Uncovering Hidden Gems in Western Europe

After spending the summer studying at LAMDA in London and a brief visit to Ireland, I made my way into western Europe via the Eurostar. A short 2.5hr trip from London to Paris, city center.

An absolute incredible way in which to explore Europe is via the train system. The ease of which you can progress from one country to the next is such a gift, along with the opportunity to relax and enjoy Europe's history and scenery is an amazing experience on its own. I wouldn't normally recommend to a colleague or friend planning their first trip to Europe to span across multiple countries, however I would suggest it if you were planning to return on multiple trips and would like to gain some early exposure to each country's unique culture and way of life. At this time, I wasn't sure when I would return next, but I knew I would eventually live and work in Europe. In fact, I ended up working and studying in Europe several times in my life, which only enriched these experiences from my early backpacking adventures.

I would eventually live, work, and study in France, but this was my first visit to the country and my two stops were to Paris and Versailles. Paris itself is incredible, France's largest city filled with rich historical architecture, incredible food, and a chance to practice my French:) Of all the places, a few of my favorite were capturing "the archer" statuette at the Musee D'Orsay and the Rodin Museum. Which, later after living in Philadelphia, I would discover would have the 2nd largest Rodin sculptures. In both experiences, the artist would capture my imagination and emotion given the dramatic physical attributes expressed within the sculptures. I don't know exactly what it is, but I can feel what the artist may be asking us to feel and consider. Versailles is also a must, just outside of Paris. The palace is the former residence of King Louis XIV, where the treaty was signed to end WWI, and the architecture is simply incredible, with my favorite being the hall of mirrors.

Belgium was a day stop in Brussels where I caught up with my friends from LAMDA. They brought me to the grand palace in central Brussels where you'll find these incredible guild halls like the one to the left. Believe this dates back to the 1600s, where you can grab yourself a cold Leffe and relax and enjoy the scenery. My buddy then brought me over to this unique statuette called the "mannequin de pis", which is literally a sculpture of a young boy taking a pie in the fountain. I guess it makes sense with the french translation, but it's such as unique find, you must check it out. They often dress the sculpture in various different outfits like you see here.

My first trip to Amsterdam when I was backpacking was incredible. I had seen nothing like it. I had read it was a place that there was this red-light district, and one could order a brownie of a different sort, LOL. I only stopped over on my way to Munich, and I don't have any photos of that first trip on me at the moment, I'll need to dig further into the photo books (this was pre digital), but I found myself in two spots that were simply incredible. The first, being the Anne Frank house, which is an absolute must. I had read the book a few times, but to experience the actual home and location of where Anne and her family was hidden, well, it's hard to put into words, but its inspiring, humbling, sad, and frustrating all in one. The other stop was the Van Gogh Museum, such an incredible surprise. After coming through Paris and seeing his work, I wasn't aware there was the largest collection of his work just to the southeast of central Amsterdam.

From there, it was off to Munich Germany. I would eventually work in Germany and have the opportunity to explore more of the country later in my life. This was my one stop at this time and wanted to make the most of it! As you can see, I had my hands full at the Munich beer gardens. There are beer gardens, then there are gardens in Munich. One of my fondest memories was renting bikes and biking around Munich, then making our way through what seemed to be a large forestry area where there was a collection of the town, with lights, music, large Weihenstephaner ales and pretzels that were the size of a solid meal. I couldn't find any water, it seemed this was the way to hydrate, and I absolutely loved it. The issue was trying to make it back to my hostel bed after an all nighter with my new friends. Let's just say I took it slow:)

By now, I was starting to reflect on how fortunate I was to get to explore Europe, as a young man, primarily making my way through Europe on my own and connecting with several new friends that I would keep in touch with over the years. And later, reconnect in my career as I was fortunate to work abroad on several occasions. If I hadn't stepped outside of my comfort zone and taken these early adventures in my life, I'm not sure if I would have lived the same way. These experiences were starting to fuel the courage to see more, experience more, and to live more. I was excited to see what was next, let's get to Geneva Switzerland and explore a bit of Italy!

Resource Links:

Eurostar

Europass

Paris Museum Pass

Louvre

Musee D'Orsay

Rodin Museum

Grand Palace Brussels

Mannequin du Pis

Anne Frank House

Museum of Van Gogh

Beer Gardens of Munich