Driving into winter wonderland
I was on a road trip through Lapland (Finland) with 9 fellow students. Driving into Oulu we immediately noticed a foul smell entering the car. It must have been one of the many factories, or the combination of them. One of our crew really wanted to find the university for…
Pedal power: Ruissalo
In the Netherlands I own three bicycles. I use them to go to work, to go to the shops or to visit friends. It’s my main mode of transportation. While travelling I don’t often get the chance to go on a bike ride and when I do, it can get…
Testing stamina at Nôtre Dame de Paris
Ever since seeing the hunchback of Nôtre Dame, visiting this famous church became something I wanted to do. I didn’t expect to see the hunchback, but I was curious to see what he must have seen, like in the movie. The first sight of it convinced me even more. I had…
Weekly Photo Challenge: Streetlife
Streetlife in Venice is a bit different from the every day life I’m used to. During the day there is so much going on that you just don’t know where to look. Or how to get through the hordes of tourist for that matter. Here are two snapshots of life…
Frozen in time
Behold Hofburg palace in Vienna, winter residence of the famous Habsburg family. The statue in front of what is now used as the library, is of Frenchman Prince Eugene of Savoy. This general in the military had sworn loyalty to the Habsburgs. The statue is placed on the Heldenplatz, or Hero Square,…
Turku’s treasures
Turku is a city in the South-West of Finland, located by the sea and close to the Turku archipelago. In the city center you find a beautiful river which is a perfect place to chill out on a sunny day. You can walk along the riverbank, all the way to Turku castle.…
Ferry to Sardinia
One summer I was working on campsites in Europe. I love the feeling of working in holiday situations. It’s almost like you’re on a holiday yourself. When the season ended, I wasn’t finished yet. I wanted more. So I decided to stay to join the team that cleaned and packed all the tents and…
Tempting: longing for snow
It’s that time of the year again. The sun’s bright and hot and while others enjoy the beach I start thinking about winter. It’s not that I don’t like the sun, it’s just that I really want to find a cool job for this winter. It’s been a while since…
Rich as a tsar
Just outside St. Petersburg, past the industrial area, lies Pushkin where the Catherine palace is. As soon as I got off the bus people were trying to sell me things, but there was no time for that. A tour of the palace was waiting. The front of the palace had…
Riga’s tales
When I was in Riga spring and winter were competing. There were sunny days where the snow started melting and the streets were covered in a mixture of snow and big puddles of brown water. Winter didn’t give in and just added some new snow and a fresh wind that…