Snapshots of Abroad
An attempt to visually explore Europe through the eyes of an amateur photographer studying abroad.
As an avid explorer, I love to travel. And as an avid lover of words, I’m trying to condense my ramblings to a shorter blog post. While studying abroad last year, I began to experiment more with photography to some success.
So here we go — a visual exploration of five of my favorite cities in Europe, a visual backpacking trip.
First stop: London.
London. Oh London. I didn’t believe in love at first sight until I stepped onto the bustling platform, full of coats and scarves rushing home after a long day of work.
The picture above is a classic image of London — Big Ben and the Palace of Westminster. Located on the Thames River, it is equally impressive during the day and at night, when the lights reflect off the water. The picture’s colors (though I admit I did mess around with colors and filters) reflect the dreary scene a bit more.
Now across the Channel to Brussels.
There are so many things I love about Brussels. It’s complexity. It’s multiple languages because of the EU’s prominent seat in the country and just the city itself. It’s big enough to be a major European capital but small enough to get around, sometimes even just by walking.
This scene from the picture above is a classic image of Brussels. Located right down the street from the Magritte Museum, the Mont de Arts overlooks the city center of Brussels, with the Grand Place steeple rising above the city roofs. From this photo, if you could step into Mont de Arts, you would be able to take one of four streets either heading to the tourist markets, the chocolate square, the hipster bar plaza or the train station.
Brussels is a city that keeps you guessing. It’s a city that always has something to do, but you’ll never really know what it’s all about. Brussels is an enigma, a beautiful enigma.
Hop on the metaphoric train to Venice
I have loved Venice from afar for many years now. The city is unlike any other. The canals are a sea-foam green, and there’s an air of ancient mystery and secrets that surrounds the narrow passageways. I didn’t do too much in Venice expect wander. I explored all the side alleys to get away from the crowds. That is the only downside to the city. During tourist season, the narrow alleyways aren’t exactly conducive to the amount of people there.
This picture reflects how congested the little alleys can get. In order to escape from the crowds, I took a tour of Doge’s Palace, which houses the infamous Bridge of Sighs (where this photo was taken). In this photo, I was hoping to reflect the last glimpse of the outside world that criminals saw as they were transported to the prison inside the palace. The reason it is called the Bridge of Sighs is because it is a bridge connecting the palace to the prison over a canal, and as the criminals walked across it, they would sigh because it was their last look at freedom.
Jump on a ferry and head to the city where Game of Throne is filmed: Dubrovnik.
Just like people say Paris is always a good idea so is Croatia. I have never felt like I was living in a fairy tale as much as I have while in Dubrovnik. Of course I haven’t been to New Zealand yet but regardless.
Just like in Venice, this is the city where you just aimlessly roam. You can’t really get lost in the Old City, but the white stone and hidden allies peppered with flower beds and clotheslines make you feel as if you’ve stepped out of time.
Two recommendations — visit the Buza Bar. It’s where the photo above was taken and is this tiny bar built into the cliffs of the Old City. It’s perfect for sunset drinks. Also hop onto a free walking tour. They give an ignorant tourist an insightful peek into the country and the city’s rich history, or if you’re a TV lover, they have a “Game of Thrones” inspired tour as well.
Our last stop, by far my favorite city in terms of beauty, Prague.
Prague is like a symphony. In a city full of music, different melodies harmonize with one another to create a thing of beauty. There’s the sound of street vendors and street artists performing in the Old Town Square. There’s the sound of classical music wafting from windows contrasted with the modern music spilling out of bars and clubs. It’s a mystery that will never be uncovered.
I adored Prague and the ominous feeling that strikes you as ancient. Clean and architecturally complex, the city has a life to it unlike the other cities in Europe. This photo is of the famous Charles Bridge taken at sunset. While the bridge itself is ominous, especially when walked across at dusk in the rain, the city itself is on fire. The colors of the roofs spark in the sunlight.
It’s a beautiful city, vastly underrated. There’s an ambience to it that speaks volumes across the years. It’s medieval, baroque and modern all wrapped into one paradoxical city that begs the tourist to constantly come back to keep rediscovering it.
So there you have it, a brief look at five wondrous cities in Europe.
