Blog

From cobblestoned Portuguese alleys navigated one-handed with a stroller to reef dives in Fiji, this is where the trips live. Told through words and whatever camera happened to be with me.

I shoot film and digital and travel with family in tow. These posts are part travel journal, part photography log, and part love letter to the places that made an impression. I hope they make you want to go see them for yourself.

Latest Articles

Featured
The Road to Hana — Beyond the Turn (Part II)
The Road to Hana — Beyond the Turn (Part II)

The Road to Hana and beyond — narrow roads, raw coastline, and the question every traveler faces: turn back, or keep going?

West Maui in Monochrome — Kaanapali, Napili & Kapalua (Part 1)
West Maui in Monochrome — Kaanapali, Napili & Kapalua (Part 1)

When I booked a week away to the Island of Maui, a project dawned on me to abandon the temptation to capture the vivid colours of the island and seek instead to document it as I first saw it through the monochrome images shared by explorers and tourists generations before me.

Portugal - Sintra
Portugal - Sintra

The last leg of our trip was here in Lisbon. We had several days to explore the city and the idea was to do so on foot, rambling the narrow and hilly cobbled streets with one hand on the stroller and the other with the camera. No plan of action here, so let’s see what the city decides to show us!

Portugal - Lisbon
Portugal - Lisbon

The last leg of our trip was here in Lisbon. We had several days to explore the city and the idea was to do so on foot, rambling the narrow and hilly cobbled streets with one hand on the stroller and the other with the camera. No plan of action here, so let’s see what the city decides to show us!

Portugal - Nazare
Portugal - Nazare

Nazare sits on a steeply sloping hillside terminating at a broad crescent beach adjacent the ocean. The beach you see in front of the bulk of the town is not in fact where the world-famous big-wave surfing takes place. That area rather, is on the opposite side of a steep rocky outcrop that extends 500m or so into the sea on the north end of town. But for starters we thought we’d tour the city and see what it has to offer.

Portugal - Comporta
Portugal - Comporta

It's a bit of a tricky beach. And what I mean by that is, on the first day one could wade out through the surf quite some distance before it got above thigh height. The waves were of a decent size and surf-board rentals and lessons are available here which certainly suits the character and conditions of the waters. On the second day, I tried the same wade into the ocean and got a bit of a surprise…

Portugal - Cabanas do Lago
Portugal - Cabanas do Lago

As we approach the area the dam becomes visible towering over a small valley. The road soon changes from paved to dirt, but nothing most cars can’t handle. We snake along it’s winding path and turn off onto a steep sided valley that surrounds one of the hundreds of coves around the perimeter of the lake. At the end of the road we see the large main house appear through the trees and are immediately greeted by one of the smiling hosts, Filipa, as we arrive.

Portugal - Lagos
Portugal - Lagos

The Algarve seemed the logical choice for starting our trip to Portugal. It was well recommended by friends, and since we were arriving in early September, the timing gave us the best chance of experiencing some beach-worthy weather to kick off the relaxation.

Mallorca - Palma
Mallorca - Palma

The sun came out for us in Palma and we got a taste of the heat that makes Mallorca such a popular destination for travellers. It’s here we’d get a bit of real beach-time, plenty of walking, cold drinks and al fresco dining.

Mallorca - Cala St. Vincenc
Mallorca - Cala St. Vincenc

It didn’t seem right to do a trip to Mallorca without staying at a beachside resort of some kind, so we decided to take advantage of shoulder-season rates to stay at the Grupotel Molins, located along one of the crystal blue bays of the resort town of Cala St. Vincenc.

Mallorca - Fornalutx
Mallorca - Fornalutx

The views from town are magnificent, especially looking back across the valley at the various and ancient terraced orchards and olive groves. There are a number of hikes up and down available to explore, but with the stroller in tow we decided to stick to the cobble stones streets which were a steep enough challenge on their own.

Mallorca - Soller
Mallorca - Soller

Soller was buzzing with activity when we were there. While there were plenty of tourists, it’s clear that there is a large local community here and the buzz of them going about their day creates a great vibe in the town center. While bigger than Deia, Soller is by no means large, and exploring it on foot is the best way to go for the most part, especially with the aforementioned narrow lanes.

Mallorca - First Taste of Spain
Mallorca - First Taste of Spain

It was a last minute idea. From intention, to booking, to flight in less than two weeks. It’s not often one makes a significant career change, and this one warranted a few weeks abroad to rest and reset. Mallorca was not an obvious destination for us, coming from Vancouver where Hawaii or Mexico might be the more frequented, and frankly closer, destinations.

Japan - Epilogue - Travelling with Film Photography
Japan - Epilogue - Travelling with Film Photography

One Camera, one lens, and one film stock. That’s where we started this first photographic sojourn to Japan. A fitting assignment, I think, considering the countries’ own reputation for blending the new with the old. What follows is a few of my learnings for would-be film photography travelers.

Hiroshima - Japan
Hiroshima - Japan

I was at times perhaps too stingy with my shooting, and other times I felt compelled to snap a photo of some okonomiyaki. In time I’d develop a rhythm (and tendency to overpack) to my shooting that freed me to shoot unencumbered by worry of running out out of film.

Koyasan - Japan
Koyasan - Japan

After a long day of travel getting here, we lay on our comfortable mattresses preparing to sleep when the deep hum of a gong reverberated from the forest and filled the room. It was a low tone that you feel more so than hear and one that had the hairs standing on the backs of our necks.

Kanazawa - Japan
Kanazawa - Japan

A guide to Kanazawa, Japan—Kenroku-en gardens, historic districts, incredible seafood, and a slower, more local side of Japan.

First Frames, Tokyo - Japan
First Frames, Tokyo - Japan

Admittedly the first few days of this trip were spent shooting sparingly, driven by the neophyte’s underlying fear of depleting a limited film stockpile.

Japan - Prologue
Japan - Prologue

“Does it work"?” I asked, pulling the metal brick out of a dusty cupboard. “Find a battery for it and find out!” My Dad replied. And like that, sometime in early 2017, my curiosity for film/photography was reborn.

Undersea Fiji - Viwa
Undersea Fiji - Viwa

The first adventure of every Viwa dive excursion is crossing its barrier reef. There’s a small gap forming a channel about a hundred meters off-shore that the boat has to blast through in order to get to the deeper waters beyond.

Little Viwa
Little Viwa

The sandy beach here is amazing and really the star of the show on Viwa. Soft-white and stretching the length of the resort, I could walk end to end all day long…

Undersea Fiji - Rainbow Reef
Undersea Fiji - Rainbow Reef

The first time I dive a new area I find my focus starts out on the big picture - landscapes, colours, and the contours of the seafloor/reef. At the Rainbow Reef, that big picture immediately sends you into sensory overload.

A Glimpse of Village Life
A Glimpse of Village Life

While the villages’ appearance was spartan by Western standards, it’s integration with its environment and the sheer abundance therein is nothing sort of astounding. Everything the Vunikurans need grows all over the village grounds, on the mountain slope behind, or in the sea.

Let's Get Remote
Let's Get Remote

They don’t call it remote for nothing. Located on the far Eastern shore of Vanua Levu, in a bay that was once home to a palm tree plantation, The Remote Resort forms a wonderfully secluded oasis.

Travel Yarko Petriw Travel Yarko Petriw

Mallorca - Soller

Soller was buzzing with activity when we were there. While there were plenty of tourists, it’s clear that there is a large local community here and the buzz of them going about their day creates a great vibe in the town center. While bigger than Deia, Soller is by no means large, and exploring it on foot is the best way to go for the most part, especially with the aforementioned narrow lanes.

View from the living room, Soller, Mallorca, Nikon FE, 20mm Nikkor Lens, Kodak Portra 400

Read Part I: Mallorca - First Taste of Spain →

After a beautiful stay in Deia, we drove just 15km or so to our next destination, a small villa we booked in the hills above Soller. The drive, like most on the periphery of the island, is winding and beautiful, with scenic vistas at every turn. It’s also quite narrow, with no passing lanes and many cyclists, so always bank on it taking about double the time you expect. Soller occupies a broad valley and stretches right down to the sea at the westernmost end (Port de Soller). As I dutifully followed google maps towards our stay we quickly encountered a bit of a snag. The route took us through the heart of the city, and as it did, the road got narrower and narrower until our right and left side tires were squealing along the curbs! It got worse before it got better as we came up to a 90 degree right hand bend. Through a feat of geometric genius, we managed to navigate the gauntlet and thankfully the road widened on the other side. Lesson learned, if it’s getting skinny, get out and scout on foot first!

Not entirely sure I was supposed to drive this way, Soller, Mallorca, Nikon FE, 20mm Nikkor Lens, Kodak Portra 400

Casa Azva

I really wanted to experience at least one private stay on this trip, and this would be it. We booked Casa Azva on AirBnb after a protracted, indecisive search online on various booking sites. Mallorca is absolutely full of villa stays, and in the shoulder season many are incredibly good value, so it can be tough to choose. In our case we wanted someplace quiet with a view, and scored 10/10 on both points. The challenge here is that your vehicle parking is at the bottom of the property, so you need to be comfortable with a 5 minute walk up the occasionally steep hill to your accommodation.

The villa itself was quaint and cozy, with two bedrooms, a full kitchen and a wood burning fireplace that we made good use of in the cool evenings of the mountainside. The villa is located on the outskirts of Soller near the village of Biniaraix, it’s about a 20min walk into town but we usually drove given the unpredictable nature of travelling with a little one. There are a few restaurants near the accommodation and many hiking trails in the hills behind for those feeling adventurous!

Casa Azva, Soller, Mallorca, Nikon FE, 20mm Nikkor Lens, Kodak Portra 400

Casa Azva, Soller, Mallorca, Nikon FE, 20mm Nikkor Lens, Kodak Portra 400

View from our yard, Casa Azva, Soller, Mallorca, Nikon FE, 20mm Nikkor Lens, Kodak Portra 400

Living room, Casa Azva, Soller, Mallorca, Nikon FE, 20mm Nikkor Lens, Kodak Portra 400

Around Town

Soller was buzzing with activity when we were there. While there were plenty of tourists, it’s clear that there is a large local community here and the buzz of them going about their day creates a great vibe in the town center. While bigger than Deia, Soller is by no means large, and exploring it on foot is the best way to go for the most part, especially with the aforementioned narrow lanes. Hungry and want to try a great local snack? Ensaimadas, are a local delicacy available fresh or pre-packaged in many if not all of the local bakeries. Essentially a sweet bread with powdered sugar on top, it’s a tasty treat for between meals. Fresh squeezed juices are also available from some shops and these are both tastier and less costly than bottled drinks. To try more local fare, or bring some fresh food back to your villa to cook-up yourselves, try the Mercat-Municipal; a large indoor market with butchers, bakers, fish and fresh local produce.

For us, one of the highlights of Soller was simply sitting outside a cafe sipping espresso and watching the world walk by, but as with all such trips we needed to do some exploring, and Soller has a particularly beautiful way of helping you do just that. The town is bisected by a tramway that carries the Tren De Soller, a vintage light-rail carriage that takes you on a 5km journey from near the the city center at the Plaza de la Constitución to the beautiful harbour village of Port du Soller (with a few stops along the way). While you don’t need to ride the Tren to explore Soller itself, it is the ideal way to visit Port du Soller for it’s beaches and seaside cafes and bars.

The Tren de Soller passes right through the central square in Soller, Mallorca, Nikon FE, 20mm Nikkor Lens, Kodak Portra 400

“For us, one of the highlights of Soller was simply sitting outside a cafe sipping espresso and watching the world walk by.”

Plaza de la Constitución, Soller Mallorca, Nikon FE, 20mm Nikkor Lens, Kodak Portra 400

A few more tables and kiosks outside the Mercat-Municipal, Soller Mallorca, Nikon FE, 20mm Nikkor Lens, Kodak Portra 400

Tren De Soller

Soller Mallorca, Nikon FE, 20mm Nikkor Lens, Kodak Portra 400

Soller, Mallorca, Nikon FE, 20mm Nikkor Lens, Kodak Portra 400

Port Du Soller

Port Du Soller is the beautiful seaside sibling to the more densely laid out Soller. Built around a bay with a narrow opening to the Balearic Sea, this little town may just be the archetypal southern European beachfront village. The Tren line runs along the east bank of the bay, covering about half it’s circumference with a few stops along the way. We found it best to hop off at the very first stop as the rest of the town is very walkable and indeed that’s a great way to enjoy it. We spent a bit of time on the beach, but late April proved a bit cool yet for swimming (I tried). There are many restaurants all facing inward towards the water and a beautiful marina where I’m sure boat rentals and charters are an enticing option, but we weren’t going to try that with our 6 month old in tow.

The Port is a great place to spend a day, and while it’s clearly “touristy” it doesn’t feel obtrusively so and is indeed beautiful enough to invest the time in a visit if you’re on this coast. I suspect during the summer the beach is absolutely packed and the atmosphere overall must be amazing. In late spring it was relatively quiet but in glorious sunshine we didn’t mind a more relaxed day. Absent the beach, there are plenty of cafe’s restaurants and gellaterias to enjoy, as well as a marine museum and various boat-tour operators.

The tren passing by in Port du Soller, Mallorca, Nikon FE, 20mm Nikkor Lens with circular polarizing filter, Kodak Portra 400

The Marina in Port Du Soller, Mallorca, Nikon FE, 20mm Nikkor Lens with circular polarizing filter, Kodak Portra 400

Interlude

On the Soller leg of our Mallorca trip the sun finally came out in full force and so did my trusty Olympus XA loaded with Film Ferrania’s P30. I’d never shot this film stock before, and with an ISO (ASA) of just 80 I was a bit nervous about trying until I had some really bright light. It felt like a bit of a risk entrusting a lesser known film stock on a trip abroad, but wow am I happy I did.

P30 is a newly manufactured film with high silver content which Ferrania claim provides high-contrast with minimal grain in an effort to capture the look of Italian cinema of the mid 20th century. It delivers triumphantly. While that low sensitivity means it’s not very versatile (a tripod might help with that), when it shines it’s utterly gorgeous. Enjoy a couple shots here and you’ll see more as I cover the second half of the trip.

Port Du Soller, Mallorca, Olympus XA, Ferrania P30

The Tren passing through Port Du Soller, Mallorca, Olympus XA, Ferrania P30

Oops, a car race!

I think it was the third day of our visit to Soller that I awoke to the sounds of engines screaming across the valley. At first I figured some motoring enthusiasts were having a go at the delightfully twisty roads before the local police force had gotten out of bed. It was my wife that noted that the consistency of the sounds which reminded her of attending one of my car races back home. I hadn’t read about any tracks in the area, so what could it be?

It was actually quite challenging to find any mention online about an organized motorsport event, so we decided to hop in the car and drive towards the sound until we found something. It turns out there was a hill-climb race going on that weekend, and they had shut several kilometers of the road north out of Soller down to run it for the day. I raced hill climb in Canada about ten years ago (and won “King of the Hill” at Knox Mountain on my final attempt) so was absolutely delighted to see how it’s done here in Mallorca. The cars for the most part were much different from what I typically would see back home, so that in itself was exciting. I unfortunately had a roll of Kodak Ektar 100 in the camera that morning, which is not the right film for high speed action photography, but I tried my best and got most of my best shots as they came back down the hill. (Always a potential downside to committing to film photography on a trip)

Holy Sh!t, a Renault 5 Turbo, Soller, Mallorca, Nikon FE, 20mm Nikkor Lens, Kodak Ektar 100

BMW 2002, Soller, Mallorca, Nikon FE, 20mm Nikkor Lens, Kodak Ektar 100

Serious Sports Racer, Soller, Mallorca, Nikon FE, 20mm Nikkor Lens, Kodak Ektar 100

Bike Engined open-wheeler, Soller, Mallorca, Nikon FE, 20mm Nikkor Lens, Kodak Ektar 100

MG haulin’ butt, Soller, Mallorca, Nikon FE, 20mm Nikkor Lens, Kodak Ektar 100

The ubiquitous E30, Soller, Mallorca, Nikon FE, 20mm Nikkor Lens, Kodak Ektar 100

Renault racer, Soller, Mallorca, Nikon FE, 20mm Nikkor Lens, Kodak Ektar 100

We would have the opportunity to drive the hill climb route as we left Soller a day or so later and I can confirm (despite the rather anemic engine in our rental) that this would have been an amazing route to race with sharp corners with an incredible amount of banking that should allow for high G’s and big grins. Perhaps I can arrange an arrive & drive on a future visit!

Our next stay would be a seaside resort in Cala St. Vincenc, but not before a brief stop to visit a friend in the beautiful village or Fornalutx -a gem of a location not to be missed on your way out of Soller!

Continue to Part III: Mallorca - Fornalutx →

Read More