Smiles Under A Tilley Hat
Dad in Portugal, 2006
Photo by ME
I can't believe that I have never posted this picture before! It is 'the one' that I most commonly associate with my dad. I took it at a castle in Portugal in 2006. There is a 'matching one' of Mom taken at the same time and I have used that one on Always Standing before but not this one of Dad. I have these two pictures together in a frame in my room, and have for a long time. I even had it up in Ottawa - you can see it hanging on my wall in the picture in this post. I think I gave Mom and Dad a set one year for Christmas, and Uncle Simon ask for copies and has them as well.
I can remember a couple of things from this trip to the castle. Firstly, that walking around the ramparts, more than a story above ground, there were no railings or protection of anything. I was completely surprised by the difference from the overly safe and cautious Canadian tourist sites. Heath and safety codes are very different in Europe. Secondly, I believe that it was a bit of a cold, grey, and rainy day. Thirdly, right behind Dad in this picture is a little section you can lean through and on the other side was just some random house and their backyard. In the backyard was the biggest lemon (or might have been orange) tree I had ever seen. I still think about that tree from time to time.
It was a great trip. And I have always thought that this was a great picture of Dad!
1 comment:
It is a good pick. He had a great smile. Overly attached to the scruffy old tilley though. He had it for about 25 years before he traded it in. Letting it go and getting used to the new one was traumatic but he eventually conceded that the new one was a better design.
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