The Perfect Morning ~ Malmö, Sweden

With an average high of 53˚F (11.4˚C) and a low of 41˚F (4.8˚C) we crossed our fingers for good weather. But when we arrived the train was late due to stormy weather. It was just our luck!

As the train stopped we entered its parting doors with hopefulness, despite the nasty weather. After all we were on our way to meet great people in a new exciting city.

It could have been our giddiness or our jet lag, but we were a little too hasty stepping off the train. We were one stop early. Thankfully, we managed to get in touch with our friends and they laughed knowing we would make that mistake.

After some reminiscing, midnight snacks and red wine we let the night ease our tiredness and we put faith in Saturday's weather.

Wow did Saturday come fast! It was light at 3 a.m. It was too early to realize that the sky was clear, but it stayed that way until we woke 6 hours later. It was the perfect morning in Malmö: not one cloud on the horizon!

This picture is from Sunday. There were a few clouds in the sky that day.

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Architecture can be curvy and abstract

No right angles. No straight lines. Abstract. Bright colors. Curves. Round edges. Nature inspired. It's hard to believe these words describe architecture, but when you interpret Antoni Gaudí's work see how far you can get without using them.

Other than the tapas, wine and sangria, Casa Batlló was one of the highlights of Barcelona.

Let's Go Punting!

"Hunting?"
"No...punting with a "p" as in Paul."
The best way to spend a warm, sunny afternoon in Cambridge is on a punt with good company and a cold beverage.

Heidelberg, Germany

There are so many great things about seeing a new city, but nothing beats knowing a local. One of our good friends grew up in Heidelberg so Brian and I have been fortunate to experience this fabulous city and its authentic German traditions. Where else in the world do you stop at a Biergarten on a hike?

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Notre Dame de Paris

Chances are you have been here because Paris is one of the most popular tourist destinations in the world. I've imagined what this Roman Catholic Cathedral would look like in old photographs and this is how I see it, without the VanHatten Photography logo, of course! 

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Barcelona's Barri Gòtic or Gothic Quarter

It's one of the sentences you will hear when someone talks about their trip to Barcelona. "The architecture was amazing."

You can see that some of the buildings were built during medieval times by the massive stone walls, pointed arches and spires and skeletal stone structures. Underneath this bridge are skeleton heads carved from stone.

I chose this picture so you can see how intense the light is when it glares down the alley on the left side. And only vertical light will hit this street, so it gets sun from about 10am-4pm. If you want uniform light get there early in the morning or later in the evening.

Also this picture gives you a good idea of how easy it is to get lost. If the sun was behind the clouds, it would be hard to know which way is north. But for now just imagine walking down the street marveling at all the intricate details!

Live in the moment!

Every morning I wake up and immediately photography is the first thing on my mind. And after I've fallen asleep, it enters my dreams. But lately all I can think about is going home. Why is it that I am in this beautiful continent of Europe and all I can think about is leaving it?

I miss my family, friends and my Miso, that's why. I love traveling, and most of all finding beauty in unique places, but Bridge and Photoshop don't talk and they won't go to lunch with me either, "hmph." Facebook and Twitter keep me connected to life in San Diego, but like I said before there are no deep conversations over a good bottle of red wine. I am beginning to wonder if I can still carry a decent conversation.

Thank goodness for Brian and his infinite wisdom, he always reminds me to live for today, not yesterday and not tomorrow, but today! Focus on the opportunities you have available today, and not tomorrow, or the next day or next year.

Here are some images from our trip to Scotland. Everything is so ancient, so I couldn't help but think in in terms of old school photography. I love grain and sepia tones!

It was nice to be with my sister and brother in a foreign country, plus Brian and I needed help drinking Scotland's beer!