Lofoten, Norge (Norway) Part II (Now with SNOW!)

April 18, 2022

Snowy time in the coolest archipelago in the world!

*Gulls chasing Fishing Boat to Church. April 2022.*

*Setting Sun Behind the Ridgeline. April 2022.*

*Salted Dried Cod Production in Svolvær. April 2022.*

*Vågan Kirke, Outside of Svolvær. April 2022.*

*Frosted Tips Outside Svolvær. April 2022.*

*Fjord Near Narvik (Evenskjer, I Believe). April 2022.*

*Snowscape outside Björnliden, Sweden. April 2022.*

So I cheated, these last two are from the drive back into Sweden, just outside of Björnliden. But the sunset was beautiful and the snow was blowing around making a crazy mist so I had to post them. (Please don’t) sue me.

*Sign and Sleds on the Harbor Ice. March 2022.*

Luleå, Sverige (Sweden) Part II!

March 20, 2022

San Gimignano, Italia

March 9, 2022

A two-night adventure just a short train/bus ride from Firenze…

Right, so one of the ways I “plan” weekend vacations is by searching Google Flights across a general area. I have the luxury of being a short thirty minute train ride from one of the busiest airports in all of Europe, and said trains run every fifteen minutes or so (man I love Utrecht so much). So this means I can set my departure airport to Amsterdam Schiphol, and my destination to something like “Western Europe” or “Spain” or “Italy”. Then change the filter to Direct Flights Only and see where I can go for a cheap weekend getaway. I have found this method yield some really cool results.

*Twin Towers of San Gimignano. November 2021.*

I can never argue against going to Firenze, but having been several times in the past few years, I wanted to find something a little different. Not inconsequentially I had also just completed a playthrough of one of the best games of all time, Assassin’s Creed II which takes you climbing and leaping and stabbing your way across Renaissance-era Tuscany with Leonardo Da’Vinci in tow. In ACII you not only get to leap and climb around a beautifully modelled late 15th-century Firenze, but you also get to scale each and every tower in il Comune di Belle Torri,

The City of Fine Towers, San Gimignano.

*Torre Chigi in the Early Morning, November 2021.*

*San Gimignano and Toscano Valley Fog, November 2021.*

San Gimignano happens to be a pretty popular day trip down from Florence and boy is it worth the trip. Even better if you are going to stay overnight because, like in Cinque Terre, you get to stick around and enjoy the peaceful evenings after the day crowds have all dissipated.

Oh! And not only can you enjoy the town, walk down the streets, visit shops, drink and eat local fare, but you can also rent a tower to stay in overnight! Whattt??? Yes! That is right! Said tower may even have its own scary and very tiny elevator that takes you all the way up to the roof! Then you can wake up slightly earlier than most people in the town, grab a nice extra large coffee from the café nearby and ride the terrifying elevator up to watch the sun rise and slowly clear the morning fog from the hillside valleys (see images above). Or you can relax with some assorted boar meat antipasti and local wine and watch the city lights come on as the sun sets behind the Tuscan hills (see images below).

*Duomo di San Gimignano (and il Calcio!) at Dusk. November 2021.*

*Night Lights of San Gimignano, November 2021.*

I would highly recommend this town if you are looking for a quiet getaway from some of the busier Tuscan cities while still being able to enjoy phenomenal food and drink. Plus the once-in-a-lifetime experience of staying in a medieval tower. With a table and chairs on top to enjoy the view. And a secret room behind a bookcase. And a history of a family rivalry. Scandalous.

Anywho, here are some tips and recommendations for San Gimignano:

Renting a car is probably far more convenient (there are large parking lots outside of the city walls so you’ll still need to do some hill walking) but taking the train/bus combo from Firenze is cheap and not difficult. Especially if you are already familiar with the Italian public transit system, or European public travel in general.
Actually scratch that, you wouldn’t have to walk hills if you don’t want to. There is a tiny bus that drives up and down the main street of the city, but I never used it.
The Piazza del Duomo and Piazza della Cisterna are basically the center of the city, so stay somewhere really close to there. Then you are a short walk to most of the cafes, restaurants, and bars. Remember, this is a relaxing trip so no need for extra stress.
REMEMBER THE EATING SCHEDULE! Especially during the week and offseason, many places close between lunch and dinner. So don’t expect to find the best food in town at 17:30 on a Tuesday. You’re going to have to wait until at least 19:30.

La Cisterna

Vianao

Bar Ristorante Boboli - Inexpensive and delicious, and just down the street from the main squares. Lots of menu items to choose from!

Vinaio di San Gimignano - Right on the Piazza della Cisterna. Great wines and all kinds of sandwiches with fun new sliced deli meats to try. Including the local Soppressata Toscana, which I was told is made from “pig’s head”.
La Bottega San Gimignano - Towards the northern gate, this place was open later than most and had great drinks and really nice owner/operator staff. I can’t speak to the food, but the sevice was far better than the larger place across the street that barely gave us the time of day. Go here instead :)
La Cisterna - Right on the main piazza and definitely touristy, but the focaccia sandwiches are tasty and so is the coffee.
For things to do between meals and drinks, check out the Palazzo del Pópolo and the Torre Grossa (the Fat Tower!) The former is a nice museum and you can climb to the top of the latter if you didn’t happen to book a place that had its own tower.
Walk the city streets! I know, this is my tip for every place I visit, but San Gimignano has some beautiful views of the surrounding landscapes, awesome little side shops and alleys, and torture museums.

san gimignano towers and soccer field — *il Calcio! with the Twin Towers in the Background. November 2021.*

san gimignano towers in late autumn — *San Gimignano Towers in November of 2021.*

*Birds around the Fat Tower. November 2021.*

That’s it for now, please click the heart below and leave a comet if you liked it!

*Equestrian Statue of Gyula Andrassy in Front of Hungarian Parliament Building. February 2022.*

Budapest, Magyarország (Hungary)

February 18, 2022

*Spotlights on the Parliament Building. February 2022.*

Spent the evening walking along the banks of the Danube River in Budapest two nights ago. I wanted to try out some handheld night photography with the new Tamron f/2.8 28-75mm G2 lens. The riverside monuments are beautifully lit at night, making for some really neat shots. Also had fun trying different adjustments in the RAW files. Let me know if you have any questions or comments, and which is your favorite!

*Moon above Szent István Bazilika. February 2022.*

*Buda Castle and Europa Boat. February 2022.*

Definitely one of my favorite cities. More to come from Buda and Pest!

*Hungarian Parliament Building, the Danube River, and Buda Castle. February 2022.*

Craters of the Moon National Monument, Idaho

January 25, 2022

A road trip across southern and central Idaho took me to many beautiful places, including Craters of the Moon National Monument (and Preserve!). You know how Idaho potatoes are famous? Well you can thank the volcanic soil and the fine water from the massive aquifers that lie beneath Craters of the Moon. By the way, the name is perfect for this park. There are expansive plains of exposed lava rock that make it feel exactly like the surface of the moon. Or rather, how I imagine the surface of the moon would feel. I’ve never actually been to the moon.

Anywho, I actually drove through the park at sunset because my campground was a few miles further (farther?) down the road outside of Arco, Idaho. Speaking of which, that is a fantastic place to camp. The lights from Arco are mostly off at night, and anyway it’s a small town. This means that the night skies are absolutely incredible. And I would be completely remiss if I didn’t mention Pickle’s Place in Arco. Great burgers, cheap beer, and open much later than I ever would’ve expected given the remote location. So yeah, go to Pickle’s Place.

*Lava Lake, Craters of the Moon, Idaho. June 2018.*

Many more pictures from CotM to come, I have wayyyy more to go through.

Recap and Recommendations:

Craters of the Moon National Monument - Hikes, caves, and climbing the giant cinder cone. There’s a nice long driving loop too, if you are feeling lazy and out-of-touch with nature.
Craters of the Moon / Arco KOA - A solid campground close to Pickle’s Place
Pickle’s Place - I don’t know if there are other restaurant bars within a hundred miles of Arco, but it doesn’t matter because you should just go here.

Questions? Comments? Favorite menu items at Pickle’s Place? Friends with Pickle himself? Let me know below…

*Half Moon Over Marseille Harbour. September 2021.*

Marseille, France

January 23, 2022

Having just finished the 53 hour long audiobook version of “The Count of Monte Cristo” and after watching Anthony Bourdain’s Parts Unknown “Marseille” episode for at least the fifth time, I decided it was high time to visit myself. Marseille happened to fit perfectly in my plan for a two week Mediterranean vacation that included southern France, central Italy, and Croatia. After spending a few days lying on a beach in Nice and paying a visit to Monaco, we drove down the beautiful Côte d'Azur and checked in to the beautiful Hôtel La Residence Du Vieux Port, right on the harbour. The evening view of the harbour lights was incredible.

Driving into the city is an interesting experience in itself. This city is huge, especially when compared to some of the other coastal cities and towns I have visited. And as Bourdain says, it is definitely a little rough around the edges. If you walk a few blocks away from the harbour in any direction, you will most certainly notice. But that’s not a bad thing. In fact, I think that’s part of what makes Marseille unique.

La Samaritaine

Notre-Dame and the Moon

Virgin Mary atop Notre-Dame

View from la Bonne Mère

Marseille from Above

Looking Glass

le Boat

Old Harbour

*Église Saint-Ferréol les Augustins at Dusk. Marseille, September 2021.*

Marseille harbour is pretty typical for the French Riviera. Combination Hotels/Restaurants line the outside edges, each with their own outdoor spaces and overpriced drinks. But I’m a tourist after all, so this is exactly what I wanted after a long day of driving and exploring the coast.

*Fort Saint-Jean, Marseille. September 2021.*

A Day Spent Wandering.

The first landmark you notice is the Basilique Notre-Dame de la Garde, perched on the area’s largest hilltop. Climbing the hill didn’t seem like much fun at the time, so we chickened out and caught the bus that ran from the harbour all the way to the top. This was easily justified by saying “We will definitely walk back down.”

If you are going to Marseille and you’ve read about it anywhere else, I’m sure you already know that Notre-Dame is a must see. Not even so much for the basilica itself, but for the commanding view of the entire city. From here, you can see just how expansive (and beautiful) Marseille actually is. So I’ll add my recommendation on top of all the others that you probably have seen by this point: Be sure to go check out the city views from la Bonne Mère.

Palais du Pharo

Marseille Harbour Entrance

Fort Saint-Jean

Repost

Marseille Fish

Saint-Laurent

Tour du Fanal

Inside the Fort

Mucem

Taking in the view from the cathedral was great, because it gave me ideas for where to wander next. A very imposing fort guards the harbour entrance, so that seemed like the next logical choice. On the way there was a beautiful palace, and an amazing lunch at Le Chalet du Pharo, where you can sit and stare at the fort as boats go by. Also, you can take a little path down to the water and swim in the blue-green waters. One of the forts was closed, but Fort Saint-Jean was open to wandering (and free!) as was the Musée des civilisations de l'Europe et de la Méditerranée (also free!)

*Basilique Notre-Dame de la Garde from Fort Saint-Jean. September 2021.*

Bridge to the Museum

Tower

Tour du Fanal BW

Crane Exhibit

Pink

Mini Me

Its a pretty natural progression of a walk to go from the fort to the museum to the major cathedral. And I recommend all of them! There was even a giant (and friendly!) orange bear! And everything was free, which is a huge bonus in my book. It does seem like the whole harbour area is undergoing a refurbishing, with several things closed and scaffolding on a few of the attractions. I can’t wait to go back and visit again in a few years and see what has changed.

Marseille is my favorite place in France so far. Uncharacteristically semi-nice people are occasionally less-than-reluctant to help you out if you need it, and I’m pretty sure one of the waiters almost smiled once. This is very different from my other French experiences. A quick fifteen minute drive to the airport and it’s time to pop across the water to The Eternal City. But before we go, here are a few recommendations:

Basilique Notre-Dame de la Garde. - It’s a giant church on a hill. The views are amazing

Fort Saint-Jean - Wander around an old stone fort with interesting exhibits and harbour views.

Cathédrale La Major - An inspiring stripey cathedral.
Hôtel La Residence Du Vieux Port - A wonderful boutique hotel, right on the harbour.
Le Caribou Marseille - Great drinks, and super friendly staff. Awesome staff shirts, hope they start a merch store soon!
Les Mets des Saintes - Creole/African spin on French food. Delicious and cozy atmosphere.
Little Temple Bar - I didn’t see any resemblance to the actual infamous Irish pub, but drinks were dirt cheap and the location was great.

Questions/Comments? Ask away in the comment section below!

Utrecht, Nederland at Night

January 18, 2022

Went wandering around town on a cloudy night with my tripod in tow to try out some night shots with the new Tamron 28-75mm f/2.8 G2 lens. It did not disappoint!

*Utrecht, Nederland. Tivoli Vredenburg and Hoog Catharijne at Night. January 2022.*

*Utrecht Centraal Train and Bus Station. January 2022.*

Stadhuis Utrecht, January 2022. — *Stadhuis and Domtoren. Utrecht, January 2022.*

There’s no denying that Utrecht is easily one of the most beautiful cities in the Netherlands. And the Sony A7C/Tamron 28-75mm f/2.8 G2 is a very solid combination for night photography. Feel free to leave any questions or suggestions about which Dutch Destinations I should visit next in the comments below!

*Oudegracht in Black and White. January 2022.*

Firenze, Italia

November 28, 2021

How to sum up one of my favorite cities in the world? Firenze was one of the first European cities I ever visited, taking the train up from Rome way back in June of 2017. I was on a solo backpack tour for two weeks, and fresh off of a few days of jet lag adjustment after flying from Los Angeles to Reykjavik to Dusseldorf to Rome. After spending hours and hours wandering around Roman streets, it was time for a change of scenery. I booked a train to Firenze and a low-key apartment a few blocks from Santa Maria del Fiore.

The train ride was a relatively short and incredibly beautiful ride through the Tuscan countryside. A quick 15 minute walk from Firenze Santa Maria Novella brought me to the small (but cheap!) room I was to stay in for the next two nights. Then it was time to see the city!

The Basilica Santa Maria del Fiore is one of the most iconic buildings in the world, and with good reason. To this day it (and its neighboring tower and baptistry) is probably the most impressive and beautiful building I have ever seen.

Duomo

Campanile de Giotto

The Basilica Santa Maria del Fiore, known more simply as the Duomo, is a great place to hang out. It is right in the center of the city and is surrounded by pizzerias, gelatterias, and even an Irish pub! Many of the places have outdoor seating so you can sit outside and admire the amazing pink and green marble while enjoying some of the most amazing food in the whole world! Also Peroni!

With a full belly and a nice buzz, it was time to wander around Firenze!

*Statua equestre di Cosimo I de' Medici facing the Duomo. June 2017.*

Vespa

Santa Maria Novella

Column in Piazza Santa Maria Novella

Stupid Tower

Concert in Piazza della Signoria

David in front of the Palazzo Vecchio

Ahh, the Palazzo Vecchio. Built by the wealthy Medici family, for some reason they couldn’t figure out how to center a tower on top of a building. So it is probably my least favorite building in the world. See how ridiculous it looks? Grrrr….

Moving on! to one of the more famous bridges in the world, the Ponte Vecchio. At Sunset! (see also the first image in this post above). For reference, “ponte” means “bridge” in Italian. and the bridges in Firenze span the River Arno.

*A Boat Ride in Front of Ponte Santa Trinta and Ponte Vecchio. June 2017.*

*Chiesa di San Frediano in Cestello, across the River Arno. June 2017.*

That’ll do it for the throwback to my first time in Florence. Many many more posts to come, because I just love going back! Ciao!