ICELAND + FRANCE ON FILM

Ciao, Amico!
Darren and I are flying off to Italy in 24 hours. In honor of the spirit of travel, I’ve curated a selection of my favorite images from the last time we were in Europe. Our whirlwind trip through Iceland and France was just that; an epic whirlwind. There were moments when we were moving so fast that I wasn’t able to fully appreciate what was in front of me and it made me realize my preferred style of travel…

…slowly and with intention.

Iceland was a dream that I wish I could push rewind on and just stand in that ‘this-isn’t-real-landscape’ again. It’s so cheesy to say I was pinching myself but I was, because honestly, H O W is this landscape real?!? To be totally honest, I wasn’t stoked on the Blue Lagoon. It was far too touristy, they capitalized on it and it made me very sad. But yes, I appreciated the soak after a long flight.

In France, we visited Paris, Lyon, Cannes, Cassis, and Nice with a day trip to Monaco. No one part of France stole my heart more than Nice. When I look at my archives of film from our time in Nice, it’s clear to me that I was entranced because I shot less than one roll. I hardly took any photos because I was mesmerized. I can also speak to the fact that I was exhausted during this point in our trip and just wanted to be in Nice. I let myself take it in and be visually and emotionally present with all that was the magic of Nice. I had the best gelato of my life in the courtyard outside our Airbnb; tomato basil gelato…I’ll never forget it and to taste it again would be a dream! So while I do not have regrets allowing myself to do that, I do wish I had more imagery of Nice besides speedo-clad French/Italian men who clearly live a life to be envious of. However, our roast chicken dinner in Lyon on a patio wedged in the skinniest cobble stone street imaginable with twinkling lights hovering over us still makes me cry. Un conte de fées…. (a fairy tale…). Those were the experiences on this adventure that I’ll cherish for always and strive for more of as we venture out into the world.

While we’re in Italy we’ll have one full week in Venice and a few days in Cinque Terre. A lot of people who have been to Venice often tell me “Oh, you’re going to get so bored in Venice.” To which my response is, “That’s my hope.”

I want to slowly walk, to eat all the food, drink all the wine, to watch all the boats and the cycle of the Grand Canal, to not rush from site to site…I want to be a Venetian in disguise. I think my Italian roots might help with that. ; )

Please enjoy this collection of film from our time in Iceland and France and you can bet an Italy post will soon follow. I’ll only be bringing my film cameras.

Andiamo in Italia!