Nominated for the Liebster Award

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In case you don’t know, the Liebster Award is an online award given to bloggers by other bloggers.  It helps introduce new blogs to a wider audience and increase their exposure.  I was thrilled when I was nominated by Aneta over at Street Art Rat earlier this week.  Aneta puts up daily posts, sharing incredible street art around the world.  Her blog has inspired me to explore and search for urban art in the cities I’ve visited.

When I write and share my photos, I put a little bit of myself out there.  I don’t know how it’s going to be received by the world, so it’s always a great honor to know that people are following along and giving me feedback.  Thank you Aneta for reading and nominating us! Continue reading

Photo of the Week: Fairy tale

IMG_5180Hohenschwangau, Germany

Neuschwanstein, one of the most famous castle in Europe was built for the famously reclusive Ludwig II as a retreat.  This castle, was where the misunderstood Swan King withdrew into a fantasy world of his own creation. The romantic architecture combined with the idyllic surroundings evokes images of fairy tales, so it’s no surprise that it was the inspiration for Disney’s Sleeping Beauty castle.  This picture was taken from the nearby Marienbrücke where you can get the full view of the castle set against the clear lake.

Every week, I’ll share a photo with you from my adventures around the world and at home.  Most of my photos have little or no post processing.  If you would like to see more, please click the Follow button.

New York: Street Arts

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Kelsey Montague – Equality Lifts

I’ve taken pictures of street art and graffiti from all over the world, but I’ve yet to really explore the beautiful urban art in my own backyard.  Every time I walk around the city and see something interesting, I find myself without my trusty camera. Since I was stuck in the city last weekend,  I made it a point to go walking from the Lower East Side  to Soho,  a few areas known for its street art. Continue reading

Photo of the Week: Bedazzled

IMG_1169Bangkok, Thailand

For the last few weeks my sister has been traveling around Thailand, which makes me nostalgic for this great country.  I miss the friendly people, the cheap food, and of course the $2 foot massage.  

I went through my old photos and found this one taken at the dazzling Grand Palace in Bangkok. The palace is made up of numerous buildings, halls, and pavilions set around gardens and courtyards.  This was the royal residence for over 150 years.  These intricate golden Garuda and Naga grace the outside of the famous Temple of the Emerald Buddha.

Every week, I’ll share a photo with you from my adventures around the world and at home.  Most of my photos have little or no post processing.  If you would like to see more, please click the Follow button.

11 Things to do in Berlin

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With its unique history, Berlin is a city like no other.  A broke metropolis at the end of the First World War, Berlin began to thrive in the Twenties leading the way in avant-garde art, music and literature.  With Hitler’s rise to power, the city became the base for the Third Reich.  After the Second World War, Berlin found itself occupied by the Allies and embroiled in the Cold War. The city was further divided with the erection of the Berlin Wall that cut it through its heart. From a crumbling city after the Cold War, Berlin rose from its ashes as the Wall fell in 1989.  The iconic images of Berliners celebrating the reunification are famous around the world representing the dawn of a new era for Germany. Continue reading

Photo of the Week: In Flight

IMG_0641La Fortuna, Costa Rica

This picture of a hummingbird in flight was taken in the small village of La Fortuna in Costa Rica. This volcanic region is known for its tropical rainforest, beautiful waterfalls, and natural hot springs.  There is tons of wildlife in this fertile area, and walking around town you can see the humming birds buzzing around, feeding on the flowers.  

Every week, I’ll share a photo with you from my adventures around the world and at home.  Most of my photos have little or no post processing.  If you would like to see more, please click the Follow button.

Berlin: Street Arts

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Art critic Emilie Trice has called Berlin “the graffiti Mecca of the urban art world.”  In addition to the artwork of the East Side Gallery, Berlin is rich with lots of beautiful street art throughout the city. Everywhere you look—from the walls of buildings, to doorways and even garbage cans—you’ll find murals, stencils, paste-ups, and many other artistic experiments staring back at you. The colorful public art helps to brighten the cityscape and inspires Berliners and visitors. Evolving trends result in an evolving art scene.

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Photo of the Week: Repose

Pergamum (168)Pergamum, Turkey

Walking up the winding road we came upon the ruins of Pergamum, an ancient city that once rivaled that of Alexandria and Ephesus.  Perched atop a windswept mountain is the Theater of Pergamum, one of the steepest theaters in the world. We sat on the well-worn steps among the remnants of the forgotten city and were transported back to another time.

Every week, I’ll share a photo with you from my adventures around the world and at home.  Most of my photos have little or no post processing.  If you would like to see more, please click the Follow button.

Berlin: East Side Gallery

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I love street art. So when I was in Berlin, I couldn’t pass up a chance to explore the stirring art of East Side Gallery that has come to represent Germany’s turbulent history between East and West. This large open-air gallery is an international symbol of freedom. It is the longest remaining part of the Berlin Wall at 1.3 km long and located along the banks of the river Spree in Friedrichshain borough. After the Wall was brought down in 1989, artists came from around the world to transform the gray barriers into 105 paintings, each a testimony to victory of the human spirit. Continue reading

Berlin: Free Walking Tour

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The best way to explore a new city is always on foot.  Based on prior trips to Europe, I knew that Sandemans offers great walking tours.  So while in Berlin, we made it a point to reserve a spot on their FREE city tour.  The tour is the perfect introduction to Berlin and helps you orient yourself to navigate the city.  The tour is offered in English and Spanish at four different times daily, each one lasting about 2.5 hours. A lot of people sign up, so make sure you book in advance to ensure a space.  On our tour, about 100 people showed up and we were quickly divided into smaller groups of 20-30.

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