Samaná Peninsula

The Samaná Peninsula in the northeast of the Dominican Republic is a beautiful stretch of land with hillsides dense with foilage, largely empty stretches of beach, and a lot of wildlife. In the winter, much like the tourists, humpback whales migrate there. We visited in late spring so missed the whales, but had no shortage of birds and lizards to watch, plus some tiny frogs who liked our bathroom.

Interestingly, the Dominican Republic has no large wildlife (minus those whales offshore) which was reassuring while walking around the jungle at night. And day. There was surprisingly little in terms of mosquitos, too, where we stayed, in part due to the bats eating them. It wasn’t for a lack of humidity, that’s for sure. 

It took a little more time to travel there with a longer car ride from the airport, but like many more remote places, the journey was worth it.

All photos from late spring 2023.

Connemara

In a country dotted with small towns, the Connemara region of Ireland stands out for being particularly rural and rustic feeling. Between the lack of crowds and wide-open vistas, it felt like a different Ireland. But still with sheep. There are always sheep.

The landscape, the wind, the rain, and the ever-changing light were reminiscent of my trips to Iceland (minus the ice and snow). The light, while fleeting, could be particularly sublime. It may very well warrant another trip.

All photos from spring 2023.

St James’s Park London

St James’s Park in London is one of the smaller royal parks, but perhaps the most famous. Buckingham Palace, St James’s Palace, Horse Guards,  the lake, and many memorials make up the park and its immediate surroundings, plus Westminster, Downing Street, and more famous spots are close by. 

Purchased by HenryVIII nearly 500 years ago, it has served as a deer hunting area (St James Palace was initially a hunting lodge – crazy to think an area in the heart of modern London was once the King’s hunting grounds), a zoo of sorts containing exotic animals, grazing for cows, and “a meeting place for impromptu acts of lechery.” It opened to the public in the 17th century and Buckingham Palace became the principal royal residence in the early 19th century. 

Today, I’m pretty sure the King no longer hunts there, the wildest animals (not counting humans) are the non-native pelicans, and lawns are too short for grazing. It’s unclear if impromptu acts of lechery still occur.

All photos from spring 2023.