Beautiful Moments in Europe

A few moments I wanted to keep from travels across Europe, through Finland, Estonia, Norway, Iceland, the United Kingdom, Germany, France, Italy, and Spain, from the North Atlantic to the Mediterranean.

Country

Finland

Helsinki

Summer in Helsinki: Uspenski Cathedral and the Natural History Museum.

Uspenski Cathedral with its green and gold domes under a cloudy blue sky — Uspenski Cathedral

A stone bear raising its paw on the balcony of the Natural History Museum — The bear of the Natural History Museum

And at Christmas: Senate Square, the Central Station, and Aleksanterinkatu.

Helsinki Cathedral at dusk with a lit Christmas tree on Senate Square — Senate Square at Christmas

The arch of Helsinki Central Station filled with golden lights at night — Central Station

Christmas lights strung above Aleksanterinkatu in the evening — Aleksanterinkatu

Country

Estonia

Tallinn

Tallinn’s Old Town in summer, and the Alexander Nevsky Cathedral on Toompea.

The dark onion domes of Alexander Nevsky Cathedral seen between green trees — Alexander Nevsky Cathedral

A white church tower above red Old Town roofs, framed by tree branches — Looks like a frame from an animated film ;)

A cobbled lane in Tallinn Old Town beside a medieval stone wall — A lane in the Old Town

Country

Norway

The Fjords

The fjords, seen from the ferry. I especially recommend Voss, a small town on the way to the fjords, where I found incomparable nature and a rare kind of quiet.

A sheer rock face rising above a forested slope under a blue sky — Cliffs above the fjord

A ferry wake leading into a deep blue fjord between steep mountain walls — Into the fjord

Jagged grey mountains rising from the water under white clouds — Mountain walls

The Norwegian flag flying over a boat's wake on a sunlit fjord — In the boat’s wake

White and red houses on a green hillside along the edge of a fjord — A village on the shore

A football pitch and sports hall beneath forested hills and a wide sky — A pitch among the hills

Country

Iceland

Iceland’s otherworldly landscapes left me in awe.

Reykjavík & the Golden Circle

Hallgrímskirkja in Reykjavík, then Brúarfoss and Strokkur on the Golden Circle.

The tall stepped concrete tower of Hallgrimskirkja church under a cloudy sky — Hallgrímskirkja

Bright turquoise water rushing through a rocky channel at Bruarfoss — Brúarfoss

The Strokkur geyser erupting in a tall white column against a blue sky — Strokkur

The South Coast

Skógafoss, the cliffs near Vík, a glacier, and icebergs in the lagoon.

Skogafoss waterfall pouring over a green cliff with a seabird in flight — Skógafoss

A grassy headland with dark cliffs and sea stacks on the coast — Sea cliffs near Vík

A white glacier flowing down between dark mountains under a blue sky — A glacier tongue

Blue-white icebergs floating in a glacier lagoon by a gravel shore — Icebergs in the lagoon

Country

United Kingdom

London

Big Ben and the Natural History Museum.

The Elizabeth Tower and its clock face rising above trees and a lamppost — Big Ben

A blue whale skeleton suspended through the arched hall of the Natural History Museum — Hintze Hall

A stegosaurus skeleton in a dark hall beneath a large metal globe — The Earth Hall

Edinburgh

Cherry blossoms in the Meadows, St Giles’ Cathedral on the Royal Mile, and the best pizza of my life at Mr Wood Fire. Highly recommended!

A path lined with pink cherry blossom trees across a sunny park — Cherry blossoms in the Meadows

A bronze statue on a carved pedestal in front of the Gothic facade of St Giles' Cathedral — St Giles’ Cathedral

Two wood-fired pizzas in takeaway boxes, one with prosciutto and burrata, one with mushrooms and sage — The best pizza of my life

Country

Germany

Berlin

The World Clock on Alexanderplatz and the bust of Nefertiti.

The World Clock on Alexanderplatz with its rotating city panels and atom-like sculpture on top — The World Clock, Alexanderplatz

Nefertiti

Country

France

Paris

The Eiffel Tower at night and the Winged Victory in the Louvre, on the very day the Louvre staff went on strike 😅

The Eiffel Tower lit in gold against the night sky — The Eiffel Tower at night

The Winged Victory of Samothrace with outstretched wings on its ship-shaped base — Winged Victory, the Louvre

Country

Italy

Rome

The Colosseum and the Trevi Fountain. Seeing the Colosseum still standing after nearly two thousand years was truly breathtaking.

The outer arches of the Colosseum under a pale sky — The Colosseum

A gull calling out on a stone ledge inside the Colosseum — A gull in the Colosseum

The Trevi Fountain and its marble statues in soft sunlight — Trevi Fountain

Florence

The Duomo, and Dante’s death mask in the Palazzo Vecchio, where Dan Brown’s Inferno begins. I highly recommend his novels: Inferno (Florence and Venice), The Da Vinci Code (Paris and London), Angels & Demons (Rome), and Origin (Madrid and Barcelona). Part thriller, part travel guide to Europe.