There was one thing on my bucket list that I had to see while I was in Poland and that was the sand dunes at Slowinski National Park. We had a very busy couple of months in Poland and weekends came and went with other plans and coming to the end of our trip we still hadn't had the chance to visit the sand dunes. On our second last day in Europe before we were set to board our way-too-many-hours-on-a-plane flight back to Australia, Dan’s uncle took a day off work. It was early in the morning while we were just waking up without many plans for the rest of the day, when he comes to us and says in Polish “I need to show you Łeba (Slowinski), let’s go”.
We set off on the two hour drive West away from Gdansk, five of us cramped in a tiny Skoda that couldn’t keep up with the highway speeds and an aircon that barely worked during the summer heat - but it was all part of the European roadtrip charm. We drove through pine forests, passed fields of flowers in the countryside and gazed at the country houses with piles of wooden logs already preparing for the cold winter ahead while in the middle of summer. We saw deer grazing in the fields and stalks that build their nests at the top of electricity poles.
It had only rained a couple of times during our entire long stay in Poland, and ironically as soon as we parked our car at the National Park entrance, the dark clouds looming in the distance finally gave way and it started pouring. We were too eager to get out of the car after the long drive and to start exploring, that we started our adventure through the rain.
Once we arrived at the park, we had to pay a small entrance fee and then purchase tickets for the ferry to take us to the beginning of the forest walkway to the sand dunes. After the first ferry ride, we stopped at the entrance of the walkway to have a bite to eat with some Polish beers before starting the forest trail.
The forest trail is incredible for an Australian like me. You are surrounded by towering pine trees, the floor and the tree trucks are covered in a layer of green moss and everything looked and felt so fresh and lush. Dan’s uncle picked some sort of berry from the forest floor for us to try and I was taken by all the tiny creatures that would suddenly appear everywhere around you if you only just paid attention. Fire red squirrels, tiny frogs with the loudest voices, giant beetles and giant slugs.
We spent the rest of the afternoon exploring where the forest meets the sand and taking a quick dip in the freezing Baltic sea before driving back home at dusk.
all photos edited with my new Gdansk Lightroom Preset!
Today was one of those rare moments while in Europe that Dan and I had a completely free day to do whatever we wanted. We decided to go for a walk in the local forest by our home in Gdansk, Poland. We spent the rest of the afternoon hiking, taking pictures, walking over logs that have been placed to cross rivers and coming across wild animals like horses and even some pigs which we heard rustling in the forest!
I shrieked with excitement when we came across a beautiful field of wildflowers, the white blossoms beaming in the short bursts of sunlight through the clouds. Next time I come to Poland, I vowed that I NEED to do a fashion shoot in some of these wonderful locations, so different to what home has to offer. Dan and I also daydreamed about how amazing it would be to have a home in one of these forest-surrounded suburbs in the countryside of Poland. Maybe one day.
all photos edited with my new Gdansk Lightroom Preset.
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You can also see all the final photos from this trip in my Yosemite National Park post!
With heavy hearts, Dan and I left Yosemite National Park and drove back to San Francisco with our eyes set on new adventures that were coming our way very soon. We boarded our flight in San Francisco and left the US behind, landing in Frankfurt for a connecting flight to Gdansk.
The first and last time I visited Gdansk, Dan and I had only a few fleeting days to spend there after a work trip. This time we were coming back with a few months to spend exploring and with his family. We couldn’t be more excited about it. When we land in Gdansk and walk out of the arrivals gate, it was the loveliest feeling seeing an old familiar face and a sense of deja vu receiving another big bear hug from Dan’s uncle. He drove us home, making a stop at the local bakery first to buy some blueberry filled pastries. I remember so vividly that drive from the airport to home, my eyes were glued to the car window watching all the spanning fields of wildflowers as we drove past, a permanent smile on my face regardless of the jet lag I felt.
Three years ago, it was the first time I visited Poland and I wrote “we were in poland for three days, and i couldn't thank dan's family enough for making it the most memorable three days ever. dan and i are longing to go to poland again soon, it would be so lovely to be able to spend a longer amount of time with his wonderful family exploring, hanging out and taking pictures.” and we finally got to do just that. These two and a half months we spent in Gdansk and traveling around Europe were one of the most memorable. I will never forget all the new friends I made, all the time I got to spent with family, all the places I explored and all the little moments in between.
Here’s a collection of images and stories from our two and a half months in Poland. If you scroll down to the bottom of the blog post, I have put together my personal travel guide for Gdansk, Poland. If you are every planning on traveling here I hope you find it helpful! I have so many more pictures to share with you from all our travels around Europe which are coming soon!
I also have some exciting news because I've started sharing more fashion shoot behind the scenes videos + Lightroom & Photoshop Tutorials on my YouTube Channel! Be sure to subscribe as I upload 2 new videos every week x
Here you can find my personal Gdansk travel guide!
What to do
Gdnask old town // If you’re travelling to Poland and decide to venture out of the main cities of Warsaw and Krakow to see something different, Gdansk is a beautiful city by the Baltic Sea. Gdansk, Gdynia and Sopot are the three cities that make up the tri city area. For us, Gdansk was home for two months so we got to explore all the restaurants and bars that make up the main road in the old city. We were in Gdansk during the summer months, where Main street and Long street are busy morning to night with market stalls and the Gdansk Eye was in motion, giving you 360 views of the entire city - which we highly recommend doing at sunset!
Gdynia // Gydnia is the next city in the North of Poland, also by the water and popular for its night life amongst locals. Just like Gdansk, there are countless places to shop and eat as well as markets in the summer which are fun to walk through. One of my most memorable moments in Gdynia was exploring the Orłowski cliffs and visiting the nearby Orłowie pier. To find the cliffs, you walk up Zaciszna, a steep road and past an abandoned building into a beautiful forest which we managed to get to just in time for sunset. From here you continue walking along the path until you get the edge of the cliff for an amazing view from which you can see Gdansk.
Sopot // Sopot is a marina-inspired town, once again nestled by the sea. In the middle of the beach stretch, you can find and make your way along the longest wooden pier in Europe at over half a kilometre long. It costs 25zł to get onto the pier and the views are beautiful especially if you go at sunset/dusk.
Oliwa // Oliwa is a quaint town near the Gdnask city centre with plenty to do. Here you can find the Gdansk Zoo which is nestled in the forest and makes for a lovely day of walking around. A short walk from the zoo, you can also find a lookout spot called Pachołek where you can walk up a few flights of stairs to get to the top of a tower higher than the treetops to see a 360 view of your surroundings. Park Oliwski is another must go to place. If you explore the park grounds, you will come across a green house, mini waterfalls, lakes and so many beautiful areas to wander around and take pictures in. A couple of other places you can visit while in this town are the Oliwa church and spending your time wandering the streets in the town and surrounding suburbs.
There are also a few places further out of Gdansk that I included photos of in this blog post that I wanted to mention:
Hel // Be prepared to incidentally make a lot of hell puns when you're on your way to and while you're in Hel! We took a yacht ride into Hel, Dan's cousin owns a sail boat and took us out onto the water. It took us about 5 hours to get there but we had a great time listening to music, talking, having a drink and just looking out into the ocean. It only took us 3 hours to get back to Gdansk as we were traveling with the wind, letting us ride faster. You can also get to Hel via car, it would take about 2 hours to drive there from Gdansk. Hel is quite a touristy town, so be prepared for everything to be a lot more expensive here that in other parts of Poland. Everything has a nautical and pirate theme and it's a gorgeous town. We spent most of our time at the beach. I would recommend to go for a swim at the north side of the beach, where the sand is white and the ocean calm. And as the day comes to an end to go for a walk around the edge of Hel so you are walking at the furthest point in Poland to see the sun setting into the Baltic Sea from the south side.
Malbork Castle // You can make a day trip from Gdansk to visit Malbork Castle, a medieval castle built in the 1400s. It takes just over an hour to make your way to Malbork from the Gdansk city centre either by car or train. Entry into the castle is 40zł per person in the summer. Once you enter the castle, you are free to roam the grounds with markets and a few places to eat in the outside sections and a museum within most of the rooms inside the castle.
Słowinski National Park // This was by far one of the highlights of my trip to Poland. I’ve always wanted to see the forest meet the sand dunes and I finally got the chance to on the second last day before we were heading home. Słowinski National Park, known to the locals as Łeba, is just over a 2 hour drive from Gdansk through forests and fields. When you arrive to the National Park, you need to pay an entry fee of about 5zł per person. From here, you can either walk around 8km to the beach or you can opt to pay to take the ferry, hire a bike or take the electric car straight to the beach. We chose to take the ferry halfway there and walk the rest of the way through the amazing forest to the beach. On our way back it was quickly getting dark so we decided to take the electric car as it was the fastest option. Once you arrive at the beach, you are free to explore as much as you like! The way the forest starts to intertwine with the sand dunes is definitely an incredible sight.
Getting around
Getting around the tri-cities is extremely easy whether you are driving or taking public transport. When we were taking day trips to further away locations such as Malbork Castle or Slowinksi National Park, we decided to drive there for the convenience of having our own car. However public transport is usually just as quick. In fact, on Google maps it mentions it will take an hour and ten minutes to drive from Gdansk to Malbork, however taking the train would only be a 47 minute long trip.
To get around the old city in Gdansk, we normally walked everywhere as most things are a short distance away from each other. If we needed to travel a little bit further or travel between the tri-cities, working out which bus or tram to take was super easy, inexpensive and a new tram or bus usually arrives within a few minutes of each other.
all photos edited with my new Gdansk Lightroom Preset.
Editorial for issue 29 of White Magazine.
model blair @ chadwicks
styling carla burrell
styling assistants kate bryce & renee mantle
hair & makeup liv lundelius
florals jardin botanic
videography joel @ la lune cinema
I'm excited because I've started sharing more fashion shoot behind the scenes videos + Lightroom & Photoshop Tutorials on my YouTube Channel! Be sure to subscribe as I upload 2 new videos every week x
all photos edited with my New York Lightroom Preset!
Follow me on my instagram accounts:
main account @julia trotti
personal account @juls.trotti
I also have some exciting news because I've started sharing more fashion shoot behind the scenes videos + Lightroom & Photoshop Tutorials on my YouTube Channel! Be sure to subscribe as I upload 2 new videos every week x
You can also see all the final photos from this trip in my San Francisco blog post!
01. cascade creek falls | Situated on your way into Yosemite Valley to the left side of the road when you take the 120 or Big Oak Flat Road into the Valley. There are only a couple of car spaces available to pull over to walk to the bridge this waterfall is situated next to, which are quickly filled up in peak seasons like summer. So hopefully as you're driving past there aren't too many people pulled over already!
02. merced river from above | Also situated on Big Oak Flat Road as you head into Yosemite Valley, make a stop on the Pohono Bridge to see this impressive view of the Merced River from above. These two images were taken on a winter morning.
03. half dome | Get your first glimpses of the Half Dome amongst the rest of the landscape of Yosemite National Park. This spot in an unnamed viewpoint just off Big Oak Flat Road before Cascade Creek Falls, with a small space for you to pull over, stretch your legs and see the first of many amazing views to come.
04. tunnel view | This is the spot to get *the* shot of Yosemite. This is not a viewpoint literally in the tunnel right next to the carpark. We saw a lot of people walking on the tiny pathway inside the polluted tunnel to get to a viewpoint that isn't the right one (although you can get a view of the side of mountain from here)! Tunnel View is the view you see just a few steps from the carpark out in the fresh air. To get here, you need to drive to the east end of the Wawona Tunnel along the Wawona Road/Highway 41. From here you can see El Capitan and Bridal Veil Falls as well as Half Dome right in the background. The first image was taken in the summer, so the falls were quite small and were hard to see. The next two images were taken in the winter where the waterfalls were flowing, however there were plenty of low-hanging clouds and fog which made it hard to see the Half Dome at times.
05. valley view | Situated to the left side of the one-way Northside Drive on your way out of Yosemite Valley, just before the last bridge before seeing the signs to the highway. There is a little carpark that fits around 15-20 cars and is a few steps from the road. This is the view of the valley from the Merced River. The first picture is Valley View in the winter, the second image is in the summer.
06. yosemite falls | While Yosemite Valley, pull over and take a walk around Sentinel Meadow where you can see some amazing views and a different perspective of Yosemite Falls. Be sure to listen to the signs and stay on the marked paths to 'give plants a chance' to grow back again!
07. el capitan bridge | Located along the one-way Northside Drive on your way out of Yosemite Valley. There are plenty of spots to pull over by the bridge to see views of El Capitan and Cathedral Rocks.
08. cathedral rocks | Located along one-way Northside Drive and close by to El Capitan Bridge, El Capitan Meadow gives you impressive views of Cathedral Rocks as well as El Capitan itself. In the summer, we saw plenty of deer grazing in the meadows early in the morning and in the winter we caught glimpses of two wolves chasing after each other in the afternoon!
09. half dome sunset | Stop by Sentinel Bridge at sunset to see the last light linger on the Half Dome while being reflected in the Merced River. When the weather conditions are just right only the top of the Half Dome will be lit up in vivid colours.
10. glacier point | Located at the end of Glacier Point Road, about an hours drive out of Yosemite Valley. This is one of my favourite lookouts in Yosemite - you can see the Half Dome as well as many other mountains and you have clear views of Vernal and Nevada falls. If you use the binoculars at the viewpoint you can even see all the people that have hiked to the falls! I would recommend to get to this viewpoint early in the morning during peak seasons. Not only does it look amazing in the morning light, but once there are too many people they close access to Glacier Point Road until people leave to make more room. Access to this road is also closed during the Winter season, however you can make the 10 mile (one way) hike to Glacier Point or spend time at Badger Pass Ski Area (photo below).
While there are some amazing hikes you can do while in Yosemite National Park, I thought it would be a great idea to put together a blog post of all the landmarks and viewpoints you can see along the way that are super easy to get to. Whether you are only visiting for a short length of time or are looking for new perspectives to photograph the park, I hope this blog post has been helpful! What other viewpoints have you been to in Yosemite that you can recommend? I'd love to visit them on my next trip and add them to this list!
I also have some exciting news because I've started sharing more fashion shoot behind the scenes videos, travel vlogs + Lightroom & Photoshop Tutorials on my YouTube Channel! Be sure to subscribe as I upload 2 new videos every week x
campaign for candice lee
models olivia arezzolo & natalie jameson
makeup makeup by megan
hair candice lee
Extra information on some of the trails we did:
Lower Yosemite Fall Trail
hike length: 1 miles
hike time: 20 minutes
difficulty: easy, the entire hike is a paved footpath
Cook's Meadow Loop
hike length: 1 mile
hike time: 30 minutes - there are quite a few spots to stop and take photos along the way!
difficulty: easy
other posts about hikes: Mirror Lake // Bridal Veil Falls
Since we were only in Yosemite National Park for a short couple of days, we wanted to see as much as possible so we picked the easier trails that took less time. I can't wait to come back next time and be able to spend time hiking to Vernal & Nevada Falls, as well as the Half Dome one day!
all photos edited with my lightroom preset Disposable Film | black and white photos edited with my lightroom preset Ghosts
Shooting in abandoned places for issue twenty eight of White Magazine.
model cassie @ the agency
hair + makeup abbey love
florals two wild hands
time of year: summer
hike length: 1.2 miles one way
total time: about 3 hours there and back, but we stopped a lot to take pictures
Mirror Lake was a great hike that I would do again in a heartbeat. You can either walk on the one mile paved trail that takes you straight to mirror lake or you can take the unpaved trail loop that we did. If you take the trail loop, you hike through so many different landscapes starting with hiking through a forest of giant sequoia trees, walking past many rivers with rushing water, giant stones that create caves and finally the lake itself that is surrounded by a huge meadow with the most beautiful mountain views and sprouting wildflowers. I love hiking in natural places, so taking the unpaved trail loop was a very easy decision for us.
The hike itself is fairly easy, moderate if you're not a regular adventurer. I would recommend to wear sturdy boots that you don't care too much to get dirty as there is no paved walkway and it was very muddy at times. We spent a lot of time walking on the rocks right next to the track instead of the muddy tracks that we could have slipped on!
Next time I would love to visit Mirror Lake in spring after the winter snow has melted and the lake is filled up. We went during the middle of summer while there were many hot days in a row and the lake was mostly dried up. That didn't get our hopes down though, with a little bit of camera trickery (hanging my arms over whatever water was left while I was taking a photo) I still got some photos I was super happy with of Mirror Lake reflecting the surrounding mountains. Here are the photos from our afternoon adventure.
all photos edited with my Disposable Film Lightroom Preset!
We only had a couple of days in Yosemite National Park so we didn't want to waste a single second. After our long drive there and a day of sight seeing, we caught a glimpse of the sunset through our window and we all jumped up and headed out the door to a cliff edge right by our house. We spent the rest of that time until dark sitting on the edge watching the sun go by, being in awe at how many beautiful trees we were surrounded by, pinching ourselves to know that we were really here.
all photos edited with my Disposable Film Lightroom Preset!
Yosemite National Park is a place that holds a special place in my heart. It was the last leg of our USA trip and probably the most beautiful.
We left our San Francisco Airbnb early in the morning and Dan & I took turns driving down the highway towards the National Park. The views along the way were wonderful, apple tree farms, endless country hills, winding roads up and down mountains. The moment we arrived at Yosemite National Park we were all in awe. We paid our entry ticket and as we started driving, we were surrounded by more and more Sequoia Trees until that’s all we could see. We all fell silent and stared out the window. I think in that moment it really sunk in where we were.
We made so many stops on the way to our accommodation, any viewpoint or waterfall that we drove past we stopped and eagerly jumped out of the car to take photos. We pulled over at Bridal Veil Falls and did the quick hike to see them. When we arrived at our accommodation just at sunset, one of Hayden’s friends arrived minutes after us and they went back on their way to Los Angeles. Dan, Sam and I spent the rest of the night figuring out what we’re going to do in the park over the next couple of days and taking pictures of the stars from our balcony.
Bridal Veil Falls hike information
hike length: 0.5 miles
hike time: it took us about 15 minutes there and back
difficulty: easy, the entire hike is a paved footpath
all photos edited with my Disposable Film Lightroom Preset!
As the first weeks of winter truly settle in in Sydney and I am off enjoying the Californian warmth, I thought it would finally be time to share a season blog post to show you guys what I had been up to. These are little snippets and behind the scenes from shoots from as far back as late 2014 until last autumn, enjoy!
We checked out of our Venice Beach home in Los Angeles and said our goodbyes to Jess and Nat who were heading home that night. Now we were left with myself, Sam, Dan and Hayden - who was going to go his own way as well but last minute decided to come with us on our road trip to San Francisco. We piled into the car that morning, suitcases and bags packed to the inside roof of the car, blasted music and made our way down the highway to another city.
On our journey there, we made a few pit stops along the way and while were driving along the extremely windy highway a giant tumbleweed flew/rolled out of nowhere and aimed straight for our car. We were all screaming as if we were in a cartoon as it hit the front of our car, rolled across the side and rolled off again into the distance. Luckily we were all fine and were able to continue driving while we were laughing saying that we had no idea that tumbleweeds would be that huge and tough. It felt and sounded like we hit into a tree rather than what we all thought was a tumbleweed - a soft ball of leaves and grass! Five hours later, we park in front of our Airbnb apartment and Dan runs out of the car to see if it made any damage. His face after a few hours of stressing and finally seeing that the tumbleweed left nothing but one stick lodged in the front of the car was priceless.
As we were heading into San Francisco we crossed the Oakland Bay Bridge where I caught my first glimpse of the city - the lights twinkling brightly moments after the sun had set. The tightly packed city lingering over the water. It was beautiful and it was a sight I would never forget.
My time in San Francisco can be summed up nothing short of wonderful. My favourite moments include waking up on my first morning to see the city covered in a thick layer of fog, the bright flowers growing in the smallest crevices and creeping along the pastel houses, feeling almost panicked at times driving through the tight roads lined with parked cars, using all my leg muscles to hike up the massive hills in the suburbs and spending the afternoon at the Golden Gate Bridge, feeling like we had it all to ourselves.
all photos edited with my new san francisco lightroom preset! photos in front of the golden gate bridge were edited with my new york lightroom preset.