If I Were Going...: 2026 Stevens Family Calendar -- May

May was an interesting month for me to put together because, unlike most of the photos I deal with, all the shots were from a place to which I have never been. They were taken by Becca, who usually doesn't contribute many photos to the calendar, from a trip she and Aaron took to Croatia, Slovenia and Italy.

So, I was working with pictures that had no context for me. I made my initial editing decisions based purely on the beauty of the photos, combined with editorial needs for variety, color and structure. Becca did help make final decisions, but the initial work was probably more like what a real photo editor does.

I will tell you, that once I saw these photos, I want to go there.

What a beautiful place! These are unused photos of Dubrovnik, Croatia

As I explained earlier, most of the calendar is designed around photo themes (ice, springtime, ocean) rather than being tied to specific locations. So, Alaska mixes with Greenland, California mixes with the Smokies and Iceland cozies up to New Mexico. Some of Becca’s European photos did find themselves mixed with other locations, but May’s pages are strictly Becca’s photos from this one trip. Scott, Caty and I truly didn’t go anywhere else like it.

We didn't see cafes like this one in Dubrovnik in Greenland or Roatán

I thought about adding some shots of historic Boston locations, but opted for pure Europe in the end.

Because Becca took all the photos, I will not give photo credits on each shot. If it is in this blog, Becca took it.

I didn't use her dreamy photo of sunset in Tuscany

The main page ended up with shots from only three places because all were so strikingly beautiful.

My favorite, hands down, is the Pilgrimage Church of the Assumption of Maria on Bled Island in Slovenia.

Look to the left and you can see Bled Castle on a rock pillar

It must have been one of Becca’s favorites, too, because she gave me a number of shots from different angles and distances.

These unused photos are from far away and above

These angles also include Bled Castle

No matter how you view it, it looks like a fairytale. Stunning!

Below that is one of two photos Becca shared of the buildings along the Ljubljanica River in Ljublana, the capital of Slovenia.

We used the left photo; the unused ones on the right were also taken in Ljubljana

The right side of the main page is three views of West Harbor in Dubrovnik.

This one shows how city walls mesh with natural cliffs

The West Harbor is not the main harbor (look how shallow it is)

Another completely different angle

I will admit that, when I selected the photos, I didn’t even realize that they were the same place.

But, it just proves that Dubrovnik is beautiful from any angle.

There were a couple more that I couldn’t fit in, also stunning

This is the stuff fairytales are made of. Which is interesting because Croatia has a rich history of folk tales!

Calendar Page

The May calendar page continues with photos from a broader range of locations in Slovenia and Croatia.

This includes some statuary. In this case, the titular dragon on the Dragon bridge in Ljubljana and Maiden with a Seagull in Opatija, Croatia.

Left is one of four sheet copper dragons flanking the bridge;
The Maiden symbolizes Opatija's connection to the sea

The calendar page includes the second photo of Old Town Ljubljana, which shows charming buildings along the river.

We used the photo on the left; right is two of the few interior shots Becca provided

The page features what I would term both cool and warm photos. The “cool” shots are of Bled Castle and a simple rowboat on Lake Bled. I was so sorry that I had to crop the rowboat photo in order to fit (May didn’t have any tall slots of the calendar page).

Left, Bled Castle; right, the full vertical version of the boat photo

The “warm” photos are all of Old Town Dubrovnik. Located on Croatia’s Adriatic coast, Dubrovnik is a UNESCO World Heritage site renowned for its remarkably preserved medieval Old Town, massive 16th-century stone walls, and, more recently, as a filming location for Game of Thrones. Basically, if Game of Thrones filmed somewhere, it is worth visiting!

Dubrovnik is known as the "Pearl of the Adriatic"

The city is closed to vehicles and features limestone streets, baroque architecture, wide whitewashed city walls and panoramic views of the dazzling blue sea.

Lots of architecture perfect for framing photographs

The city has a sunny, summery vibe that speaks to its heritage as a major port with strong ties to Venice, the Ottoman Empire, and, to a lesser extent, Byzantine and Central European traditions.