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