If you regularly read my blog then you’ll recognize the Browns from the Ortigia family travel shoot I did back in early December. Aren’t they just the loveliest family?! This time, I captured the Browns in the Austrian Alps for a stellar Alps ski family vacation!!

Katie is a fabulous travel planner – I know because I’ve used her services and she is a LIFESAVER!! (Check her out here, y’all!!) So, frequent travel is her middle name! When she invited me to photograph her family’s ski vacation in the Austrian Alps, I didn’t even think about saying no! We first flew to Munich and then rented a car to drive to Achenkirch, Austria. The drive was easy and the scenery, simply STUNNING!! Even if skiing isn’t your thing, the views alone are enough motivation to make the trip.

One morning we set up a little shoot to capture the Browns all together in the serene Tirol snow.  Little Bella even got some sledding in with her little husky “woof woof.”  Isn’t she just adorable?

Thank you so much to the Browns for inviting me along to photograph your skication!!

 

Austrian Alps Family Ski Vacation

When you talk about dreams coming true, do you ever think about having a photoshoot at THE Eiffel Tower in Paris?  Because, granted I am a photographer, but it was definitely on the top of my list when I visited!!  Last week, I met up with my beautiful friend, wife, and momma to four, Nellie and her family for exactly that – a photoshoot in front of the iconic Eiffel Tower!!

Originally, Nellie contacted me to schedule a shoot for Christmas card photos.  However, the rainy season in Sicily this fall was too crazy, so we ended up having to postpone.  When we chatted about when to reschedule, she mentioned she was going to Paris for her 30th birthday and wished I could come for an Eiffel Tower shoot.  And just like that, the plan was born, tickets were purchased, and we started getting excited for the big day!!

As I mentioned previously, the photoshoot took place the morning of Nellie’s 30th birthday.  What an unforgettable way to ring in 30, right?!  What’s more is that Nellie and her husband Joe had been to Paris together before when they were dating. It was incredibly special for them to return years later with their four children. I loved hearing their story, meeting their incredibly well behaved and ADORABLE children, and spending time with their crew on such a special day for Nellie.

I have to say, Nellie, Joe, and their family are some of the kindest people I have ever met.  It’s so infectious.  Thank you guys so much for letting me crash your vacation! I hope you had fun and love the photos!

 

Simoneau Family | Paris 30th Birthday Photoshoot

One of the first experiences Jordan and I had in Sicily was visiting an agriturismo.  At the time, I don’t think I fully understood what an agriturismo really is (we were visiting for Maddie’s birthday).  So, we recently paid another visit to Murgo with our friends Rachel and Aaron. This post is all about the agriturismo experience; one you won’t want to pass up if you visit Italy!

So, what is an agriturismo? Basically, agriturismi (plural) are working farmhouse Bed & Breakfasts (e.g. “farm-stays”).  That is, an agriturismo is an independently-owned farm that you can stay in while visiting Italy.  Thus, the owners of the “hotel” or agriturismo, are primarily farmers and your room is in the farmhouse or somewhere along the grounds.  This all sounds very “unofficial,” however, agriturismi are legitimate businesses and some can be quite fancy!  If you want to know the basic historical rundown, essentially, the Italian government began providing tax relief for family farms that opened their doors to visitors in 1985.  However, to be legally considered an agriturismo, more income must be generated from farm activities than the B&B.

I have to admit, I have not actually stayed overnight at an agriturismo. Perhaps we will do this later in Tuscany!  However, there are so many near our home that I have made several visits for what I consider to be the best part – the food.  As they are working farms, the food is local (most from the farm) and AMAZING!!  We have been to several agriturismi, and the food has ranged from 30 to 50 euros per person.  This includes all courses of a meal.  The menu is pre-planned.  Some agriturismi serve meals family style (like Murgo) or individually (like Barone di Villagrande).  Some include full bottles of wine or wine tastings from the farm’s winery.  It all just depends on where you go!

The one thing that I must note is that agriturismi are generally not conveniently located.  Since they are working farms, they are usually out in the country.  Thus, transportation to-and-from may be difficult to coordinate. Therefore, planning ahead is essential (I always reserve, even for the meal).  However, they agriturismi I have been to have been 100% worth the trouble!!

I snapped a few shots of our HUGE meal at Murgo so you can see what 35€ got us (spoiler: a lot!!!) We also spent some time casually wandering around the grounds with Rachel + AJ, so I’ve also included a few shots from our impromptu photoshoot. Enjoy!

 

Our Meal at Murgo Agriturismo

Murgo

 

Rachel + AJ’s Impromptu Photoshoot

What could be cooler than having your senior portraits taken in Sicily, Italy?  I honestly don’t know if anything can top that!  When I met Alex, I knew from the start her senior portraits were going to be some of my favorites to date!  I learned quickly that Alex also loves photography and might be just as into Instagram as I am.  She has impeccable style, grace and beauty, so it’s no surprise that she looks like a professional model in her portraits!

It was really fun designing a session to capture Alex’s personality and charm!  We met in Oritgia, on the south eastern coast of Sicily.  From there we took a nice stroll around the island, stopping here and there to snap some stunning portraits!  We spent some time talking about photography, high school, and her upcoming big move back to the US for college.

Alex, it was such a pleasure getting to know you and having the opportunity to photography such a momentous occasion in your life!  I hope you love the photos as much as I do!

 

Alex’s Senior Portraits

Jordan and I REALLY wanted to go skiing on Mount Etna, but we honestly had no idea where or how (remember the Christmas eve eruption?!).  Even with Google translate, I wasn’t able to find much information online, so I decided to share the information I obtained here.

Mount Etna Ski Areas

Etna Nord (North Etna)

 

We chose to ski at Etna Nord because we had friends going there on the same day. The pin to the ski lift area is here. If the pin doesn’t work for you, simply use Google maps and type in “Etna Nord Chairlift” HA!

When you get to the ski area, it costs 3€ to park. After parking, you can walk over to the little huts and rent your gear.

 

I rented skis and Jordan rented a snowboard. You can also rent a sled and go sledding there. Both rentals were 20€ each (I’m not sure of the cost of a sled). Once you have your ski/board, walk over to the lift and purchase a lift ticket. The ticket is 30€ and reduces in price after 12:30.

 

Jordan and I rented our gear from different outfitters. I preferred the one I wandered into AND they spoke English. Big pro for me. The shop owner also told me I could call her to check the conditions before driving up. If you’d like to call, her information is: Baita Mareneve (shop name) Phone: 3478546266

 

Also offered are shops with food and a small lounge area. The rental shops also appear to rent apparel and other items of interest. They also sell items like gloves, hats, goggles, etc. There are quite a few shops to select from. With that being said, this is not a typical resort that you would find in the US — you should plan to spend most of your time on the slopes.

Etna Sud (South Etna)

 

I have never been skiing at Etna Sud! Being totally transparent here. I am providing this information just because I know you CAN ski on Etna Sud and if that’s more convenient for you, here is a website that might help. I chose Etna Nord over Etna Sud due to views (but from what I can find, it looks like the skiing is better too).

 

Know Before You Go

 

If you snowboard, you can rent a board from MWR for $25/weekend. MWR also offers ski trips. If you decide to go on your own, chains on tires are required from November through April. We did not use chains (neither did most anyone else) and were totally fine. We do have a four-wheel drive vehicle though, so I would suggest at least having them in your trunk.

 

It takes approximately 1.5 hours to travel from Marinai to Etna Nord. I’d recommend arriving a few minutes prior to opening (9AM). I believe the resort closes around 4PM.

 

The drive and entire experience was lovely!  I highly recommend going up at least once while you’re here!!

Happy New Year!  Wow! I can’t believe it’s already 2019.  One trip I did not mention in my “best of 2018” post was this one…. because it hadn’t happed yet!!

Budapest is a relatively popular tourist destination with good reason. I first visited the city in 2006 (yep, that’s ~12 years ago) in conjunction with a class I was taking that focused on transitioning economies. At that time, communism had fallen in Hungary approximately only 17 years earlier and the country had just joined the EU in 2004. It was an interesting time to visit as someone who had only been overseas just one time prior. That trip made the impact of a lifetime on me, so it was really fun to be able to revisit and see how things have changed. One thing that I can say about Budapest for anyone interested in visiting, it has become the cutest little boutique city with unique crafts, gifts, and food. You really won’t want to miss it!

 

 

Budapest Sights

Budapest is a unified city that was once three cities: Buda, Óbuda, and Pest. There are LOTS of sights to see in Budapest, so make sure to bring your walking shoes!! Despite everything being in Hungarian, public transportation is incredibly easy to use. Some of the best advice I received from a friend, was to buy the 72 hour Budapest pass, which is valid for bus, metro, and tram for unlimited rides. The pass costs one 4150 forint which is currently equivalent to around $14.

 

Országház (Parlament)

The Hungarian Parliament building (1904) is one of the most beautiful in Budapest (in my opinion, of course). Visiting the inside is possible with advanced tickets and tours are offered in a plethora of languages.

 

 

 

Halászbástya (Fisherman’s Bastion) and Mátyás Templom (Matthias Church)

My favorite place to photograph in Budapest! Yes, Fisherman’s Bastion is incredibly popular, but also incredibly beautiful. The seven towers of the monument were intended to represent the seven Magyar tribes that settled in the area – one of which may or may not have inspired the logo of Disney (I think it’s debatable, but I’m going to choose to believe it).

 

 

Budavári Palota (Buda Castle)

Historical home to Hungarian kings since 1265! Tours are available and a ride on the funicular is a must!!

 

 

Hősök tere (Heroe’s Square) and Vajdahunyad vára (Vajdahunyad Castle)

Heroe’s Square is a major square in Budapest. It is famous for its statue complex which contains the seven chieftains of the Magyars, important Hungarian national leaders, and the Memorial Stone of Heroes (aka Tomb of the Unknown Soldier). While wandering around the area, we walked by a cute little Christmas market outside of Vajdahunyad Castle and even found a couple willing to take our photo!

 

 

Thermal Baths – Szechenyi Termal Bath

Budapest is famous for its thermal baths! The Széchenyi Bath is the largest medicinal bath in Europe with its water supplied by thermal springs. Unfortunately, we did not make a reservation in time to be able to swim, but we did stop by to take a look anyway!

 

 

Széchenyi Lánchíd (Széchenyi Chain Bridge)

A walk along the Danube will allow you to take in all of the beauty of this bridge. You can even cross it on foot.

 

 

St. Istvan Basilica/ St. Stephen’s Basilica and Vörösmarthy Square Christmas Markets

One of the best parts of this trip for me was getting to visit the many Christmas markets! Even though it was after Christmas, the markets were still alive and so much fun!

 

 

Hungarian Food

My favorite part of any trip is the food part!! Hungarian food is delicious and plentiful! Prices are very affordable and the food is hearty. Some Hungarian specialities include: Goulash soup, stuffed cabbage, strudels, and Dobos cake – all of which we tasted and devoured. My friend, Niki, was also kind enough to provide me with a list of her favorite restaurants (sights, things, etc.) in the city. We tried as many as we could!

 

A few of Niki’s recommendations included:

Szimply Breakfast/ Hotizont Café

We ventured to Szimply Breakfast, but they were already full! The host was so kind to refer us to their sister cafe, Horizont Café, that just opened (and serves the same menu). Funny enough, Horizont Café was RIGHT next to our hotel. It worked out perfectly and the food was AMAZING!

 

Belvárosi Lugas Vendéglő

I didn’t take any photos here, but this restaurant is right behind St. Stephen’s Basilica and had delicious Hungarian food that was reasonably priced. I had deer stew and it was SO GOOD!!! The server was kind enough to recommend his favorite dishes as well. We were stuffed when we left.

New York Café

Niki recommended the New York Café for cakes, coffee or teatime in a gorgeous place. We enjoyed afternoon tea here shortly after we arrived. It was gorgeous! Luckily for us, it was also part of our hotel. The New York Cafe is high end, so expect to spend considerably more than you would most other places in Budapest.

Hotel

New York Palace Hotel

The fabulous Katie from Planes, Trains, and Babies was kind enough to provide us with hotel recommendations. With Katie’s help, we booked the New York Palace Hotel and it was luxurious and so beautiful! We loved our stay there and enjoyed ringing in the New Year with new friends at their hotel bar.

 

Flight

If you are flying from Sicily (or another place in Europe), WizzAir offers incredibly affordable one way flights.  Our flight back home was a 6AM (talk about early wake-up!). While I was really dreading the flight, I appreciated it once we were in the air. Hungary at sunrise is BEAUTIFUL!!!

 

Mount Etna in the morning wasn’t too bad either 😉

Needless to say, 2018 was a HUGE year for us that was full of exciting change!  The moment that topped it all off was our move overseas from Virginia to Sicily, Italy in February.  So much has happened over the last 12 months, I thought it would be fun to relive the best of 2018!

I really loved going back through all of my photographs from this year and reliving so many memories!  So, without further ado, here is a recap of my 2018 including some of my favorite memories:

 

The Best of 2018

The BIG Move

• 2018 started off with a BIG announcement that were moving overseas! The next month was completely insane as we shipped off all of our things, sold my car and our home, and made arrangements for our new digs in Sicily!  Once we arrived, we immediately moved into our Americanized-Sicilian townhome and patiently awaited the arrival of our car and household goods. That period of time was truly crazy!

 

Exploring Our New Home – Sicily

• We began our time in Sicily with some trips around the island. I (sadly) didn’t get around to blogging most of them, but here are a few of my favorites:
• Agrigento (photos below)
• Catania
• Taormina
• Syracuse & Ortigia Island
• San Vito Lo Capo & Erice
• Enna
• Caltigerone
• Noto
• and Cefalú

You can find “highlights” of all of these trips over on my Instagram, if you are interested: click here.

Exploring Europe

• Our first trip off-island was fast-paced, fun, and exciting! We ventured to Naples, Pompeii and the Amalfi Coast (Positano) during Easter weekend.  It was a quick trip FULL of hilarious stories.  From visiting catacomb after catacomb, to our friends’ car getting locked in a parking garage before our trip to the airport.  Our Naples trip was one we will never forget!

 

• Malta was GORGEOUS and a literal dream of mine. We traveled all over the main island, but would still really like to go to Gozo and Comino if we go back.

 

• Lyon, France (blog post coming soon!) for a long weekend was ABSOLUTELY FABULOUS!! In particular, I enjoyed the shopping and the food, but I never got around to blogging this one. Whoops!

• In the heat of summer, we visited one of my old faves – Berlin. Berlin is always amazing, the food is always delicious, and the weather is HOT in the summer.  Nevertheless, it was refreshing to hang out with my friends Pauline and Michele again, and meet Pauline’s boyfriend, Ben.

 

• For our week long “vacation,” we flew to London for 24-hours (STAAAAAP, London, I love you!!!!!) and then to Dublin, Ireland, where we embarked on a 5-day road trip around southern Ireland. This was my favorite trip of 2018 for sure – the nature was just breathtaking and the people, so kind.   If you have ONE trip you could take to Europe, I’d recommend this one, hands down. See why I’m so in love here and here.

 

• For my birthday, we jetsetted off to Sofia, Bulgaria – a country I’ve wanted to visit for a long time!! I got to visit with my college buddy, Rashko while I was there, and my best friend Ashley’s college buddy, Niya kindly picked us up from the airport and sent me lots of information about things to do. It was a cool experience and I’m so glad we went.  Blog post on this one is TBD!

 

• In September, we flew to Munich to meet up with Ashley, John, Maddie, and Justin for OKTOBERFEST!!! I personally was not that excited about the actual festival before we went (I know, I’m so weird), but I actually enjoyed it and had a fabulous time!  The city of Munich was clean and beautiful, and the people were seriously, so kind.  Also, Bavarian food!!!!

 

• TWO DAYS after our Munich trip, we boarded another plane for Paris, France. What a romantic dream trip Paris was!! From sunrise at the Eiffel Tower to strolls around the Louvre, Paris was everything I thought it would be!! Unfortunately, I did acquire some unknown “life-threatening bacterium” (words of my doctor) at some point during this trip and spent nearly three weeks recovering.  As I’ve said before, the bacterial infection (as horrible as it was – truly effing horrible), won’t stop me from returning.  As a matter of fact, I’ve already booked my next trip!

 

• After Paris, we embarked on Barcelona, Spain (blog post coming soon!) for some R&R and more incredible food! We spent the majority of one day at the hotel spa (no regrets!) and the remainder of our trip jaunting around the city!  We also got to meet up with our friends Rachel and AJ and their parents for my first international photoshoot!!

 

• CHRISTMAS MARKETS IN GERMANY was another item on my “bucket list” that I got to cross off this year! We flew to Berlin for a quick weekend trip to visit Pauline and Ben and THREE of Berlin’s MANY markets.  It was a dream trip and we can’t wait to visit more next year 😉

 

We are heading to one more place before 2019, but I’ll wait to post about this one until we have actually returned!

Volcanic Eruptions

• We visited some of the other islands around Sicily. Stromboli (one of the Aeolian Islands north of Sicily), was our first island hop.  We ventured there for one night and a SEVEN, yes SEVEN, hour hike to the top of Stromboli volcano at night.  It was as exhausting and strenuous as it was enchanting!! We got to watch the volcano erupt many times, so it was worth it!!

 

• We got to witness not just one but TWO volcanic eruptions!! On Christmas Eve, Mount Etna erupted with plumes of smoke, over 130 earthquakes and two fresh new craters spouting LAVA! It was an unexpected Christmas surprise that has kept many native islanders on edge!

Time with Family

• Despite ALL of the above, my favorite moments of 2018 were with those I love. Being at home with Jordan, Birdee, and Chalupa was by far my favorite thing I did this year.  As all military families know, time (and holidays) together are not guaranteed.  I think this makes me appreciate every moment with them so much more.

 

My life has changed in so many ways over this past year, reflecting back on it all is really actually quite surreal. I think my biggest takeaway from this past year is that you never know where life is going to take you.  As a person who was extremely “type-A” for so long, stepping back and allowing life to take over a little bit has helped me to realize that sometimes the best things that happen to us are the unplanned ones.  I’ve also developed an even greater sense of YOLO (you only live once, right?!), that I’m a little bit overwhelmed with the fact that I will never get to see or do all the things I want to. So, for 2019, I aim to be more present in everyday life; to enjoy the little moments just as much as the big ones!

It’s well known that Mount Etna is Europe’s most active volcano. Despite this fact, it was a bit of a surprise when we walked outside on Christmas Eve to find that she had erupted. There have been quite a few eruptions in the 10 months we have lived in Sicily.  However, there have been none of this magnitude!

The Christmas Eve eruption was the first flank eruption in over 10 years from Mount Etna.  A new fracture near its south-eastern crater was the source of the spectacle.  Besides the eruption, over 130 earthquakes occurred throughout the day.  Because of the eruption column carrying rocks and ash, the airport had to shut down and some people (on the mountainside) were told to evacuate.

We live ~22 miles away from Mount Etna, so we were able to see the eruption from afar. We did drive up to Linguaglossa for a wine tasting we had previously scheduled (which is on the north side of the volcano).  During our drive, we drove under the eruption column and were met with falling rock, ash, and other debris. It was quite exciting.

Mount Etna appeared to settle down around sunset, but the earthquakes continued.

Something worth noting in the last two photos is the pileus cloud (the circular cloud on the right side of the image).  A pileus cloud is often called a “scarf” or “cap” cloud.  It appears when there are strong updrafts and are indicators of severe weather.  These types of clouds also appear above mushroom clouds from nuclear detonations!   Crazy stuff!!

 

Views from Sigonella

 

From E45 – Drive to  Linguaglossa

 

Views from Motta Saint Anastasia

Pileus cloud in the late afternoon.

 

Pileus cloud at sunset.

 

Views from Catania

It’s our FIRST holiday season in Sicily!! For the holidays this year, Jordan and I joined our friends Rachel and AJ at Murgo Winery on Mount Etna. This was just a couple days before the latest eruptions!

After our lovely lunch and wine tasting, we all went out to explore the grounds and take a couple holiday photos. Thanks so much for AJ for snapping these for us and to Rachel for cheering us on and making us laugh!

Happy Holidays to you and yours!!

Love,

Mandalyn + Jordan

Happy Holidays!

One of the things I love about photography is getting to meet so many cool people from so many different places.  If you have read any of my perspectives of an expat posts, you’ll know how much I enjoy hearing about other’s immigration and assimilation experiences. When Falk contacted me for a Sicilian beach holiday session, I absolutely couldn’t say no. Falk and his wife, Kristina, are both German expats. Their son Fynn has only lived in Sicily.  It was pretty cool to hear about how Fynn is learning three languages at once (German, Italian, and English)! What an amazing skill to have when he grows up!

For their holiday session, we decided to incorporate the Sicilian beach feel with traditional Christmas images. We had a ton of fun exploring the sandy beach in a nature reserve we found here. Fynn had a lot of fun building sand forts from sticks and collecting any interesting artifact he could find! Check out this beautiful family below and email me to set up your holiday session today!

Plankenhorn Family | Sicilian Beach Holiday Session