Canada/Portland Road Trip

Last night around six we arrived home after a total of 38 hours spent in our car. 

And of all the road trips I have enjoyed in my lifetime, let me tell you this one was hands down the funnest, craziest, largest, most chaotic, busiest, longest, and most memorable of them all. 

It was not without it's hiccups of course. 

Our tire blew out, our battery died, I got some awfully painful stinging nettle on my arm (it felt like a row of bee stings), we got lost and turned around more than a few times, and 3/6 of our caravan of vehicles were issued rather expensive parking tickets, including us. 

But somehow none of that dampened the overall experience. 

Nope, it may have even added to the adventure of it all.

It's hard to pinpoint what exactly made this trip so much fun, because heaven knows coordinating activities and lodging and meals for nineteen people is no small or easy task. 

But it was grand let me tell you. Grand!!

And this is about to get real mushy, but more than once I got teary just basking in the glow of having all the people I love most in the world gathered together in one place creating such sweet and happy memories.  

I know, I know. I'm a sentimental sap. 

And I fought every natural instinct that makes picture taking so difficult when you are busy and having the most fun, and tried really hard to document it all along the way on instagram.  

But it was great to finally get some of my canon pictures uploaded today and relive some of my favorite moments.  

Beach day for example. 

These two were regular beach-combing buddies.

And these jelly fish were the weirdest ever and scattered all over the beach. 

Two full weeks with our nieces and nephews was pretty much the funnest ever. 

Just look at those adorable squishy faces!!

I made 20 bucks getting into this insanely freezing cold water.  And I'd do it again. 

How cute are they two days before their big wedding day?! Am I right? 

 Cold or not, my love is never happier than when on the beach.

Pretty sure that is why he and our niece Avery are such good friends, they spent a lot of time exploring together. 

Like a true Remington this one os pretty passionate about her food. 

** Wedding pictures coming soon!

People of Romania

Going back to Romania after all these years was like a dream. 

It was so much the same and so different all at once. 

And every second of it felt surreal. 

But the people were always my favorite part.

And that hadn't changed.  

So even though our two week trip felt way too short, I tried to capture as much of them as possible. 

Gypsy superstitions about cameras and photography made it a little bit of a challenge. 

I only wish I had been better at getting a portrait of all of our hosts in front of their respective homes. 

Oh well, another reason to go back. 

Mititei - Romanian street food. Always served with mustard and a thick slice of bread.

One of the smiliest and happiest Romanians I have ever met.
He cut open this squash to show us the inside. Using only the finest kitchen tools of course. 

Vendors set up shop on the sidewalk for your convenience. 
It's always the worst when you can't get garlic right outside your front door.

Gypsies love having their pictures taken. 

Luckily I couldn't hear what she was yelling at me through the bustle of the marketplace. 

 

The view from behind.

He stopped to help these metro performers by volunteering as their conductor. 

Clearly they needed one.

Parks are always packed with chess players. It's all very serious business.

Also, those are books hanging on lines in the background serving as an outdoor bookstore. Oh the convenience!

And it's not just players. There are crowds of men watching all the action. Chess spectators.

Incidentally I have never once seen a woman playing chess in Romania. 

 

Putting away his wallet after he just gave money to a beggar. I liked him immediately. 

The best way to photograph gypsies without being yelled at or having a finger waved in your face.

Side-note: I wore a bright colored skirt while we were there and got so many double-takes from people. 

Earning his keep.

Tending her flowers.

 

Manning the train station.

Keeping up with his peeps.

Talking to herself. 

Talking to somebody else.

Helping dad drive the truck - we stayed with Mihai and his adorable family out in the country

This is his grandma.

And this is his grandma's reaction after spotting him in the truck.

The double handed wave.

This is his grandpa.

And this is him with his dad and uncles.

Some people would yell at you for taking their picture. Others flat out ask you to take theirs. 

Can you guess which he was?

I was happy to believe his palm reading when he said I looked like an angel, had the beauty of the earth shining out of my eyes, and would find love wherever I went in my long and happy life. Then this fortune telling took a turn for the worse when he looked at Ryan's palm, got this above look on his face, and started spouting out things about death, heart disease, and six months to live. 

  Some little old ladies exiting the monastery in Hungary where we spent a cold afternoon. 

The people are lovely (wouldn't you agree?) and the scenery is insane!

More photos of the countryside coming soon.

The Olive Grove Trail

Some pictures from that lovely autumn evening Ryan and I spent walking the Olive Grove Trail in Gandria. 

A barely discernible path running through a wild cliffside olive grove just 20 minutes from where we lived. 

We didn't come across a single soul along the trail or even after as we explored the sleepy fishing village beside it. Not until we slipped into a little Italian restaurant for dinner after dark.

And the thick grey mist hanging heavy over Lake Lugano not only made everything seem more surreal, but created some very lovely lighting to capture the first time either of us had seen olive trees.