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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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….

OF LIGHTHOUSE AND SEA OATS

I have always been fascinated by these rice looking grasses growing along the shorelines of South Florida beaches and love how they turn gold during the summer reminding me of rice fields back in the Philippines during the harvest season.  I recently learned that this grass is named sea oats and is mostly found in the southeastern United States from Virginia to Florida. I…

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…

NEW YORK TWILIGHT

I’m in New York City for the weekend for some touristy stuff thus my missing a photo post or two for a few days now.  Yesterday, I revisited the top of the Rockefeller Center to photograph the NYC sunset. After lining up for ages, walking through a labyrinth of walls and riding the speedy elevator to the 67th floor…I finally made it to the…

THE WALL

The thick walls of the Fort San Cristobal in San Juan, Puerto Rico protected this former Spanish settlement for centuries from foreign invaders.  This once military complex is now a museum under the United States National Park Services and is one of the most visited heritage sites in Old San Juan.  Last February, the Eastern Caribbean cruise I was on made a brief stop…

VENETIAN CAUSEWAY

I took this photo 5 years ago the day I bought a tripod camera stand and just a few weeks after I bought my first DSLR camera. A friend joined me for a photo walk of our neighborhood to play with our new cameras when we found ourselves on the Venetian Causeway, a bridgeway which connects mainland Miami through the Venetian Isles composed of…

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…

THE LIGHTHOUSE

While cruising out of Nassau, Bahamas, our ship sailed past Paradise Island before heading out for the Atlantic Ocean towards our final destination. At the tip of the island before the open ocean was a lighthouse standing in solitude as if sadly bidding  us goodbye at the same time wishing us a safe sail home. Upon further research, I discovered its name as Paradise…

MORADA BAY

Morada Bay Beach Cafe in Islamorada, Florida was a pitstop during my drive home from a weekend of fun and sun in the island of Key West. This restaurant, which was highly recommended by a coworker, does not only serve delicious meals…it also offers a breathtaking view of the bay from your table. The tables, chairs and umbrellas are painted with bright colors providing…

SUMMER SOLSTICE

Summer has finally arrived and what better way to present it than a beautiful sunset on a tropical island in South Florida.  This photograph was taken during the last few minutes of sunset just as the sun was about to take a bow before diving deep into the warm waters of the Gulf of Mexico. It was also great to capture the golden lights…

KEY WEST

If you are looking for white sandy beaches, colorful coral reefs, breathtaking sunsets, rich culture, top rate dining and laid-back island vibe…then Key West, Florida is a must visit for you. The adventure begins when you drive down from Miami through the Overseas Highway passing through hundreds of islands home to amazing nature reserves. The long and slow drive ends in the island of…

SUNSET WEDDING

A wedding is a beautiful celebration of life and love and is probably one of the most unforgettable moments in every couple’s life. I witnessed one this weekend as the ceremony was right below my room’s balcony, which had a great view of the resort’s beachfront. The wedding was celebrated just as the sun was setting in the horizon providing  a spectacular backdrop and…

PIER AT THE REACH

I am currently in Key West, Florida for the weekend for some sun, surf and munch. I was a little worried that the weather would be horrible as we just had a tropical storm a few days ago. Thankfully, the Sunshine State lived up to it’s name and blasted this island with lots of sunshine and some nasty humidity.  Key West is the southernmost…

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…

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…

LIVIN’ ON THE EDGE

In the Greek island of Santorini, low-lying and colorful cubical buildings cling on the side of the remnant of a volcanic caldera hundreds of feet above sea level providing an unobstructed view of the Aegean Sea.  The island also boasts of  its beautiful sunsets and due to the layout of the buildings, you get a front seat view of the sunset anywhere you sit….

LA ISLA BONITA

The island of Boracay in the Philippines is famous for its white sugary and powdery sand and has been awarded by multiple international travel magazines as one of the best beaches in the world. The movie Too Late The Hero starring Michael Caine and Henry Fonda was shot on this island in the 1970’s just as tourism was slowly coming in.  I visited this island…

LAZY DAYS

Lazy Days is actually the name of a seaside restaurant on the island of Islamorada, in the Florida Keys, where I took this photo after stopping by for lunch on my way to Key West. The restaurant’s balcony offers panoramic views of the beach and the ocean just like a scene from South Pacific. The Florida Keys is a chain of islands in the southern…

SUNNY MIAMI

The photo above was taken from the top deck of the Celebrity Reflection cruise ship before we sailed out of Miami for the Caribbean. This multicultural and dynamic city is known to the world for its sun, sea and surf lifestyle…although, there is more to Miami than that.  This megacity is also recognized as the cruising capital of the world and as the gateway…

ST. THOMAS SKYRIDE

The composition of this photo is very similar to those postcards they sell at souvenir shops that I personally think it looks kinda cheesy.😁  However, I didn’t take a lot of photos while at St. Thomas so you will have to bear with this one.  The St. Thomas Skyride is a $20 ride up a mountain on these scary looking cable cars and at…

CARIBBEAN SUNRISE

Midway through my cruise, I decided to wake up early one morning to witness and photograph the sun rising somewhere in the Caribbean Sea.  The ship was passing by a group of islands when suddenly a flock of sea birds started flying in front of the ship as if guiding it towards its destination. I moved to the front of the ship for a more…

EL MORRO

 The Castillo San Felipe del Morro, commonly known as “El Morro”, is a fort in the city of San Juan, Puerto Rico built in the 1500s to protect Spain’s access to the wealth of the New World. It is a masterpiece of military engineering designed to overwhelm and exhaust the enemy.  I took this photo from the top deck of the cruise ship as…

SURFIN’ SEA BIRD

   It’s day three of the cruise and we are still in the middle of the ocean, although, the captain promised we will be docking in San Juan, Puerto Rico in three hours.  I woke up this morning noticing dozens of sea birds flying alongside the cruise ship but did not see any island from my balcony. I immediately grabbed my camera and started…

SUNSET IN BORACAY 

 This photo was one of my few earlier attempts on disciplined photography.  I took this in 2009 using my iPhone during a trip to the island of Boracay in central Philippines. Boracay is famous for its powdery white sands and is even recognized by established travel magazines like Conde Nast as one of the best beaches in the world. It’s amazing how good the…

MORNING HAS BROKEN

 As the sun rises from the horizon each morning, it brings us the new hope of a better day filled with new opportunities and new adventures.   With the new year just a few days old, we ponder on what’s in store for us and at the same time make resolutions to make better decisions this year.  I am therefore posting this photo I…

2015: The Year That Was

Now that the year is about to end, I would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone for visiting my webpage and for encouraging me to push further on my hobby. I just launched this page last August 2015 and I am very pleased to have welcomed a number of new online friends who decided to follow my page. A lot of you…

PLANET CHORA

  With the Star Wars film hitting theaters just a few days ago, I thought this photo would be a nice tribute to one of my favorite films as this interesting looking building reminds me of one of their sets.  This is actually a church in the island of Mykonos (town is also called Chora) in Greece. I love the contrast between the blue sky…

IN THE STILL OF THE NIGHT

 This was my first attempt on night sky photography with the intention to capture as many stars as possible. I was staying at this resort in Key West and about close to midnight, I quietly positioned my camera along the beach hoping to capture something good. After reading a few night sky photography tips online, I pointed my camera into the darkness and kept…

THRILL OF SEASIDE DINING

  This is probably what one would literally consider as seaside dining…tables right by the water. I took this photo during my vacation in Mykonos, Greece on my way back to the town center after visiting its famous windmills. Deciding on taking a different route, I found myself in the shoreline with this breathtaking view of the sea and the town’s edge hanging on…

DINING WITH A VIEW

  Here is a view of Miami from across the bay at the Rusty Pelican Restaurant in the island of Key Biscayne. I took this photo just as the sun was setting and twilight slowly creeping in. People flock to this restaurant to dine and admire Miami’s beautiful skyline. The most coveted tables are the ones closest to the water where one can enjoy…

A BEAUTIFUL MOMENT

  This photo was taken during the last night of my Mediterranean cruise while the ship was slowly sailing back to Civitavechia, the cruise ship port of Rome.  I stood in my stateroom balcony, camera hanging around my neck, while watching the sunset transform the sky into this vibrant canvas of rich colors creating dramatic silhouettes to this flock of birds soaring toward a…

ANOTHER DAY IN PARADISE

This photo was taken during one of my weekend vacations in the enchanting island of Key West, Florida where you can witness one of the worlds most beautiful sunsets. At the end of each day, tourists flock at Mallory Square or aboard boat cruises out at sea in order to witness the famous sunset. This photo does not give justice to the breathtaking experience…

SANTORINI

  A trip to Santorini, Greece isn’t complete without witnessing the glorious sunset while sipping a glass of wine in one of the hundreds of restaurants dotting the town’s famous cliffside. Imagine my disappointment during my visit when rolling clouds shrouded the famous sunset.  Although after reviewing my photos, I think the clouds may have added some drama to the scenery by diffusing the…

KATO MILI

The island of Mykonos in the South Aegean Sea is dotted by these beautiful windmills locally referred to as “Kato Mili”. These windmills were built by the Venetians around the 16th century to mill flour and now serve as home to locals. My cruise around the Mediterranean stopped at Chora, Mykonos where these windmills are located.  As soon as we docked I immediately jumped…