What’s the first thing you think of when you picture a great hike? Mountains? Wildlife? Being out in the middle of nowhere, traversing rugged terrain, mud on your face, blisters on your feet, and the sent of poop in the air?!?! Well, maybe not all of that, but probably something close.  One thing I’ve come to learn is that there are many great “hikes” that are a short jaunt, subway, or bus ride from your hotel.  Many bustling cities have exciting treks that offer stunning sea views alongside incredible city architecture.  I call these “metropolitan hikes,” and Europe is full of ’em!  Below are my absolute favorites!
(I tried my best to mark exact locations on the maps below)

Oia to Fira (Santorini, Greece)

Santorini never seems to disappoint, and the trail that leads from Oia to Fira won’t either! It was a little tricky to find the starting point, but once you’re on the trail it’s 6 miles of pure splendor. Many hikers tend to start in Fira and walk towards Oia.  It’s a bit easier to find the path coming from Fira, but since we were staying in Oia, we did it backwards. Either way, have your camera ready to capture the bluest blues and whitest whites in Greece.

Path of the Gods (Amalfi Coast, Italy)

Whenever someone tells me they’re visiting the Amalfi Coast I always tell them the same thing: find the Path of the Gods.  You may plan to spend your time on beaches and boats, but make sure to build in a day to gaze above it all.  The Path of the Gods is an old donkey path above orchards, farms, and the sea.  While we traveled along this path, we were also greeted by many, and I mean many, goats!

Slieve League Lookout (Ireland)

Slieve League is the tallest sea cliff in Ireland.  The 1,972 ft drop will land you right in the Atlantic.  That’s nearly three times the height of it’s more famous cousin, the Cliffs of Moher!  To get the best view of Slieve League find this lookout point.  A fairly short walk from a parking lot will have you among the vast meadows and dramatic drop-offs of Ireland’s coast. And if you’re lucky, you may find a delicious ice cream truck waiting at the end.

Cap d’Ail Coastal Path (Nice, France / Monte Carlo, Monaco)

Ah the magical coastal path between France and Monaco.  While Shannon and I were in Nice we thought it’d be fun to take a quick side trip to Monte Carlo. Although Monte Carlo was interesting, it was the walk back to France that really made the day.  Like all of these metro hikes, there’s no shortage of views, but the Cap d’Ail Coastal Path also offers a number of secluded spots to sunbathe or take a dip in the Mediterranean. To get here we took an easy bus ride from Nice into Monte Carlo, found the path, walked to Mala Beach, then took the bus back to Nice.

Mt. Salève (Geneva, Switzerland)

From Geneva take the #8 bus for about 12 miles, all the way to the end… welcome to France!  From the bottom of Mont Salève you can either hike or take a cable car to the top.  Once up there you’ll likely find a plethora of paragliders (people running off the mountain with a parachute on their back), perhaps the best view of Lake Geneva, and on a clear day, a view of Mont Blanc.

Path Around Toledo (Spain)

A common day trip from Madrid is the old world town of Toledo. Toledo is known for it’s history and craftsmanship.  Whether it be steel, plaster, or food, these Spaniards know what they’re doing.  If you want to get a look at the town as a whole, cross the moat and climb up and around.  There’s a quazi path/sidewalk that hugs the town from a far, and provides a really nice overview.

Cinque Terre (Italy)

Ah the famous Five Lands of Italy!  Hardly a secret, but never to be missed.  Unfortunately massive flooding destroyed many of the walking paths several years back, but even still Cinque Terre is a great area to explore.  We took the train from La Spezia, and between the 5 towns, as most do.  Along with the beautiful cliffside dwellings, make sure to catch a glimpse of Il Gigante in Monterosso.

The post Our Favorite Metropolitan Hikes in Europe appeared first on Camera & Carry On.

Hello everyone, this is Michael, and I want to introduce you to a new contributor on Camera & Carry On, Courtney Benjamin.  Courtney is a budding writer, traveler, and my little cousin!  She spent this past summer studying abroad in Spain, and when she told Shannon and me about it, we saw that spark in her eye.  Call it the travel bug, wanderlust, or whatever you like, but we knew she had amazing experiences to share.  Follow us (links in the side bar) to stay up to date on her journey!  Now, from Courtney…

If your friends jumped off a cliff, should you jump too?

Of course not! Well… Maybe there’s an exception? Like when gorgeous Italian men are jumping off the cliff? Then honey you better get your little American ass off those rocks faster than they can say “bella”.

This is the first lesson I learned last summer while jumping into the sparkling Mediterranean waters off the Amalfi Coast. The second lesson I learned? Don’t jump 50 feet into the water while wearing a strapless two-piece.

Wardrobe malfunctions aside, studying abroad last summer was hands-down one of the most memorable, terrifying, thrilling, and liberating experiences I’ve had in my 20 years on this earth.

“I didn’t want to just be a tourist”

As students, we spend hours on end learning about the history and the art and the languages of different countries, but do you know what authentic tapas taste like washed down with sangria? Do you know what the hooves of stampeding bulls sound like in Pamplona? Do you know what it feels like to stand inside the Prado? These are things you can’t read in a book, and I wanted to find them out for myself. Furthermore, I didn’t want to just be a tourist in a foreign country, but to have enough time to create bonds with the people around me and to truly immerse myself in European culture. I decided that living as a student in Madrid was the best way for me to do that.

“I was terrified”

I went to a few informational meetings, booked my ticket, packed my bags, and was ready to go. But as I sat with my knees jammed into the back of seat 7J, sandwiched between a wheezing man whose “lovely” scent engulfed my area and a giant mammoth of a woman who I unwillingly shared half my seat with, I contemplated why on earth I had decided to get on this 10-hour flight to Madrid in the first place. I knew no one. I spoke very little Spanish. I had no idea what the metro was – much less how to navigate it! What the hell was I doing? I was terrified.

The first night was hard; I won’t sugarcoat it. I was lonely, jet lagged, and scared. But in the following days, I began to explore the city, taste the foods, make friends. I even managed to take the metro! In days I felt more myself in this strange city than I had in years. The music of the street dancers in the Plaza del Sol, the sweetness of the sangria, the laughter of los Españoles… The city had replaced in me the fear of the unknown with a burning passion to explore and discover the world outside of my safe walls. From there I backpacked all over much of Europe and made memories and friendships that I will cherish forever.

Lesson number 3?

Sometimes you have to stop thinking, and just JUMP!

Be sure to follow Camera & Carry On with facebook, twitter, instagram, etc.  Also, you can find all of my articles on C&C here!

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More About Courtney

Courtney’s an avid lover of food, nature, yoga, and puppies. You’ll often find her passing her days on the beach in her hometown of Fort Lauderdale, FL. An English major at the University of Florida, she also enjoys spending time hanging out with friends and family.

Favorite destinations: Spain, Italy, Switzerland
Dreams of: Writing novels while simultaneously eating her way through the most beautiful places in the world.
Last supper: Anything Italian, a side of Pad Thai with Tom Kha Kai soup, and something smothered in chocolate!
Recommended books + movies: Dead Poets Society, We Bought a Zoo, Game of Thrones, The Museum of Extraordinary Things, and Harry Potter.

The post Meet Courtney: Traveler, Writer, Student Abroad appeared first on Camera & Carry On.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

Well it’s that time again, time for resolutions and reflection. If you’re reading this, there’s a good chance one of your resolutions for this year is to travel more. To help you visualize this, I’ve searched through 10s of thousands of our photos, and found 16 of my absolute favorite panoramics that I hope will encourage you to travel in 2016! Not only are these some of our most spectacular images, but they’re also from some of our most treasured destinations. From the most bustling cities, to the calm and silent, there’s always something great to capture.

(Click an image to expand it larger)

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The post 16 Photos to Get You Excited About Traveling in 2016! appeared first on Camera & Carry On.

Ok ladies, and derrière-conscious gents, I’m going to let you in on a little secret. Ready for it? If you want to get a firm, toned, perky tush, all you have to do is book a ticket to Naples, Italy, drive a shiny Fiat up, through, over, and down the hills to the Amalfi Coast, and put on your most adequate walking shoes. A 4+ hour scenic hike will do the trick and will likely shave 3.5 lbs off the scale* — just don’t forget to bring along last night’s Neapolitan pizza leftovers to keep you moving (essentially the Cliff Barof Italy, only for the cost of a single, overpriced granola schtick, you will get a pizza the size of 3 heads). And, there you have it! {Takes a bow} *results may vary

Like most hikes, this one began with a mini horse.

For a little perspective – this was no puny trail!

A perfect spot for a photo op! Oh, the challenge of remote photography.

Contrary to the other miracle body shaping/weight loss programs out there, I do not have the ubiquitous before and after shot. Use your imagination? No, nevermind. Gross. Don’t do that. Please, a little decency people! You can trust in me. The Path of the Gods is an ass kicker with a view; one of the best I’ve seen next to Santorini’s trail from Oia to Fira.

It’s pizza time! Our leftover pizza and calzone made best on-the-go lunch.

We knew we were in for a good walk – a scenic jaunt, if you will – but it became clear early on that we were rather ill prepared for the task. Next time? Skipping the jeans. In my defense, the day began on the chilly side, but I wasn’t thinking (hiking + sunshine – mid 50s temp = hot hot hot!). Oh well… At least I had this view! And pizza. C’mon tush, let’s kick it into high gear!

Jaw-dropping, scenic views were literally around every bend. We stopped for tons of photos and Michael took a few of those moments as opportunities to get a little crazy. He hung off the edge of large rocks on more than a few occasions, giving me heart palpitations. “Just keeping you young!” he likes to say. Yeah right. Thanks, hun.

Hark! Something yonder this way comes!

G’day, Mr. Goat. You can stop staring now.

We’re nearly there! Just 3,000 steps to go – gah!

A million miles kilometers later on the edge of exhaustion, we finally made it to the end of the path, dumping us onto the skinny, coastal road that winds from town to town. We met a smiley man from Positano who put an immediate halt to his gardening in an attempt to help us catch a ride to Amalfi, but not before we took a photo with him. “Why did you not stay in my hotel?” he asked us, signaling to his B&B up the hill. “Next time!” we told him and stole away from that awkward exchange to flag down the local bus. Ciao, Positano! Until next time…

So what do you think? Does this beat out the elliptical machine?

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