Cities. To the nature lovers in us, you might think I want to hit pass on photographing cities. You are wrong. To me, a city feels forest-like, with the same passion and intensity to wander, and wonder, as we do in nature.
The truth is, we all have love affairs with cities. It is definitely a thing, isn’t it? We travel to expose ourselves to other parts of the world, and find ourselves immersed in history, art and a way of life often different from ours.
And we become hooked.
This past year has brought us a new way to love travel. We call them floating cities, better known as cruise lines. It seems to be commonplace and while not sure it is travel meant for us, we agree cruising has brought us a unique perspective, with ease in exploration of port cities.
January took us from San Diego to Cabo San Lucas.
Over the holidays we returned to the sea with voyage beginning in Venice.
The iconic canals, gondolas, and tiny streets were just as the travel books boast and we enjoyed a quieter off-season to celebrate all the city had to offer. But I have to say, a highlight of our stay were the views of Venice from Sassa Sessile, an island ten minutes from the main harbor. Venice’s skyline was mesmerizing, and on this particular day, it was lit up at sunrise. The view from our rooftop garden was breathtaking.
Cities like Rome, don’t need much of an introduction and we gathered a storybook of awe-inspired photos from an excursion there. I remember a view of the bustling city outside a window at the Vatican, that felt more intimate. Here we were with thousands of people, visiting one of the most iconic places in the world, and… life… still… goes on.
On most port arrivals, I set my alarm to be sure I would be up to view the new city as we pulled in. It was always worth the time, and in Ajaccio, Corsica we were gifted with a mountain view in addition to the cityscape. Later we learned of Napoleon’s Bonaparte’s history here.
I have shared a similar photo to this before. It is Rota, Spain as we arrived at the port in Cadiz. Most will notice the full moon and the unique strip of land. For me, it was home. We lived in this small white village for four years and never, did we view the city from the sea. Back then we immersed ourselves into the Spanish culture, earning the respect of locals who reminded us this will forever be our home …too.
Our final port was Miami, Florida and it clarified the notion that cities constantly buzz with energy and seem to reveal themselves at night. The 4:30 AM wake- up was worth it even more so, since we still had time to view the city in the daylight, prior to departure.
Cruises, or floating cities, are a great way to gain blinks of other places. We have learned to plan future trips around cruising to get the best of both worlds, because in all honesty, that love affair I have with cities still needs to be with my feet.
Wind Kisses, Donna
Wind Kisses 