Ericeira, Portugal

This winter, we had the opportunity to visit Ericeira, Portugal.  We stayed in the beautiful Vila Gale hotel right on the water.  The sea was beautiful and the waves crashing against the rocks were incredible.  Here are a few pictures.  This is definitely worth a visit.

Saying Goodbye

I woke up yesterday morning from a dream that we had found the reason for Sadie's sickness and then realized that she was still gone.  It was the first day without her, and it was hard.  Sadie and I took walks every morning and often detoured to meet other dogs and get into conversations.  My morning felt a bit empty without her here.

Sadie was the best dog we could have asked for.  Tracy brought her home one day without asking and I couldn't be more thankful.  She brought so much joy to us and to everyone she met.  There is a big hole in our hearts.  Thank you, Sadie, for always being a ray of light in our lives.  You will be sorely missed.

Laying on the beach after a dip in the Med

On our anniversary trip, last month.  So glad we brought her with us.

Soaking in the Barcelona sunrise on the first morning after we arrived.

Skyline

I love watching Barcelona come to life with the sun.  It's always amazing to me how much is packed into such a small space.  On the left you have Edificio Colon, which, in my opinion, is incredibly out of place.  It was built in 1970 and I can't find much more history on it, but have heard it's original use was to keep an eye on Barcelona during the Franco era.  On the right you can see the Columbus Statue positioned at the beginning of Las Ramblas.

Reflections

The fountains in Barcelona are all turned off at night, so getting up in the early morning means still bodies of water.  I love the reflections and being able to get close enough to photograph without a large crowd of people.  These are also taken at Montjuic.

Sunrise on Montjuic

This is one of my favorite sunrise pics from Montjuic.  We were walking up the hill to the top to try to beat the sun over the horizon.  I stopped to grab a quick pic between the trees as the sun was beginning its ascent.  What a beautiful and rewarding morning.

The Castle

The castle at Montjuic is an amazing place to visit.  We arrived around sunrise which meant we weren't allowed to enter, but the ivy growing up the outside is spectacular.  It has a sad history of execution and oppression during the Spanish Civil War, but is a beautiful nonetheless.

Cats

I'm a cat guy and I'm proud to say it.  Well, I'm an animal lover in general, but I really do love cats.  I've been out on a couple of early morning shoots and while seeing a beautiful sunrise, it also affords me the opportunity to see the local cats come out and explore before their homes get inundated with tourists.  I probably look like a freak photographing cats while everyone else is getting the sunrise.

Pillars

I woke up early to climb Montjuic with a friend and take some sunrise photos (which I will post another day).  At the end of nearly 2 hours of walking, we found ourselves descending Montjuic near the Museu Nacional d'Art de Catalunya.  I've walked around here before, but never without people around, and it was the first time I'd noticed the railing, with these beautiful pillars.  Actually, as we were leaving, the first tour group of the morning showed up.  While I'm physically exhausted, the extra effort of waking up before the sun gives me a view of the city that's usually obstructed by tourists.  The people provide a certain energy, but sometimes it's good to get a little bit of a break.

The Early Bird

I remember how my dad and my older brother loved to fish.  I liked it, but I was never in love with fishing.  I would tag along because I knew how important it was to them, and I didn't want to miss out. We would go camping or go to Mammoth and get up before the sunrise to get the best spot on the lake.  I wish now that I had the eyes I do now to take in the peace and the tranquility of the sunrise over the water, because I saw a lot of them.  They were some of the best times with my dad and brother, out in nature, away from the pressures of normal life.  As I got older, I remember intentionally trying to fish next to one of them, whichever one would be easier to distract, and have a long conversation.  The conversations, and the silences, were different on those days.

Unknown.

I struggle to find myself in this city.  Moving to a new country means that you become unknown.  I am just one in 1.6 million and only a small handful of people know I exist here.  There are days when my heart and my soul cry out to be known, to be heard.  On days like that simply seeing the beauty in this city brings me back a bit.  The morning sun shining through the streets and illuminating everything helps me to remember that all of this is bigger than me and I'm fortunate to be a small part of this world.

Sunrise in the Harbor

Sunrise and water are a magical combination.  These photos were taken at the Port Olympic Marina at sunrise.

Sunrise

I got up early this morning and walked out to the water with my friend Ben.  This is one of my favorite shots of the morning and matches my mood.