Tangier, Morocco, Africa 2018

September 8, 2018, 2:42 am

≫ Next: Malaga, Spain 2018

≪ Previous: Seville, Spain 2018

Tangier, Morocco was my first time in Africa and I officially only need to visit Antarctica to have stepped on all of the continents in the world. We had the best guide in Tangier, as Moghit is a native and a conscientious soul who loves his country while embracing other cultures. I had the best Moroccan peppermint tea as it was fresh and blended with green tea. We also visited the Casbah, the souk, and the Medina (old town – all African cities have a Medina). We rode camels, and because I fell in love with them, we purchased a silver camel with gemstones on it in Medina. I want to come back and see more of Tangier and the Blue City. I appreciate their culture and would love to live here in the future and help build a better city while taking care of its people and its stray cats. Here are my favorite shots of Tangier. Enjoy!

Lisa Laporte: Tangier, Morocco 2018

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Malaga, Spain 2018

September 8, 2018, 8:46 am

≫ Next: Ibiza, Spain 2018

≪ Previous: Tangier, Morocco, Africa 2018

Malaga, Spain was a quick stop as we were planning on visiting Cordoba but the tour was canceled and we decided to take a tapas tour instead. We visited the old fortress, walked through the old town to see where Picasso went to school as he was born in Malaga. Malaga means salted fish and per our guide Raymond they are the largest producers of Bacardi rum and olive oil. The name éclair came from the 13^th century in Malaga because brides would bring the St. Clair nuns eggs before they were to be married to ensure a dry wedding, meaning it wouldn’t rain on their wedding day. Hence the name éclair because the nuns made pastries with the eggs and the name lived on. Here a few pictures from our day. Enjoy!

Photo By Leo Laporte, Edit by Lisa Laporte - Malaga, Spain 2018

Photo By Lisa Laporte - Malaga, Spain 2018

Photo By Leo Laporte, Edit by Lisa Laporte - Malaga, Spain 2018

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Ibiza, Spain 2018

September 10, 2018, 2:00 am

≫ Next: Elba, Italy 2018

≪ Previous: Malaga, Spain 2018

Ibiza, Spain was an adventure as we rode in the back of a Jeep without seatbelts and they drove us all around the island on the back roads. They sped around like they were Indy racecar drivers. There were a few moments where I wished that I was driving but the views were breathtaking and our last stop was at a gorgeous beach where the Spanish ladies were topless and I was able to ride a jet ski. There is nothing like riding across water on a jet ski for me, I feel free, alive, happy, and one with water. Here are a few pictures, enjoy!

Photo By: Leo Laporte Edit By: Lisa Laporte Ibiza, Spain 2018

Photo By: Lisa Laporte Ibiza, Spain 2018

Photo By: Leo Laporte Edit By: Lisa Laporte Ibiza, Spain 2018

Photo By: Lisa Laporte Ibiza, Spain 2018

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Elba, Italy 2018

September 16, 2018, 10:43 pm

≫ Next: Amalfi Coast, Italy 2018

≪ Previous: Ibiza, Spain 2018

Elba, Tuscany, Italy was beautiful and we went for a long hike that was supposed to be 2 miles but in reality it was 4 and we had an 84-year-old woman who insisted on coming that needed walking sticks just to walk. We were all surprised that she made it but we were late back to the boat that was supposed to sail at 2:30 pm. I managed to find a cat, as usual, that looked like my girls but was feisty like my orange tomcat. Here are a few pictures from our excursion.

Elba, Italy 2018 - Photo: Leo Laporte, Edit: Lisa Laporte

Elba, Italy 2018 - Photo: Lisa Laporte

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Amalfi Coast, Italy 2018

September 23, 2018, 2:58 pm

≫ Next: Malta 2018

≪ Previous: Elba, Italy 2018

By the time we reached the Amalfi coast I had managed to come down with a sinus infection, and while we had a guide to take us to Pompeii, we were unable to make it because of traffic and three cruise ships that swarmed the port. I was not well, but couldn't resist the spectacular views, and I definitely want to return to see more.

Lisa Laporte: Amalfi Coast, Italy 2018

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Malta 2018

October 13, 2018, 9:50 pm

≫ Next: Thanksgiving 2018

≪ Previous: Amalfi Coast, Italy 2018

We had two days in Malta, and we enjoyed every moment that we were there. Our first day we had no plans and took a horse & buggy ride to see the old downtown and decided to get off and walk around. We then ran into a church procession and parade that had firecracker wagons all around town. They were going off while the parishioners were walking in the streets carrying statues with a band following close behind. We then wandered back to the ship for a break and took a bus to the M'dina afterward. We ended the evening at a 40 person private chapel concert that was breathtaking and moving.

Our second day started with a tour of the Hypogeum, the Ħaġar Qim Temples, lunch at a fabulous Maltese restaurant, and a World War II demonstration of how they defended Malta against the Nazis. I have fond memories of Malta because its rich in history and culture.

Lisa Laporte: Malta 2018

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Thanksgiving 2018

November 23, 2018, 9:38 am

≫ Next: Michael's 16th Birthday!

≪ Previous: Malta 2018

We had a light and fun Thanksgiving and Léo played with his new camera lens, which is a keeper because I might buy the same setup, and I took the liberty to take some of his photos to edit them. A few pictures are fuzzy, but I had to edit and post them because I loved what they captured. Enjoy! And the weird mouth photos are from playing "Watch Ya Mouth" - hilarious and slightly disgusting game.

Photo by: Léo Laporte, Edit by: Lisa Laporte - Thanksgiving 2018

Photo by: Lisa Laporte - Thanksgiving 2018

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Michael's 16th Birthday!

November 23, 2018, 11:18 pm

≫ Next: Kauai, HI 2019

≪ Previous: Thanksgiving 2018

Wow! It's hard to believe that it's been 16 years since I've been blessed with my son, Michael. He had a great time hanging out with his best buds at Pinky's, and now they are all in my living room watching movies and hopefully going to bed soon. Here are a few of my favorite pictures from tonight, enjoy!

Lisa Laporte: Michael's 16th Birthday Party

Léo Laporte: Michael's 16th Birthday Party

Lisa Laporte: Michael's 16th Birthday Party

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Kauai, HI 2019

April 13, 2019, 9:52 pm

≫ Next: Mario's 22nd 2019

≪ Previous: Michael's 16th Birthday!

It only takes a week to explore the entire island of Kauai, and I recommend taking a helicopter ride around the island over a boat ride if you are prone to seasickness. We first zip lined with Outfitters Kauai at Kipu Ranch, and then took an Aloha day off. Next, we took the helicopter ride around the island with Blue Hawaiian Helicopters and saw the Napali Coast, Waimea, and more. Then we took a boat ride, much to my regret as I was sick the entire ride, but I did see two types of dolphins and humpback whales, and that was exciting. We also visited the McBryde Botanical Gardens and ended our Aloha spring break vacation with a Luau.

Here are the pictures from our trip. Enjoy!

Lisa Laporte: Kauai 2019

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Mario's 22nd 2019

July 20, 2019, 7:35 pm

≫ Next: Day 1 Los Angeles 2019 Vacation

≪ Previous: Kauai, HI 2019

This month my nephew turned 22, my favorite number fits my favorite nephew perfectly! He's charming, sweet, handsome, intelligent, and single ladies! He's going to kill me for posting this, but I'm just throwing it out there. Lol! I love my boy, he was the first in my family and I claimed him as mine all the time when he was little, which drove Debi nuts but it was fun to play with my older sister. Here are a few pictures from our trip to Japantown in SF today, it was refreshing to be out and about with my camera again. Happy Birthday Mars!

Lisa Laporte - Mario 22nd

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Day 1 Los Angeles 2019 Vacation

July 22, 2019, 8:59 pm

≫ Next: Los Angeles 2019 Vacation Continued

≪ Previous: Mario's 22nd 2019

I walked these poor boys over nine miles on the beach, to Santa Monica pier, and back to Venice for dinner at C&O Trattoria. Can you tell they are unhappy?

Lisa Laporte: LA Day 1 2019 Vacation

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Los Angeles 2019 Vacation Continued

July 25, 2019, 10:01 pm

≫ Next: Athens, Greece 2019

≪ Previous: Day 1 Los Angeles 2019 Vacation

We spent a day at Universal and then today Leo & most of the boys went sailing while Wolfe and I biked along the beach and visited Abbott Kinney. Here are a few favorite pictures of mine. Enjoy!

Lisa Laporte: LA Boys Trip 2019

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Athens, Greece 2019

October 23, 2019, 9:42 am

≫ Next: Jerusalem, Israel 2019

≪ Previous: Los Angeles 2019 Vacation Continued

Day 1 on our Old World vacation started in Athens, Greece, with our tour guide Panos. Panos is a historian and is a proud Greek, he is well versed in their history. We toured the Parthenon again as we visited it five years ago but learned more about the Greek community and how it was built by the people for the people. Here are a few pictures from our day, including the guards at the tomb of the unknown soldier. Don't let the pompoms on their shoes fool you, they are hiding the knives in the tips of their shoes. Day 2 was with Chantel who married a Greek years ago and we sampled the Greek cuisine and she took us through the markets and where everyone lived and worked. I added these photos to this blog as well.

Lisa Laporte: Athens, Greece 2019

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Jerusalem, Israel 2019

October 30, 2019, 1:58 am

≫ Next: Petra, Jordan 2019

≪ Previous: Athens, Greece 2019

We started in Haifa, Israel and drove to the Mount of Olives and then visited the Garden of Gethsemane where Jesus spent his last moments before his arrest and the church that was built over this location in 380 AD. We then transferred to the location where Jesus was crucified and his final resting spot before he was buried. Overall they are guessing where all the locations were actually at and no one knows for sure if they are correct. I found it incredibly sad that all of these areas are overcommercialized, touristy, and frankly money pits. No one knows truly if any of these locations are real, including his supposed birthplace in Bethlehem, and the people who live there now are simply capitalizing on it. The highlight of my visit was the Western Wall or Wailing Wall as I found this place overwhelming with passion, emotion, and power. And the second highlight was floating in the Dead Sea. What an incredible experience! Here are a few pictures from our visit.

Lisa Laporte: Jerusalem 2019

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Petra, Jordan 2019

November 9, 2019, 9:52 pm

≫ Next: Luxor, Egypt 2019

≪ Previous: Jerusalem, Israel 2019

There are stories about Petra, but no one truly knows its history. Either way, it was a beautiful area to photograph. Here are a few of my favorites. Enjoy!

Lisa Laporte: Petra 2019

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Luxor, Egypt 2019

November 9, 2019, 10:14 pm

≫ Next: Dubai, UAE 2019

≪ Previous: Petra, Jordan 2019

We visited the Valley of the Kings & Queens (burial sites) and the Karnak temple. We visited Seti II & Nefertari tombs in both Valleys. Pictures exclude the Valleys as we couldn't bring our camera's inside, but I will add some iPhone pictures later. Enjoy!

Lisa Laporte: Egypt 2019

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Dubai, UAE 2019

November 13, 2019, 2:06 am

≫ Next: Michael's Birthday 2019

≪ Previous: Luxor, Egypt 2019

Being in Dubai reminds me of Las Vegas but bigger. The buildings are everywhere, unique, massive, and growing at such an accelerated rate that cranes are everywhere. I like the blend of nationalities, and there isn't crime or graffiti because if you are caught, you'd be deported. You cannot earn citizenship here either, you must be an Emirati. The only exception is if you are a woman who marries an Emirati man, but even then, citizenship is not earned until you've been married for five years, and I think you have to have children. Men who marry Emirati women never earn citizenship; it's an interesting culture, and while less than 15% of the population is Emirati, the people who come here to live and work love it. Here are some favorites pictures!

Leo Laporte - Dubai

Lisa Laporte: Dubai 2019

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Michael's Birthday 2019

November 26, 2019, 8:28 pm

≫ Next: First Post of 2020

≪ Previous: Dubai, UAE 2019

Happy Birthday, Michael! Wow, I'm blessed with an intelligent, handsome, big-hearted young man who is turning into an amazing adult. His growth over the last year has been tremendous, and I look forward to watching him blossom even more. Here are a few pictures of Michael and his best friends. Enjoy!

Lisa Laporte: Michael's Birthday

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First Post of 2020

October 5, 2020, 5:24 pm

≫ Next: Class of 2021 - Senior Photoshoot

≪ Previous: Michael's Birthday 2019

Wow, what a year! First, the pandemic hit back in March and with a president who doesn't believe in science and is the biggest ass who runs our country - at least in my lifetime. We've been locked down for months, can barely go outside because of the unprecedented fires in California, but somewhere in all of this madness, I've been finding time to celebrate my son Michael. Michael is in his senior year at Petaluma High School. He's been distance learning, rocking it by maintaining straight As, and has a better attitude than I do. I'm learning from him and a lot - he's turning into a man and one with great patience. Michael's been reminding me every day that we are healthy, we believe in science, we have been doing the right thing and thriving regardless of the conditions literally all around us. He's my inspiration, and today, I dragged him out for a few test photos for his senior portrait. I think we found a few places we will re-visit when it colder outside and he's in a suit! Shhhhh, don't tell him! He doesn't know he has to wear a suit yet. Take a tip from Michael and do the right thing, keep a positive attitude, and remember we are all Americans and in this together. Enjoy!

Lisa Laporte 2020: Michael

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Class of 2021 - Senior Photoshoot

November 22, 2020, 8:14 am

≫ Next: 2021 PHS Graduation

≪ Previous: First Post of 2020

The biggest joy in 2020 for me is my son turning 18, celebrating his senior year of high school, and watching my boy turn into a man. Here are our pictures from Michael and Morgen's senior portrait photoshoot around town. Enjoy!

Lisa Laporte: Senior Photoshoot

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