t u s c a n y

When I first started getting into landscape photography through my travelling, I became infatuated with going to places not because of the shopping, the modern buildings, the streets, or the cars. Instead, my longing to explore the quiet countryside grew. Anyone who has done some travelling through Europe will tell you that there are unbelievable landscapes to be found. Having travelled through Ireland, the next must-do destination for me was Tuscany.

Florence is considered to be part of “Tuscany” because it is quite a large area. But through suggestions and through the many amazing pictures that I saw of the area, that was the place that I knew that this was a place I wanted to see. Renting a car is the most practical way of getting to Val d’Orcia. If you start in Florence, driving from there down south will get you there within 1.5 hours. For those afraid of driving the Italian roads, it really is not that bad. Drivers are fast and fairly aggressive but I wouldn’t consider many of them to be reckless. Having said that, in the city you do have to be aware of the scooters and the bicycles that are running about. Just refrain from driving within the City centers. If you are driving to a town in the country side, DO NOT drive into the City. Instead, park in one of the parking lots just outside the City center walls and walk in. Our GPS told us to foolishly go into the city and we found ourselves cornered… by streets that were far too tight to turn into. We ended up having to go against one way traffic to get ourselves out. The moral of the story? Stay outside of the City center if you are driving!

L A N D S C A P E S

If you are a person who appreciates the visual aspects of a place you visit, Val d’Orcia’s highlight is just that. Rolling hills, picture perfect sunsets, winding roads, isolated buildings, you will find all of that in this region. The only thing is? You do have to drive around in order to find these landscapes. The other thing? You might need to drive off the beaten path in order to get there. This means driving along roads that look like a car should not drive on. Often times we found ourselves on sketchy paths that looked like only four wheel drive cars and farming vehicles should drive along. But some of the landscapes were worth it! The landscape was extremely dry however and this is typical of the region during this time of year. The green doesn’t appear until Spring. So if you want some more color and don’t mind the cold, come during May/June and you might see a different landscape altogether! Anyway, enough with the wordiness, the pictures will do the talking.


M O N T E P U L C I A N O

On the next day after I arrived, I took a look at the surrounding area and decided that Montepulciano will be the place to visit. They are well known for some of their wines and the landscape along the way was bound to be interesting. It is a relatively small town that you can easily walk around in about 3-4 hours. There are a number of cathedrals here worth seeing. Most of them are unassuming, quiet, and gives you that calm that a church should provide. This is different than in Florence as the hordes of people typically make a cathedral into more of a tourist attraction. I love walking through small towns. The people are warm and welcoming, the food is fantastic (if you find the right place), and it is a great place to wander aimlessly. Learn to appreciate the good things, big and small. Strive to see it in a different way. It is funny how such a simple perspective can result in such great things. Montepulciano is a beautiful small town and is well worth visiting. It is also one of the places where I had one of the more enjoyable meals (Osteria Acquacheta) in my entire Tuscan trip. See below for more.


P I E N Z A

Similar to Montepulciano, Pienza was another small town within the area. It was a town that was very small in size and took maybe 2-3 hours to walk through. There was another great restaurant (Latte di Luna) that I visited here for lunch as well which you can read about briefly below. One of the best aspects of small town Italy are the older buildings in the City center. They are aged, rustic in color, and the other great thing? The roads very commonly wrap around one another and they also incline and decline. For a photographer, this is something we miss out on in North America… as a lot of our roads are straight and for a lack of a better word, boring.


S I E N A

Siena is due just south of Florence and is the next biggest city in the Tuscan region. In the past, Siena and Florence fought many wars but it is now a second must see if you are to come to this area. In terms of attractions that I think you have to see, there is the Piazza del Campo which is at the center of the City. Here you have a large piazza where people gather, you can’t miss it as you will see loads of tourists snapping photos of the enormous clock tower (the Palazzo Comunale) which dwarfs the people and the pigeons chilling out in the square. An overhead view of the City can be taken in if you get a ticket to the Museo Civico in the square as you will get the chance to climb the clock tower and snap photos from there.

The highlight for me though, had to be the Duomo. This cathedral may be smaller than Florence’s version but it is certainly nothing to scoff at. The inside is primarily marble and as typical with the Italian grand cathedrals, the detail of the architecture and the art is astounding. The colors and the light that leaks into the church left me in awe.

Outside of the Duomo is the Museo dell’Opera. Religious artwork and sculptures are in abundance here and very interesting to see. The masterpiece known as the Maesta is housed here though it was originally in the Duomo. The great thing about going to this Museum? You can also line up to go up on top of the Facciatone where you can get an overhead view of the city with the Duomo directly in your sights. This alone made the trip to this museum worth it.

Since I only had one day and quite honestly, I was getting a little tired, I decided to head back to the Piazza and sit in the square in the last little bit of light for the day.

I would say Siena is a City you should definitely visit if you have a few days extra in Italy. It is worth the 1-2 days that you could spend here.


M O N T A L C I N O

The other small town that I visited was Montalcino. It was east of the Val d’Orcia region but it is known for it’s red wine, the Brunello (you might find these in liquor stores in North America but you are likely to pay anywhere between $70+ for even the lowest end bottle). The Brunello is made only within the Montalcino municipality so the goal of this trip: to try the various types of Brunello’s available. Many wineries and tastings are available. Be aware however! The wineries here generally require you to call in advance and make a reservation. The only winery that I tried was called Banfi. They are an American owned estate but they are HUGE. The 1995 Brunello was incredible but unfortunately it was also 96 EURO’s per bottle. Having never bought a bottle over $50 CAD, it was too much of a pill to swallow so I didn’t bite the bullet on that one.

A C C O M M O D A T I O N S

Recommended by my talented friend, Kirstin, I looked into staying directly in the Val d’Orcia area in an estate called La Foce. You really just need to look at the photos on the website to be sold on this place. They rent private apartments and residences that can house anywhere from 2-10+ people. It is not in the City so you will need a car to reach it. The advantage of overlooking the famous Tuscan landscape of the zig-zag road (picture is above in the landscape section), the intensely bright star lit sky at night and the privacy is enough to convince me that I would stay here again next time I venture into this area.

F O O D

If you are a fan of Italian food, of pasta, grilled meats, simple ingredients, home cooking, and great flavor, you will love the food in Tuscany. I visited several standout restaurants during my stay here that I would visit again without question.

Dopolavoro La Foce - Located basically next to La Foce, this restaurant was probably my favorite during my time in the entire Tuscan region. The food is simple yet the flavors were complex. The food is incredibly tasty and despite being in the heart of Val d'Orcia's country side, the decor was quite modern but in a country style. In all, I went back here about 5 times in a week. In addition to the heart warmingly good pastas (primi's), delicious steak and roast chicken (secondi's), the customer service makes this place special. I will be doing a separate review of this restaurant in a different post. Easily one of my favorite restaurants in the world to date.

Osteria Acquacheta - This restaurant came as a recommendation from La Foce and is located in the municipality of Montepulciano. When I got there, there was already a huge lineup outside even before it opened. This is usually a good sign of a highly anticipated restaurant. The funny thing? There was a sign at the door that said, "No reservations? No luck" Giving it a chance, I got in after about 30 minutes as a couple did not show up on time for their reso. This place is known for their Florentine steak so do give it a try if you go (it might have been the best steak I had in Tuscany). Just make sure you make a reservation before you go. Montepulciano might be small but this restaurant is well known. The owner even signed a book for me haha.

Latte di Luna - Located in the town of Pienza, this is a place that I went for lunch. The thing to have here is the slow roast pig. It was delicious and the prices were modest. Another popular destination, I would think that making a reservation for dinner would be a good idea.

All in all, there are some amazing eats located in Tuscany. Take advantage of it if you are in the region because as soon as you go to a place like Rome, Cinque Terre, or the Amalfi Coast, you will see a huge spike in prices. For example, glasses of great wine in Tuscany were about 3-5 Euro. In the Amalfi Coast where I headed after this trip? 12 Euro. Not even joking.

O V E R A L L

The trip to Tuscany is one that I have been wanting to make since I first got into photography and wine. The region is gorgeous and it certainly delivered in a lot of aspects. The terrain is very dry however so if you do want to see more green, come during Spring instead. I know I will be back. Again, for other reasons ;) And perhaps when the terrain is a bit more colorful.

f l o r e n c e

The second leg of my trip had me fly into Florence, Italy to meet up with a good friend of mine. I have always thought that I would love Italy for numerous reasons such as passion for good food, good wine, great culture, and amazing landscapes. Having said that, I have only been to Rome, Pisa, and Cinque Terre. That was enough to give me enough motivation to head on over there again though and Florence was at the very top of my list.

I have had several friends say that their favorite Italian city to visit was Florence. With such glowing reviews, it was hard not to be excited about going here. They were not wrong, the City was gorgeous to photograph and amazing to walk through. Such dedication to the arts and religion, it was unlike any other city in the world that I have visited to date. Just an FYI though, for those people flying in from London, it should be cheaper to fly to Pisa and then take a train to Florence. It might take a little while longer but it will save you close to 30-50% of the cost of a direct flight!



M U S T S E E ‘ S

There are a number of museo’s and galleries in Florence that are well worth seeing. I am the type that enjoys visiting the museums but in moderation. Being a wannabe photographer, I enjoy walking the streets and taking it in first hand. However, galleries and museums such as the Uffizi Gallery (houses the original “Birth of Venus” as well as an abundance of religious paintings and sculptures), the Museo dell’ Opera (includes the original “Gates of Paradise” as well as a smaller collection of sculptures and blue prints for the Duomo and associated cathedral), and the Galleria dell’ Accademia (hosts the original “David”) are all worth seeing. For the Uffizi Gallery and the Galleria dell’ Accademia however, you should strongly consider booking tickets online as the queues could take upwards of an hour otherwise.


In terms of other attractions to look at, the Duomo and its associated Piazza are definitely one of the highlights to look at. The Duomo is considered one of Italy’s most prominent architectural and religiously meaningful structures and one can easily see why when they see it in person. The scale is incredible! Be sure to climb up to the top to get a great view of the city. While you are there you should visit the Baptistery and the Giotto’s Bell Tower (you can also climb to the top of this tower to get an overtop view of the City) since it is in the same piazza.


Now, most of the attractions mentioned above the river Arno, but one of Florence’s main attractions is definitely the Piazzale Michaelangiolo. It is not a long hike up, but the view from here is outstanding. I’ll let the panorama below tell the story. Get up here for sunset, the sights are definitely something to be in awe of.

A C C O M O D A T I O N S

I stayed at the hostel Greci for the duration of my stay. The room itself was clean enough but it was bare bones. The washroom was shared but we were lucky enough to not have to share with any other visitors so it felt like a private bathroom for us. We weren’t provided with internet access outside of the lobby/reception however and it also turned off from 10pm – 8am every day. It is sad to say but that is a pet peeve and it certainly wasn’t convenient. It is located in a great location but I would not want to stay here again.

F O O D

We had a variety of food while we were in Florence. Having an appreciation of food, I couldn’t wait to try some of the local cuisine and see how it compared to the Italian food that we have at home. I have to tell you, I love my coffee in the morning (or as needed throughout the day) and Florence was a great place for that. Starting the day at a café with an espresso and a pastry was just what I wanted. The coffee in Italy is amazing, definitely give it a try if you like your kick in the morning (or as needed ;))

As a meat eater, I love my steak so, having heard good things about the Florentine steak, I had to give that a try. In total, we tried two different places for steak dinner in the 3 nights that we had in Florence. San Parione provided us with a 1.6kg T-Bone steak cooked just about rare along with some rosemary potatoes which looked like they had been boiled before being thrown into the oven. The steak was butter tender but it was a little under seasoned. I usually order my medium rare but this was definitely on the rare side (it was easily 2 inches thick) but you could tell it was high quality meat. What was lacking though was proper seasoning (aside from the char flavor, it was a little bland).

The other location that we went to for steak was Marione in the same area. The steak this time was also served with potatoes which were not nearly as tasty but the steak was better seasoned. It was a bit of a toss up but I think Parione’s served a better steak as the meat was better quality. Keep in mind that when ordering the steak, it is typically meant for 2 people and will cost upwards of 40-60 Euros alone.

Other locations that we really enjoyed for food included Gusta Osteria (I had a simple primi pasta) and Gusta Pizzareria (located within a block from Gusta Osteria). For an amazing panino, visit All’Antico Vinaio (located just outside of the exit of the Uffizi Gallery). I came back here twice but I really enjoyed the prosciutto with fresh mozza on foccace bread. The restaurant is tiny so you will have to eat on the sidewalk or whilst walking but that isn’t a bad thing – you can have alcohol outside :).

Anyone who goes to Italy knows that gelato is a specialty. In Florence, there are a couple of places that I can definitely recommend. One is Vivoli and the other is Santa Trinata. Santa Trinita has some fantastic selection but on top of that, they also give ample amounts of gelato. Who can complain about that?


S H O P P I N G

I normally wouldn’t have a shopping section but it is worth mentioning because Florence is known for their leather products. There are a number of markets within the City but be aware that the markets will sell cheap leather products but there is a chance that they are imported leathers. For authentic Italian leather products such as jackets, wallets, etc, you can have the peace of mind by going to an actual store. I bought a lamb skin leather jacket which was tailored to fit me exactly for only 310 euros. Have fun finding that kind of deal in North America.

There are a number of outlet malls just outside of Florence. You can organize shuttle buses to drop you off and pick you back up. The deals on Italian designers such as Prada, Gucci, Armani, Bottega, Cavalli, and Valentino are amazing and worth browsing through.

O V E R A L L

Florence was an amazing city and it is easy to see why it might have been identified by many to be THE Italian city to visit. I have only named off some of the places to see but you could easily fill in 4-5 days here. I would suggest at least 3 though (if you don’t include a day for shopping) if you want to make the most of your time here. Definitely going to be coming back, for other reasons :)

l o n d o n

Sorry for the lack of posting lately but now that I am on another Eurotrip, I figured I could start again. So with that, let’s start off with London.

Some of you already know but I lived in London for about 10 months last year for work so this trip was not for the sake of seeing tourist attractions, it was just to catch up with friends. Still, when I arrived in Heathrow, it felt like I was returning to a place that I was very familiar with. Everything from the tube to the announcements over the PA system made it feel like I never really left.

PERSPECTIVE

The 365 project that I did eons ago helped force me to look at the ordinary things from a different perspective. Having lived in London for almost a year, it came as a bit of challenge to shoot well-known tourist attractions and the tube from a unique perspective. But going out there with a camera and giving it a try, I find that I sometimes find things that I didn’t even know was there. It makes you feel like you need to appreciate even the smaller things in life.


It was fun walking around town and seeing some of the more familiar places I used to frequent (ie. Covent Garden, Embankment, etc.). Not much has changed around there really. Still bustling and busy as ever!


MEETUPS

I only had 3 nights in London but on one of them I had the opportunity to meet up with Kirstin McKee and Elsa Konig. I’m sure they’re fairly well known amongst a lot of you. Kirstin even brought along her SX70 this time (love shooting older cameras). As always, it was a good time just catching up and talking photography and this thing to do with photo processing… of which we will not name… haha.


OVERALL

Since I have already done reviews on the places that I have eaten in London before, I won’t go through that. Just going to have to wait until we get to Florence for that. That’s where I’m headed next!

d e v i a t i o n s

Perhaps a little random, but this is something that has been on my mind for a little while. Have you ever had those reflections where you step back amidst the turmoil that you might be going through and thought to yourself, "wait, none of this makes sense"?

"Why am I going through this?"
"Why am I tormenting myself?"

Sometimes life isn't what you expect it to be. Some of us have very specific expectations of how we want our lives to be. You know those expectations like, "I want to be fastest runner in the school" or "I absolutely need to get an A on this paper" or "I want to score that winning goal". I think we all have our own goals in life and reaching for these goals helps to guide us towards a certain path.

On top of all those lofty goals are the expectations that others also have of us. If you're from a Chinese family, you've probably been told, "finish school", "get a good job (ie. lawyer, doctor, engineer)". Even now, people are probably telling you, "get a better job", "start a family", and "you should do this, you shouldn't do that". We have all heard it before. But it is important that we don't take the guidance of those we love for granted. In all likelihood, they have experienced a lot and don't want you to make a mistake that they see coming.

So, with all this guidance and our own expectations it seems that we should be all set right? But what if life isn't like that? What if life isn't that simple? What if life deviates from your own plans and those external expectations?

What if, instead of getting an A in programming you realize that you want a career in business? Instead of relaxing on a much needed vacation in Africa, you realize that you want to make a difference in this world? Instead of not looking, you find the one that makes you most happy? The reality is that in life, changes happen all the time. The journey isn't easy, it is a struggle at times. You will find some plans work out and most fail. You will experience overwhelming happiness and you will go through gut wrenching sadness. And perhaps most importantly, you will find that life isn't something you can sufficiently predict.

What people fail to understand is that it isn't life unless you experience these bumps along the road. That unless you expose yourself to the unknown, you will also miss out on the potentially amazing. Excuse the reference to Finding Nemo, but Marlin said this more than once, "You think you can do all these things, but you can't Nemo!" You can either let these warnings stop you or, in spite of the warnings, you can give it your all and see for yourself if it was worth it or not. This is a decision that is yours alone and not for others to make for you. Like Nemo, you may find yourself proving not only yourself but others wrong.

"We don't enter our future, we create it."

We create it through the actions we take and the choices we make at the junctures along the way. The more I think about it, the more I realize that the best thing about tomorrow is that we don't what is going to happen. We each have our own journeys and although we may cross paths with others once in a while, our decisions are our own and not for others to judge. Change will happen regardless, you can choose to reject it and let life pass you by or you can accept it and do your best to keep up. Live a life with no regrets and do what makes you happy - and then realize that beating yourself up is as funny as it sounds.

b e r r y p i c k i n g

The summer in Vancouver can be gorgeous, particularly when the sun comes out. The last little while we have been going through a long heat wave (upwards of 33 degrees Celsius ) and so, being a resident of a city that is constantly longing for sunshine, we tried to get out of the house as much as possible. This past weekend, we wanted to continue that trend so we drove out to Langley (about an hour outside of Vancouver) to go berry picking. The Krause Berry Farm is a little ways out there but it hosts a huge field with rows upon rows of blueberry, blackberry, and raspberry plants for you to pick through. It's really up to you how much you want to take with you and it's easy to see how you would go overboard. We both get excited (sometimes overly so) about food so we had a good time and picked a pail full of blueberries. I have no idea how we will finish it. But we had fun regardless :)

t w o c h e f s & a t a b l e

Yesterday me and a friend went over a part of town that I don't frequent often. Vancouver is a beautiful city but what people outside of the town don't know is that it has probably one of the worst poverty ridden sectors in North America. East Hastings and Main street is notorious for being an area that you may not want to walk through. Having lived in Vancouver for most of my life, it is interesting to see but it really isn't that dangerous to walk through during the day. Anyway, I am rambling but there is a point to this. The restaurant is located near that area but you wouldn't know it when you walk in.

When you walk into Two Chefs and a Table it really feels like you stepped a different place altogether. Amidst the instability in the surrounding neighborhood, you walk into a restaurant that is brightly lit, smells of coffee and good food.

They served all their coffee in french presses which I thought was neat (and it was a welcome sight in the morning). I had the Joe's Special (grass fed beef, spinach, seasonal mushrooms, thyme, scrambled eggs, toast and hashbrowns) and my friend Sue had the Monsieur Andre (artisan sourdough bread, daily charcuterie, grilled). Definitely coming back here. The food was fresh and concepts on brunch were original. The space is also a photographers dream with the open space and the abundance of light. Felt a little rude snapping away while my friend was right in front of me but she understands.

s i m i l a r p e r s p e c t i v e s

So a decidedly similar thought process between myself and someone led me to get my first macro lens. Picked up the Canon 100mm F2.8 and I have to say I'm impressed. Macro is much more challenging than I thought though. The depth of field at 1:1 leaves no margin for error. You really do need a tripod for the most part. But it's nothing we won't master :)

l o o k i n g f o r w a r d

This blog has been abandoned for far too long. The last time I updated this was the fall of 2011 when I was still travelling through Europe. Since then there hasn't been much to write about. In all honesty, my inspiration for photography went down significantly since too. Home is home and I love Vancouver but the scenery and the architecture really is so different from Europe's.

Well the good thing is, I am headed over to Europe again in a few short months. This is just a trip though as I won't be moving my life over there this time. The plan is to start the trip off in London to visit old friends and catch up over a few pints. Following that I will be headed off to Italy where I will spend a few days in Florence, hire a car and spend a week in Tuscany (where I plan to drink copious amounts of wine and indulge in the most authentic southern Italian dishes), hop on a train to go to Naples and then spend another week in the Amalfi Coast (Sorrento, Positano, Pompeii, Capri). From there it's a short flight to Barcelona. Doing this all with a good friend of mine so I am looking forward to it. It'll be good to be outside the city for a while, I need a break.

Anyways, a blog post would not be a proper post without some pictures. These were taken during the golden hour, in a blueberry field. I couldn't miss out on the light and I had been thinking about someone as I took these. It really is the little things that matter most - whether it be a simple thought or a little bit of light. Sometimes the best things lie right in front of you. But if you don't realize it and embrace it, it could just pass you by. The light that night was just too good to not appreciate it.

s c o t l a n d

Over the course of my traveling so far this year I think there are a few things that I realized. One prominent thing I came to recognize was that while I enjoy going to the big and showy metropolitan cities, I really came to enjoy being in the peace and quiet of the country side. This coming from a person who was born and raised in Vancouver, I realize that this might come off as being a little strange. The thing is, every city to me is just that... another city. You don’t get the raw differences and traits that each different country side has to offer. You don’t get the terrain, the weather, the land and seascapes that may be unique to this area and is just not the same anywhere else. It might have been after going to Ireland that I realized how much I enjoyed it, so with that in mind, I decided to go to Scotland following my trip to Turkey.

Edinburgh

Saying that, the first place that I flew into was Edinburgh, another big city haha. But we had plans to go into the country side a few days later. It was the Fringe Fest in Edinburgh when we got there. This is a huge event that takes place every year in the month of August in which performers of all kinds set up shows across the city. Stand up comedy and musicals are primarily the hit attractions I think but it seemed like there were huge amounts of people taking part in this. It’s too bad that by the time I got there, it was the last few days of the festival already and most of the tickets were selling out like hot cakes (I can’t believe I just used that reference?). That and I was suffering from food poisoning from my last night in Turkey..... Wanting to hurl every 2-3 hours was not conducive to enjoying this fringe fest in weather that was easily 20 degrees colder than Turkey.

I’m going to sidetrack here but I had to pack a huge bag for this 2 week trip through Turkey and Scotland because I knew the temperatures would be different but I didn’t know I was going from 35+ degree weather in Turkey to about 7 degrees in Edinburgh! So... food poisoning turned into general sickness and flu afterwards. Oh well. All part of the experience!

Moving along... I met up with a friend, Elsa, and we explored Edinburgh together, seeing all the major sights. We took in the views of the city from The Scot Monument (the stairs were extremely narrow mind you. My whole 145lb body barely squeezed through one of the corridors near the top). The thing about Edinburgh is that although it is a big city, you can clearly see the distinction between the Old Town and the rest of the area. The old town was almost medieval looking – very cool and primed for picture taking. It also had an abundance of greenery all around as well. People who go to Edinburgh should definitely make the effort to go up to the top of the Arthur’s Seat. Situated on the east end of the city, the Arthur’s Seat is a very popular exercise and leisure activity as people will job, climb, or waddle along. The views from up there are magnificent. Though a little cold and sick, the view made the climb well worth it. I hear it can be very muddy going up the track during days of rain though so be careful and wear appropriate exercise gear. If you are wearing jeans or nice clothing, you’re bound to get dirty (and not in that way :p). 

After staying 2 nights in Edinburgh, we travelled north by train to the city of Aberdeen. There isn’t much to see here in terms of tourist attractions but we needed to get up here to rent a car which we had prebooked from the airport. From there, we started our road trip towards Glencoe, Ballachulish, Isle of Skye, and the Loch Ness.

Glencoe and Ballachulish

Because the two locations are about 1 mile apart, it just makes sense to put them together. I had seen pictures of the Glencoe on google and couldn’t believe my eyes. With that image in mind, we had to drive south west and go through that area for sure. The views didn’t disappoint despite the cloudy weather we had. There were mountains on either side of the road whose scale really made you feel insignificant. The glen converged on the road as well so it was like you were driving straight through a mountain pass. It was pretty incredible and so grand in scale. I can only imagine what this would look like during a nice sunset (which we did not have unfortunately). We only spent a night in Glencoe but we did take a photography safari from 6-9pm in hopes of catching the sunset. We were driven around by a local who is a fairly well known photographer in the area and he took us to some spots that he believed would give us some good photo opps. I am happy to say that we were not disappointed. Karl is a great guy who is patient, knowledgeable and keen to teach. He had a group of 4 including us and we all varied in experience but he had no issues with making sure that we all received some attention. In total, I think we shot at about 3 locations in the 3 hours but he did spend a good amount of time talking about technical skills, composition, and just general approaches to landscape photography. I came out of it with a deeper understanding of composition and dynamic range through bracketing so it was well worth it for me :) The following pictures were taken during this safari.

If you are in the area of Glencoe during your stay in Scotland and want to learn more about landscape photography, definitely contact Karl. You can find his website here. I would highly suggest you ask for a sunset safari because if the weather cooperates (big IF), you are prime to get some amazing shots no matter what your skill level. Karl will take you to spots he believes provides you with good viewpoints for the kind of light you’re getting so at £35 for the evening, even 1 good shot will make it worthwhile. Unfortunately we had dark and cloudy weather but you make what you can from it! Hence why all the pictures above are black and white or heavily desaturated haha.

We spent the evening in the Ardno House in Ballachulish. It took us a little while to find this place in the dark but when we did, we were pleasantly surprised. After being in hostels for the past 1.5 weeks, it was so nice to come into a warm and cozy home with a huge bedroom, comfy bed, and enormous private bathroom. Alan is the owner of this place and he was nice enough to bring in an extra bed for the floor as the room was only a double and we need a twin. At only £72 for the night, it was a steal honestly. The breakfast was plentiful and incredibly filling. Alan did a great job in suggesting places for us to go along our drive to the Isle of Skye the next day as well. This Bed and Breakfast was only about a 10 minute drive from the Glencoe region so it’s very convenient if you plan to hike or explore this area further.

Isle of Skye

We had both heard about the Isle of Skye from a number of people and the resounding opinion was that it was gorgeous and that it was a beautiful place. We knew we had to go there considering the reviews and the pictures we had seen. So from Ballachulish to the Isle of Skye we drove. It took about 5 hours to get to Portree in the Isle of Skye but the drive was stunning. We were told by Alan that there was a very nice view point if we took the ferry from Glenelg instead of taking the highway so we decided to head for that route. We made the left at the Shiel Bridge and looked for signs for Glenelg. As we drove, the roads got very narrow (only one car could fit through many of the passes and there were winding corners as well). Though, that’s what it is like driving in the UK in the countryside. It was the same in Ireland as well. Roads were fast, narrow, and there were a lot of blind turns so that you have no idea what is coming at you – it was great fun! :D Not sure that Elsa shared that enthusiasm with me though haha.

We followed the road until we saw some stops with high vantage points. There were a few amazing stops for overhead viewpoints of the land and water below. We even ran into some highland cows! They seriously look like the rocker version of our North American counterparts. Too cool right? :) 

After spending some time taking pictures like crazy people, we headed back down towards the ferry. It was a little sketchy to be honest. The platform to get on the ferry was barely on connecting bridge and you just had to think that a slight turn the wrong way and your car would have fallen or tipped over into the water. Anyway, it was only a short ferry ride and we were officially on the Isle of Skye. From there, we drove along a path that was just filled with photographic opportunities. We stopped more than a few times along the way to Portree as we kept snapping away.

We spent 2 nights in the Isle of Skye because we knew that there was so much to see here. We really just roamed around the island for the two days and stopped wherever we saw fit. If we spotted a location that could potentially be a good spot for photos come sunset, we made a note and came back. Luckily, we did get a sunset on one evening after it had chucked down with rain. It goes to show you that just because it rains, it doesn’t mean that you won’t get some good weather for photos afterwards. I am still a newbie at landscape photography but one thing I know that I enjoy is clouds and the sunset colors. I would take clouds over a clear day any day, it just adds so much more drama to the photo. So we stuck around in the car and waited for the rain to stop... and when it did, we quickly ran outside to catch the last bit of light...

We spent the two nights at the Cruinn Bheinn just about 7 miles out of the town of Portree. The room was large for the two of us and the beds were so comfortable! I had no trouble sleeping those two nights that’s for sure. The breakfast portions were huge and the food was quite good – just about everything I could ask for! I even got a lot more grapefruit bits than I requested and who can complain about that? :) The price was only £34 per person per night with breakfast included and for a 4 star bed and breakfast, I would come back here again and again. 

Loch Ness

Our next destination would be the Loch Ness. Most people who know about this place know of it because of the reference to the Loch Ness monster. As children we pictured the monster as being a mysterious dinosaur like creature who roamed the Loch and scared the jebeezus out of the people who encountered her. Well we didn’t see the monster I’m afraid but we did see a great sunset. After finding our bed and breakfast in the very small town called Foyers, we drove out to eat at the local pub in White Bridge. The food was probably the best we had in Scotland – I had a huge craving for steak and Elsa had some haggis and they were both very good and just what we needed after spending hours on the road. After dinner though, we had seen that the sky was opening up and that we could be in for a sunset so we drove along the Loch Ness until we saw a bit of an opening. Sure enough, we got a beautiful sunset that night though... we did encounter a swarm of midges out there (pesky little fly looking things that sucked your blood much like mosquitoes...).

We stayed at the Foyers House for the night. Foyers itself is an extremely small village/town and there isn’t much there to do or see. There are certainly more populated towns to visit if you are staying in the Loch Ness area including Fort Augustus. It was good for us because we really just wanted to put our heads down to sleep here and head back out in the morning but for those looking for a place to stay and to relax... this may not be the spot. We paid £58 between the two of us that night so it was cheap but again, not much cheaper than the previous two places we stayed at and those were much nicer. 

Overall

After our night in the Loch Ness, we had a long drive ahead of us towards Aberdeen where we had a flight to catch back to London. On our way back we passed through Inverness and we stopped for a few pictures along the way. The sun was out and we found a wheat field so who can complain? :D We even had McDonalds for lunch lol. Made my day (it was just one of those cravings that comes every month or so but it was so satisfying... until I finished the meal). When we got to the airport, we were both pretty exhausted though. I had been on the go for about 2 weeks and we had driven over 700-800 miles through Scotland. While it flew by I think I was tired enough to go home and get some rest. It actually startled me a bit but I looked forward to getting back to London. Great... just when I am about to leave :/

t u r k e y { c a p p a d o c i a }

Turkey is a huge country with a population of over 70 million people. Although Istanbul is its capital, there really is so much more to visit outside of this city. There is Ephesus and Selcuk if you are into the beach and the ancient Roman ruins. There is Olympus if you enjoy lush greenery and natural sight seeing. Many people though, choose to go to Cappadocia during their visit to this country. The terrain in this region is very, very different to the sights you would see anywhere else really. You’ll see in the photos below but to give you an overview, most people who come to Cappadocia will do so because they want to see the area on a hot air balloon or to simply go hiking. Hot air ballooning in this area is very popular because of it’s wide terrain and its unique landscape. Though expensive, I can tell you that it is well worth it but I will get back to that in a second :)

To get from Istanbul to Cappadocia, most people will choose to either fly or bus. I chose to bus for a few reasons: 1) it was cost efficient at only about 20 Euro’s and 2) it was an overnight bus which meant that I did not have to book any accommodation for that night of traveling. What I didn’t like about this trek was this: 1) it was a 12 hour trip on a bus with smelly people with excessive B.O. and 2) the bus was not air conditioned and the air flow was really bad. Naturally, negative points 1 and 2 together was a very bad combination and this made for a very long and tiring trip. Though I might have saved 80-100 Euros, I had barely any sleep by the time I reached Goreme, Cappadocia. I was not a happy camper but anyway, it was my vacation so no point in complaining! The one consolation is the fact that I got to see one of most beautiful sunrises I have ever seen while on the bus. To give you an idea of what it looked like, it was dark all around except in the horizon where all you could see was mountains, all layered due to their distances away from one another. There was nothing else around us but flat land and endless highway but it was in that horizon that you could see vivid shades of navy blue, purple and even closer to the horizon still, bright orange and reds. I really wanted to get off the bus and take a picture but unfortunately you can't do that! This is why road trips are the best because you can do that whenever you want! Anyway, enough side tracking. The point is, if any of you are considering going to Cappadocia via Istanbul, consider the flight – you will be much more comfortable.

Now, onto the visit: I spent a total of 2 nights and 3 days in Goreme. Cappadocia itself is a huge region, much bigger than I originally thought. Those who visit will likely stay in the Goreme town though. First impressions were that this town was a bit of a ghost town. I don’t mean that in a bad way but coming from Istanbul where there is all this bustlin’ activity, Goreme contrasts greatly. There are a number of restaurants with local Turkish cuisine but don’t expect any bars – there aren’t any.

Hiking - This is a place you go if you enjoy out door activities. I met two girls from New York (Lindsay and Alexandra) and we went out for a hike in the red valley. It was a 5 hour hike in the scorching sun but it was loads of fun and the views made it worthwhile. Between the ghetto speak, the freshly squeezed orange juice, the random fruit picking and the cart wheels, I think we all had a good time! Team KAL made it through alive and well :) In all honesty, it was great meeting you two! We’ll have to meet up again in NYC next time ;)

There are a number of other hikes that you can do while you are here as well so if you like this kind of stuff, make sure you have your hiking boots and sunscreen!

Hot Air Balloon - Like I said before, the main attraction to Cappadocia is the hot air balloon ride. You can book this practically anywhere but expect to pay anywhere around 120-150 Euros per person. The tour group will pick you up from your hotel/hostel at 5am in the morning and you will likely take flight at around 6am. Depending on the time of year that you go, this could be during sunrise or just after it has already come over the horizon. Nevertheless, you are in for some breathtaking views! I was never one to think that I would be interested in hot air balloons at all but I was so glad that I did this one. The flight was smooth and lasted over an hour – though, the pilot gave us a few frights as we almost hit a bridge and a Cliffside :p (I hope she did this on purpose?). Anyway, after an hour and about 100 clicks on the camera later, we were on the ground. It was spectacular and I would recommend anyone do the same. Just remember to wake up on time! I was woken up by mad pounding on my door because I turned off the alarm and went straight back to sleep! D:

Tour - Another popular thing to do around here is to go on an organized tour. I'm not usually a tour type of person because I like to walk around and explore on my own but in an area that is just so big and with the attractions so far apart, it is one of the more efficient ways of seeing the attractions in one go. The most popular tours are the red and green tours. Both are apparently good options but I had to go for the green one for the fact that they took you away from the town of Goreme and into the canyons and an underground city. It was neat to see I guess but after a whole day on this tour, I was itching to walk off on my own. I did meet some cool peeps on this trip as well though, including these two Aussies who wore their hats in the scorching heat all day!

Sunset Point - One other thing you can do while in Goreme is to go up to Sunset point. It is a small climb up to the tip of this mountain but it is situated right in the center of the town and provides a nice view of the sunset. If you get up here during the call of prayer, it gives that much more impact to you being there. It really makes you realize that you are away from the western world.

Accommodations

My two nights were spent in the Guven Cave Hotel (or hostel). It was cheap and comfortable enough. The most important bit was the roof top terrace with the view of the sunset!

Overall

Cappadocia was a very worth while side trip - particularly when you have as much as a week in Turkey. The scene might differ from Istanbul in that it is much, much quieter, but for me, it was a good getaway. The added bonus of being able to hike, enjoy the sun, and see the sunrise on a hot air balloon and it is a no brainer to me that anyone who goes to Turkey should come here.