Traveller

Since my first solo trip, at the age of fourteen, where I had to pack and carry my own suitcase from start to finish, my goal has been to pack just right rather than just light. Granted my first solo trip was to a city two hours away driving. However for me this trip included a four hour bus ride, a thirty minute subway ride and then walking five city blocks - at fourteen. Cue ABC After School Television Special on runaways for the visual and of everyone who saw me along the way, the friendly and the too-too friendly. Photo by Sharon Castellanos The struggle to manage my bag left me determined to carry only what I knew would be used. No more cursing an overweight bag as it digs into your hands or strains your back every time you lift it. Besides, who needs twenty t-shirts for two weeks, unless you are menopausal and are having night sweats. How many shoes will be worn? Seriously, the average traveler only needs two pairs. My shoe cobbler ( we still have them in San Francisco ) t...

Sometimes when we travel we sacrifice a little on the food budget. We take chances and eat from taco trucks. We eat street food. We may skip meals. If you come to San Francisco there are many ways to eat well for less money, more than you may expect. Soft Taco by Sharon Castellanos Some of the best places may be a surprise to visitors, but worth a try I promise. San Francisco enjoys the benefits of having so many citizens who are from other countries and cultures. We have lots of wonderful restaurants and cafes that offer foods from around the world. Ramen Bowl by Sharon Castellanos You will likely get a better tasting - and inexpensive - meal if you try one of the many burrito shops, taco trucks, ramen shops or steam tables than if you went to a restaurant advertised in the lobby of a hotel. Dim Sum by Sharon Castellanos Here are four of my favorites: Yank Sing 2 Go - steam table Chinese food El Gallo Giro Taco Truck - tasty soft tacos Sapporo-ya - savory ramen shop La Corneta Taqu...

Andalusian road sign by Sharon Castellanos Driving the road to Ronda in Southern Spain can be treacherous. However if you survive, you are rewarded by a beautiful white washed hill town. Try visiting in November like we did, and you will have fewer cars to battle with on the narrow roads. Once you arrive, you must visit the Plaza de Toros! This famous bull ring is one of the oldest operation bull rings and is the home to modern bullfighting and worth seeing. Madonna 1994 Music Video Shot Here by Sharon Castellanos Read through the brochures they give you, and with the additional information posted with the displays, you will definitely get the sense of rivalry between the style out of Ronda and the style of bull fighting in Sevilla. The matadores from Ronda give you the impression that they are all about skill and precision with weapons, while their colleagues in Sevilla are all about flash and dancing around. I’m just saying that is what I picked up from the English translated si...

California Pride by Sharon Castellanos

What stood out on this trip for me was the historical significance of The Rock. This is the first place I have visited with evidence of human habitation going as far back as Neanderthal man! The first inhabitants were the Phoenicians, around 950 BC and one of the Pillars of Hercules is considered the Rock of Gibraltar. Ancient Side to Pillar of Hercules by Sharon Castellanos The Pillars of Hercules was the phrase that was applied to the promontories that flank the entrance to the Strait of Gibraltar. The northern Pillar is the Rock of Gibraltar. When you walk up to it, be sure and look at both sides! Modern Side to Pillar of Hercules by Sharon Castellanos Staying on the Costa del Sol, most of the beach towns are within an easy driving distance to Gibraltar. You could definitely spend the day and enjoy yourself. The area reminded me a bit of Tijuana, Mexico in that there were loads of people who obviously made the daily trek back and forth across the border for work. When we walked acr...

View from Puente Nuevo by Sharon Castellanos Besides having an amazing meal at Don Miguel Restaurant , my favorite time spent in Ronda, Spain was at its famous bullring and walking along the vista points staring out across the valley. Ronda, Spain is simply a stunning hill town, one of the many white washed villages in the Andalusia region and not too far from the resort town of Marbella on the Costa del Sol. We drove up one of the narrow roads, in about an hour, with a mixture of motorcycles and bicyclists keeping us company. It is not for the faint of heart since many of the signs you will pass along the way, warn you of dangers from tailgating motorcyclists. We took our time and as we entered the town, easily found parking in a lot that was off the main street and had an attendant. Walking through Ronda, you can’t miss the many vantage points to stare out across the valley. We found one at the end of a beautiful park, and a small back street named after the actor and director, Orson...

Gibraltar was ceded by Spain to Great Britain in perpetuity, under the 1713 Treaty of Utrecht. Spain wants it back but a majority of Gibraltarians strongly oppose this and Britain will support whatever the Gibraltarians want. In 2002 the government put it to a vote and this unusual relationship continues. During our recent visit, it was clear that everyone looked pretty happy the way things were. We saw loads of people enjoying pubs and shopping along the downtown streets. Apes of Gibraltar by sfcphotography When you visit Gibraltar your itinerary must include the Great Siege Tunnels and a tour of the Rock itself. There is a tram that will take you most of the way up the Rock, but to get the true birds-eye view at the very top, you should book a taxi. Depending on the number of people in your group, the taxi will cost the same or less than the tickets for the tram. Only taxi cabs have permits that allow them to carry you to the very top, the tour buses all stop mid-way, as does th...

Camel in Tangier Morocco by sfcphotography A highlight from my day trip to Tangier in Morocco, North Africa was being close enough to touch the incredibly calm and hardworking camels. Their faces tell a story that I would be interested to read. I couldn't stop staring at them as they carried someone around on their back. If we had been at a dude ranch or some beach resort, I would expect to see the frustrated nag horse to plod along or the rebellious horse kick up their hooves in surly defiance. It was mesmerizing to watch how serene the camels were as they carried their passenger. No spitting as one might expect from the general stereotype stories, only a bumpy ride for a squealing tourist. Baby camel by sfcphotography And then there was the baby camel, getting exposed to the foreign visitors. It looked like it might be the baby of one of the working camels. It reminded me of Winged Migration , the documentary that showed how the cameras got so close to film the birds, simply by...

Tarifa, Spain by sfcphotography My only reference points before going to Tangier, Morocco were one of my favorite movies, Casablanca and the 1973 song Midnight At The Oasis from my childhood. Cue Maria Muldaur singing Midnight At The Oasis and you have my first impression as our high speed ferry pulled into port. We went with a tour group out of Tarifa and our ferry got us from Spain across to Africa in 45 minutes. The body of water you cross is where the Mediterranean meets the Atlantic Ocean. Literally . There are longer ferry routes from this part of Spain to Northern Africa, but taking the bus south less than an hour from Marbella to hop onto this high speed catamaran is worth it. It was quite enjoyable watching the coast of Spain fade back and as North Africa approached. Tangier Morocco by sfcphotography As we arrived, the day exploring Tangier was off to a great start by an unscheduled "welcome" from a departing fishing boat. That quick moment of spontaneous warmth ...

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Generalife flora by sfcphotography One of the most beautiful palaces and gardens that I have ever seen or walked through are located in Granada, Spain. Calat Alhambra or more commonly known as the Alhambra, is simply a palace and fortress. However once you experience it in person, it is not so simple, and it is easy to become overwhelmed by the intensity of its beauty and architecture. Once the residence of the Muslim rulers of Granada and their court, the Alhambra is now one of Spain's major tourist attractions exhibiting the country's most famous Islamic architecture, together with Christian 16 th century and later interventions in buildings and gardens that marked its image as it can be seen today. Generalife Gardens by sfcphotography Here are the first in a series of photos from my visit. Let me say at the start that the Alhambra is an experience that takes time. My three hours gave me just a taste of what is open to visitors year round. I certainly plan to return ...

So my first long trip out of the country is coming up. This time around my search for the perfect packing list is already wearing me out. One of the biggest problems for traveling light, on my trips anyway, comes down to my listening and reading material (Surprise! You probably thought it would be my number of shoes). For this trip my listening will be relegated to my Apple iPhone and all the music stored on it. However my reading material will be a combination of Stanza and other apps that I have downloaded already. The sticky wicket here is that I also need another resource so that when one battery is being recharged, I can still keep myself entertained. We have some long flights and layovers to manage. Now comes the expensive and confusing part, what e-book reader do I commit to? The number of choices out there are overwhelming for this e-book newbie: Kindle DX (it just came out in May) Barnes & Noble nook Sony Reader iRex iLiad Jinke Hanlin e-Reader CyBook by Bookeen The Kin...

One doesn't have to travel far to experience drama and excitement. This spider is alive and "kicking", and living in a web in my town. shudder Sometimes mother nature in your own backyard or porch, produces the best "costume" for Halloween. photo by sfcphotography

Fall is such a beautiful time of year to visit Northern California. Half Moon Bay has fields of golden and orange pumpkins, rows and rows of Brussel sprout stalks. The coast offers horseback rides along the beach and restaurants serving bowls of clam chowder and lobster rolls. If you drive toward the Central Valley along Highway 580 and 205, you will see road side stands and corn mazes to watch the kids race through. Make your way north to towns like Petaluma, Sebastopol or Olema and all around you will be the sights and smells of fall. Gorgeous green thick grasses with sleepy cattle. Buy seasonal Gravenstein apple juice, a thick hand knit sweater, local clover honey, or creamy goat cheese wrapped in a fig leaf at any of the quaint shops populating the main streets. So much color. Glorious sights and smells. Wonderful small towns that hark back to dreamier times. A great way to celebrate the season for sure.

It is amazing how there are so many farmers markets in Northern California now. We seem to have them popping up in city neighborhoods, in empty parking lots and in larger more beautifully organized places like the San Francisco Ferry Building. They make great weekend destinations that's for sure. Alemany Farmers Market Besides buying local foods, supporting local businesses, a great benefit of going to a farmers market is the people interaction. You will encounter street performers with an open guitar case play music for children. The people running their own stalls seem so much more engaged than at a supermarket. Some try to entertain you while selling their wares. Some open markets will have food stands. There you can often meet start up restaurants that will try hook in new customers by giving away free samples. Afghan lasagna Above is a photo taken at a stand selling Afghan foods. The saleswoman was incredibly polished and smooth with her style. She entertained us with her...

by sfcphotography Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming is a favorite place of mine. It is unforgettable. Everything is enormous, the sky and diversity of animals all living within the park borders. Here is a photo taken several years ago on our drive to the Lake Hotel in the center of the park. It was an incredible experience seeing nature find its way through that burned landscape. Watching the Ken Burn's series this week has been wonderful. It certainly reminded me of why we should all support public television. It also reminded me that we have had leadership in the past that valued places like Yellowstone, and set aside thousands of precious acres for future generations.

Scott Kirkwood, editor for National Parks Magazine, sees thousands of images of national parks each year. “As much as I enjoy spending time reviewing images of Acadia’s cliffs, Zion’s peaks and everything in between, there’s a point where I start to think seen it. When the magazine sends a photographer on assignment to Glacier National Park, he’s got to execute a shot that not only screams ‘Glacier’ before the reader even sees a caption, but also whispers something new to those who have visited the park dozens of times. Like painting a still life that reveals something more than just a bowl of fruit, it’s not easy to do. But Ian Shive does it. I’m still trying to figure out how.” Being a photographer myself - who wants to go beyond the average image but struggles - I admire greatly the person who delivers something special, something more in their photographs. Compared to Ansel Adams, award-winning photographer Ian Shive will be in San Francisco to sign copies of his first book, The...

So today I decided to make this a personal post, not about travel outside of the US or even my beautiful city of St. Francis, but what it is like to travel about my own backyard. When I started this blog many years ago it was to share my love of travel and photography, hoping that it motivated folks to get out and about, to embrace the world around them. This motivational tack is still my focus because I think many people need prodding to get out and about, especially further than their own backyard. However in order to better understand the person who doesn't want to leave their backyard for the great outdoors and cities that require plane travel, I thought it was a good idea to look inward today. The landscape is pretty nice but it reminds me of that town in Spain..... by sfcphotography

Spending a few days in Kyoto, Japan, we were walking and visiting the shrines when these girls fell for my husband in his leather motorcycle jacket. It was a proud moment.

by sfcphotography I have a wonderful friend who lives outside of Florence, Italy. We met when we lived in the same apartment building, the Domus Minami Azabu, in Tokyo, Japan many years ago. She is Brazilian and wonderful. We became fast friends in Tokyo and have carried our friendship forward over the years, though we may only write every few months. A couple of years ago we met up for the first time since we parted ways in Japan. She now has a young son and a wonderful house in a small town that she and her husband used to visit when they were first married. He is from Florence and so they returned to be near his aging parents and other family and friends. When we finally met, she made a point of sharing with me all the wonderful back roads that I had never known existed during my previous vacations in the area. Before I knew her, I had no idea that you could drive forever and never see another car our tour bus for hours. And be minutes from the city center of Florence. My dear ...

by sfcphotography This summer ended with a bang for us. We got a chance to savor the final sleepy days with hundred degree temperatures and evening outdoor concerts and picnics in the low foothills of the Sierra Mountains. Ironstone Vineyards and Winery is one of several vineyards that offers you lovely location to enjoy good food and great music. We have been a few times now and this last series was topped off by listening to the great jazz piano player, Diana Krall (who is married to musician Elvis Costello). Here is the stage before she arrived and while the sun was still shining. We had a great buffet dinner beforehand. If you go, it is about two hours from San Francisco or an hour from Sacramento. Ironstone offers a great line up of artists including Chris Isaak and others.

piece of recycled denim by sfcphotography Golden Gate Park in San Francisco is so huge that you could easily get overwhelmed trying to decide how to spend your day there. Fortunately most of the key museums and park activities have great people behind them and so have quite extensive information on websites. The California Academy of Sciences in San Francisco, California is now open for business after many years of construction and rebuilding after the 1989 Loma Prieta Earthquake. It is a destination that will satisfy young and old. [ Fun fact: Levi Strauss Co donated 200,000 pairs of jeans for the insulation of the new museum. Ultra Touch is a U.S. company that makes denim insulation for houses and commercial buildings too] This entire concourse in Golden Gate Park is such a wonderful destination for any trip to San Francisco. As you travel through the park, you will find a golf course , places to fish, see roaming buffalo or sail a model boat. Park it @ Ocean Beach At the very...

We recently took a drive east about two hours for a little change of scenery and for warmer climes. Summer in San Francisco is incredibly chilly compared to the rest of the Bay Area. San Francisco is a great starting point for day trips. In two hours you can go from a foggy urban city to a sweltering wild west town. These images are from my new iPhone. We stopped along a quiet road on the way to Jackson .

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by sfcphotography Take a close look because the Presidio of San Francisco is replacing all of these with cypress and pine trees. With 300 acres of eucalyptus, pine and cypress, the 123 year old Presidio is changing and redefining its historic forest. Check out the Presidio Trust’s reforestation efforts here... The forest is the most dramatic example of how people shaped the Presidio’s landscape. Its 60,000 trees provide an important wildlife habitat (the forest is home to more than 250 different species of birds) and contribute to the Presidio’s National Historic Landmark status. In the late 1800’s the Army began the prodigious task of transforming the Presidio from mostly open dunes to a richly forested, park-like reserve, similar to New York’s Central Park. Following a plan developed by Major William A. Jones, the Army planted some 100,000 trees over 14 years along the Presidio’s ridges and entrance gates. The first trees, donated by Adolph Sutro, were planted in 1886, on Arbor ...

by sfcphotography Fort Point has stood guard at the narrows of the Golden Gate for nearly 150 years. It has been called “the pride of the Pacific,” “the Gibraltar of the West Coast,” and “one of the most perfect models of masonry in America.” Fort Point was built between 1853 and 1861 by the U.S. Army Engineers as part of a defense system of forts planned for the protection of San Francisco Bay. by sfcphotography These photos were taken on different days but I never get tired of standing inside Fort Point. What an amazing perspective to have on the Golden Gate. Can you imagine what it was like over 100 years ago to be here, without the bridge? Fort Point is a national historic site and one you shouldn't miss if you come to San Francisco.