Capture the Moments

June 29th is National Camera Day and it is the first I have ever heard of this event. But, it struck me as a very timely thing to observe. During this time of limited mobility and isolation, my travel photos preserve and remind me of amazing memories, and help to lift the weight of the current circumstances. While the world has been on pause, people have taken to social media to post pictures from their home views around the world. Some are blessed with truly breathtaking views, from the simplest secret garden to sweeping views of oceans and mountains. Forget spending money on hair, nails, movies or things….give me travel any day! 

As I scroll back through my photos, I have such sweet memories of ‘first time’ experiences. Remember the first time you saw the ocean or flew over snowy mountain caps? Perhaps you captured your first flight. If you and your spouse-to-be are looking for inspiration for your honeymoon and love architecture, gardens, cafes and romance, consider an old European city. What a wonderful first trip as newlyweds! To readers who aren’t getting married, plan to go when we are all healthy and able to travel again, and create new memories.

One of my favorite things to photograph is architecture and a favorite city in my photo library is Vienna, Austria. My love for old architecture is evident in my photos, and I enjoyed getting lost wandering through the city’s curved, hilly cobblestone alleys. The Spanish Riding School where royal horses are trained is housed in a 450-year-old building. For a glimpse of royal history and stunning architecture and art, visit the Schloss Schonnbrun. If you love classical music history, find your way to sites that pay homage to its most famous composer, Mozart. If you love church history, the cathedral of St. Stephens is a tall and imposing example of Romanesque and Gothic architecture that towers over the city. And, for foodies, no visit to Vienna is complete without tasting the local Sacher-Torte, a delightful cake created by a 16-year-old chef apprentice when the chef was ill.

Florals and garden pictures take up another large part of my photo library, and as I try to grow plants from seed for a cut flower garden or veggies for my family, I fully appreciate all the care taken to produce the formal symmetrical gardens around the world. Schloss Schonnbrun is an excellent example of stunning formal gardens and provides inspiration, of course, on a much smaller scale for our own backyards! One of my sweetest memories was getting caught in the rain during the Schonnbrun garden tour. My husband and I stood under a tree to stay dry and admired the gardens together. A smaller palace outside of Salzburg, Austria is the Schloss Hellbrun, which features the ingenuity of engineering design in its magical water gardens powered by gravity.

Pictures are such an invaluable keepsake. Take some time this week to look back through yours and remind yourself of all that you have experienced, whether good or bad. I hope you smile at your memories. I am telling my age when I recall the first time I saw a younger guest staying in our home who took a picture of the dinner I made for them. I didn’t get it! In the age of digital pictures and selfies, I prefer to point the camera and shoot the one-of-a-kind architecture, the massive bridge lighting up a mighty, winding river, or the vivid color of seasonal blooms….ok, maybe I have also snapped a pic of the occasional dessert that LOOKS like a work of art. Especially in Viennese cafes.

Thanks for reading,

Chris