Bordeaux, France

We really loved Bordeaux, it is a clean city that is just nice to stroll around while you shop or check out the sites.  Next time around it would be great to get out into the country side of this area and do a few wine tours and tastings.





Aubrey enjoying gelato for the second time in her life! It makes her one happy girl!

Toulouse, France

 Although our visit in Toulouse was overcast and drizzly, we still had a nice time strolling around the city center and seeing the beautiful buildings and churches. Here is a little view from my camera...




Images Below are all from the Saint Sernin Basilica in Toulouse, France.












I am excited to use a few of these detail shots for my own Home Decor!

France : Lindsay et Dav

I am so excited to be posting photos of my sister's wedding!  The wedding was yesterday in Clisson, France and it was so special and beautiful.  This is just a little preview....many more to come!  France is absolutely fabulous in itself, but throw a wedding into it and you just get your breath taken away.

Lindsay and Dav, I am so happy for you both and had such an amazing time yesterday celebrating your commitment to one another and your love.

xx

Carcassonne : Medieval Castle

We stopped for a day in Carcassonne on our way from Collioure to Toulouse, France.  It is really amazing to walk around the great walled city and try to imagine what life was like there hundreds of years ago.   It seems like it is straight out of a movie!








The above dish is "Cassolet" and originated in this part of France.

Collioure, France

Collioure was definitely one of my favourite places to visit in France on this trip.  I loved the colourful picturesque village right on the blue Mediterranean Sea. Swimming in the sea right outside of the big castle was surreal and so much fun! We loved our hotel, (you never know what you are going to get on a budget!), and it was called Princes de Catalogne, and you have to drive down the tiniest little cobble street to reach it.

Barcelona : On Our Own

We survived the crazy traveling from Madrid to Barcelona and checked in to our little hotel room at Hotel Triunfo.  A good little place for a family on a budget! It felt safe, was right across from a gorgeous park, and far enough away from the crazy tourist spot of La Ramblas. We were also close enough to spend a couple hours at Barcelona Beach.  Spain is HOT in the summer!


For all the warnings of pickpocketing in Barcelona, I am happy to say that we made it out of there with all of our belongings! 


I found the Gothic Quarter so beautiful! 









Eating "pinxos" at the bar.


Bree is in this huge phase of saying "cheeeeese" (said with a toddler's lisp) with a scrunched up face. At least she is letting me take her photo!



If you are looking for some delicious summer recipes to try, make sure you check out Emerging Eden. It is a dual blog that I write with my good friend, Johnni.

Madrid : The Start

Well hello again! It turns out that traveling with a toddler, working on photos, and updating the blog is quite the handful.... Right now my beautiful blondie is tugging on my arm in our teeny-tiny french hotel room.."Mommy!"  This is going to be short and sweet...and mostly photos, which is my type of blogging anyway.

Although we are currently traveling around the south-west of France, our Australian living ended about 1 1/2 weeks ago and we arrived in Madrid, Spain after WAY too many hours of traveling.  We stayed with some close friends who are living and working there, and that was an amazing way to start out feeling refreshed for our trip.


We loved Madrid, the food and shopping are amazing!! Thanks to our lovely hosts, we got to experience the best places to go :)

Here are some photos....















The real challenge for me as a photographer was being limited to only one fixed lens.  All of my travel photos will be shot with the 50mm f1.2,  Although it is a fantastic lens, I cannot zoom in or out, meaning I need to get creative to capture big things like buildings and landscapes, while also focusing on details that describe a culture.  I knew this going into it....and opted for the challenge in order to save weight and space while traveling...stay tuned for the next part...Barcelona!

Australia : Last Beach Days

Well our 9 months of living on the Sunshine Coast of Australia is quickly coming to a close. The weather is cooling off (we have a heater on at night and early morning!) but thankfully the sun has been shining most days and it is perfect Autumn weather.  When it is chilly and dark outside it feels like Christmas to me.  But in midday if feels like the beginning of summer back home.  Just a couple days ago Aubrey and I headed to beach. We haven't done that much these last couple of months, so I thought I had better take some photos!  She has grown so much since we first moved here.

Mudjimba Beach : The S Family

Soon after we had moved to Australia in September last year, we met this lovely family in the park.  Aubrey was just 13 months at the time, and Eden decided that she would show her around the playground.  Ben and Sami got to talking, he invited us to Christmas Carols, then we ended up having Christmas lunch with them, and the rest is history :) We have simply enjoyed getting to know Sami and Reeta, as well as their sweet children - Eden and Daniel.  We are all Christians who share in the desire to grow closer in relationship to Jesus Christ every day, and when we see this family, we always have encouraging and uplifting conversations about how God is shaping, challenging, and growing us in our walk with Him.   It was fun to be able to capture some photographs of them before we leave (less than 3 weeks!).