Reymon de Real PhotographyMIKRI VENETIA (Little Venice)
In the Greek island of Mykonos, a row of houses line up the waterfront with their balconies extending out to sea. These houses used to be the homes of the rich inhabitants of the island before they were converted into the shops, bars and restaurants that they are today. This part of the island is also known as Mikri Venetia or Little Venice due…
THE LONG WALK
Today the whole world watched a fairytale unfold as American girl Meghan Markle married her prince charming, Henry Charles Albert David fondly called by everyone as Prince Harry who is a member of the British Royal family. The wedding was held at the St. George’s Chapel inside the compound of the Windsor Castle and was broadcasted live for the whole world to see. Watching…
THE WINDMILLS OF MYKONOS
Aside from being known as Greece’s party island, Mykonos is also famous for its windmills which has become the iconic symbol of the island. When I visited Mykonos a few years ago, I hiked my way across town just so I can photograph these quintessential features of the island. The walk was a delightful experience passing through narrow alleys between whitewashed cubic stone homes…
UNDER THE TUSCAN RAIN
When I took these photographs, I was standing outside the ancient walls of San Gimignano in the Tuscany region of Italy with my shoes wet from the rain and my bones rattling from the cold. Deep inside I was wishing the sky was clear and the sun was at it’s late afternoon glow and bathing the rolling hills in golden light. Unfortunately it wasn’t…
THE AWAKENING OF HESPERIDES
If sunsets in Greece are always this beautiful, I am not surprised why Greeks wrote the most inspired, prolific and passionate pieces of literature ever written. Their curiosity and thirst for knowledge also resulted to contributions to science, mathematics, medicine, philosophy, law, art, mythology and theater to name a few. Greece is such a beautiful country with a rich heritage and a culture that…
MONOCHROMATIC PARIS
Paris is one of the most beautiful and romantic cities in the world and to capture in a photograph the very essence of this city is quite a challenge. I have an extensive collection of photographs from my last trip to the City of Lights but I’ve been struggling how to present them in a cohesive manner. I did notice a lot of street…
A NIGHT IN THE PIAZZA
The Piazza della Rotonda is a city square in the heart of Rome where the ancient Pantheon majestically stands. The square features a central fountain surrounded by shops and restaurants where one can leisurely sit, eat and people watch. When in Rome, I always stay in this neighborhood at a hotel just right behind the Pantheon because every major landmark is just a few…
HEART OF ROME
Friends of mine are currently touring Italy and browsing through their pictures brought back pleasant memories of my vacation to this exquisite country last year. I immediately revisited my photo bank of the trip and discovered a good number of photographs worth posting in this page. My trip brought me to Rome, Florence, Tuscany and Venice before flying to Spain for the second half…
PEGGY’S WINDOW
During my trip to Venice a few months ago, I visited the Peggy Guggenheim Collection to view her vast treasury of artwork ranging from Picasso and Metzinger to Dali and Brâncusi. The museum is a famous destination in Venice with its main entrance accessible through the Grand Canal. Peggy bought the Palazzo Venier dei Leoni, which is an 18th-century castle, in 1949 and started…
ANCIENT REFLECTIONS
The highlight of my trip to Granada, Spain was a visit to an ancient palace called The Alhambra. This gigantic complex of walls, palaces, courtyards, gardens and pools was created in the mid-13th century around the end of the Muslim rule in Spain. Alhambra literally translates “The Red (Female)” in reference to the red clay used for the construction of the buildings. The complex…
SILENCE
I enjoy taking photographs of empty spaces because I love the stillness and silence it projects…It may also be a reflection of my pensive and introvert personality…I had such a moment when I visited this empty bullfight arena in Palma de Mallorca, Spain…I was on a photography high shooting different sections of the building minus the noisy crowds filling the hallways during fight days…I enjoyed…
FADED BEAUTY
The Procuratie are three ancient buildings surrounding St. Mark’s Square in Venice and currently housing offices, souvenir and retail shops as well as restaurants including one of the oldest coffee shops in the world, the Florian. I took this photograph in one of the passageways of the Procuratie Vecchie, which is the oldest of the three buildings dating back to the 12th century. These…
GONDOLA SURPRISE
When in Venice, a gondola ride is quite inevitable…so during my trip to this floating city last October, I found myself sailing in one along this ancient city’s narrow canals. The sailing was smooth despite it being a tiny boat and was filled with pleasant surprises at every turn. Imagine my shock when in the middle of the tour the gondola glided out into…
ROME IN RUINS
The Palatine Hill in Rome is one of my favorite places to visit in the city. The whole place may be in ruins but it provides you an amazing picture of how great an empire Rome was centuries ago. On my first walk around this archeological heaven back in 2014, I was lucky to join a small guided tour with the most informed tour…
BRIDGE OF SIGHS
I always thought it was called the Bridge of Sighs because of the emotions it brought out of the viewers outside. However, I found out during my tour of the Doge’s Palace that it was called as such due to the emotions of the convicts crossing towards their prison cells seeing freedom for the last time…thus the sigh. The bridge is a key landmark in Venice…
TORO LAND
One thing I dislike about guided tours is when they take you to these little factories for product demos followed by desperate sales pitches. In Kusadasi we were taken to a rug factory, in Pompeii to a trinket shop and in Tuscany to a winery. Oftentimes, you are trapped with no choice but to patiently listen to the entire demo. Fortunately, my tour in…
MUSEO DE BELLAS ARTES DE GRANADA
The Museum of Fine Arts in Granada, Spain is housed inside the Carlos V Palace right beside the Alhambra, which was the main destination of my tour. The museum houses famous artworks such as The Allegory of Death by P. Toma and a painting of St. Francis of Assisi, which were both created during the 17th century. The photograph above was taken at the…
LA LUNA ROMANA
The full moon beautifully soared over the Altare della Patria or the National Monument to Victor Emmanuel II during my recent trip to the historic city of Rome. I took this photo just as I was turning on a corner while heading back to the hotel. I was hoping to photograph the moon above the Colosseum, however, the moon was way too high up…
MEMORIES OF CHILDHOOD
I grew up in a sleepy village called Mangagoy in the southeastern part of the Philippines where the sapphire ocean meets emerald forests. Every 19th of July, the village celebrates its “fiesta” (founding day) highlighted by the presence of a carnival, visiting from another part of the country, and offering every child’s dream ride…except for a carousel. I remember riding a ferris wheel, caterpillar, octopus…
GONDOLAS AND THE GRAND CANAL
The Grand Canal in Venice is rarely this deserted so when I noticed the absence of motorized boats with only two gondolas on the water, I immediately grabbed my phone and snapped this photo. This majestic waterway, seen here from the Rialto bridge, is usually busy with motorboats sailing in all directions while transporting locals and tourists to different sections of the city. On…
MOON OVER DUOMO
The moon was at its fullest during my last night in Florence, Italy and the sky was blanketed with a thin veil of clouds creating a magical atmosphere in this medieval city in the heart of Tuscany. I initially wished the sky was clearer but I realized the clouds provided a dramatic effect to the night sky for my photography. My hotel (Hotel Spadai) had a…
ALHAMBRA PALACE
I visited the ALHAMBRA palace and fortress complex in Granada, Andalusia, Spain during my recent trip to Europe. This palatial complex was constructed in AD 889 and then renovated and rebuilt by the Moorish emir Mohammed ben Al-Ahmar of the Emirate of Granada during the mid 13th century. Poets often refer to this palace as “a pearl set in emeralds” and UNESCO declared this a…
PONTE VECCHIO
The Ponte Vecchio is probably one of the most photographed bridges in Italy and I made sure I got my photo when I visited Florence about two weeks ago. This medieval bridge crosses the Arno River and was the only bridge in Florence that was not destroyed by the Germans when they retreated from the British liberators during the Second World War. The bridge…
FONTANA DI TREVI
When I visited Rome two years ago, the Trevi Fountain was closed for renovation and the pool was totally drained of water. Visitors were able to walk on a ledge above the pool for a photograph and some were even throwing coins into the empty pool. I took a number of photos but none were worthy of a feature on my page. Two weeks…
CASTELL DE BELLVER
This Gothic style castle on top of a hill in Palma de Mallorca, Spain is one of the few circular castles in the world and was built for King James II of Majorca during the 14th century. From the 18th to mid-20th century, the castle was turned into a political prison before it was eventually turned into a museum in 1932. The castle was…
VENICE…LIKE NO OTHER
A week ago I arrived in Venice with very high expectations having known so much about this Italian city from movies, books and magazines. This was my first trip to this romantic city and true to my expectations, I was bowled over by what I saw. I may have to mention my wonderful stay at the Baglioni Luna Hotel, which made the entire experience…
FIRENZE
I am currently in the enchanting city of Florence and I’ve never said wow so many times in my life. This city in the heart of Italy’s Tuscany region was once a powerful kingdom and a major trading point in Europe. The city is rich in culture and traditions as well as impressive architecture such as the Basilica of Saint Mary the Flower with…
ROMAN HOLIDAY
It’s great to be back in Rome…the weather is beautiful and the air crisp and comfortably chilly. I arrived here yesterday and immediately made the rounds of every tourist landmark featured in a travel book. A number of them were under clean up renovation the last time I was here so it’s good to finally see them minus the scaffoldings. Fortunately, my hotel is…
THE SIREN
This photograph reminded me of sirens in Greek mythology known to lure poor sailors to their doom using their enchanting voices. In the case of this siren, she was too busy taking selfies for her Facebook profile thereby saving the souls of a few lonely sailors. I took this photograph in Mykonos, Greece at the section of the town referred to as Little Venice….
CASTEL SANT’ANGELO
The Castle of the Holy Angel in Rome, Italy was originally built as the mausoleum for the Roman emperor Hadrian and his family as well as for the emperors who eventually succeeded him. The place has been looted centuries ago so the urns of the emperors have never been recovered. Eventually, the castle became a fortress for the popes before being converted into the…
CHANDELIER MANDALA
The opulence of the Château de Versailles in Paris, France can never be captured in a photograph. One has to be there to experience the luxury and lavishness of the place and understand the kind of lifestyle the French royals once lived. I found myself exploring one of the many rooms of the palace when my vision got diverted into a heavily decorated ceiling…
SUNSETS ON CRUISES
I never anticipated I would enjoy cruising considering my first experience was quite an unpleasant one. However, despite my nauseating initiation into cruisedom three years ago, I eventually learned to love it and have been on five cruises so far and looking forward to my sixth in a few months. The photo above was taken on the top deck of the Celebrity Reflection during…
ROMA DI NOTTE
My first night in Rome was spent leisurely exploring the city and visiting famous landmarks close to my hotel. Fortunately, I was staying right behind the Pantheon so almost every landmark was just within walking distance. My steps took me to the Piazza Navona and the Trevi Fountain, the Spanish Steps and the Piazza del Popolo and all the way to the Victor Emmanuel…
PARIS IN PINK
The elegant and sophisticated city of Paris was my home for a week in the summer of 2015. It was my first trip to the French capital and I made sure to visit every major Parisian landmark during my stay. On my first few hours in the city, I visited the Arc de Triomphe and the Eiffel Tower as both monuments were just a few…
FIRST YEAR ANNIVERSARY/ FONTAINE DE TOURNY
Today, I decided to feature my cover photo on this post to celebrate my page’s first year anniversary. This photo of the Fontaine de Tourny was taken during my trip to Quebec City, Canada in 2013. I love how the statues glisten under the fountain while the water carelessly sprinkles all around them. This has been an amazing twelve months since I launched my…
FONTANA DEI QUATTRO FIUMI
The Fountain of the Four Rivers created by Gian Lorenzo Bernini in 1651 is the centerpiece of Piazza Navona in Rome, Italy. This was the second major landmark I visited in Rome after the Pantheon, which was right behind my hotel. This impressive work of art represents the four major rivers of the four continents where the pope had supreme religious authority. These rivers…
AYASOFYA
The Hagia Sophia (Ayasofya in Turkish), which means Holy Wisdom, is a grand piece of architecture that beautifully defines the Istanbul skyline. According to our tour guide, it was originally an Orthodox church which was turned into a mosque and eventually converted into a museum. It was truly a humbling experience to stand before this ancient wonder and be able to walk along its…
EYEing LONDON
During my trip to London last year, I made sure a ride on the London Eye was part of the itinerary as I wanted to photograph the city from above. I booked their “Champagne Experience” assuming there would be fewer people as it costs more and probably no kids due to the alcohol thereby allowing me to move around freely and take photographs from…
ISTANBUL
The great city of Istanbul has recently been a victim of unnecessary violence resulting to a wasteful loss of innocent lives. However, I do not wish to dwell on this negative incident but instead focus on what is positive about this mesmerizing city. I visited this mystical metropolis two years ago on a cruise and had the best trip of my life. The colorful…
HALL OF MIRRORS
The Hall of Mirrors in the Palace of Versailles was constructed in 1678 during the reign of King Louis XIV of France. It is the central gallery of the palace and features 17 mirror-clad arches reflecting the palace gardens from the 17 windows across the hall. When I took this photograph, I wished the entire hall was empty although the chances of achieving that…
FIERY SKIES
One of my favorite photography subjects is the sunset as it always bring out a multitude of rich colors creating a kaleidoscopic sky that can inspire the lover, artist, writer, poet and dreamer in each one of us…or in my case, the photographer in me. The beauty of a sunset is further magnified by the presence of cloud formations as they add depth and…
WINDSOR CASTLE
The Windsor Castle is the largest and oldest occupied castle in the world and it’s where Queen Elizabeth spends most of her private weekends. The castle has been the family home to British kings and queens for over 1,000 years. During my visit to Windsor the queen was not around, which is signaled by the Royal Standard flag flying from the castle’s Round Tower….
ROCKS OF AGES
The Stonehenge was created by a culture that did not leave any written record so every assumption about this ancient structure is debatable. During my visit to this famous site, our tour guide mentioned that this was once the site of musical concerts…made me wonder how many seasons of Stonehenge Idol ran on this site. People also say that a visit to Stonehenge is…
ISLAND OF THE WINDS
The island of Mykonos in Greece is famously referred to as the island of the winds but in Greek mythology, it is also known as the location of the great battle between Zeus and the Titans as well as the site where Hercules killed the giants after luring them out of Mount Olympus. I visited Mykonos two years ago and fell in love with this…
FLAMME DE LA LIBERTÉ
The Flame of Libety Memorial in Paris, France is a replica of the flame on the torch of the Statue of Liberty in New York City. It is common knowledge that the Statue of Liberty is a gift from the people of France to the people of the United States of America. On the other hand, this memorial is actually a gift from International…
FORUM MAGNUM
The Forum Magnum, popularly known as the Roman Forum, was the heart of ancient Rome where commercial and political activities were once celebrated. Today, all that remain are the ruins of ancient buildings that once stood proudly around this historic square. I took this photo during a guided tour of the complex and I fortunately made the right decision to join one as it…
