Nan Palmero, MBA

Thirteen Photos from Budapest, Hungary

Growing up, I loved playing Where in Europe is Carmen Sandiego? That elusive Carmen Sandiego would always end up in far away lands, frequently found in the Soviet Bloc, eluding Interpol. I loved finding her. Later on, with the Bourne movie series, my love for Eastern Europe was rekindled. Prague remains one of the most beautiful cities I’ve visited and I dreamed of seeing Budapest. Well boys and girls, dreams come true. After the Amalfi Coast, we made it to Budapest. A city that Deya repeatedly called “grand.” A fitting adjective for this historic place. The Hungarian Parliament Building is not only larger than the US Capitol Building but more than 88 pounds of gold were used in its construction. Hotel Rum was HQ during our stay and we highly recommend it, especially due to the breathtaking rooftop breakfast. Be sure to not miss the street art and ruin bar tour, it’s awesome. The Szechenyi and Gellert thermal baths are unique and you’ve got to photograph the city from Gellert Hill at night. Find my top thirteen photos below plus the gallery.

Tram Transport at the Great Market Hall (Nagycsarnok)

Hungarian Parliament Building at Night in Budapest

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Thirteen Photos from the Amalfi Coast, Italy

Deya has been dreaming of going to the Amalfi Coast for years and years. After Portugal, we decided that staying in Positano at La Fenice, recommended by my sister, would be a good idea to relax. In the Bible, it says that creation groans for the restoration of this world. When I looked around in Positano and the absolute rugged beauty of mountains meeting the Tyrrhenian Sea, I find my imagination is too small to comprehend what the infinite beauty of heaven must be. Positano is the jewel of the Amalfi Coast. When you head there, visit Amalfi for the day, but stay in Positano. It’s a polished version of the famous city. Below, enjoy thirteen photos from the Amalfi Coast and the gallery from our visit.

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Thirteen Photos from Lisbon and Porto, Portugal

Deya and I knew we had to go to Portugal in the summer of 2018 but we were undecided exactly where other than Lisbon and Porto. Both of these cities offer a rich and cultural history that span centuries. The food, people and scenes in Portugal cannot be beat. Below, find my favorite thirteen photos from Lisbon and Porto. I hope you’ll add these spots to your places to travel. When you go to Lisbon, be sure to head across the river to eat at Ponto Final. Take a jacket, the wind is cold! If you want to see the rooftop from Santa Justa Lift, skip the line and take the stairs behind the lift. It’s free and fast. Try a ginjinha drink, it’s a Lisbon classic. Be sure to eat at O Asiático, it’s fantastic. Visit Porto Cruz in Porto and have some tapas with their spicy porto cocktail. The teleferico is touristy, but so what? It’s a beautiful way to see the river and the city. Here are the thirteen photos from the trip and the gallery below.

Teatro Nacional D. Maria II from Rossio Square

Museum of Art, Architecture and Technology - MAAT

Teleférico de Gaia with the Dom Luís I Bridge

Man and Cat Looking Out the Window in Porto

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Thirteen Photos from Mexico City

Mexico City was one of those places I never thought about, like say, Iowa. Sure, I knew it existed but nothing about the city ever called to me. Deya and my SIL, Viole, told me that we needed to go. They promised me it was the New York City of Mexico. In recent years, the city has undergone a rebrand from DF to CDMX. Though it sounds like an illicit synthetic drug, CDMX was a vibrant and fantastic city. It’s a quick two hour direct flight from San Antonio and I encourage anyone that’s considering going to Vegas for a long weekend to head to Mexico City instead. One of our Uber drivers put it best when he said that there is a budget for every wallet in CDMX. The food, culture and people were a joy and I was so thankful to have visited. Below, enjoy thirteen photos from CDMX with a bonus of the entire album.

Camel Passing Through the Eye of a Needle at Museo Jumex

Thirteen Photos from New York City

Ah, New York City, the center of the universe. It had been a few years since I’d visited the city, but when my dad sprung the opportunity to visit the New York Auto Show with him for a few days, I couldn’t pass it up. We stayed in the absolutely enormous Marriott Times Square and bounced around town. These photos were taken with the mind-boggling Sony A7RIII. Enjoy my thirteen photos from NYC.

Panorama from the Top of the Rock New York City

This photo is huge and is best seen on a big screen.

New York Public Library Rose Reading Room

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Thirteen Photos from Paris, Versailles and Rheims, France

Deya’s lifelong dream was to visit Paris, France. She dreamed about it, pinned photos on Pinterest and simply could not wait to go. Thankfully, we had the opportunity to not only visit Paris but we also toured Versailles and Rheims, where proper champagne is made. It was a delight to see Deya light up in having a dream fulfilled. If you’re traveling soon, I highly recommend the Headout app. It’s available in a handful of major cities and it let’s you book tours at a discount with many featuring a “skip the line” option. If you’ve never signed up before, here’s my referral link for $10 off your first booking. We used the app to skip the line into the Paris catacombs, which was especially timely as it started to rain and hail. Below are my favorite thirteen photos from those three cities in France, with a focus on my favorite model.

Enjoy the entire set:

Thirteen Photos from Kutna Hora and Sedlec, Czechia

When you visit Prague, plan a day trip to Kutna Hora and Sedlec to see some beautiful cathedrals and the UNESCO recognized Sedlec Ossuary or Bone Church. We stopped first in Sedlec and visited the Church of the Assumption of Our Lady and Saint John the Baptist, then the Sedlec Ossuary. Since it’s over a mile from Sedlec to Kutna Hoar, we grabbed a beer at a pub while waiting for an Uber to shuttle us. Sedlec Ossuary is simply stunning. The craftsmanship of the art pieces made of bones is like nothing we had ever seen. Don’t miss the family crest of the House of Schwarzenberg, with the raven picking out the eye of a Turk. Oddly, it’s not as macabre as it appears in photos. Check out the My Czech Republic site on traveling to the villages and buy your tickets directly from the train line. Below are my favorite thirteen photos from Sedlec and Kutna Hora.

The Church of the Assumption of Our Lady and Saint John the Baptist at Sedlec, Kutna Hora

Enjoy the entire set:

Thirteen Photos from H&M San Antonio Launch

H&M is a Swedish, hip multinational company that makes really cool clothes at affordable prices. Last night, a ton of people camped out on hard concrete to have their first look at the new store at The Shops at La Cantera. Die hard fans for sure. Thanks to @torijohson, I was able to get a sneak peek into the excitement. Here are thirteen photos from the grand opening day of @HMUSA’s San Antonio store. If you’re interested in more fashionable goodies, be sure to check out Tori’s blog, The sTORIbook!

Thirteen Photos from San Francisco – Engagement Edition

I’ve found one of the great ways to love @HolaDeya is to make a list. I ask her about adventures she wants to have in her life, specific ones and I make a list. My memory is bad, but @evernote does an awesome job at it. With the help of Deya’s sister, Viole, and my @SamsungCameraUS photographer friends @mrcippy, @themrscippy, @techdadreview & @mdflores (in spirit), we gave Deya a memorable marriage proposal. Below are thirteen photos from our adventure together leading up to the proposal at Battery Spencer.

The @MysticHotelSF Fire Escape Fun

“I’d like to ride a cable car.” – DONE!

“I’d like to go to the top of Lombard Street.” – DONE!

A ride on the cable car, then we’re in Chinatown!

Lychee Cotton Candy at The Slanted Door After Lunch

Deya and Nan with cotton candy at The Slanted Door

Coffee at @BlueBottleRoast Coffee in the Ferry Building

Deya and Nan at Blue Bottle Coffee Ferry Building

Cupid’s Span Troublemaking

Painted Ladies Made Famous by Full House

“Ride Across Golden Gate on Bikes” – Done!

Proposal Complete!

Dinner at @ChefChiarello’s Coqueta with a Surprise Bottle of Cava from My Sister and Jesus

A Fun Ride to the Airport Thanks to @Scout!

Deya Gets a Surprise From @VirginAmerica!

Do you want to see the actual proposal shot by @mrcippy, @mrscippy & @techdadreview? Head over to Facebook! You can read the story about Deya and me on the Samsung Camera blog.

Look below for the rest of the photos from the proposal weekend!

Thirteen Photos from Cabo – Wedding Edition

Wedding photos from Cabo San Lucas and Los Cabos, Mexico photographed by Nan Palmero with the Samsung NX30 Smart Camera.

My sister married Jesus, an awesome man, an IronMan, in Cabo. We had the pleasure and fortune of going to celebrate their love for one another in a beautiful place. Here are thirteen photos from Cabo San Lucas and the Los Cabos area in Mexico.

The rest of the story…