These end of year, or year in review, posts seem to be done by just about everyone, so I figured it was time to finally make one of my own. The following is a detailed overview of my favorite photos and travel highlights of 2019.
2019 was by far my busiest year of travel that I’ve had yet. I stepped foot in 4 new countries (7 total), 4 U.S. states (and drove through a couple more), 3 Canadian provinces, visited 18 new UNESCO World Heritage Sites (19 total) and 16 new US National Park Service Sites.
To top off all of those amazing numbers – I finally married my partner, best friend and constant travel companion, Danielle!
I cherished countless moments from the past 12 months and I am excited to share all of my photos, stories, experiences and travel highlights of 2019 with you all.
Enjoy!
Table of Contents
January
Cuyahoga Valley National Park
My travels in 2019 started off early (within the first week of the new year, in fact) as I took a day trip to my very first national park in the United States Cuyahoga Valley National Park in Ohio. Visiting in January, I was expecting snow with temperatures on the colder side. However, northeast Ohio was experiencing an unseasonably warm weekend, so instead of snow, I got mud… (it had rained the previous day). Nonetheless, I enjoyed my time exploring the park and photographing the foliage that remained on some of the trees.
Cuyahoga Valley, which was originally designated a national recreation area in 1974 by the National Park Service, was re-designated as a national park in 2000. Cuyahoga Valley National Park’s most famous natural feature is Brandywine Falls, an 86-foot drop in Brandywine Creek, a tributary of the Cuyahoga River.
Another notable attraction within Cuyahoga Valley National Park is the Everett Covered Bridge. This covered bridge was built in 1877 after a local was killed attempting to cross the swollen waters which now run beneath it. The bridge was destroyed by a flood in 1975 and subsequently reconstructed 11 years later by the National Park Service.
February
Independence National Historical Park
In February, I visited Philadelphia for the third time. After seeing essentially nothing during my two previous visits, I was determined to make the most of my time there. This trip started off with Independence Hall – my 13th UNESCO World Heritage Site and first of 2019.
The building where both the U.S. Declaration of Independence and U.S. Constitution were adopted, debated and signed is also the centerpiece and focal point of Independence National Historical Park. This National Park Service site is a collection of over 20 historic buildings and memorials associated with the American Revolution and the founding of the United States.
Perhaps the most well-known symbol of the city of Philadelphia is the Liberty Bell. The bell was originally housed in the steeple of, what was then, the Pennsylvania State House (now Independence Hall). The bell, most famous for its crack acquired in the early 19th century, was replaced by the Centennial Bell in 1876. Pictured here is the yoke of the Liberty Bell.
Edgar Allan Poe National Historic Site
The second National Park Service site I visited while in Philadelphia was Edgar Allan Poe National Historic Site. Located in the Spring Garden neighborhood, this preserved home was rented by the famous American writer and is the only one of Poe’s homes in Philadelphia which still stands.
Valley Forge National Historical Park
There are two National Park Service sites located near Philadelphia and I visited both while in the area. The first of which is Valley Forge National Historical Park. Valley Forge was made famous during the American Revolutionary War. It is the site of the third winter encampment of General George Washington’s Continental Army.
Dozens of log cabins are spread out across Valley Forge National Historical Park, which are reconstructed in the style that would have been used by the Continental Army during the encampment. Other reconstructed features found within the park include four redoubts, an Inner Line Defense ditch and an abatis.
Built around 1773, Washington’s Headquarters is a colonial house lived in and used by General George Washington and his family during the third winter encampment. The home was built and owned by a local Quaker named Isaac Potts.
Hopewell Furnace National Historic Site
On the same day that I went to Valley Forge, I also visited Hopewell Furnace National Historic Site. Hopewell Furnace is America’s best example of a 19th century rural “iron plantation”. The site experienced the most prosperity between 1820 and 1840, but was ultimately closed in 1883 due to new iron-making methods which rendered it obsolete.
Fort Stanwix National Monument
At the end of the month, I made a failed attempt at visiting Fort Stanwix National Monument in Rome, NY. Only the visitor center was open this day, as the fort itself was filled with snow. For some reason, it never occurred to me that this might have been a factor in inhibiting my visit. When visiting certain sites, especially during the winter months, always call ahead.
March
I didn’t do any traveling in the month of March, so I used that as a much-needed opportunity to catch up on some writing and photo editing.
April
Fort Stanwix National Monument (again)
My travels in April consisted of several day trips within my home state of New York to National Park Service sites. The first was another attempt to see Fort Stanwix National Monument. I had waited until the snow melted this time, and I was able to finally enter the fort itself.
The importance of Fort Stanwix comes from its successful defense by American troops during a 1777 siege by the British. The entire site is a reconstruction of the original fort. This photo is of the interior of the fort, sans snow.
Harriet Tubman National Historical Park
From Fort Stanwix, I made my way to Auburn, NY to visit Harriet Tubman National Historical Park. This site comprises three separate properties commemorating the life and work of Harriet Tubman. The main point of interest in the park is the Harriet Tubman Home for the Aged, which was opened by Tubman to care for elderly and impoverished African-Americans.
Women’s Rights National Historical Park
The following day, I visited Women’s Rights National Historical Park in Seneca Falls and Waterloo, New York. The park consists of several historic buildings and properties directly related to the Women’s Rights Movement. This photo is of the interior of the Wesleyan Methodist Church, which was the site of the Seneca Falls Convention (where the Declaration of Sentiments was signed).
Theodore Roosevelt Inaugural National Historic Site
Later in April, I made my way to Buffalo to visit Theodore Roosevelt Inaugural National Historic Site. This site preserves the house in which Theodore Roosevelt took the oath of office after the assassination of President William McKinley on September 14, 1901. Unfortunately they were doing some renovation on the house, hence the scaffolding.
May
Vanderbilt Mansion National Historic Site
My visits to National Park Service sites in New York continued in May, when I took a trip to Hyde Park and visited three sites in one day. The first of which was Vanderbilt Mansion National Historic Site. This was one of several homes owned by Frederick William Vanderbilt and his wife Louise Holmes Anthony. The 54-room mansion, which overlooks the Hudson River, is of the Beaux-Arts architecture style.
Eleanor Roosevelt National Historic Site
From Vanderbilt Mansion, I went to Eleanor Roosevelt National Historic Site. This property commemorates the life and work of Eleanor Roosevelt. She referred to the property as “Val-Kill” and it was used to host everyone from family to foreign diplomats. Roosevelt also established Val-Kill Industries at this site, which employed local farming families.
Home of Franklin D. Roosevelt National Historic Site
The third and final site I visited while in Hyde Park was Home of Franklin D. Roosevelt National Historic Site, which is located about two miles from Eleanor Roosevelt National Historic Site. This estate was the birthplace, home and burial place of U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt. Pictured here is the grave of Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt.
Shenandoah National Park
For Memorial Day weekend, I found myself in Virginia for the first time. This trip started with a not-so-pleasant visit to Shenandoah National Park. I consider myself to be a fairly experienced hiker, but the series of mistakes that we made in the park are not mistakes that I will make again. The combination of underestimating the trail length/terrain, with the lack of adequate water, food, clothing and gear, made for a disastrous visit. Throw in a torrential downpour in a lightning storm, and we weren’t sure we were going to make it out of Shenandoah. After being lost, drenched and severely dehydrated for several hours, we finally made it back to our car long after the sun had set.
The plus side of our day from hell in Shenandoah National Park was that I was able to cross off another National Park Service site while we were there. Over 100 miles of the Appalachian National Scenic Trail passes through Shenandoah National Park and it is technically a separate unit of the National Park Service.
Appomattox Court House National Historical Park
The following day in Virginia was much better, as I was able to visit a place that had been on my list since I was in high school. Appomattox Court House National Historical Park is a collection of original and reconstructed 19th century buildings. More famously, it is the site of the Battle of Appomattox Court House from the American Civil War. It was here that Confederate General Robert E. Lee surrendered to Union General Ulysses S. Grant, signaling the beginning of the end of the war.
The signing of the surrender documents occurred in the parlor of, what is now, the reconstructed McLean House. Being a huge American Civil War history fan, to see such a significant place from the war was truly special. Appomattox Court House National Historical Park was definitely the highlight of my year in regards to domestic U.S. travel.
Monticello and the University of Charlottesville in Virginia
From Appomattox Court House, we made our way to Charlottesville to visit Monticello – the primary home and plantation of Thomas Jefferson. This was my second UNESCO World Heritage Site of 2019. The designation actually comes from the significance of the architectural style – not necessarily because Thomas Jefferson owned it.
Unfortunately, we weren’t allowed to photograph the interior of the building. However, I found the grounds of Monticello to be more interesting than Thomas Jefferson’s home itself. The vibrant greens of the vegetable gardens were particularly beautiful.
Also included in the same UNESCO World Heritage inscription is the University of Charlottesville in Virginia, so naturally, I had to visit it. Like Monticello, the Academical Village at the University was also designed by Jefferson. A statue of the third President of the United States stands tall in front of the Rotunda – the centerpiece of the Academical Village.
June
Madrid, Spain
My first international trip of 2019 wasn’t until June, but it was a good one, as I visited Spain for the first time. We flew into the Spanish capital of Madrid, and I have to say, it has become one of my favorite cities in Europe. In addition to exploring the city, I used it as a base to visit several of the UNESCO World Heritage Sites in the region.
Alcalá de Henares, Spain
The first UNESCO World Heritage Site that I visited while in Spain was the University and Historic Precinct of Alcalá de Henares. Alcalá de Henares earned its World Heritage designation due to the fact that it is the world’s first planned university city. The city is famous for being the birthplace of Miguel de Cervantes, author of Don Quixote.
Alcalá de Henares is also well known for its many white storks which nest on top of the cities churches and other buildings. It seemed like they were everywhere. The storks were by far the most photogenic part of my visit.
Aranjuez, Spain
Later in the same day, we took a train to the city of Aranjuez, where would visit another UNESCO site. The Aranjuez Cultural Landscape was established as a royal site in the late 16th century during the reign of Philip II of Spain.
In addition to the Royal Palace and the historic centre, the World Heritage property consists of a collection of gardens and tree-lined avenues and groves. The gardens and grounds are adorned with beautiful stone statues. Strangely, there weren’t many other tourists in Aranjuez from what I could see. This was a surprise, considering that it was a sunny and pleasant summer day.
San Lorenzo de El Escorial, Spain
On our way to Segovia from Madrid, we stopped in San Lorenzo de El Escorial. By far, the dominating feature of the town is the Monastery and Site of the Escurial, a massive royal complex built in the 16th century. This was the retreat for King Philip II. The site includes the monastery, as well as many other associated buildings and gardens found on the property.
One of my favorite photos and travel highlights of 2019 was actually a complete accident. Inside the Escurial Monastery, we found this small hole in a wooden door that looked through to multiple window shutters with alternating colors. Just as I put my lens up to the hole, a young boy stood and looked out one of the windows with an almost daydreamy-like look on his face. The best moments in photography and travel are always the ones you least expect.
Segovia, Spain
During my stay in Spain, I was able to cross off two bucket list items. The first of which, was finally seeing the ancient Roman aqueduct in Segovia. The aqueduct, which cuts through Segovia’s Old Town, was built in the first century AD and is held together with the use of mortar. It is truly one of the greatest accomplishments of human engineering. The Old Town of Segovia and its Aqueduct is also a World Heritage Site.
In the center of the Old Town is the Segovia Cathedral, which is the last Gothic cathedral built in Spain. The original cathedral was actually destroyed and subsequently rebuilt at its current location in the 16th century. The best view of the cathedral (and the whole city) was actually from the roof of the Alcázar.
The interior of the Segovia Cathedral was equally beautiful. Like most cathedrals of this style, it features stained glass windows and vaulted ceilings.
The Alcázar of Segovia was originally constructed in the 1100s as a medieval Roman fortress, but it has served many purposes over the centuries. Currently, it is used as a museum and houses the military archives. This photo of the Alcázar was taken from the Old Jewish Cemetery, which is located on a hill across from the Old Town.
Toledo, Spain
After Segovia, we made a quick stop in Toledo to knock off another UNESCO World Heritage Site. The former capital of Spain is known as the “City of the Three Cultures” for its rich history and influences from Christians, Muslims and Jews. We only spent a few hours in the city, but while there we managed to see quite a bit, including the Gothic Cathedral, Alcázar fortress, Alcántara Bridge and several other smaller churches and buildings.
Consuegra, Spain
After leaving Toledo, we headed to the place in Spain that I was looking forward to visiting the most – Consuegra. Consuegra is most well-known for its 12 reconstructed windmills that are perched up on a hill overlooking the town. These windmills were made famous in the book Don Quixote, which I referenced earlier. I’ve wanted to see these windmills in person since I was a teenager and they did not disappoint.
The countryside surrounding Consuegra contains countless agricultural fields. Something that I would typically not even give a second thought in most places, I found the contrast of the yellows, greens and browns to be very beautiful. The bird’s eye view offered from the hill that the windmills are on was spectacular.
The windmills in Consuegra, expectedly, turned out to be my favorite part of our trip to Spain. They were also my favorite subject to photograph. The shadows of the lattice frameworks on the windmills made for some interesting shots.
Madrid, Spain (again)
We returned to Madrid for a couple of days at the end of our trip to do some more sightseeing and exploring. On our last afternoon in the city we walked around the El Retiro Park, which features an artificial lake where you can rent paddle boats. El Retiro Park turned out to be a relaxing and pleasant end to our wonderful trip to Spain, which was one of my travel highlights of 2019.
July
Steamtown National Historic Site
My only trip in July was a short one to Scranton, Pennsylvania. Here I visited Steamtown National Historic Site, which is a railroad museum at the former Scranton yards of the DL&W Railroad. This turned out to be one of the most surprising National Park Service sites I visited in 2019.
Steamtown National Historic Site is built around a reconstructed (and functioning) turntable and roundhouse. I really enjoy industrial history, so I found no shortage of interesting things to photograph here.
August
Ottawa, Ontario
My only trip in August didn’t begin until the end of the month, but it was a busy one, as I begin a road trip through three provinces in eastern Canada. The trip started in Ottawa, which was my second visit to Canada’s capital. I find Ottawa to be vastly underrated and I consider it to be my favorite city in Canada.
One of the most popular attractions in Ottawa is the Rideau Canal, a UNESCO World Heritage Site that I had originally visited the previous year. Opened in 1832, it is the oldest continuously operated canal system in North America. I particularly enjoyed this photo of the Rideau Canal, as the scene reminded me of Busy Town from the famous illustrated children’s books by Richard Scarry.
September
Québec City, Québec
From Ottawa, we drove northeast towards Québec City. I was very excited to finally get to Québec City, as I had always heard that it was the most European-like city in North America (save for Spanish colonial cities like St. Augustine). The most prominent feature of Old Québec (another UNESCO site) is Château Frontenac, which is the most photographed hotel in the world.
The weather was not the greatest on our second full day in Québec City. This was fine, as I was determined to get some photographs of these hanging street umbrellas in the rain. Historically, I’ve never been a huge fan of photographing other people, especially posed shots. This year, however, I made it a point to start expanding my portfolio with some candid shots of locals. What really made this photo was the guy who happened to be wearing a bright yellow raincoat.
Black and white photography is also something that I’ve been experimenting with more lately. This photo of a busker in Old Québec turned out to be one of my favorite photos from Québec City and another one of my favorites from the whole year.
Miguasha National Park, Québec
Venturing even further northeast, we visited our second UNESCO World Heritage Site in the province of Québec. Miguasha National Park is home to the world’s greatest collection and record of fossils from the Devonian Period – or more well-known as the “Age of Fishes”. Like most paleontology sites around the world, there isn’t much left on the shore of the park in terms of fossils. However, the museum houses over 9,000 examples of fish and plant fossils.
Dalhousie, New Brunswick
After visiting Miguasha National Park, we took a quick drive over the border and stayed a couple nights in the small town of Dalhousie, New Brunswick. I honestly didn’t find the town itself to be all that interesting. The sunrises over the bay, however, were absolutely gorgeous.
Kouchibouguac National Park, New Brunswick
The highlight of this Canadian road trip had to be Kouchibouguac National Park in New Brunswick. The park is made up of an array of forests, sand dunes, barrier islands, lagoon and salt marshes. This photo was taken from the top of the observation tower overlooking a boardwalk that crosses the wetlands in the park.
Kouchibouguac National Park was our final stop on our road trip through Canada. It was definitely worth the effort and the time it took to get there, even though it was a long 13 hour drive back home.
October
The Big Day
No traveling in October, as we had more important things to do, believe it or not. I finally had the honor of marrying my long-time partner and best friend, Danielle. None of this would have been possible without the tremendous amount of love and support from all of our wonderful friends and family.
Yes, we had a Halloween themed wedding, and yes, I did dress as Ned Flanders from “The Simpsons”. From here, we would gear up for one awesome honeymoon.
November
Kyiv, Ukraine
After a month of the married life, we went back to Europe for our honeymoon. This time, we were on the other side of the continent. Our itinerary gave us an overnight layover in Kyiv, both on the way to Prague and on the way back home. We only had a short amount of time in Ukraine, so I wanted to make sure that I could add a Ukrainian UNESCO World Heritage Site to my list.
Before our flight, we had just enough time to explore the grounds of St. Sophia’s Cathedral. Built in the 11th century, St. Sophia’s was originally intended to be Ukraine’s version of Constantinople’s Hagia Sophia, hence the name. In addition to the cathedral itself, the complex also contains several other buildings such as the House of the Metropolitan and an enormous bell tower. I’ve heard that the interior of the cathedral is absolutely stunning, but we unfortunately had to catch our flight before it opened. We’ll definitely be returning to Ukraine in the near future.
Prague, Czech Republic
After our brief stint in Kyiv, we landed in Prague – capital of the Czech Republic (or Czechia, as it’s called by some now). I’ve wanted to visit Prague for the better part of a decade, and it lived up to all of my expectations. This photo is of the Lesser Town, the part of the city in which we stayed. The dominant feature of the Lesser Town is Prague Castle.
Prague is, hands down, one of the most photogenic cities I’ve ever visited. The city’s most photogenic spot is also probably its most popular – the Charles Bridge. The Vltava River, which flows beneath the bridge, always seems to be filled with swans.
Another popular spot in Prague is Astronomical Clock, which is on the southern wall of the Old Town Hall in the Old Town Square. In addition to keeping time, the clock displays the positions of the Sun and Moon, shows signs of the zodiac and has a calendar. The astronomical clock was originally built in 1410.
This photo was taken from the Charles Bridge looking towards the Old Town, early in the morning at sunrise. It’s probably my favorite one I took while in Prague.
Kutná Hora, Czech Republic
From Prague we took a day trip to the Bohemian town of Kutná Hora. Our first stop in town was the Church of the Assumption of Our Lady and Saint John the Baptist (that’s a mouthful). This staircase in the church was designed by Czech architect Jan Santini Aichel, who specialized in the Baroque Gothic architectural style.
From the Cathedral of our Lady, we walked to the Sedlec Ossuary – more famously known as the “Bone Church”. This small Roman Catholic chapel gets its strange name from the fact that it is decorated with the bones of between 40,000 and 70,000 people. The centerpiece of the church is this enormous chandelier, which is made up of at least one of each bone in the human body.
I didn’t find the Sedlec Ossuary to be as creepy (or amazing) as one might think. I feel that it’s become somewhat of a tourist trap in the Czech Republic. However, there is no denying that the hundreds upon hundreds of skulls made for some interesting photographs.
On a less morbid note, our final stop in Kutná Hora was the Church of St. Barbara. This Gothic church, together with the Cathedral of Our Lady at Sedlec and the town’s historic centre, form a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Kraków, Poland
We momentarily said goodbye to the Czech Republic in order to spend roughly a week in Poland. This was quite meaningful to me, as I have Polish ancestry on my Mother’s side. We spent our entire time in Kraków and southern Poland, using the city as a base to visit many of the nearby UNESCO World Heritage Sites. The Historic Centre of Kraków is actually one of the first 12 UNESCO World Heritage Sites, inscribed in 1978. Kraków’s Old Town Square is also the largest in all of Europe.
While in Kraków, we paid a visit to the district of Kazimierz, which was formerly a separate city. Kazimierz is rich in Jewish history, so we decided to stop at Remah Cemetery. This inactive Jewish cemetery was established in 1535. I enjoy photographing cemeteries around the world, and this one was nice, as I haven’t visited many Jewish cemeteries in the past.
Kalwaria Zebrzydowska, Poland
Our first day trip out of Kraków was to Kalwaria Zebrzydowska, which is a Mannerist pilgrimage park containing a series of 42 chapels modeled after holy sites and the landscape of Jerusalem from the Passion of Jesus Christ. The largest building and main feature of the park is the Basilica of St. Mary.
I must confess that I found the interior of the Basilica to be not quite as impressive as the exterior. However, the Basilica does house quite an alarming number of decorations made from gold, which I suppose is typical of the Catholic Church.
Lipnica Murowana, Poland
The following day was a busy one, as we visited two more UNESCO sites. First up was the Church of St. Leonard in Lipnica Murowana, which is a Gothic wooden church from the 15th century. This church is actually part of a serial site comprising six wooden churches found in the region titled the “Wooden Churches of Southern Małopolska”.
Bochnia, Poland
After our quick visit to St Leonard’s Church, we went to our second World Heritage Site of the day – the Bochnia Salt Mine. Established between the 12th and 13th centuries, this salt mine is the oldest in Poland and one of the oldest in the world. The Ważyn Chamber is the deepest within the mine at 248 meters or 814 feet.
We had an amazing tour in Bochnia, and an even more amazing tour guide. We would visit on the right day, as we were the only two on our English guided tour of the mine.
Oświęcim, Poland
After quite a fun day visiting the Bochnia Salt Mine, our most difficult day of the trip lay ahead of us, but this was to be expected. In the morning, we woke up early to take a bus to the city of Oświęcim. This name may not seem familiar to most, but it is the site of one of the most horrific places in human history – Auschwitz. Auschwitz is actually the German name for the town of Oświęcim.
Auschwitz I was the first and main camp in a series of concentration and extermination camps built by Nazi Germany while illegally occupying Poland. Originally built to hold Polish political prisoners, it turned into the headquarters and administrative center for some of the worst atrocities ever committed against humanity.
After spending over 4 hours at Auschwitz I, we took the free shuttle over to Auschwitz II, or Birkenau. This was the main extermination camp of the Nazi regime. Well over 1 million victims were thoughtlessly torn from their families and murdered at these two camps, the vast majority being Jews. Most of the buildings at this camp, including the gas chambers and crematoriums, were leveled and destroyed by the Nazis in an attempt to dispose of the evidence. We were at Birkenau for an additional 3 hours, making for a very long and emotionally exhausting day.
Ever since I had learned about Auschwitz in school, I had “wanted” to visit this site. I always thought seeing Auschwitz in person would help to put it into perspective, but after visiting, I feel like I understand it even less now than I ever did. Perhaps this is due to the fact that it always seemed like such an abstract idea and place to me. How could someone have committed these awful crimes against their fellow human beings?
Even going back and looking through these photos to edit and upload them was extremely difficult for me. Hopefully when individuals visit places of tremendous sadness, such as Auschwitz, it will resonate with them and help to shine some light on human history’s darkest events. Be kind to each other.
Wieliczka, Poland
On our last full day in Poland, we visited the other famous salt mine in the country, Wieliczka. Before we got to the mine itself, we stopped at the Żupny Saltworks Castle. This building is significant due to it being the former headquarters of both the Wieliczka and Bochnia Salt Mines.
Similarly to the mine in Bochnia, the Wieliczka Salt Mine is one of the oldest in the world. Also like Bochnia, the Wieliczka Salt Mine features an array of intricate statues carved directly from salt in the mine.
By far, the most impressive feature of Wieliczka Salt Mine is the Chapel of St. Kinga, at 101 meters (332 feet) below ground. Like nearly everything else in the mine, this massive chamber is carved entirely out of salt. This includes the beautifully-delicate chandeliers that hang from its ceiling.
Like Kraków, Wieliczka is one of the first UNESCO World Heritage Sites. Today, the Bochnia Salt Mine and the Saltworks castle in Wieliczka are also components of this World Heritage property.
Olomouc, Czech Republic
On the long train ride from Kraków to Prague, we stopped in the Moravian city of Olomouc. This would be our 9th and final UNESCO World Heritage Site of our honeymoon and of 2019. The Holy Trinity Column in Olomouc has the unique distinction of being the smallest UNESCO World Heritage Site by area. Although the column stands 35 meters high, one can walk around the base of it in less than a minute.
The Holy Trinity Column was built in the early 18th century and stood as a token of gratitude for ending a plague that had ravaged Moravia in the prior years. According to UNESCO, the Holy Trinity Column in Olomouc is “one of the most exceptional examples of the apogee of central European Baroque artistic expression”. Many similar plague columns can be found throughout the region.
December
Prague, Czech Republic (again)
On the tail-end of our trip, we spent the last few days back in Prague. We arrived just in time for the start of Prague’s wonderful Christmas market. The Old Town was full of lights and fully decorated Christmas trees, including this rather large one in the center of the Old Town Square.
One of the best views of the Old Town Square can be had from the tower of the Old Town Hall (where the Astronomical Clock is). This vantage point is especially gorgeous during the holiday season, as it overlooks the Christmas market below.
Finally getting to experience a European Christmas market (and in Prague, nonetheless) was one of my travel highlights of 2019. This was the perfect way to cap off a spectacular honeymoon and an awesome year of travel.
Here’s to a travel-filled, safe and Happy New Year for all!
Such and interesting, informative and emotional read for me. Your photography is exceptional and I can picture myself there through your words. How wonderful that you’ve been able to experience such an array of places (and I know you’ve traveled to even more). I love the reference to “Busy Town”, brings back memories. Enjoyed this so much!
Glad you liked it!
Love you, Mom.