Nathalie Marquez Courtney Photography » Travel

Sprigs of Lavender

Nathalie — Wed, 02 May 2012 07:39:20 +0000

I adore lavender. Aside from the gorgeous calming smell (I keep a vase of dried lavender by my bed), and its amazing soothing qualities (try the Calming Blend at Wall & Keogh), I also love shooting it.

Something about the straight lines of the stems, the soft, hazy purple tones, and the possibility that a bee might not ever be far off makes it impossible for me to walk by any without taking a picture. There were tufts of lavender dotted all around Treebones, and I couldn’t get enough of it.

Breakfast at Treebones

Nathalie — Tue, 01 May 2012 07:26:16 +0000

Some more pics from Treebones, California, following yesterday’s post. After watching the sun rise, Ben and I wandered off for breakfast, which included home-made muesli, and fresh batter so you could make your own waffles.

Then we went for a wander around the gorgeous grounds and into their organic gardens, where lots of what we’d eaten for dinner the night before was grown.

I can’t wait to post more snaps, hope you enjoyed these.

Big Sur Glamping

Nathalie — Mon, 30 Apr 2012 12:30:07 +0000

At last, I’m beginning to post shots from my trip to California with Ben earlier this year!

I’m going to start halfway through the trip, with some shots from our stay at Treebones Resort. It’s a self-sustained ‘glamping’ resort along the Big Sur California. There are no rooms – instead we stayed in ‘yurts’, which are kind of like fancy tents (and I’m not talking Electric Picnic fancy; these things come with double beds, heaters, sinks and skylights!) which boast spectacular views of the Pacific Ocean.

Treebones is completely off the grid, and stepping onto it, you kind of go off the grid too. We got there late in the evening, but made sure to get up early to catch the sunrise.

London highlights

Nathalie — Wed, 25 Apr 2012 21:16:56 +0000

Some pics from my trip to London last weekend. Highlights included the amazing Burough Market, some sightseeing down the Thames and a trip to the Natural History Musuem, where Ben and I seriously geeked out. Pics below!

Way Out West

Nathalie — Sun, 14 Aug 2011 18:55:02 +0000

This time last week I was in West Cork with Ben, wandering around Glengarriff and Garnish Island, after shooting some stills at Sarah‘s amazing wedding (can’t wait to share those).

Some pics from our trip to the island below. Ben and I suffered from some serious reverso lens envy – he was mad for my 100mm Macro (and has some beautiful shots to prove it), while I kept borrowing his super wide 20mm. Because of that, and some low battery issues, there was a lot of camera and lens swapping, and a high chance that some of these photos were taken by him!

Garnish Island, by the way, is incredibly pretty and boasts some gorgeous tropical gardens, a Martello tower, an amazing view, and plenty of seals lounging on the rocks around it.

Pit stops through Rome

Nathalie — Fri, 15 Jul 2011 12:04:33 +0000

So yes, as I mentioned, walking and wandering and coming across pretty things were all part and parcel of the Roman experience. But do you know what else is? Pit stops, of which there were plenty. Whether for lemonade, gelato, pizza or bruschetta, there was always somewhere to escape to when the hustle, bustle and heat got too much. Ben also introduced me to Caprese salads, which I am now officially in love with.

Roman walks and wanders

Nathalie — Thu, 14 Jul 2011 21:31:32 +0000

One of the great charms of Rome is how pleasant it is to wander through. You stumble across so many beautiful buildings and pretty alleyways as you navigate your way to the tourist hot spots. Here’s some of what Ben and I came across.

Stalls and Markets of Rome

Nathalie — Thu, 14 Jul 2011 08:53:12 +0000

Most of these are from the Porta Portese market, although some are from the little stalls on the banks of the Tiber as you stroll up towards the Vatican.

Rome: it begins

Nathalie — Wed, 13 Jul 2011 11:08:32 +0000

As lots of you know (mainly because I wouldn’t stop talking about it), I recently spent a weekend in Rome with Ben.

I was prepared for pretty cobbled streets, delicious food, and old, majestic-looking ruins. And while Rome delivered on all of those things, what really surprised me was the light. It was stunning. Maybe it’s because it bounces off tall, creamy-coloured buildings, or is dappled through trees and ivy, but it was just GORGEOUS. Soft, diffused, beautiful.

Some pics below, many more to come.

Kylemore gardens

Nathalie — Fri, 05 Nov 2010 06:02:31 +0000

Isn’t this just the nicest way to show off flowers? I fell completely in love.

Check out the teeny little worm on those mushrooms!

If I were the marrying kind, I’d definitely make it my business to take a stroll through gardens like these on D-day.

And that’s it! I hope you enjoyed this little tour around Kylemore, it really is a beautiful place. Have a great weekend.