Travel :: Five Dream Beach Vacations

Anse Source d’Argent, Seychelles

Happy Friday!  We leave for St. Maarten on Sunday and I absolutely cannot wait.  A week of relaxing in the warm sunshine with family is just what I need.  Inspired by our trip, here are five dream beach vacations I'd love to go on someday.  Have a great weekend!

Algarve, Portugal

Calanque d'En-Vau, France

Phra Nang Beach, Thailand

Matira Beach, Bora Bora

Images via {1} {2} {3} {4} {5} 

Guest Blogger :: The Way I Wanderlust in Corfu, Greece

Today I am excited to bring you a guest post by one of my favorite bloggers...Kayleigh of The Way I Wanderlust.  I have been following her blog for the past year and am constantly inspired by her love of travel, down to earth personality, and self-described "gypsy soul."  She dreamed about living in Australia, so in 2012 she and her husband picked up did just that.  She dreamed about backpacking through Europe solo, so she traveled for a year including spending five months volunteering at a horse ranch in Greece.  A traveler who follows her dreams and has a soft spot for animals?  Clearly a girl after my own heart.

Hi fellow Dreams in HD followers, my name is Kayleigh and I blog over at The Way I Wanderlust. My blog is mostly about fulfilling my wanderlust with endless adventure, my life and the way I like to live. When Molly asked me to take over her lovely blog for the day I was flattered. We seem to have a mutual love of travel, especially the lovely Tuscan region of Italy. I really love all her travel posts and it makes me reminisce about my time travelling through Italy. Today I would love to share with you my fabulous experience living on the island of Corfu, Greece.

I spent five months living on a horse ranch/riding centre. Originally I was only going to stay about one month before continuing on to the other islands but I just fell in love with everything about Corfu and I couldn't bare to leave so soon. I randomly found The Silva Riding Centre online when I was looking for places to volunteer at in exchange for room and board. The centre is located about 10 minutes outside of the town of Corfu sitting right on top of a cliff overlooking the ocean. Not only is the surrounding area picturesque but the actual property is so large that you feel like you are in your own little magical world.

I worked 6 days a week if you could even call it work. Basically I fed, rode and played with horses all day long. I also helped out in the lessons when I was needed, mostly leading around the younger children that were not yet old enough to ride completely by themselves. Apart from being a training centre the Silva Project also rescued unwanted and abused animals, usually horses and dogs. It was heartbreaking to see the condition that most of the animals were brought to us in but helping them recover and watching them transform as the months went on was heartwarming. I wanted to adopt every single one and bring them home with me.

In my free time I would wander around the island taking pictures, walk into town with the other volunteers to enjoy the outdoor markets and coffee shops. We had private beach access on the property so at night if it was warm enough we would head down and sit around a bonfire watching the stars. I loved getting to know all the other volunteers, everyone was there for a reason such as a much needed vacation, a break away from the world or where there to simply get to know themselves better and figure out what they wanted out of life. These fellow volunteers became my family over those months and dinner was always a large, loud event with wine and dancing continuing into the early hours of the morning.

I will forever cherish my time here and would love to go back one day. I honestly could of spent the rest of my life here content to forever be a volunteer but after five months I did start to feel that pull to move on and experience something else. I would recommend Corfu to anyone looking for a peaceful island getaway. The locals are so friendly and welcoming, we were always invited to festivals and special occasions. The few from the beach is worth the trip alone and the food is to die for.

Thanks so much for taking the time to learn a bit about me and my travels. If you would like to learn more or connect with me head on over to my blog. I recently just spent a year in Australia and am now back in Canada trying to adjust back into regular life but also planning my next escape.

{Top image via Wikimedia, all others via The Way I Wanderlust}

Travel :: New Mexico

As much as I love to travel abroad, there are still so many of nature's great wonders here in the US that I want to visit.  What better way to see our beautiful nation than a leisurely cross-country road trip?  While I may not have enough free time to do that in the near future, I have been day-dreaming about renting a car and exploring the Southwest...in particular the stunning landscapes of New Mexico.  Ever since I read Barbara Kingsolver's "The Bean Trees" I have been fascinated with the surreal, otherworldly beauty of New Mexico's white sands, rock formations, ancient Pueblos, and endless desert.  How amazing would it be to drive down the historic Route 66 Highway, see Shiprock Mountain from a hot air balloon, and sleep under the infinite stars?  Just another experience to add to my ever-growing bucket list...

Images via {1} {2} {3} {4} {5} {6} {7} {8} {9} {10} {11}

Travel :: Lapland, Finland

You guys, Santa exists.  And when he isn't in the North Pole he is in his hometown of Lapland, Findland.  I know many people like to head south and escape the cold over the holidays, but personally I think visiting this literal winter wonderland would be absolutely perfect.  You can meet Santa in person at the world-famous Santa Claus Village, watch reindeer in their natural habitat, take a sleigh ride, ride a dog sled, take long snow hikes, and curl up in the evenings with hot cocoa in an igloo, cabin, or ice hotel.  And if you're not sold, Lapland is a perfect spot to lay under the stars and watch the Northern Lights {a total bucket list experience}.  Christmas 2014 anyone?

Images via 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11

Travel :: Venice, Italy Part II

Typing this post, I can't help but feel a little wistful.  Even though we returned from Italy over a month ago, being able to slowly dig through my thousands and thousands of photos and compile them into blog posts has allowed me to prolong the vacation that much longer.  But today, I am going to share with you the photos from our last day in Italy that we spent in Venice.

I woke up early on Saturday morning, eager to enjoy every last drop of our trip.  I always feel a bit frantic when I know my vacation is nearing an end, almost desperate to make every single moment count.  We grabbed a quick bite for breakfast and headed out the door straight to St. Mark's Square, hoping to beat the cruise ship crowds that always flood the island from 10AM-6PM.  Upon arriving to the stunning square {it really is even more impressive than the photos} we were pleasantly surprised that the crowds were quite manageable.  The inside of St. Mark's Basillica, a symbol of Venetian wealth and power, was filled with opulent gold mosaics that shimmered and glimmered in the light.  We weren't supposed to take photos inside, but I did manage to snap one for posterity.  We climbed up to the terrace for beautiful views of the square and Doge's Palace, then road the elevator {a welcome treat after two weeks of climbing thousands of steps} to the top of the Campanile for a stunning view of the Venetian lagoon and surrounding islands.  The grey, foggy weather just added to the moodiness of the city.

Ready to take a break from the crowds, we ditched the map and decided to get completely lost in the quaint Castello sestieri of Venice where the majority of locals reside.  Gondolas and water taxis were replaced by tiny row boats and fishing boats.  Colorful houses with doors that opened right onto the canals and window boxes that overflowed with pink flowers lined the canals.  Often times we would just walk and walk until we hit a dead end, then turn around and try another route.  It was quiet and magical, with some of the most ethereal light I have ever seen.  And to top it off, there was a house with green ombre french doors that opened up to a balcony overlooking the canal.  I mean, what more could you ask for?!  To finish up our afternoon we walked once more through the Dorsoduro neighborhood to sit on the scenic tip and watch the boats float by down the Grand Canal.

Our last night in Venice was one of the more special of my life.  It couldn't have been more romantic.  We started by taking a gondola ride at dusk.  Our gondolier, Fabio, was absolutely perfect.  He has been doing it for over twenty five years, and surprised us by singing classic Italian fishing songs the whole time {typically if you want music you have to pay for a trained singer to join you on the boat, an expense which can add another 100+ Euros to your forty minute ride}.  We went down quiet canals, under tiny bridges {some so low we literally had to lean to the left to tilt the boat so Fabio didn't hit his head}, and down the Grand Canal.  The light cast a soft pink glow on the water, the weather was mild and breezy, and my heart felt like it was going to explode with happiness.

After a hug Fabio dropped us off at our destination for the evening - the famed Gritti Palace.  We had decided to go out with a bang, so we made reservations at their Club del Dodge restaurant nearly two months ahead of time to ensure we had a table with a view.  And as high as our expectations were, the Gritti managed to exceed them in every way.  We started with cocktails at their Bar Longhi, first enjoying a Bellini inside the romantic bar then going outside for another drink along the water.  Afterwards we headed to the Club del Dodge and were excited to see we had one of the best tables in the restaurant - on the terrace right along the Grand Canal with an unobstructed view of the iconic church of Santa Maria della Salute.  The entire experience was elegant in every way.  Tables and waiters were clothed in white.  A pianist played classic Italian music on a Grand Piano.  Our food was perfectly prepared - my sole with lemons and almonds absolutely melted in my mouth.  We lingered over our food and drinks, enjoying each other's company and the stunning views while watching the gondolas float by alongside our table.  To finish the evening we walked to St. Mark's Square to once more hear the famous dueling orchestras and take in our last taste of Venice.  It was truly a spectacular night in a spectacular city, one that will remain in my heart forever.