So, yeah, I’m kind of grateful for 2020.
But, the honest truth is we don’t know. We really could open this week. We’ve done so many renovations, we’ve got our coffee sorted, Jodie has a bunch of local artists and artisans lined up for shelf space, and I have all the images for the photo gallery printed and on the walls.
I also feel so grateful that we’ve had this project to work on while we are stuck. I feel like we’ve managed to accomplish so much during this weird year. In fact, I’m 100% sure we wouldn’t have been able to do this without being stuck.
However, the government has been hinting at the idea that there might be another lockdown here in Portugal.
I’m hoping to update a couple blog posts a week. Maybe I’ll even throw some photography podcasts in there.
More Workshops Being Postponed?
But, the government has been hinting at a full lockdown starting this week. If that happens, things will likely be locked down for at least 15 days – maybe more.
It looks like Peru will need to be postponed as well. However, I feel optimistic about Iceland in the summer. Iceland has been pretty forward-thinking in dealing with the crisis. And, their economy is so dependent on tourism, I feel like they’ll do as much as they can to open their borders to tourism.
Right now, we have a sign out front saying “Opening February 3rd”.
Photo Workshop in Japan
But, seriously, can we also get on with 2021?
Us photographers know so much about this uphill climb through the rain. This was our lives before lockdowns and curfews. We are used to struggling to get where we want to be. And we know that the most beautiful images always seem to come as soon as you reach the peak and the rain clears.
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It really doesn’t feel like all too long ago I was sat in a Riad in Marrakesh on a call with Thomas Heaton discussing whether we needed to postpone our 2020 trips to Patagonia and Peru. And looking back, it’s quite funny. We were both like, “do we really need to postpone? All of this will surely settle down”.
Photo Gallery Update
You can make a booking below, or visit the tour page for more information.
Honestly, if I didn’t read a foreign newspaper, I’d forget there was a pandemic.
Today, I want to update what’s going on with the photo gallery and coffee shop here in Portugal.
When Are We Opening?
If you want to look at more positives, there are a couple spaces still open on those Patagonia trips. So, if you missed out on the 2021 trips – or didn’t feel confident enough booking – you can join us in 2022.
Yeah, Japan is very special to me.
I’m trying to get better and blogging about the things I’m up to. I’m actually finding it very therapeutic to write. I started my career as a writer. So it’s kind of funny to come to the realization that I find so much peace in writing.
Lockdown?
I feel so fortunate that I’ve been “stuck” here in Lagos with Jodie.
This is the big question.
For the most part, we’ve avoided lockdowns in Portugal. Jodie and I arrived here mid-June. And since then we’ve really not had many restrictions. There have been a couple long weekends in which we’ve been under curfew to keep people from travelling on their days off. But, for the most part it’s almost felt like business as usual.
It’s Weird.
As we learned in 2020, it’s always best to play it by ear. Beyond the postponing of the Patagonia workshops, I have no idea if we’re going to need to postpone anything else.
In case you missed it, there was also an announcement the other day that I’ll be leading a photography workshop with Joe Allam in Japan!
The trips upcoming are Peru in May, and Iceland in June/July.
Well, it’s officially come full circle. Today, we had to postpone our 2021 Patagonia photography workshops.
That’s a trip that I’m so excited for. If you’ve been following my work for a while, you’ll know how inspired I have been in my travel photography by Japan. Feel free to watch the video below where I re-connect with the family I stayed with on exchange as a 13 year old.
