Travelogue: Isle of Skye

The Isle of Skye, or as the locals call it, The Misty Isle, is just off the northwestern coast of Scotland. Between London and Fort William lies one of the most scenic train rides in the world. Some call it the Deerstalker, so I was hardly surprised to see deers hurry away as the train thundered by, but still delighted at the sight of them. Fort William is the closest city on the mainland; you can take the famous Jacobite Steam Train from there to the little fishing village of Mallaig, where we had the best fish & chips of our entire trip. From there, you can either take the ferry over or you can drive around to Kyle of Lochalsh and cross the Skye bridge. 

As I'm writing this, I can't help but play back in my mind images from Skye that have been more or less ingrained into my mind, and my heart. The rolling hillsides, dotted with sheep; the beautiful lochs, and dramatic dips and curves in the landscape. The sound of rain and wind, the low-lying clouds that seem to stem out of the landscape itself. I was absolutely awestruck by the desolate beauty of the island, and the Scottish Highlands.

and here is one of my favourite photos of the island.

The Highlands is for romantics, and a little wild at heart perhaps. Just remember to bring your rain gear! 

Happy Friday! have an awesome weekend.

A few frames

Just a few frames from a day in Niagara-on-the-Lake, cycling down by the river. 

Happy August!

Roadside market

Old house in Queenston

Travelogue: Edinburgh

When I traveled to Scotland in May with M, I had an inkling that I would fall in love with the Scottish Highlands. After all, I've seen so many wonderful photos. But I had no idea that I would like Edinburgh so much. Emerging from the Waverley train station, we were immediately greeted by views of the Royal Mile. I thought, wow we are walking straight into history. The entire city seems to have been built with the exact same kind of stone, the kind that yellows a bit with age. There's something about old cities that I just love, I like knowing that the city did not tear something down just because it was over 50 years old.

Edinburgh felt like a city that aged well, and proudly! There was not a single sky scraper in sight. Throughout the few days we were there, it drizzled and sprinkled the kind of rain that Scotland seems to specialize in when it isn't pouring :) The sun made rare appearances. Because of that, afternoon cream tea stops felt especially lovely. 

Below is one of my favourite photos from the city, a look down a typical "close" off of the Royal Mile, which is a narrow alley. 

If you haven't been, plan a visit now. Please?

 

Cuba

We took a trip to Cuba in January, though the weather wasn't perfect, the trip was just what we needed - some rest and relaxation! We stayed at the Tyrp Cayo Coco, one of the 10 or so resorts on the island. Though the resort grounds were fine, I found the rooms themselves a bit dated. 


Our first trip to Cuba was 2 years ago, and we went to the island Cayo Largo, which was exactly how we pictured a Caribbean island - warm turquoise water, shallow sandbanks that you can walk out seemingly forever, white sands, and the kind of clear and strong sunshine you only get in the Caribbean. Apparently Ernest Hemingway fell in love with Cayo Guillermo back in the 60s, on the northeast tip of Cayo Coco, I think he should have visited Cayo Largo as well ;)

hotel lobby

some other beautiful island in the Caribbean

Cayo Largo

*Picture of me by M.

A little bit of Paris

on a wet wintery day, just because :)

wanderlust: New Zealand

I refer to New Zealand (lovingly of course) as the "Land of the Hobbits". Remember those dream-like landscapes from the Lord of the Rings Trilogy?


This photo below really shows the incredible landscape of the country. One day, I'm going to buy a one-way ticket heading to Wellington, and then spend an entire month exploring. 




Photo by kelpie1, via Flickr.

on the wall

First picture post. A while ago we decided to put up a wall collage of photos behind our sofa. After about 2 weeks of scouting and buying picture frames, posting 4 x 6 prints on the wall for positioning and 2 hours of putting nails on the wall and positioning, we're done! Our very first wall collage. 

Here is a look at each of the individual photos

street of athens

in paris

hanging out in the park

sunset in sorrento, italy

avignon

la tour eiffel

grand canal at night

lakeside

the louvre

damien rice concert

santorini

venice

alley in venice

Here is the final collage.