[photo credit: Visit Norway]
No-Frills Flying
Day Trip to Kutná Hora
Kutná Hora, a popular daytrip destination from Prague, was once a grand old city. Thanks to its bountiful silver mine, the city became the financial center of Bohemia and the site of the Royal Mint in the 14th century. However, when the silver ore ran dry, the city faded into history. Now it is more known for its architectural jewels like the unique Gothic cathedral and the interesting ‘bone church.
Photo of the Week: Abandoned
Red Hook, NY
On a photography excursion to Red Hook, I saw this old abandoned train. I had to climb in and take a picture of the inside. There was bright sunlight filtering through the windows creating a nice contrast against the grimy interior. Sometimes old broken things are full of character and beauty.
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.
14 Things to do in Prague
I am not going to lie, I waited a long time to visit Prague. I had heard so many good things about the city that it was a big disappointment when my first impression did not meet my expectations. It is true that everything there is as beautiful as the photographs, but something felt off. The thing was, I didn’t think I was the only one who felt conflicted by the city’s beauty and frustrated by the hoards of tourists that seem to be everywhere. I was overwhelmed by the vendors trying to make a few bucks off of a gullible visitor. I remembered being on the phone with Fausto on the first night telling him how let down I felt considering how excited I was about going there. The whole thing just didn’t feel authentic.
Photo of the Week: Love Story
Galway, Ireland
We came across this idyllic scene of an abbey nestled in the surrounding greenery that looked like something out of a painting on our drive across Ireland. Kylemore Castle in County Galway is a Benedictine monastery, home to a community of nuns who came here in 1920 after their abbey was destroyed in World War I. But before it became a monastery, it was the backdrop to an intriguing love story.
The year was 1849, Mitchell Henry and his new bride Margaret visited the wild Connemara on their honeymoon and fell in love with the place. Mitchell promised his wife that he would build their dream home there. The construction of the castle overlooking the lake took thirteen years to complete. The happy couple lived there with their nine children until 1875 when Margaret suddenly passed away from an illness contracted on their holiday in Egypt. She was only 45 at the time. Mitchell brought Margaret’s body back to Kylemore and laid her to rest in a mausoleum built on the abbey’s ground, but he was heartbroken and couldn’t bear to stay in their home any longer. When Mitchell Henry died in 1910, his ashes was brought back to Kylemore to be laid next to his love, in the place where they built their dream home and spent many happy years together.
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Prague: Climbing Towers
Prague is known as “the city of 100 spires” with its iconic skyline. While visiting, we fell in love with the cityscape and took every chance we could to climb to the top of those towers. I will admit, we climbed what you might call an excessive number of towers, but the view from each spire was unique and special in its own way. Below are a look at each one we climbed, and some of the pros and cons of each location. Also, as a bonus they are quite effective as Stairmasters, especially if you want to digest the giant plate of meat and beer that you have just consumed.
Photo of the Week: Notre Dame
Montreal, Quebec
As you know, last week we took a family road trip to Quebec for Thanksgiving. If you’ve ever been in a car with 6 people plus countless luggage for an eight hour drive, you’ll know it’s an effective torture method. Aside from the fact that my body was contorted into many weird positions, the trip was a success. We had a little too much food, but that’s to be expected on a Nguyen get-together. We also got to visit a few nice churches a long the way.
Notre-Dame is the famous basilica located in the heart of Old Montreal. The interior is filled with intricate wood carvings that would rival any European church. The altar is back lit with a deep blue light, creating contrast and drama to the elaborate design. The only drawback is that there is an admission fee of $5 to get in, which makes this feel less like a holy site and more like a tourist stop.
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.
Photo of the Week: Watercolor
Antalya, Turkey
Towards the end of our whirlwind trip around Turkey seven years ago, we visited the coastal city of Antalya, situated on western Mediterranean shore. The ancient city wraps around the harbor of the Gulf of Antalya. When the sun sets over the hazy blue mountain, it creates a breathtaking silhouette. I was lucky to be able to capture this special moment. From the cliff-top, the view looks like a watercolor painting.
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.
Catching Up
I can’t believe it’s fall already, where did the summer go? I have learned to love the fall season in New York, with the brisk air and colorful leaves. But with the change of season, comes the colder weather – which I am definitely not a fan of. This weekend is Canadian Thanksgiving, so I wanted to take a few minutes to reflect on our year so far. There are so many heartbreaking things going on in the world, and it makes me appreciate everything that I have and everyone in my life. Continue reading
Photo of the Week: Up in Smoke
Hanoi, Vietnam
Nearby Hoan Kiem Lake is the well preserved Temple of Literature founded in 1070 by Emperor Ly Thanh Tong as Vietnam’s first university. Now it is used as a temple, to honor Confucius and many of Vietnam’s finest scholars. It is not unusual to see students in their uniforms coming to the temple to pray for good grades.
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.
life after 9to5 
