grand canyon, az

The Grand Canyon. 

These places filled with gorgeous one-of-a-kind landscapes were the ones I was always most eager to visit. This is a kind of untouched sight most of us Europeans don't get to see very often. Of course, I can't claim to know every bit of my own country, but it seems that no piece of land as vast remains unpopulated unless you're looking at the sea. I think we simply do not have the space for it. But it's these things I could never get at home that I'm always happiest to experience.

(In other news, I have jumped on the Instagram bandwagon. If you'd like, the link is up on the right now. There is still little to be seen there, but this is probably the kind of things I'll be posting.)

Have a nice weekend!

☺

route 66, az

The day we spent on Route 66 was one of my favourites simply because it was unexpected.

It was a very long drive from LA to the Grand Canyon. At first, it seemed like a necessary evil, an unavoidable waste of a day. As far as I knew, we'd run into some towns, but nothing special.

What can I say? I was wrong. Switching the modern highway for route 66 led us to the most surprising things. We saw the insides of the Bagdad Café, abandoned gas stations and motels, a few current still-in-use diners and some quiet towns... Seligman, the city where Radiator Springs from the movie Cars was loosely based on, was my favourite stop of them all. The route itself went on for miles and it was the perfect mid-desert roadtrip scenario. Alongside there were dunes, never-ending in length, where people had written their names with stones. Quite the movie scene.

♡

diaries // november '14

This month I spent most of my time preparing for busier weeks ahead. I did, however, spend a weekend away in Paris, visiting a friend. Besides wanting to see her, the timing was perfect for a break. We visited beautiful places with pretty sights, cool museums, took full advantage of the French street cuisine and I even got the see the Christmas market. I took my new Praktica with me to bring the memories home. Can't wait to see what's on that film.

(And sure, I probably should have saved some space for the rest of the month, but let's be honest - can you really get enough of Paris? )

1. macarons i // 2. view from the arc du triomphe // 3. autumn in paris

4. le marais // 5. louvre // 6. the seine by night

7. rita & i resting // 8. saint michel // 9. you'll never b forgotten

10. my new partner in crime // 11. macarons ii // 12. at dusk

13. a hidden gem // 14. eiffel tower // 15. jardin du luxembourg

16. l'automne // 17. used film // 18. postcards from paris

los angeles, ca

Los Angeles was our last stop in California. And it was most different from my expectations. 

To be honest I didn't anticipate the size of this city and just how empty most of the streets would be. And I expected a slightly different vibe, too. You know, with the movie industry and all. It is all rather apparent in the very touristy, yet interesting Hollywood. But other than that, I'd never say LA is one of the places that brings entertainment to the world.

Still, it is not without a few spots worth knowing. I really enjoyed the museums there. Namely, the LACMA (art from all around the world and from different points in time) and the Peterson Automotive Museum (all those gorgeous vintage cars!) were my favourites. 

Santa Monica, a little further from the center, was probably my favourite area in LA, as it was absolutely full of life.

We also spent a day at a Six Flags theme park, which are notorious for being record-breaking, all rollercoaster parks. They are said to have some of the best in the wolrd. And I can assure their reputation is well-earned.

sequoia national park, ca

The Sequoia National Park is yet another amazing place in America where Nature thrives. The sequoias themselves are astonishing. Their bark is an unusual reddish brown colour and they're so tall you can barely see where they end. Some of the largest trees' branches alone would have made fairly large trees. Photos don't do them justice. I borrowed a panorama photograph but even so, it's a lot more impressive to see all of this live. For a sense of scale, the fifth picture was taken inside a dead sequoia.

By the end of the day we were all exhausted, but my father and I had one last challenge to take on: the Moro Rock trail. We climbed the last 100m to the top of the dome to see the most beautiful sights of the day.

diaries // october '14

October was actually pretty good. 

(I may be biased, but oh well.) 

☺

1. lunch // 2. brigadeiro i // 3.amsterdam, prague and bratislava

4. a favourite print // 5. m // 6. flower

7. birthday pictures i // 8. rooftop // 9. popcorn

10. snail mail from paris // 11. brigadeiro ii // 12. coincidentally halloween-y

13. tungsten film // 14.birthday pictures ii  // 15. boo!

11 facts + 11 questions

I was tagged by Sara from Eternally Wonderlust for the Liebster Award, a tag where you're supposed to write 11 facts about yourself and answer 11 questions. A bit lengthier than usual, but here's a different kind of post, for a change.

11 FACTS

1. My favourite cameras are my SX-70 and my Zenit E (which sadly needs replacement!)

2. I'm currently learning French.

3. I have a Project Life album I try to update weekly.

4. I collect postcards from around the world. Most of them were either bought in my own travels or brought by loved ones from theirs. So far, I've collected postcards from 35 countries and many more cities.

5. I love travelling.

6. Studio Ghibli has made some of my favourite films.

7. Favourite shows atm: The Big Bang Theory and Legend of Korra

8. I'm looking into developing my own film because the cost per roll would decrease by more than 50%.

9. I want to try peel-apart photography.

10. One time I found a really cool-looking tin box with a vintage ad by Coca Cola in it and ever since, every now and then, my mother spots a retro themed tin box and brings it home for me.

11. I have a sweet tooth.

11 QUESTIONS

1. Who's behind the blog?

My name is Carolina and I am from Portugal.

2. Studies?

My academic background is scientific.

3. Why did you create your blog?

The main focus here is photography, and whilst I had a Flickr account already, I wanted a place to share other kinds of content. Bits & pieces, artists that I keep finding... I wanted a place for photography that felt a little bit more personal and where I'd have complete freedom.

4. How long have you had your blog for?

I created my blog in July 2013.

5. Which blogger would you like to meet in real life?

Probably Nirrimi Hakanson, from The Road is Home. I've been following her work for 6 years already. We're close in age but we're from very different walks of life. I'd be curious to have a chat with her.

6. What is a quote that speaks to you?
"To practise any art, no matter how well or badly, is a way to make your soul grow. So do it." - Kurt Vonnegut

7. What are your favourite clothes stores?

Zara and Mango.

8. Style-wise, do you have an inspiration?
Here's my two cents: If it fits their personality and if they look good in it, that's cool. So most of the times, I'm not on the lookout for fashion I can see myself in, but imagery that makes sense. I guess I may nonetheless tend towards a certain style, but it's pretty casual and mostly simple, actually.

9. Are you addicted to social media?

I like to keep it organized and mainly keep accounts that I do use. I also prefer social media that doesn't require constant attention. So I just choose the ones that work for me and stick with them.

10. Which countries would you like to visit?

In my wildest dreams I'd go everywhere, but to name a few specific places... Austria, Switzerland, Japan and Iceland.

11. What do you think of the blog that tagged you?

I love the clean aesthetics and the travel photos of Sara's blog. I've been following it for a while.

yosemite, ca

First and foremost, I'd like to apologise for the fact there will be no "diaries" post for September. Most of my daily snapshots are taken with my phone and during this past month I had a problem with the camera. I wish this series would go uninterrupted, but it is as it is. 

Let's get back on subject though, shall we? Because I have a confession to make. I had been anticipating Yosemite for literally months. It was one of the places I was most eager to see, to experience and to photograph. We spent a day there but I could have easily been there for the whole week and never get tired of the views and everything it had to offer. I could never imagine the immensity had I not seen it with my own two eyes. In America, everything is so big and far apart that you almost forget how Humans tamper with Nature. This was a haven. I've never been keen on camping, but for this place I would have made an exception.