Since restarting this blog, there are a few posts I never got transferred over from my old one.  These pics are from a couple of years ago, when Jenn and I did a bit of planning ahead, and were able to have a great experience – we attended Midnight Mass on Christmas Eve at St. Peter’s in Vatican City.

You see, I have to book my vacations 1-2 years in advance.  The planning cycle of an uberBride is about 10-14 months.  That’s how long I am usually booked in the future.  It means my weekends are pretty full, and that I need to plan way ahead if we want to take any significant trips.  Since I knew I wanted to visit Rome in the Winter (because it is Off season, rates are cheaper, and there are less tourists), I began to look at the different activities one could do during that time of year.  That’s when I discovered that it may be possible to visit St. Peters during Christmas.

The planning all started sometime in May, when we decided to go.  We did a bit of research about how to attend Midnight mass at the Vatican, and began the process by contacting the Catholic Diocese in Austin.  After many months, faxes, and phone calls, we had a letter in hand when we boarded the plane.

Overall the trip was fantastic – here are some photos highlighting the best parts.

Tickets to Chrismas mass at St Peters 2007.

Santa Claus lives in Rome, we saw him on our way to the Vatican

La Befana is the Christmas Witch, an Italian tradition.

St. Peter's Cathedral reflecting in the Tiber River.

Night Pictures of St. Peters

The Pope giving the Urbi et Orbi blessing on Christmas Day.

As I was ust writing this, there is a story about a woman jumping the barricade and knocking the pope to the ground. While we were there there was a crazy guy who tried to do the same thing, but the plainclothes security guys took the nut down. I wasn’t didn’t have a clear view of that incident, but was able to get this shot of the crowd just before it happened in 2007:

People waiting for the pope to walk by

Last month, while on vacation in Barcelona, I decided to walk around for a while with my Leica M4-P, and take a few shots on Las Ramblas, and near the water.

Part of what makes a trip enjoyable for me is using my camera for me. Some people think lying on a beach with an umbrella drink is relaxing, others like to cruise and have lots of activities to choose from. I like to get lost in a city. Just start walking, and explore. I don’t really care if I get confused and have to ask for directions.

This is 100% different from photographing a wedding. When I attend a wedding, I’m working for a couple. During the process of the newly engaged interviewing me, I am interactive, asking just as many questions about them, their lifestyle, and relationship. And I’m taking notes. So that when I shoot your wedding, I can incorporate bits about you into the photographs. Sometimes it’s football, or pets, or hobbies, or lifestyle. I always try to include the details, and location into the pictures, so you can tell your wedding apart from everybody elses’. Of course you hire me for my style and look, but I want to incorporate as much of You as I can in your wedding photography.

So when I’m on vacation, I like to try new things – different cameras, unusual photography techniques, and take risks. That way I know what works and doesn’t when it comes to your wedding. I’m not shooting for my portfolio, or experimenting on your big day.

Anyhoo, I now know much, much more about Barcelona – so if ever you have a destination wedding in Barcelona, or need a photographer who knows Spain, let me know. I’ll give you a great deal.

Girl riding a bicycle in Barcelona

Blue chairs and metal tables at a streetside cafe on Las Ramblas in Barcelona

A huge sculputre of a lobster on the waterfront in Barcelona, Spain

Capitania General Door in Barcelona

This was one of the highlights of our visit to Barcelona.  Although we arrived on November 1, All Saint’s day, a National Holiday, and the day didn’t start good.   It was a few days after our anniversary, and to treat ourselves to something special, we took the first-class train from Paris to Barcelona.  This was a night trip, and while the food, accommodations, and train was top-notch all the way, we were a bit groggy when we arrived.

Looking down the Passeig de Gracia in Barcelona on the day we arrived. Our hotel is on the left.

Maybe it was the new country, or the new language, either way, I wasn’t able to “code switch” from French to Spanish as fast as I wanted to.  Or maybe it was because our hotel wouldn’t let us check in early (we arrived at 9:00 AM, and standard check in time was 3:00 pm).

So we had to spend some time out and about. Of course, that’s never a bad thing, but when you are tired, sometimes the best thing is to just take a nap.  Since that wasn’t possible, we headed down the Passeig de Gracia (thank goodness our hotel was centrally located), to the Cathederal de Barcelona (nope not the Gaudi one) and grabbed some coffee at a cafe on the square.

A traditional European breakfast. a coffee with a pastry.

Sitting in a cafe in Barceonla or the rest of Europe for that matter, it’s not like going to the Cheesecake Factory.  In America, restaurants want to turn tables as fast as they can, and I usually feel rushed when I eat out in the states.  But in Spain, you can sit and enjoy.  And for about 5 € ($7.25), we ate two pastries, had a couple of delicious coffees and were treated to a show.

The show started when we saw a guy pushing a piano down the street:

Some street performers rolling an upright piano down the street in preparation for their performance. (this isn't usually part of the Sardana Dance)

Then, spontaneously, the Sardana Dancing began.  A bunch of Catalonians had formed a circle in the Placa de la Seu (the square in front of the Cathederal).  A band began to play and everyone danced.  And Danced, and danced.  This went on for hours.   People would come and put their bags in the center of the circle, dance a few times, and then grab their stuff and go.  There were probably several hundred sardanistas, and about a thousand tourists taking pictures.

Sardana dancers in the Placa de la Seu in front of the Cathedral

This was our last day in Paris, at least for this year. Can you tell where we were?  You can almost trace our route using the photos.  Come back tomorrow for  photos from Barcelona, Spain

A street artist at the Pompidou Center with his portrait of Barack Obama

Don't look behind you! It's the Eifel Tower

Fall colors and changing leaves in Paris.

This is the most fantastic door in Paris

Grocery shopping in the Rue Cler

What people do with their entrance stickers after they leave the Rodin Museum