Another Colorado Sunset

One of the things that we love about living in Colorado are the incredible sunsets that we get from time to time. We enjoy seeing sunsets wherever we go, but there is something about seeing a sunset from your own home that is truly special. Perhaps it is the effect of the radiant colors, but watching a sunset is not only tranquil, but usually gives a warm feeling inside. Stopping for a moment and just watching the colors of the sky change and the sun dip below the horizon is almost like a micro-vacation, even if for only a few minutes. One of the things that made this sunset a little unique was that we weren’t facing west, watching the sun drop below the peaks of the mountains, but instead were facing east and seeing the rays of the sun get collected by the clouds. We took the photos with our phones, so the quality might not be as crisp, but you can still get a sense of it beauty. This week’s Daily Post Photo Challenge is Beloved and there is nothing that represents that more to us than these serene moments.

The Initial View
Swirling Clouds
Just Above the Trees
Consuming the Sky in the End

 

Getting Fresh Food at a Local Food Market

Regardless of where you live, getting fresh fruit, vegetables, meat, and other items from local farmers is definitely worth the effort. During our time in Germany, we came to rely on the market to get fresh produce, but also to pick up flowers for our apartment. Even here in Colorado, we will go to the farmer’s market almost every weekend during the summer to take advantage of getting items that are being harvested at that time. Unfortunately, we don’t have access to the variety of items that seem to be available in Europe and other places, but we enjoy going to them whenever we can, even if we aren’t buying anything.

Vegetable Market
Variety of Fresh Fruit
So Many Choices of Seafood

One of the most diverse markets that we visited was the one in Tangiers, Morocco. The variety of colors and smells were almost overwhelming with the spices, fresh produce, seafood, and meat that would be trimmed in front of you. You could even buy bones for soups and other parts of the animals as nothing goes to waste. Even though we didn’t buy anything, we were able to try several things as we walked through the stalls from olives to a fresh tangerine. Each owner was very proud of the items that they had to sell and were definitely keen on making sure that you knew anything you wanted about what they had on display.

Various Cuts of Meat
Spice Shop
Seafood Cut to Order

Although every stall was unique in what they had to offer, it was amazing to see the similarities in the way that they arranged their items for sale. Each would put their items out in ways where the colors would contrast one another and naturally draw you eyes to certain items. This week’s Daily Post Photo Challenge is Variations on a Theme and the entirety of the market in Morocco was definitely just that.

The Fish Monger was Happy to Share
Market Stall with Plenty of Nuts
Candy Stall

 

Getting Away from the Maddening Crowds

Traveling is often a case of going to places that attract large crowds and long lines. It is an unavoidable consequence of going to places that are popular with other tourists and it certainly doesn’t mean that those places should be avoided. We have made no secret of the fact that we don’t like crowds, so we try to visit places off-season when the crowds are smaller. In addition, we try to include getting away from the crowds and visiting places that are more secluded or off of the beaten path as part of our trips. Some people who look at our photos and read our posts often say to us that we seem so adventurous because they always see photos of us hiking trails, climbing in the mountains, or going into the woods or jungle. It isn’t that we are really that adventurous, we just enjoy getting away from the crowds and seeing some of the natural beauty that a place has to offer. We purposely add those excursions into our trips whenever possible. Travel is so stressful in general that we highly recommend that you take the time to get away from the noise and give yourself even a brief opportunity for contemplation. This week’s Daily Post Photo Challenge is Silence, so here a few photos that we have taken while trying to see places where we could be alone with our thoughts and enjoy natural beauty.

Walking Along the Rhine River
Countryside near Ronda, Spain
Irish Countryside
The Path of the Incan Guards in Bolivia
Hiking in the Fog of the Amazon Jungle in Ecuador
Even in Chennai, India, Some Solitude
Wine Road with Vineyards in France