Psst. I'm Over Here.

The Mona Lisa is a victim of her own success. She lives in a basketball court-sized room behind green bulletproof glass, stanchioned off a dozen feet from her admirers. Visiting her was the most anticlimactic art experience I've ever had.

And it was fascinating. The room is large and packed with people. You can see her at the far end of the room as you enter but by the time you work your way through the crowd, the magic of the artwork has vanished. All you notice are the security measures and all of the humanity pressed against one another. Interestingly, it seems that most people feel the same way. As you collectively slink out of the Mona Lisa's basketball court, you want to make something good out of your famous art pilgrimage so you carefully investigate the artwork on the other walls. This further perplexes guests as they arrive to a room full of people looking at anything but the world's most famous piece of art. 

This photograph was captured with a Nikon D90.

Drogueries

The streets of Brussels are filled with great design. From the diverse architecture to the giant cartoon murals around every corner, Brussels is a visual delight. The typography of this local drugstore really caught my eye. Drugstores are often marked with the generic "Drogueries" in Belgium and France.

The Left Bank

The Golden Hour in Paris is a photographer's dream. There's not much to say about this photograph of the Left Bank other than it's a really nice way to remember Paris. 

This photograph was captured with a Canon PowerShot SD780 IS and edited in Adobe Lightroom.

Toro del Sol

The interior of Spain really surprised me with it's arid landscapes. And giant windmills. And huge bull cutouts. Much like the Mail Pouch Chew barn advertisements in America, the Osborne bull was a billboard for Osborne Sherry. The sherry dates back to 1772. The bull billboards date back to 1956. 

This photograph was captured with a Canon IXUS 30 after our other camera was stolen in Barcelona (I promise I'll tell that story some day). 

Positano

Positano is one of my favorite villages in Europe. The movie, Under the Tuscan Sun, tried hard to ruin it and certainly did introduce a whole lot more tourists from the UK and USA but it is still a fantastic place to spend a little downtime.

The beach is made up of giant pebbles (like in Nice), which is a totally different experience for those who are accustomed to sandy beaches. Laying on the beach can be like a hot stone session at a spa. There are bars and restaurants in caves and on mountaintops. There are even small castle-like watchtowers with giant fire pits on their roofs that were once used to warn neighboring villages of pirate attacks Lord of the Rings-style.

When we first visited back in 2001, nobody in town spoke English. In the post Under the Tuscan Sun era, every other local speaks at least some English so it's even more approachable now than ever. I'd still recommend learning a little Italian before setting off, though, the locals will certainly appreciate it.

The Louvre

There are three types of people in the world. People who love the pyramid addition to the Louvre, people who hate it and people who don't even know what I'm talking about. I never saw the Louvre before the pyramid but I have to admit that I like it!

This photograph was captured with a Nikon D90. 

Wine After Work

Go to a park in the United States and you're likely to find some empty beer cans down by the river. Go to a park in Paris — make that the park in Paris — and you find half-full bottles of wine sitting at the feet of famed statues. I'm not sure if this was the result of a 3-bottle picnic lunch that just couldn't be finished or if something more sinister was going on. What if it was an offering to the statue? I think this warrants a little more research...

This photograph was captured with a Nikon D90. 

Sunday Afternoon in the Park

Happy Valentines Day!

The Eiffel Tower seems like an appropriate photo to celebrate the occasion. Cheers to anybody fortunate enough to be opening up a bottle of wine and a picnic basket in this park today! 

This photograph was captured with a Nikon D90. 

Belgian Street Art

Belgium is highly under-appreciated on the world stage as a tourist destination.

Let me ask you a question. 

Do you like the following?

• Beer
• French Fries
• Waffles
• Chocolate
• Free bar snacks
• Public street art
• Comic books
• Waffles with chocolate while drinking a beer?

If you answered yes to any of those, add a visit to Belgium — Brussels (or Bruxelles) in particular — to your next European vacation because you will find all of the above at every corner. 

This photo is just one of a dozen buildings throughout Bruxelles that has been turned into a life-size comic book.

This photo was captured with a Canon PowerShot SD780 IS.

The Black Cat Smiles at Midnight

Brussels has a design aesthetic like no other. Take, for example this restaurant façade that looks more like a European playhouse than restaurant.