• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
Julie Shipman Photography in Baja, Cabo, Los Barriles, Mexico and Park City, Utah – Park City Photographer

Julie Shipman Photography in Baja, Cabo, Los Barriles, Mexico and Park City, Utah - Park City Photographer

Action Sports Photographer, Portrait Photography, Travel Photography, Senior Portraits, Family Portraits, Salt Lake City & Park City, Utah

  • Portfolio
    • active lifestyle & sport
    • commercial & editorial
    • travel & culture
    • Portraits
      • Baja
      • Utah
  • art
    • Shop
  • Stock
    • Search Stock
  • About
    • Meet Julie
    • Testimonials
  • Contact

Scenery

The Best Rhone Wine Tour in Provence!

July 10, 2017 by Julie Shipman

Let’s be clear. I am not a Wine Writer. I am not a Wine Blogger. I am a Wine Drinker.   I claim no sophisticated palette, nor ‘nose.’ But, I love wine. I love food. I love clever & curious people. I love beautiful scenery. And, I love to travel. If you too, love these things, this is a perfect way to spend a day or two in Provence.La Madelene Rhone Wine Holidays offer a perfect wine tour. I enjoyed their “Selected Domaines” Tour. This includes an overnight stay at La Madelene, or The Big House. In their words: “La Madelène is a beautiful renovated 12th c. priory located in the foothills of Mt.Ventoux in Provence. Founded by Benedictine monks, the house sits on a sandstone outcrop surrounded by mature trees with views over vines, fruit orchards and mountains. We have 5 bedrooms sleeping up to 11 people.”

We started with drinks on the patio overlooking the pool, followed by a lovely meal of several courses — each paired with the perfect wine. Our hostess, Jude, prepared a wonderful dinner while her husband,Philip, taught us about the Rhone region.Philip gave us a detailed lesson on the region: its history, soil and vineyards.

Fun Fact 1: Below, Philip shows us a round stone known as galets roulés. They are mostly quartzite, remnants from the glaciers and smoothed over by the Rhone River. These stones retain heat and release it at night, hastening ripening. They also help hold moisture in the soil.

We started the morning with a perfect Provencal breakfast of warm croissants, homemade local jams, fruit, cured meats/cheeses and fresh brewed coffee. Then we loaded up in a comfy Mercedes van and headed out. Our first stop was in the hills above Roaix at Domaine Escaravailles, founded by Jean-Louis Ferran in 1953. The wine maker’s daughter, Madeline Ferran, was our lovely and knowledgable host.

Fun Fact 2: “Escaravay” is the local word for beetle. The inhabitants of this village used this nickname to describe the black-robed monks who were the owners of the farm in the 17th century. Next, we drove west to the well-known appellation Chateauneuf du Pape, where we visited one of the largest and oldest wineries in the area — Chateau La Nerthe. This stunning large estate is home to the appellation’s finest Chateau. We enjoyed a private tour of their remarkable cellars which date back to the 16th century. Most Châteauneuf-du-Pape wines are blends dominated by Grenache. Only one of every 16 bottles produced in the region is white wine.

Fun Fact 3: They made Thomas Jefferson’s favorite wine and he had it sent to the US in large wooden crates!The following photos illustrate their historic cellars.  Apparently, this is the perfect mold. It demonstrates the correct temperature and humidity levels of the cellar. Below you can see the private cellars of many famous chefs, sommeliers and wine collectors. I photographed two but there are hundreds.

Fun Fact 4: Sherry-Lehman is known as the leading wine retailer in NYC with a swanky Park Avenue address. Mr. Aaron’s family opened the store in 1934.

Fun Fact 5: Alain Ducasse is a renowned chef. He is the first chef to ever own restaurants with 3 Michelin Stars (the highest) in three different cities. He is also 1 of 2 chefs to hold a total of 21 Michelin Stars!   

Next, time for lunch at Verger des Papes in the village of Chateauneuf du Pape. When the Pope had his residence in Avignon in the 14th century, his ‘summer home’ was in this village (see photo below); apparently the putrid stink in the streets of Avignon was too much for him in the hot months!

After lunch, we visited an artisanal producer: Chateau Mont Thabor. The charming owner Daniel Stehelin works his tiny plot (about 9 acres) on his own. His chateau is a 17th c. building with a rather long and sordid past.

Fun fact 6: Don Pernety, founder of the Illuminés  de Avignon, stayed there on his journey to find the Philosopher’s Stone, a legendary substance, capable of turning inexpensive metals into gold! ~ I don’t think he found it…  The Chateau then became a post house for carriages on the road between Paris and Marseille. In 1881, the Swiss family Stehelin bought the small estate to develop into a vineyard … as it remains so today.A bit tipsy by this point, we ended our glorious day at Domaine Saint Amant, the highest vineyard site (500 meters in elevation) in the whole of the Rhone Valley. It also produces the most highly regarded Viognier (photo below) in the region and their cru wines regularly win top awards. The Jacques Wallut Family still runs it using traditional small scale cultivation by hand. Owner and wine maker Camille Nosworthy was our host. As we drove away this stunning view greeted us — a perfect end to an incredible day. 

Check out this website for the wine tour   www.rhonewineholidays.com
The website for La Madelene is http://www.bighouseinprovence.com
I traveled with Chasing Atlas who puts together custom tours of Provence with an optional stop-over here. I highly recommend them. They create custom culinary and adventure tours of the region. La Madelene is also located just below one of cycling most famous peaks, Mont Ventoux.  Why not combine a great cycling adventure with the best wine tasting? Sounds perfect to me. For more info, contact me or:
http://www.chasingatlas.com

 

Filed Under: adventures, Bike Tours, Clear Blue Sky, Colors, France, France, Inspiration, Mountains, photography, Scenery, travel, travel photography, Uncategorized Tagged With: beetle, Champagne, chasing atlas travel, chateauneuf du pape, Cheers, croatian food, French wine, La Madelene, Provence, rhone wine holiday, rhone wines, The Big House, travel, travel photographer, vineyard, wine cellars, wine tours

Explore the Croatian Islands by Boat & Bike

August 11, 2016 by Julie Shipman

I recently travelled through the Adriatic Sea — along the Dalmatian Coast — to explore the southern islands of Croatia by boat and bike. It’s a photographer’s dream!  Croatia has it all: friendly people, beautiful architecture, great food & wine, spectacular scenery with clear blue water, mountains, beaches, vineyards, and …boats, boats, and speedboats from Boat Rental in the Keys! If you are attracted to a seafaring culture, I would highly recommend visiting these islands along with the Greek Island Hopping -Hostelbay 2018 crew, if you do, you will experience their people and customs layered in centuries, or millennia, of significant historical events. Until then, please enjoy the journey with me through my photos!

I began my boat trip in Trogir, a beautiful harbor town just north of Split… with old narrow cobble-stoned streets, quaint shops and outstanding restaurants.

Trogir, Old Town
Trogir, Old Town
Trogir, the Harbor
Trogir, the Harbor

We embarked on our boat (seen above) and sailed off on our journey.  Our path took us from Trogir to Solta, Vis, Korcula, Hvar, Brac… and finished in Split.

One must always learn the ropes of safe boating in order to avoid boating accidents. Visit aceboater.com to take up their course on boating and get a boating license.

 

croatiamap

We head to sea!
We head to sea!

Throughout history, the inhabitants of these islands have lived off an abundant amount of fish and other seafood. Boats are far more commonly owned than cars! The bright blue color of the water juxtaposed with the white buildings and red roofs are captivating.

Harbor town of Pucisca on Brac, famous for the world's highest quality white marble! It's found in the White House and the Vatican!
Harbor town of Pucisca on Brac, famous for much of the world’s highest quality white marble. It’s found in the White House and the Vatican!
croatia-205
Heading home… quicker and easier than a car on Brac.
croatia-51
The beautiful village of Masclinica on the island of Solta.
An evening sail.
An evening sail.
Town of Komiza on the tiny island of Vis. Vis was a militarized zone for centuries and only opened up to tourists in 1995.
Town of Komiza on the tiny island of Vis. Vis was a militarized zone for centuries and only opened up to tourists in 1995.

Blue Boat

Along the southern coast of the island of Korcula, known also for its old growth forests because Venice did not have access to the island ---controlled by the Republic of Dubrovnik-- to plunder the trees for its boat building industry during the Renaissance.
The water is stunningly blue along the southern coast of the island of Korcula, known also for its old growth forests. Venice did not have access to the island —controlled then by the Republic of Dubrovnik– to plunder the trees for its boat building industry during the Renaissance and after.
Borrow a kayak and explore the hidden coves.
Borrow a kayak and explore the hidden coves. Here is Chasing Atlas guide, Pau Sab, doing some R&D on the sea!

Find a table by the sea, or in a quaint village and load your plate with freshly caught fish!

croatia-376
Nonno, an excellent restaurant along the harbor in Korcula. Incredible views and wonderful food! Try the great octopus salad, a local favorite.
croatia-379
Nonno Restaurant, Korcula.

croatia-55 copy

 

Explore the streets of the villages… it’s like walking through time. Korcula is the birthplace of Marco Polo! Who knew?

Marco Polo was born in Korcula but died in Venice, where he is most associated. Visit his house!
Marco Polo was born in Korcula but died in Venice, after many decades of traveling the world. You can visit his house, now an interesting museum.
The hidden streets of Pucisca, Brac.
The hidden streets of Pucisca, Brac.
Sunset ride in Korcula, along the harbor by the old fortress walls.
Sunset ride in Korcula, along the harbor by the old fortress walls.
Beautiful art abounds throughout the islands.
Beautiful art abounds throughout the islands.
actually it is one of the oldest wine regions in the world. The viticulture in current Croatia existed hundreds of years before the rise of the Roman Empire.
Many people are not aware that fantastic wines come out of Croatia. It is actually one of the oldest wine regions in the world. The viticulture in current Croatia existed hundreds of years before the rise of the Roman Empire.  DNA analysis has revealed that the well-known Californian grape Zinfandel, is genetically equivalent to the major grape varietal on the islands, Crljenak Kastelanski, its ancestor!
Peeking at the sea through the buildings on Vis.
Spying the sea through the buildings on Vis.
Gorgeous flowers abound on the islands, here in the streets of the bustling tourist town of Hvar.
Gorgeous flowers are everywhere on the islands, here in the streets of the bustling tourist town of Hvar.
Hvar.
Hvar.
View of Hvar and the neighboring islands from the fortress. Best viewpoint in the islands and well-worth the hike up the hill!
View of Hvar and the neighboring islands from the fortress. Best viewpoint in the islands and well-worth the hike up the hill! Don’t miss it… the prison of the old fortress is creepy and fascinating. I highly recommend a visit.
Hvar, as seen from the fortress.
Hvar, as seen from the fortress.

The locals here are witness to many occupations over the decades, and going further back to their ancestors, over the centuries… they are colorful and kind people.

Old man entertaining the crowd in Hvar.
Old man entertaining the crowd in Hvar.
Three Old Men; one sees this sight often!
Three Old Men; one sees this sight often!
A fisherman who came in empty handed today in Vis.
A fisherman who came in empty handed today in Vis.
And, yes, there are a few old ladies too. The youth? they go to school mostly in the cities on the mainland, ferrying over daily.
And, yes, there are a few old ladies too. The youth? they go to school mostly in the cities on the mainland, ferrying over daily.

And, the countryside… we cycled through it daily. It’s by far the best way to explore the quiet backroads, tiny villages,  fields of flowers and multiple vineyards.

Poppies and lavendar everywhere ~ Stunning!
Wild poppies and lavendar everywhere ~ Stunning!
Many small churches such as these dot the landscape.
Many small churches such as these dot the landscape.
One of the many hidden bays and beaches... this one on Korcula.
One of the many hidden bays and beaches… this one on Korcula.
Pay attention. While the cars are few and far between, you may see a boar or two!
Pay attention. While the cars are few and far between, you may see a boar or two! The roads are perfect for cyclists.
A beautiful place to take a rest and hydrate... Water or wine... your choice!
A beautiful place to take a rest and hydrate… Water or wine… your choice!
Just another quiet and beautiful long downhill to the sea... in this case, to the town of Komiza on Vis. (And, yes, you must do the climb to enjoy the ride down!)
Just another quiet and beautiful long downhill to the sea… in this case, to the town of Komiza on Vis. (And, yes, you must do the climb to enjoy the ride down!)
It really is this beautiful. My riding buddy and friend, Jill Murwin, who owns the travel company Chasing Atlas -- who provides these tours! She had to do her R&D!
It really is this beautiful. My riding buddy and friend, Jill Murwin, doing a little R&D checking out the roads and views on Korcula.

 

Day and night, by boat and by my new Bike Hint bike, it’s an outstanding adventure to explore the islands of Croatia. The experiential travel and adventure company, Chasing Atlas, can organize a customized large group (boat holds 18-22), small group or intimate trip there for you.  Contact Jill Murwin @ChasingAtlas to inquire ~  info@chasingatlas.com or www.chasingatlas.com.

Old Church in the harbor of the town of Vis, on the island of Vis.
Sunset at the Old Church in the harbor of the town of Vis, on the island of Vis.
And goodnight, from Vis.
And goodnight, from Vis.

Filed Under: adventures, Beach, Bike Tours, Croatia, Cycling, photography, Road Biking, sailing, Scenery, Sea, travel, travel photography, Vacation Tagged With: adriatic sea, adventure week in croatia, bike and boat, bike croatia, boat, boating, chasing atlas travel, croatia, croatian food, croatian photos, croatian vacation, cycle trip, cycling in croatia, dalmatian coast, family vacation, islands, photography in croatia, sailing, sailing the adriatic sea, seafood, travel, travel photographer

Fishin’ Two

March 15, 2014 by Julie Shipman

My last post on the Bahamas! Heading out of Government Dock, we hired Flocker to show us the waters. Flocker knows these seas having spent all of his 8 decades right here. His name was given to him as a schoolboy by his father. He told his Dad that while out on the boat, he saw a huge flock of fish go by! His Dad laughed and the name stuck. To this day, he is known by the locals as Flocker, even thought Dad passed years and years ago.

View of the North End of Harbour Island. Strong currents in the inlet where several have drifted out to the Atlantic…

bahama-1097 bahama-1111

Flocker… what a great smile!

bahama-1131

Flocker making some chum out of the old conch shell.

bahama-1152

Preparing the bait.

bahama-1156

Stringing the line.

bahama-1158

And the fish come flocking in!  One after the other!  Little guys, we let them go.

bahama-1164 bahama-1169 bahama-1179 bahama-1220 bahama-1233

And back to the Harbour for a beer…

bahamas-0911

Next time?  Maybe on the Kiwi Pride with the handsome Captain Craig Doring… of Bahamas Catamaran Charters!

bahama-1377

Filed Under: adventures, Bahamas, Bahamian Culture, Beach, Briland, Clear Blue Sky, Colors, Harbour Island, Vacation

The Most Beautiful Beach in the World

March 2, 2014 by Julie Shipman

I think I can die happy now.  I have seen the perfect beach, with perfect sand and perfect water.  Not a cloud in the sky. Not a beach vendor in sight. In fact, almost no one at all.  I had heard such places existed, but I was stunned they were so close to home. Harbour Island, Bahamas. Awesome.  I cannot wait to return.

Stunning, perfect beach.
Stunning, perfect beach.
Beautiful reflections against the pink-toned sand.
Beautiful reflections against the pink-toned sand.
Deep blue merging into refined sand mixed with coral from the reefs.
Deep blue merging into refined sand mixed with coral from the reefs.
A beautiful minnow in a clear tide pool at Pink Sands Beach on Harbour Island, Bahamas
A beautiful minnow in a clear tide pool at Pink Sands Beach on Harbour Island, Bahamas
Tide pools on Pink Sands Beach in Harbour Island
Tide pools on Pink Sands Beach in Harbour Island
Message in a Bottle? on Pink Sands Beach
Message in a Bottle? on Pink Sands Beach
Off Harbour Island in the Bahamas - blues merge into blues...
Off Harbour Island in the Bahamas – blues merge into blues…
Perfection.
Perfection.
My Chacos demonstrating the clear beauty of the sea.
My Chacos demonstrating the clear beauty of the sea.
My toes again! Lovely starfish enjoying the sea, sand and sun.
My toes again! Lovely starfish enjoying the sea, sand and sun.
Walk forever… fascinating tree.  Haunting.
Walk forever… fascinating tree. Haunting.

Please stay tuned for several more posts on this Gem of an Island. I just had to start with the beach…

 

Filed Under: adventures, Bahamas, Beach, Best Beach Ever, Clear Blue Sky, Colors, Pink Sand Beach, travel, Vacation, White Sand

Fall in Park City…

October 10, 2013 by Julie Shipman

Although I love to travel, I think some of the best outdoor adventures and scenery are right in my backyard.  AMAZING! Fall in Park City

The golden aspen are stunning!

Fall in Park City

This was  my hiking trail yesterday…

fall13-54

The yellow “brick” road.

fall13-62 fall13-60 fall13-45 Ski runs ready for snow.  Know the lift or the runs? One of my favorite areas at PC for groomers, especially when it’s crowded.  People tend to ignore this mid-mountain gem. fall13-34 fall13-27 fall13-22 fall13-21 fall13-4

Don’t forget to look down…  keep grounded with the details.

fall13-67

And never forget to keep lookin’ up!  The sky is the limit.

fall13-14 fall13-8

Filed Under: adventures, Aspen, Autumn, Colors, Fall Leaves, Mountains, Park City, travel, Utah, Vacation

Back to Girona…

September 20, 2013 by Julie Shipman

The end of the journey.  Last day on the bikes and back inland to Girona.  Lots of miles in the saddle today although I was able to skip a few by excusing myself to “take photos.”  Another truly spectacular day and one of the highlights was the young Atlas Jemison who accompanied me as my assistant.  Please note that a few of today’s pics are hers, and I caught her in action shooting today as well.

Here is the start of the day as we leave Calella.

CostaBrava-0363

Outstanding ride through the countryside to more medieval villages…  riding over cobblestones and doing the local “round-a-bout” through town…

CostaBrava-0396

CostaBrava-1294

CostaBrava-0384

Cats are everywhere in Spain…  figured we couldn’t have a social media post without a cat!

CostaBrava-1272

CostaBrava-1307

Lunch time!

CostaBrava-1447

CostaBrava-0403

Below:  photo credit Atlas Jemison, age 12, capturing the riders coming through the grove of trees.  Atlas has a great sense of composition already!

CostaBrava-1347

CostaBrava-1573

See Atlas below, left bottom corner.  A very quick learner with a great eye!

CostaBrava-1600

CostaBrava-1552

CostaBrava-1538

CostaBrava-1585

CostaBrava-1498

CostaBrava-1527

Thanks for a GREAT trip Marty!

CostaBrava-1694

Back in Girona…  photo credit Atlas Jemison.

CostaBrava-1444

© Atlas Jemison

CostaBrava-1797

The 12 year old  artist, Atlas J.

CostaBrava-1803

The much older artist below, Julie, photo credit Atlas.  Love the way she captured me shooting the riders as we passed them.

CostaBrava-1361

 

THANKS FOR JOINING US!  WE HAD SO MUCH FUN.  JEMISON TOURS AND COSTA BRAVA ROCKS!

 

 

Filed Under: adventures, Beach, Bike Tours, Costa Brava, Cycling, Girona, Mountains, Road Biking, Spain, Teenagers, travel, Vacation

  • Go to page 1
  • Go to page 2
  • Go to Next Page »

Primary Sidebar

801.913.1624 All images © Julie Shipman Photography
Park City Photographer - Baja Photographer

logo
  • Portfolio
    • active lifestyle & sport
    • commercial & editorial
    • travel & culture
    • Portraits
      • Baja
      • Utah
  • art
    • Shop
  • Stock
    • Search Stock
  • About
    • Meet Julie
    • Testimonials
  • Contact