If the expression “a picture is worth a thousand words” is accurate, our travel photos should yield several novels worth of prose. Because between my husband and I, we usually arrive home with 3000+ photos from every trip. Which means sorting them can be a nightmare, not to mention where do you save them all, and under which categories?
While Henk is figuring out his version of the Dewey decimal system or equivalent for filing all our photos, I thought I would do something simpler, and actually share a few! So using the alphabet as my guide, here’s Part One of my personal ABC’s of travel memories. Enjoy:
A is for the ‘Ankh’ key in the hand of the caretaker who opened the door to Abu Simbel where I enjoyed 30 minutes of private time with Ramses II before the crowds arrived to admire his handiwork.
B is for an unexpected B&B in Pittsburg, whose decor was a quirky combination of Victoriana and the Bahamas. Affordable, too.
C is for Coffee Shops in Amsterdam, which serve cannabis, not coffee.
D is for Dulce di Lecce that I first tasted in Barcelona, a sweet treat that should not be missed, and found in everything from desserts to ice cream.
E is for Elephants and getting up close and personal with them in Tanzania.
F is for Finca Rosa Blanca in Costa Rica, still one of my all-time fave boutique hotels. Splurge for a night and stay in the Tower suite.
G is for the Giant’s Causeway in Northern Ireland, where basalt formations extend out into the ocean pointing you towards sister rocks on the Scottish shore.
H is for the Hadzabe people of Tanzania, who still live a hunter-gatherer existence like our ancestors did 10,000 years ago.
I is for Irish pubs that are older than Canada.
J is for Jamón Serrano, Spain’s version of prosciuttio that is usually served from its own stand for easier slicing. (I did this quick sketch of one in my journal when I ordered some in a cafe in Madrid)
K is for Kilometre 104, the whistle stop where you get off the train for a one-day hike on the Inca Trail into Machu Picchu.
L is for La Sagrada Familia in Barcelona, where it seems Dr. Seuss lived a previous life as Anton Gaudi. (okay, I’m kind of cheating using the ‘L’ not the ‘S’ for this one, but I make the rules here.)
M is for Mesa Verde, Colorado’s national park where cliff-dwellers built entire villages on the sides of cliffs. Why? Because that’s where water seeped through the rock and provided a secure water supply.
N is for Ngorongoro Crater in Tanzania, a self-contained eco-system so filled with wildlife it might as well be a bowl of Zoodles.
O is for Oh No! You’re going to have to wait for Part Two to see the rest of the alphabet…. in the meantime, I’ll bet you can fill out your own A to Z pretty quickly if you give it a shot.
TIP: Even though you may be taking thousands more photos now that you are capturing them digitally and not with film, ‘bit rot’ and other forms of digital mishaps can threaten those files. It’s always a good idea to back up your most precious images so you don’t lose them. Personally, I like to make photo books with Shutterfly so I have a tangible record to flip through, and there are plenty of services where you can do the same.
The photos are beautiful and your idea to use them alphabetically for a post is a terrific one to beat the occasional writers block. I’m particularly taken by the photo of La Sagrada Familia in Barcelona and can’t wait to do some reading on the story!
So glad you enjoyed it, Anita! Gaudi is definitely a fascinating artist and one that has intrigued me for years.
Great photos, thanks for sharing!
🙂 Thank you for reading it!
I love all of your photos and understand that it’s so hard to part with any! I love the photo of you and your husband and the bathroom in Costa Rica.
Thank you so much. And if you ever get a chance to stay in that hotel, it’s truly something else!
Great idea; great photography!!!
Thanks! Feel free to do it for yourself – it’s a great way to sort through all kinds of photos.
My fave is the elephant. Can’t wait to see the rest of the alphabet!
Thanks Carole! I’ll post the second half next week!
What a great way to show off some of the gazillion photos we now snap on every trip!
And I of course love the sketch of the Jamn Serrano – I’ll bet you you recall that moment in that Madrid caf better than many of the other moments ‘captured’ through your lens – using your eye for the aperture has been proven to be so much more effective when it comes to memories 😉
You’re absolutely right Linda! (which is why you do what you do!) Taking the time to invest in an experience that requires more than just snapping an iphone shot is much more rewarding and memorable than just a bunch of photos you can’t attach any real significance to. Photos should support your memories, not substitute for them.
Aloha! Loved the coffee shop window lettering and the hunter photos. Great shots, all. 🙂
Thanks, Betsy!
Great travel photos. I’m looking forward to part 2.
I’ll be posting it tomorrow, Donna!
Very nice idea. I hope you don’t mind if I copy it on my blog sometime—with a shout – out, of course. We need to try a Shutterfly book sometime.
I would love that, Suzanne! And yes, Shutterfly takes a little time to figure out like any interface, but I’m impressed with the quality of the output and love having a tangible book.
Great photos and a very clever post!
Thanks, Irene. Everyone could probably do the whole thing a few times – there’s so much inspiration out there!