A CRUISE TO THE PITONS

St. Lucia. Third port stop on our Carnival Liberty cruise. Famous for those mountain spires rising high above the Caribbean Sea, the Petit and Gros Pitons. I was really looking forward to our cruise down the western coast of the island which would culminate with this spectacular view of the Pitons.

Our cruise vessel was Tango Two...

Cruising out of Castries harbor we saw colorful houses perched on the seaside cliff in front of the Sandals resort.

All along the coast there are caves in the cliffside...

We cruised down the coast of the island into picturesque Marigot Bay...

Colorful water taxis shuttle tourists across Marigot Bay...

Majestic palm trees swayed in the tropical breeze as we exit Marigot Bay. This strip of sand is part of the Marigot Beach Club and Dive resort.

We stopped at Anse Cochon beach where we swam in the warm Caribbean water. The water was the perfect temperature; slightly cool as you stepped off the boat, but heavenly just a few minutes later. The salinity in this part of the Caribbean is so high it is easy to just float in the water.

Locals in canoes continuously hawked their wares while we were moored at the beach. It became a bit annoying but this man made for a great photo opportunity.

We sailed past fishing villages such as Canaries...

and colorful houses beachside and hillside...

Finally we reached our destination and were rewarded with a front row view of the Pitons...

Thank you for visiting,

A Great Europe Trip Planner 

All photos were taken by my husband and me during our visit to St. Lucia in April, 2015.

WATERLOGUE WISTFULNESS

This week's Waterlogue wistfulness is from my trip to Paris in 2006 which was my first European trip since I was a teenager. This was one of the first photographs I took in Paris and it is one of my favorites.

Everyone takes the required photo of the Eiffel Tower, but the park area surrounding the Eiffel Tower also makes for enchanting photographs.

If you are interested in purchasing variations of this print, please visit my Travels in Watercolor blog by clicking here.

Thank you for visiting,

A Great Europe Trip Planner 

Photo taken by me during my visit to Paris in May, 2006.
Waterlogue image created by me.

WATERLOGUE WISTFULNESS

For this post of Waterlogue Wistfulness I show one of my favorite photos taken during my visit to the Keukenhof Gardens in 2010.

For 8 weeks every Spring, from mid-March to mid-May, an area known as the Bollenstreek, a triangle-shaped area stretching between Haarlem, The Hague and Leiden, is aglow with glorious colors. Everyone knows the Netherlands is famous for growing tulips. We've all seen pictures of the fields in brilliant color--rows and rows of brilliant reds, pinks and yellows. The fertile sandy soil plus the climate in this area make a perfect for the flowering bulbs to thrive.

In the middle of the Bollenstreek sits the Keukenhof Gardens. Every year over 7,000,000 flower bulbs (yes, SEVEN MILLION!) are planted each year. Every year the gardens are designed differently from the previous year; it takes 30 gardeners to plant the millions of bulbs each year. But seeing these fields yourself is a memorable experience.

If you are interested in purchasing variations of this print, please visit my Travels in Watercolor blog by clicking here.

Thank you for visiting,

A Great Europe Trip Planner 

Photo taken by me during my visit to Delft in May, 2010.
Waterlogue image created by me. 

 

20,000 LEAGUES UNDER THE SEA (PART 2)

After boarding the Atlantis Submarine we and our fellow submariners settled into our seats.

Our undersea journey began with the pilot diving over 140 feet to the bottom of the Caribbean Sea to view the shipwreck of the Lord Willoughby...

The submarine then slowly glided up the 2-mile coral reef which offered us marvelous views of myriad types of coral...

Hundreds of tropical fishes including these horse-eyed jacks...

Barracuda...

and Hawksbill turtles

NOTE: The tint on the windows of the submarine really hampered the quality of our photos. These photos don't even compare to the actual views you see during the ride.

Click here for more information on Atlantis Submarine.

Thank you for visiting,

A Great Europe Trip Planner 

All photos were taken by my husband and me during our visit to Barbados in April, 2015.