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A reunion in Manchester

April 26, 2024 by Kirsten Neil Leave a Comment
Manchester City, England

After spending a few months living on separate continents, Chuck and I arrived in England from Nigeria to meet up with my sister Sherri and her husband Gerald who flew in from [Read more]

Posted in: Travel Tagged: Adventure, England, English Premier League, Europe, Great Britain, Manchester, Manchester City, Travel, United Kingdom

Under the Nigerian sun

March 26, 2024 by Kirsten Neil 9 Comments
Welcome to Ibezimako Villa!

You've seen Under the Tuscan Sun, right? You know, the one where a North American woman finds herself visiting Tuscany and decides to buy a property, then the hilarity of [Read more]

Posted in: Home, Photography, Random thoughts, Travel Tagged: Adventure, Africa, Artwork, Culture, Lagos, Nigeria, Photography, Photos, Travel

The beauty of African Art

March 25, 2024 by Kirsten Neil 1 Comment
An original painting by Bolaji Mudashiro

A few of the beautiful pieces of art and artifacts we have added to our Ibezimako Villa so far. Many were found at the Lekki Arts & Crafts Market, but we also found lots [Read more]

Posted in: Artists, Artwork, Home, Travel Tagged: Africa, African Art, African artists, Artwork, Culture, Lekki Arts & Crafts Market, Nigeria, Nigerian artists, Travel, Wood carvings

Christmas in the village

February 9, 2024 by Kirsten Neil 1 Comment
Christmas in an Igbo village, Umuimee, Okpofe, Imo State, Nigeria

Oh, holly jolly, we ended 2023 with a family holiday. At the end of December, we left our place in Lagos to visit Chuck's childhood home and celebrate the season with the fam. [Read more]

Posted in: Friends & Family, Photography, Travel Tagged: Adventure, Africa, Culture, Imo State, Mbaise, Nigeria, Photography, Photos, Travel

Short and sweet in Kansas City

January 23, 2024 by Kirsten Neil Leave a Comment
Kansas City Chiefs, NFL, Kansas City, United States

In early October, we booted it south in one looooong drive from Winnipeg to KC to spend a couple days in Kansas City. We went specifically to catch a Thursday night NFL game [Read more]

Posted in: Photography, Travel Tagged: Adventure, Football, Missouri, NFL, Photography, Photos, Road Trip, Travel, United States

A reunion, a road trip and a valley full of wine

December 21, 2023 by Kirsten Neil 2 Comments
Rotary Park At Gellatly Bay, Kelowna, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia

Last year, my cousin Kathy contacted me and my sis and the rest of the family on our mother's side to get together for a family reunion. It had been way too long since we had [Read more]

Posted in: Friends & Family, Travel Tagged: Adventure, Alberta, British Columbia, Canada, Kelowna, Photography, Photos, Road Trip, Travel

There’s no place like LA

October 26, 2023 by Kirsten Neil 2 Comments
Point Dume State Beach and Preserve, Malibu, Los Angeles, California

Last June, we found ourselves happily basking under the sunny skies of Los Angeles. Chuck and I were looking forward to spending three-days in the golden state of California. [Read more]

Posted in: Photography, Travel Tagged: Adventure, Beverly Hills, California, Harry Potter, Hollywood, Los Angeles, Malibu, Photography, Photos, Travel, United States

Hello bright and beautiful Zanzibar!

October 4, 2023 by Kirsten Neil 2 Comments
Views at Riu Palace Zanzibar Nungwi, Zanzibar, Tanzania, Africa

After the subtle hues and dusty drives of the Serengeti, we made our way over the Indian Ocean to visit Tanzania's island paradise. Zanzibar island, just a few miles off [Read more]

Posted in: Photography, Travel Tagged: Adventure, Africa, Photography, Photos, Safari, Tanzania, Travel, Zanzibar

Serengeti sweetness

September 26, 2023 by Kirsten Neil 1 Comment
A stunner of a sunset on the Serengeti, Serengeti National Park, Tanzania, Africa

"Tanzania is not a real place." I uttered this pretty much every day, to every person, on every post, when we visited there in fall 2022. And a year later I am finally [Read more]

Posted in: Photography, Travel Tagged: Adventure, Africa, Photography, Photos, Safari, Serengeti, Tanzania, Travel

On the edge in Ngorongoro

September 14, 2023 by Kirsten Neil Leave a Comment
Safari in Ngorongoro, Ngorongoro Crater, Tanzania

After an epic first two days on safari, we bid farewell to Steven, our ranger in Lake Manyara, and hello to our Ngorongoro ranger, Joseph. He drove us through Tanzania for [Read more]

Posted in: Photography, Travel Tagged: Adventure, Africa, Ngorongoro Crater, Photography, Photos, Safari, Tanzania, Travel

On a high with the Maasai

September 11, 2023 by Kirsten Neil 2 Comments
Awash in colour, Maasai tribe, Ngorongoro Crater, Tanzania

After a couple days exploring Lake Manyara, it was off to the Ngorongoro Crater Lodge for a couple of nights staying on the top rim of the world's largest inactive, unbroken [Read more]

Posted in: Photography, Travel Tagged: Adventure, Africa, Culture, Ngorongoro Crater, Photography, Tanzania, Travel

Living the tree top life at Lake Manyara

September 6, 2023 by Kirsten Neil 1 Comment
Objects are closer than they appear, Lake Manyara National Park, Tanzania, Africa

Take a ride on the wild side. Our first day of an eight-day safari had us vibrating with anticipation. Or was that the first stop, Lake Manyara National Park, where it seems [Read more]

Posted in: Photography, Travel Tagged: Adventure, Africa, Lake Manyara, Photography, Safari, Tanzania, Travel

The sweet aromas of Arusha

September 1, 2023 by Kirsten Neil 2 Comments
The lush peaberries that contain the coffee beans.

It's coming up on a year since Chuck and I went on safari in Tanzania... and I kinda forgot to write about it. Whoops. But if you've met up with me in the last year, I [Read more]

Posted in: Photography, Travel Tagged: Adventure, Africa, Arusha, Culture, Photography, Photos, Safari, Tanzania, Travel

Rhythm & reflection: A journey to the deep south

August 31, 2023 by Kirsten Neil Leave a Comment
A perfect magnolia in Savannah.

In spring 2022 most of the travel restrictions had been lifted and Chuck and I were itching to hit the road somewhere. We thought a U.S. road trip to the south would be fun. [Read more]

Posted in: Photography, Travel Tagged: Adventure, DC, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Memphis, Nashville, New Orleans, Photography, Photos, Road Trip, Savannah, Tennessee, Travel, Washington

Living, Lagos style

June 10, 2022 by Kirsten Neil Leave a Comment
Life in Lagos, Nigeria.

After exploring the history, the beach, the jungle and the village, the last bits of our Nigerian adventure I want to highlight is the large city of Lagos itself. The bad [Read more]

Posted in: Photography, Travel Tagged: Adventure, Africa, Culture, Lagos, Nigeria, Photography, Travel
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Top Posts

Ants!
The beauty and the birds of Witless Bay
Harry Potter Night VII: Mischief Managed
Cliffs and castles and puffins and cows
A very English road trip
Like a kid in a crayon store
I was on a boat
Captivated by Cape Breton

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Madrid, in like a minute. 🇪🇸♥️ We only had one day Madrid, in like a minute. 🇪🇸♥️ We only had one day in Madrid, which was a shame as we found the city to be quite charming.

As we had so little time, our only excursion was a guided tour of the Museo del Prado, which houses the best collection of Spanish Art. We saw some amazing pieces both light and dark. 

Swipe to the end to see the two pieces from the Prado that floored me. The bright and chaotic triptych The Garden of Earthly Delights by Hieronymus Bosch, and the dark and fraught Saturn Devouring His Son by Goya. I’m still thinking about the room that housed Goya’s “Black Paintings.” They are gut-wrenching, harrowing masterpieces the public was never meant to see. (He painted them all on the walls of his home)
—
#ckvacays #madrid #pradomuseum #spain #kirstentravels
Short and sweet in Barcelona. 🇪🇸🐰🙏🏻 On our way ba Short and sweet in Barcelona. 🇪🇸🐰🙏🏻

On our way back to Canada this year, we stopped in Spain to see Bad Bunny’s show. We only had two days to look around this city that’s full of so much life and beauty. 

We stayed in the super walkable Eixample district and also made our way to Sagrada Família to be wowed by the most amazing church that’s over 150 years in the making…so far! And also dealt with celebrity Chuck posing for photos with all his fans. 😂 

We also ate so well here. Not one miss. 

On concert day, we bused it over to the pinchos area where we walked the street going from place to place noshing on little pinchos and drinking beer before walking up the hill to reach Estadi Olimpic for the concert. 

What a gem Barcelona is. We didn’t get nearly enough time to discover all her charms, but consider us completely charmed nonetheless. 
—
#ckvacays #barcelona #sagradafamilia #spain #kirstentravels
Bad Bunny! 🐰🔥 Most joyous concert ever! I said I Bad Bunny! 🐰🔥 Most joyous concert ever!

I said I wasn’t going to take video because I never watch concert videos after I see a show. Couldn’t help but take many. It was such a spectacle. And I’ve been watching them all on repeat since last night. The artistry of the camera work and lighting was a thing of beauty. Benito was as good a showman as they say. The vibe was unreal. 

The reason we visited Spain on our way back to Canada was for this show. I was hoping it would live up to the hype. Boy, did it ever. 

Also, not one word of English for the entire show. Not one. And it didn’t f’n matter. 
—
#ckvacays #badbunny #barcelona #badbunnybarcelona #kirstentravels
March & April in Lagos. 🇳🇬♥️ — #ckvacays #kirstent March & April in Lagos. 🇳🇬♥️
—
#ckvacays #kirstentravels #lagoslife
What a morning at Oshodi Market in Lagos looks lik What a morning at Oshodi Market in Lagos looks like. @ezechalzz 
—
#ckvacays #kirstentravels #lagoslife
Jan & Feb Lagos photo dump. ☀️🇳🇬♥️ — #theckhome #l Jan & Feb Lagos photo dump. ☀️🇳🇬♥️
—
#theckhome #lagoslife #awoyaya
Golden sunsets, golden sunrises, wind-whipped dune Golden sunsets, golden sunrises, wind-whipped dunes, gassy camels, desert camps, deep gorges, high mountain peaks, friendly Berbers, an even friendlier tour guide, all contained within a terrain that screams “STUNNING!” around every bend. What more can one ask for on a three-day journey? How can one fit all that in in just three days? 

Hands-down, the biggest highlight on our Moroccan adventure (besides AFCON, but that’s sports) was a journey from Fes to Marrakech via the Sahara Desert.

We found a highly-rated three-day trip from @moroccofabuloustravel via @tripadvisor. I didn’t know Morocco’s beauty could stun even more after our first few days in Fes, Chefchaouen and Tangier, but boy, did it ever. We were left enchanted…

Read my full recap at betweenbrushstrokes.com
(link in profile)
—
#ckvacays #kirstentravels #morocco🇲🇦 #moroccofabuloustravel
Gimme! Gimme! Gimme! A petit taste of Tangier. 🇲🇦 Gimme! Gimme! Gimme! A petit taste of Tangier. 🇲🇦

Tangier was not originally on our agenda for Morocco. But once we saw how pretty Chefchaouen (see previous post) was, and that it was conveniently situated between Tangier and Fes, we altered our plans to visit the coastal city that’s situated on the Strait of Gibraltar. 

We actually didn’t do a heck of a lot in Tangier as we were already spinning from a hectic first few days in Fes. Instead, the city became a place where we could slow down, relax and breathe in the fresh sea air.

Read my full recap at betweenbrushstrokes.com
(link in profile)
—
#ckvacays #kirstentravels #tangier #morocco🇲🇦 #afcon2025
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Madrid, in like a minute. 🇪🇸♥️ We only had one day Madrid, in like a minute. 🇪🇸♥️ We only had one day in Madrid, which was a shame as we found the city to be quite charming.

As we had so little time, our only excursion was a guided tour of the Museo del Prado, which houses the best collection of Spanish Art. We saw some amazing pieces both light and dark. 

Swipe to the end to see the two pieces from the Prado that floored me. The bright and chaotic triptych The Garden of Earthly Delights by Hieronymus Bosch, and the dark and fraught Saturn Devouring His Son by Goya. I’m still thinking about the room that housed Goya’s “Black Paintings.” They are gut-wrenching, harrowing masterpieces the public was never meant to see. (He painted them all on the walls of his home)
—
#ckvacays #madrid #pradomuseum #spain #kirstentravels
Short and sweet in Barcelona. 🇪🇸🐰🙏🏻 On our way ba Short and sweet in Barcelona. 🇪🇸🐰🙏🏻

On our way back to Canada this year, we stopped in Spain to see Bad Bunny’s show. We only had two days to look around this city that’s full of so much life and beauty. 

We stayed in the super walkable Eixample district and also made our way to Sagrada Família to be wowed by the most amazing church that’s over 150 years in the making…so far! And also dealt with celebrity Chuck posing for photos with all his fans. 😂 

We also ate so well here. Not one miss. 

On concert day, we bused it over to the pinchos area where we walked the street going from place to place noshing on little pinchos and drinking beer before walking up the hill to reach Estadi Olimpic for the concert. 

What a gem Barcelona is. We didn’t get nearly enough time to discover all her charms, but consider us completely charmed nonetheless. 
—
#ckvacays #barcelona #sagradafamilia #spain #kirstentravels
Bad Bunny! 🐰🔥 Most joyous concert ever! I said I Bad Bunny! 🐰🔥 Most joyous concert ever!

I said I wasn’t going to take video because I never watch concert videos after I see a show. Couldn’t help but take many. It was such a spectacle. And I’ve been watching them all on repeat since last night. The artistry of the camera work and lighting was a thing of beauty. Benito was as good a showman as they say. The vibe was unreal. 

The reason we visited Spain on our way back to Canada was for this show. I was hoping it would live up to the hype. Boy, did it ever. 

Also, not one word of English for the entire show. Not one. And it didn’t f’n matter. 
—
#ckvacays #badbunny #barcelona #badbunnybarcelona #kirstentravels
March & April in Lagos. 🇳🇬♥️ — #ckvacays #kirstent March & April in Lagos. 🇳🇬♥️
—
#ckvacays #kirstentravels #lagoslife
What a morning at Oshodi Market in Lagos looks lik What a morning at Oshodi Market in Lagos looks like. @ezechalzz 
—
#ckvacays #kirstentravels #lagoslife
Jan & Feb Lagos photo dump. ☀️🇳🇬♥️ — #theckhome #l Jan & Feb Lagos photo dump. ☀️🇳🇬♥️
—
#theckhome #lagoslife #awoyaya
Golden sunsets, golden sunrises, wind-whipped dune Golden sunsets, golden sunrises, wind-whipped dunes, gassy camels, desert camps, deep gorges, high mountain peaks, friendly Berbers, an even friendlier tour guide, all contained within a terrain that screams “STUNNING!” around every bend. What more can one ask for on a three-day journey? How can one fit all that in in just three days? 

Hands-down, the biggest highlight on our Moroccan adventure (besides AFCON, but that’s sports) was a journey from Fes to Marrakech via the Sahara Desert.

We found a highly-rated three-day trip from @moroccofabuloustravel via @tripadvisor. I didn’t know Morocco’s beauty could stun even more after our first few days in Fes, Chefchaouen and Tangier, but boy, did it ever. We were left enchanted…

Read my full recap at betweenbrushstrokes.com
(link in profile)
—
#ckvacays #kirstentravels #morocco🇲🇦 #moroccofabuloustravel
Gimme! Gimme! Gimme! A petit taste of Tangier. 🇲🇦 Gimme! Gimme! Gimme! A petit taste of Tangier. 🇲🇦

Tangier was not originally on our agenda for Morocco. But once we saw how pretty Chefchaouen (see previous post) was, and that it was conveniently situated between Tangier and Fes, we altered our plans to visit the coastal city that’s situated on the Strait of Gibraltar. 

We actually didn’t do a heck of a lot in Tangier as we were already spinning from a hectic first few days in Fes. Instead, the city became a place where we could slow down, relax and breathe in the fresh sea air.

Read my full recap at betweenbrushstrokes.com
(link in profile)
—
#ckvacays #kirstentravels #tangier #morocco🇲🇦 #afcon2025
Follow on Instagram

Top Posts

Ants!
The beauty and the birds of Witless Bay
Harry Potter Night VII: Mischief Managed
Cliffs and castles and puffins and cows
A very English road trip
Like a kid in a crayon store
I was on a boat
Captivated by Cape Breton

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