Travel theme: Dark

Posted on by Miriam

Hello darkness my old friend
I’ve come to talk with you again …

I loved that Simon and Garfunkel song, though darkness hasn’t always been my friend.

When I was little I was scared of the dark. I slept with a night light on and for years I had recurring nightmares. I dreamed of being locked out of the house, of falling, ghosts and other things I can’t remember. I talked in my sleep and I slept walked.

Eventually I learned to sleep without a night light on, the sleep walking stopped in my teens, although the sleep talking continued for years.

Hub loves to joke about my often dramatic sleep talking episodes although apparently these days I’ve quietened down. And I don’t mind the darkness anymore.

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When I inevitably get up during the night I can find my way around the dark house, like a Slinky Malinki cat.

I think the darkness has finally become my friend.

Even if there are lots of things that go bump in the night …

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Nocturnal creatures who have joined us on our camping adventures over the years.

Sly foxes scrounging for left-overs, hopeful wombats looking for open food boxes and possums rustling in trees. Not to mention koalas that look cute and cuddly but make the most hideous bellowing sound, especially when it’s mating season.

Fortunately their angry bark is more ferocious than their bite.

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It’s a good thing I’m not sleep walking these days!

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Truly though, I love being silhouetted by nature, snug inside our safe haven.

Watching the last evening rays before the sun kisses the earth goodnight over the mountains of Arkaroola. I know I’ve posted this before but the colors were extraordinary.

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Underneath a sky that changes color like a painted canvas.

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And starry nights around a campfire … red wine, hot coffee, toasting marshmellows, staying up late and looking for satellites and shooting stars is better than any cinema.

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Here we are on the back of the historic train at Maldon, watching the lights change on the railway tracks as the rain hit the camera lens.

But it’s not just in nature that a dark scene can be captivating.

I love how city light transforms ordinary buildings into castles and a Melbourne streetscape becomes a magical wonderland.

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I love how alleyways that look drab during the day become enchanting at night … especially when we find a new favorite restaurant.

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I’ll never forget dining on the Melbourne Tramcar Restaurant, the most fun and extravagant indulgence on the tracks.

I wrote about it in my early blogging journey on my 50th birthday.

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Fortunately in Melbourne now our days are getting longer so we can spend more time outside. Which, for an outdoor enthusiast like me, is a good thing.

When the sun goes down let’s still seek out the extraordinary, watch some stars and embrace the dark. And at dawn let’s begin a new dark day with hope and optimism.  

May we all enjoy the darkness and the light for without one there would be no other. 

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In response to Where’s My Backpack: Travel theme: Dark

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79 thoughts on “Travel theme: Dark”

  5. The night is beautiful and full of mystery. Re the song lyrics. Paul Simon would get writers block on occasion, and to break it, would go into his bathroom and turn off the lights until an idea came to him. Hello darkness my old friend is his bathroom.

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  11. Beautiful as always, but I still think you are so brave, out there in the dark, I do like the dark, especially in the streets, as you say they really can transform places, you make every where sound so wonderful and it must be very peaceful……….but………I still admire your bravery !!

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    1. Thanks Brooke, such a nice comment … you make me smile. But truly, I’m not as brave as you imagine. Trust me, if I saw a snake or bear (not that we have bears here!) I’d be screaming like a mad woman… 😦

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  12. Pingback: Travel Theme-Dark – WoollyMuses

  17. I have had those lines spoken to me more times than I can count. Funny… I used to sleepwalk, too. Mom told me I would get out of bed and walk all around the house turning on every single light. 😀 I love the beauty of darkness… but I’m actually afraid of the dark… I always have been. Must have been why my subconscious sent me turning on lights all over my childhood home…

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    1. Me too! I used to turn on lights and crash into walls. I remember once when I was 14 we stayed in a high story hotel and mum had to barricade the balcony as she was scared I’d go over the edge …

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  20. Darkness transforms our world, sometimes for the worse, mostly for the better as your poetic post proves. The camping trips look magical, so cosy and I would love to be there toasting marshmallows, looking at the stars! The sunset photograph is unreal…definitely worth posting again and again! I’ve also found that cityscapes which look mystical with the nightlight become drab and dreary in the morning light – always such a let down. A whole summer of long evenings outside for you and your family – enjoy.

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    1. So true Annika, darkness does transform our world and yes for the better but I have to be honest and say nothing makes me feel more optimistic than bright sunshine and light. But I guess that’s human nature right? Thank you for reading and for your lovely comment. xo

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  21. Stunning photos, especially of the sunset!! Like you, I didn’t care for darkness either when I was young, but now that I’m not-so-young, I actually find it peaceful and comforting. As your photos show, there is a certain beauty that come out when it gets dark.

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  22. I never had Australia on my ‘bucket list’ but after seeing your wonderful photo’s, it’s now on there as a place to visit in the future.. I love Simon and Garfunkel too.. infact Bridge over Troubled Water was the first record I ever bought back in the day… I love ‘hello darkness’ too… infact there aren’t many of their songs I don’t like!
    Koala bears were also a favourite for me when I was growing up and I have two toy ones that I was given as a little girl by my grandma when she visited Australia on a Round The World Cruise.. I was desperate to have a pet dog and as I wasn’t allowed one at the time, I put a collar and lead on the toy Koala and dragged it round for about 2 years until my mum and dad ‘gave in’ and I got my first real dog which proceeded to chew the foot of the toy Koala off so it’s got a little ‘patchwork’ on it now..
    Ahh what lovely memories you’ve inspired with this post Miriam.. of happy camping days which as you say are hard to beat. I love that picture in front of the tram carriage of you and hubby… – happy days!

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    1. Oh Wendy, you have me in stitches here. 😊 I can just imagine you dragging that koala around like a much loved dog. And then when you got a real one it chewed its foot off! That’s priceless. Glad I was able to bring back some nice memories. 😊
      And yeah, Simon and Garfunkel are great. I still play and sing lots of their songs on my guitar today. xo 🎼

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      1. Haha – Glad to make you laugh Miriam… I’m still upset about that poor Koala (haha – only kidding). My dog would’ve got away with anything.. it was funny really because my mum was ‘adamant’ that they were ‘dirty’ and she didn’t want one and my dad bought me one for my birthday – it was a Lakeland Terrier and had to be put on a coach to travel in a box to Manchester where we picked it up.. However, someone felt sorry for the ‘puppy in a box’ on the coach and got it out of the box but the puppy ‘pooped’ all over her… We call him ‘Scamp’ and he was… Funny though – my mum was never without a dog from that day on until only a few weeks before she died when her dog also passed away beforehand – as if she knew what was to happen… Yep – memories.. I’m waffling and it’s bed time so I’ll say ‘goodnight and Angel Blessings..’ xx

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  26. gotta love a hopeful wombat…As a young child I fell in love with “Sounds of Silence” (as well as “I am a Rock”) while listening to my mother’s albums, and i learned to play the song on her piano (the one finger version) from the sheet music laying about. Was probably a warning flag of the mood disorders to come. 😉

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  28. Another beautiful, inspiring post, Miriam. Your campground looks so cozy. I generally dislike camping, but I think it’s because I don’t know how to do it proper. Your life certainly is quite an adventure. I love that you make it that way by embracing it fully.

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    1. Thanks Kim, what a lovely comment. And yes, I guess I do
      try and embrace life and for me that includes getting out and camping whenever we can. Might as well grab fun when we can. Have a wonderful weekend. xo

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  29. We’ve got so many things in common, Miriam. I used to get scared of the dark, as a kid, and had to sleep with the night light on. If I saw a horror flick — that would be it! 🙂 I love “The Sound Of Silence”. 🙂 Your posts always make me smile. Thanks! xo

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  31. Oh my Miri. My Little Bit has always had trouble sleeping. Since he was a tiny baby. Every night for 10 years, he’s slept with a light on.

    No sleep walking though. Glad your sleep is better. ❤️❤️

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