VATICAN CITY (AUGUST) – How do you see the world when you travel? Are you drawn to sunsets? Do you play voyeur and discretely take photos of offbeat people when they’re not looking? Are you a traditionalist who lines your children up according to height and then puts them in front of the Washington moment?
Or, are you that person who grabs a selfie stick and becomes the center of the action, no matter where you are? I was walking around Rome in August and spotted a woman taking nonstop pictures of herself in Vatican City. I did what any self-respecting travel writer would do. I started following her around. She proudly walked about with her selfie stick extended through St. Peter’s Square. She may have smacked a few people in the forehead, but no doubt she left with a phone filled with enough glamorous selfies to keep her mahjong team entertained.
The photos we take say more about us than they do about the places that we visit. The filters in our brains choose how we want to remember travel experiences, and how we want others to see us. My photos are meant to convey a sense of location for the stories I write, but I take thousands of photos for myself to remember the beautiful and the bizarre. In the words of Depeche Mode, “Let me show you the world in my eyes.’’
Positano, Italy (August)
I spent a day along the Amalfi Coast in Italy over the summer, and when I wasn’t writing, I was trying to capture its grand vistas. I wasn’t so successful on photographing the natural splendors, but I thought these stacked beach chairs perfectly represented the region’s casual, colorful elegance.
Brussels (July)
The grand Galeries Royales Saint-Hubert is an imposing 19th century shopping arcade filled with posh stores, and this cat. As I took his picture, he walked toward me, meowing all the way.
Dunedin, Florida (February)
I found myself at gay bowling night (who knew?) in a small Florida town. Three drag queens spun in circles as they lip synched in heels on slick, freshly waxed alleys without falling. I bought them a round of shots.
Martha’s Vineyard (June)
A pedestrian crossing sign near the beach in Oak Bluffs was transformed to assist mermaids as they made their way through the sea. Sadly, there were no mermaids crossing the day I visited.
Toronto (April)
The CN Tower is not the loveliest iconic building in Toronto. In fact, I don’t even think it’s in the top 10. But it was almost directly across from my hotel, so I had the chance to photograph it anytime of day.
London (September)
I take almost as many photos of clever street art and murals as I do sunsets. I was charmed by this penguin who claimed to have been displaced from the city because of the high cost of living.
Cologne, Germany (July)
I’m not sure why, but I was drawn to this mannequin at the weekly antiques market that runs alongside the Rhine in Cologne. I kept circling her as her eyes whispered, “Look all you want, but you will never be as fabulous as me.’’ Point taken.
Above the Caribbean (December)
After a year spent traveling thousands of miles, I experienced my most striking airplane out-the-window moment of 2016 as I landed in Martinique earlier this month. The memory was quickly diminished on the fight home when the man sitting in front of me began trimming his toenails. I have no pictures of that.
Caribbean Sea (February)
My booziest assignment of the year was cruising on Gronk’s Party Ship. I have pictures of New England Patriot Rob Gronkowski in various celebratory moments, and states of undress. In the end, the cruise was more a gathering for his immediate family, and his family of fans, than a bacchanal sailing.
Salem, N.H. (August)
Maybe it was because I had just stepped off the Untamed roller coaster at Canobie Lake Park, but as I tried to regain my balance with a piece of fried dough and a Diet Pepsi, I thought these prize toys looked like a perfect piece of
almost-abstract art.
Westman Islands, Iceland (April)
I never get tired of visiting and taking pictures in Iceland. Last spring I went to a string of islands off the south coast on a brilliantly sunny day. I’m fairly certain it’s the first brilliantly sunny day I’ve experienced in Iceland. I saw a few puffins, but this is the picture that best represented the day.
Christopher Muther can be reached at muther@globe.com. Follow him on Twitter @Chris_Muther and on Instagram @Chris_Muther.
Christopher Muther can be reached at muther@globe.com. Follow him on Twitter @Chris_Muther and on Instagram @Chris_Muther.
