2018 Photo Contest
We’re excited to share the results of our eighth annual photo contest, held in January 2018. The contest was open to everyone who participated in our 14 trips in 2017 to the Luberon, the Périgord, Alsace, and the Cotswolds and our new European Christmas Experience trip. The rules for this year’s contest were the same as previous years. Each person could enter one or two photos that best represented their personal experience during their week; they were also asked to provide a few sentences about their photo and why the experience was meaningful to them.
There was one big change in this year’s contest. For our previous seven contests, Kathy managed the contest, coordinated with the entrants, and compiled results from outside judges who worked independently to select and rank their top picks. This year our daughter Kelly (a PhD student in History and French Studies at NYU and a contest judge for several years) managed the contest. The two of us (Kathy and Charley) were the judges. We didn’t know who submitted any of the photos, and we worked together to determine the final group of winners.
A Few Words from the Judges (Kathy and Charley)
It was REALLY HARD to be a judge! As you’ll see in the slide show, every photo is meaningful, and we thoroughly enjoyed reviewing every one. It was so rewarding for us to re-live our own experiences with our groups in 2017 and to share these special moments with our travelers. Some photos are truly outstanding from a technical standpoint, and so many of the descriptions are thoughtful and inspiring. But most importantly to us, each photo and its description represents a unique memory treasured by one of our travelers. That idea touches our hearts and reminds us why we love what we do. It also made it very difficult to choose only 16 of the 105 photos for the special prizes.
As always, the collection of photos submitted in our annual contest represent the many aspects of our European Experiences: beautiful countryside, picturesque villages and towns, unique experiences, connections with local people, memorable meals, and special times with group members. In narrowing the group of excellent photos and choosing our 16 winners, we considered the combination of the photograph and description, which together communicate an important aspect of European Experience trips. We also wanted to put together a portfolio of winning photos that offered a varied perspective and included all of our 2017 trips. (We never dreamed it would be this hard!!)
And now… the Winners!
This year we received 105 entries from 57 people, 32% of the people on our 2017 trips. Every photo captures a special element of a European Experience trip, and the captions enhance and explain the photo from the photographer’s perspective. Be sure to read the descriptions!
Congratulations to Steve Rapaport of Stockton, California, our 2018 grand prize winner! (That’s Steve on the left, with his wife Linda… and his camera.)
Steve’s winning photo is of a stunning sunset over Kientzheim, the beautiful walled village that’s home base for our Alsace Experience week.
The Alsace Experience was Steve’s fourth European Experience trip. He and Linda joined us for The Luberon Experience in 2014, The Périgord Experience in 2015, and The Cotswolds Experience in 2016. They’re both now retired and love traveling… and we love having them with us.
Steve is an enthusiastic amateur photographer and was also our grand prize winner in 2016. His prize is a $500 credit on a future European Experience trip, which he can put to immediate use when he and Linda join us for our Return to the Luberon week in May.
In addition to the grand prize, this year we named three runners-up. They will each receive a $250 credit on a future Experience trip:
- Andy Crossfield from Lakeland, Florida, USA, a first time traveler with us, for his panoramic photo of Bonnieux and a storm in the valley from The Luberon Experience.
- Eric Schuman from Salem, Oregon, USA, also a first time traveler, for his photo of the sun-lit staircase at Le Clos du Buis from his Luberon Experience week.
- Ross Roy of Harrison, Tennessee, USA, for his photo of the snow-covered Bavarian countryside from The European Christmas Experience. This was his fourth European Experiences trip.
Twelve other photographs were selected for special recognition in this year’s contest. These travelers each won a $50 Amazon gift certificate (or a $50 credit on a 2018 or 2019 trip). See all 16 winning photos below, along with what each traveler had to say about the experience represented in their photo. Winners are listed in alphabetic order in each category.
Thanks so much to everyone who participated in this year’s contest! Special thanks also go to Kelly Wood for her excellent support for this year’s contest.
Grand Prize Winner
The Alsace Experience – June 2017
(Steve from California, USA)
Sunset in Kientzheim: If you have always wanted to stay in a walled city then visiting Kientzheim, France is highly recommended. The walls are ancient stone with turrets at the corners and windy roads that lead you to interesting explorations. Just outside the walls are vegetable gardens, cherry trees, and of course vineyards that stretch for as far as the eye can see. Visiting and staying in this unique village adds so much to the Alsace trip.
Runner-Up
The Luberon Experience – May 2017
(Andy from Florida, USA)
My favorite photo is a panorama of Bonnieux, France. At the moment I took this, a terrible hail storm was pelting the vineyards and olive groves in the valley. You can see the dark clouds in the center of the photo. We found out later there was much damage from the hail.
Runner-Up
The Luberon Experience – May 2017
(Eric from Oregon, USA)
Bonnieux was a magical place for us, and we couldn’t have felt more at home than at Le Clos du Buis – a special place to feel nurtured by the ambience of the French countryside.
Runner-Up
The European Christmas Experience – December 2017
(Ross from Tennessee, USA)
Day trip to Bavarian Alps. It was easy to get lost in your thoughts looking out the train window, watching the scenery go by. Besides the picturesque scenery, the train would pass children sledding, people skiing or snow shoeing across snow covered fields, parents pushing baby buggies, and people just out getting exercise. I liked visiting all the small towns on our itinerary, but getting there was half the fun.
Special Recognition
The European Christmas Experience – December 2017
(Cheryl from Alberta, Canada)
On our tour through the countryside in Alsace we visited Bergheim and enjoyed a wonderful traditional lunch, tarte flambée. It was one of my favourite days. During the Christmas season, this lovely village is home to over 80 Nativity scenes or creches—big and small, inside and out. This one especially caught my eye with this big cat sitting in the warm afternoon sun watching passers-by.
Special Recognition
The Alsace Experience – May/June 2017
(Cindy from Florida, USA)
While strolling through the beautiful village of Kaysersberg, I found an idyllic spot to relax and enjoy the sights and sounds of the village. The gurgles of the water, the singing of the birds, and the beautiful blue sky made for a picture perfect day. Now I understand why Kaysersberg was voted “Le Village préféré des Français.”
Special Recognition
The Cotswolds Experience – July/August 2017
(Freda from North Carolina, USA)
The Cotswolds Lavender farm delights the senses. Stroll through the rows of lavender, brush your fingertips across the buds and inhale the fragrance of the different varieties. Look down the rows of blooms to the cottage and the patchwork of the farmland beyond. What feels like a perfect movie shot, is instead the result of year-round hard work of a family run farm. Such were my feelings during this unforgettable visit.
Special Recognition
The European Christmas Experience – December 2017
(Gloria from Tennessee, USA)
I found Sankt Gilgen, Austria, to be a serene and majestic village — from the spectacular mountain views, the snow covered trees with stars, the lampposts with red candles or the Christkind (the golden-haired baby, with wings, who symbolizes the new born Christ) — simple decorations with a powerful Christmas message, to the woman dressed in blue walking with poles. Also captured in this photo is Kathy, donning her red backpack, who I would follow anywhere for an experience of a lifetime.
Special Recognition
The Périgord Experience – July 2017
(Jan from New South Wales, Australia)
The view from our canoe as we, and others from our tour group, went canoeing/gliding 9km down the Dordogne River towards the impressive 12th century castle, Chateau de Beynac, perched 150m above. A treat not to be missed! After lunch we enjoyed visiting the castle and the magnificent wide views of the river and surrounding countryside – wonderful memories!
Special Recognition
The Périgord Experience – June 2017
(Jim and Niki from Texas, USA)
The flowers of France: Roses and trumpet vines climb and twine up the stone wall of this small, private chateau. The vines also frame the lower door so that it is almost hidden from sight. The flowers seemed to be in bloom all over the Périgord and this chateau was no exception.
Special Recognition
The Luberon Experience – September 2017
(Linda from Texas, USA)
On our visit to the Abbaye St. Hilaire between Ménerbes and Lacoste, we came upon this passage, where the light streamed in and the beautiful Luberon landscape filled the doorway. For me, it was a lovely metaphor for our travel experience — opening a door to new experiences, new friendships and a very special time in France.
Special Recognition
The Luberon Experience – September 2017
(Lisa from Minnesota, USA)
Since Kathy and Charley live part-time in the Luberon, traveling with them was like visiting friends who are “locals.” Their many friends and acquaintances opened their homes, vineyards and gardens to allow our group to experiences things out of the reach of most tourists. One such place was this peaceful secret garden in Bonnieux, where we received a private tour from the owner/gardener on a lovely September afternoon.
Special Recognition
The Luberon Experience – May 2017
(Lorn from Oregon, USA)
Saint Remy de Provence is a sleepy town housing the psychiatric hospital where Van Gogh committed himself from 1889-90 – the location where he painted “Starry Night” and other famous works. Still used for its original purpose, it houses a Van Gogh museum and features this beautiful Romanesque cloister.
Special Recognition
The Alsace Experience – May/June 2017
(Meghan from Pennsylvania, USA)
Back at our home base, we enjoyed a lovely locally-hosted farewell dinner. Dinner was complete with local favorites, wine, live music and fabulous hosts. It was a great way to end the trip with a local experience and truly live the experience. While enjoying the music and an aperitif, we danced and said our final goodbyes.
Special Recognition
The European Christmas Experience – December 2017
(Ron from Alberta, Canada)
I thoroughly enjoyed browsing through the Neue Pinakothek museum in Munich filled with this unique collection of 19th century art. As I walked into this room, I noticed Diane as she listened to the narrative and studied the painting. She stood there for quite awhile observing this painting and many others. I believe she enjoyed the museum as much as I did.
Special Recognition
The Luberon Experience – September 2017
(Tim from California, USA)
Always surprises during our European Experience… here in the middle of Provence we discovered the ancient pillars of a thriving Roman colony. Long after the citizens of Glanum left, their legacy bears witness to a new age in Europe… a testimony to a world that continues to welcome and cast its light on travelers and adventurers from every land.
Click here to see a slide show of all the entries.
We think you’ll enjoy these different perspectives each photographer offered of their European Experience! Thanks again to everyone who shared their memories and entered our contest. Everyone who entered will receive a special gift.