A three-week trip around eleven of Europe’s most iconic capitals during the summer opened up the cultural, historic and artistic worlds of each country.
London
Was there anything but the excitement of spending three weeks travelling around Europe ahead of us? We met a new group, posed by pictures of a red phone box (classic London), went for dinner and a pint, walking past institutions like the British Museum. Even as a Brit, it’s amazing to think how world-famous this museum is (largely for its stolen colonial treasures.)
There’s too much to see in London to only visit for the day. Repeat visits have taken me to St Martin’s Theatre in the West End to see Agatha Christie’s The Mousetrap, the longest-running show of any kind in the world; to visit friends in foodie haven Borough Market; to walk up to St Paul’s Cathedral, down the Thames and onto the Southbank; and up via the Outernet exhibitions on Tottenham Court Road towards Camden, for a browse in its boutique markets and a pint by the loch at sunset.
Paris
I spent my 29th birthday in Paris. Waking up at 6am in the shared dorm of a 3-star hostel wasn’t quite the dream but once we were out and on the Eurostar from St Pancras it was all downhill from there.
Montmartre was lovely! So artistic. I have a painting in my room that I’ve had since I was a teenager and it was exactly in the Parisian style I saw on coffee tables there.
We spent the day climbing the basilica of the Sacre Coeur, drinking wine outside, visiting a restaurant called Zebra and having the best beef dish followed by the most delicious chocolate brownie with a candle for my birthday Then we caught the bus to the Eiffel Tower and watched it light up as it got dark, which was a beautiful experience.
Amsterdam
Amsterdam is a very polarising place. For me, the appeal lay in its museums, including the Rijksmuseum, Moco Museum and Van Gosh Museum. The Vondelpark national garden was also a highlight, when not dodging life-threatening encounters with bikes.
Later that evening,on a river cruise around the Red Light District, we met a lovely couple who were undertaking their own trip round Europe. They redeemed the city for me, after an unease that I couldn’t quite put my finger on. While I enjoyed the museums and historical elements, including a tour from a local guide who’d emigrated from Suriname, I was glad our stay was only brief – enough to encounter the city and all it had to offer.
Berlin
I absolutely loved Berlin. Effortlessly cool, our tour guide sailed through Germany’s trendiest city on good vibes and the kind of knowledge that only comes from being a third-generation historian. Among the sites we visited were the Brandenburg Gate (with a short, potted history of the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989); the Holocaust Memorial; and Checkpoint Charlie.
We visited the Carnival of Cultures, drank beer all day and had fun. On another visit, I’d love to see the Babylon Kreuzberg cinema. Having specialised in German silent cinema during my degree, I found it fascinating to be in the city where this history felt very much still alive.
Prague
Highlights for Prague for me include visiting the astronomical clock (one of four working ones in the world), hiking to the castle, the Lennon wall, having lunch at a French bistro in a courtyard. We followed this by drinking coffee and eating macarons, then buying a blue beaded bracelet from a market.
The Mozart experience museum was certainly an experience It was the weirdest place, not remotely near Salzburg. We were saved by a message from our music producer friends from the night before and got back to the bridge as soon as we could.
We caught the tram back together in silence, exhausted from the night before. Perhaps carelessly, we didn’t bother with the fare. I remember sleeping for an hour as soon as we got in and getting up and ready to go again for our evening plans. No time to rest on tour!
Budapest
Budapest ended up being my favourite place to visit during the whole three-week trip. The warmth we felt as we arrived! It felt the promise of a new adventure with new people. I remember losing the flipflops which were precariously balanced on the outer straps of my backpack. After ten days staying in shared dorms, I booked a night in my own apartment and I have to say this was so perfect. The peace and quiet, living my solo dream life in a European city. That being said, our hostel here – the Wombats hostel – was one of the best I visited. It felt so light and airy, with a huge spiral staircase and, inexplicably, an incredible variety of indoor plants.
The next day, we met a whole new group of people on our second leg of the tour. We walked round the city, visiting the famous parliament buildings. The Széchenyi thermal spa was a lot of fun: a chance to unwind and enjoy one the city’s most famous attractions.
For a city with the motto ‘Live in Buda, party in Pest’ (referring to the two sides of the city intersected by the Danube River), it certainly lived up to its reputation. Taking a sunset river cruise along the Danube was a highlight of the trip and I’d recommend it to anyone staying in the city.
Vienna
Vienna was a beautiful place – regal, elegant. After a walk around the city, we had Aperol Spritzes by the river. Visiting during June, we were lucky to coincide with the Pride carnival, a huge affair with an amazing turnout. Dancing to a DJ set here remains my favourite memory of the place (and was followed by another tram journey home while dodging the fare… why is European public transport so difficult to work out?)
Ljubljana
The capital of Slovenia was a gorgeous place, like a picture postcard. Pretty and understated, it doesn’t draw attention to itself. With the pinks and yellows of the buildings, one couldn’t help but think that this was where Wes Anderson might have been inspired when directing The Grand Budapest Hotel. This is especially prevalent when looking at the National Gallery of Slovenia, a beautiful, stone building with ionian columns and classical influences. The local square is named after the poet Previn, a well-known figure in Slovenian history, and his statue is also worth visiting to see all that the small town has to offer.
After wandering around a local Sunday market where vendors sold handmade crafts, we took pictures on the bridge and took a funicular railway up to the top of the castle. We had dinner at a traditional café, but the evening ended somewhat strangely with a Slovenian short film festival at the hostel. While the hostel was beautiful and felt like it could have been a resort in Bali, this film festival was one of the more unusual parts of our trip!
Lake Bled
After two nights in Ljubljana, we caught the bus to Lake Bled. As has to happen at least once during a trip of this length, we arrived at the wrong hostel. There, we met an indefatigable, pragmatic British hostess, who looked like she’d handled a room full of wide-eyed backpackers once or twice before.
Luckily, we moved on – it was crowded. It was lots of fun to stay there. Too many people to a dorm though, what felt like at least 30 people to a floor! Walking round the lake, being told off by guards for getting too close to the lake, the hike to the castle. The heat! The fun!
We hiked up to the castle courtyard, drinking the most refreshing iced tea of our lives and eating the famous Bled cake. The views were panoramic, unreal. Inside the castle was a museum, a tiny Gutenberg press – but the man who ran it, his bracelets and bare feet, was somehow even more interesting than this miraculous printing press. He told us it took seven years to become fluent enough to know where all the characters are in the press. I’d bought a bookmark and magnet, which I thought I’d lost on my return. You can imagine my joy when I discovered them weeks later.
Venice
After Lake Bled, we caught the bus back to Ljubljana. And after a wait around the station, we were en route to Venice.
We spent all day travelling in 30-degree heat, taking the train to an Italian stop, connecting on to Venice. It was my first experience of a European double-decker train and it was an interesting ride all round.
We had fun in the hostel – it was one of the liveliest one we stayed at. Huge, party vibe, excitement. With nine of us in a dorm, it was quite intense and crowded, but there was a great atmosphere.
The next day, we visited the island of Venice. Passing by landmarks such as the Chiesa dei Santi Geremia e Lucia (the Church of San Geremia), we took in a lot of the religious history of this venerated place.
But when I tell you it was a hot day, I don’t exaggerate. I can’t overstate how hot the walk through the city was. We sought out cool drinks immediately. Following this was a gondola trip in the rising temperatures…I couldn’t help but wonder in the heat, is this why Europeans are so close to their emotions? After that, drinking iced coffee at the train station for the rest of the afternoon felt cathartic.
If the day was hot, the bus back was unbearable. I’d never advise public transport in that state again. We ate squid ink pasta at a restaurant for dinner, drinking mocktails and playing beer pong in the evening. Largely my memories of Venice are ones of fun, happiness and great company.
Milan
The morning after, we left Venice. Catching a train at the huge station, we traversed the countryside of northern Italy, passing through Verona as if we were visiting the city that inspired Romeo & Juliet.
And Milano truly was belissimo. It felt so elegant, tasteful. The Duomo di Milano, Italy’s largest church and one of the largest in the world, took more than 600 years to build. After this, we visited the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II shopping arcade – a beautiful 19th-century marvel, displaying the wealth and extravagance of the place. Arriving just a week before Milan Fashion Week, it was clear to see how much the Milanese valued their sartorial choices.
We found our way to the Orto Botanico di Brera botanic gardens, which felt like an oasis in the city. I went for a solo walk to the castle, and outside by the Fontana di Piazza Castello, I went for a gelato fragola and listened to music. Stopping there felt like the best way to take in everything that had happened over the past three weeks. Taking a 30-min walk north of the castle, through the historic Castello Sforzesco gardens, I encountered more music at the gates at the top end, underneath the imperial Arco della Pace archway. I took another tram to our restaurant, and asked myself (not for the first time that holiday) whether I’d ever figure out how to use their payment systems.
That evening at the bar, Signorvino, everyone arrived late. There’d been a tram strike, so the rest of our group had scootered through the city! I remember drinking the most cool, delightful, crisp rosé, the best I’ve ever had, from Puglia. Once the chaos of the evening had been laughed off, we had pasta dishes, more vino, a Campari Spritz or two. Another cocktail, wish I’d asked what it was. Something with Campari and fruity.
There were no trams back that evening, no ubers and no taxis. Eventually two of us headed back to the hotel armed with only our determination. We walked with some fun Colombian girls for a bit, waving goodbye to them as we headed to the hotel. This really inspired my wish to re-learn Spanish, as I desperately wanted to have a proper conversation with them. It ended up being a 35-min walk, but suddenly I was having the most fun we’ve had all holiday. We had funny conversations, nonsense.
The next morning, we woke up earlyish, everyone having arrived at various times throughout the night. For lunch, those of us remaining ate trappazino and I headed back to the hostel for bags before saying my last farewells to our team. Several wrong steps at the underground later, I eventually made my train to the central station, then caught the bus to the airport. Mercifully, it was airconditioned. Almost an hour later, I arrived at Malpensa.
Homecoming
Feeling a whole mix of emotions, I boarded my flight back, but not before hitting duty free and spending an obscene amount on Italian olive oil, sundried tomatoes and chilli. What’s more exotic were the Prada, D&G and Loro Piana outlets.
Opting to visit them next time, I caught the BA flight, internally amazed at the London exec working on his laptop on a Saturday night on the flight back. Nevertheless, soon I was landing, getting through baggage control and meeting my dad and brother at arrivals at Heathrow.
Walking through the airport with my backpack, my bandages, I felt as though this trip genuinely changed my life, opened up so many new countries and cities, and let me meet wonderful people. It felt like I was back too soon. But the travels didn’t stop there – I’d be off again within the month, seeking out new adventures.
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