I see Middle-earth

[Ibrîniðilpathânezel]

This sounds like Copper Falls in northern Wisconsin (where the water is that reddish brown from the iron in it). www.gowaterfalling.com/waterfalls/copper.shtml I suspect they may be part of the same larger geological system. It's been a LONG time since I visited the falls, but that part of the state and its forests always made me think of "This is the forest primeval." One could almost imagine an Ent or three among the trees and streams.

I live considerably farther south in Wisconsin, near the farms and rolling hills (and pastures and cheesemakers, of course ), which have made me think of the Shire since I first read LotR some... oh, 44 years ago. But no pictures, alas. Perhaps I should take a few en route to my birthday vacation this weekend.

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Recently I walked parts of the Camino de Santiago, and old Pilgrim route in Northern Spain. We started in St. Jean Pied De Port in France and often I felt I was trotting along in Middle Earth.

(Sorry if the images are a bit large)

Rivendell (St. Jean Pied De Port):


Rohan (Crossing the Pyrenees):


The Barrow-Downs (Crossing the Pyrenees):

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The Old Forest (Crossing the Pyrenees):

The Hobbit similarity is purely incidental. That's a fully grown man with a poncho and a backpack.


Minas Tirith (12th century monastery in Estella):


The Road Goes Ever On (that's me with the straw hat):

[Legate of Amon Lanc]

Veery nice pictures, skip! Although here shows, as always, the difference in imagination among different people, because I wouldn't label the pics like you did, although I'd definitely label them as from Middle-Earth. But: #1 - not Rivendell, but obvious Buckland; #2 - Barrow-Downs, #3 - Hollin (or these barren lands north of it), #4 - some forest near Mitheithel, simply the scene from The Hobbit just before meeting the trolls.

But once again: fabulous!

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Originally Posted by Legate of Amon Lanc

Veery nice pictures, skip! Although here shows, as always, the difference in imagination among different people, because I wouldn't label the pics like you did, although I'd definitely label them as from Middle-Earth. But: #1 - not Rivendell, but obvious Buckland; #2 - Barrow-Downs, #3 - Hollin (or these barren lands north of it), #4 - some forest near Mitheithel, simply the scene from The Hobbit just before meeting the trolls.

But once again: fabulous!

Thanks, Legate. When I was in St. Jean Pied de Port I didn't think of ME at all but looking at that picture the first thing that popped up in my head was Rivendell. Of course, Tolkien never described Elrond's abode in any detail neither architechturally or geografically but this is much like my mental image of the place. Buckland? Nah!

Anyway, here's another picture from another recent holiday. Obviously the description isn't dead on here either but I certainly think it's Middle Earth-ish enough.

View of the Grey Havens: (Edit: I forgot to mention, this is a pic from the island Senya in the north of Norway)

[Rune Son of Bjarne]

Originally Posted by skip spence

Thanks, Legate. When I was in St. Jean Pied de Port I didn't think of ME at all but looking at that picture the first thing that popped up in my head was Rivendell. Of course, Tolkien never described Elrond's abode in any detail neither architechturally or geografically but this is much like my mental image of the place. Buckland? Nah!

Anyway, here's another picture from another recent holiday. Obviously the description isn't dead on here either but I certainly think it's Middle Earth-ish enough.

View of the Gray Havens:

I like Legate would have placed the labels differently, but this one I think you have spot on.