The Basque Country Revisited | Biarritz

February 28, 2017

Magnificent Biarritz shot during a stormy sunset from my favourite spot up at the Lighthouse.

Finally!!...The last part of our 2016 summer vacation is ready to be published. I still have a couple "Hero Shots" to edit, but I don't wanna rush that process so I'll be updating this post later on when I've had the time and inclination to do so.

I feel that I've already praised Biarritz in so many previous posts that I'm out of adjectives to use and/or don't want to repeat myself. If you still haven't then here's the five part photo story I did as part our 2015 summer vacation. I'll just end this one by quoting myself and also...I can't wait to get back there in July this year!!

Here in La Côte des Basques, Biarritz is the last bastion of the South West bordering Spain and jostling with the Michelin stars of the culinary San Sebastián.
Its mild climate and the beauty of its awe-inspiring scenery, its curved inlets punctuated by rocky outcrops, all those cozy boulangerie, patisserie & crêperie’s, and the great events that it hosts, make Biarritz a destination of enchantment to which we will return to over and over again!!

Later!!

The Untamed Islands | Lofoten, Norway

December 6, 2016

We returned from our lovely Italy voyage on a Thursday and the plan was to head back out on the road again two days later. There in between we made time for a couple washing machine batches, changes of outfits from summer to winter clothes and most importantly spent time with the Englund family whom we always miss dearly whilst away from home.

On the Saturday we flew from Stockholm to Kiruna, got the rental car, made a run for a whole lot of groceries and drove towards Lofoten. 8 hours later we had arrived at our final destination Reine.

We spent a week in Lofoten with our base in Reine visiting the surrounding locations such as Sakrisøya, Hamnøy, Henningsvær, Uttakleiv Beach and Rambergstranda. We loved every minute of being at this rare wilderness outpost!!

The Lofoten Islands are draped across the turbulent waters of the Norwegian Sea, far above the Arctic Circle and offer an unlimited landscape of majestic mountains, deep fjords, squawking seabird colonies and long, surf-swept beaches.

If you are seeking unforgettable nature experiences, Lofoten will definitely not let you down. Due to the area’s diverse landscape, you can go hiking, skiing, fishing, ocean rafting or scuba diving. Lofoten is also one of Norway’s best sites for surfing, and one of the world’s northernmost.

Fishing has been, and still is, to a degree, the reason why people have lived here and the region is known for its many small fishing villages. Here, you can as we did stay in a Rorbu – an old fishermen’s cabin.

The rapidly changing weather and magnificent light conditions have inspired artists and drawn them to this area for several decades, which is an absolute dream for any landscape photographer as myself.

This trip is by far the most adventurous vacation we’ve done so far and experiences we gathered are unparalleled for us. If I may quote my good friend Arnie, I’ll (most definitely will, many, many at times) be back!!

The City of Roses & Ruins’ | Gotland Photo Trip

May 29, 2015

In preparation of this year’s first photo trip I started going through my shooting-locations-bucket-list. After extensive research - what would I do without you google? - and considering the 4 days I had to spare the decision came to be Gotland.

Except for being a beautiful island and I do love to shoot areas around water, Gotland gets the most hours of sunlight in Sweden. Also I could fly to Visby in under an hour hence maximize my shutter-pressing-time!

The first 2 days I spent exploring the charming city of Visby on foot and on bike. Having literarily the worst sense of orientation in the history of orientation I gladly found myself lost in all the small adorable alleys. Thanks to this ability I stumbled upon Glassmagasinet, Europe’s biggest ice cream bar (Say Whaaaaat!?!?). So if you’re a sucker for ice cream as I am it’s well worth a visit.

If wining & dining is your thang then you’ll find yourself overwhelmed by all the top tier restaurants that are offered. My favorite place was definitely Surfers. Here you get Sichuan inspired cuisine delivered tapas stile and beautiful cocktails served up by super friendly waiters in a chill locale. Check them out at surfersvisby.se.

During my third day I made plans to visit the neighboring island of Fårö. After a bus ride of 1.5h, I rented a bike before crossing over on the ferry. I then biked up to and back from the Digerhuvud nature reserve. This location is known for the rock formations called “Rauk” or sea stacks. These formations are a result of erosion during the Ice age and are unique to Gotland and Fårö.

To summarize, I think the perfect way to describe Gotland & Visby is a quote I found while researching: