If you have followed my photography for a while, you know that architecture is one of the main themes that draw my eye. 

Despite my strong penchant for vibrant color, there is something powerful about architectural photographs in black and white. Doing away with color somehow enhances patterns, textures and moods. 

Here are some of my favorite architecture snapshots, from Montreal and my travels.

As you may know from following me here and on Instagram, I traveled to Nova Scotia, Canada for the first time this summer. I loved the experience and felt totally rejuvenated by the fresh air, scrumptious seafood, warm people and breathtaking landscapes. I launched my Nova Scotia collection upon my return and it has already made its way into many of your homes! 

This one seems rather obvious, but walking the Halifax harbour end-to-end was one of the highlights of my trip. Eating on-site at one of the food shacks (fresh lobster rolls and other casual foods) is quite fun . If you enjoy handcrafted ales, I recommend the Gahan House Harbourfront brewery or the Stubborn Goat Beer Garden where you could sit outside and take in the beautiful view! 

The hilly drive toward Blomidon Provincial Park offers stunning views which make you feel tiny. At low tide, it all looks even more mystical, and I am fairly sure you will find yourself in awe of the scenery. Driving along the coast to Digby takes about two hours. You can reward yourself with the infamous Digby scallops upon arrival. 

Once in a while, you stumble upon a small but significant place that just steals your heart. Halls Harbour is special and quite possibly underrated compared to places such as Peggy's Cove. The windy and rainy weather set the mood for our visit. The more we tried to approach the ocean, stumbling on the rocks and pebbles that filled the shore at low tide, the more we felt like we were on another planet. A quaint fishing village, the harbour is lovely to walk around. Then, you reach the main waterfront restaurant, the Halls Harbour Lobster Pound, where you could choose your own lobster and (unless you get attached to him) take him to the cookhouse. 

If you're a wine lover, you'll LOVE the Annapolis valley. The valley is located between two mountain ranges and one of the first areas to grow and cultivate grapes in North America. You can get a passport booklet called "The Nova Scotia Good Cheer Trail" which gives you a list of all the wineries and brewing companies, and allows you to collect stamps to win prizes in return. I loved the service we received at the Planters' Ridge Winery and the gorgeous views at the Luckett Vineyards. On my bucket list for next time: a hot air balloon ride over the valley which ends in a wine-tasting event. Yes, please. 

What a lovely family-friendly place to spend a few hours. It's so peaceful to walk the shore and beachcomb during low-tide, visit the local shops filled with art and other mementos, and grab a fresh lunch. For a casual but delicious bite, try What's the Scoop takeout. 

Only a ten-minute drive from Fisherman's Cove is Rainbow Haven Beach Provincial Park (Cole Harbour), a long, sandy beach (with some pebbles) with a long boardwalk over sand dunes. 

Lawrencetown Beach is about a half-hour away from Fisherman's Cove and Halifax. A surfer's beach with strong waves and currents, it's a beautiful place to take in the dramatic scenery. The beach is composed both of sand and large pebbles. 

World-famous Peggy's Cove! And, once you see it, you'll understand why. This place somehow pulls on the heartstrings. 

Try to avoid crowds by getting an early start, and take your time walking around the harbour and around the lighthouse. It's worth exploring different vantage points and just feeling like a small dot against a vast ocean. The town has done a great job at putting up signs that explain the history of the place and how the houses have been built. We ate a delicious hot dog from "Peggy's Dogs", an awesome stand run by Claire who also owns an inn in Peggy's Cove. ​

Mahone Bay was lovely and larger than expected, with wonderful shops (art, home decor, antiques, jewelry) to discover. From there, colorful Lunenburg is only a fifteen-minute drive away. A UNESCO World Heritage Site, Lunenburg charmed us with its architecture, shop-filled streets, bustling waterfront and, of course, the Bluenose II (a replica of the iconic racing boat you see on our Canadian dime). 

The waterfront is a mix of old and new, with modern eateries sharing the space with the Museum of the Atlantic and an old warehouse. 

If you love oysters, don't miss out on the mouth-watering food (and wine) at the Half Shell Oyster Bar. The view isn't half bad, either!

Martinique Beach Provincial Park has a vast (5km) white beach. It is the longest sandy beach in Nova Scotia. It tends to be colder and windier there because of its open area, so pack accordingly! It's a lovely place to fly a kite or have a picnic.

Cape Breton Island deserves a post of its own, as there are so many points of interest, especially if you enjoy hiking. You may know there is a whole discussion about whether to drive the Cabot Trail clockwise or counterclockwise. Truthfully, it's not the end of the world if you do it clockwise (even though you'll be on the opposite side of the road from the sweeping views), because there are so many easily accessible lookout points to pull off into along the dramatic coastline. 

Personal highlights on the west coast of the Cabot Trail included Inverness, Chéticamp, the Highlands, Cap-Rouge, the Skytrail (hold onto your hat!) and Pleasant Bay. I can't wait to return to explore the East Coast! Cape Breton is a place you'll be making plans to return to before even having left. 

Have you been to Nova Scotia? What are some of your favorite places?
Leave a comment, I would love to know!

I love to take long walks, tackling one neighborhood at a time, honing in on details that both you and I could easily miss! I love celebrating those details through my photography. Looking at some photos, you may not immediately guess that they are taken in Montreal, because the details could exist anywhere. But, there's something special about looking at your own city with a detail-oriented eye. Sometimes, it makes a more subtle souvenir, not only of the place, but of a mood or moment. 

Do you like to take walks in your own hometown? Do you ever take pictures of what you see? Share them with me on Instagram - I would love to see a little piece of the world through your eyes!

The child in us comes alive at the sight of a colorful house. Sometimes there’s nothing more joyful than colorful doors or shutters, like out of a storybook.

​What color would you paint your house, if you could?

Have an inspiring week!

From my heart to yours.

It doesn't matter where you go or how far it is - it's often simply the act of going that rejuvenates the mind, body and spirit. 

This summer's travels took me to the Atlantic coast of Canada. I kept it local, for a change. The arguments for Nova Scotia were simple yet compelling. For one, I've always hated that I have explored less of my home country than foreign countries. As I regularly do, I was craving the ocean - its power, its sensations and the savory fruits it generously provides. I also felt like something familiar, knowing that I was still "home" while "away", with the ability to disconnect from my surroundings without being overwhelmed by novelty. Finally, you have been asking me for Halifax and Nova Scotia photos for about two months straight, at every event I have done since spring. I listened to you last year with Havana, didn't I? So, I followed your recommendations again this summer and, before I knew it, I had travel plans for a road trip around Nova Scotia and Cape Breton Island.

What I loved most about my time on the coast was how it awakened my senses. The dreamy blues, the vibrant greens, the heartstoppingly cold ocean waters, the salt-infused sea breeze, the mouth-watering oysters, scallops and lobster, the feel of the soft rocks and shells I would collect at low tide... My stay in Nova Scotia was everything I dreamed of and more.

I reconnected with nature, with the ocean, with myself. I walked long stretches of beach along beautiful sand dunes, along docks where boats lay on their bellies waiting for the high tide to return so they could float again. I tasted local fish, local beers and local wines from the lovely Annapolis valley. I leaned into the slower pace of the maritimes, my head quieting down to let words surface, finally, after weeks of construction noise and traffic in Montreal. I enjoyed the friendliness of residents and travelers. Nova Scotia is an enchanting place, and I was already conjuring up dreams to return before even having left. 

If you know me a little, you can imagine that I came back home with something close to 1800 photographs. ​It has been painstaking but delightful to revisit them all, to sort them into "yes"es, "maybe"s and "no"s, and to gather the absolute "wow" scenes to add them to my art shop. 

Here is a sneak peek of some of my favorite places and moments in Nova Scotia. From the moody and mystical shores of the Bay of Fundy, to the awe-inspiring coastal road winding around Cape Breton Island, and all the inspiring, colorful places in between. 

Tell me: Have you been to Nova Scotia and Cape Breton? What was your favorite spot? Leave me a comment, I would love to know!

Stay tuned for my tips on planning your Nova Scotia trip on the blog, as well as for my Nova Scotia collection coming soon to my shop and to Etsy!

If you'd like to be the FIRST to get your hands on the collection with a special launch coupon, be sure to subscribe to my newsletter today!

Sometimes, inspiration comes from the unlikeliest sources; a color, a texture, a simple sight. In this case, it came from a weed growing along the weathered side of an old building along a port quay.

It stopped me in my tracks. There was something so poetic about a resilient dandelion growing tall against a peeling industrial wall. It was the perfect pop of yellow on that gentle canvas of blue, a beautiful contrast between blooming and rusting, growing and fading. 

It was a delicate reminder that life reserves little surprises, and that beauty can bloom even when you least expect it.

Although I did not expect it to on the afternoon when I snapped this very simple shot in Montreal's Old Port, "Bloom where unlikely" has become one of your favorite pieces. It has been printed so far on fine-art paper, satin paper and canvas, in small and large sizes, and has also inspired you as a blank notebook. 

Would a sight like this have stopped you in your tracks as well?

Different styles converge on a common passion

Passionate about watercolor and nature, the two artists found a way to merge their very different styles and to initiate an inspiring new collection, set to launch on May 24th, 2018 at West Elm Montreal. 

"This new collection represents this passion that we share for color and botany. It is the union of two artistic visions and the birth of a unique new style that represents us both," hence the name of the collection Joannie & Lysa. "We want to add a little beauty to people's daily lives. This collaboration is gentle and light. Our compositions are soothing and we believe that it is a feeling that people seek to add to their lives."

Artistic collaborations can be a fascinating journey for individual artists, as they not only involve blending styles and techniques, but also personalities, feelings and life experiences.

​Joannie and Lysa let us in on that experience. 

"It's really interesting to see how our methods, techniques and how we paint is different," says Lysa, explaining how working together was fascinating. "To give you an example, Joannie works sitting at her desk, often with a picture for inspiration and music and on my side I work on the floor, without images and without music!"

"We explored, made many tests and made several mistakes. These often brought us new ideas, which were more conclusive. When the result was satisfactory, it was really nice to share this wonder together."

Community over competition

Their collaboration as watercolor painters in Montreal is a refreshing reminder that community is (and should always be) stronger than competition. "We both believe in the importance of mutual help, kindness and respect. Visual art is a difficult field, which comes with its ups and downs. We think competition is unnecessary. It's important to find your own way, to chart your own path and to define your own artistic approach."

Joannie and Lysa are inspiring in how they have found their own artistic approach, as individuals and as collaborators on their beautiful new collection. Their advice to other artists is to patiently explore what they wish to explore, until a personal style emerges. "Don't put effort into trying to invent a style; if you do, you will create a series of inauthentic works. It's best to work on something you want to explore and see what comes out of it. You will begin to see your own personal style after working on numerous pieces," Lysa says, although she admits that it does not come easily.

"Nobody knows for you. You must find your own way." ​

Don't miss the launch party

When I probed Joannie and Lysa a little more on the collection and their favorite piece within it, they were reluctant to answer, keeping us in suspense a little while longer. We will have to attend their launch at West Elm Montreal on Thursday, May 24th from 5-9pm, where they will finally reveal the fruit of their labor and more anecdotes about their beautiful collaboration. Don't miss it!

Mothers' Day is just around the corner and, although most Moms will tell you they don't need any gifts, they surely appreciate being spoiled with pretty things that will inspire them year-round. 

Mothers' Day is especially touching to me for all those women who are not (yet) moms, but wish it wholeheartedly. Let's take a moment to think of them and send them love.

Having heard from MANY of you in person or through your written requests, I know which items often get chosen as gifts for Mom. I also know which items my own Mom adores!

​So, without further ado, here is a visual list of gift ideas for Mom, either on Mothers' day or "just because". Clicking on each image will take you to my Etsy shop, because Etsy is sponsoring a Canada-wide free shipping promotion until May 14th! 

If you're in Montreal, come see me on Mothers' Day Weekend (Saturday + Sunday) at the Etsy Montreal show at the Locoshop Angus. Details here. It's free! I'll have ONE of each of these with me. Reserve it if it's perfect for Mom! 

From my heart to yours.

For more posts like this one, be sure to follow me on Instagram!

The tide had receded. There were no warning sirens piercing through the city at the break of dawn. I opened the shutters to let in the damp lagoon air. Gentle rays of morning light seeped in, tinted with dusty hues of the Dorsoduro palaces and their worn stones. The sky was limpid after overnight rain that had lingered into the early morning. "I missed it again," I thought, comforted that the mystical spell that somehow always kept me from witnessing rain over the lagoon city was still a pact I could count on. 

The day's agenda was still unformed, aside from a dinner date I was already looking forward to with a dear old friend. Time was mine, as was the choice of where my footsteps would lead. 

I set out, crossed the first floor which was still musty from the receded waters and shut the heavy front door behind me, happily aware of how quiet the calli still were. Sounds of gentle sweeping, suitcases rolling over the cobblestone on the way to the vaporetto or the ferrovia, conversation bouncing off the narrow lanes' walls, the distant clinking of stacked espresso cups at the bar... And soon, to those heartwarming sounds, my own footsteps on the Venetian pavement, up and down its bridges, around corners and corners of its infinite maze. 

I hadn't ventured far when my head instinctively faced my right. An arch stood as a gateway, its bricks betraying its age, telling tales of centuries past. It was a portal to a tranquil lane guarded by pretty flower boxes and façades of various ocher and peach hues. 

The memory of rain lingers on the pavement, storing tiny reflections like little secrets of the universe.

I smiled. How could you not, when your heart sings? #mademelook

Bring this moment home on paper, canvas, wood, acrylic or metal. 

More posts in the "Made Me Look" blog series

I sat down one day during this past year and wrote a short essay called "Wishes for a Near-Future Me" and it was such a powerful, cathartic exercise.

I've added this essay to my Etsy shop to better connect with you and inspire you to contemplate the ideal version of YOUR life and strive towards it. All proceeds go to my women's health initiative called Alba A New Dawn. 

​

My time in the Basque Country, which was not only the place where I met several key players in my field of scientific research but where I diligently experimented with my digital camera and pondered whether I could eventually sell my travel photography to inspire others.

That summer - and that place - in Germany, where it felt like the world was my oyster, where it felt like my soul was on fire. Alive, capable, passionate and absolutely happy.

Berlin, which was the hub of many impassioned moments, many decisions and many returns. 

Barbati, where, after a very difficult string of months - no, years - I finally shook myself to embrace mindfulness and inner peace. 

Venice - my soul city - in that precise moment where, for the first ever time, it rained on me. The spell, our pact, was suddenly broken and it was absolutely magical. Instead of reaching for my umbrella, I reached for my camera, a love-struck smile on my face.

Have a wonderful week!

From my heart to yours.

"If you are not drinking widely, you’re not doing it right. It’s like watching the same DVD, night after night."

Silvestro Silvestori's advice on wine stems as much from passion as from expertise.

​Silvestro is a sommelier, cook, food writer and photographer. He owns and runs one of the best culinary schools in Italy - the Awaiting Table - set in baroque Lecce, the heart of Puglia's Salento region. I met Silvestro during my travels across Italy's heel, where, between lessons on making fresh orecchiette and preparing a savoury rabbit dish, I got a beautiful taste of the region's culture, and of how its geography, history, climate and people have influenced the food and drink of the land. 

"Well-made wine reflects the very specific patch of earth that produces it," Silvestro explains. "I happen to think that Southern Italy is the most intriguing wine region of the world right now. Thousands of years of wine history. Cuisines that grew up alongside the wine for just as long. Modern technology (the autoclave has changed wine more than the arrival of the oak barrel or maybe even the glass bottle and cork). And the profound local wisdom in vineyard management (a lot of our vines are still grown as free-standing trees). You might have more limousine-style wine tourism in other regions of Italy, but I challenge you to find a more compelling combination of place, grape, weather and people."

When asked whether southern Italian wines are overlooked by the world and perhaps even by the rest of Italy, Silvestro's answer is as objective as possible. "Where in Italy has wine been produced the longest? Who produces the most? Both of those answers point to the south (4,000 years of wine production, with Sicily and Puglia toggling back and forth between the highest production in all of Italy). Longer and more than anyone else on the peninsula. You can’t argue regional chauvinism on this one! 

​The biggest change in Southern Italy is that foreign tourism is starting to better mimic domestic tourism, and domestic tourism has always been crazy about the south. Puglia has been Italy’s number one domestic tourism destination for the last 20 years, and people want to drink wine from places that they have been."

Silvestro's descriptions of his favorite wine varieties leave you wanting to taste them all.

"My three favourite Southern wines are based on: 

1) Nerello Mascalese, the red of Etna, easily the most beguiling wine region in the world right now. Like Burgundy, but yet to be charted. Lava flows differently and it affects the wine. Travel a hundred meters and it’s different. And when the wine reflects a very specific field, wine drinking is at its zenith.
 
2) Aglianico del Vulture, another volcanic wine, round and elegant. Arguably the most important wine grape of the south. One of the few southern wines that really benefits from barrel and bottle age. It’s what I have set aside for my own next big round birthday. You could double the price and they would still be asking too little.

3) Salice Salentino, the only blend here (a field blend, that is, planted that way and then all harvested at once. Classically, every fifth row is malvasia nera, the other four, il negroamaro). I used to have it as my blood type on my health card here in Italy. If your diet is based on big and brawny vegetables (radicchio, chicory, dandelion greens) like mine is, this is the simple choice. 

A food and wine pairing that Silvestro can't do without involves a white wine indigenous to Sicily. "I love carricante (the volcanic white of Etna) and grilled langoustines. Carricante - if you haven’t had it - is like ice cold river rocks in your mouth. And few things make my mouth gush quite like the salty minerals of this wine, coupled with the smoky char of grilled lobster shells."

But red and white are not the only worthwhile options. Silvestro explains how rosè - or rosato as it's called in the south - is celebrated year round. 

"To understand rosato, you have to understand how one culture borrows from another, almost always radically altering it along the way. (Italian restaurants offer cappuccini for dessert whereas, in Italy, only for breakfast, etc.) Rosato in the south is a year-round wine. It's not linked to a season, activity or location (e.g., 'Sitting on the patio in summer, I love a good rosè!'). Grilled mackerel in February is as appropriate as a table just off the beach in August.

The oldest, most established rosè culture in all of Italy is the Salento. They have been bottled here longer than in any other part of Italy. The sedimentary rock makes them darker, and the fact that we're mostly at sea level, they are ripe and stony.

Getting the feeling while reading this that we might be missing out in North America? Well, we are, according to Silvestro.

"Wine in North America is complicated by provincial monopolies in Canada and the cultural and legal residue of Prohibition in the States. Why drinkers there don’t storm the hills with pitchforks, I don’t know. You’re not getting most of the good stuff. When I travel, the first place I go is to visit the Italian wine aisle. Most of the time, I know little of it, as most of Italy exports wines that we locals don’t drink. Most of my friends are producers and I rarely know any of the wines on foreign shelves, in spite of the addresses given being close to home."

The Awaiting Table offers a wide range of cooking, wine and olive oil courses, with new and exciting options being added every year. Silvestro also offers a "Terronia: Southern Italian wine" course, which introduces you to the indigenous grape varietals and wines of Sicily, Calabria, Basilicata and Puglia.

"Our wine course is an extension of our bicycle trip through southern Italian wine country that we offer every year. We learn about soil, pruning, harvest, fermentation, aging and tasting. We learn about Southern Italy, its food and history. And drink a lot of wine. And yes, we follow our own advice. First we learn a great deal, and THEN we drink like Albanian truck drivers at your cousin’s wedding. You might rethink that optional travel insurance for this one."

As someone who has been to the Awaiting Table, I can personally vouch for Silvestro's courses and teaching style. What better way to learn about a region than from an accredited sommelier and chef who is as passionate about it as those who work the soil?

To daydream and learn a little more before you book your trip to Puglia, check out Silvestro's wonderful videos on YouTube.

From my heart to yours.
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