Reinheim, Germany
So our introduction to Germany was bumpy to say the least. Our quick 1.5 hour flight from Venice to Frankfurt via Ryan Air turned into a twice aborted landing (the worst turbulence) only to land in Cologne (WHAT?!?) where they put us all on a bus back to Frankfurt for 3 hours and we got into the airport around 1am. Did I mention that as we landed in Cologne due to bad weather, a full rainbow taunted us as we got shuffled onto shuttle buses. (See below)
Lesson of the day? Never fly Ryan Air.
The next day we made our way to the city center where my cousin picked us up. Dad also made it out from California as we were staying with my aunt (his sister) so it was a lovely family affair.
A Slice of Italy
BY RICK ONORATO We blew through Italy on the high speed rail. Wish we had more time!
Check out Rick's Italy pictures on Flickr ! Find them HERE!
Italia from Nomadic-Habit on Vimeo.
Lido di Venezia | Venice Part 2
So in hopes of laying around on a beach for a day near Venice, we took the ferry to Lido to find our way to Alberoni Beach. According to what I had read, we were to expect golden sand stretches with sand dunes. Instead, we found a pretty desolate, trash ridden beach with derelict buildings along shore. Kind of interesting photographically, but not ideal for beach bumming it.
We ended up settling on laying out on the rocky jetty as our beach dreams were crushed.
Venezia, Italy | Part 1
Though Venice has all the makings of a tourist trap, there is still something quite beautiful and lovely about this city on water.
Firenze, Italy
Florence was our second stop in Italy and I've decided that Firenze sounds way better than Florence. What a cute town.
Also, glad we brought umbrellas on this trip.
Roma, Italy
Roma. Where the past is very much present. This was our first stop in Italy and the history at every corner is mind blowing. So is the food. Still dreaming of the Cacio e Pepe pasta dish and missing my "diet" of gelato three times a day. Such a big city calls for a plethora of pictures.
SLICE OF SOUTHERN FRANCE
BY RICK ONORATO Taking a spin around Southern France - Aix en Provence & Cassis.
Don't get dizzy.
Southern France from Nomadic-Habit on Vimeo.
Marseille, France
Our last two nights in France we spent in Marseille. Though we were both battling colds, we still made it out to see the sights. We stayed near Vieux-Port which is filled with outdoor cafés and docked sailboats you wish you owned. We stayed on land the first day and explored the Cathedral of Marseille. On the second day we hopped on a ferry to Château d'If & Port Frioul. Tip: If you head to Port Frioul, pack a picnic, blanket, and a bathing suit!
Les Calanques - Cassis, France
Took a drive down to Cassis to check out the amazing Calanques on the Mediterranean. I would have loved to have gone for a dip but the water wasn't quite summer ready. We also stopped by a local winery for a tasting because this region is known for their Rosés.
A calanque (from the Corsican and Occitan words of pre-Indo-European origin calanca (plural calanche in Corsican, calancas in Occitan) with meaning "inlet" ) is a steep-walled inlet, cove, or bay that is developed in limestone, dolomite, or other carbonate strata and found along the Mediterranean coast. A calanque is a steep-sided valley formed within karstic regions either by fluvial erosion or the collapse of the roof of a cave that has been subsequently partially submerged by a rise in sea level.
Montagne Sainte-Victoire
From our window here in Aix en Provence, Mont Sainte-Victoire is visible.Most notably known for being the subject of Cézanne's paintings (see below), we knew the mountain would be inspirational.
We took a drive around the mountain, stopped for a hike, and discovered vineyards at the foot of the mountain. Below is our route and all the inspiration the mountain poured into my camera.
Happy Birthday Léo !
Happy to be in Aix en Provence for my nephew's 7th birthday.Happy Birthday Léo!
Aix en Provence, France
This week we've been visiting my sister in Aix en Provence, France. It's beautiful.The streets are filled with outdoor cafés and cute shops. The proof is in the pictures.
SLICE OF BARCELONA
by RICK ONORATO First vid in the new 'Slice of Life' series — a visual travelogue aimed at giving a brief taste of a foreign destination. Shot & edited through a wanderer's eye. First up, Barcelona, with music captured from a Spanish street performer...
barcelona from Nomadic-Habit on Vimeo.
BARCELONA Part 2
Though it hailed (in MAY?!?!) and rained at the end of our Barcelona stay, we managed to get in some sun at Park Guëll.
BARCELONA PART 1
Once we made our way from NY > London > Madrid > Barcelona (finally!), we found ourselves in love with this gorgeous city. Our first two days in Barcelona looked like this... Complete with meeting up with my dear friend Traci who just happened to be visiting Barcelona at the same time. It's always nice to see a familiar face in foreign places.
One more day to explore. Park Güell here we come!
ODE / NYC
FOR THE LOVE OF PHOTOGRAPHY
Photography is somewhat of an addiction for me (ask Rick who often finds me "shooting" up and suffering from withdrawals at all hours of the day). I discovered photography on my own and then later discovered that my dad was a closet photographer. Growing up I remember him taking photos and lugging a VHS recorder all over the world during our travels, but I thought that's just what dads did. It was only later when I became interested in photography that I realized he had old camera gear from the gods and hundreds of slides with images from exotic places. Upon this discovery, I had started scanning his slides and realized... WE TAKE THE SAME PICTURES! Whether it's the subject matter, the composition, or the shapes, we were in each others photos. Did I really discover photography on my own? Did all the years of being around his camera rub off of me? Or did he give me the photography gene?
How could I best illustrate this visual connection? Perhaps by putting our images side by side. A year or so ago I made him a book that showed the beauty of this discovery. See a few of my favorite spreads below. Dad's photos on the left, mine on the right. Ironically, I will be visiting a few of the same locales in his images below — Myanmar, India, Nepal.
BABY NOMAD
I was bit by the nomadic bug (thanks parents) at age 2. This passport saw Helsinki, Singapore, Indonesia, Australia, just to name a few...
Hoping to collect many more stamps this time around (with a lot less motion sickness than I had as a child)
GOOD STUFF
by MARI JAMADI Wait, what about good stuff?
Rick is right, we actually need very little in our day to day and while preparing for this trip I became adept at purging all that felt expendable. (All the bad stuff). I chucked most of my possessions (good riddance) but found myself holding tight to certain items that embody some sort of nostalgia. (The good stuff).
Coming home to the house I grew up in, I am reminded that these walls are filled with both the good and bad stuff. Keeping up with the purging cycle, I've been helping my dad get rid of the extraneous tucked into all sorts of corners and drawers, only to discover so much good stuff! Collections of good stuff!
Now what? What do we keep? What do we toss? How do we determine where this stuff falls on the good/bad scale?
The irony is that while I am here purging everything to travel the world, all the good stuff my dad has acquired comes from exactly that- traveling the world.
So should we get rid of our bad stuff, acquire better stuff, in order to have only good stuff?