Wake up early and head to Newport Beach. The surfers will be up before you so grab a cappuccino and wander along the beach to watch them.

Stroll out on one of the piers and bring your camera. If you’re lucky you’ll see lots of sea birds and sea lions barking under the pier. I even saw dolphins jumping in the distance!

You’ll find any number of interesting people fishing off the end of the pier. I enjoyed listening to some Vietnamese fishermen talking.

In the late morning make your way to Laguna Beach to explore the quaint shops and art galleries. The town is full of beautiful art.

You’ll probably work up an appetite, so stop in at one of the many fabulous restaurants in Laguna Beach for lunch. Many of the seaside places have dining with a view!

Laguna also has a stunning coastline. Wander out to bird rock for some great tide pooling.

Travel inland in the afternoon for some great shopping. I visited Fashion Island and South Coast plaza for some great upscale choices. Of course I also indulged in plenty of coffee, and a gourmet cupcake.

Coming from the Pittsburgh winter and wearing flip flops for the first time in months, my toes were in need of attention, so I also indulged in a pedicure!

As the afternoon wears on, make your way back to the shore to watch the sun go down. I went to another part of Newport Beach and made myself comfortable on a break water rock pile, with a bar of chocolate and bottle of juice for the occasion. I settled in to photograph the sunset.

One thing I like about California is you won’t be alone out to enjoy the sunset. Plenty of people head out to the beach with blankets and cameras to watch and surfers pause as the last of the light disappears.

Just as my morning began with spotting dolphins, I saw them at sunset as well.

I finished my perfect Orange County day with dinner at one of the great restaurants near my hotel.

I’m sure I missed something great to do in the OC. What are you recommendations for a day in Southern California?

1. A photo that… takes my breath away

I captured this Pacific sunset on Laguna Beach and can’t stop looking at it. I love the lines in the sky as well as the silhouettes and of course the sparkling sea.

2. A photo that… makes me laugh or smile

We had a blast on the Salt Flats of Bolivia taking crazy photos. The sea of white makes a perfect backdrop for interesting perspective shots. Looking back on the photos they always make me smile!

3. A photo that… makes me dream

Something about a Pacific sunset (see above) gets me all dreamy and introspective. I could sit for hours in the soft light of the California coast, watching the surfers and the sea birds, contemplating life.

4. A photo that… makes me think

The immense redwood forests on the West Coast always impress me with the power of nature. Many of these trees show marks of forest fires and most are many years older than me. Giant redwoods make me thing about strength and power, and how little we really understand about life and nature.

5. A photo that… makes my mouth water

One of the things I miss the most about Brazil is the Churrasco, or grilled meat. The meat is so fresh and good, grilled to perfection and served all you can eat style. Delicious!

6. A photo that… tells a story

I photographed this couple dancing tango on the streets of Buenos Aires. I love how they are older and look like they have been dancing together for 50 years. I also kept the guitar in the light and kept the couple a little bit of a shadow to add some mystery. I like that the graffiti adds a little grunge to the scene.

7. A photo that… I am most proud of (aka my worthy of National Geographic shot)

The high deserts in the Bolivian Andes are so amazingly photogenic it was impossible NOT to get epic National Geographic worthy shots!

Make it to the top and the reward is a fabulous view of the valley below as well as some local wildlife like this coati to greet you.

Many people of German descent live in these Brazilian mountains, and you’ll find plenty of Bavarian type architecture and almost feel like you’re in the Alps.

Roberto and I have made several trips through the mountains, including one occasion where we went to visit the family of one of his friends. They have a farm and some land up in the hills and we went to spend the day there.

I was excited to watch a flock of noisy parakeets flying around and snapped this photo when the landed in a nearby tree.

The woods and pastures in the mountains are lush and there are lots of animals grazing.

The main reason we spent came to the mountains, however, was to pick and eat some nuts that grow in the pine trees there. I am crazy about the Dr. Seuss looking trees that grown in the mountains, and they even produce edible nuts or seeds that I found similar to chestnuts. The pine trees are called Piniero and the nuts are called Pinao.

There in the Serra, the trees grow as far as the eye can see. It’s a beautiful and unique sight.

The trouble is, these trees are tall and the nuts are at the very top. Our brave friend climbed to the top for the “harvest.”

The pinao grow in big balls like this, and you can pull of the individual seeds. People eat them “raw” but they are best when roasted.

In true Brazilian style, we ended our day with a delicious barbecue enjoyed under the trees.

Earlier this week I was fortunate enough to get out of the cold and spend a few days in Southern California. The Pacific coast is such a beautiful and magical place and I spent much of my time wandering the beaches of Orange County taking photos and enjoying the sights. On more than one occasion I saw pods of dolphins out in the water. This photo was snapped from the Newport Pier.

I had this photo set to go for today knowing that Roberto would be in Rio for his final visa interview. I didn’t want to post it too early because I wanted to be able to update you all on how everything went.

The visa was approved! He should have his passport back with the visa in it in a few weeks and he’ll be able to travel to the US after that!

Thanks again to everyone for all your support and encouragement throughout this immigration journey.

Fortunately, we were proven wrong right away.

Note that I didn’t bring my DSLR camera to dinner most nights and all these photos were taken with my iPhone.

Our most memorable experiences in Rome were spent at the table. We completely fell in love with the food and the dining culture of enjoying a long leisurely meal for hours on end and lingering in outdoor cafes over a cup of cappuccino or bottle of wine.

Our first experience wasn’t in Rome at all but in Frankfurt where my flight from the US and Roberto’s flight from Brazil were both connecting. We got to spend our layover together and enjoyed food and drinks in the Lufthansa lounge while we waited for our flight to Rome.

When we finally arrived in Rome that afternoon, we went off in search of a snack and found a deli near the apartment. Each ordering some pizza from the lady behind the counter, we were surprised when she took out a huge knife, chopped off some pizza, and folded and wrapped it up to weigh and give to us. Who knew they served pizza this way! We returned to this place and other delis for pizza at least once per day (sometimes more!) after this.

Best pizza ever!

That night we went to a restaurant for dinner and found both familiar and strange things on the menu. We both ordered different pasta dishes and were amazed with the beautiful simplicity that is Italian food. The noodles were freshly made and the sauces were filled with fresh, quality ingredients. The spices were just right and we did not add salt or cheese because the taste was already perfect. The pasta dishes tasted like Italian favorites we were used to, but so much better.

We enjoyed various drinks with each meal as well. For breakfast we would stop at a cafe and get cappuccino, which was absolute perfection. The coffee had a smooth, rich flavor and the foam was light and creamy. We spent an enjoyable evening in a bar in front of the Pantheon enjoying a bottle of Prosecco, and I enjoyed many glasses of wine while Roberto enjoyed local beers during our time in the Eternal City.

One of the most fun things we did was stop at a little dive bar for beers and to watch the Roman soccer team play. We ended up sharing a table with some rowdy old Italian men and had a blast enjoying their antics. The bartender would cruse and shout Italian obscenities at the team, throwing a bar rag when things got ugly. One of our table mates tried to speak English with us but all he seemed to know was “shut up.” We’d laugh at something or remark on the game and he’d toss his hands up and growl: “heyyyy shudddup.” Before busting into fits of laughter. So much fun!

On our last evening in Rome we found a small local restaurant on a quiet street and took a romantic table by the windows. We wanted to do our last meal up right, so we ordered both primi entrees and a secondi to share. Our pasta dishes were of course excellent and we ate every last bite. For the main dish we ordered a grilled fish. The server brought our fish out to show us before cooking it, and it was prepared covered in sea salt for a marinate. She returned with it grilled and filleted and split onto separate plates of us. The fish was fresh and simply cooked, and we enjoyed every last bite of the tender fillet. Sadly, there was no room for dessert.

I absolutely cannot wait to return to Rome and enjoy more of the food. I can still taste the yummy pizza and tender fish. Eating and drinking in the local restaurants and bars was my favorite thing about Rome!

This beautiful leopard’s pale blue eyes caught my attention and I spent several minutes trying to get a photo of his striking face. It was tough because he kept walking around and this shot was through glass. I finally did get a picture that captured his eyes and the detail of his face, and of course there’s a fly buzzing around in the frame (just above his right eye). I liked the picture anyway! Doesn’t he have the prettiest coat?

Have you been to your local zoo lately?

We really appreciate all the kind things you guys had to say about us as well as the insight we gained through reading your responses. A majority of you said you like more personal type posts and are intrigued by our story, so we will certainly be sure to provide more of that. Single photo posts weren’t as popular so we decided to only post those once a week instead of twice. You guys also said you weren’t interested in posts about blogging or features about other bloggers at all, so we’ll definitely keep that in mind. Many bloggers do interviews and guest posts but we’ve always felt our site was too personal to do that, so it’s nice to get some affirmation about that. I hope you forgive us for this post that’s sort of about blogging!

We’re always open to more feedback and love hearing from you guys.

We walked from our apartment across the Tiber to Saint Peter’s square. As expected we found several representatives selling tours to passing visitors. We were offered two options: an independent self-guided tour through the museums and Sistine Chapel or a group tour with a guide, both ending in the Basilica. The independent option was considerably cheaper and so we decided to do that one.

We were lead several blocks in the opposite direction from the Vatican to the tour company’s office, where to our dismay we were informed there was no option for the independent tour like we were sold. We expressed our dissatisfaction to the tour office. They told us there was never an option for a self-guided tour. The girl who initially sold it to us was British so the misunderstanding was definitely not a language issue. We were disappointed but decided to go ahead and go on the tour since we were already there.

Things began going downhill as we were gathered around our tour guide and issued those lame earphones connected to her mic. She introduced herself and proceeded to talk, in the middle of the sidewalk, with us standing around her, for THIRTY minutes. We stood there uncomfortable and embarrassed as locals shot us dirty looks after being forced to step around our group on the street. We heard the history of Vatican City although I can’t tell you a single detail as she just spouted out facts in a monotone voice with no interaction or interesting anecdotes.

We finally made our way over to Vatican City and were provided our tickets to the museum. While the entire group paused for restrooms, photos, etc. we had a chance to peruse the gift shop and Roberto was able to purchase a rosary for his mom. We reconvened and our guide led the way to the museum, but first stopping in the courtyard.

Our guide walked us up to a large sign which depicted and explained the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel. She proceeded to go start from the top and painstakingly explain each and every detail of the painting. We just wanted to see it! We wandered the courtyard taking pictures, sat and rested for a bit, wandered into the museum to get a drink, and she was still talking. Finally, we gave up and wandered into the Vatican Museum ourselves. It was the last we saw of our tour group!

The Vatican Museum was spectacular! We couldn’t believe the depth and time span of the collections. We could have wandered there for days, but we made our way through the beautiful hallways just awestruck at the artifacts and surroundings. Sometimes we would look out the windows and see Saint Peter’s rotunda in all its splendor, waiting for us to make our way through the winding hallways to greet her.

We spent the next couple hours wandering the museum and space at our own pace. We made it to the Sistine Chapel where we admired the famous ceiling for as long as we wanted, sitting on the benches lining the room to take it all in. Photography was not allowed there but throughout the museum the ceilings were stunning and sometimes we just didn’t know where to look: around, down at the beautiful floor tile or up at the amazing ceilings.

Finally we made our way through the museum and into Saint Peter’s Basilica in all its splendor. The sanctuary was simply spectacular and we both felt rather awed as we stepped slowly around the heart of the basilica.

We took a few moments to take in our surroundings and then went together into a designated chapel area to say a couple prayers.

It was late afternoon when we exited the basilica and the sun was low in the sky over Rome, casting a soft light on the buildings of Vatican City that made them glow pink. From the steps leading to the basilica we looked over Saint Peter’s Square and contemplating the long and fascinating history of the very place we were standing.

Before we left the Vatican, we were able to spot a couple members of the Swiss Guard who are responsible for the safety of the Pope and serve as the military force of Vatican City. Their colorful uniforms are certainly popular photo subjects and they paid us no attention as we snapped away.

We often say that we don’t like going on guided tours in favor of wandering and discovering things at our own pace. This experience certainly affirms this preference. While we ended up having a great time while visiting the Vatican, we would not choose to do such a tour again. We were very disappointed with the entire experience, especially after having been “bait and switched” into paying more for it.

Have you ever paid for a tour you regretted? Do you find guided tours to be educational and enjoyable? Let us know what you think!