Skye Sheep. October 2023.
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.
Moonrise in Sarandë. July 2022.
It’s not the easiest place to get to, even from one of the busiest airports in the world. But the Albanian coastal city of Sarandë is truly a unique and special place. Sarandë takes some of the best bits of Italy, Greece, and the Balkans and marries them together. The result is a spectacular contrast of ideals and cultures that can only be described as… Albania.
A valley between Sarandë’s coast and the inland mountain range. July 2022.
Growing up, I played soccer (football) and made friends with an Albanian family so visiting their home country had been a long time goal of mine for quite awhile. I got the chance when I read about how you can take a quick ferry ride from the popular Greek holiday island of Corfu. So I added Corfu to the summer holiday itinerary with the sole purpose of visiting Albania for a few days. In fact, we took a taxi straight from the Corfu airport to the Corfu Town Port. Thirty-five minutes later, we stepped foot in the home country of my old soccer pals.
As I mentioned before, Albania is a land of contrasts. The ferry ride over to Sarandë (high speed ferry service on Finikas Lines) was a perfect introduction to this concept. Surrounded by crystal waters of the Ionian while inhaling intense diesel fumes was something of an experience. Being forcibly befriended by a local who apparently knew every single person at both Finikas Lines and the Albanian border security was also fun, if a not a little overwhelming. “For €10 you can have a great night on the town in Albania,” he told me as he handed me three of the six beers he grabbed directly from behind the small counter that only crew were supposed to go behind. “For €100 you can live like a king.” Well, Gëzuar to that.
Turns out my new friend was pretty spot on. A large apartment a few steps from downtown was under €50 for the night. An amazing dinner at a family run restaurant right on the water was under €20 including (several) cocktails and bottled water was something like €0.25. I think this even beats out Budapest as far as bang for your buck goes. We were even treated to a beautiful sunset and a near-full moonrise. Albania’s beauty is astounding. Later that night we sat on the balcony drinking Albanian beer (€0.60/pint) reflecting on the wonderful people we had met and watching the party boat circle the bay. We were already in love with this city.
The next day it was time for some adventuring. If the southern coast of Albania is famous for anything, it is for the beautiful beaches that line the crystal blue waters of the Ionian Sea. Naturally, there are big boats that will take you on day trips to visit several of them. And naturally they leave relatively early in the morning so you have plenty of time to visit them all. And naturally I didn’t really think about this beforehand and we woke up and headed to the harbor well after they had all already gone for the day. Fortunately, we were in Albania.
After unsuccessfully enquiring at a few tourist offices, we came across a local trying to get off of her boat. The boat couldn’t get any closer to the dock and the end of the gangplank was still a short distance away and rocking quite a bit, so we reached and helped steady the boat as she jumped off. This turned out to be a fortunate meeting because here friends had a small boat and were happy to let us charter it for the day. I guess we ended up breaking the “King for €100” rule, but it was easily worth €150 to charter a private boat with snacks and drinks for 5-6 hours. Of course it was a little sketchy at first. Here we were, heading off into the wild blue sea with two strangers with somewhat surly demeanors and who immediately started steering the boat to a less-than-welcoming cove at the outskirts of town, surrounded by abandoned bunkers. Oh yeah, the bunkers. Have I mentioned the bunkers yet?
Bunkers Along the Sea. July 2022.
Albania is covered in some 173,000 bunkers. That’s one bunker for every sixteen people. That’s sixteen bunkers every square mile (or six every square kilometer for my non-USA readers). There’s a playground in downtown Sarandë with a bunker in the middle of it. There’s also a somewhat terrifying statue of Hillary Clinton’s head and guess what’s right beside it? Bunker. Remember the contrast thing I mentioned earlier? Flat grey bunkers on the edge of the sparkling blue sea are a perfect demonstration of that concept.
The Turquoisest Bluest Water I Have Ever Seen. July 2022.
So anyway, we were being taken to our doom by complete strangers, or so it seemed at first. Turns out the sketchy cove at the edge of town is actually the boat gas station. Once we had filled up, we cruised along the beautiful coastline. Eventually, our co-captains dropped anchor a few meters off the shoreline of Krorëza Beach and reached for a little herbal relaxation as we dove into the sea and headed for shore. We spent the next several hours exploring different beaches along the coast, our once-stoic guides becoming much more friendly as the day wore on. The boat returned to port that evening, just in time for dinner. Delicious pizza dinner. A drink or two. Sleep.
Sarandë From Above. July 2022.
The following day we went inland. I thought I was more prepared this time. What I thought was a day-long bus tour turned out to be our own private tour by car. An all-day private tour for about €50. Kings for a Day. We visited the hilltop castle Kalaja e Lëkurësit, and Albania’s famous Blue Hole. Or Blue Eye rather. Either way, it is a beautiful blue spring in the middle of a lush forest valley and surrounded by arid hill tops. And finally the ancient city ruins of Butrint, which has an acropolis older than THE Acropolis. Take that, Athena. We had very pleasant and amazing journey all day until some local traffic cops attempted to shake down our tour guide. I had the American embassy phone number pulled up on speed dial while loud arguments and wild gesticulations occurred outside the car. It was certainly exciting to say the least. But in the end we made it back safely, and in time for the return ferry to Corfu no less. It was a beautiful Albanian adventure full of contrasts, where we lived like kings and haggled like hustlers. I can’t wait to return.
Crystal Waters From the Blue Eye. July 2022.
Recommendations! Basically all the stuff I mentioned. But TL;DR Below:
Butrint, for sure. Worth the whole trip.
Kalaja e Lëkurësit (The castle on the hill)
Krorëza Beach
Honestly the group boat looked fun, if you can get up in time to go. They had a foam party on the deck. And the boat looks like a pirate ship.
Bar Restaurant Limani. Delicious breakfasts with giant portions. Try the Greek.
Shemo Beach Bar & Restaurant. Amazing food, family run, beautiful view. Ridiculously low prices and such a good value.
I hope you enjoyed the stories. If you have any questions or comments, let me know below! Thanks for reading!
Back in Corfu Town, Albania in the Distance. July 2022.
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!
Torre Grossa and Palazzo Comunale, November 2021.
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.
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.
Half Moon Over Marseille Harbour. September 2021.
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.
Marseille Harbour, September 2021.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Cathédrale La Major, September 2021.
Hugs Please. September 2021.
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!
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 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.
Lofoten is the Norwegian archipelago along the north-west coast of Norway. Here it is in mid-August:
A Small Village in the Lofoten Archipelago. August 2021.
The ferry ride from Bodø to Moskenesøya:
The village of Å:
The Village of Å. August, 2021.
Hoárbma before Djupfjordbrua, Moskenes, Norway. August, 2021.
Nøkkeløya on the Left. View from the Road out of Henningsvær. August, 2021.
Early Morning View from the Hemmingodden Lodge, Ballstad, Vestvågøy, Norge. August, 2021.
Mosken and Værøy Islands, Lofoten Archipelago, Norway. August, 2021.
Time for Futbol!
