The Gold Ring

We stopped for breakfast before disembarking for Paris.

Four of us sat at a large round table. After a few minutes, a couple was seated with us. They had visited Paris a few times before, and were eager to share their experiences.

The told us a story about the gold ring. It's a popular con designed for tourists. Someone had shared the tale with them five years ago, before their first visit to the city. Later that very day, they saw it for themselves. They were so tickled they had to share it with us. It goes like this.

A passerby discovers a gold ring on the ground nearby. They admire it and remark how beautiful it is. 

"But I have no need for such a luxury. Would you like to have it? they ask."

The unsuspecting tourist didn't see the passerby quietly drop the ring on the ground before discovering it.

"Are your sure? It's such a nice looking ring. You really don't want it?"

"How about you give me 50 Euros for it? You get a ring worth much more than that, and I receive a little compensation for my good fortune."

Of course the ring isn't gold, and it didn't cost more than a Euro in a costume jewelry store.

We were entertained by their story, and the fact that it actually happened to them shortly after they heard this cautionary tale.

We then parted ways. They were off to Normandy, and we took a bus to Paris.

Our day was amazing and without danger. No pickpockets, cons, or rude locals. Around 4pm we split-up for a bit. I wanted to take pictures around the palace. Theresa headed off to the Louve. 

I had found a lovely spot to shoot and was seated in the shade along a busy boulevard. A stranger walked by, paused, then held up a gold ring.

"Look what I just found. It's beautiful!"

I laughed to myself, then waved the stranger away. Five years later the con was still going strong. I couldn't wait to tell Theresa that the story we had just heard this morning, came to life on the streets of Paris - just like it did for the couple that shared it with us.

Not long after, we met at the bus. Following our greetings, Theresa said, "You'll never guess what just happened to me?"

"The gold ring?" I asked.

"Yes! How did you know?"

-Derrick

Paris

The French are right. 

There's really nothing that compares to Paris.  

We just spent a day along the river, seeing the sites, exploring the backstreets. Paris fits together better than any city I've visited.  

History, shopping, food, diversity, danger, and a sense of style - this city has it all. It's exceedingly photogenic too. 

I packed my Olympus OM-D E-M10 in the Nimble Photographer Shoulder Bag, a couple lenses, an iPad mini, and an unlocked iPhone 4S with a UK SIM card. That's all I needed for the day. 

My feet are tired. And I'm still not totally confident what time it is. But I enjoyed photographing the city so much...

I don't care. 

-Derrick

London

It's not fair that I always seem to be in an altered state while visiting London.

Or is it?  

Of course there's the sleep deprivation. That's at the root of it. But what really sent me was the one hour car ride from the airport to the hotel - a herky-jerky, diesel fumed nightmare that still turns me green thinking about it. 

I made the mistake of sitting in the backwards seat facing the rear window. Our car felt like a dazed boxer blindly jabbing at the traffic. For a guy that never gets car sick, I was a wreck. 

After our arrival, I sat motionless in the hotel lobby for 30 minutes. It took an alka seltzer and a breath of air conditioning before I was able to resume the day. 

We then headed toward Kensington Gardens on foot (cars were out of the question). London was pleasantly going about its business on a warm spring day. Everything was a bit soft around the edges. 

I photographed Royal Albert Hall (and posted on Instagram), sipped a fruit juice at a street-side cafe, and watched the locals comfortably spread out through the park like a Georges Seurat painting.

As I look back on it now, London was a gentle, friendly shelter where I could recover from a long journey, with many miles still to go.

I guess that's not so bad after all. 

-Derrick

Air Space

I'm not one of those people who can sleep on a plane.

It might be because I'm tall and can't really find a comfortable spot. Maybe it's the sound of rushing wind - or even the sporadic activity down the aisle - that keeps me awake.

And awake I am.

To be honest, I like this time. The dimly-lit cabin seems like a good place to think about things, listen to music, catch up on podcasts, watch movies, and yes, write journal entries. Unlike my normal waking hours, there are no expectations on a plane. There are no "I should be doing this right now" thoughts running through my head. Air travel is a free pass when it comes to work.

So far, flying from San Francisco to London, my biggest accomplishment has been pecking at a chicken lunch with my arms pinned to my sides. They gave me ice cream afterwards.

This freedom to play does have a price, however. We land in London at 7am with a full day ahead. The sun will be bright. The streets will be busy. And unfortunately...

I'll finally be ready to sleep.

-Derrick

Bon Voyage

On Wednesday morning, we fly out of SFO and won't touch ground again until London.

From there, we travel to Harwich to board our ship. Over the next 10 days, the Celebrity Infinity will be both my home and my office. I'm teaching on the MacMania 17 Conference that explores the British Isles.

Stops include, Paris, Cork, Waterford, Dublin, Liverpool, Glasgow, and Holyhead. I have an unlocked iPhone 4S with a UK Sim card. I'll be posting Instagram reports my site, DerrickStory, and on ctDigiPhoto. If you enjoy Instagram, I would add both to your feed right now.

Beyond that, who knows what's going to happen. I have Twitter and Facebook apps on the iPhone, plus I have access to the thenimblephotographer.com and thedigitalstory.com. So you're sure to see field reports there too. Because the journal format of The Nimble Photographer suits travel well,  I anticipate plenty of good stuff will appear there.

As for camera gear, I'll be using the iPhone, Canon S110, and Olympus OM-D E-M10. All three cameras have built-in WiFi, so moving pictures online will be relatively simple.

By the way, if this type of trip sounds appealing to you, I'll be traveling to Cuba in January. You're welcome to join me on this field trip. 

But for the moment, my focus is the British Isles. So Bon Voyage.

I'll be sure to write.

-Derrick