One Month In Europe

Vancouver is a beautiful place. But everything Vancouver lacks, Europe makes up for and then some. I spent one month in Europe with 2 cameras and multiple lenses. I shot 8 rolls of film, plus hundreds of digital images. Here’s a recap of my trip!

London

I first landed in London. It’s such a bizarre city to me. I get why it’s the most visited city in the world. It has beautiful sites, delicious food, it’s easy to navigate and English-speaking. On top of that, many museums are free and there’s culture coming out of every corner. But it’s such a career-centred city. People work themselves into a state of mania. Regardless, it’s a city that has tons to offer if you’re still up for it after a long day’s work.

I stayed with one of my best friends Rachel. It was a huge bonus as it costs an arm and leg to stay in London. She also got to show me spots I would never find on Google (ie. the best overpriced coffee, local trendy smoothie joints, the park where the cool kids actually go). Rachel has got to be one of the most stunning humans I know. I was really glad to snap a couple candid shots of her. Here’s Rachel looking really cool on transit, and effortlessly bitchy in front of a patterned wall. She is the nicest person I know, and really, really good at owning the “Resting Bitch Face”. I guess it is possible to have it all!

Rachel also has a really cute flat that’s decorated with A LOT of bunting (every room has it?) and big windows aka the perfect setting for a selfie.

FYI – London is blustery. I somehow forgot this and wore a hat and short dress one day. The dress ended up over my head on a tube escalator, and my hat (okay, Rachel’s hat that I quickly became obsessed with and tried to track down all over Europe and found one glorious day in Paris) ended up in a construction site. I quickly hit up a Mango store and nabbed these ripped jeans. I have been wearing them in 35 degree weather which is okay, because thigh vents.

There’s an amazing flower market every Sunday in the East End. If you don’t already have claustrophobia, you will after visiting the Columbia Road Flower Market. It’s the most beautiful thing I’ve seen in ages, but if you don’t have your elbows up, I can’t guarantee what will happen to you. There you can find bunches of fresh flowers, like peonies for 5 quid, and Club Mate (see further in post). You can also find this fellow selling peacock feathers – he’s a good hugger!

If you want to peek at my Instagram photos from this trip, check out @hipsister

Amsterdam

I am head over heels for Amsterdam. This place is so special. I could tell you there are bikes and happy Dutch people everywhere but it’s truly something you have to experience. There is no place like this elsewhere in the world and I think it should be top of your list to see.

This was my view at night. It was almost 11 pm and the sky was still bright, the canals were lit up and you could hear scooters zooming by. It’s the most comforting thing ever. The laid-back energy of this city can’t help but wear off on you.

Walking or biking along the canals is a great way to spend an afternoon. Many people were sitting along the water reading books, enjoying a drink (or special herb), and taking in the beauty that is Amsterdam.There are endless café’s to choose from here. I was fortunate to find a couple of vegan ones. This one with the cute pooch and bright décor happened to be raw.

Berlin

BERLIN IS SO GOOD. Go to Berlin. It is by no means a “pretty” city, but it’s one of the top places in Europe to visit in your 20’s. The night-life is so intense, people stay in clubs for full weekends (no, seriously, they don’t leave). I lived off currywurst and Club Mate for a week – two things that are specific to Germany. There is beautiful graffiti all over the city, especially the East Side Gallery (the remaining Berlin wall that’s covered by graffiti).

My favourite thing in Berlin was the outdoor flea market that happens on Sundays. It was one of the biggest flea markets I’ve been to.

There are rows and rows of affordable mid-century furniture, jewellery, vintage cameras, and clothing. Plus, amazing food (and a gathering of cute older ladies).

One great thing about Europe is that drinking in public is legal. Open air restaurants and bars are packed with people of all ages enjoying a drink. It’s really cool to be able to buy a cider and enjoy it by the riverbank.

The foodie in me went nuts in Berlin, as seen on my Instagram.Prague

Prague is hands-down the most gorgeous city I have ever laid eyes on. The Baroque and Rococo architecture is so stunning, especially with all of the colour!

There were tons of travellers here already, I can’t image it at the peak of summer. I had to wait ages to get these film shots without tons of people walking by.

I kind of want to logo my red pick-up truck with Coca-Cola now in hopes of getting a lifetime supply!?

Budapest

I honestly wasn’t sure what to expect of Budapest. I didn’t know that much about it. Just that it was beautiful, a young person’s city, and a place not visited by as many travellers in Europe. It was interesting to visit churches and abandoned synagogues. In some parts there’s still a lot of anti-Semitism, which is the only crappy part to Europe in my mind.

The detailing in the architecture here is unbelievable.

The parliament building on the Danube river is so picturesque. I’ve never seen a building quite as beautiful. The whole view of it along the water, with the surrounding red-roofed buildings was amazing.

This was THE nicest church I saw in Europe. I visited a ton of churches, but this one stood out. The roof detailing and colouring was unlike anything I’ve seen. Not to mention you have to climb the Buda Hills to reach it. You really appreciate it at the top.

People mainly get around by bike, scooter, and trams in the city. But I saw some sweet old cars in the Buda Hills.

Again, I went a bit Instagram crazy in this city. Especially with all the floor detailing!

Paris

This was a great last leg to my trip. I had a completely inaccurate preconception of what Paris would be like. I figured it would be really glam, with people wearing 6 inch heels eating chocolate croissants on the Champs-Élysées. Yes, there was some of that, but it was mostly charming old café’s, tree-lined streets, and romantic people everywhere. But, of course, I did see the Champs-Élysées and the glorious Arc De Troimphe.

A trip to Paris would not be a trip to Paris without visiting the gravestones of Oscar Wilde and Jim Morrison at the Père Lachaise Cemetery.

This city was beautiful at night with all the lit up attractions. Probably the most overrated thing I saw in Paris was the Moulin Rouge. I think it’s worth stopping by for some photos, but that’s about it.

The Eiffel Tower! Bad ass for mostly for its giant stature, but also the completely weird crowd it brings. It is a mighty structure, you can’t really image the scale of it until you’re beside it. It’s so beautiful at night, especially for the first 5 minutes of each hour when they set off a series of lights.

There’s great street art in Paris, like this Jean-Charles de Castelbajac piece on the left and the Colette store on the right.

I could go on for ages why Europe is the best place in the world, but this is already a long post. I have tons more images and have no idea what will be done with them. There’s something so special about Europe and I’m so happy to have solid memories captured on film. I’m already wanting to go back. If I am lucky enough to see each country before I kick it, I will be a happy girl. You know you’ve done something right in your life to be given the gift of travelling. Work hard, play hard, right?