Europe – "To Travel is to Live…"

September 27, 2024

Blogpost: The Republic of Estonia

Greetings! We recently returned from a trip to Estonia (eh-stown-ee-uh; country #100!!), where we were able to experience Tallinn (tah-LIN). Below, you will find information and photos from our trip. Please note that, while there may be references to countries engaging in ongoing conflicts or wars, these references should not be interpreted as an endorsement of or negative opinion/judgement about what is happening to or with those countries, places, conflicts, or wars. Tallinn is the capital city of Estonia (referred to by locals as Eesti [ess-tee]), which is one of the Baltic States, lying on the Baltic Sea in Northern Europe. Latvia has 2300 islands and 1600 lakes, and is…

written by TravelDocta - Posted in Europe

September 27, 2024

Blogpost: The Republic of Latvia

Greetings! We recently returned from a trip to Latvia (laat-vee-uh; country #99), where we were able to experience Riga (ree-guh) and surrounding areas. Below, you will find information and photos from our trip. Please note that, while there may be references to countries engaging in ongoing conflicts or wars, these references should not be interpreted as an endorsement of or negative opinion/judgement about what is happening to or with those countries, places, conflicts, or wars. Latvia is a Baltic State, lying on the Baltic Sea in Northern Europe. Riga’s position on the Baltic Sea allowed it to be a merchant city, which it continues to be today. Founded in 1201…

written by TravelDocta - Posted in Europe

September 27, 2024

Blogpost: The Republic of Lithuania

Greetings! We recently returned from a trip to Lithuania (lith-oo-ay-nee-uh; country #98), where we were able to experience Vilnius (vill-nee-us) and surrounding areas. Below, you will find information and photos from our trip. Please note that, while there may be references to countries engaging in ongoing conflicts or wars, these references should not be interpreted as an endorsement of or negative opinion/judgement about what is happening to or with those countries, places, conflicts, or wars. Lithuania (locally called Lietuva [lee-eh-too-vah], which means “rain”) is a country in an area known as the Baltics, as it lies on the Baltic Sea in northeastern Europe. It is the largest of the Baltic…

written by TravelDocta - Posted in Europe

September 15, 2023

Blogpost: The Czech Republic

Greetings! We recently returned from a trip to The Czech (“check”) Republic (country #93), where we were able to experience Prague (“prog”). Below, you will find information and photos from our trip. Please note that there will be reference to and information about the Holocaust, which could be distressing to some. Please also note that I have made efforts to be conservative and sensitive with regard to information and photos that are shared in this public-facing blogpost about the Holocaust; however, please also note that there are more descriptive photos within the “More Photos” section of this blog. Prague (Praha [prah-hah] in Czech) is the historical capital of an area…

written by TravelDocta - Posted in Europe, Czech Republic

September 15, 2023

Blogspot: The Netherlands

Greetings! We recently returned from a trip to The Netherlands (country #92), where we were able to experience Amsterdam (the capital) and some of the countryside. Below, you will find information and photos from our trip. Please note that there will be reference to and information about the Holocaust, which could be distressing to some. Please also note that I have made efforts to be conservative and sensitive with regard to information and photos that are shared in this public-facing blogpost about the Holocaust; however, please also note that there are more descriptive photos within the “More Photos” section of this blog. The Netherlands (often referred to as Holland, even…

written by TravelDocta - Posted in Europe, The Netherlands

December 12, 2021

Blogpost: The Principality of Liechtenstein

Greetings! We recently returned from a day trip to Liechtenstein (country #81). Below, you will find information and photos from our trip. Liechtenstein (lick-ten-styne) is a landlocked country, surrounded by Switzerland (west and south) and Austria (east and north). It is the fourth smallest country in Europe, and is 160sq km/62sq mi, with a population of just over 38,700 people. We did a self-guided tour, and there were informational tiles leading up to the castle that outlined the history of Liechtenstein, some of which are presented here. Interesting Fact: The only other doubly landlocked country in the world is Uzbekistan Liechtenstein has a strong GDP, and while it is not…

written by TravelDocta - Posted in Europe, Liechtenstein

December 12, 2021

Blogpost: The Republic of Armenia

Greetings! We recently returned from a trip to Armenia (country #80). Below, you will find information and photos from our trip. The border to Armenia is less than an hour from Tbilisi, and Azerbaijan is a similar distance away, but the land border to Azerbaijan was closed when we visited due to the pandemic. In the southern part of Georgia, Armenians and Azerbaijanis live together and get along, which is not usually the case in other areas where they may co-exist. Georgians, Azerbaijanis, and Armenians are very different from each other with regard to mentality, food, culture, and traditions. Georgians are independent, while Armenians and Azerbaijanis are most concerned about…

written by TravelDocta - Posted in Europe, Armenia

November 10, 2019

Blogpost: A Journey Through Belgium

Greetings! We recently returned from a very short visit to Belgium (country #68!), where we were able to visit Brussels, Bruges, Antwerp, and Ghent. We did not do as many tours in Belgium as we have in other countries, but there are plenty of photos to share! Brussels We did a tour of Brussels, meeting in the Grand Place, which is a big square that used to be a market, and connected the city with canals. The main product they had was cereal and grapes, and they made bread in the market, which made them rich. The Gothic building in the photo below was the site for bread making, and…

written by TravelDocta - Posted in Europe, Belgium

July 20, 2018

Copenhagen, Denmark

Home of LEGO, Carlsberg beer, Hans Christian Andersen, and Maersk shipping (largest shipping company in the world) Copenhagen was founded in 1167. At that time, it had a population of 1.5 million people, with 500,000 immigrants. It was the capitol of Europe in the 15th century because people going elsewhere had to go through the city and, as a result, they put a tax on everything. Then, Sweden realized they could do the same thing, and this started the tension between the two countries, resulting in 300 years of warfare between the Danes and the Swedes. Interesting/Fun Fact: The Danish flag is the longest standing flag in history amongst…

written by TravelDocta - Posted in Europe, Northern Europe, Denmark

July 20, 2018

Stockholm, Sweden

Home of IKEA, H&M, ABBA, and Pipi Longstocking Stockholm is made up of 14 islands, connected by 57 bridges. Gamla Stan (Old Town), which has French influence from the 1700s, is the only medieval city left in Europe that was not attacked during a war. The first painting ever made of Stockholm is in the church in the Medieval City. That church was established by St. George V in 1480 as a warning for the Danes (this was not elaborated upon). Christianity came to Sweden in the 12th century. Interesting/Fun Fact: Sweden was the first country in Scandinavia to give women the right to…

written by TravelDocta - Posted in Europe, Northern Europe, Sweden