I was just interviewing Paul Theroux about his cross-country adventure from Cairo to Cape Town (the theme of his book, Dark Star Safari) for my radio program. He painted a beautiful verbal picture of sunsets in East African plains. And that got me thinking about how sunsets can be a vivid and romantic capper for a beautiful day on the road.
Dramatic and memorable sunsets that come to mind for me are: On the Greek isle of Santorini, nursing a drink with a single flower in a vase on my table, as I sit on the lip of the crater high above the glittering Aegean Sea. In the Indian section of Kashmir, sitting on the roof of my houseboat with a chipped, old pot filled with steaming tea as families running domestic errands glide by silently in sleek and timeless canoes. On Denmark’s Aerø Island, warming myself by a beach fire while children splash in the mild and shallow waters of the bay, and parents sit peacefully on the porches of tiny beach cabins. In Granada, Spain, joining the “Gypsies and hippies” at the St. Nicholas viewpoint as the setting sun makes the Alhambra glow red, evoking the tumult of its violent history. On a ferry in the Greek sea, with dolphins ‘ who seem to come out for the sunset ‘ playfully loping ahead of the ship’s bow. In England’s Cumbrian Lake District, sitting pensively on a stone at the Castlerigg Stone Circle just outside of Keswick, savoring a moment which inspires anyone to poetry…especially as sheep stir up the fragrance of the wild grass and the scent bringing forth visions of mystical druids, who once used these stones for their worship, dancing in the long shadows.
Take a moment to savor memories of sunsets in your travels. Then share your favorite here.
New Year`s Eve, 2006. Pulled my rented car over on a desolate, remote, wind-swept road high in the foothills of Mt. Etna`s eastern slope in Sicily and took snapshots of the setting sun over the volcano. The way it was setting in the party-cloudy, water-colored sky at twilight was other-worldly. I was all alone on that plateau; the temps were quickly dropping to freezing, there was a ruined monastery at the side of the road, and cattle lazily wandering the hills nearby. Other than the wind and occasional mooing, it was still and silent. Hard to describe accurately, but it was quite spiritual.
August 1991-Poipu Beach, Kauai-after a violent thunderstorm, the sky and clouds turned into glorious and wondrous shades of pinks, tangerine, lavendars and grey. It was surreal. I took several photos and fortunately was able to capture some of the mystique. The photo first hung in my office and now in my bedroom. Will never forget that sunset. Thanks for letting me share that memory.
December 2001 standing on the deck of a creaky ferry boat pulling away from the port of La Paz, Baja California, Mexico, bound for the mainland and Mazatlan. Foamy gray-violet cloud overhead trailed out to a pink-orange-golden tail disappearing behind dark mountain peaks. Other sunset watchers included a small group of Swiss motorcyclists, some Huichol Indians, North American tourists, and assorted locals. Most of them intended to sleep on deck but my husband and I retired to our “first class” cabina. A framed photo now refreshes my memory.
The St. Nicholas view point in Granada, Spain. The 1st time I took my husbad there, back then, my boyfriend, looked even more beautiful than ever. The view of the Alhambra is amazing, breathtaking.
Where we live almost everyday gives us a beautiful sunset that my children and I often stop to comment on. My teenage daughter has actually pulled her friends out from in front of their video games to go view the sunset. It`s a simple place too, farm country surrounded by corn fields in Vienna, Ohio.
From my childhood – from the front yard of our home in Arizona with the most incredible shades of red/pink/orange with the blue sky in the background. From my travels – from a rooftop restaurant in Zanzibar while listening to the call for evening prayer. From a nearby getaway on San Juan Island, WA – from the edge of the water with an otter scurrying about on the beach looking for its dinner.
I am glad to say that my husband, my daughter, her friend and I had a similar experience on Ærø when we rode our bicycles across the island on a 2 week tour of Denmark. We were amazed that in less than 24 hours, we had falled in love with the island. Now, 9 years later, I live here with my husband and, although the rest of Denmark has turned hostile toward foreigners (not tourists but immigrants), I find that I am living on an oasis even in comparison with the rest of the country where the nastiness has become horribly prevalent. Here, the fact that so many families have been seafaring going back hundreds of years, there is a welcoming attitude, and an appreciation for people from overseas. Thank goodness. If it weren´t for this island, I wouldn´t be in DK with my danish husband. Somehow here, the best of character, as well as the landscape, is being preserved. And I expect it will stay that way, given the independent nature of the ærøboer (the ærø resident). Though we live here, we live as though tourists and take advantage of all the beauty day in and day out. Lucky us!
We`ve only recently begun to travel abroad with our daughters. On a trip to Italy, we ended up on a hill above Florence at sunset. Kids who complained heartily about having to carry their cameras every day, turned into the most absorbed photographers that evening. The sun brought the Arno to life and bathed the Duomo in amazing light. We have hundreds of pictures of that one sunset; each amazing, and NOW the girls always bring their cameras without complaint. We all still talk about that night and that sunset, and I know it`s a “lifetime” memory for each of us.
I have been feeling very nostalgic about my past semester abroad traveling in Europe. I find it very ironic that I just posted a sunset picture from Santorini on my facebook then read your blog 10 minutes later. It`s the first time I have even visited your blog too. I think it`s destiny telling me that I need to make more memories. Traveling is my passion and your life absolutely inspires me. I am just waiting for the day in May to feel “unleashed”…when I walk across the stage and earn my diploma…because the world is waiting!
Ah, memories of sunsets! My favorite is while flying from boarding school in Switzerland to home in Monrovia, Liberia and actually being in the “middle” of the flaming reds and oranges of a sunset. I was 13 at the time…..a long time ago!!!
Assisi, Italy. May 2007. I stood on a wall above Santa Clara church and captured photo memories of the vivid red-orange sunset with golden-lined clouds beyond a church steeple. Magic. And I still feel the incredible emotions when I view my photo albums years later. A sunset is something we all can share, even now on your website, Rick. Thank you! PS – I enjoyed your lecture in Larskpur last month; sat in the second row, you signed my book, and we took a photo together . . . another great memory for my photo albums.
It was the first night of our first trip to Paris after the long flight from Seattle in late January 2006 to visit our daughter and family living on Rue Raynouard. We walked through the bitter cold (-5C) and colorless evening to the marble plaza at the Trocadero to catch our first glimpse of the Eiffel Tower. There, with our 3 year old granddaughter snuggling her face into my soft wool scarf, we watched the setting sun peek out quickly from under the grey-black icey clouds for one last shot and bath us in its red-orange-pink-violet light burst. And as the stobe lights on the Tower started their show, she looked back and said, “Look, Papa, my tower is dancing.”
Hi there, I too love sunsets, and I thank Rick for helping me see some beautiful ones in Europe a few years back. Rick, will you be doing more about China? I have seen some incredible sunsets there–albeit through thick smog.
Bonavista, Newfoundland, alone on a bluff with puffins swooping and the rocks turning pink in the pounding surf, comes to mind first. But perhaps the best was on an unintended detour to Reutte, where I met Rolf, a Santa-bearded 60something cyclist from Hamburg. Having shared his hostel dinner with me because I didn`t have the sense to order one, he then set out to explore and I followed. We ended up sitting in the middle of a concrete footbridge with glacier water roaring under us. He had a bag of peanuts and a bottle of wine in his rucksack, and we sat for hours, drinking from a yellow plastic cup and talking of many things. The religion-inducing Alp view gradually deepened into a religion-inducing array of stars. One of my favorite evenings in my life.
Rick You forgot a beautiful late night sunset at 10PM on a Kerry beach anywhere on the coast…Derrynan, Glenbeigh, Ballbunion……or a view of the same sunset from any of the coastal cliffs…..sharing the experience with the mountain goats and sheep often….
A gorgeous sunset over the Moray Firth near Findhorn, Scotland around 10 p.m. Will never ever forget it.
On my last visit to Venice in 2007 a huge thunderstorm pored over the city for a long time. I was near the train station and when the storm ended I saw the Alps in all their purple, gold and orange glory. What a sunset
Thank you so much for your post. It reminded me of beautiful sunsets in Kauai after running the first Kauai marathon two years ago. After reading your blog i`m inspired to always take pictures of sunsets, no matter where I`m at. I was in Utah for a doctor`s appointment and stopped real sudden to see one of the most beautiful sunsets I have ever seen. Thank you again for your inspiration. I am a brand new blogger and I`m enjoying reading about you. Yvette Ulloa http://www.viptravelbug.com Yvette@yvetteulloa.com
Last night in Hawaii (1999) with my Mom and Dad and Aunt and Uncle. We were having dinner at the hotel restaurant overlooking a craggy beach. The waves were splashing with a roar on the rocks, Mom and Aunt Betty were feeding a small bird by hand bread crumbs and the sky was ablaze with likely the prettiest sunset I have ever seen.