Round #32 of Photo Roulette

The theme for Round #32 of Photo Roulette is LOVE.

GlobeTrotterGirls are hosting this week’s Travel Photo Roulette! The Travel Photo Roulette was started in November 2010 by Jeremy from LivingTheDream as a way for travel bloggers to showcase their best photography. For each round a new theme is chosen, and independent travel bloggers are asked to submit their photos. Then a winner is chosen to host (and judge!) the following round.

More info about Photo Roulette at round #32's Host: Globe Trotter Girls

Love Birds

Swans were the first thing that popped into my mind for this week's Photo Roulette submission, because of their close association with Love.

This association has been leveraged on many an official US stamp. Usually with mirror images of swans gazing into each other's eyes, to form the image outline of a heart.

Why are Swans associated with Love?

Well besides the obvious easy visual association of the heart shape, Swans are renowned to mate for life -- and mating for life is quite an achievement, and a true testament of Love.

Royal Ownership

It's a common misconception that the Queen owns all the swans in the UK. But actually she only has the prerogative right of ownership for all the Mute Swans in England and Wales. Mute Swans are the quietest of all swan breeds and the least well-traveled. They don't migrate, making them the only breed of Swan to be a UK permanent resident.

My Entry for Photo Roulette Round #32

My entry for the Love round was taken a few weeks ago, while I was in Norfolk, England. I spent 2 weeks in the countryside, taking daily walks with my mum and her dogs, with my trusty camera. It was a great opportunity to photograph a local family of Mute Swans; Mum, Dad, and 3 Signets.

CAPTION: This Mute Swan had been diving below the water to feed, and then swimming around with it's feathers all fluffed up to dry in the sun. As a member of the Lonely Hearts Club, he's cruising a local river in Norfolk England, looking for a mate.

Visit the Travel Photo Roulette Round #32 "Love" at the Globe Trotter Girls host site and see the other entries

My Review of Perking the Pansies the Book

Meet Jack Scott

If you’re an avid Pansy fan, like me, this year you’ve watched Jack Scott evolve.



His metamorphosis from an anonymous pansy logo, to a monochrome rendition, to a colourful but incomplete puzzle, had nowhere else to go but – fully exposed! And today, visitors to his daily blog, Perking the Pansies, are greeted with a full-colour photograph of Jack gazing wistfully into the distance.

So although he had finally revealed himself – he’d yet to look us in the eye.

Until now!

It doesn’t get any more in your face than penning a personal memoir of a journey into the unknown with the one you love. In Jack's case, that’s his move from cosmopolitan London to Ignorati-laden Turkey, with his civil partner – Liam.

Story time with Jack

When I settled in to read “Perking the Pansies” – the book, I didn’t just plonk myself down and fire up my iPad to read my advance copy. I donned snugly clothes. Plumped up the cushions. Turned off the phone. Poured a chilled glass of Pinot Grigio, and settled in for the duration. I was anticipating an Event, and I got it.

Raising the Bar

As an expat myself, I devour Expat Memoirs with predictable frequency. I love reading about far-flung adventures, where brave souls step into the unknown; throw caution to the wind; and expose themselves to ridicule, by writing about it for all to observe and critique.

Over the years, I’ve read a few clunkers. The worst offenders are those that stitch together a patchwork quilt of blog posts, with a rusty needle and mismatched thread. It’s easy to capture a blog reader’s attention for a couple of paragraphs, but it takes an author to lead us through chapters that ignite our imagination.

Evolution of Jack Scott

Not only has Jack's avatar evolved, so has his writing style.

“Perking the Pansies” – the book, isn't just Jack's blog on steroids. Yes there’s the familiarity of Jack-the-Blog peppered in this tome, but he takes us on a effortless journey of one well written chapter after another. There's nothing patchwork here. Instead, Jack delivers a well thought out, well developed literary expedition, that left me glowing with admiration at his transition from random blogger to eloquent author. I can't heap any more praise on Jack and “Perking the Pansies” – the book, without gushing.

And we Brits don't gush!

Top 5 Metaphors

For those of you who follow my Bodrum Travel Blog, you know I have a penchant for Top 5 lists, so in honour of the launch of Jack's first book, I've put together a Top 5 list of metaphors to describe my comparison of "Perking the Pansies" the Blog and "Perking the Pansies" the Book:

Top 5 Metaphors: Blog vs Book:

1. Whereas Jack's blog is tipsy small-talk, over cheap warm plonk and soggy canapes; Jack's book is a candle-light dinner, and a heart-to-heart with a trusted confidant



2. Whereas Jack's blog is a endless bucket of salty popcorn you absent-mindedly snack on between meals; Jack's book is a dark chocolate truffle you roll your tongue, to prolong the experience



3. Whereas Jack's blog is face-puckering tequila, a suck on a lemon and lick of salt; Jack's book is a full bodied Bordeaux, maturing and breathing in a crystal cut goblet



4. Whereas Jack's blog is a frantic knee-trembler with Tabitha the Tart, Jack's book is a post-coital embrace that lingers 'til dawn



5. Whereas Jack's blog is an erratic spin on a dodgem carousel, Jack's book is a memorable limo ride with leather-clad seats

Big thanks to Jack for a great chauffeured journey through his Pansy field.

Climb aboard, your own journey awaits....

You can read a sneak peak of Perking the Pansies on his Jack Scott Info site

Purchase it at Amazon.co.uk:

Or click on this link to visit Amazon.com