When I was putting together the theme prompt images for March, a few weeks ago, the last thing I thought is that we would be looking at this week's theme image and thinking "those two on the right seem to be standing a little too close together!".
This made me go back to my photo album from 1976, and some fading photos from my own one and only cycling holiday, with a church youth group - up in the province of Värmland, where I was living then.
All my colour photos from the 1970s are in a sad condition of fading away now. They are also firmly glued into an album. I just quick-copied them with my camera and decided to leave the colouring as it is, without any attempts at digital editing (except a bit of cropping with one or two). I've deliberately chosen photos that are pretty much anonymous, but hopefully they still convey the general atmosphere. I think we were away for four days (three nights) - staying the nights in summer camp cottages and old countryside chapels rather than tents, but still rather primitive conditions. (Cooking on portable spirit stoves etc.) And certainly not involving keeping much distance - except perhaps uphill! (being more of a challenge for some than for others, depending on personal condition as well as what kind of bike you had...)
(Me sitting on the ground with my legs crossed.)
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| (Whether worrying about toilet paper, I cannot remember!) |
Really happy times! I know you are so glad that you took this many pictures of a sweet and fun memory.
ReplyDeleteGinny, I did take a lot of photos back in my youth as well - even if not quite as many as now with the digital camera :)
DeleteOh my, 4 day pedaling around the countryside, and sometimes even in rain! I admire you young people, and that some had the skill to patch tires (tubes?) and pump them back up.
ReplyDeleteBarbara, I would hardly believe it myself now if I didn't have photos to prove it. I was never that much into sports of any kind; but hanging out with friends on the other hand was very high in priority, so... ;)
DeleteBravo! I think you've posted the best match to our theme this weekend. Your last two snapshots in the rain as well as the one fixing the flat really capture the essence of cycle camping. Those bikes look rugged but heavy.
ReplyDeleteThanks Mike. I know my own bike was an old sturdy second hand one, with no gears; and I don't think most the others had very advanced bikes either. And none of us were wearing helmets either, I notice. I don't think anyone was, back then.
DeleteEski fotoğraflar çok güzel oluyorlar. Zaman zaman bende bakıyorum. Geçmiş güzeldir.
ReplyDeleteTeşekkürler! (Thank you.)
DeleteI wonder why especially colour photographs from that era have that particular fading problem, maybe they used chemicals on the film roll that were changed later.
ReplyDeleteIs that a portable radio next to you on the picture where you are sitting on the ground with your legs crossed?
Meike, I suppose the problem was in the photo printing process. As for the quality of the film itself I don't know, as I have not tried to have new copies made from old negatives. What I do know is that older black and white photos have proved to stand the test of time much better than the earliest colour ones.
DeleteThe object I think you are referring to is a plastic water carrier. Maybe the same one as in the photo of the guys fixing the puncture (or similar).
What a wonderful and fun experience that must have been. Certainly no 6-degrees of separation going on there, but it was a different time, of course. Loved you comment about wondering if they were discussing toilet paper at the outhouse. Present times big-O problem! :)
ReplyDeleteLaN, it was one of those things I'm glad I did, but never had any real desire to repeat... It was fun because it was a great gang of people to share it with - but it was also rather exhausting. The thing is, he who planned the route did that by car, and then, the roads seemed rather flat. The same route on a bike (with no gears) - a very different story! (lol)
DeleteThat's quite an excursion and wet too.
ReplyDeleteWell at least it did not rain all the time! (as the photos will testify)
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