Someplace New & Someplace Familiar

My next travel adventure will take me to someplace new (Croatia) and someplace familiar (Italy). This trip will be extra special because it will be my sister's first trip to Europe.  I have always wanted to show her why I love to travel to Europe and finally convinced her to take this trip with me. This will also be brother-in-law's first trip to Europe.  It will be fun to be a part of their first experiences traveling to Europe. Of course for me every trip feels like the "first time"!

When I started planning this trip, I made sure that a visit to one of my most favorite cities in Europe, Venice, Italy is included in the itinerary.  It will be our first stop on this trip!  I can almost taste the gelato, pasta and prosecco already. 🍷

At night when all the hoards of day tripping tourists have left, the few of us who remain, can witness what truly makes Venice so unique and beautiful.

Countdown has begun.  Stay tuned!

Saturday's PhotoHunting: Veritical

A few verticals from some of the most romantic cities I've visited.

Venice

Paris

Tuscany (Siena)

Rome

Seville

Positano

Happy Valentines Day Everyone! 

To see more PhotoHunters, you can visit Gattina's Keyhole Pictures website HERE!  

Saturday's PhotoHunting: What is Peace & Tranquility for Me

Surprisingly, this week's theme was a bit of a challenge for me.  But the more I thought about it, the more I realized that there are two primary forms of peace and tranquility for me.

First, my faith gives me great comfort and inner peace.  In this photo, I experienced a very peaceful and beautiful moment while lighting four candles at the Santa Maria della Salute Church in Venice, Italy.  

Second, being out in nature (especially when there is the sound of water nearby) is what gives me an outer sense of peace and tranquility.  I experienced a lot of tranquility on the Isle of Skye in Scotland. :)

To see more PhotoHunters, you can visit Gattina's Kehole Pictures website HERE!  

Saturday's PhotoHunting: Architecture (Building)

 From the top . . .

From a bridge . . .

From the side . . .

Looking up . . .

And during mass . . .

From all points of view, the Maria della Salute Church in Venice, Italy has my heart!

To see more PhotoHunters, you can visit Gattina's Kehole Pictures website HERE!  

Saturday's PhotoHunting: Something Yellow

Yellow is a fun and happy color. It's one of my favorites.  So in doing this week's photohunt it was a challenge to just find one or two photos. So what the heck.  Here is my collection of several random things that are yellow. :)

First from the Kadawe in Berlin, Germany, yellow can be found on things that we love to eat.

From right here at home, yellow can be found on things we wear and want to highlight.

Sometimes they pop up near places that we walk/run.

They show us where to eat . . .

In Venice, Italy yellow is quite helpful in showing us where to go.   

And finally from the island of Burano, one of my absolute favorite is how yellow can make even our hanging laundry look good!

To see more PhotoHunters, you can visit Gattina's Kehole Pictures website HERE!  

Saturday's PhotoHunting: Water

For this week's theme, I give you beautiful Venice!

Venice is a city filled with small and narrow calles (streets) and surrounded by water and century old buildings.  there are beautiful canals that winds through her like poetry in motion. ~ Trekcapri (Venice Rediscovered)

To see more PhotoHunters, you can visit Gattina's Kehole Pictures website HERE!  

 

Saturday's PhotoHunting: Shopping

Shopping at the Rialto Market in Venice, Italy was one of the highlights of my trip in 2007 and here are a few photos to show you why . . .

To see more PhotoHunters, you can visit Gattina's Kehole Pictures website HERE!  

Saturday's PhotoHunting: Famous Places

Some people have asked me.  From all the places that I've been to, what is the one famous place that I would recommend in Europe as a "must" visit?  My answer, Venice, Italy!  No if's, no buts, no maybe's.

From the moment you make that turn onto the Grand Canal on Vaporetto # 1 and see Venice in all of her glory for the first time . . .

To the intimate campos and people . . .

To the winding canals and bridges . . . .

To the amazing architecture . . .

And to the beautiful churches, the history and the artwork . . . .

Venice simply has it all!  It is the most amazing, beautiful, glorious, intimate, one of a kind and famous place in the world. 

For more on Venice, you need to check out my blogging friend, Annie's Churches in Venice Blog.  It's a beautiful blog with lots of details, interesting historical information and beautiful photos on Venice.

To see more PhotoHunters, you can visit Gattina's Kehole Pictures website HERE!  

ABC Wednesday: H is for . . .

 ~ HAPPY ~

I took these two photos at the Rialto Market in Venice, Italy.  Everyone in the photos look so happy. But who can blame them.  If I was in Venice, I'd be very happy too! 

To see more members, see Denise Nesbitt's ABC WEDNESDAY website HERE. 

PhotoHunt: Two

I've posted this photo before but I just couldn't help using it again for this week's theme. There are two riders on this small boat cruising along the Grand Canal in Venice, Italy. 

And I think we all know who is in charge here. :)

To see more PhotoHunters, you can visit Tnchick's website HERE!

Scheduled Post

Thank you so much for visiting my PhotoHunt post this week.  I am currently en route to Rome so this is a scheduled post.  I am not sure if I will have consistent internet access while in Italy, so I have scheduled the next 3 PhotoHunt posts just in case I am not able to post them manually.   

I should have some internet service during the trip and I am looking forwarding to seeing everyone's take on these upcoming themes.

I have a feeling that my first Live Post from Rome should be coming up today . . .  :)

PhotoHunt: Greasy

I kind of like the slicked down greasy look  . . .

I took this photo in beautiful Venice, Italy.  I started out trying to capture the huddled group of Italian police standing in the middle of the magnificent San Marco Square, because the image looked interesting to me.

But as you can see here, we all know what my "focus" ended up being. :) 

To see more PhotoHunters, you can visit Tnchick's website HERE!

PhotoHunt: Square

An almost square sign for the Church of Santa Maria Maddalena positioned below a not so square Fondamenta De La Maddalena sign . . . but located on a few perfectly square white stones in Venice, Italy. 

To my surprise, I had a difficult time finding photos with perfectly shaped squares in them. Thankfully, I went to my Italy library and voila...

See more PhotoHunters HERE!

PhotoHunt: Silhouette

The Silhouette of beautiful palazzos, gondolas and boats set against the backdrop of the most spectacular sunset!  And now I'm craving a nice glass (or two) of prosecco! :)

 



See more PhotoHunters HERE!

PhotoHunt: Standing

A great way to go from one side of the famous Grand Canal in Venice, Italy to the other is by a transport called a Traghetto (which means Ferry in Italian). 

Here is a Traghetto transporting a few standing customers to the Pescaria Traghetto stop.

See more PhotoHunters HERE!