When I return home from a trip, I'm often teased about my vacation photography. Not because the pictures are poor, but because I often use them in my Christmas cards, to create notecards, on my blog, etc. But here's the thing: I go on vacation to have fun, not simply to take photos. But if the very act of taking a photo can be fun, or remind you of a fun experience, then I say snap away.
For instance, my dear husband's brother often calls my husband (a more crass term for) a horse's hindquarters. On one European vacation, I decided that, instead of taking photos of statues, I'd take photos of the backside of every horse statue I encountered. The end result (so to speak) was one of the most hysterical visits I've ever made to Notre Dame cathedral. When I turned my back to the cathedral to snap a photo of King Charles on his horse (which was also facing away from the cathedral), an entire busload of tourists whipped around with their cameras to see what shot they should be taking.
I can't even think of Notre Dame without thinking of those tourists. It was hilarious.
Every vacation for the rest of that year, my husband and I entertained ourselves by snapping photos of the backside of every horse statue we saw (that's when we realized just how many statues there are of men on horses.) We laughed ourselves silly every time we saw a horse statue. Best of all, that Christmas, my husband and I presented his brother with a lovely photo book containing shots of horses from famous sites around the world--Versailles, Florence, Madrid, and yes, Notre Dame. As you might guess, hilarity ensued when my brother-in-law realized the nature of the gift.
So today, I'm posting some of the fun photos from my last trip. These were the result of those occasions when the mere act of lifting the camera to my eye to take the shot made me laugh. Having photos like these are a good reminder that humor can be found anywhere--you simply need to look around.
In Barcelona: A pharmacy guaranteed to make you perky.
And if the pills don't work, you can always mark your grave this way.
Then, have this guy walk all over you. Yes, this was taken in a church, in the central courtyard. He wanted to eat my camera.
From Tunis: I assume this is where you put your money when you are praying it'll stay safe.
From Corsica: What is this mannequin doing with her arm? This was in a display of Corsican costume at Napoleon's birthplace. I couldn't figure out how anyone would get far carrying vegetables this way. Looks painful!
In Rome: Proof that you can get gelati in any flavor imaginable. I can't imagine eating some of these flavors (chocolate with hot peppers? and what is "pera cheese?"), but if you wanted to, you could.
A not-so-subtle warning not to honk your horn.
And finally, a tattooed, smokin' gladiator. (If you want a better look, click on the photo, then hit your back button to return.) He was outside the Colosseum, taking a breather from having his photo taken with tourists. But he was still willing to give me a smile. I think this was the best photo of the entire trip.
Maybe I'll have it made into a notecard.
