Austria

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Hallstatt and Obertraun
Hallstatt and Obertraun

For a break from the city, we headed to the alpine towns of Obertraun and the 7000 year old town of Hallstatt. The town has been in existence even before Rome and has been declared a UNESCO world heritage site, so what you see has remained authentic to the way it looked for many years.

Vienna on foot
Vienna on foot

Here are some random photos from Vienna. 

Wachau Valley, Austria
Wachau Valley, Austria

To get away from the busy streets of Vienna, we boarded a cruise along the Danube into the wine valley of Wachau to get an authentic Austrian experience. 

Willkommen in Wien
Willkommen in Wien

Vienna was for decades seated as the capitol of the Austro-Hungarian empire and before that, also the Holy Roman Empire. So in a sense, it has been the centre of the western world for much of history. That explains why every building screams opulence.  

 Belgium

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Random surpises
Random surpises

I saw some funny and wonderful things on my way through Belgium. While I write my post on Luxembourg, here are some of the random things I shot so far.

Biking from Namur's french countryside
Biking from Namur's french countryside

On Saturdays the people of Namur go shopping in the street markets. After filling my backpack with bagels and croissants, we headed off on a 30km bike trip along the river to the picturesque Dinant. 

Antwerp fashion capital
Antwerp fashion capital

If Bruges is the Venice of the north, then Antwerp is Milan. Belgium's fashion capital has a laid back, Italian personality with fast cars and trendy restaurants. 

Life in Ghent
Life in Ghent

This student city is young and vibrant with many sights and a lot of history. 

My day in Bruges
My day in Bruges

This medieval town, known as the Venice of the North, has lots of narrow streets to stroll down. If ever I got lost I just needed to look up to find a bell tower or follow the scent of chocolate or french fries to the town square.

Brussels at night
Brussels at night

Long exposure night time photography in Brussels.

Stepping back in time
Stepping back in time

One of the cool things about Brussels is to see the remnants of the medievil origins seemingly untouched for decades. 

Monuments of Brussels
Monuments of Brussels

Today I made my way outside the city centre to see the main iconic landmarks of Brussels, the Atomium and the Cinquantenaire park. 

Chocolates in Belgium
Chocolates in Belgium

Buying chocolate in Brussels is like walking into a Willy Wonka-land with as much pride put into it as diamonds in a jewellery shop.

 France

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Art taking over Chaumont-sur-Loire
Art taking over Chaumont-sur-Loire

This is my final day's story in Blois and I happened to, by force of nature, end on a highlight.

Traditional French food and wine among the chateaux
Traditional French food and wine among the chateaux

Finally found some traditional food paired with some amazing wine. All in the middle of the land of castles and kings.

Countryside castles of the Loire Valley
Countryside castles of the Loire Valley

Seeing the countryside chateaux of the Loire Valley by bike and on foot.

Middle Eastern Art in Paris
Middle Eastern Art in Paris

As a cosmopolitan city, Paris, and the art, is a mix of cultures.

The train back from Versailles
The train back from Versailles

I am starting to draw connections and following the threads between the sights of Paris. I have few days left in Paris before heading to the countryside. Let's hope all everything gets ticked off my list.

A walk in the park
A walk in the park

Mingling with the locals outside in the sun.

Montmartre and the rain
Montmartre and the rain

Street photography taken inside due to some rain. This led to shots of cafes and the basilica.

Foresty path to the future
Foresty path to the future

Inspiration from modern Japanese manga pop art and 3D cinematography gave me so many ideas for my next photo shoot.

Fandom of the Opera
Fandom of the Opera

A fan of the famous musical takes a tour of one of the greatest opera houses of Europe.

My first day in Paris
My first day in Paris

This year for my birthday I decided to explore the streets of Paris in search of great food and authentic architecture. First on the list is the Eiffel tower.

 Hungary

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Syrian migrant crisis in Hungary
Syrian migrant crisis in Hungary

As we headed to Keleti train station On the first rainy winter's night in a week of summer with opera tickets in hand, a woman walked past us with tears in her eyes. She was another tourist and as we turned the corner, I could see the cause of her tears.

Random shots from my week in Budapest
Random shots from my week in Budapest

Some snippits of the ones I haven't had time to write about. 

Szentendre and Visegrad
Szentendre and Visegrad

Travelling from Budapest to smaller towns. The old villages are still very much like it was many years ago and has lots of little walkways and alleys to wander through.

Hidden stories
Hidden stories

I'm writing this post on a train to Szentendre heading to the old fortress in Viségrad, a town just outside Buda. As the suburban buildings go by, I'm reminded about the contrasts to the city and in particular, the castle-turned-museum on Castle Hill.

Parliament and the people
Parliament and the people

Next to the magnificent building of parliament is a stark reminder of those that died so senselessly during the Second World War.

Fisherman's Bastion and Matthias Church
Fisherman's Bastion and Matthias Church

Comparing the old world fairytale side of Buda to the modern side of Pest. 

Exploring Budapest
Exploring Budapest

The start of my journey through two European countries, Hungary and Austria.

 Luxembourg

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A small country called Luxembourg
A small country called Luxembourg

Luxembourg, a country the size of Cape Town, is one of those tiny places that many can't even pinpoint on a map. Yet it has played a big role in world history and is a beautiful place to visit.

 

Mauritius

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Mauritius Island
Mauritius Island

Walking through the busy markets and engaging with locals allowed me to witness first hand the intricate patterns and colour combinations of Mauritius.

 

The Netherlands

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Daytrip to Amsterdam
Daytrip to Amsterdam

My trip to Belgium started with a stopover in The Netherlands to be followed by a train to Brussels. I booked the train tickets with enough time to spare so I can do some sightseeing for a few hours.

 

Slovakia

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Bratislava, Slovakia
Bratislava, Slovakia

With the trains closed between Budapest and Vienna, we were forced to take the quickest alternative via Bratislava.