September was a whirlwind of airplanes, trains, boats, buses, cars and globetrotting. I left PDX on the first and landed in Ireland, on the 2nd. After a quick city glimpse and a Guinness in Dublin, I boarded the National Geographic Orion. It whisked us off to a week of exploring the coastal villages and isles of Wales and England in true National Geographic style.
The most photographed of all the Georgian doors in Dublin
The Library at Trinity College, Dublin, Ireland
The Library at Trinity College, Dublin, Ireland, Europe
Our first stop in Wales at the lovely seaside town of Llandudno
Llandudno, Wales, Europe
We spent the afternoon exploring Conway Castle
Hiking along the Pembrokeshire Coast, Fishguard, Wales
St. David’s Cathedral in Fishguard, Wales
Bodnant Gardens, Llandundo, Wales
Bodnant Gardens, Llandundo, Wales
The town of Fowey, England
Dartmouth Castle, England
Delta’s new non-stop service from London’s Heathrow airport got me home to Portland in time to do my laundry, repack, say hi to my family, and complete a photo shoot for Travel Oregon before my next flight to British Columbia for a National Geographic Travel feature story on Vancouver. There I spent 6 days exploring the food scene, hiking in the rain forest, and rediscovering one of North America’s most vibrant, and one of my favorite, cities.
Photographing kayakers in False Creek, Vancouver, B.C. Yes – I had to wear lifesaving gear in the form of a onesy.
Photographing on top of the aerial tram at Grouse Mountain, Vancouver, British Columbia
BTS at 49th Parallel Coffee in Vancouver, B.C.
On September 18 I landed in Bordeaux, France, to rendezvous with my husband. We had rented a beautiful apartment directly on the quai where we could take endless walks after dinner to admire la Place de la Bourse and the Miroir d’eau at dusk. Bordeaux still seems refreshingly undiscovered. From there we also took a train day trip to St. Emilion, one of the finest wine producing regions in the world.
People enjoying a sunny afternoon and an art installation at Place de la Bourse, Bourdeaux, France.
The Chartrons neighborhood, Bordeaux, France
The view of the Garonne River from our fabulous apartment in Bordeaux, France.
The Miroir d’eau at Place de la Bourse, Bordeaux
Porte Cailhau, Bordeaux
Men sitting outside the landmark 14-16th century Gothic Church, Basilica of St. Michael, Bordeaux
The flea market at Place Meynard with Basilica St. Michael in the backgound, Bordeaux
Fresh fish at the Marché des Capucins, Bordeaux, France
Chocolate Shoes! These are 100% chocolate and are made by Cadiot-Badie, a chocolate shop that has been making confections since 1826 in Bordeaux.
The wine shop, L’Intendant, Bordeaux, France
Le Miroir d’eau at Place de la Bourse in Bordeaux during the blue hour.
The train station in St. Émilion, France
The grapes are ripe at Chateau Ausone in Saint Emilion, Bordeaux, France.
Grapes at Chateau Ausone, Saint-Émilion, Bordeaux, France
The view of the town from the bell tower of the monolithic church in St. Émilion, Bordeaux, France
Saint-Émilion has been designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The vineyards date back to the Romans, as early as the 2nd century.
After several days of eating our way through the markets and cafes in Bordeaux, we took an EasyJet to Venice. There we caught up with some curators and other folks associated with my show at the European Cultural Center at the 2017 Venice Biennale. We had rented an authentically Venetian apartment directly on the Grand Canal. The building had once housed a Doge and has a very beautiful, private courtyard, making for a quiet stay on a very busy waterway.
The private courtyard entrance to our apartment on the Grand Canal, Venice, Italy
The view at bluehour from the Ponte dell’Accademia, Venice, Italy
Classic Venice!
Basilica San Marco as the crowds assemble for the day, Venice, Italy
The view from the Bell Tower at San Marco, Venice
Caffé Florian in San Marco, established in 1720, is still a beautiful place to dine.
Even the nuns are taking selfies at San Marco.
The Bridge of Sighs, Venice, Italy
My favorite part of the trip was exploring Venice without a guide. The clothes hanging out to dry remind me so much of the photos of the Tibetan prayer flags at Everest Base Camp.
The magic hour on a small canal, Venice, Italy.
Deep fried artichokes at Gam Gam Kosher Restaurant just outside the Jewish Ghetto, Venice, Italy
Cicchetti at Cantina Do Mori, located near the Venice Fish Market. Cantina Do Mori was founded in 1462 and remains a fantastic place for a glass of wine and cicchetti.
The wines on display at Cantina Do Mori, a Venetian institution.
My head is still spinning from jet lag, but already I’m looking forward to heading to Washington D.C. on Sunday, then on to Maui where I’ll be based for 4 weeks.
Merci, Mille Grazie, Mahalo nui loa, and thank you for visiting my blog!
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