Explore the places you wish you could go through Bryce Harper's travel photography
It's part of human nature to dream of things we can't have. It's why we read celebrity profiles. It explains those afternoons wasted browsing homes on Zillow that are at least an order of magnitude beyond our price range. How many vacations have you "planned" with your partner knowing full well the entire time that you would never come close to taking them?
Well, if you're looking to "plan" another European vacation, let Phillies superstar Bryce Harper be your guide. After going to Italy for a former teammate's wedding, he's been traveling around with his wife, Kayla, and infant son, Krew, taking stunning, jealousy-inducing pictures every step of the way.
Don't be fooled by the simple phone picture of the Colosseum from when he first arrived. Bryce is just getting started.
Bryce toured the canals of Venice in what looked like it could be a still from a speedboat chase scene in a movie.
But, if calm water and brightly-colored houses are your thing, Kayla Harper is here to let you know that Venice has those as well.
The Harpers' adventures in Italy weren't all fun and games, however. There was still the serious business of matrimony to attend to and, more importantly, the incredibly serious matter of taking kick-ass wedding photos. Bryce, please don't get much closer to that wall! We don't want you to scuff up that suit, a suit which, by the way, would work perfectly for a Phillies World Series parade. Just sayin'.
From there, it was on to Switzerland. It's not clear whether the three Harpers arrived to their destination by boat, but we'd like to think this was how they got to their resort. And don't worry, Bryce: We all like your boat pictures too!
At that resort, it appears that Bryce took one of those paint-while-you-drink-wine classes. That's really the only way we can explain the scene pictured here. It's too perfect to be real life.
It would be natural to get so caught up in this trip -- the majestic scenery, the thrilling boat rides, the perfectly-fitted baby blue suit -- that you forget that Bryce and Kayla Harper weren't travelling alone. They had a baby with them the whole time! That's right, Krew was still there. Don't you dare forget about Krew. He's somewhere in that stroller ... probably.
While you're dreaming of following in Bryce, Kayla and Krew's footsteps for the perfect tour of Italy and Switzerland, it's always important to keep some perspective. Things never go perfectly, even on a vacation that generated the most breathtaking collection of photos Instagram has ever seen.
You can control the camera and the filter you apply, but you can't control the weather. They learned that the hard way in Venice.
Even if they did all get caught by surprise, those are the best looking last minute ponchos I've ever seen. Why don't they sell those at amusement parks?
Am I ever going to go on this trip to Italy and Switzerland, complete with boat rides and picturesque mountain views? Probably not. And, if you're being honest, neither are you. But, thanks to Bryce and Kayla Harper, we don't have to. With their photography, the fantasy of this trip is close enough to reality to count.
Eric Chesterton is a writer for MLB.com. He is an appreciator of the stolen base, the bunt against the shift and nearly every unconventional uniform design. He eagerly awaits Jamie Moyer's inevitable comeback.
