Cappuccinos and Castles: 6 Photos That Will Jolt Your Wanderlust

By Cristina Cianci

Trains, planes, and automobiles!

I live for going to new places or familiar ones that hold a special place in my heart. One thing you can bet on, come 5 p.m. Friday you can find me on one of the just mentioned means of transport.

A few of my recent favorites places are:

Lake Como, Italy

Alps, aqua-colored lakes, castles, and of course, all the cappuccinos your heart desires.

Wildwood Crest, N.J.

This beach town, especially at night, looks like you're living in “The Jetsons.”

“Travel is more than the seeing of sights; it is a change that goes on, deep and permanent, in the ideas of living.”

— Miriam Beard

New York City

For all the obvious reasons.

Miami Beach, Fla.

A tropical European-esque escape where a passport isn't needed. A tan and relaxation is always on the agenda.

“We wander for distraction, but we travel for fulfilment.”

— Hilaire Belloc

Verona, Italy

More cappuccinos, a trip to Juliette's balcony and the arena, but the most fun, strolling the cobblestone streets aimlessly at night.

Big Sur, Calif.

Sunsets on the ocean and mountains in the ocean. Heaven is a place on Earth.

The Writer's Bone Essays Archive

7 Photos That Say Farewell To Summer in the City

By Cristina Cianci

Summer is my favorite season. Long hot beach days, soccer camp, bike rides in the neighborhood, pool parties, ball games, and boardwalk strolls made up my Jersey shore summer days and nights as a kid.

Flash forward to current summers in the city. Sticking to the outdoor theme, I find myself in my mid-twenties, still hitting the New York City beaches and West Side highway strolls. Although pool parties have become park picnics (Central, Battery, you name it), baseball is still baseball—now with Shake Shack.

1. You can bet you bottom dollar I'll be at the beach for 11 of the 13 weeks of summer.

2. When time doesn't permit you to leave the island head to Tar Beach, the true New Yorker's summer spot (aka your rooftop).

3.  Baseball, an American classic.

4. Crosswalk strolls.

5. Backyard BBQs

6. No time like the summertime to wander and find new hidden gardens, like this one behind Greecologies, a coffee shop in Little Italy.

7. Outdoor movies in the park…or at a museum…are a staple. This was taken after leaving Disney's “Fantasia,” which played on the big screen at The Museum of Modern Art.

For more photo essays, check out:

• Urban Escape: 7 Photos New York City Slickers Will Love
• Water Works: 10 Photos To Cool You Off This Summer
• How Photographers See the World Differently Than Writers

Water Works: 10 Photos To Cool You Off This Summer

Haven't spent enough time at the beach, lake, or any other preferred body of water this summer? Don't worry, Writer's Bone photo essayist Cristina Cianci's latest post is the perfect cure-all for the summertime blues. Feel free to share your own water photos by tweeting us @WritersBone.

By Cristina Cianci

I grew up 20 minutes from the ocean. You can find me on the beach winter, spring, summer, and fall (in the appropriate seasonal wear of course). Nothing beats a quiet beach interrupted by the dulcet sound of waves spilling over the sand. I even have an alarm clock that makes that noise.

I have to get back to my beach towel and brightly colored cocktail, but enjoy my favorite water photos (seagulls and soothing waves not included):

1. A lagoon in my friend's backyard in Florida.

2. The Atlantic Ocean. This was taken during my first trip to the state of New Hampshire! It's also the farthest north I've been in the U.S. Check those off the list!

3. The Hudson River from my new neighborhood in New York City.

4. My pool at my family's home in New Jersey on a sunny day.

5. Lago di Caldaro in Italian Alps.

6. Magical September sun beams on the Venetian canals.

7. Post winter waves in New Jersey.

8. My cousin fully enjoying herself in Lago di Resia, Italy.

9. Post Friday night cocktail with views of lower Manhattan.

10. My favorite home away from home, our summer escape in Wildwood Crest, N.J. It has held many memories and secrets for the past 25 years, and will hold many more during the next 25. 

For more essays, check out our full archive.