Category Archives: Europe

Taking Flight for #FriFotos

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Last week, the theme for #FriFotos was FLIGHT. Finally I was able to share some of the photos I took from an airplane! I used to always want to sit in an aisle seat when flying, for easy access to the bathroom and to be able to stretch my legs. But, once I was seated at the window after a long-time of aisle-only seats, I saw that being by the window was fun – looking at landmarks, seeing the airport during take-off or landing, and spotting other planes in the sky.

Here are some of my photos from last Friday (May 30th). This week’s theme is colorful, so get your photos ready to post on Friday, June 5, 2015!

Aer Lingus planes in Dublin.

Aer Lingus planes in Dublin.

This bird is taking a break from flying and resting on the Manhattan Beach Pier.

Resting on the Manhattan Beach Pier, January 2015.

Resting on the Manhattan Beach Pier, January 2015.

Here is a view from my seat flying from San Diego up to San Francisco. Whenever I fly up the California coast, I try to sit in a window seat on the right side of the plane.

IMG_1788

Flying San Diego to San Francisco in October, 2013.

Leaving Los Angeles (LAX) and going east across the country, most planes bank to the south and then fly over the Palos Verdes peninsula. It was a beautifully clear day in December when I took this photo (en route to Newark).

IMG_5537

Beautiful view of the Palos Verdes peninsula. Torrance, Redondo Beach, Hermosa Beach and Manhattan Beach – the “South Bay” are just up the coast.

Arriving into Los Angeles, the approach is from the east. Here, as the sun sets, you can see downtown LA in the distance and the beautiful mountains.

Approaching LAX, December 2014.

Approaching LAX, December 2014.

One of my happiest views from an airplane is when we fly to Hawaii, especially when we visit Kauai, our favorite island. Even though it was overcast and rainy the day we landed, we were excited to return for a relaxing stay.

Arriving into Kauai, December 2013.

Arriving into Kauai, December 2013.

Do you have any fun photos from your flights?

New to #FriFotos? Here’s a quick guide on the rules by Jeffrey Epstein.

#FriFotos was started on 15 October 2010 by Jonathan Epstein (@EpsteinTravels). Jonathan is the President and Owner of Celebrated Experiences, a company focusing on travel to the UK and Ireland. He is passionate about photography, his favorite hobby. Each week Jonathan cohosts #FriFotos with Stephanie Diehl (@TravelDesigned), Charles Yap (@CharlesYap), and Spencer Spellman (@SpencerSpellman). Jeffrey Epstein (@jeffreyinmotion), CEO of HBIM was a key advisor in the creation of #FriFotos and continues to assist in the Forum’s growth and success.

Morning Walk: Salamanca

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It is hard to believe that a month ago today, my Insights Vacations tour of Amazing Spain and Portugal was coming to an end. Our group arrived in the late afternoon to Salamanca and checked in to the beautiful Hotel Alameda Palace. We all went on a treasure-hunt type walk of the city, looking for figures on some of the city’s buildings and were then on our own for dinner.

Hotel Alameda Palace in Salamanca.

Hotel Alameda Palace in Salamanca seen in the early morning.

When I woke the next day, I could see the early morning light casting a beautiful glow on some of the buildings from my hotel room window. I decided to quickly pack my bags and head out for a walk through the city before breakfast and our departure shortly thereafter.

The pedestrian streets were empty – it seemed that no one except for the street cleaners and trash collectors were out, so I was able to walk quickly through the streets trying to capture some golden light on the buildings and churches.

Golden morning light makes the top of this Salamanca church glow.

Golden morning light makes the top of this Salamanca church glow.

I probably needed to be outside the old city boundary in order to see the sun encasing the buildings in light, as walking within the old town, only the very tops of the structures were lit. It was still fun to walk around on my own and see the buildings with no crowds in front of them, unlike our walk the day before when it seemed like everyone was out enjoying the beautiful night.

The street in front of our hotel had a building lit by the sun.
The street in front of our hotel had a building lit by the sun.
The cathedral is so big that it was hard to fit the top of it in the frame.
The cathedral is so big that it was hard to fit the top of it in the frame.
The white design on this building was simple and beautiful.
The white design on this building was simple and beautiful.
An empty street leading to the cathedral.
An empty street leading to the cathedral.
At this intersection, you have to look up at the buildings.
At this intersection, you have to look up at the buildings.
Plaza Mayor. It was empty in the morning but full of people the night before.
Plaza Mayor. It was empty in the morning but full of people the night before.

The Church of San Juan de Sahagun was just down Calle Toro and could be seen from my hotel, with its spire brilliantly lit by the morning sun.

Salamanca church full

Church of San Juan de Sahagun in Salamanca, Spain.

After walking through the empty Plaza Mayor, I came to this street with two prominent buildings that made you look up to the sky to see their detail – the Iglesia de la Clerecia and the Casa de las Conchas, both had a beautiful orange glow thanks to the morning sun.

Salamanca churches red

On the left is Iglesia de la Clerecia and on the right you see the Casa de las Conchas.

The new cathedral in Salamanca is a massive late Gothic and Baroque structure completed between the 16th and 18th centuries. It took forever to walk around the perimeter of the building to see if it was open this early in the morning. Sadly, it was closed until 10:00 am, well after our bus would be departing. The previous night, we arrived shortly after it closed but we saw people walking along the top of the building – it must be a beautiful vantage point to see the entire city.

Salamanca cathedralI saw some beautiful street art on some of the walls covering work being done on the buildings. I am not sure of the style but I saw it repeated in several places.

Salamanca street artSalamanca street art closeLooking up, I thought I saw some nests up above.

I think these storks have the best "condo" in the city!

I think these storks have the best “condo” in the city!

Using my camera, I zoomed to catch a glimpse of this stork couple with one of the best views in the city.

Salamanca storks close upI thought the shadows on this building created by the iron balconies was pretty.

Salamanca shadowsWalking back towards the hotel, I looked back on San Juan de Sahagun, and it was still bathed in sunlight, but it lost the earlier golden glow I saw.Salamanca bright lightI enjoyed walking around the city, and would have liked to learn more about the University of Salamanca and other sights, but we had only a few hours the night before, and then the early morning when I took this walk to explore. I heard the Art-Deco museum, Casa Lis, is interesting too. Hopefully I can return to wander the streets of Salamanca again.

Have you visited Salamanca? Please share your thoughts below!

#FriFotos Revisits Night

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Last week’s #FriFotos theme, back by popular demand, was night. I shared these photos on Twitter throughout the day.

The theme for this week is JOY. Share your joyful and joyous pictures with the world on Twitter and Instagram this Friday, April 3, 2015.

I take many photos at night, but since I’m usually without a tripod, it is difficult to find a steady surface to place the camera to allow for a long exposure. Often, I return home and sort through dozens of attempts at night, and only manage to find one or two photos that truly capture the magic and beauty of this time of day.

The “white nights” experienced in the summer in the northern most parts of the northen hemisphere are special to experience. I was on a cruise in the Baltic Sea in June when I captured this photo below, which was probably taken in the middle of the night. Most people closed their drapes to keep out the light and to sleep better, but I enjoyed sleeping with the curtains and windows open, listening to the sounds of the sea and watching the sky ever so slowly change to darkness.

This is a photo I shared the last time the theme was night - in June 2014. This is taken from a cruise ship on the Baltic Sea.

This is a photo I shared the last time the theme was night – in June 2014. This is taken from a cruise ship on the Baltic Sea.

When we arrived in Positano, Italy, after a quick visit to Capri, it was just about time for the sun to set. Wandering along the narrow streets and watching the glow from the lights inside the buildings, we explored this magical town.

The beautiful Le Sirenuse hotel in Positano, Italy.

The beautiful Le Sirenuse hotel in Positano, Italy.

During our trip to Sydney in late May and early June, we experienced the Vivid Sydney festival – night time events around the city that brought crowds to watch waterfront buildings transformed by light displays. The display on the opera house made it seem like the white “sails” were folding or crumpled pieces of paper.

The Sydney Opera House lit up for VividSydney in 2012.

The Sydney Opera House lit up for VividSydney in 2012.

Just last month in Dublin, I saw the city lit in green for St. Patrick’s Day.

The Confession Box, a pub in Dublin.

The Confession Box, a pub in Dublin.

In Hong Kong, there are lights and signs everywhere, and it provides a colorful backdrop at night.

The streets of Hong Kong at night.

The streets of Hong Kong at night.

New to #FriFotos? Here’s a quick guide on the rules by Jeffrey Epstein.

#FriFotos was started on 15 October 2010 by Jonathan Epstein (@EpsteinTravels). Jonathan is the President and Owner of Celebrated Experiences, a company focusing on travel to the UK and Ireland. He is passionate about photography, his favorite hobby. Each week Jonathan cohosts #FriFotos with Stephanie Diehl (@TravelDesigned), Charles Yap (@CharlesYap), and two guest co-hosts that change each week. Jeffrey Epstein (@jeffreyinmotion), CEO of HBIM was a key advisor in the creation of #FriFotos and continues to assist in the Forum’s growth and success.

White for #FriFotos

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Tomorrow, the #FriFotos theme is NIGHT. But while it’s still Thursday here in California, I am sharing some photos from a #FriFotos when the theme was WHITE – back on January 9, 2015. Enjoy these photos, some which could also be considered for the night theme too. Tomorrow (March 27, 2015) on twitter, look for the #FriFotos hashtag and see night pictures from people all over the world.

White Tallinn

I’ve seen this church in Tallinn, Estonia, twice in person, and I find it captivating.

WHITE St

This photo was taken at night in St. Petersburg, Russia, during “White Nights” when the sun doesn’t set until late in the evening.

WHITE Lippinzaner

The white lipizzaner horses in Vienna, Austria, are noble and beautiful.

WHITE Kyoto

The white lanterns at a temple in Kyoto, Japan.

WHITE Helsinki

The white Lutheran Cathedral in Helsinki, Finland, stands overlooking the city and harbor.

New to #FriFotos? Here’s a quick guide on the rules by Jeffrey Epstein.

#FriFotos was started on 15 October 2010 by Jonathan Epstein (@EpsteinTravels). Jonathan is the President and Owner of Celebrated Experiences, a company focusing on travel to the UK and Ireland. He is passionate about photography, his favorite hobby. Each week Jonathan cohosts #FriFotos with Stephanie Diehl (@TravelDesigned), Charles Yap (@CharlesYap), and two guest co-hosts that change each week. Jeffrey Epstein (@jeffreyinmotion), CEO of HBIM was a key advisor in the creation of #FriFotos and continues to assist in the Forum’s growth and success.

Going Green For St. Patrick’s Day

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Dublin, the capital of the Republic of Ireland, is the center of all the St. Patrick’s Day celebrations around the world. Since I arrived late afternoon on Tuesday, the city  has turned more green as it prepares for St. Patrick’s Day on Tuesday, March 17th.

The city started celebrating early with the St. Patrick’s Festival on Saturday, with cultural events held throughout the city continuing through Tuesday.

Everywhere I turned, there was green!

The streetlights were green, lights over the streets were green and even the Westin Hotel turned green.

Many of the buildings are lit in green too. It definitely feels more festive.

The department stores are green: Brown Thomas, Clery’s and Penney’s.

Brown Thomas
Clery’s
Penney’s

All of the city’s large, iconic buildings are green.

Custom House
Mansion House of Dublin, the Lord Mayor’s residence
Heuston Train Station
Trinity College
Bank of Ireland, the former Parliament House
Dublin City Hall
Christ Church Cathedral

If you’re in Dublin already, or on your way, you are sure to be greeted with green wherever you go. And if you’re not in Dublin, or Ireland for that matter, Tourism Ireland, with the help of actor LIam Neeson, is encouraging everyone to #GoGreen4PatricksDay with this video

Happy St. Patrick’s Day!

Last minute trip to Ireland for St. Patrick’s Day

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A few weeks ago, I attended the Los Angeles Travel & Adventure sure with my friend Lisa Niver (Lisa N.) from We Said Go Travel. At the recommendation of another travel blogger, we stopped by the Trafalgar and Brendan Vacations booth. While talking with Trafalgar’s Lisa Tran McKee (Lisa TM), Lisa N. mentioned that she will be visiting Dublin for St. Patrick’s Day. I mentioned wistfully that I had yet to visit Ireland and hoped to go some day. Lisa TM told us about Brendan’s’ recent promotion for a trip to Ireland – visiting Dublin and Killarney – and the opportunity to participate in the St. Patrick’s Day parade in Killarney. How fun! It was a great price, but the promotion had ended. Lisa TM said that she might be able to work something out if I was interested, and suggested I contact her for more information.

After reviewing the promotion, I was definitely interested. It was last minute, but I had frequent flier miles I could cash in for my flight, and I had the free time, so why not?

Lisa and I kept in touch via email, with Lisa working with the Dublin office of Brendan to see if they could accommodate me. Finally this week, I received confirmation that Brendan could make it work. Lisa held a reservation while I made sure I could book my flights, and once I did, the trip was on!

I had already visited my local library and was lucky enough to find Rick Steves’ Ireland 2015 book available, so I checked that out and some other guides for some last-minute research.

My flight leaves tomorrow, and I’m trying to pack and get coordinated so that when I leave for the airport, I will be ready for adventure!

Some of my must-have carry-on items. I like the mesh bags for my cables - makes it easy to organize and spot them when needed.

Some of my must-have carry-on items. I like the mesh bags for my cables – makes it easy to organize and spot them when needed.

I’d love to hear about any suggestions of things to do and see in Dublin and Killarney. My sisters and parents provided some tips from their trip, and Suzanne, aka @PhilaTravelGirl, sent me a link to her blog posts from visiting Dublin. I’m sure there is more to see than I’ll be able to in my short time there.

Follow my journey here and on Twitter and Instagram. #KRinIreland.

A WARM #FriFotos

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The warm sun hits a colorful building in Trinidad, Cuba

The warm sun hits a colorful building in Trinidad, Cuba

Two weeks ago, as everyone on the east coast was suffering from record low temperatures, snow and ice, the theme for #FriFotos was WARM.

It was fun to look through my photos and see which ones depicted a warm-feel. The first photo above is from Trinidad, Cuba. This colonial town is bathed in beautiful light early in the morning, which is when two of the travelers in our group and I took a taxi into town ahead of our guided tour so we could wander the streets and take photos. The lighting was just right, and the colors of the town popped everywhere we turned.

When I visited Rome in May of 2013, it was a bit cooler than I expected. I ended up wearing several of my t-shirts at once to keep warm. But the warmth of the sun on this bright day, showcased the beauty of the city. We were at the top of the Vittorio Emanuele II monument when I took this photo.

Rome on a warm, sunny day as seen from the Vittorio Emanuel II monument (aka The Wedding Cake)

Rome on a warm, sunny day as seen from the Vittorio Emanuele II monument (aka The Wedding Cake)

One of my favorite places in the world is the island of Kauai in the state of Hawaii. We always stay on the North Shore, where there is beautiful scenery and lush vegetation. This photo is of the Hanalei Valley lookout – there are always cars here stopped to take photos of this scene overlooking the taro fields.

The Hanalei Valley on Kauai's North Shore.

The Hanalei Valley on Kauai’s North Shore.

We were in Buenos Aires in May of 2014, and as it is the start of winter in the part of the world, the weather was cool. But the lighting at the end of the day warmed up the luxurious Hotel Alvear.

Hotel Alvear in Buenos Aires, Argentina.

Hotel Alvear in Buenos Aires, Argentina.

In December, I flew to Honolulu to meet up with my friend Rosemary who had traveled to Hawaii for the very first time in order to attend the opening ceremony of, “The Eddie.” This annual invitational big-wave surf competition was celebrating it’s 30th year, although the event has only been held nine times. Waves need to reach a certain height for a sustained period in Waimea Bay on Oahu’s North Shore in order for the competition to run. At the beginning of the holding period each year (usually from early December through late February when the North Shore waves are the biggest), there is an opening ceremony with the Aikau Ohana and the invited surfers and alternates for the competition. After the opening ceremony, the surfers paddle out to the ocean for a ceremony. You can see more photos from the opening ceremony, which was on December 4, 2014, here.

Paddle-out for the opening ceremony of The Eddie in Waimea Bay, Oahu.

Paddle-out for the opening ceremony of The Eddie in Waimea Bay, Oahu.

The sunsets in Hawaii are always spectacular, and on my last night there in December, the sunset in Waikiki did not disappoint. It was a warm aloha before my flight home that night.

Warm Waikiki Sunset

Warm Waikiki Sunset

About #FriFotos on Twitter

Here’s a quick guide of the rules by Jeffrey Epstein.

#FriFotos was started on 15 October 2010 by Jonathan Epstein (@EpsteinTravels). Jonathan is the President and Owner of Celebrated Experiences, a company focusing on travel to the UK and Ireland. He is passionate about photography, his favorite hobby. Each week Jonathan cohosts #FriFotos with Stephanie Diehl (@TravelDesigned), Charles Yap (@CharlesYap), and two guest co-hosts that change each week. Jeffrey Epstein (@jeffreyinmotion), CEO of HBIM was a key advisor in the creation of #FriFotos and continues to assist in the Forum’s growth and success.

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Zoom, Zoom and Vroom, Vroom for CARS on #FriFotos

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The theme for #FriFotos a few weeks ago was cars. It was hard choosing which pictures to share from the myriad car shows and races I have attended, in addition to the photos of cars spotted while traveling around the world.

(The #FriFotos theme for tomorrow, February 20, 2015, is CHOCOLATE)

Every August, we head to the Monterey peninsula in northern California for a weekend full of car shows, auctions, viewing and races. We attend the annual Concorso Italiano celebration of Italian-made cars, watch the Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca, marvel at the cars up for auction at the many car auctions taking place throughout the weekend, and walk the greens at Pebble Beach for the highlight of the weekend, the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance.

No matter where you are that weekend, you’ll see exotic cars, vintage cars, and expensive cars driving the local roads or parked in Pebble Beach, Carmel, Monterey and all the neighboring towns.

Here’s one car that we happened to pass by while taking a bike ride on 17-Mile Drive in Pebble Beach – the Bugatti Veyron. It seemed to be a professional shoot for this Hermes edition of the car, but as you can see, everyone stopped to take some photos of their own.

CARS Veyron alone

The Bugatti Veyron was posed for a professional photo shoot.

 

CARS Veyron interior

Beautiful interior of the Bugatti Veyron Hermes edition.

CARS Veyron cameras

The paparazzi were out in full force to photograph the Bugatti Veyron.

For more views from the professional shoot, click here.

A few years ago, we traveled to France in June in order to watch the 24 Hours of Le Mans (24 Heures du Mans), the most-famous and most-respected endurance car race in the world.

A few days before the race, there is a driver’s parade through the streets of Le Mans. The drivers for each race car (three drivers share driving duties during the 24 hours of the race) sit on the back of an open-air vehicle to parade through the town for the gathered crowd of car racing fans.

We were lucky to see Audi Team Joest drivers Tom Kristensen (aka “Mr. Le Mans”), Rinaldo Capello and Allan McNish in the driver’s parade. During the race, I managed to capture one picture of McNish driving – the cars are so fast, it’s hard to capture them without blurring the photo!

CARS Mr

Audi drivers Tom Kristensen, Rinaldo Capello and Allan McNish in the driver’s parade for Le Mans, 2010.

CARS Audi LeMans

Allan McNish driving the Audie Team Joest car at Le Mans, 2010.

In 2007, we traveled to Italy for a group trip to Lake Como. Luckily, the weekend before the trip began was the Formula 1 Grand Prix of Italy at Monza.

I think this Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG is beautiful, and during the race, it is the slowest car on the track as it serves as the official safety car.

F1 Safety Car at Monza.

F1 Safety Car at Monza.

As you might imagine, the Italian GP is the home race for Ferrari, and Ferrari fans, the tifosi, are always in attendance.

When I traveled to Cuba in 2011, it was fascinating to see the many 1950’s era cars driving around on the roads. It made it seem like I was in a time warp to another era.

The lavender shade of this car was perfect for the hot sunny days.

The lavender shade of this car was perfect for the hot sunny days.

CARS Havanna

Cars in Havanna – not all of them were old.

About #FriFotos on Twitter

Here’s a quick guide of the rules by Jeffrey Epstein.

#FriFotos was started on 15 October 2010 by Jonathan Epstein (@EpsteinTravels). Jonathan is the President and Owner of Celebrated Experiences, a company focusing on travel to the UK and Ireland. He is passionate about photography, his favorite hobby. Each week Jonathan cohosts #FriFotos with Stephanie Diehl (@TravelDesigned), Charles Yap (@CharlesYap), and two guest co-hosts that change each week. Jeffrey Epstein (@jeffreyinmotion), CEO of HBIM was a key advisor in the creation of #FriFotos and continues to assist in the Forum’s growth and success.

Wood for #FriFotos

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Last week’s #FriFotos theme was wood, and here are the few pictures I shared via Twitter.

This Friday, the theme is RED, no doubt because Valentine’s Day is Saturday, February 14th. I can’t wait to see the beautiful photos that everyone will share.

The parliament building in Budapest has beautiful wood carvings.

The parliament building in Budapest has beautiful wood carvings.

At one of the Christmas markets in Budapest, I saw all these Santa faces painted on a slice of wood.

At one of the Christmas markets in Budapest, I saw all these Santa faces painted on a slice of wood.

I loved the beautiful wood on these trees I saw while hiking above Park City in October.

I loved the beautiful wood on these trees I saw while hiking above Park City in October.

This Lipizzaner horse peaks out of his wood stall in Vienna.

This Lipizzaner horse peaks out of his wood stall in Vienna.

About #FriFotos

Here’s a quick guide of the rules by Jeffrey Epstein.

#FriFotos was started on 15 October 2010 by Jonathan Epstein (@EpsteinTravels). Jonathan is the President and Owner of Celebrated Experiences, a company focusing on travel to the UK and Ireland. He is passionate about photography, his favorite hobby. Each week Jonathan cohosts #FriFotos with Stephanie Diehl (@TravelDesigned), Charles Yap (@CharlesYap), and two guest co-hosts that change each week. Jeffrey Epstein (@jeffreyinmotion), CEO of HBIM was a key advisor in the creation of #FriFotos and continues to assist in the Forum’s growth and success.

An Adrenaline Filled #FriFotos

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Last week’s #FriFotos theme was adrenaline (July 25, 2014). At first, I thought, I don’t have anything to share because I don’t sky dive, mountain climb or ski (or ski that often). Then my memory turned to one of my favorite trips, to South Africa, and to a safari I took during that trip.

Riding in the bush looking for animals was at times monotonous, but then we’d see a beautiful bird or a delicate spider web and be in awe. All of that riding around paid off though, when we encountered large animals.

We briefly crossed into Botswana while we were stationed at the Royal Livingstone Hotel in Zambia, and took a boat ride down the Chobe River and loaded into safari vehicles to see elephants in Chobe National Park. We saw lots of elephants milling about, many bathing themselves in water.

Our group got a real adrenaline rush when we were watching a baby elephant. The momma noticed us, and thought we were a bit too close for comfort. As she approached our vehicle in a not so friendly manner, it was scary.

Momma elephant guarding her baby from our vehicle in Chobe National Park, Botswana.

Momma elephant guarding her baby from our vehicle in Chobe National Park, Botswana.

Later during our trip, we stayed at Shishangeni Lodge just outside of Kruger National Park in South Africa.

Although this crocodile was heading away from us, it was still pretty scary to be that close.

Crocodile - even when they're heading the other way, you get a bit of adrenaline!

Crocodile – even when they’re heading the other way, you get a bit of adrenaline!

On one of our first drives during our stay, we were lucky enough to encounter some lions. They were just waking as it was early morning, but seeing them watch us was still nerve-wracking!

Lions waking up but sitll watching us as we stopped to watch them.

Lions waking up but watching us as we stopped to watch them.

After our morning safari drives, we returned to the lodge for breakfast and leisure time. There were safari guides that offered to take us on bush walks. They seemed to think it was a perfectly normal thing to do, so I decided to go along. But, when you have guides with rifles and large bullets, you quickly realize walking alone in the bush can be dangerous.

Here our bush walk guides survey the landscape.

Here our bush walk guides survey the landscape.

At one point, there was a rhino very near us, and they could tell that he could smell our group. It was frightening hearing this very large animal sniffing and breathing so close to us. They quickly gathered our group, and told us if we were being charged to stand behind a tree, because the rhino wouldn’t be able to turn that quickly and get to us.

During an afternoon game drive, we happened upon this momma rhinoceros and her baby. While they didn’t seem to notice us, or at least care much that we were snapping lots of pictures of them, it was still a rush to see them up close.

Momma and baby rhino.

Momma and baby rhino.

I thought of other times I’ve had adrenaline rushes, and one of them was of a very different sort. Dave and I have been to the Italian Formula 1 Grand Prix in Monza, Italy, twice. Both were very memorable and exciting – our first trip there in 2007 was the first time I had been to a Formula 1 race, and it was amazing to see how fast the cars zoomed around the track.

For our second visit, we went early for a fan day, where holders of three day tickets can visit the track on Thursday for a pit walk. Being a Ferrari fan, I made my way down to the Ferrari pits, and wiggled my way up to the front – and was able to get 2007 F1 World Champion Kimi Raikkonen’s autograph before snapping a few pictures of him. Quite an adrenaline rush to be so close to the Ice Man!

Ferrari driver Kimi Raikkonen signs autographs at Monza, 2009.

Ferrari driver Kimi Raikkonen signs autographs at Monza, 2009.

Ferrari driver Giancarlo Fisichella races around the Monza track.

Ferrari driver Giancarlo Fisichella races around the Monza track.

It was fun remembering both my trip to South Africa and to the F1 race in Monza with an “adrenaline” perspective.

I’m looking forward to this week’s #FriFotos – the theme is HEAT.

About #FriFotos

Here’s a quick guide of the rules by Jeffrey Epstein.

#FriFotos was started on 15 October 2010 by Jonathan Epstein (@EpsteinTravels). Jonathan is the President and Owner of Celebrated Experiences, a company focusing on travel to the UK and Ireland. He is passionate about photography, his favorite hobby. Each week Jonathan cohosts #FriFotos with Stephanie Diehl (@TravelDesigned), Charles Yap (@CharlesYap), and two guest co-hosts that change each week. Jeffrey Epstein (@jeffreyinmotion), CEO of HBIM was a key advisor in the creation of #FriFotos and continues to assist in the Forum’s growth and success.