Category: Travel

Photographers are often travellers, but travellers are always photographers.

I love taking photos and documenting my journeys, and writing about them helps me relive each journey all over again.

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Photography Dream List

Ever since I read The Alchemist, I believed that when you want something with all your heart, the entire universe conspires in helping you to achieve it. One of my great dreams is to combine my love of travel with photography, so here’s a list of places where I’d love to photograph a wedding, in no particular order. I hope that in uttering them out loud, they will one day become reality.

 

–       Paris. Enough said :)

–       on a beach (anywhere!), at sunset

–       Nova Scotia, on the coast, maybe Cape Breton?

–       Gros Morne National Park, Newfoundland

–       A vineyard wedding, in France

–       An elopement (how sweet would that be? …ok this isn’t a place, but an elopement to somewhere wonderful and quiet would be amazing)

–       A backyard wedding, lovingly handmade with DIY details

–       Somewhere in the south of France: the colours, the sun, the hilltop villages, oh my!

–       The Highlands of Scotland, or an island

–       a Caribbean island

–       Havana, Cuba: the colours, the architecture, the people

–       A proposal-session (this one is for the extra thoughtful guys out there!)

–       Iceland – the hauntingly beautiful landscape

–       A little island somewhere in Italy, like Lipari

–       Bali, Indonesia

–       Venice, Italy: there is simply no other city on earth like Venice

–       Costa Rica

–       Seville, Spain

–       Banff or Jasper National Park

–       Old Town Dubrovnik, Croatia

–       Lake District, England

 

If you or anyone you know is planning on getting married and can help me check off one of these dreams from my list, please do get in touch! :)

Note: Ok, I see a theme here: I’m definitely attracted to nature with amazing landscape, architecture, and history.

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New York, New York

A personal photo story of New York – my heart goes out to all those who are still recovering or have lost loved ones from Hurricane Sandy.

In March I went for a short visit with one of my closest friends Jess. The first time I visited New York was in 2007. At the time, I wasn’t too impressed. It felt like just another big North American city. I thought it was probably because we only had time to visit the top touristy must-sees. 5 years later, second time around, I feel I was able to appreciate it more: the skyline, the hustle and bustle (I noticed that New Yorkers are very fast walkers, which suits me fine!), the architecture, the food. It has such a distinct vibe of its own. It’s very modern, but so full of nostalgia at almost every corner.

We had a pretty tight schedule of things we wanted to do and places to go to, though we didn’t get to do it all, it was still a great trip. Highlights include Highline park at sunset (such a genius idea to convert an abandoned stretch of above ground rail tracks into a park), the various food stops but especially ramen at Ippudo noodle bar and Belgium waffles from a food truck, high tea at the Plaza (that was different and fun – thanks Jess!), and the New York City Public Library (where else would a book lover go?).

Oh New York, you stole my heart a little bit, and I wasn’t expecting it.

APC store in Soho. Can you spot us? :)

I can’t even begin to describe the amazingness that is Grimaldi’s pizza…

yesss! waffle truck has been located. 

I don’t even have a photo of this waffle. That’s how fast I ate it…

these bare tree branches in Central Park were kind of awesome.

Sunlight streaming through the windows
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Travelogue: Isle of Skye

The Isle of Skye, or as the locals call it, The Misty Isle, is just off the northwestern coast of Scotland. Between London and Fort William lies one of the most scenic train rides in the world. Some call it the Deerstalker, so I was hardly surprised to see deers hurry away as the train thundered by, but still delighted at the sight of them. Fort William is the closest city on the mainland; you can take the famous Jacobite Steam Train from there to the little fishing village of Mallaig, where we had the best fish & chips of our entire trip. From there, you can either take the ferry over or you can drive around to Kyle of Lochalsh and cross the Skye bridge.
As I’m writing this, I can’t help but play back in my mind images from Skye that have been more or less ingrained into my mind, and my heart. The rolling hillsides, dotted with sheep; the beautiful lochs, and dramatic dips and curves in the landscape. The sound of rain and wind, the low-lying clouds that seem to stem out of the landscape itself. I was absolutely awestruck by the desolate beauty of the island, and the Scottish Highlands.
and here is one of my favourite photos of the island.

 

The Highlands is for romantics, and a little wild at heart perhaps. Just remember to bring your rain gear! 

Happy Friday! have an awesome weekend.

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Travelogue: Edinburgh

When I traveled to Scotland in May with M, I had an inkling that I would fall in love with the Scottish Highlands. After all, I’ve seen so many wonderful photos. But I had no idea that I would like Edinburgh so much. Emerging from the Waverley train station, we were immediately greeted by views of the Royal Mile. I thought, wow we are walking straight into history. The entire city seems to have been built with the exact same kind of stone, the kind that yellows a bit with age. There’s something about old cities that I just love, I like knowing that the city did not tear something down just because it was over 50 years old.
Edinburgh felt like a city that aged well, and proudly! There was not a single sky scraper in sight. Throughout the few days we were there, it drizzled and sprinkled the kind of rain that Scotland seems to specialize in when it isn’t pouring :) The sun made rare appearances. Because of that, afternoon cream tea stops felt especially lovely. 
Below is one of my favourite photos from the city, a look down a typical “close” off of the Royal Mile, which is a narrow alley. 
If you haven’t been, plan a visit now. Please?
 
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la dolce vita

Just some favourite quotes to share on traveling :)

“Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn’t do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines, sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.” – Mark Twain

“Travel is more than the seeing of sights; it is a change that goes on, deep and permanent, in the ideas of living.” – Miriam Beard

“Once you have traveled, the voyage never ends, but is played out over and over again in the quiestest chambers. The mind can never break off from the journey.” – Pat Conroy

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Cuba

We took a trip to Cuba in January, though the weather wasn’t perfect, the trip was just what we needed – some rest and relaxation! We stayed at the Tyrp Cayo Coco, one of the 10 or so resorts on the island. Though the resort grounds were fine, I found the rooms themselves a bit dated. 


Our first trip to Cuba was 2 years ago, and we went to the island Cayo Largo, which was exactly how we pictured a Caribbean island – warm turquoise water, shallow sandbanks that you can walk out seemingly forever, white sands, and the kind of clear and strong sunshine you only get in the Caribbean. Apparently Ernest Hemingway fell in love with Cayo Guillermo back in the 60s, on the northeast tip of Cayo Coco, I think he should have visited Cayo Largo as well ;)

hotel lobby
some other beautiful island in the Caribbean
Cayo Largo

*Picture of me by M.

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