Once upon a time, in a land far away and long ago - people were allowed to travel and my wife and I were fortunate enough to travel relatively often in Europe, before our little one came along. Since then, we haven't traveled at all together due to a lack of disposable income and the challenges of travelling with a young child with food allergies.
However, our first trip together was to what is perhaps the most photogenic city I have visited, Barcelona, which is a photographer's dream. You can pretty much set a second timer for a shot, throw your camera in the air and you will likely capture something you could put on your wall.
Like this one:
This one is currently on the wall behind my screen and could very well be the best picture I have ever taken, or at least - one of the best pictures I have ever taken in my opinion. Sentimental value, I guess. The gothic quarter is insane.
But as said, stick your lens down any alley and click and you are bound to find something of interest as there are so many layers to the city, so much texture.
It took me well over a year to convince my wife that she should be with me, even though I knew the night I met her whilst dancing, that she was the one I'd end up marrying. I know, people say that when looking back, but I told one of my brothers and a good friend of mine the very next day. Neither thought I was really serious.
I wasn't in a rush however, which meant we could get to know each other without the pressure of trying to end up together as a married couple. Well, it would have been that way, if I hadn't told her we were going to end up together very early on. She thought I was crazy and wouldn't have a bar of it, but I knew very early on that she was more than interested.
As I said, we met dancing and if a person is paying attention to the signals of their partner through the way they move, a lot can be understood. I am a clumsy lead and not a great dancer, but I am pretty good at reading people and knew that she was already on the path to falling in love with me before she did - the body can't hide much. I think flirting with her was some of the best times I have had in my life.
We spent hundreds of hours chatting on Facebook together throughout the days and I think this is where she learned the most about me. Do you ever miss those times? The early times in a relationship where two people are working each other out, testing the waters and testing each other for strength and weakness? It is much like walking through an unfamiliar city, eyes wide and curious, a little apprehensive due to the uncertainty and risk - excited to explore the potential.
This trip to Barcelona set the standard for pretty much every other trip we have taken together because we walked almost everywhere - tens of kilometres a day - and we have done this on every trip. While subways are convenient, walking gives the opportunity to be introduced and surprised by the locals living their life, chance scenes and encounters with the kinds of people who can't be found at landmarks, because they are not on holiday, they have a real life to live. We have met some very interesting people and had some great little moments over the years through our interactions.
My wife is testing to say the least, or at least back then she was very much vetting me, which was a pretty good indicator that my statement of marriage was still on track. Just like the building of La Sagrada Familia, good things things take time and while she was in the alpha testing stages, I already had the beta release notes in editing. It worked out well this way as a solid foundation was getting laid, while the future planning was already in the works. If you haven't noticed, I like to dream ahead.
Planning isn't really my thing, I am more of a rough sketcher. On the day these photos were taken, I ran into a little store, grabbed loaf of fresh bread and a bottle of wine and we ended up eating and drinking together behind the Basilica in a pretty, little park. The leftovers we gave to a trio of friendly alcoholics who we'd had a chat with about life.
It doesn't take much to be happy, does it? Sure, we were abroad and on holiday in a beautiful city - but we have done similar things here in our home town. I think everyone should take advantage of simple life possibilities much more than we tend to. I think that we overcomplicate our planning and because of the effort, we set expectations on how we are meant to feel instead of just rolling with the flow.
We walked these streets for hours and days just talking about our life ahead and the child we were going to have together. We "agreed" on the name Olivia - but I already knew that was never going to happen - she found out when we were choosing names a few years later.
I do love traveling with my wife though and I do miss it. I have no idea when the next opportunity will be, but it has been over four years since the last time and our mini trip to Copenhagen back in April was cancelled due to the Corona virus travel restrictions. A few nights in Barcelona would be gratefully accepted by both of us.
Perhaps one day we will get back to Barcelona, but it is always a challenge for us because there are so many places we want to go and see, to repeat might feel like it is missing out on something else. However, we barely scratched the surface of Barcelona in the days we were there and if we could go back, we would be going in a different stage of our lives, with a different perspective on the world. Our world changes based on how we feel and a great deal of how we feel about a place comes from who we shared it with.
Like a great meal - experiencing a city with someone you care about makes it all the better. But then, it doesn't matter what city it is, with the right person, anywhere will do.
Taraz
[ Gen1: Hive ]
Do you think it is offensive or considered rude if you praise someone's writing every-time you read their posts? I am guilty of praising your writing style yet again. As everyone in the comment section already said - yea, it's fun to go through all the comments :)-this time around, you have photographs that mingled really well with your words. Why don't you enter the Monomad challenge on hive?
That's true. Because you have invested your time and energy in designing the process and the outcome, you would like to have that scenario played out as you have envisioned. Sometimes, the vision you had will not play out as nicely or in a way that you expected and the whole experience is not as mellow. Some unplanned events and moments linger far more longer than the planned trip.
ra
Depends what comes after ;D I will read on now :P
I am glad you read the other comments and it is a good idea to engage with the ones you like or find interesting, as well as the people you often see commenting - because they are trhe active ones on the platform and are generally a decent group to hang out with.
I don't do challenges anymore. I get pretty well rewarded and am relatively well known - so I tend to leave challenges and competitions for others so that I don't get in the way of anyone. I do take part in some initiatives occasionally, but not many. It isn't anything against them, I think they are great and a good way for users to be seen and find people that share similar interests.
New Years Eve is always a let down when grand designs are made.
For me, the best nights have been the most random.
!ENGAGE 15
ENGAGEtokens.Not rude or offensive at all...But so he doesn't get a big head I'll bring him down a peg or two.
Shit post @tarazkp.
'nuff said.
Lol.
and the bubble has burst.
Lol...And the mighty have fallen.
Another stunning post. The photography is superb. Seriously. The contrasts and texture between light and shadow are alluring.
I think what i loved most about this post was your memoirs of how you and your wife met and how romantic the trip to Barcelona was. I got a little choked up reading it. Makes me wanna fall in love with someone again. As it is i just recently lost my loved one. A girl i loved more than the whole world its self... unfortunately she began to feel different. But i still miss that feeling every day and reach out like a specter wishing to grasp it again.
Anyways i digress. Beautiful post thank you for sharing.
Barcelona city does half the work :)
Sorry to hear about your relationship, but I tend to think of these things this way. If you love her, then you want her to be happy, whatever that means. Also, if she doesn't want to be with you, it is better that you move on and find someone who does. Relationships change over time and some grow together, some apart.
Hope you stay well.
!ENGAGE 15
ENGAGEtokens.how are you dear friend @tarazkp good night
What a beautiful love story you have, I felt very identified with some sections of your story, I am also a bad dancer, but I have what you have, the eye to see what people are made of,
Something the same happened to me with my wife, I also conquered her in a dance and without dancing all night, since I played the music of the place, it is said that the one who plays the music does not dance, what you do not know that he better way to see the prey better.
I hope that soon the whole family can travel together again. I appreciate that you let us know this beautiful story
have a great night
Musicians get all the girls ;D
What kind of music do you normally play?
I regret the delay in my response, the morning was complicated with the construction of my furniture.
I am not a musician. I studied sound and recording technician, that night at the party it was DeeJay
That profession saved me from the flip flops by not knowing how to dance.
have a beautiful afternoon dear friend
@tarazkp, I'm not good at English, so it's hard to understand your beautiful sentences. However, I always admire your skill in taking photos.
Do you mean that you first met your wife in Barcelona and asked for a marriage?
Looking at black and white photos, your memories and feelings easily resonate with me.
There aren't many women who will turn down the proposal of a handsome Australian guy.
Looking at the photo of you with a big red-haired Dutch woman
I thought handsome Australian guy was popular with European women.
On the other hand, Korean guy who did not speak English were not popular with European women.
Even today, I have tried to talk to European women, but all have failed.
hahaha
Men create culture, but women give birth to men.
I enjoyed your beautiful photos. Thanks!
No, we met in Finland.
Lol, I think there would be plenty to turn down a marriage proposal. Looks account for very little at that level and even language ability is not a big deal :) Personality always matters.
I would disagree for various reasons - but perhaps it is statements like this that get you into trouble with women? ;D
Did you first meet your wife in Finland? So, was it photos of you and your wife traveling together in Barcelona?
Did a Red-haired Dutch woman liked a black-haired Australian handsome guy?
Often people say that personality is more important than appearance. Well, I liked the smile of a handsome black-haired Australian guy.
A Korean guy likes a handsome Australian guy, so maybe women don't like handsome more? hahaha
I tried to talk to the Red-haired Dutch woman and it failed.
I think she ignored it because I couldn't write beautiful English sentences like you. hahaha
Unlike @tarazkp, she were not tolerant of foreign men. hahaha
Greetings.
I have never been to Barcelona, I hope one day to go and give free rein to my camera to have something to put on my wall, in the meantime they will be my airplane pictures.
I liked the urban shots and how you interweave photography with your life as a couple, what better way to remember than by capturing those moments where you were walking around the city of photography.
I would put Barcelona on any travel list for a few days away, so I hope you get the chance to visit there one day.
I am not much of a reviewer of anything, as I am not much of a consumer - I prefer to tell stories through experiences rather than specifications :)
Thanks for dropping by!
I rarely plan anything in any great detail. Even if I know how it should roll it rarely does 🤣
I like walking, always felt like the pace was the best to be able to really experience stuff. Vehicles are just useful for getting to places too far from your base camp that you also want to see 😆
Making plans is for the disorganized ;D
I think in the days we were there, we caught one taxi - it was to a salsa club out in the suburbs and we walked there and it took ages and we got lost - so took a cab home. The last image is from the cab and is one of my favorite of my wife, even though blurry.
This is so true it makes me feel things in my head that I've never felt.
I may have never had this experience with a lover, but I can say I understand this with the way I've felt with my girlfriends. We could go to a place we all go separately, but the moment we go there together, it has a completely different feeling.
I love this.
Finding someone to share life with is part of the journey - I think a lot of people these days look for convenience, not depth of relationships.
It builds context and the sense of togetherness. Shared experience creates a shared memory, that can be recalled together later.
That's exactly how it feels
Excellent spotted. It doesn't matter where, it matters with whom. People are the greatest wealth.
Yes.
By the way, do you find the way you photograph your wife has changed over the time you have been together?
Of course it has changed. We have been together for over 10 years. I think I learned how to make photos more beautiful. And my wife has also changed, probably for the better (I hope this is not self-hypnosis). Today I'll get to your articles, the time is gone somewhere :)
Great Post!
What places in Europe to you recommend for a young couple that's NOT new to travel? We like to live on a budget and get the most bang for our buck (hence living in Asia).
Any recommendations would be great.
Asia is good for that, but I have only traveled in HK and Tokyo, neither are so cheap. I spent some time (for work) in Serbia last year which was cool, croatia is also one place I'd like to go. Western Europe is always pretty expensive, but the east side is a lot of fun I think.
Thank you I'll look into Eastern Europe.
You managed to put out a photography post after all. Great!
When my wife and I were on our honeymoon in Portugal a long time ago, we also walked a lot in Lisbon. We did use public transport which was a good idea because we ended up in an ordinary suburb to see how the locals lived outside the touristic areas.
Since I can't travel, may as well reminisce a little :) I used https://pinmapple.com/ for the first time too.
Yep, some places need public transport for some things - but I also know people who take taxis from hotel to landmarks and back again. It kind of defeats a lot of the charm of travel I think.
Oh absolutely. Only seeing the landmarks is great waste.
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