Sometimes I think the internet is a double-edged sword and blogs and social media have a lot to answer for expectation vs. reality.
I thought Cinque Terre was absolutely beautiful and I would never have heard about it if it wasn't for the internet. I'd seen lots of blogs and instagram pictures of the pretty, coloured houses, but despite it seeming like a really popular destination online, none of my 'real life' friends or colleagues had heard of it before!
The houses have that soft wash of pastel colour you often see in the Mediterranean, but it wasn't what I was expecting. If you search 'cinque terre' on Google Images, you're presented with hundred of images of high contrast, incredible bright colours, with very few of them reflecting the true hues of the towns. Even in my picture above, I upped the saturation a little bit. It's not to say I was disappointed by our experience - far from it - but I would imagine if you are travelling from further afield than Europe with one thing in mind, the reality can be a little disappointing.
I also think that I had an expectation of myself that, presented with such beautiful scenery, I would turn out amazing, blog-worthy photos even just equipped with a little point and shoot camera. In reality, my pictures aren't the greater, but I hope my photos from yesterday show a realistic portrayal of our trip - what it really looked like, rather than an instagram snapshot that will get liked 25 times and then forgotten about.
I'm not sure what I was aiming for with this post, but I feel like going forward, I want to discover beautiful places for myself instead of turning to the internet or blogs to create 'bucket lists' of amazing looking places that just become something to check off a list. Here's to adventuring further afield and looking beyond the instagram-able!
Really good post Catherine, and you're 100% right about Instagram and blogs not always reflecting the truth. Everything is very edited to show the highlights, and mostly images are taken by skilled photographers who can make anything look good. Also, I take recommendations with a big pinch of salt since each blogger has a different budget and taste level to me. Some people like super expensive places, trendy places etc and therefore what they love won't always be what I love. I kinda like picking out my own places too, not always going where everyone else seems to be. Here's to more adventures for you! x
ReplyDeleteThanks Siobhan. Obviously we found it beautiful, but it was definitely not what I expected and I actually preferred it that way
DeleteSuch an interesting post! It's funny you say that because after reading your post about your holiday I thought 'that looks beautiful, I want to go there'. And it's true that one snapshot a blogger might take of a town, doesn't show behind the scenes or what the place is really like. Where is your next adventure to?! :) x
ReplyDeleteHa! I'm perpetuating my own annoyances then! Off to Cornwall in June. Love a good staycation x
DeleteReally interesting that no-one had heard of it. Maybe just my obsession with Italy. And interesting thoughts too. I hope I don't perpetuate that with my own city but I think it is really lovely (and there are definitely less pretty spots in our town). I do think that there is beauty in everything, but perhaps that is just the photographic optimist in me (I was even taking pictures of the garbage in Venice this weekend. And I can tell you the garbage does really build up over a weekend in that town!).
ReplyDeleteI've not heard of this either but I've fallen into the trap before of things looking amazing on social media and not like the reality. I think it's important to remember that :)
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