What was outside your window?

Lots and lots of things, judging by the 400 entries we got for that challenge! Many of them were deserving of a look if only because they provided a nice glimpse into life “elsewhere.”  For instance, who knew giraffes roamed around in Scotland?!
 
The entries gave me a great opportunity to develop a travel list for the next, well, 50 years or so! Below are some selections (please do go have a look at the whole collection: simply type: #WOMW into the search bar and you’ll get the entire set.)
 
Here are some pastoral scenes from places around the world: the Scotswolds, Wales, France, Finland, Sweden, New Zealand, Greece, Maine (US), Germany, Oregon (US), a deliciously painterly view of Forth Estuary, a tiny peek of Vermont through the window of a weatered old barn.
 
Backyards and gardens featured prominently as well: herb gardens sitting on a windowsill, an infrared courtyard, soothing greens and reds, manicured gardens, terraces, porches and patios,  clothes lines,  and neighboring yards.
 
But we also had a chance to look at some city and village scenes: the story of May 4th in the Netherlands, the rooftops of Gothenburg in Sweden, New York’s rooftop water towers, the red tiles of Mourao in Portugal, a glimpse to an old fashioned bookstore in Scotland, the quiet square of a French village, a cargo ship so close you can almost touch it, big city buildings in Boston, a soft suburban neighborhood in the US, a flame tree in Cairo, sleek architecture in Dubai, a splash of red in Bristol, Discovery Bay in Hong Kong,  bridges of Stockholm, a bird’s eye view of Birmingham, the geometry of multiple windows, and Portland’s (Oregon) skyline.
 
Not surprinsingly, animals often peeked back at us through the window: dog, deer, cat, foxes, squirrel, and a very curious bird. One blipper captured but a trace passage (that must’ve hurt!).
 
Blippers got creative in terms of what window they shot through: bus, train, ferry, plane, boat, and car.  Someone even captured an unusual traffic jam while traveling on a rural bus.  Curtains provided nice filters, as did fog, reflections, screens and stained glass. A double exposure shot made for an intriguing image.
 
And of course, a view out the window occasionally captured people too: as an outline behind blinds, walking about in a schoolyard, sweeping the streets in India, playing football, fixing bikes, and my favorite image in that genre, washing windows.
 
I couldn’t bring myself to pick a single favorite, so here’s a handful: the beauty of late afternoon light, shadow and strong colors in Scotland, a delicate monochromatic close up in Switzerland, and, for purely sentimental reasons, a shot through a car window of the very first car I ever owned!
 
By Michele (aka Alsacienne)
Cover photo by Smokey