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A Walk In Sibiu, Romania – Photo Essay #MySibiu Project

Standing on the Liar's Bridge we'll begin our walk!
The Lower City and the Upper combine perfectly in charm & character
Worship is a way of life here in Romania
Mosaics tell a vivid story
The Rainbow Row of Romania
Is this where the Romanian Hobbits live?
I wonder where this leads...
Colorful eyes are upon us!
Sunset on Liar's Bridge
Kiss! Kiss!
Beside the oldest pharmacy in the world!
My curious little friend
Bright colors...
And so much character...
Every home needs a cat!
Unique designs...
Doors that beckon to be opened.
And every successful walk should end with a nice glass of wine!

It only took about a minute before the city of Sibiu stole our hearts completely. The hidden alleys that whispered of secrets to be found. The charm of the village architecture and the kindness of the townspeople made Sibiu a place we will never forget.

We’d love to take you on a photo tour of the city we found completely enticing. Our visit to Sibiu came through the recommendation of other travelers (one of our best ways of finding new spots!). They all warned us that we would love Sibiu – and they were SO right! Chosen as the European Cultural Capital in 2007, Sibiu has a history of showing off her charms to the world – and with good reason.

There are so many reasons to visit. As you can see from the pictures, the town itself is uniquely beautiful and totally walkable. Restaurants in Sibiu provide excellent service and incredibly delicious food at a fraction of the price of many other European cities. Hotels cater to the foreign traveler by showing hospitality in many different languages. The museums of Sibiu bring history to life and are easily accessible (over 11 in the city and 9 which can be visited under a single ticket!).

The #MySibiu Project. It is refreshing to see travelers and bloggers so passionate about a place like Sibiu. Two bloggers from Sibiu – Tudor Popa and Razvan Pop created the project called #MySibiu to bring awareness of their hometown to bloggers from around the world. Razvan was our guide around the city and his knowledge of the historical area is astounding. Thanks to Tudor and Razvan, we will always have a spot in our hearts for the charm and kindness of Sibiu.

#MySibiu is a project implemented by AIOS and Imperator Travel and is financed by Sibiu Town Hall. Partner: Ibis Hotel.

Cinque Terre – The Odd Way Around

Along the wharf at Riomaggiore
Pick your favorite!
Docking in Riomaggiore
Even the little boats get in on the action
The wind in the sails...ahhh!
Even a restaurant carved into the rock!
This is a nice one...
So it this!
Clinging to the cliffs
Colorful homes
Next stop...Vernazza!
My favs!
Looking down the coast at the Cinque Terres
Smelling the sunscreen!
The colors of summer
A kayak counts as a boat, too!
Options by boat
All Aboard!!
Don't you just want to jump in?
AHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!

It’s hard to say much that’s bad about a place where every single view is “postcard-worthy” – that’s my indication of how beautiful a place is :-). Cinque Terre is a picturesque line of five waterfront villages just begging to be photographed from every angle. We choose a slightly different viewpoint on our visit. Arriving in La Spezia as most visitors do, we purchased the Cinque Terre Train and Bus pass for $12 euro. This allows unlimited train and bus transport between all 5 towns.

Perfect! We hopped on the train and headed for Monterossa al Mare, the charming village at the end of the Cinque Terre chain. Our plan was to walk the paths (many were closed due to recent earthquakes and storms) or take the train/bus and see all 5 towns. That was until we discovered the ferry service from Monterosso to all of the towns instead. The water was calling us…so blue it practically hurt your eyes…we really had no choice in the matter.

So began our discovery of the villages of Monterosso al Mare, Vernazza, Corniglia, Manarola, and Riomaggiore – the odd way around – by sea instead of by land. The day was perfect. Light winds, blue skies, and just warm enough to make the sea breezes feel incredible. Each place we stopped we had a chance to explore the village more carefully…which in our case meant scoping out the best gelateria, coldest vino bianco or seafood so fresh it tasted as though it was caught as I placed my order.

Seeing Cinque Terre from the sea gave us a completely different perspective. We were able to see things we couldn’t if we’d stayed on land. Watching children jump from amazing heights of rock into the clear water (yikes!) or seeing areas of the walking paths completely obliterated by the power of a landslide. Our final stop at Riomaggiore gave us the chance to climb to the highest points of any village and receive stunning views in return.

A magical day in Cinque Terre – the odd way around!

Fun with Fish – Tips For Rialto Fish Market, Venice

Fish Eyes everywhere! It’s the Rialto Fish Market – where you’ll find the freshest creatures straight from the Venetian Lagoon. Careful of that one – he’s got a mean set of teeth! And what on earth are those?? OMG! Those are snails and they’re wriggling around!

Definitely NOT for the faint of heart or nose (Cheryl was far away sipping an espresso by the canal – she said even the canal smelled better). The Rialto Fish Market is a tradition among Venetians, foodies, and photographers alike. Ink-stained squid, plump baby octopus, angry-looking shrimp, and even bags of perfect whelks compete for our euros.

Watching the locals haggle with the fishmongers was a treat. There was lots of gesturing and shouting before the tiny grandmother was finally happy with the quality of her purchase. The seafood is fresh and seasonal. You may see different varieties on each visit, but the variety is always top-notch.

If you’re a seafood lover like me, your mouth will be watering at the thought of tonight’s scampi with garlic sauce. I’ll just not think about the fact that I could have been looking into its eyes this morning.

Helpful hints of the Rialto Fish Market:

* Open Tuesday through Saturday

* Best time to visit is early in the mornings (opens around 6am) or just before siesta around 1pm

* Vaporetto stop is Rialto Mercato

* Look around carefully and you might see someone famous – some of the best chefs of Venice pick their restaurant’s own seafood personally

* The Rialto vegetable and fruit market is just next door. Perfect to pick up the side dishes for tonight’s dinner if you’re lucky enough to be cooking at home.

Follow the Rainbow in Burano, Italy – (Caution, May Need Sunglasses)

Famous for it’s beautiful lace, tapestries, and wildly colorful houses, Burano, Italy is a photographer’s dream! Just a 45 minute ride on the vaporetto from Venice’s Nuovo station and it feels as though you’ve stepped into a fresh palette of paints.

Enjoy!

Amsterdam’s Artis Royal Zoo – Faces Photo Gallery

Let’s go explore the FACES of the Artis Royal Zoo in Amsterdam!

Just a quick 10 minute tram ride from Dam Square, take a right at the enormous bronze eagle – and you’re in the middle of a enormous garden of fascinating animals. There is so much to see and do…or you can choose to do nothing at all as there are so many quiet places to just sit and be one with your surroundings. The full name of the zoo is Natura Artis Magistra, which means: nature is the teacher of art and science.

Of course for me it was all about taking pictures of the animals…capturing their awesome faces to share. And I wasn’t spoiled for choice. There are over 900 species of animals to see (and 36,000 plants and 200 species of trees!).

Lemurs, lions, meerkats, and wild dogs all play under the vast canopy of woods. Artis has been the Royal Zoo of Amsterdam for over 175 years. The park-like setting began as mere saplings, but now these huge trees are majestic reminders of the green heart of Amsterdam.

The Aquarium was my favorite part! It was as if I’d stepped back in time…the Main Hall soars high while the muted colors showcase the Amazonian rainforest and coral reef exhibits so well.

If you love butterflies – this is your heaven. The Butterfly Pavilion is the largest of its kind in the Netherlands, covering a thousand square meters and housing thousands of butterflies. Butterflies flitter through the air, settling briefly on flowers in the colorful borders along the walkways, where you can move freely. Twice a day, butterflies that have just crawled out of their cocoons are released into the pavilion.

The entrance fee of 19.95 EURO is covered by the I amsterdam card (we were comped two of these cards by Amsterdam Marketing Press & Media). If you’re planning for time, please give yourself at least 4 hours as there is SO much to see. To visit the planetarium, insectarium, historic aquarium, and butterfly pavilion could take all day and there are plenty of places to stop for a rest or to let the children play. If I lived in Amsterdam, I would have a year pass just so I could explore every inch of this magnificent haven. 🙂 Hope you enjoy the faces of the Artis Royal Zoo…

Under the Tuscan Moon!

Under the Tuscan Moon…

Under the Tuscan Moon! While the Tuscan Sun is pretty amazing, the moon is doing it’s best to steal the show.

Taken handheld with a Sony DSC-HX300 at full zoom…and just a little wobbly from the Chianti we just finished. 😉 There is nothing like a cloudless night in Tuscany!

It is so very quiet here in the country. Not another house anywhere nearby and at night the sky is spectacular. A tiny hilltown is far in the distance and you can only see three flickering lights from the ancient walls. We’ve hardly turned on the television at all while we’ve been house sitting because its just so much fun to watch nature’s show!

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