Got lucky and caught the Berlin Festival of Lights during my last couple days before I headed back to the US. The streets were packed, despite the fact that it was freezing. But it was well worth it. So cool to see all the building and monuments lit up with different artwork.
With my trip having now come to an end, I wanted to share with you my favorite images from the trip. Hope you all enjoy. It was an absolute life changing experience. Traveled with just an Able Archer backpack, a Fuji XT1, my passport, and a whole lot of wonder. I'm happy to be back home, but I do miss exploring new cities with new people and new food. Now, it's back to the real world (whatever that may be).
For my last 2 weeks in Europe, I planned a couple quick trips so that I wasn't sitting in a Berlin apartment all week just eating yogurt (which there is nothing wrong with, as I fell in love with German yogurt).
Amsterdam was a spot that was 100% on my list, as it is the former home of my very dear friend Henri Hooft. Lucky for me, his daughter still lives there and she was my tour guide for the trip. A boat ride through the canals, a cup of the best ice cream I have ever had, and a delicious dinner t an amazing Chinese spot, all would not have been possible without her. I really dug the city. Cool shops, a busy downtown, and what seemed like a very open and diverse crowd.
Amsterdam, Holland
I knew I wanted to go to Spain, but I wasn't sure if I wanted to do Madrid or Barcelona. To be honest, it was just a coin flip. I speak bad Spanish, so I was excited to go somewhere where I could sort of communicate with the locals. In Berlin, my beyond awful German got me nowhere. Unfortunately, and to the shock of most, Barcelona didn't really do anything for me. Maybe I had been spoiled this whole trip with some amazing cities, so I was expecting too much. Either way, I'm glad I went, but I am a bit bummed that the city didn't really speak to me the way I had hoped.
Barcelona, Spain
Bruges? Where is Bruges? I had never even heard of Bruges until James Law made me watch the film In Bruges. After seeing the movie, I searched and realized from photos that they weren't kidding. It's a Christmas card. When I got off the train I started walking down a street towards the main square and it was silent. There wasn't another person on the street. I felt like I was on a movie set. As I got to the square, I saw where all the people were hiding. Yet heading one street over, it was empty again. Absolute bliss.
