Tag Archives: Europe

Dark Tourism, Tour, Ukraine

Spotlight Thursday – Amusment that never came to Pripyat, Ukraine

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Every Thursday, I will be posting a photo from my travels and a spotlight on the location. Today’s Spotlight Thursday is from my dark tourism tour of the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone.  Pripyat, Ukraine was a  hip young city in Ukraine that was virtually unknown outside of the region.  That anonymity was elevated to infamy in the early hours of  26 April 1986.  Just a few miles away from the city was the V.I. Lenin Nuclear Power Station (Cherynbol, the Soviets couldn’t call it the Lenin disaster after all). Continue Reading . . .

Travel

Two Days in Chernobyl Exclusion Zone with ChernobylWEL.COMe

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It’s been 30 years since the Chernobyl disaster changed the world.  Its effects are still felt in the surrounding areas. I was born 4 years after the disaster but I have always known its name.  I was aware of the disaster but had never really understood the causes, effects, or results.   Over the years, I had seen many of the Buzzfeed or Dailymail collections of photos from the Chernobyl exclusion zone but a Chernobyl tour had never crossed my mind.  Yet, in November 2015, I arrived in Ukraine for a two-day tour of the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone with ChernobylWEL.COMe. Continue Reading . . .

Travel

A private viewing of the Brandenburg Gate

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There is a chill in the air as I exit the subway station.  First order of business is to find a coffee shop for breakfast. I found that I picked places I could just point at pastries since I couldn’t read the signs. I ordered a nice pastry filled with berry compote and hot tea.  I had a quarter mile walk through the streets of Berlin before I arrived at my destination, the historic Brandenburg Gate of Berlin, Germany. Continue Reading . . .

Beach, Europe, Iceland, National Parks, Road Trip, Season, Travel, Winter

Without a Plan ~ Winter Road Trip in Iceland

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A cold wind slams into me as I walk out the Keflavik International Airport. I am actually in Iceland and it’s early February. I unlock my rental car and program my Reykjavik hostel into my GPS unit. I would have brought my own car, but considering I had only recently got it, I thought this time around, renting a car would be for the best. Saying this, I do have trips I want to go on and if it wasn’t for doing research into dealerships like Conklin Chevrolet, I probably wouldn’t even have a car and the idea of a road trip wouldn’t be possible! Anyway, I have my hostel for tonight book and have to return the rental car in two and half weeks. I am about to embark on a winter road trip in Iceland without a plan. I have a 10 item bucket list of things I want to do. Continue Reading . . .

Europe, France, Landmarks, List, Summer, Travel

Nine things to know about the stairs up the Eiffel Tower (and other helpful tips)

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Paris, France, the City of Lights and the City of Love. It is the home of many famous landmarks. The Louvre, Arc de Triomphe, Notre Dame de Paris Cathedral, and last but not least the Eiffel Tower. Instantly recognizable by most of the world population. This landmark was built to the 1889 Exposition Universelle (World’s Fair). No trip to Paris is complete without a visit to the Eiffel Tower. The Eiffel Tower is located in the 7th of Paris Arrondissements. Continue Reading . . .