Scenes from Europe: A Collection

I was born in Eastern Europe, maybe that’s why I have a soft spot for all things Europe. I’ve been all over Europe, crossing off many countries when I studied abroad in England. With each trip I discover something else to love, and the things I love have changed with the season of life I’m in.

Left: Bulgaria 2004. Middle: Coast of Italy 2002. Right: Greece 2002

When I was younger, I wanted to see as many countries as possible. Spending a few days in each place, seeing all the touristy things and rushing off to the next place. Now I’d rather find one or two places as basecamp and slowly enjoy life from one spot, really soaking in what’s around me.

Last summer we spent 9 days in Barcelona. It was heavenly. We took two day trips outside of the city, otherwise we walked the neighborhoods and slowly took in the beauty. I’m not saying we avoided the tourist destinations, but we were much more relaxed and picky about what to see and do and didn’t rush through it all.

With my love for Europe, using the images I captured over the years (with a few added ones I’ve found from others), I created this collection and called it Scenes from Europe. Maybe it’s not the exact spot for you, but the colors, the architecture, the textures, will all bring back memories of your travels. Or maybe they’ll serve as an inspiration to book that next trip.

Although traveling with kids is quite different than going solo, it opens your eyes to new experiences and lets you see the world from a different perspective. Yes I am waiting for the days I can travel with more spontaneity again, but I won’t put travels on hold just because it’s harder to travel with kids. I will continue to open their eyes to the world we live in and share with them other cultures and customs with the hope of instilling appreciation for other cultures and a love of exploration in them.

Here is a preview of the paintings to come.

Can you see the resemblance in the paintings from some of the photos shared above? I can’t help but smile when I look at these. Do you have a favorite?

Cheers,

Ella