Archive for the ‘Travel’ Category

Random Photos (part deux)

Posted on: November 29th, 2011 by Andrea No Comments

More often than not this is the sort of photo I take:

I take my time, I try to come up with an interesting composition and, most importantly, there’s nobody in it. I’ll get into position, frame my shot, and then stand (or crouch), sometimes waiting minutes just to take my photo during that small window in which nobody is in my viewfinder.

Granted, it wasn’t too difficult to do in the above photo taken at the Whirlpool on the Niagara River…there was only a small handful of people there…and I was mighty glad of it.

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Last week, I bemoaned my inability to take spontaneous photos. Looking through my library tonight I found evidence that, every once in a blue moon, I do manage to snap a super spontaneous photo…

A few years back while vacationing in Italy, after an exhausting day of walking way past the Aurelian Wall to the catacombs and back into Rome again, when I was just dying to get back to my hotel room and never use my feet again….we passed a wedding party posing in front of the Colosseum. I couldn’t resist: I pulled out my camera, and as I was hurrying by, took one quick photo of the happy (and wholly unknown) couple.

It was spontaneous. It was well-timed. And it was of complete strangers….something I’m normally too embarrassed to do. But having seen the shots my boyfriend takes of “the locals” and having fake posed so he can snap a photo of the homeless guy behind me…I now see the value of taking photos of strangers. Seeing how they’re interacting with and reacting to their environment can offer you a whole new perspective and appreciation of a place or a view.

Random Photos (part un)

Posted on: November 23rd, 2011 by Andrea No Comments

I failed miserably at taking a photo a day. I also completely failed at taking everyday photos on a regular basis, which I thought would be easier than taking photos on a daily basis (I guess it wasn’t). As a result, I think I’ve become a little gun shy: I haven’t been taking ANY photos at all.

To try and re-inspire myself…photographically speaking…I am going to randomly highlight photos from my library that I like and enjoy, in the hopes they’ll remind me what I like about photography, and get me snapping again.

Here we go:

My boy took this photo of me on the Maid of the Mist at Niagara Falls. I like the feeling you get that it was taken almost unexpectedly (like he was caught in the act). This is the kind of spontaneous photo my boyfriend excels at taking. Once in awhile he’ll actually manage to snap a super spontaneous shot that doesn’t show the subject (umm…me) as a clueless mouth-breather.

My take-away from this photo: Don’t always try to take the perfect picture. Take more chances and just press the button already. It’s digital, what is there to lose?

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I love details. I especially love being able to capture the details that initially drew me in to something, and that helped create an emotional response to it. I’m not always successful at doing this (ok, I’m hardly ever successful at doing this). But I keep trying: in this closeup of the Vietnam Woman’s Veterans Memorial I made a valiant attempt to do so…look at the expressions on the faces, the texture of the hair and the clothes (and the teeth!)…

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This is one of my favourite photos of my late cat Weasley…it didn’t matter that I had a crappy camera at the time, or that I barely knew how to use it. It was taken at just the right time of day, providing the perfect lighting: sunlight streaming in the window behind him glows beautifully off his back, and highlights his plentiful whiskers (God, I loved those whiskers of his). Sometimes everything just kind of falls in to place, and we manage to capture it.

I love it when that happens.

Friday I’m In Love: Vacation Prep (otherwise known as a reason to buy random stuff)

Posted on: March 25th, 2011 by Andrea 4 Comments

I’m headed to Italy in a little under a month. It’ll be my second visit – my boy and I loved it so much the first time we’re headed back for more. The benefit of this is that we know what to expect: For instance, we know how to order food in restaurants (get multiple dishes). We know how to cross the street (step onto it). And we know that a daily gelato is an absolute must (more if your waistline can afford it!).

Notwithstanding the fact we’re basically prepared, I still have the sense that I’m lacking in necessities…that I don’t have the right clothes, or the right shoes…that I need more “equipment” (read: gadgets) to help me deal with everyday life on the road. It’s silly, really, because I get this feeling before every single vacation I go on….and all it is, is an excuse to buy stuff.

Here’s what I’m currently loving, and absolutely must have for my upcoming trip:

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An e-reader. Every vacation I pack my bag full of books, in the hopes they’ll last until the plane touches down back home. More often than not….they don’t. This time around, I won’t have the weight or the worry that I’ll run out, because instead I’ll be bringing dozens, if not hundreds of books with me on my brand spanking new Kindle. Yep. I’ve already bought it (because, of course, I had to “learn” how to use it!), as well as an apple green cover, complete with a handy-dandy light (perfect for reading in low-level lighting conditions like a plane).

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A new tote (or purse, or shoulder bag, or whatever). One that can double as my carry-on for the plane, and that I can use in my day-to-day adventures. Something that’ll fit my Kindle, wallet, tour books, water bottles, snacks, maps, a cardigan, small purchases, you name it. Oh, and it’d be great if it allowed me to organize everything inside and closed securely.

Something like Selina Vaughan’s absolutely beautiful and unique vintage seed sack totes. Available on her website, as well as through her Etsy store, these bags are both large enough, and appear to have a sufficient amount of organizational aids inside their zippered closures. I’ve been lusting after these for awhile, only can’t decide which one I like best….

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Another purse-maker that’s caught my eye on Etsy is Milloo from Greece. She’s got a great assortment of styles, in both affordable canvas, as well as more expensive leather versions. I particularly like her Kallia bags (especially the bright red and green ones), as well as the Elessa. This one’s got more of a purse-y feel to it, but remains sufficiently large to pack a lot of stuff, and offers two ways to carry it. Both practical and pretty.

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Shoes. Don’t I always need shoes? Of course I do! But my upcoming trip is just an excuse to get them now. As usual, my shoe fantasies err on the side of practical and cute. Like Ugg Australia’s Neema II in Mist Denim….I won’t lie to you: I bought these after work yesterday. As soon as I’d slipped them on my feet, and felt their cushion-y softness, it was a done deal. So comfy.

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Skinny pants. Dare I elaborate? Jeggings. I don’t know if I should be happy about this new found (and comfortable) discovery, or hanging my head in shame.

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A dress. Anyone who knows me really well thinks I’m lying right now…but it’s true. Before every vacation I start dreaming of a world where I shave my legs regularly (!) and wear dresses. Deep (deep, deep) down, I want to be more feminine, and wear dresses. Even deeper down, I suspect a part of me also sees the practicality of not having to match a top and bottom…but I digress.

I discovered Shabby Apple this week, and have once again begun dreaming in technicolour about wearing dresses. Like their super cute Gondola dress that looks like a separate kelly green top (love!) and amazing striped bottom (love x2!).

And if only I looked good in yellow (do I? I don’t think so…)…because I adore the cute scalloped top on Bellissima. It just looks like a happy outfit to wear:

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So…am I nuts? Or does everyone have the same irrational need to buy new things before a vacation? (Because honestly? my wallet would definitely appreciate a slightly more practical approach, considering the costs of the vacation itself.)

Oh My: Vintage Camper Follow-Up

Posted on: December 30th, 2010 by Andrea No Comments

A few weeks ago, I wrote about running away in a vintage camper…at about the same time, my boyfriend’s mother was discovering my blog, learning a few new things about me, and coming up with some pretty special Christmas gift ideas. Today, I’m sharing one of those gifts with you. A photo:

Imagine my surprise when I opened up a pretty package to find the above snapshot from a family camping trip back in the early 1950s with….yep….a vintage (wooden!) teardrop camper.

Teardrop campers like this had room for two adults to sleep, with an area for cooking outside under the rear “hatch”. The image to the left provides a better idea of its likely configuration [ source: teardrops.net ]. Apparently only the larger campers had their wheels inside the body of the camper…so this sucker could have been as big as 6-1/2′ wide, 5′ high, and nearly 12′ long.

This alone was a fantastic find…but what I found wrapped up beneath it almost blew my mind: the camera that took that very same photo…an old Kodak Brownie.

According to the Brownie Camera Page, the Brownie Holiday Camera was produced from 1953-1962 and came in two models: one with, and one without, a flash (mine doesn’t have the flash attachments). The Brownie Holiday Flash retailed for about $5.00 (which seems an obscene amount of money for the time), and came with this cutie little manual:

So now I have to find a suitable display for my oh-so-cute brownie camera, and the photo it took…though that’ll only happen once I’m in a more permanent living situation where I’ll actually bother to decorate.

(Oh the plans I have for that future, mysterious, and elusive abode.)

Perfect Gift Wrap Idea…

Posted on: November 25th, 2010 by Andrea No Comments

Ummm….what else is there to say, other than this is *the perfect* gift wrap idea for that special someone you’ve had a travel adventure with (whether you buy this box by d.Sharp, or make your own…love it!)

Please Don’t

Posted on: November 9th, 2010 by Andrea No Comments

While skimming through my travel photos, I started noticing a trend: I have a tendency to photograph signs telling people what not to do…be it text, pictograms, the ever-recognizable “no sign” or some combination thereof, I apparently find it interesting and amusing how people are told not to do things.

For instance, in Bath, England it’s necessary to remind passersby not to dive into the murky brown waters of the River Avon…we’ve got a traditional no-sign and text (just in case the pictogram isn’t clear).

In Paris, however, they make due with universally understood pictograms crossed out by x’s…on the Arc de Triomphe, there’s no food, no public nudity (?!), no smoking, no camera tripods, and no mobile phones allowed. I think.

Whereas in Egypt, they just assume the universally understood language is English….there, each sign is unique, bold, and effectively placed, like this no entry sign (physically barring an entrance) at the Temple of Isis on the island of Philae.

When visiting Italy, I’d read that to gain entrance to many churches (and especially the Vatican), one had to dress respectfully…no bare legs and no bare shoulders…as explained in this sign posted regularly along the line-ups in St. Peter’s Square. I think it does a pretty good job demonstrating what is, and what isn’t, acceptable attire (though one might argue they’re advocating bare midriffs….or white belts):

….I also stumbled across an older version of the same sign. This one really just ought to be retired. Not only is it implying no bare legs and arms, but that no bare chests and bottoms are permitted either. Or is it?

And to make matters worse due to the signs’ age and wear, it now seems to indicate that one-legged women with no tops and short bottoms aren’t permitted either…nor are guys missing a piece of shoulder and wearing lederhosen.

Of all the photos I found, this one in Barbados takes the prize for “most complete”. It’s got both a danger sign and a pictogram of someone drowning, plus lots of text telling you what not to do, why, and what the consequences could be if you ignore the warning…to the sign-makers’ credit: it was a beautiful little cove that looked perfect for swimming…maybe there should have been more signs posted.

…Like in Niagara Falls, Ontario, where about every 10 feet you’re reminded not to hop any fences and plummet into the falls…they feature a custom pictogram (the fence depicted is an accurate representation of the fences all along the Niagara parkway), a standard no-sign, and the conveniently bilingual “danger”.