We had headed up to Brugge from Brussels on the Saturday after returning from Berlin…walked around the main Place(plass) ourselves (Wade, his aunt, cousin and myself), and then met up with Andy for an evening private tour(scheduled in advance). From rapt statues, canals, reflections, architecture, odd signs, and windmills we got a taste of everything through sunset. What a great way to see Brugge! The next morning we walked around as the city awoke, and took our final clicks and then headed off to the next stop on #WEeurovacay…for now, let’s look back, En Brugge.

So I give you Wolfsburg, Volkswagen – ad infinitum…

next up, En Brugge…

…and well, ate chocolate…because, Belgium…

…missed Brussels Pride (we went to Brugge that weekend…it’s early there I guess?)…it would have been fun…but great to see an international city getting ready…

And, of course…Grand Place…

…and did I mention Starbucks?! yes…there was Cafe Americano…

…and chocolate sculptures and chocolate elephants…

…and well, it’s Europe…so really cool architecture, courtyards, fountains & churches…

Brussels was really cool, even if we only got to visit a small part…the people were all wonderful, and everything was so fun, just to walk down the street…until we see you again…to Bruxelles with love, xoxo…

Ah, Paris! City of Love…served as bookends for our 2017 European adventure: #WEeurovacay.

We flew roundtrip to Paris, hitting the classics the Eiffel Tower, Notre Dame, Latin Quarter, and Arc de Triomphe.

We partook all – croissants & a cafe au lait, to croque madame (or monsieur if you prefer). Not to mention eight Euro Coca Cola’s – yes, Paris may be the city of love – at a premium price. Well, noone will ever mistake it for a bargain city, that is for sure. Nonetheless, it is spectacular. I will have to make it back sometime, and expand beyond the classics.

Anywho, we started at the Le Derby Alma Hotel where we had this lovely room with a view of Le Tour Eiffel (aka The Eiffel Tower). After our long flight we walked around the neighborhood before we could check in…later followed by a nice nap.

After our nap it was time to take a ride…to the top, Le Tour! We had 5pm reservations – and it was a gorgeous day. Views were far and wide. From the modern city skyline, to the pander for future Olympiad, to the River Siene.

…Later in the evening, we continued to enjoy the view from the ground…

The next evening, we took the high speed train to Brussels. Before that, we squeezed in Notre Dame, and a stroll through the Latin Quarter…

…Fast forward through the rest of #WEeurovacay, and we are back in Paris, this time just off the Champs-Élysées by the Arc de Triomphe…so much we have soaked in thus far (in blogs to come)…but Paris, is the perfect end to a perfect trip…innovation, fashion, culture, croissants…and really big traffic circles…

Au revoir Paris…le sigh…

“Wowie” aside, the sunsets were gorgeously divine, the vistas, beyond scenic, the coffee, so smooth, the water so clear, and the sun so warm…I could go on and on, it was paradise. Mom and I stayed at Lahaina Shores – I highly recommend – the town is super cute, and the hotel/condo is right on the beach, you practically fall into the ocean when you step out the back doors…

It seemed everywhere I turned, the frame was post card perfection – the sunsets – so stunning. A not so funny thing happen to my shots for most of the trip – I somehow(don’t laugh!) got a piece of hair caught up in the camera between the mirror and the sensor, ruining several shots – but perhaps, it was meant to be. It certainly made it easy to pass over the shots where a blurry line cut the scene in half. Where I could, I cropped around. Where I couldn’t I moved onto the next frame…sigh, you would think checking the images everyday, I would have figured this out quicker, rather than ruining 3 days? Oh well! Que sera, sera! as they say…

Even whilst the unfortunate technical difficulties, I think I was able to record some of the beauty that surrounded us, 360 degrees…sunsets, to black lava beaches…all the way around the island, here’s a taste…Note – even the old trashed out cars, are pretty – I guess that’s what happens in paradise!

[miniflickr photoset_id=”72157623088025371″]

Flick set – http://www.flickr.com/photos/emswazzu/sets/72157623088025371/show/
no flash? – see the set here

This is notable as, my mom lives in Fresno, and I fly into Fresno-Yosemite International airport when I visit, lol…literally she lived about 90 miles…yet we hadn’t made it up there on my visits until now…

We went and had lunch at the lodge…a few images from our trek…and oh my, the high road is really curvy!

Altogether, a gorgeous day!

~Elisa

However, I found this one quite interesting…that is when I wasn’t (pleasantly) distracted by my date……….

But we will leave that for another time perhaps…

Movies…I really have gotten out of the habit of going in the last couple years…but I do love them…

Even bad movies have value. I love the escape, the far off locations…it is a bit like a 2hour vacation every time. Fantasy, comedy, drama, action…pure escape…bigger than life. It envelopes you…

Colin’s character, in this film, did not appreciate the gloriously historic surroundings…though everyone else in the movie did…but then, he was but an inept hitman who really just wanted to get a pint and get laid…

I am not sure he ever got the second…sadly. Clearly, his character was not of his own clear charms(I mean how sexy is that Irish accent!?)…

Anywho, I would give this film *** stars…not the best, but very intriguing in its characters…definitley a character piece, not anything epic, nor earthshattering…but interesting and quirky…and oft times quite amusing.

Ralph Fiennes comes in for last portion of the film…so funny…these hit men almost have a heart…but then, not really? Or do they?

Anyways…my message? Go to the movies. They are the cheapest vacation you will ever go on!

http://imdb.com/title/tt0780536/
http://movies.yahoo.com/movie/1809826831/info
http://www.cinematical.com/2008/01/18/sundance-review-in-bruges/