Skye Sheep. October 2023.
Alba (Scotland)
You should go to Skye. As soon as you can. Stay in a cabin. Hike the hills. Swim in the sea. Wrap yourself in a wool blanket and drink whiskey by the fire as a cold rain provides steady percussion on the tin roof. Revel in the natural beauty that surrounds you.
Oktoberfest München, Deutschland (Germany)
Clearly the best time to visit Munich is during Oktoberfest…
The infamous Paulaner tent on the Theresienwiese fairgrounds, München. September 2022.
The train from Utrecht takes about seven hours, with just one change. That may sound like a long time, but when you consider getting to the airport early, checking bags if you have them, and waiting in security lines, turns out I’d much rather just take the train. Plus we were staying at a Marriott property right beside Munich’s central station which is much closer to the action than Munich’s airport (about a 1 hour commute by train). On top of that, there were large groups of Dutchies already dressed in their Lederhosen and pounding beers on the train
Neues Rathaus, the New Town Hall. September 2022.
The first night was classic Oktoberfest. We dressed in our typical classic German attire, went to the festival grounds and met some friends, ate sausages and half-meter long hotdogs, and planted ourselves at an outdoor table on the Hofbräu terrace. Liters and liters of beer were drank. Strangers were met. Songs were sung. Stumbling occurred. A perfect Oktoberfest night.
Deutsches Museum on the Isar River, September 2022.
A Building of Faces and Munich from Above. September 2022.
The next day was time for recovery and exploring. The typical city wandering occurred. I ate delicious schnitzel and spätzle at several different restaurants. Restaurant Deutsche Eiche in particular had an amazing slab of roast turkey breast with a turkey gravy that cured all of my ailments instantly.
Dennis Reynolds: Golden God.
The last night of our adventure was spent in a triumphant return to the Hofbräu tent. This time we found some folks with a half-empty table and they let us join them, right in the middle of the room beside the bandstand. A few liters and many toasts later we headed back to the hotel, a wonderful and slightly impromptu trip to Munich completed. Will definitely be returning next year!
Oktoberfest Night, September 2022.
Until Next Time!
Recommends:
Hofbräu tent. Definitely the best of the tents.
Restaurant Deutsche Eiche (mmmm turkey)
Roomers Munich, Autograph Collection - A Marriott property with a phenomenal breakfast and a pool/hot tub/grotto in the basement. So fancy. Thank you Marriott points!
Going up the Frauenkirche tower. Not the best tower I’ve been in but there’s an elevator and plenty of signboards to tell you what you’re looking at.
Questions? Comments? Let me know below!
Mallorca, España (Spain)
Lone Palm by Catedral de Mallorca. May 2021.
Like most people living through the pandemic, by May of 2021 I really needed a vacation. There were still restrictions in place across Europe, but it was possible to fly to Spain with a negative Covid test. And as long as you wore a mask outside. And there was a 10pm curfew. But in my opinion, it was still well worth the trip for the food, sun and beaches.
A Suite in Casa Delmonte. 10/10 Recommend.
Palau Reial de l'Almudaina
Bridge Before the Royal Palace.
Castell de Bellver, May 2021
A Peaceful Cala. May 2021.
Always tip your live musicians if they don’t completely suck :)
Shout out to the incredible Casa Delmonte, where the rooms feel like staying in an actual museum.
If you’re searching for beaches in Mallorca, you’d better head for the Cales. They are the famous rock-shelf-lined waters that end in beautiful beaches.
Marina Port De Mallorca. May 2021.
Mallorca/Majorca is a popular summer destination for a very good reason. The food is amazing, the beaches are absolutely gorgeous, and it won’t break the bank. Actually, the best tacos I’ve had so far in Europe were in Mallorca. Not that they come close to touching a taco truck in San Diego County, but still quite good.
Here are some things I recommend in Mallorca:
Casa Delmonte - Clearly. It’s beautiful, posh, and there’s an amazing private garden with white wicker chairs and a fully stocked cigar and whiskey bar. I mean, c’mon.
TaqueroMucho - Those tacos I was talking about. Best I’ve had so far in Europe, and certainly the closest representation to their SoCal counterparts.
Bakeries - Any well respected bakery in Spain will have my favorite breakfast - Jamon Serrano con Queso Manchego. Best breakfast/ham and cheese sandwich ever, hands down. It feels sacrilegious to even label it a ham and cheese sandwich. The best versions have butter and/or a crushed tomato spread.
Cala - Any cala. These beaches are really amazing and they are scattered across the island.
Bocalto Tapas - Eat all of the things here.
San Lorenzo - Hotel I stayed the first time I was in Mallorca. Also a very very nice hotel with a beautiful pool and patio area. Great for photoshoots :-D
Questions? Comments? Criticisms? Hit like and make a comment below…
Sign and Sleds on the Harbor Ice. March 2022.
Luleå, Sverige (Sweden) Part II!
More from Luleå! This time in winter!
Sunset on the Frozen Lule River, March 2022.
Battle in the Skies, March 2022.
Luleå Domkyrka, March 2022.
Bergnäs Bridge over a frozen Lule River. March 2022.
Frozen Island in the Sea. March 2022.
Time for a Dip! March 2022.
Torre Grossa and Palazzo Comunale, November 2021.
San Gimignano, Italia
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.
Dark Tuscano, 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.
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.
il Calcio! with the Twin Towers in the Background. November 2021.
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)
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.
Danube River Walk, February 2022.
Buda Castle and Europa Boat. February 2022.
Szent István Bazilika, 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
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.
Idaho Locals. June 2018.
Big Cinder Cone. 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…