Places I’ve Been: "On the Water in Venice, Moruga & Leiden"

"I haven’t been everywhere, but it’s on my list." – Susan Sontag

I’ve always loved to travel. It's a quiet but persistent calling. I dream of wandering the world, camera in hand, notebook nearby—capturing stories through photographs and words. I want to explore cultures, foods, rituals, markets, alleys, festivals—everything that makes a place pulse.

As I begin setting my intentions for more travel this year, I find myself looking back through old photographs. For this post, I’m sharing three images, each taken in a different country: Italy, Trinidad and Tobago and the Netherlands. What connects these photographs is water—a common but deeply meaningful element in each place.

Water is often treated as background, but for many, it’s a vital part of daily life. It determines how people move, live, and work. Some wake with the tide, casting their nets at sunrise. Others have front doors that open onto rivers or canals, or spend evenings by the shoreline, watching the sky melt into the sea. In these places, water isn’t just scenic—it’s essential.

Venice, Italy

Year: 2012

This photograph was taken aboard a vaporetto, the public waterbus that glides through the canals of Venice. It was our first day in the city, and getting there had been an adventure in itself: a plane ride, followed by a train, then a bus, and finally, this boat. I remember laughing and saying all that was left was a horse and carriage, and we’d have checked off every mode of transport.

As the vaporetto cut through the lagoon and the city revealed itself—gondolas bobbing in the foreground, historic facades rising behind them—I felt that surreal sensation of finally seeing something in real life that you’ve only encountered in books and on screens. That view, with the lagoon stretching wide and the city seeming to rise from the water, is one that many travelers carry home etched in memory.

Moruga, Trinidad and Tobago

Year: 2013

This next photo was also taken from the water—this time from a fishing pirogue as we drifted along the River of Hope in Moruga. I had come to photograph the La Ruffin Spring bridge for a calendar project, and a fisherman generously offered to take us on a short tour of the river.

As we motored past homes perched at the river’s edge, I was struck by the beauty of the scene: soft afternoon light, boats resting gently along the bank, reflections of sky and roofline shimmering in the surface. It reminded me—surprisingly—of Venice, though this was unmistakably Caribbean.

It wasn’t a scene I was familiar with, and it’s not one often included in our national narrative. While it may be everyday life for the people who live there, I was grateful to witness and photograph it. It felt rare and special—at once intimate and visually stunning.

Leiden, The Netherlands

Year: 2014

The final image is from Leiden, a small and picturesque city in the Netherlands. This photo captures a typical view across one of its many canals, the water mirroring the homes and sky much like in the previous images. While living there, scenes like this were part of my daily view—and I never got tired of them.

Leiden is threaded with more than 28 kilometers of canals, and around every bend there’s another picture-perfect scene: flower boxes overflowing, bikes leaning against bridges, boats drifting by. Water was never far, whether I was walking to the grocery store or riding my bike through town.

During my time there, I came to appreciate how this kind of water—urban, calm, always within reach—becomes part of your sensory landscape. It’s a different experience from the water I’m used to at home. The sea surrounds the island, and rivers cut through it, but they’re not always part of my daily view or experience. In Leiden, the water was woven into everyday life. It was impossible to ignore—and quietly beautiful.

Looking back at these photographs, I’m reminded of how water, in all its forms, connects us more than we might think. It flows through cities and villages, shaping lives, offering calm, movement, beauty, and reflection.

Thanks for joining me on this little photo tour around the world. Have you been to any of these places? I’d love to hear your stories.