2015 in Review

Posted on January 4, 2016 by Travel Spirit

Looking back at my photographs from 2015, the year was filled with fun, family, friends, and travel! In the Spring, I drove to Amish country in northern Ohio from Cincinnati and had a wonderful day taking photographs of the lovely countryside!

In August, my annual girls’ weekend at Put-in-Bay, Ohio was so much fun! Last year we had a blast there and decided to return.

My travel business “Travel Spirit Meetup” is growing with over 300 members and in September I took six people to the Mediterranean coast where we hiked along the Lycian Way trail and explored the cute villages. Our second stop to Istanbul exceeded all expectations! Turkish people are so friendly!

The view from our hike along the Lycian Way near Fethiye, Turkey…

I also spent an amazing week in Ireland and Scotland! Edinburgh, Scotland‘s architecture and history can’t be beat!

The ha’ penny bridge in Dublin, Ireland…

Ringing in the New Year, two girlfriends and I spent a week in the Cape Coral/Ft. Myers, Florida area.

Continuing to work as a photographer for Cincinnati Refined, I had 36 photography assignments and wrote nine travel articles. One of the assignments was for the ReelAbilities Film Festival and was excited to photograph Marlee Matlin, Nick Clooney, and his wife.

Laurie Holden from the Walking Dead at King’s Island, Ohio…

The Prohibition Party…

The Urban Trials held at Yeatman’s Cove, Cincinnati…

and the Thanksgiving Day 10k race…to name a few.

I photographed a friend’s birthday party for one of her daughters through my photography business “Sherry Lachelle Photography“.

My first outdoor wedding…

Senior Portraits…

Spending time with family was special! For one of our family get-togethers, my husband and I took our son and his girlfriend to the Museum Center in Cincinnati and we spent an afternoon along the Ohio River.

Our extended family Christmas: My brother (2nd from left), his wife in front of him, my husband (next to me…but you can’t see his face), my brother’s ex-wife on the left and her husband behind her, her brother on the far right, my niece and nephew, and a high school exchange student from Norway.

I prepared lots of recipes this year and enjoyed hiking, biking, trail jogging, yoga, and boating! I attended lots of parties, big and small.

Some of my favorite books this year: The Storyteller, The Unbearable Lightness of Being, A House in the Sky, I know why the Caged Bird Sings, The Goldfinch, Calling me Home, The House Girl, The Enchanted, The Nightingale, Little Bee, The Time Keeper, Secrets of a Charmed Life, and Grandma Gatewood’s Walk.

I can’t wait to see what 2016 brings! Hope you all had a wonderful holiday and thank you so much for your support! xoxoxo

~Sherry

Crossing the Galata Bridge and sights along the way

Posted on October 16, 2015 by Travel Spirit

The Galata Bridge in Istanbul is symbolic of the link between the traditional old city of Istanbul and neighborhoods to the east that are largely non-Muslim. The bridge spans the Golden Horn (the primary inlet of the Bosphorus) and has been rebuilt five times. These are some of the sites I saw on either side of the bridge and on the bridge itself.

I believe we were headed towards Takism Square here…

I’m also a collector of street graffiti “art”!

Nice view of the Bosphorus…

The fishing must be excellent!

Continue reading →

Colorful and Bustling Istanbul

Posted on October 15, 2015 by Travel Spirit

Sights like this, a cat plumped down in the middle of a table of belts, enriched my visit to Istanbul and created such a fun and surprising atmosphere!

When you pick apart a scene like this to understand why it seems foreign to someone from America, the things that stand out to me are: the cart (it’s unlike those from America), the way the man is dressed on the right, with a long apron, the man in the background carrying a box on his head, the cobblestones, and the foreign signs on the building across the street.

Love this guy’s spirit!!

Continue reading →

Going Solo in Istanbul

Posted on October 14, 2015 by Travel Spirit

Each day after taking my group to the included sites on our itinerary, we would split up into groups. Being a photographer, I usually prefer sight-seeing on my own. That way, I’m not worried about holding people up or having to wait while someone goes shopping (ugh). Most afternoons I would head off on my own and on this particular day, I was trying to find better angles of the Blue Mosque and also somewhere to have a nice lunch. There was a man by himself, seated outside of a hotel/restaurant in a somewhat solitary part of town. I asked him if the food was good at the restaurant and he highly recommended it. Oh my, he didn’t tell me what a magnificent view there would be!

I ordered Sea Bass (I think), which was very good and had a nice glass of white wine while taking in my beautiful surroundings!

What’s funny is I thought this was the Blue Mosque that I had such a wonderful view of, but actually it was Hagia Sophia!

Continue reading →

Hagia Sophia Museum and Basilica Cistern

Posted on October 13, 2015 by Travel Spirit

Dating back to the 6th Century, the Hagia Sophia Museum (Holy Wisdom) is one of the most impressive and important buildings in the world! Hagia Sophia was converted from a church to a museum in 1935. It was the largest church ever built until St Peter’s Basilica was constructed in Rome 1000 years later. It is the most visited site in Turkey with over 3.5 million visitors in 2014!

I visited the day after seeing the Blue Mosque and was surprised at how awe-inspiring the Hagia Sophia is in comparison!

It literally leaves you speechless!

That’s gold in the ceiling!

It is so stunning and I loved taking photographs inside…the way people’s shadows made shapes on the floor. Maybe you know what I mean, that some places you’re much more excited to be taking photographs in than others.

Continue reading →

Topkapi Palace

Posted on October 12, 2015 by Travel Spirit

The Topkapi Palace was the main residence of Ottoman Sultans between the 15^th and 19^th centuries. Visiting the palace gives a fascinating glimpse into what their lives were like during this time frame.

We arrived to the Palace early in the morning, so I was lucky to get a few photos without people in them…

The Palace is huge, so there are lots of angles to take photos from…

Topkapı is a series of pavilions, kitchens, barracks, audience chambers, kiosks and sleeping quarters built around a central enclosure.

The view from the Palace was gorgeous!

Continue reading →

Charming Town of Fethiye, Turkey

Posted on October 8, 2015 by Travel Spirit

During my four-day stay in the small town of Kayakoy, Turkey, my group and I explored the darling and picturesque town of Fethiye, located nearby along Turkey’s Mediterranean’s coast. The whimsical umbrellas hanging between the shops were delightful!

Everywhere you look…cute and colorful touches added to the charm!

The waterfront was lined with boats ready to whisk passengers off for a cruise…

Shafts of light filtered through the canopy of enchanting umbrellas…

Continue reading →

Turkey’s Turquoise Coast and Oludeniz

Posted on October 6, 2015 by Travel Spirit

My group and I arrived by foot to Oludeniz after hiking 7 kilometers from the ghost village of Kayakoy, which you can read about here. The blue waters of the Mediterranean sparkled and looked so inviting after our rather sweaty hike over the ~~mountain~~ hill, along with these colorful, plump soft seating areas, under the shade of draped cloth.

Most of us ordered a freshly squeezed frozen lemonade with mint that was sinfully delicious!

The beach was lined with people lazing beneath thatched umbrellas, enjoying the beautiful warm weather.

A few boats swayed in the light breeze on the dazzling waters…

The sky overhead was filled with vibrant, bold para-gliders…

After having lunch, and exploring the town a bit, we took a taxi back to our heavenly retreat at Villa Rhapsody. What a wonderful day!

Hiking the Lycian Way Trail beginning in the Ghost Village of Kayakoy

Posted on October 5, 2015 by Travel Spirit

I plan trips and take people around the world through my site at “Travel Spirit Meetup” and for the eight night Turkey trip in mid-September, six people joined me for four nights on the Mediterranean coast of Turkey and four nights in Istanbul. One of the adventures I was really looking forward to was hiking a small portion of the Lycian Way trail along Turkey’s turquoise coast. Everyone arrived from the States and settled into our accommodations at Villa Rhapsody the first day, and after a delicious poolside breakfast the following morning, we walked 10 minutes from our Villa to the ghost village of Kayakoy and began exploring.

The village was deserted by the Greek Orthodox that inhabited the village during the 1923 forced exchange between Turkey and Greece. Our goal was to take the trail head that leads from the village and hike seven kilometers to the town of Oludeniz. During my research at home before the trip I found a great website with information about the hike, and read other information, but we still experienced some difficulty finding the trail head. Another couple armed with a map were also a bit lost. The trail is marked with red and yellow paint stripes on rocks along the way. One of our groups’ members took off ahead of us exploring the ghost village and once we’d found the trail head, we shouted for him to no avail, and another member went off looking for him, which added another 10-15 minutes wait. We weren’t able to find him and with the knowledge that he would be able to make his way back to the Villa if necessary, decided to begin our hike.

There are a number of ways to enter the ghost village, one of which requires a fee of 5 Lira ($1.65) and of course that’s the entrance we found.

The ghost village was amazing! The sunlight illuminated the windows of the decaying buildings.

Continue reading →

Itinerary for Trip to Ireland, Scotland, and Turkey

Posted on April 11, 2015 by Travel Spirit

Planning travel itineraries usually take many hours of research and when you’re taking a group of people with you, the details become even more important. Initially, I was putting together a 9 day trip to Turkey in September for my travel meetup http://www.meetup.com/Travel-Spirit-Meetup-Group/, but then looking at airfare, I realized for just an additional few hundred dollars, I could fly to Dublin, Ireland and Edinburgh, Scotland. With airfare being the biggest expenditure, hitting a couple of my bucket list spots made sense!

Four nights in Dublin and four in Edinburgh should give me ample time to explore the Cities and take a day trip or two. Traveling solo, I’ll be able to take photographs and leisurely or quickly make my way through these amazing Cities. I’ve found a couple of Airbnb accommodations in the City centers that range between $50 and $60 per night. I’ll have my own bedroom in someone’s flat with access to their kitchen for making breakfast and perhaps a sandwich for dinner to save money. Of course, I’ll dine out occasionally…probably every day for lunch.

Some of the places I intend to visit in Dublin are Howth Head and St. Stephen’s Green.

Additional spots within Dublin are Temple Bar, Grafton Street, St. Patrick’s Cathedral, O’Connell Street & bridge, Trinity College, Dawson Street, and Kilmainham Gaol (an old jail).

My flight from Dublin to Edinburgh through Ryan Air is $107 with the baggage fees.

In Edinburgh, I’ll walk the Royal Mile, visit the Edinburgh Castle, the Palace of Holyroodhouse and climb up to see the view from Arthur’s Seat.

$170 will take me from Edinburgh to the Mediterranean coast of Turkey (near Fethiye) to a beautiful family owned Villa with a pristine swimming pool, and hiking along the Lycian Way trail to the towns of Oludeniz and Fethiye. The weather should be perfect, in the 80’s! I have four tour participants signed up and one gentleman who is very interested.

After spending four glorious days of soaking up the sun and regenerating our spirits, we’ll head to the exciting and bustling City of Istanbul. Exploring main sites such as the Blue Mosque pictured below, the Hagia Sophia Museum, Topkapi Palace, Basilica Cistern, Spice Market, and the Grand Bazaar, our senses will be filled with bright colors, aromatic scents, and the hauntingly beautiful call to prayer as it permeates the Streets!

My philosophy is…if you want something badly enough…you’ll find a way to make it happen!