Europe 2014: Croatia

More than a month after I touched down on home soil I'm finally getting around to writing the last post about my trip. A number of things have seen me put off writing over the last few weeks but I guess it's time for me to tie up this series of reflective posts - some might say it's taken me too long! 

So to Croatia and our final stop on a splendid month of travel. After the beauty of Slovenia, this country to the south had a lot to live up to, not to mention the fact that I wasn't ready to wind down on the new experiences despite home being but a few days away.

Europe 2014: Slovenia

Slovenia is wonderful. I could just leave this post at that and fill in the space with a few photos but I guess I should prove my point. I'll see how I feel in a few paragraphs.

Reaching stop six on my trip I thought I would be suffering from having already seen some awe inspiring sites - maybe Slovenia wouldn't impress? I was so very wrong. With the help of a hire car and some expert driving from one of my mates, I got to see some of the most breathtaking things in Europe.

Europe 2014: Vienna, Austria

After the whistle-stop tour of Bratislava, we made the short train journey to one of my favourite cities in Europe: Vienna. I could write a book on my love for this vast marvel of a place, but for just now I think I'll keep it short and sweet for you.

Vienna has a grip on me. This was my third visit to the city in as many years and each time it seems to charm me that little bit more. The city was as pristine as ever and its buildings, most of which I've seen before, did not fail in taking my breath away again.

Europe 2014: Bratislava, Slovakia

It seemed fitting to leave Warsaw in the dead of night. I had become so attached to the city that my only way out was to slink away on the night train to Bratislava - another morning and I might never have left.

This was my second experience of a sleeper train and although it's something to be able to say I've done I think I'll draw the line at two. Not only did I get very little sleep, I was awoken at 5am by a gruff Polish man telling us that our stop was in half an hour and, in no uncertain terms, to get up. I've never been so asleep yet so awake in the same moment.

Like zombies with suitcases, we dragged ourselves to our hotel which thankfully had a 24-hour reception. However, although we were able to unburden ourselves of our lives on wheels, our check-in time was about eight hours into the already warming Slovakian day. We set out into the city in search of coffee and/or breakfast and I'm not quite sure what happened next.

Europe 2014: Warsaw, Poland

With two cities under our belts, we took a short flight from Riga to Warsaw in Poland. Having never been to Poland before I was uncertain about what to expect from the country and its capital. Would it be like Latvia or Estonia, or would it be more Westernised? My question was soon answered, along with the discovery of what is now one of my favourite cities.

Europe 2014: Riga, Latvia

Having left a little part of myself in Tallinn, we made the five hour bus journey (complete with a slight hangover) to Riga in Latvia. The bus trip, although punctuated by a few post-drinking moments of unease, was brilliant, with the perfectly straight roads cutting a seemingly endless highway across the Baltic States. And so with tired legs and a tired mind, I rolled off the coach and set foot in Latvia for the first time.

Europe 2014: Tallinn, Estonia

"I want to see the world. I want sunshine and skyscrapers; languages I don't understand; music I've never hear before."

That is a quote from one of my favourite films in recent years - namely, Sunshine on Leith. When I first watched the film I scoffed at how cliché that line was but I've thought about it a bit and found that the truth is that is accurately describes how I feel about traveling. The fact that it is said with a beautiful Scottish accent sends familiar tingles down my spine - a familiarity which makes me long for the unfamiliar. It is with this mindset that I set out on my most recent trip to Europe. 

My next seven posts are going to be about each city that I visit, providing small snapshots into an experience that I'm never going to forget. The first stop was Tallinn a little under two weeks ago and it went a little like this...

Post 100: Symmetry, Change and What's to Come

I've only gone and done it again! It is with great pleasure that I report to you that this post is my 100th on Ramblings of a Twenty-Something. For those of you who have been following me over the years, you will know that we've been here before over on Ramblings of a Teenager. However, this time seems to matter more for some reason.

It has taken me over two years to get to this point again, with the coincidence between the end of my undergraduate degree and this landmark being almost poetic. I'll not bore you with the romance of it all  - I like to write, I think we all get that now! - but it is enough to say that the majority of the 236 posts that I have written over the years map my whole time at university. With that in mind, can you at least let me indulge myself with a quick look back at that time? Tough, I'm doing it anyway!

Good Morning Edinburgh

"Everyone we know is down there sleeping just now".

It's about half four in the morning and we are scaling the side of Arthur's seat to see the city that I love wake up. The wind is crisp and the ground is damp from yesterday's downpour. We're not really dressed for the climb but the warmth of the white wine and beer is keeping out the cold. I can feel my lungs straining and my legs burning with every stone that I scale. Every twenty metres calls for another break; a gulp of ginger beer and half a sausage roll bought from the twenty-four hour shop. Onwards.

Summer 2014 is Here!

Time. Zeit. Summer. Sommer.

I don't want to check the time-stamp on my most recent post because I think it will make me greet. It might have been just after dissertation, or it might have been just after my eighteenth birthday - time has felt like that recently. Anyway, I'm here now and that's all that matters.