Andrea traveled to the Costa Brava in Spain and explored many of the region’s white-washed coastal towns
While on a working vacation in France, I decided to take a week-long side-trip to Spain. I had some friends from the Catalonian region in the north of the country and they invited me to visit. I’d never been there before, so I jumped at the chance to see a new part of the world.
One of the great things about my job as a photographer is that it gives me the opportunity to interact with other photographers from around the world via the Internet. That’s how I met my Spanish friends.
After traveling in France for three weeks, I took the train to Spain. That adventure in itself taught me a valuable lesson about travel. Never over-pack—I was the crazy American with too much luggage on the train.
Once I arrived, my Catalonian friends welcomed me into their home. Because they were also photographers, we would set out on photo adventures every day of my stay.
They lived close to Costa Brava on the Mediterranean, so we explored many of the region’s white-washed coastal towns on a daily basis. I lost track of the names of many of them, but the beautiful vistas through hazy sunshine remain imprinted in my memory.
We visited several small towns with little coves where locals warmed themselves on the beach before cooling off with a dip in the sea. The area was colorful with rolling green hills, jagged cliffs, turquoise sea, and trademark white Mediterranean houses dotting the landscape. It was exactly how I pictured the Mediterranean in my mind’s eye before I arrived.
Some of the towns we visited had a long history that reached back centuries further than what we would be accustomed to here in the U.S. We wandered cobbled streets, fortresses, stone buildings adorned with colorful flowers. There were beautiful old windows that had shown their wear from years past. These unique places captivated me and my camera the most.
I also visited the city of Barcelona. I wasn’t even there for a full day, but I did shoot some pictures on the city’s street which I later uploaded to an online photo stock website. When a newspaper, magazine, website or advertising company needs images of places, people or things, they go to these sites to buy them. When one of my images gets picked up, I get paid.
I am my happiest when I am traveling. I also seem to produce some of my best work when I’m on the road.
Editor’s Note: If you’d like to learn more about ways you can pay for your life or travels overseas, sign up for Fund Your Life Overseas, a free e-letter from International Living. Sign up here and we’ll send you a free report: Fund Your New Life Overseas With These 5 Portable Careers.
Recommended Reading:
Comments
