Paris in the Rain

I recently got back from a 2 week trip to Europe. I was lucky to find amazingly warm weather everywhere I went, except for Paris. Despite the wet conditions, I told myself I would not let the rain ruin my days there so, instead of avoiding it, I tried to find the beauty in the rain. I also did my best to try to capture the uniqueness that the rain brings (always trying to keep my camera dry, which was the main challenge to fully photographing the beauty of the rain!!).

Here are some shots of a rainy Paris. Hope you like them!

For more fun photos, go to my Etsy store or visit my website.

Lady with Umbrella

The Eiffel Tower in a puddle

Half and half. The rainbow during the rain

Umbrellas pop up as the drops start falling down in the Champs de Mars

You could see two Eiffel Towers from the Trocadero during the rain

Rain clouds stay low in Paris Montparnasse area

Fall Colors

Fall is here! Today is the first cloudy day we've had in San Francisco in over a month. It feels nice to get a break from the gorgeous warm weather. Unfortunately, the colder temps do not bring the same seasonal changes that other parts of the country (and world) experience. For example, our trees will not turn yellow, or orange, or red. But, I'm not complaining. No Fall colors also mean that there is no winter in the near future, which means now snow and no sub-zero temps!

Here is a collection of some fall color photos. Hope you enjoy them! For more fun photos, go to my Etsy shop, or visit my website.

Jardin du Louxemburg, Paris

Sintra, Portugal

Castro, San Francisco

 

El Retiro, Madrid

 

Camino de Santiago, Spain

Stillwater, Minnesota

Sintra, Portugal

El Retiro, Madrid

San Francisco

Hidden Beach on Highway 1 (between Santa Cruz and Pigeon Point Lighthouse)

Last Saturday, we headed to Santa Cruz for some beach fun. On the way back, as usual, we took Highway 1 to come home. We have gotten to know this stretch of road quite well and we decided to stop at our favorite spots. First, we stopped at a hidden coastal access (can't figure out the name of it!) where we were kind of attacked by a pelican the first time we ventured down to it. Down at the beach, we played fetch with Bomber, Joe climbed up some rocks off the coast, and I enjoyed the soothing sound of the ocean.

Walking down to the beach, the ocean was glowing with sunlight. Stunning!

Next stop: Pigeon Point lighthouse. The sun on it's way to setting but now down on the horizon yet, making the scenery glow in silver. I love how, every time we drive by the lighthouse, we catch a different time of the day and, therefore, a different light.

We ended our day at Half Moon Bay's coastal trail. This time, instead of walking on the trail, we descended to the beach just in time for the sunset. Once the sun was down, we drove back to San Francisco, feeling totally relaxed and peaceful... Oh, the powers of the ocean.

 

Chinatown in San Francisco

This morning I had to go get stamps from the post office. There are two post offices pretty close to my apartment.  I usually choose to go to the one in Chinatown because people are nicer, lines are shorter, and the walk is a lot more fun! As I was walking out the door with the dog this morning, I decided to grab my camera and go for a walk after getting stamps.

These are some photos I took during my walk. I love that, in Chinatown, you can always discover new alleyways, new historical landmarks, and new colorful murals, regardless of how many times you've been there!

Enjoy these photos. For more fun photos, go to my Etsy store or visit my website.

Interesting doors in Chinatown

Corner store receiving a fresh load of produce

Interesting patterns of door, windows and bricks

A dragon breaks through a wall in Trenton Alley

Clean laundry airs out with the TransAmerica building in the background

Murals in Trenton Alley

A man walks by a mural in Trenton Alley

Mural on Clay St. Good question, right?

Colorful windows greet me as I come out of an alley in Chinatown

Colonial Santo Domingo

Long overdue, here's a second post on the Dominican Republic. This time with some random shots from Santo Domingo's colonial area.  

A boy looking over the Rio Ozama at the ferry boats

Men play dominoes on El Conde

Catedral Primada de America

Tower from Palacio Consistorial

Pigeons fly over the Cathedral at Plaza Colon

Plaza Espana with Alcazar de Colon on the background

Santo Domingo at Night

The historical buildings that adorn the entire city, with their old walls and balustrades

Ocean Beach Surfers

Yesterday evening we went to Ocean Beach to play fetch with Bomber. We recently bought a hutch-it for him and it's been super fun to be able to throw the ball really far away for him to chase it. Of course, the best place to do this is the beach and, with Crissy Fields turned into a madhouse due to the America's Cup finals, we decided to drive to Ocean Beach instead.

The days are not that long anymore so, by the time we got there, the sun was already setting, the sand was cooling off, and the surfers were starting to swim out and walk back to their cars. In the meantime, groups of people were starting bonfires on the beach, and only a few were left walking their dogs. As we turned around to head back to the car after a great fetching session, we saw the full moon rising from behind the Golden Gate Park, illuminating everything around it.  It was a perfect evening at the beach!

Enjoy these photos! For more fun photos, visit my Etsy store, or go to my website.