Morocco
Ghana Africa
Venice
Children of remote village in Ghana
self portrait, jungle, Maharashtra, India.
Sorisole, Italy
at the Missahoe Orphanage with my babies
In the desert, Senegal. 2016
Tuscany, Fiesole.
Bracciano
Chef, Morocco, June 2018.
Sahara with Berber flag, 2017
Chefchaouen, 2018
dancing with Bagbor Tribe around the fire
Jungle, India
Feeling the winds of freedom on the Evian Gulf, Greece, 2014
Masai the Lioness
Bangalore, 2015.
The Eye
My very own turban being fitted by Tuareg, Erg Chigaga, Morocco.
Avalon
with modern Bedouins, Israel
Hindu Temple, Karnataka
the Python and the Man, The Gambia,
Florence, Italy.
Venice, 2014.
San Miniato, Florence
Touching The Light, Madrid, Spain.
Lompoul Desert, 2016
Ghana
Lady of Rufisque, Senegal
La Almundena, Madrid
Followed her down to the river to collect water…
Lompoul Desert, 2016
At Missahoe Children’s Home, Ghana, 2015
Berber Boy, Sahara Desert, Morocco
My Italian city… 2015
Self portrait.
Agonda, India
Slef portrait in Agonda, India.
Mediterranean Waters, Greece
Ghana 2015
Bagbor dancers, 2016.
Rescuing a baby squirrel in forests of Tafi Atome
bathing child with fevers from malaria in Africa
Wild Vultures
Florence, 2015.
Young Boy, Senegal, 2016
Burning sun, Agonda, Goa.
Senegal during Monsoon season.
Fez Medina.
Connecting with the riches of the past, Christ Church Cathedral, Oxford.
Casablanca, Morocco
With Ethel and Mary
Holy Red ‘Chalice’ Spring
Ghana 2017
Ghana
Il Davide. Mon amico.
Gambia
Sahara Sky
people of the village who asked me to take their photo
Ancient temple, Mysore.
Dome of the Rock, Temple Mount
on a nomadic Berber camp, Morocco
Florence 2018.
Dalai the Lama. Rest friend…
On a slum in Ho, Ghana
in the might of the Wli Waterfalls, Ghana Africa
Florence, Italy. 2016.
in a Bedouin Tent in the Negev Desert, Israel
alone in Western Ghats Jungle, India
The Gambia, 2016
2016. Wli Forests.
Self-portrait. Ghana.
Italy.
The Blue Pearl ~ Chefchaouen
With my God Child, Ghana.
My good friend in Hunsur, India, after swimming in the lake together.
Plaza de Espana Seville – a great moment of liberty for me.
India
Greece 2014.
Ghana
Ghana 2017
Bergamo.
Lompoul Desert, Senegal 2016
Capitoline Hill, Roma
Wild Cobra, India, 2015
in the might of the Wli waterfalls, Ghana, during monsoon season.
life-modelling in Florence, Italy
Missahoe Orphanage, Ghana
Mona monkey
Bedouins, West Bank, 2017
Remote village, name and location unknown, Ghana
Seville
Digya National Park, Ghana.
Dragonfly, India
Trekking through Digya Jungle, Ghana.
Holy Light, India.
Wli, Ghana.
Rabat, Morocco 2018.
barefoot at the base of a sacred banyan tree, Bangalore, India.
One skin…
Before a Hindu wedding, Bangalore, India.
Read my latest full story Palace of Earth here.
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My brother recommended I might like this blog. He was entirely right. This post truly made my day. You can not imagine simply how much time I had spent for this info! Thanks!
Thank you much!!
A pocket full of life!
It’s been quite a ride…
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.
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
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.
Thank you 🙂
That’s such a lovely image you have created in my mind. Thank you for understanding my vision so well.
Jx
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!
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.
<3
You had wonderful journey. It had been pleasant to follow you throughout the year. I’m looking forward to your next stories..
It really has been!
Thank you for following this tale.
Jx
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