Travel – Page 18 – Michael Rappa

Photo of the Day: Urubamba Valley at Intipata

May 29, 2014February 18, 2018 Michael RappaLeave a comment

Hikers enjoy a well deserved break as they gaze out at the valley below the Inca ruin of Intipata, the Urubamba River flowing far below.

Date: 8/26/2012
Camera: Panasonic DMC-FZ40
Click for larger view

This was taken near the end of Day 3 of the Inca Trail and is one of my favorite memories of the entire hike because it was the first time I had a few moments to relax and savor my surroundings. In some ways Intipata was almost more special than Machu Picchu because only hikers of the Inca Trail had the opportunity to visit it, and those of us who chose to visit Intipata rather than the more popular Winay Wayna practically had the entire place to ourselves. It was a nice, peaceful way to unwind after three days of hard hiking, knowing that the hardest part was over and that in the morning we would be standing at the Sun Gate enjoying our first view of Machu Picchu.

You can view more featured photos at my Photo of the Day Collection.

Photo of the Day: Pisa Cathedral

May 28, 2014February 18, 2018 Michael RappaLeave a comment

This is the cathedral at the heart of the Piazza del Duomo in Pisa, Italy, taken during my 2011 Eurotrip. My favorite feature of this photo is the tiled walkway.

Date: 10/27/2011
Camera: Panasonic DMC-FZ40
Click for larger view

Behind the cathedral sits the famous Leaning Tower, but I’ll save that photo for another day.

Eurotrip 2011, Part 6: Leaning Towers and Haunted Villas

You can view more featured photos at my Photo of the Day Collection.

Photo of the Day: Sunset Beach in Cape May

May 23, 2014February 18, 2018 Michael Rappa2 Comments

In honor of the official opening of the New Jersey shore season, here’s a panorama of Sunset Beach in Cape May.

Date: 5/21/2011
Camera: Panasonic DMC-FZ40
Click for larger view

You can view more featured photos at my Photo of the Day Collection.

Photo of the Day: A Hazy Shade of Machu Picchu

May 21, 2014February 18, 2018 Michael RappaLeave a comment

This is a zoomed-in photo of Machu Picchu taken shortly after dawn from just below the Sun Gate at the end of the Inca Trail. Unfortunately, most of my photos from that morning are on the dark side due to the overcast and hazy conditions, and also because I made the mistake of leaving a polarizing filter on my lens, which meant even less light coming into the camera. Oh well, lesson learned. It’s more about the memories it evokes than the quality of the photo anyway.

Date: 8/27/2012
Camera: Panasonic DMC-FZ40

Photo of the Day: Nymphenburg Palace Interior

May 16, 2014February 18, 2018 Michael Rappa2 Comments

This is a photo of the interior of Nymphenburg Palace in Munich, Germany, taken during my 2009 Eurotrip. Through the window in the background the palace gardens are faintly visible.

The woman sitting in the corner jumped up to yell at me when I leaned against one of the large pillars to snap a photo of the ceiling. She then proceeded to follow me around for the rest of my visit. They take their rules seriously. 🙂

Date: 4/6/2009
Camera: Panasonic DMC-FX8 pocket point-and-shoot
Click for larger view

Eurotrip 2009 Part 2: Munich

Photo of the Day: Moray

May 15, 2014February 18, 2018 Michael RappaLeave a comment

Before my hike of the Inca Trail in Peru I took a couple of day trips into the Sacred Valley of the Incas. One of my stops was Moray, an Inca ruin with massive circular terraces. This photo features one of the smaller terraces at the site, but I liked the way it framed the mountains in the background.

Date: 8/22/2012
Camera: Panasonic DMC-FZ40
Click for larger view

Photo of the Day: Heidelberg Castle

May 14, 2014February 18, 2018 Michael Rappa2 Comments

This photo of Heidelberg Castle in Germany was taken from a city square during my 2009 Eurotrip. I only spent one day in Heidelberg but it left a lasting impression.

Date: 4/10/2009
Camera: Panasonic DMC-FX8 pocket point-and-shoot
Click for larger view

Eurotrip 2009 Part 5: Heidelberg

Photo of the Day: Machu Picchu

May 13, 2014February 18, 2018 Michael RappaLeave a comment

Although I’ve shared this one in the past, I was inspired to re-share it after finding out that my sister had it (along with yesterday’s Arno River photo) framed to hang in her redone living room, which I thought was quite an honor.

And this is also my favorite photo from my time at Machu Picchu (one of the few bright ones on a dusky day), so I figure it’s worth an annual re-post. 🙂

Date: 8/27/2012
Camera: Panasonic DMC-FZ40
Click for larger view

Photo of the Day: Arno River in Pisa

May 12, 2014February 18, 2018 Michael Rappa2 Comments

I was heading back to Florence from Cinque Terre when my train stopped in Pisa for a short layover. There was just enough time to make the 30-minute walk to see the Leaning Tower, so I ventured out. On the way, I stopped on a bridge crossing the Arno River to snap this photo.

Eurotrip 2011, Part 6: Leaning Towers and Haunted Villas

Photo of the Day: Dubrovnik – Outside the Wall

May 8, 2014February 18, 2018 Michael RappaLeave a comment

This photo zooms in on a portion of the spectacular medieval wall that surrounds the old city of Dubrovnik, Croatia. Taken from the nearby Fort Lovrijenac, it’s a bit dark due to the overcast sky and zoomed-in focal length, but I like the castle-on-the-cliff look with the larger mountain looming in the background.