Travels – Illuminous Studio

Posted on June 5, 2018 by Jennifer Lyn Art — 2 Comments

Fun Times Traveling Europe with My Family

“Stories are light. Light is precious in a world so dark. Begin at the beginning. Tell a story. Make some light.” – Kate DiCamillo

I am a firm believer in writing our own stories. Life is story and story is life, and life is easy in our comfort zones. Stepping out of our normal routines sometimes means tapping into a long-held dream, saving dollars and coins in a jar, and taking action by making the plans. In this case, stepping out meant the pursuit of fun times and family travel. Destination: Europe, with my three almost-grown teenage sons.

Every once in a while, I note that my sons are far taller than I am, and are growing into themselves, which I love. This has always been the goal. But I also note that times with the four of us won’t always last forever. I love it when we are together. And so, taking action on the “I wish we could go back to Prague” wistful dinner conversations, I booked tickets last fall for us to travel to Europe together. It is a dream trip, and it came true. I am so grateful.

For some reason, tickets across the pond landing in Belgium were astoundingly reasonable, so that is where we began: in Bruxelles.

We had a few hours to spare before our next train, so we took the chance to have a local breakfast of waffles and walked around the Grand Place. With a clear blue sky, the buildings shone. It was beautiful – a place filled with sunshine, the sounds of footsteps across cobblestones and spoken French and Flemish, with the fragrance of chocolate accompanied by pristine architecture.

The hours to our next stop didn’t quite go as planned – our trains got mixed up with a cancellation, which was lost in translations. And so we boarded the wrong train, but luckily still made it to our Amsterdam destination to see best friends, arriving only an hour later than planned. We spent days with them in their native Haarlem and enjoyed days on bikes, at the beach, and at the Anne Frank House and Van Gogh museums in the city. It was wonderful.

We flew out to Prague and landed amidst the celery green fields waving with wheat in the morning. Most things have not changed at all in the five years since we’ve repatriated to our native US after living in Prague from 2009 – 2013. Our favorite nearby restaurant on a pond still serves the same pizzas and goulash. The same heavy trucks still consume the narrow roads. The village potraviny still operates exactly the same way. Daily life has continued without us, which was good to see. Our apartment rented through TripAdvisor impressed us immensely with its views over the Vltava River, National Theater, and Charles Bridge. We soaked up every minute in our former home. (More to come in future posts…)

Our final stop was a bit of a reach, but it, too, wowed us. We flew to Milan and took trains south to the coast and stayed in obscure Cinque Terre. It surpassed our hopes with its fun, natural surroundings, and beauty.

Finally, we boarded trains through Nice, France, and returned for a night in Bruxelles before returning to the US.

More photographs on our adventures to come…

Hope you all are having a great start to summer!

Posted on July 24, 2017 by Jennifer Lyn Art — 8 Comments

Unforgettable Italy: Hiking, Polenta, Lake Como, and the Italian Alps

Lake Como, the view from the Alps -- sheer beauty

“Climb the mountains and get their good tidings. Nature’s peace will flow into you as sunshine flows into trees. The winds will blow their own freshness into you, and the storms their energy, while cares will drop away from you like the leaves of Autumn.” – John Muir

A few weeks ago, I had the wonderful privilege of traveling to Italy and spending a week in the shadow of the Italian Alps along Lake Como. The people, the food, the wine; the sunshine and lake breezes and bells clanging in the campaniles; all were unforgettable, magical. I have come to realize even if I breathed every breath in my lifetime in Italy, the time would not be enough to take all of its goodness in.

Now home, back in Ohio, U.S., I look back and savor many of the experiences. But one day on this trip, the simplest things filled me up, all on a hike up into the mountains surrounding Lake Como.

Unforgettable Italy: Hiking, Polenta, Lake Como, and the Italian Alps

From Menaggio, the road toward Lugano, Switzerland, leads up into the mountains. We began at a small village for which we didn’t even know the name, simply that we could park the car, find a trail, and begin, up. The morning along the lake was hot, and the path into the mountains was cooler, covered with tall grass and loose rocks, and passed through shady forests and along ancient rock walls.

Lake Como, Italy — gorgeous beside the Alps, hot in the summer sun

Rock walls everywhere along the trails up into the mountains

For part of the way, we hiked through a pasture where cattle grazed. Giant metal bells hung from the cows’ necks and clanked as they shuffled along, chewing grass, swatting at flies with their whip tails.

Walk along a farm trail, above Lake Como, Italy

Crotto Buba

One of the greatest treats while hiking up and up is to find a place to return to for food. We were not sure we would find a place to refill for water, much less a place which served up spectacular food along with great views.

We passed this place, Crotto Buba, and smiled, knowing we would return hungry. When we stopped for lunch, tired and starving, we discovered local families and groups of workers filled every table. To me, the more local the place and the less English they speak, the better. In this case, this was true, too.

Polenta

I have Celiac disease, which means I use the phrase Senza Glutine frequently in Italy.

Most of the time, if a local restaurant or osteria offers risotto, a traditional meal based on rice, I am lucky and very happy. But at Crotto Buba, their only non-gluten meal was polenta.

I ordered it, not expecting to have one of the best-tasting meals I can remember. But it was.

In the photograph below, the polenta doesn’t look like much. Creamy cornmeal, at most. I don’t know if I loved it because I was eating outside overlooking Lake Como far below, or if the cheese and olive oil and polenta were simply the perfect blend baked in its own cast iron dish. But this polenta, I will never forget.

Best Meal Ever, Crotto Buba, Grandola Ed Uniti, Italy

Hiking into the Italian Alps

One of the animal friends along the way …

I love the local villages, the steps and narrow alleys and doorways, and the black cat who followed us.

Hat, camera, hiking boots: check! — Hiking on a hot day — hat, camera, hiking boots

The View of Lake Como from the Italian Alps

All photos above have been taken on my iPhone, and one below, from my Nikon. I took thousands of photographs on my full-frame Nikon while in Italy … but they take quite a while to get through. 🙂

Every time I have traveled to Italy, the country, its people, its natural beauty, and its food and drink have been beyond compare. This trip was the same, and even more unforgettable in every way.

Have you traveled to Italy? If so, have you tried polenta? What did you think?

Posted on April 18, 2017 by Jennifer Lyn Art — Leave a comment

New York City: Business Travels, Snow, and Best Friends: a Photojournal

There’s no place like home. – Dorothy, The Wizard of Oz

A long time ago, I grew up in New York City. Not the kind of growing up made of apple pies and playgrounds, but more when I was a teenager, navigating the city on my own, before it became safe, and learning a piece of who I am.

I learned how to get to a dozen go-sees (auditions) in one day, scattered across Manhattan. The subway and photographers and other models were my companions. Living in a 2-bedroom apartment with 7 other girls became normal, and we shared our sparse food with a gazillion cockroaches in a high rise on 82nd. It was an education.

Now that all 3 of my sons are older than I was when I first ventured to and around NYC on my own, I can say I can’t imagine sending one of my children off to grow up in a situation like I experienced, yet, I loved it. And every time I venture back to NYC, it’s like coming home.

A few weeks ago, I had the privilege of traveling to NYC for work, participated in 40-something pharmaceutical meetings, and attended a 3000-person gala dinner where the former Prime Minister of Great Britain, David Cameron, spoke. It was an incredible experience, a week I enjoyed immensely. But my favorite parts were getting out and around the city I love with some of my favorite people in the world.

Following, some favorite photos from the Met, the New York Public Library, the gala, and from out and about New York City:

Degas, the Dancers sketches, The Met Museum, NYC

Degas and more Dancers, The Met Museum, NYC (I love these)

Monet and the Water Lilies, the Met Museum, NYC

Degas's the Dancer, the Met Museum, NYC — Degas’s the Dancer cast in bronze, the Met Museum, NYC — my favorite

New York Public Library front doors, detail

New York Public Library interior, detail

New York Public Library entrance to Rose Reading Room

NYC Washington Square Park monument, at night

St. Patrick's Cathedral, NYC -- luminous — St. Patrick’s Cathedral, NYC — luminous

Flowers everywhere at Gramercy Tavern, NYC

Inside St. Patrick's Cathedral, NYC — Inside St. Patrick’s Cathedral, NYC

Posted on April 13, 2017 by Jennifer Lyn Art — 4 Comments

Turks and Caicos, Paradise: Dream Destination Come True

“It starts with a dream. Add faith, and it becomes a belief.

Add action, and it becomes a part of life.

Add perserverance, and it becomes a goal in sight.

Add patience and time, and it becomes a dream come true.” – Unknown

I love to travel. It’s a known fact. But there are some travels which seem too far, too far-fetched, though I have traveled around the world. My dream destination has always been an island in the Caribbean, since I was a girl.

I have never been able to visit a Caribbean island until a week ago, when after saving and planning and waiting and waiting, my sons and I set our feet in the powdery sand on the island of Provo in Turks and Caicos. It was a dream come true.

The trip turned out to be more than I expected. I never thought the photographs I’d seen of clear turquoise water would actually be real. I thought Photoshop had helped those photographs to look better than the scene is in real life. But I was wrong.

The beach in Turks was pristine, with white sand and the clearest water I’ve ever imagined. I never thought nature could be cleaner and clearer than a perfect swimming pool.

It turns out the color was not an exaggeration. It was incredible. I soaked it in all week.

The goals I’d set for the week: feet in sand, bathing suits only, no shoes, nothing but fun and watersports with my boys on the beach. The snorkeling was amazing — schools of multi-colored fish swimming alongside us. The sailing was action-packed and full of sea spray. The paddleboarding and kayaking and swimming and eating together was all perfect. It was the vacation I had always dreamed of having, together as a last spring break before my oldest leaves for college. I am so thankful.

As for dreams, there is nothing as satiating as getting to do the dream after a long time waiting and working to achieve it.

Here’s to dreams and the places where they come true. Have a wonderful Easter weekend!

Have you been to Turks and Caicos or another Caribbean island? Where did you visit? What is your favorite?

Posted on March 13, 2017 by Jennifer Lyn Art — Leave a comment

Keystone, Colorado: a Photojournal

“When words become unclear, I shall focus with photographs. When images become inadequate, I shall be content with silence.”
― Ansel Adams

I love the mountains. I grew up traveling to see my grandmother who lived in Durango, Colorado. Not only did she have horses and live on a ranch, but we skied when we visited. I learned to ski as one of the kids on little skis, no poles, following her dad’s ski tracks down the mountain. The nearby ski resort to my grandmother’s house? Purgatory. I learned to love to ski.

In November, I traveled to Colorado for a work conference. It had been twenty years since I’d skied Colorado. My most recent skis had been in Austria, when we lived in Prague. But Colorado — I couldn’t resist. Usually, November is not the time to ski Colorado, but I decided to give it a whirl.

It was at the beginning of the season and the Rockies had had very little snow. I met the shuttle at the airport and rode up into the mountains marveling at the lack of snow. Keystone, where I’d planned to ski, was bare. But Arapahoe Basin? Perfect.

Happy, getting to ski Arapahoe Basin, CO

Skiing on the first open weekend of the season, happy! — Skiing on the first open weekend of the season before a work conference, happy!

I skied for a whole day and bought a shirt at the end that says, “If it’s too steep, you’re too old.” 🙂

The next day, I wandered through Keystone with my camera. The silence — no snow, no skiers, no tourists — was pristine. The terrain is so beautiful, the photographs don’t do it justice. But I will try to share …

Keystone, Colorado: a Photojournal

Have you gotten to ski this year? If so, where, and how was it? Lots of snow? Or barely a dusting?

On another note, I am really happy it is almost spring!

Posted on January 30, 2017 by Jennifer Lyn Art — 4 Comments

Journeys, California: San Francisco, Carmel, and Big Sur

“Make voyages. Attempt them. There is nothing else.” – Tennessee Williams

Two weeks ago, I had the great privilege of traveling for work to California. Since I live in Ohio, and the ocean and coast is my favorite place to be, I ventured out a day early to spend some time along the coast.

Pacific Coast Highway, California

Many years ago, I drove the length of Highway 1 from San Francisco to Los Angeles for the first time. The drive is incredible, with dramatic drops to the Pacific on one side, and steep rises up mountains on the inland side. Highway 1 is an adventure in itself.

On that same trip, I stopped in Carmel-by-the-Sea and took in the surroundings, an artists’ colony nestled into a bay near Pebble Beach. Two weeks ago, Carmel-by-the-Sea was the same charming village I remembered it to be.

Hat Shop, Carmel-by-the-Sea, California

Wine crates as wall decor, La Bicyclette Restaurant

The perfect garden entrance, Carmel-by-the-Sea, California

Where to Eat, Carmel-by-the-Sea

There are many quaint restaurants in Carmel-by-the-Sea, but one is definitely a must-do: La Bicyclette. I had the Eggplant Casserole and it was out-of-this-world good. And look at the messages left at each table (definitely my kind of place!):

What to Do, Carmel-by-the Sea

If you follow the narrow and steep roads through the town, continuing West, you will eventually hear the waves crashing along the shore. Carmel has a beautiful stretch of beach, gorgeous even on a stormy afternoon. A perfect place to dip your toes in the ocean and walk along the surf.

The beach and coastline at Carmel-by-the-Sea, California

On the way back to San Francisco, rain blew parallel to the ground, flooded freeways, and uprooted ancient trees. I stopped to see another favorite stretches of coastline, in Santa Cruz. This tree has long been a favorite.

My camera got a bit wet when capturing the image, but I love what resulted.

San Francisco

Every time I travel to San Francisco, I fall more in love with the city, its hills, and its architecture.

We don’t build buildings like this one anymore…

The lines and angles, curves, shadows, and light — all of these make San Francisco its own.

Frills and arches, shadows and light

Inside Neiman Marcus, the beautiful ceiling

The (angel) statue on Dewey Memorial at Union Square

My favorite site, the San Francisco cable cars

Where to Eat, San Francisco

This trip, I had the privilege of tasting many great restaurants, but one I returned to because I liked it so much: Bouche. Thoroughly French, the food and wine there go perfectly with the casual, intimate atmosphere and French-accented servers.

California, I love.

Posted on December 11, 2016 by Jennifer Lyn Art — 2 Comments

5 Czech Words to Know When Visiting Prague

Jennifer Lyn King at Shakespeare a Synove, Prague

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Certainly, travel is more than the seeing of sights; it is a change that goes on, deep and permanent, in the ideas of living. -Miriam Beard

I have been living in the Czech Republic for almost two years now, have taken oodles of Czech lessons, and can officially attest that the Czech language is one of the most difficult in the world. Czech words are not easy to read, write, or pronounce. In college, I minored in Spanish, which I enjoyed immensely. But Czech, with its many different endings and formulations for a single word, combined with the difficult pronunciations of single letters of their alphabet, is a far different animal, especially for English natives.

Despite its difficulty, I’ve pursued learning enough Czech to get around well. And it has paid off countless times. The Czech people respond when foreigners attempt to speak in their language, even when it doesn’t come out perfectly. So, before you consider visiting,

5 Czech Words to Know When Visiting Prague

1) Hello : Ahoj — Said like [Ahoy] This is an informal term used for familiar friends at greeting, and for answering the phone.

2) Good day: Dobrý den [Sounds like Doe-bree den] This is most commonly used in Czech for all greetings. Even when someone enters a room, a “dobrý den” is mumbled by everyone in the room. The response, “Dobrý den” right back.

3) Thank you: Děkuji [Sounds like Dya-koo-yee] This version is the correct way to say thank you, though slang has brought a new word — “Dike” or said like Dee-kay.

4) Please: Prosím [Sounds like Pro-seem] This word you’ll hear often in Czech, especially because it is used to say please and you’re welcome.

5) Good-bye: Na shledanou [Sounds like Na shlay-dan-ow] This expression is used every time you leave a store, a restaurant, or leave someone. There are a few different pronounciations, including the slang Na Skle or said Na Sklay.

One of the best investments when traveling to another country is a language program translator uploaded to an iPod or an iPhone. My favorite is the iTranslate app. I use it all the time.

What helps you the most with languages when you are traveling?

Prague's Charles Bridge — Prague’s Charles Bridge in fog, by Jennifer Lyn

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Posted on June 24, 2016 by Jennifer Lyn Art — 4 Comments

Chicago

“She is novelty; for she is never the Chicago you saw when you passed through the last time.” – Mark Twain

I traveled this week to Chicago for a work conference, and touched down just before the clouds opened with rain.

Chicago and Lake Michigan — Lake Michigan from Lakeshore Drive

After a steamy start, Chicago turned into a beauty — cloudless skies and gleaming buildings and a gentle breeze coming in off the Lake.

I lived in Chicago one summer when I modeled for Elite. The events I attended this week took me by the places I used to frequent, including the agency, which was on Superior–the same place where Cindy Crawford got her start.

One event that I’ll never forget from the months I lived in Chicago happened while my parents came up to visit. They’d parked their car on the street near the building outside the models’ apartment. That Sunday afternoon, I looked out the window from the 5th floor, and saw someone working on the passenger door of the car. That person was breaking in to the car. By the time I reached the sidewalk downstairs, the man was in the car, driving, turning left.

That wasn’t the last time I saw the car, though. The police did find it, stripped down — a shell of what it had been, sitting cock-eyed along a residential alley in Garfield Park.

Chicago isn’t an easy city, but she can be beautiful.

Chicago and the "L" — Under the “L” tracks

A turn in the "L", Chicago — A turn in the “L”, Chicago

I enjoyed being there this week, walking the trails I walked long ago, seeing the sights and hearing the sounds of a city still thriving alongside the Lake.

Have you been to and/or lived in Chicago? What is your favorite part?

Posted on March 24, 2016 by Jennifer Lyn Art — 6 Comments

Midtown Manhattan: Favorite NYC Photos

St. Patrick's Cathedral, Midtown Manhattan, NYC

The city seen from the Queensboro Bridge is always the city seen for the first time, in its first wild promise of all the mystery and beauty in the world. F. Scott Fitzgerald

Last week, I spent six wonderful days in New York City. I traveled there for a full week of meetings for work, and spent all the in between hours out and about in Midtown Manhattan. A few nights, I had wonderful dinners with friends–the best refreshment for the soul. I walked Madison Avenue in the rain, just to have the chance to see the windows while there. I enjoyed a bit of time in the St. Patrick’s Day Parade revelry which marches up 5th Avenue on March 17th. And, I had the immense privilege of attending a formal gala inside the Waldorf Astoria, listening to author Candace Bushnell speak for a breakfast (a future post here), and Ron Howard in conversation about his amazing career at the gala.

What is it about New York City that I love? The energy, the lights, the people, the sunshine and long shadows cast down from skyscrapers, the life that hums there. I caught New York City as a teen, on my second trip there, when I walked the long streets to go-sees for the modeling world after my foot had gotten in the door and pulled me into. There is something about New York City, especially Midtown Manhattan, that speaks of history and tradition, and also of the new and the modern. Some photos from my week there in that wonderfully unique place in the world:

Midtown Manhattan: Favorite NYC Photos

The Chrysler Building, Midtown Manhattan, NYC

Fortitude, New York Public Library, Midtown Manhattan, NYC

Lexington Avenue, Midtown Manhattan, NYC

Art inside the NYPLibrary, Midtown Manhattan, NYC

Architecture and Lighting, New York Public Library, Midtown Manhattan, NYC

A Dark and Stormy Night, Central Park, NYC

Inside the Waldorf Astoria, floor art, Midtown Manhattan, NYC

Inside the Waldorf Astoria, ballroom, Midtown Manhattan, NYC

Inside the Waldorf Astoria, Grand Ballroom, Midtown Manhattan, NYC

St. Patrick's Day Parade, Midtown Manhattan, NYC — St. Patrick’s Day Parade, Midtown Manhattan, NYC

Posted on January 26, 2016 by Jennifer Lyn Art — 4 Comments

San Francisco in January, a Photojournal

It’s where we go, and what we do when we get there, that tells us who we are. – Joyce Carol Oates

A week ago, I had the privilege of traveling to San Francisco for my job. The reason for the travel? Several conferences were being held simultaneously for the pharmaceutical, biotech, and investing industries. The major news outlets had cameras set up in Union Square, and all described the scene as the “most suits San Francisco has ever seen.” Yes, it was true.

Regardless of the suits and the conference, San Francisco in January was beautiful. Back at home in Ohio, temperatures plunged below zero degrees, and the weather churned up the first covering of snow for the season. But in California, the sun shone bright, temps stayed mild, and of course, San Francisco was San Francisco, one of America’s most charming cities. I loved every minute. Following, some photographs I took while there …

San Francisco in January, a Photojournal

The world is big and I want to have a good look at it before it gets dark. – John Muir

There is no greater joy than to have an endlessly changing horizon, for each day to have a new and different sun. – Christopher McCandless

Have you traveled to San Francisco? What is your favorite part?