REBOOTING MY HEART ON THE CÔTE D'AZUR

I decided to return to the south of France for the first time since studying there in college. My time there was one of the happiest and most memorable in my life; I woke up each day under deep blue Côte D’Azur skies and had the great fortune of meeting so many lovely people from all over the world at my language school. We shared an old apartment in Vieux Nice and spent the majority of our afternoons hanging out at L’Opéra Plage after class or hopping on a bus or train to explore the coast.

I was so grateful for the chance to go back and fall in love all over again.

All photographs shot on Kodak Tri-X with my first SLR, a Canon Rebel 2000 that came with me to Nice in college.

EXPLORING SANTIAGO WITH NERUDA

It wasn't until long after I moved to New York that I was introduced to the poetry of Pablo Neruda. As a lifelong Francophile, my literary interests always led me elsewhere - and honestly, I was a little intimidated by the thought of traveling to South America. But when I saw a good opportunity to head to Santiago for a long winter weekend, I packed my swimsuit and summer dresses and left my snowboots at home.

After an overnight flight through Atlanta, I checked in bright and early to the Crowne Plaza (thanks, IHG points!) and immediately set off to explore the nearby barrios - Lastarria and Bellavista. I was blown away by the street art and the people were so friendly. Plus, the street life was so vibrant — I found myself in the middle of a parade with dozens of marching bands from all across South America - Peru, Colombia, Ecuador and more!

One of the highlights of my trip was booking a guided photo walk through Foto Ruta Santiago. I met up with Cat, a local professional photographer, to explore street scenes off the beaten path. We met up at Centro Cultural Gabriela Mistral to explore the beautiful and imposing campus. Originally built to be the venue for the United Nations trade and development conference in 1972, it was repurposed by Pinochet's military junta as the center of operations for his defense ministry. Cat told me that to this day, people don't know the full story of all the terrible things planned within its walls. But now, it's been restored and reused as a beautiful cultural center at the heart of the city; we watched dozens of dance teams and musicians meet in its enclaves to practice.

Setting off from the center, we explored the back streets and alleyways of the city, checking out star attractions like the Mercado de Flores and Mercado Central along the way. I loved seeing the city through her eyes and hearing about her experience living there, and it's definitely an experience I'd recommend for any photographer - especially one traveling solo. Returning to my hotel afterwards, I was pleasantly exhausted and buzzing with stimulation, so grabbed my handy Neruda compendium and headed to the pool to relax and dream about my next trip back. Perhaps it should be to Valparaiso and the Pacific coast to see his houses at La Sebastiana and Isla Negra? Let's go!

All photos shot with either my Pentax 645N & Kodak Portra 400 or my iPhone.

WINTER IN AMSTERDAM

When the temperature reached 100+ heat index a couple of weeks ago, I asked a co-worker to help me figure out which of my photo sets to edit (He's a photographer too! Follow him on Instagram!). He smartly recommended something cold and refreshing and told me to stop being lazy at editing. Smart guy, that Andrew.

So I immediately thought of digging out my film from our trip to Amsterdam back in February of this year. I'm not sure if it's the power of suggestion or what, but editing the photos felt like a cool, refreshing project. Or maybe I was just experiencing heat delirium. Totally possible.

 

Anyway, I had a total blast exploring Amsterdam for the first time. The earliest spring bulbs were just starting to push up their shoots, and the days were so pleasant for going on brisk walks to sightsee, shop along the Nine Streets, and grab groceries at the Noordermarkt greenmarket. I stayed in an old house in the Jordaan, originally built in the 1600's as the home and storefront of a baker, and found a whole lineup of spots, in case you're interested:

  • Record Shopping: Flesch. Waxwell. Distortion.

  • Brown Cafes / Pubs: Cafe Chris, where Rembrandt used to take his pints. In De Wildeman for European beer connoisseurs.

  • Delicious Eats: Bar Brandstof for deliciously fresh salads and sandwiches. MAZZO for hip Italian and pizzas. Salmuera for creative ceviche dishes and South American tapas. 5&33 for cocktails and fresh, inventive Mediterranean (Don't miss the rotating modern art exhibits in the basement gallery! I saw Milette Raat's wonderful solo show, and I guess Banksy is exhibiting now?!)

  • Fun Activities: Foam for modern photography in a lovingly restored modernist canal townhouse. Heineken Music Hall, where we got treated to our first Massive Attack show and some legendary acoustics.

And of course - the walking. I found Amsterdam INFINITELY beautiful with all its rings of canals. It was such a simple pleasure to take my camera out for walks and capture all the ways the sun lights up the city. The layout of the streets in the center city just begs to be wandered, as it's always a little unclear in which cardinal direction you're headed. Plus, all the exercise is good justification for why you definitely should stop and get some famous french fries. The alternative wouldn't have anything to do with all the coffeeshops, now would it?

All photographs shot with a Mamiya C330f twin lens reflex & Mamiya Sekor 80mm lens.

FALLING IN LOVE WITH LUGANO

It's no secret that I'm a fanatic about great airfare deals. If there's one recommendation I have for those hoping to travel more, buy great airfares first, sort out the details later. It's easy to feel overwhelmed by all of the decisions that go into planning a trip, but that first step of buying a plane ticket is always the spark. 

A few years ago, I realized there are almost always great deals from NYC to Milan in November and December. While technically shoulder season, the weather in Milan proper can be unpredictable, but it's an ideal starting point for an array of wonderful excursions. Florence is three hours by train. The Cinque Terre coast is two and a half by car. The slopes of St. Moritz are just as close, as are the vineyards of Tuscany.

What caught my eye was a small town I didn't know much about in the south of Switzerland. Lugano sounded lovely, an Italian-speaking city in the canton of Ticino. Year round palm trees, towering Alps nearby, close enough to the glitz of Lake Como without being in the center of all the action? Count me in. 

 

Lugano has an interesting (and ancient) history. Scientists have found evidence of inhabitants all the way back to the Stone Age, and monuments that originate from the Etruscan and Celtic civilizations. The Romans came to Lugano in the first century BC, Napoleon conquered it as part of the Helvetic Republic, and then George Clooney colonized all of the nearby villas with an army of celebrities and billionaires.

History aside, I wasn't quite sure what to expect. After a couple of nights exploring Milan and a side trip up to St. Moritz on the incredible feat-of-railway-engineering Bernina Express, I departed Milan. As soon as the train left the city, we curved around to catch our first glimpse of Lake Como as the sun rose. The fog began to lift and the drizzle gave way to sunshine and beautiful blue reflections for miles. The ride was 90 minutes of jaw-dropping views.

Once in Lugano, I walked downhill from the train station and checked into the Hotel Federale where I'd booked the top floor double room, lured in by its wrap-around balcony and incredible vistas. The lake stretched out towards the horizon while the city sleepily woke up. Days of leisurely, long walks were in order, spectacular sunsets melting into the glacial abyss. Nightly strolls through the Christmas Market at the Piazza della Reforma were full of fairy lights and the intoxicating smells of mulled wine and cider. I stopped at sidewalk cafes to warm up with Italian coffee, indulged in gelato after shopping up and down the steep cobblestone streets, and rode the funicular to the top of Monte Bré for some of the most stunning views I've seen in all my years of travel. Baguettes at tiny boulangeries, obscene amounts of Rolf Beeler cheeses, and great Italian reds. I wouldn't have it any other way.

Lugano, I’ll be back someday.

All photographs shot with my Mamiya C330f & Mamiya Sekor 80mm lens. This gallery includes a selection of films, mostly Fuji Velvia and Kodak Ektar.

SOAKING UP THE SUN IN LISBON

Earlier this year, I headed with two college BFFs to Portugal! The three of us planned to intersect in Lisbon for an extra long weekend, head south to the Alentejo and Algarve coasts, and spend a couple of nights exploring the City of Seven Hills. The three of us are old pros at traveling together, and trips are always the best excuse to spend quality time together and ensure great hijinks. We've endured Italian rail strikes, held baby sea turtles in the Dominican Republic, crashed wedding parties in India, and hiked on Alaskan glaciers.

 

I don't know that any of us were quite sure what to expect from Lisbon, as the last minute logistics didn't allow for a lot of planning or reading up on the city and all it has to offer. But WOW, what a city. We stayed across the street from the Eduardo VII Park in a lovely part of town and explored so many neighborhoods: Bairro Alto, Alfama, Baixa, Chiado, Amoreiras.

Months later, I'm struck by the clarity and quality of light in Lisbon: those Mediterranean blues and yellows sing. The city is full of textures, too; the craftsmanship of the Azulejo tiling is just incredible, and I can’t get enough of the decorative cobblestone pavilions and bright colors everywhere. Architecturally, the vibe seems to sit right at the center of a wonderful melting pot of Roman, Moorish, and North African influence and ornament. Don't even get me started on the food and wine. Let's just say we probably wore out our welcome at Lost in Esplanada, and there are a now approximately one million more rooftop bars and design shops on our list.  

I'm excited to share the first set of images I have from the trip, and working on more! Happy travels and have a wonderful weekend!

All photos shot with my Pentax 645N & various medium format lenses. Kodak Portra 400.

MILEAGE RUNNING TO MADRID

Anyone who knows me well knows that during the last four years, I have picked up a bit of a habit. Thanks to a lot more business travel,  I've become slightly obsessed with points and miles. I can remember the exact moment it all began to spiral: on one particular trip to New Hampshire, one of the co-founders at my consulting firm asked me if I'd ever read The Points Guy. 

I subsequently stayed up half the night in disbelief. Open jaw flights? Same day turns? Maximizing stopovers? Credit cards with massive bonus point schemes? It was too much to take in. There were so many tips and tricks that I could hardly understand them, but the prospect of flying all over the world for cheap was tantalizing. The Points Guy was there to patiently explain everything through his FAQs and helpful posts. (TPG, you are an ENABLER!) 

 

Fast forward four years and hundreds of thousands of miles flown, I now follow a dozen or so travel blogs that constantly tip me off to new and interesting places. In November 2014, I spotted one such tip - unbelievably low business class airfare to Madrid, which was cheaper than what I typically see for coach! The only problem was that the flights flew in and out of Portland, Oregon. On the plus side, it would net me more than 20k MQMs and 35k miles. I pulled the trigger without hesitation.

I lined up a positioning flight (see? the words of an addict.) so that I could spend two nights in Portland - one on the way out and one on the way back - and a few days in the Spanish capital. And I spent a glorious few days in Madrid working in the mornings and then heading to the Prado and Reina Sofia for afternoons of inspiration. I wandered the streets late into the evenings and observed the famous Madrileño night owls in their natural habitat. I fell into a lovely rhythm of strong coffee, Spanish wine, and delicious tapas. I might have even had a siesta or two. 

My Hasselblad in tow, I hoped to capture just a taste of the culture and colorful street life I saw. Madrid, I promise I'll be back someday. Until then, hasta luego!

All photographs shot with my Hasselblad 501CM & Zeiss 80mm lens. This gallery includes a selection of films, including Fuji Velvia, Ilford Delta, and Kodak Portra.

Oh, and for those of you who care about such things, my itinerary went a little something like this:JFK > PDX (overnight) > AMS > CDG > MAD (3 nights) > AMS > LAX > PDX (overnight) > SLC > JFK