Perugia
As promised, I’m writing from the road and sharing some of the amazing places that I’m visiting by showcasing photos from my iPhone. I spent the last week discovering just how incredibly beautiful Umbria is in Italy and I have a feeling that I’ll be back sometime very soon.
Everywhere I looked in Umbria, I found another incredible sight. It was as if they spent the last few thousand years getting ready for my visit. IF that is the case, then I am quite impressed with their dedication. If not, well… I’ll forgive them. This time ;)
Arial view of Umbria
Up, up, and away!
I was attending the Travel Bloggers Unite conference in Umbria and giving a lecture and photowalk in Perugia. It was wonderful to see so many friends gathered all in one place and take part in a conference with so many diverse travel bloggers with so many great ideas. Their passion for travel is amazing and quite contagious I must say. There is nothing like being surrounded by people who inspire you and push you to be the best that you can be. Thanks to all of the attendees, the conference was fun and informative. I’ll have a full review when I get back home.
Assisi from a helicopter
The speakers and many of the attendees of the TBU conference stayed at the Valle di Assisi 4 star Hotel & Resort and thanks to the owners of the hotel I had the chance to get my first helicopter ride. While I’m not too fond of heights, I have no problems with planes, so I was expecting to have no issues with the helicopter either. Not only do I not have issues, I loved it. I can’t wait to have another opportunity to get back in a helicopter to do more arial photography. What a way to get around. Umbria rocks from the ground and from the air, you really need to add this region of Italy to your travel plans — trust me!
Flag Throwing Ceremony in Umbria
One of the things that I love about taking photos with my iPhone is that I always have it with me and that it is so small. It allows me to get some very spontaneous photos like the one above from a flag throwing ceremony that was put on before the big opening night dinner at the conference. These guys really were amazing and the acrobatic juggling of the flags that they did was impressive to say the least.
The Umbrian tourism board people were warm and hospitable in every sense. With so many bloggers at the conference, they had their hands full but did a masterful job of making sure that we had the chance to get a great taste of the region. My head is still swimming with visions of Spoleto, Todi, Assisi, Perugia, Narni, and Orvieto.
Roccafiore Winery
Wine not?
To my great disappointment ;), we ended up touring several of Umbria’s amazing wineries. Ask anyone who knows me and they will tell you just how much I hate wine. After several hours of debate and arm twisting (3 seconds) I decided to join the group and partake in sampling some absolutely delicious Umbrian wines at several different wineries. If in Umbria, I would highly recommend the Roccafiore and Barberani wineries.
Barberani winery
I’ll leave you with a few more iPhone photos from the trip so far. I’m really enjoying the spontaneous fun nature of this kind of photography but don’t worry, I’m still pulling out the big guns to take my regular travel images and will have a ton of images to share with you in the near future.
Meanwhile, look for more iPhonography post in the near future. I’ve been busy :)
The Duomo in Orvieto
At the Basilica in Assisi
Festival time in Narni
Next stop… Florence!!
I love every last one of these shots. Amazing you got them all with an iPhone! I don’t usually have conference envy, but I have to admit I was loving (and simultaneously green with envy) all the Umbria shots popping up on my Instagram feed.
Amazing iphone photography. Your enticing promotional skills match your flawless execution in photography. I want to go everywhere you have gone.The tourism bureaus of every country should pay you big bucks to promote them.
Great photos! I’m leaving for Italy in a week and I’m SO excited!!!!!
Wow – so glad you started iPhoneography :-) I love the last photo – was it taken 500 years ago or what?
Beautiful images Ken. As much as I love shooting with my DSLR I’m totally in love with shooting and processing from my iPhone. You’re images are fantastic and I look forward to seeing your other images from Umbria.
I was one of the lucky bloggers who attended your lecture and photowalk during TBU, so thanks for sharing so many useful tips with us :-) I use an iPhone myself, but I never thought that photos taken with a smartphone could be so beautiful! I’m looking forward to seeing all the other images from Umbria – and from Florence of course.
Amazing photography from an amazing country, congratulations!
If you have the option to also check out Italy’s South: Puglia and Sicily are also worth a trip. I went on an extraordinary roundtrip in Puglia’s masserie just recently. The former country houses were turned into spectacular hotels!
Here’s my suggestion for a two week roundtrip:
http://travelmemo.com/europe/italy/puglia-italy-travel-itinerary-two-week-roundtrip
Very good pictures, I love this job. The photos are enhanced with photoshops?
Have your app, and i must say never get bored of what i see,Feminal never seen any thing like it, thank you.
Once again your artistry has blown me away! I love every single picture here. Truly amazing and inspiring. Now I want to visit Umbria too.
Kristin, Thanks! I’m having a blast with m y iPhone and being in Umbria sure doesn’t hurt when it comes to the eye candy that is EVERYWHERE.
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Art, No truer words have ever been spoken. Attention tourism boards of the world! ;)
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Christy, You should be excited! It is awesome here.
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Marie, 498 years ago ;) I’m still tinkering with the time machine.
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Edith, That is exactly how I feel about my iPhone and DSLR.
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LT, Thank you for attending TBU and especially my lecture. Hope you had a great time!
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Walter, I’m not even close to being done with Italy! I’ll be back… oh, wait! I’m still here :)
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Rafael, the photos are all done with my iPhone and iPhone apps.
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Leonard, not sure what app you’re talking about.
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Debbie, thank you so much! Umbria awaits :)
There is no words – your pictures….nope no words! I love them and every time I come here I feel better afterwards :)
Thanks for these Ken! JUST AMAZING!!!! I love seeing the world through your eyes!
My compliments for your blog… and also for the article you wrote about our loved Umbria. We live here but sometimes we are not able to see how much beauty is in our region… Thanks a lot
Roberta Belotti
Loving every single photo!! You have only gotten me even more excited about my upcoming Italy trip! Beware that I may be asking you for some tips in the upcoming weeks!! haha Keep enjoying the amazing trip!
Hi Ken,
I love the expressions you have captured in the Narni photo, even more impressive knowing the speed at which we moved through that town! It was great to meet you at TBU.
Michelle
Ken, I just discovered your blog via Dave&Deb. I’m sorry it took me so long to find it – your photography is impressive! I’ve travelled Italy extensively but never through Umbria. You present it so beautifully and I’ve added to my list of places to explore. So, thank you for sharing!
Hi Ken ….via Twitter ;-)
The flag throwing shot is cool. Sad I missed out on this conference!
This place looks amazing! I really want to visit Italy someday! And this was shot with an iPhone wow nice :)
I am so sorry you had to suffer through the wine tour in Umbria. How you could go to a conference there and force you to do that, in Italy of all places, is beyond me. Sometimes there are sacrifices that you have to make for a greater cause.
At least you got some great photos of it. After seeing how beautiful these are, you might want to give this photography thing a shot. Now I don’t think you’ll make the cover of National Geographic or anything but keeping working hard and see what happens.
:)
Assisi is an amazing place and you are a great photographer! This is a great collection of Umbria here.
Lisa, There are words for your comment: Thank you!! I feel better after those lovely comments :)
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Carlos, look for some “cool” new pics from Iceland coming up!
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Roberta, thanks for taking the time to share your thoughts. I loved Umbria and hope to be back soon!
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Pamela, Glad to see that you’re excited about Italy. It is a magical place. I hope that you have Umbria on the itinerary!
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Michelle, Great to meet you too :) That trip to Narni was wayyyyy too short!
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Christina, Glad that you’re reading Dave & Deb’s blog. They are my heroes and wonderful friends. Look for more Umbria photos coming soon!
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Peter, Howdy right back atcha
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Matt, Wish you could have made it too. It would have been a pleasure to meet you. Hopefully next time!
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Ben, You will not regret a trip to Italy… trust me!
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Jeremy, HA!! I do suffer so! So it’s only right that you feel my pain ;) I promise to keep working hard so that someday I can make this work out. Cheers!
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Abe, thanks for the kind words! More Umbria shots soon!
Great images Ken – Italy does have a way of tugging at your heart strings!
This is fantastic Ken! I just love your pictures more and more every time I see them…but then you must be getting bored of hearing this over and over again from all the visitors :)
Great shots, i really like the colors. I’ve only been to Ravenna in Italy, but i definately want to see more of it.
If you want, you can check our travel photos from Asia
Some lovely photos. The first one reminds me of our beloved Valparaiso!
On grey, blustery days like today when it seems like nice weather will never come, I stop by here and take a look at your pictures to remind me how beautiful things will look when the sun is out again! Keep in touch…
Outstanding series of images. What a beautiful country with so much to see.
Thanks for sharing!
Hi Ken!Do you remember me? We met at the train station in Perugia and walked a little together to the city centre. I love your photos, in particular the one with the view of the Basilica of Assisi and the other with Perugia’s acqueduct. They represent a new, beautiful way of looking at things that I know very well. Congratulations for your web site!
Russ, Yep, Italy sure has it’s ways!
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Sid, You are wrong! I never get bored of hearing nice things about my work, and thanks for doing so :)
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JITP, Thank you… Italia is Awesome!
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Rebecca, Just sent you an email… talk soon! :)
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Jimi, My pleasure. Come back soon to see some “real” photos from Umbria. All but the first one here are iPhone photos.
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Jenny… So nice to hear from you! Of course i remember you and thank you for taking the time to show me around Perugia a bit. You are so lucky to live in this beautiful part of the world and I hope to be back soon to explore and photograph some more :D
Your site is absolutely incredible!!
you forget Gubbio the best medioeval city in umbria
http://it.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gubbio
http://www.sbandieratori.com
Wow, what fantastic shots! I recently visited Italy for the first time and am lucky enough to be going back in September – your photos make me wish it were sooner!
I’m Italian so I really appreciate these photos. Congratulations, you have been able to grasp the beauty in every corner of this beautiful Italian region.
Great shots! :)
http://tlaqtghalftit.blogspot.com/