10.07.2026
It's always fun to cross a place off my bucket list! We've seen a lot of Spain but I've always wanted to see the City of Arts & Sciences in Valencia. I'm sure the rest of the city is beautiful, too, but strictly from a photography point of view, this place was on my list. And, it did not disappoint! We went close to sunset and then again close to sunrise. Both times provided beautiful light and reflections. Designed by architects Santiago Calatrava and Felix Candela, the complex consists of several buildings and structures, including the Palace of Arts, which includes the Opera House, and the recognizable L'Hemisferic, which houses a planetarium, laserium, and IMAX cinema. It's a very interesting place offering loads of photo opportunities, and I'm so glad I finally got to see it!
Shona
01.07.2026
Part of our visit to Cyprus included crossing the border in to Northern Cyprus. This area is only recognized by Turkey and is officially known as the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus. After gaining independence from the UK in 1960, the island suffered from fighting between Turkish and Greek Cypriots. After an attempt by Greece to annex the complete island, Turkey invaded and captured the northern third of the island. There is a buffer zone between the 2 sides, manged by the UN, with part of the border going through the city of Nicosia. The northern side relies on Turkey for economic support in addition to the tourists who cross over out of curiosity. We quite liked the other side, there was a lot of interesting street art, and some historic sites, including a mosque which was converted from an old cathedral. If you're in the city, it's definitely worth spending some money at the shops and restaurants.
Shona
27.06.2026
Another country ticked off the bucket list - Cyprus! The original plan was to go for longer and rent a car to see more of the country but, as you all know, life has a way of upending your plans. We still managed to spend a few days exploring the capital city, Nicosia, as well as Larnaca, which sits on the southeast coast of the country . We also crossed the border into Northern Cyprus but more on that later. Nicosia wasn't crowded with tourists at all, and we found it quite interesting, especially for street photography. We even managed to find another modern art gallery, which was free! The city has been continuously inhabited for over 4500 years, so there's plenty to interest history buffs, too.
Larnaca is a really nice port city on the Mediterranean Sea. It also has a rich history but people mostly go for beach vacations. There are tons of restaurants and shops and a nice, albeit short promenade along the beach. They're doing a lot of construction to improve the tourist areas and it's going to be really nice when it's all finished. If you need a break from the beach, there's the 9th-century St Lazarus Church, the 12th-century, Medieval fortress, and the Zenobia Wreck for divers.
All in all, we found Cyprus a very pleasant place to visit. People were really friendly and it was a nice mix of things to see and do.
Shona
21.06.2026
26 years after our first big trip to Europe together, we found ourselves back in Vienna for a couple of days. 26 years, yikes! They say you can never go back, and I suppose that's true, but we still enjoyed seeing this beautiful city again. We attempted to recreate a walking tour we did back in 2000 but, in the heat, we quickly decided to just wander around and try to avoid the crowds. We also visited one of their modern art museums, The Albertina, which had some interesting work by Austrian artists, in addition to some other well known artists. Oh, and, of course, we celebrated our wedding anniversary with the most famous Wiener Schnitzel in the world!
Shona
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