Welcome to PhotoViaggio

Introducing PhotoViaggio: a new way to keep up with my travels and help you plan your own! It's the new and improved Notes from a broad. Happy travels!

When in ...

A trip to Venice is not complete without a visit to Alberto Valese's shop. Alberto makes beautiful marbled papers and books. All by hand.

When in Rome. Though I've not been there, yet. But you know. That sort of thing. Was just reminiscing about the highlights of trips past and thought I'd put together a broad list of things missed (as in looking forward to seeing or doing, again.) And, therefore, things not to be missed. Anywho, check back periodically. I'll try to keep this little collection of lists up to date as I discover new things one must endeavor to experience when in where ever. I've even included some Stateside favorites.

When in Amsterdam

• Day trip by train to Haarlem
• Day trip by bus to Keukenhof Gardens

When in Barcelona

• Get lost in the Barri Gotic
• Eat lots of hot chocolate (too thick to drink)
• Day trip by train to the beach town of Sitges
• Day trip by train to the town of Girona on the Riu Onyar
• Food to go from Farga
  
• Picnic at Parc Guell
• Watch the sunset from the roof of Casa Mila (aka La Pedrera, same thing)
• Watch whatever's playing at the Coliseum Cinema

When in Berkeley

• Go gourmet with your glace, Ici
• Go cocoa-loco at Bittersweet, The Chocolate Cafe
• Enjoy an order of the best crispy chicken tacos on the planet at Cactus Taqueria
  

When in Budapest

• Enjoy the Fisherman's Bastion and surrounding Buda Castle Hill sites at sunrise, before the shops open and the bus loads of tourists arrive to alter the ambiance
• Have a piece of paradise at Ruszwurm while you're up on Castle Hill in Buda
  
• Return at sunset for the view of Pest
• Lounge for hours in the baths at Gellert
• Day or night, gawk at the grandeur of Heroes Square
  
• Sit for a bit in the Great Synagogue on Dohany Street
• Ogle the door at St. Stephen's Basilica
• Wander around and ogle the architecture

When in Dubrovnik

• Explore the old town at sunrise (it will be all yours) and again at sunset (when you'll have to share)
• Day trip by bus to Cavtat
• Day trip by bus to Korcula
• Day trip by bus to The Bay of Kotor and the town of Kotor in Montenegro
• Eat lots of dried figs
• Eat lots of pastries from Niko
  

When in Liguria, on the Italian Riviera

• Day trip by train to Camogli
• Day trip by train to each of the Cinque Terre
• Day trip by train to Santa Margherita
• Day trip by train to Sestri Levante
• Day trip by train and bus to Portofino
• Day trip by train and bus to Portovenere
• Far a whole lot of niente

When in Hawaii, on the island of Oahu

• Rent a car and get as far away from Honolulu-Waikiki as possible
• Hope for a slice (or two) of homemade Okinawan (which is to say, purple) sweet potato pie with fresh haupia from The Food Company in Kailua
• Lounge on Lanikai Beach
• Eat a pineapple burger at Kua'Aina Sandwich in Haleiwa
• Enjoy the big sand, sun, and fun of Waimea Bay
• Head for the hills and escape everything at the Mu-ryang-sa Korean temple

When in Montreal

• While away the hours at Olive + Gourmando (351 Rue Saint-Paul Ouest)
• Dessert from Cocoa Locale (4807 Avenue du Parc)
• Or from Les Glaceurs (453 Rue Saint-Sulpice)
• Book-browsing (or buying, if you're up for a supreme splurge) at Librissime (62 Rue Saint-Paul Ouest)
• Pick a church or two to sample in addition to a requisite visit to the Basilique Notre-Dame. Lots of lovely churches, if I do say so myself. And I've not a(n organized) religious bone in my body.

When in Paris

• Wander around with your spiral bound copy of Michelin Paris Par Arrondissements and a keen sense of curiosity and adventure
• Skip the Louvre (or go on a Wednesday or Friday night after 6PM when it stays open until 10PM, the crowds have thinned, and it costs less, to boot) and go straight for a hot chocolate with Chantilly at Angelina's
• Walk it off in the Tuileries
• Catch a sunrise at La Tour Eiffel (tout seul) and then, later, share a sunset with the hordes
• Repeat with Sacre Coeur
• And again with the Place des Vosges
  
• Have plenty of pastries from Paul
• Macaroons and tarts from Laduree
• Lots of L'As du Fallafel (34 Rue des Rossiers, Paris, 75004)
• Beaucoup de glace from Berthillon
• Hot and sweet mint tea at the Grande Mosquée de Paris and a meal fit for a sultan, inside
  
• And of course, shop til you drop
  

When in San Francisco

• Pretend you're in Paris and get yourself over to la pâtisserie Miette, and/or one of Bay Bread's little Paris-parfaît Boulangeries
  

When in Sorrento

• Eat lots of gelato from Primavera (on the Corso Italia) or Davide
• Drink in the sunset with a glass of something special at Hotel Bellevue Syrene
• Day trip by train to Ercolano (Herculaneum)
• Day trip by ferry to the island of Procida
• Day trip by ferry to the island of Capri
• Indulge in the moist chocolate magnificence of a torta caprese and a warm, handmade waffle cone with icy fresh gelato from Raffaele Buonacore (Via Vittorio Emanuele 35, Capri)
  
• Visit the Blue Grotto
• Visit the Villa San Michele
  
• Day trip by train to Naples (and keep a close eye and a firm grip on your valuables)
• Visit the cloister of Santa Chiara in Naples
• Day trip by bus or boat to Positano
• Day trip by bus or boat to Amalfi
• Visit the crypt of the Basilica Sant' Andrea and lounge on the steps
  
• Day trip by bus to Ravello
• Visit the Villa Cimbrone

When in Venice

• Item number one, get lost
• Ponder the leaning tower of San Pietro di Castello
• Ponder the leaning tower of San Giorgio dei Greci and the golden interior of its church
  
• Sunrise in St. Mark's Square and sunset there too, at Caffe Florian or elsewhere on the Piazza San Marco
• Sunset with a picnic on the steps of the church at San Giorgio Maggiore
• Sit for a bit and contemplate the largest oil painting in the world in the Doge's Palace
• Savor several flavors from Gelateria Nico
• Ginger gelato and other unique mouth-watering choices from Alaska
• Keep your eyes peeled at all times for shops carrying uniquely delicious genius of glass designer Barbara Proverbio
  
• Drinks and dinner at Centrale
  
• Paper/goods from Alberto Valese
  
• Paper/goods from Paolo Olbi
• Acqua tint etchings from Cadore
• Chocolates to die for from Vizio Virtù
• View from the campanile of San Giorgio Maggiore
• View from the campanile of San Marco
• Day trip by train to Padua (Padova)
• Day trip by train to Vicenza
• Day trip by train to Verona
• Day trip by train to Bassano del Grappa
• Day trip by train to Bologna
• Day trip by water bus to the island of Burano
  
• Day trip by train to Treviso

When in Vienna

• Spend endless hours, rain or shine, at the bistro-cafe Le Bol (Neuer Markt 14)

Questions? Ask away! Please use the comments feature to ask questions rather than contacting Marisa directly. That way everyone can learn a thing or two, too.

Oahu notes from a broad

The first time I ventured to Hawaii (to the island of Oahu), I was lucky enough to stay with an old friend who'd just moved there from The Mainland, as locals call that big continental bit of the United States, just over yonder across the Pacific. Since that first visit over 10 years ago, I've been back many times and have also explored a couple other islands in the chain. But my first is still my favorite, despite its also being the most populated and touristed. Thankfully, I know how and where to escape the droves. In order to do that, wheels are essential. Which reminds me again of my first trip (to Oahu) and of the instant illiteracy I felt as I tried to navigate streets with names like:

Kapukawai Street (Waipahu): Handsome
Kupu'eu Place (Waipahu): Hero, wondrous one
Lakimau Street (Diamond Head): Always lucky
Lakoloa Place (Kalihi): Very rich, prosperous
Lalawai Drive ('Aiea): Successful, well-to-do
Pahukula Place (Kuli'ou'ou): Chest of gold
'Apake'e Street (Wai'anae): Deceitful
Kahekili Highway (Kane'ohe): Thunder
Kaie'e Street ('Ewa Beach): Tidal wave
Kalapu Street ('Ewa Beach): Ghost
Ka'onawai Place (Manoa): The liquid intoxicant
Nakiu Place (McCully): The spies
Na'opala Lane (Kalihi): Rubbish
'Aikanaka Place/Road ('Ewa Beach): To eat human flesh
'Ilipilo Street (Kailua): Smelly skin
Kauhako Street/Place (Hawai'i Kai): The dragged large intestines
Mo'omuku Place (Kuli'ou'ou): Mutilated lizard
Lumi'au'au Street (Waipahu): Bathroom
Helekula Way/Place (Wai'anae): To go to school
Ki'ona'ole Road (Kane'ohe): Without dung heaps
Komai'a Drive (Manoa): Dragging bananas
Ki'i'oni'oni Loop/Place (Wai'alae): Motion pictures, movies
Wai'aka Place (McCully): Laughing water
'Ano'ilei Place (Hau'ula): Cherished, sweetheart
Hanakealoha Place (Palolo Valley): Love-making
Ho'oha'i Street/Place (Pearl City): To flirt
Pa'ale'a Street (Palolo Valley): Pleasure-loving
Poli'ala Street (Waimanalo): Fragrant breast
'Eu Lane (Kalihi): Rascal
Lukini Place ('Ewa Beach): Perfume
Kani'ahe Street/Place (Wahiawa): To giggle or laugh softly
Wela Street/Lane (Kaimuki): Lust, passion
Kuewa Drive (Waialua): Wanderer, homeless
Nalulu Place (Wai'alae 'Iki): A dull headache
Meahala Street (Waipahu): Sinner
Hepa Street (Waipahu): Idiot, imbecile, moron
Kahalewai Place (Hale'iwa): Prison, jail
Pokapahu Place (Diamond Head): Bursting bullet
'Onaha Street (Kahala): Bow-legged
Kalena Street (Wahiawa): The lazy one
Ma'ipalaoa Road (Wai'anae): Whale genitals
'Iole Street/Place (Kane'ohe): Hawaiian rat
Ka'uku Place (Hawai'i Kai): Louse
Kaluamo'o Street (Kailua): Lizard pit
Ke Ala Mano Street (Kalihi Valley): Shark's road
Miula Street ('Ewa Beach): Mule
Popoi'a Road (Kailua): Fish rot

Source

Granted, of course, I didn't know the meanings of such street names. Not that it would have helped me find my way any better. I don't know what I was expecting on that first trip, other than for Hawaii to be an even more Americanized, Disney version of its former or true self. So though confused, I was pleasantly surprised by something so simple as the plethora of Hawaiian street names, in Hawaiian. Hawaii, at present, can still be a very watered down take on its authentic past, but there are pockets of authenticity (both things modern and things throwback). An attempt is being made to reclaim what was lost and remake history into something relevant for today. Reclaiming the language is a first step. And I'm happy to report that my friend's children are learning the mother tongue of their island home. Very cool. It's such a beautiful language. Both written and spoken. Once you get the basics down, even a mainlander like me can learn to read the street signs at a good clip and get from point A to point B without any difficulty!

But enough about street names and navigation. Let's talk beaches. They're all different and unique and for me anyway, they do not blend into a single strip of sun and sand. I've surveyed strips from Kauai, Oahu, and Maui and have a list of clearly defined favorites. But at the top of my list is Lanikai, the chain's most honored beach; it's won Best Beach awards for years (and years).

On this last trip, I was out one postcard-perfect afternoon, snapping photos of the twin Mokulua Islands. A woman came up and stood next to me. "Beautiful day, isn't it? Perfect day." I agreed with her and we struck up a little conversation. She was from Germany, on vacation with her husband who was back at their hotel taking a nap. Typical of Germans, she and her husband were exceptionally well traveled. She rattled off for me, as proof, all of the beach-ladened countries that they'd visited over the years. So, when she told me that Lanikai was "by far" the most beautiful and "perfect" beach in the world, I didn't question her. Though I hadn't seen nearly as many beaches with which to compare it, I agreed wholeheartedly. "Some beaches have nice scenery to look out on, but the sand is too big. Other beaches have powder fine sand and nothing to gaze at. Others have both perfect sand and scenery, but the water isn't clear or the waves are too rough or it's too cold. Lanikai has everything. Everything about it is perfect. The sand, the scenery, crystal clear water that is as calm as a lake. Perfect. Don't bother traveling the world in search of the perfect beach. Trust me. You've already found it."

Lucky me. (And lucky you! Now you know where to find the world's best beach, too.)

Questions? Ask away! Please use the comments feature to ask questions rather than contacting Marisa directly. That way everyone can learn a thing or two, too.

The Beach Beckons by Marisa Allegra Williams | Make Your Own Book