We are finally back at it! Travel and photography! It’s been a while since I posted here, and some of our last trips aren’t even featured here.
In 2019, we took a more relaxing winter vacation and spent six weeks in Juan Dolio, in the Dominican Republic. Henry and I both had projects to work on, and we were looking for a quiet - and warm and sunny- place to do that. There isn’t much from that trip to share, but in early 2020, we took a two month trip to South Africa. We shifted our focus to video and published on our YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@henryandlorraine9572 We came back as the pandemic was breaking out. We had a tense return home as flights were getting rescheduled and cancelled and airports and countries were closing airports down. It was close and we made it just under the wire.
We only travelled again in Spring 2022. It was our first flight after that tense return from South Africa. It was a leisurely week in Florida with our son and daughter-in-law - just hanging out - and very little photography was done. A good way to get our feet wet again, after a two-year travel hiatus.
By the end of 2022, we were finally ready to venture back out again. I still felt hesitant, but Henry pointed out that we are both getting older - aren’t we all?- and that our traveling years are counted. He is right! They are. At least, the years when we are still able to do the kind of independent travel that we like to do. And so, we chose our destination - as always, we look for places that are warm - or warmer than it is at home in winter - interesting to photograph - and affordable.
I had often thought about going to Portugal. I had heard of many friends who had gone and loved it. Although the climate is not tropical, it is mild. Having decided on it as our main destination, it was only logical that we would add Morocco to the itinerary - warmer than Portugal, amazing to photograph, and just to the south of it.
Deal! So, it was settled: One month in Morocco first - as it will be warmer in January, then by mid-February, we head up to Portugal. Our preference is always to spend more time in each place rather than trying to cover too much. Yet, there are so many beautiful places to see, and photograph! So it’s a balance.
We settled on anywhere from 6-8 nights in each of Marrakech, Fes, Chefchaouen, and Rabat, for Morocco. We added a 5 day tour to the desert, arranged by the same agency that helped out our photographer friends in the fall. And that will round out our Morocco trip.
On Valentine’s Day 2023, we will be flying from Rabat to Lisbon and begin the Portugal leg of our trip. Here, we took a slightly different approach, with six nights in Lisbon, three nights in Sintra, and then we settle in Porto for the final three weeks. By then, it will feel good to settle in a place for more a little longer stretch. We will be taking day trips from there, but we won’t be moving. Then, on March 15, we head home.
There are so many amazing sights in both countries, yet, they are so different from one another. We are ready for a visual banquet - and can’t wait to get back into our photography.
I will make a valiant attempt at keeping this blog going. So stay tuned!