I've just come home from our big summer trip. We traveled to Europe for two weeks. First London and its environs, then to Paris for three days. Finally, we drove through the Loire Valley, getting our fill of Castles and wine ;)
The first few days home I suffer from vacation hangover, largely caused by a mixture of jet lag and endless piles of laundry. But then comes the fun part, reviewing all the pictures! On this trip every member of my family had a phone and/or a camera, even the kids, so the photos abound.
My husband is the photographer who needs to document everything. He always makes sure one of us is in the pic and his long arms make him the designated taker of the family selfie. My teen likes to set up the perfect Instagram-worthy shot/selfie...natch. And my younger son took his time with every pic; lighting, composition, etc. At first, I thought he was snapping a million shots but actually he was just taking his time, getting his angles right.
Me, I am the nerd that takes photos of buildings. I can't stop drooling over the architecture. Once inside these beautiful old homes or grand palaces its the everyday things that fascinate me. The table settings, the bathtubs, the blackened pots hanging in the kitchen fireplace. At Hampton Court Palace they had gaming tables set up with explanations of how to play the various card games. So cool! Versailles was big, gilded, and beautiful but the part I found the most interesting was the stables, which held a dozen different restored carriages. I guess it is my writer brain that has me looking at the details and the possible plot-lines!
If you follow me on social media you'll see my love of flowers. I was in garden heaven on this trip. I loved all of it, from the cheerful cacophony of colorful blooms in the English gardens to the structured and patterned French formal gardens. My hubby and I have already been discussing how to incorporate bits of inspiration we gleaned into our own backyard.
I hope all of you are having a chance to take some time to relax with your families this summer. I'd love to hear where your travels have taken you and which places inspire you!
~Karla