travel photography: oahu, hawaii

There isn’t too much to do, in my opinion on Oahu, outside of the tourist sites and shopping, so the only other hobby one can enjoy is definitely photography. The funny thing is, I walked in and out of a dozen wall art stores and wondered how the photographers painted photos with extreme colors. Meaning, I felt most of the photographs were color enhanced.

Last night, while I walked back from the pre-wedding dinner get together, along the beach, back to my hotel, I actually were able to capture photographs, with seemingly enhanced colors. I didn’t touch up any of my photos, but was proud that I was able to capture, such colorful photography.

{photos are the property of http://www.rawsilkandsaffron.wordpress.com please ask if you wish to borrow}

boutique hotel pick – casa angelia – amalfi coast, italy

Now that vacation planning is in full swing and perhaps even late in getting some great deals, I decided it’s time to talk boutique hotel picks.

Every year, I imagine a romantic getaway and although I stick to Paris as my safe haven, I can’t help but think of exotic coastal retreats to spend a romantic week.

One place, which I’ve frequented quite often in my lifetime is the Amalfi Coast and with it, I have fallen in love with many properties to spend six nights/seven days. For that thought and of course a romantic destination recommend, I suggest Casa Angelia.

this weeks inspiration: paris or bust

Here I go again. Mid April and I am itching to take my annual trip to Paris. And although 2013 has already started on the wrong foot or note or page, I am determined to squeeze my trip to Paris, one way or another.

day 2 – travel journal – day trip to roma, italy

There is no way for me to travel through Italy without stopping in Rome, even if it’s just for a day. So, while plotting out this year’s trip abroad, I decided to make Firenze (Florence) my base and take day trips via TrainItalia to Rome, Venice, Pisa and hopefully Verona (will see how that goes).

We took an early morning train (7:00 a.m .to be precise ) from Firenze S.M.N. station and arrived in Roma Termini within 2 hours. Upon our arrival we wasted no time taking our walking tour of the city.  The point to remember is that, the suggested independent walking tour  is not recommended for a first time visit to Rome, it’s just intended for people like me who have been to Rome  a dozen times but just can’t get enough

So, in our case, we started the walking tour with:

a stop at Vittorio Emanuele II Monument to pay our respects to the tomb of the unknown soldier

then we walked  down the steps from Basilica Santa Maria Maggiore – which is located directly next to the Monument

and right next to those steps, we climbed the steps leading to the Capitolini Hill Museums

to get a glimpse of the Forum located directly behind the museums

we rested in the shade just  long enough to drink water and down a bag of peanut  M&Ms,  and then headed to Piazza Navona, a place very dear to my heart

near Piazza Navona we had the best fresh fruit gelato popsicles 4Euros can buy. Well  I had three

from Navona we hop skipped over to the Forum and hid inside from the noon heat and muggy weather

after a good rest inside the Forum, we  walked through a cobblestone alleyway to the Trevi Fountain and ended up standing underneath umbrellas while we waited out the ten minute downpour.

lunch in a near by restaurant to rest our weary feet and refuel our souls

then on to the spanish steps and a brisk walk through the neighboring streets adorned with designer boutiques. Oh how I love this neighborhood

after an espresso and a biscotti, we climbed the Spanish steps to find Villa Borghese and Villa Medici and the surrounding gardens.

by seven in the evening we trekked back to the train station while passing by the Colosseum – best time to see it is at dusk

The entire trip took us twelve hours on foot, with an hour break for lunch and one hour rest break at the Spanish Steps. The train ride back to Florence was priceless since we napped the entire time . Tomorrow Venice – see you then

{photos are the property of http://www.rawsilkandsaffron.wordpress.com and may not be used without permission}

day 1 – travel journal – firenze, italy arrival

Day 1: We arrived in Florence city center late Sunday afternoon to torrential downpour and thunder storm and after checking into our hotel, decided to immediately tour the city on foot, just long enough to wean ourselves from the jet lag.

Along the way and in between the downpour, we experienced the following:

Waffle sandwich filled with hot nutella – yummy

A peak of the Duomo

A taste of Firenze chocolat and nugats

Ornate architecture

Breath taking view of ponte vecchio with a film scene on the lawn

A canteloupe gelato break – a must 

Fountains and statues in piazza della signoria 

{Photos are the property of http://www.rawsilkandsaffron.wordpress.com and may not be used without permission}

boutique hotel pick – hotel yountville – napa valley, california

I realize that most hotels I picked in the past  are ones I want to escape to outside of the US, but I had forgotten about the ones I don’t mind escaping to even for the weekend and those I want to recommend to my foreign followers.

I don’t need to sell Napa valley to anyone visiting the great state of California, but I do want to remind those not familiar with the region, Yountville is the place to consider when choosing a hotel to stay in,  while visiting one of my favorite wine regions in the world – Napa Valley. Lucky for me it’s in my back yard.  The hotel is called   Hotel Yountville, and is ideally located almost in the center of Napa Valley. There are several restaurants to choose from for your dining pleasure and plenty of shops and boutiques and an outlet to keep you busy. There is also a golf course directly across the freeway from Yountville for those not interested in indulging in our California wines.

While in Yountville, be sure to dine at my favorite eatery,  Bottega Ristorante owned by Chef Michael Chiarello to experience some of the finest old world Italian dining.

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how to avoid over exposure from the sun while vacationing in the french riviera

We humans are conditioned to be careful as to how much time we spend in the sun on a daily basis. Now although the sun is good for us, in small doses, it is also damaging in more ways than one.  I happen to worship the sun and while vacationing in the French Riviera,  I must say, I have a difficult time staying indoors.

So to avoid over exposure, while still enjoying the sunshine, I normally spend the middle of the day (when the UV Rays  are the most damaging) walking through the backroads of the towns aligning the coast. Typically the backroads are (mostly) in the shade because of the narrow alleyway-like streets and the closeness of the buildings facing each other on either side of those “street”.

This combination, not only makes for the best hideaway from the sun,  but also gives me a chance to cool down naturally while enjoying the scenery.  Oh silly me.

Here are some of my favorite (touched up) photos of our treks through the backroads of the French Riviera.

Ventimiglia – France-Italy Border

Ventimiglia, Italy-France Border

St. Tropez, French Riviera

Cannes, French Riviera

Monte Carlo, French Riviera

Monaco, French Riviera

Nice, French Riviera

Nice, French Riviera

Nice-Ville, French Riviera

Nice-Ville, French Riviera

Saint Raphael, French Riviera

Nice, French Riviera

take me here and here and here

Oh, Summer is approaching so quickly  and while my other half and I continue to discuss our annual vacation plans, I cannot help but wish I could go to:

The Italian Coast

The Greek Isles

My beautiful Paris

The French Countryside

boutique hotel pick – tharroe of mykonos, greece

Right about now, exactly right now, I am seeing myself in a far away place, where I could nap alongside the pool, or sit on a lounge chair on the balcony of my suite and watch the world go by and just maybe make an effort to leave the hotel just to experience the nightlife on the island of Mykonos, Greece.

To make this happen, I have to include one of my favorite hotels on Mykonos – Tharroe Of Mykonos, to set the stage for one of the most relaxing holidays/vacations imaginable.  BTW this would make a wonderful Mother’s Day gift:

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shifting gears to travel

By the beginning of April I am planning my next trip to (mostly) Europe. However, as we know it, the wedding got in the way  But after taking a few days to recover I am now  mentally prepared to plan a trip. The problem is there are too many places I want to visit this year and not enough time to accomplish my goal, so while I click my way through the internet for ideas, I can’t help but include some of my favorite staircases around Europe from here to inspire me to make a choice:

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