Happy New Year, everyone! We thought it would be fun to take a look back at our top ten photos of 2010. Enjoy!
1. Berwang, Austria
This is by far our most popular photo and one of our favorite memories. We were driving around the Tyrol Alps in our little rental car and stopped on the side of the road to hike up the rolling hills to get this great shot. The grass was so wet from dew, and cows were grazing at the bottom of the hill. A few minutes later, we heard a traveling brass band putting on a concert in the village of Berwang, about 200 yards away.
2. Balloons – Cappadocia, Turkey
Who doesn’t love a hot-air balloon photo? We had a great time on our early morning ride in Cappadocia. We got up early to take photos only, but we decided we just couldn’t pass up on this popular Cappadocian activity. The price is pretty high, but it was well worth it. Definitely one of my favorite HDR’s.
3. Auschwitz, Poland
Clark’s dad thinks this our most haunting photo. This train car is sitting on the original tracks inside the Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration camp. You can see the main building and gates in the distance. This camp saw the deaths of 960,000 Jews, 75,000 Poles, and 19,000 Roma.
4. Plitvice Lakes, Croatia
The Plitvice Lakes are often overlooked by tourists in Croatia who usually head straight for the coast. This national park in the mountainous region of Lika was one of our favorite sights. The water is amazingly clear and there are countless winding paths with some great views! We had to semi-hang off a cliff for this shot.
5. Süleymaniye and Rustem Pasa Mosques – Istanbul, Turkey
We arrived at the Galata bridge in Istanbul just in time for a great sunset. This is one of our favorite mosque photos. I love the clouds, birds, and glow of the sun.
6. Berwang, Austria
Here’s another photo taken right after shot #1 from the little town of Berwang. In this sleepy little ski village, we enjoyed wandering around the hills and taking in the views. Besides the traveling band, I think we were the only guests in town.
7. Chicago, USA
We took this photo a few weeks before leaving for our trip. The best place to view the sunset in Chicago is from the lawn near Adler Planetarium. Its a long walk to the end of the little peninsula, but worth it, especially on an evening like this!
8. Blue Mosque – Istanbul, Turkey
We love our wide-angle lens. This photo of the Blue Mosque in Istanbul really captures the immense size of the domes.
9. Sarajevo, Bosnia
This was one of my shots. While Clark was in Zagreb attending to the broken MacBook, I was exploring Sarajevo and getting some great photos. Bosnia was a very interesting place, and one of our favorite countries. You’d think the war just ended after visiting. A friend and I hiked to a high on hill surrounding he city right before sunset. You can see the collapsed rooftops and remaining war damage if you look closely.
10. The Treasury – Petra, Jordan
Petra was hands down our favorite “sight-seeing” destination. Hiking around in this ancient intricately-carved city is high on our list of travel recommendations. This photo of the treasury was taken around 9:00 a.m. right when the sun peaks from behind the rocks.
Posted from: Chicago, IL, USA
Kim & Clark Kays quit their jobs for an uncertain trip around the world. Originally from St. Louis, they relocated to Chicago after getting married in 2005. After working for five years in middle school and the Fortune 500, they realized there was more to life than the 9-to-5, so made the crazy decision to exchange money for time rather than the other way around.
Their hobbies include fighting over writing styles and searching for gelato. They think food, beer, architecture, and photography are some of the best things about travel—especially when combined. Their travel blog, To Uncertainty and Beyond, includes long-term travel tips as well as humorous anecdotes from their journey through Europe and Asia. They invite you to experience their journey and learn from their adventures and mistakes.
