Lets go to Italy

If you enjoy travel, photography, adventure, trying new foods, seeing unique architecture or simply learning something new, then I think you will enjoy this series.  I have been fortunate to have the opportunity to travel extensively in Europe and I wanted to share that experience with you.  Enjoy and I hope this encourages you to explore new places and devote time to international travel.

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Italy  

While in Florence, my friends and I discovered a Fiat 500 driving tour that allowed us to drive the cars in and around the city.  The owner of the company was actually British and she was passionate about these little cars.  If you want to see a really cool website with an awesome example of quality branding, check out her site here. She owns 6 of the vintage 500's and would drive a lead car and speak to you through a headset that would broadcast into your car.  As you drove past landmarks she would tell you the history and significance of them.  The 500 is the Italians' answer to the Mini Cooper.  It's small, economical, basic, quirky and fun.  And these older ones can be finicky as well.  Of course, they are stick shifts and a treat to drive on narrow Italian streets. 

Let's go to Switzerland

Gruyéres, Switzerland

Gruyéres, SwitzerlandRiiiiicolaaaaa!  Yes, Ricola, the cough drop herbal remedy. That's what most people think when they see these guys with their alphorns.  Heck, I didn't even know what they were called until I went to Switzerland.  They were used for communication between villages in the alps.  Sometimes for people, sometimes for cattle. This is one of only two times I've ever seen them being used.  This is in the tiny town of Gruyéres.  This region in the alps is known for it's cheese and chocolate.  I ended up going on a tour of the cheese factory and it was very impressive.  The cows that they use for the milk roam the alps freely eating flowers, grass and herbs (some of the same herbs you find in Ricola).  This diet gives the cheese it's special flavor.  At the end of the tour they gave us 3 cheeses to try : each at a different stage of maturity.   It is definitely my favorite cheese.  Of course, every time I bite into a piece of it I remember the experience of being there.  I'm sure that plays into my love of this cheese.  At any rate, if you've never tried it, pick some up the next time you are in a good cheese shop. 
 

Norway

Bergen, Norway..........

The photo on the top is from Bergen, Norway a town on the western coast of Norway known for it's harbor and fish market and rich sea-trading heritage.  These buildings face the harbor and had some great weathered character to them and were anything but straight.  They all seemed to have a bit of a lean to them.  I liked the simplicity of the shapes and how they became a color study with the blue sky and the mountain of green trees in the background.  And the funny thing about the photo in the bottom is that it's from Epcot at Disney World.  They have a World Showcase area that highlights 10 different countries and Norway is one of them.  As soon as I saw these buildings I realized they were mimicking Bergen.  So to have some fun, I photographed the architecture from some of the countries in the showcase and I posted the images on Facebook.  I didn't say where I was but most people thought I was in Europe.  The architecture in the World Showcase is very believable.  I had German beer in "Germany" and ate French food in "France" and pretended, at least for the day, to be in Europe.

Mercedes-Benz Centre, Munich, Germany

This is an extremely cool building right off of the highway in Munich, Germany.  It serves as a museum and showroom for Mercedes-Benz.  It's a great way to display the cars to drivers passing by.  The structure looks more like a vending machine for cars or a glass house for massive Matchbox cars.  A smart move to effectively turn the building into a billboard.  Another great example of bold European design.

Most of my blog posts are personal photos that give you some insight to my travels.  I make my living by being an advertising, magazine, architectural, and corporate photographer in Indianapolis, IN.

Paris, France

Arc de Triomphe, Paris, France

  France was the first country in Europe I ever visited.  I was on a summer study abroad program with about 40 college students and, needless to say, we had an amazing time.  The experience definitely gave me the travel bug for Europe.  I told myself on the flight home from that trip that I would do it again.  And I have........several times.  These kinds of experiences can be life-changing on many levels.  This photo depicts the Arc de Triomphe in a triptych form.  The Arc was commissioned by Napoléon to commemorate his victory at the Battle of Austerlitz.  There are 12 converging boulevards which make for an interesting traffic situation and the view from the top of the Arc is awesome.  It's located on the Champs Elysees, probably the most famous street in Paris.

Ochsenbraterei tent at Oktoberfest, Munich, Germany

The annual Oktoberfest is going on in Munich, Germany as I type this and I'm really wanting to jump on a plane and take in the festivities.  This year marks the 200th anniversary of the event so you know there will be a big turnout.  If you ever have a chance to experience this event I highly recommend it.  It's the world's largest fair with upwards of 6 million people attending over a 16 day period.  This video is from the Ochsenbraterei tent where they serve Spaten beer.

Ireland

Dublin, Ireland

Dublin, Ireland

  This photo is taken in the Temple Bar district know for it's trendy and touristy nightlife scene, shops, galleries, theatre, cafe's, pubs and restaurants.  It's a great spot for live traditional music and dancing.  On several occasions in the pubs I would see a table of friends hanging out and all of a sudden one of the guys would break out into song.  He would sing loud enough for the others in the pub to hear and sometimes his friends would join in but oftentimes he would finish his verse all by himself.  And this wasn't when music was being played.  He would just belt out a tune acapella.  This was always amusing to me because I can't recall ever really seeing Americans do this back home, but it's very commonplace in Ireland.  I'm not sure how much of it was prompted by Guinness consumption or just a desire to sing.  It seems like I remember seeing this in other parts of Europe, but seemed more prevalent in Ireland.  It's a great country with lots of friendly people and it's entertaining to get around by car since they drive on the other side of the road.  And it's not as bad as you might think.  I managed to drive in Dublin without any problems and it's the best way to get around the country since they don't have an extensive train system.  And, yes, I thought the Guinness tasted better over there than here at home.  I had lunch one day in Galway and saw an older gentleman (probably pushing  80) come in and drink a pint of Guinness in about 4 minutes.