I don’t post a lot of personal stuff on the blog, but I think I might start! It’s a great way to see past the professional side of things, and really get to know the photographer behind the business (me).

My girlfriend of 3 years, Katie, and I have been planning our trip to Europe together since we started dating, and in December we finally booked our tickets…non-refundable ones. There was no going back. We procrastinated until March to book our hotels and transportation between countries, and on April 10th we boarded a plane to Copenhagen, Denmark!

It’s not every day you get to experience a whirlwind of 6 countries in 12 days…and it’s CERTAINLY not every day you get engaged!

But that’s exactly what happened to my fiancé (weird to say) and I last month!

Before I get into the details (and pictures) of the trip, I want EVERYONE to know that flying to Europe doesn’t have to be an impossible dream. Through a little bit of research online, we found an airline called Norwegian and were able to go one-way to Europe for less than $200 each! AMAZING. The planes are brand new and way nicer than anything I’ve ever flown on domestically. If you’re interested in seeing the old country, check out Norwegian ASAP!

On to our story.

COPENHAGEN, DENMARK

So we landed in Denmark 9 hours after we took off from Orlando. The time difference was 6 hours. Not horrible, but not normal either. We got a little bit of sleep on the plane, but not much. It was 2pm there, so we checked into our hostel in downtown Copenhagen and got ready to see the sights!

First stop was Tivoli Park – the second oldest theme park in Europe. Lots of people say it’s where Walt Disney got his idea for Disneyland! April is tulip season and Tivoli didn’t disappoint.There were cherry blossom trees and some of the coolest architecture I’ve seen in a while. But nothing prepared us for what was to come.

The next day we headed over to the famous Copenhagen tourist hotspot – the colorful buildings along the canal (Nyhavn). We ducked into a tiny Italian restaurant and proceeded to chow down on the best pizza we’ve ever had in our lives…bar none. Sorry New York.

 

After lunch we walked downtown a bit and stumbled upon a beautiful piece of architecture – Rundetaarn (the Round Tower). This thing is old…completed in 1642! We walked the wrap-around path 7 1/2 times to get to the top and were greeted with absolutely stunning views of Copenhagen. The tower has a hollow core, and they even installed a glass floor for the bravest of souls to stand on.

We wrapped up our two-night stint in Denmark with a few beers in our in-hostel bar/salsa dance club and prepared for our early flight the next day to Amsterdam!

AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS

We landed in Amsterdam around 1pm the next day, and took it easy the first night with dinner and drinks at a local cafe.

The next morning we got an Uber to Vondelpark, which is the largest park in the city. Amsterdam is an extremely bike-friendly city, and the park is no exception. I was almost hit by bikers on numerous occasions. Silly American tourist. We walked through the park and eventually got to the Rijksmuseum – one of the most popular museums in the city. This place is filled with Rembrandts, gardens, and countless artifacts from the Middle Ages. I didn’t take my camera with me because I just wanted to be a spectator. Plus we had a few drinks before hand and I didn’t want to drop it 🙂

Fun fact: Rembrandt is actually a heavy inspiration when it comes to lighting my signature wedding portraits.

The next day we walked the city…A LOT. This place is huge, and we did a ton of walking. It was absolutely freezing cold, and we packed for a warm Spring. You might notice I’m wearing the same black hoodie the entire trip. We stopped in one of the 4 nearby H&M’s and got some gloves and a hat and continued our journey to the canals. Amsterdam is famous for its canal neighborhoods, so we had to get some pictures!

Our last night there, we had what I consider to be the best Indian food on the planet (Katie disagrees). And I smelled like garlic for the next two days, including the plane ride to my favorite destination – Old Town (Prague!).

PRAGUE, CZECH REPUBLIC

There’s no city on Earth quite like Prague. The vibe there is unmistakably old – and each and every building has character like you’ll never see in the states. Prague was captured twice in World War II, but due to little armed resistance there was hardly any damage to the city’s architecture (thank goodness).

And now for the moment you’ve been waiting for…the engagement! 

I had the ring with me everywhere we went. I knew I was going to ask Katie to marry me in Europe, but I didn’t know exactly where. I wanted the moment to be right, as well as the location. While looking up photography spots in Prague, I found the perfect place to do it: the Lesser Tower on the Charles Bridge.

According to other photographers, the Lesser Tower doesn’t have overwhelming tourism, despite having one of the best views of the city. It was a no-brainer. We headed out around sunset, purchased our tickets (yes I kept them as a souvenir), and climbed the tiny wooden steps up to the top.

JACKPOT! The sunset was freaking epic, and there was like one other person there. It was perfect! I waited until we were alone, got down on one knee, and took out the ring. She said yes! And we kissed, despite my garlic breath! It was awesome, and the setting and company couldn’t have been any better.

To celebrate, we had dinner and drinks on the water in one of the most beautiful cities on Earth. We thought Copenhagen was old, but Prague had architecture dating back to at least the 12th century. UNREAL.

The next day was kind of rainy, so we spent a lot of time enjoying each other’s company and saying the word “fiancé” in our hostel before we headed to Salzburg!

SALZBURG, AUSTRIA

You may recall that we packed for a warm Spring…in Salzburg it was anything but warm. We took a bus/train combo to the city and were greeted by heavy snow the very first night! It may have been a little uncomfortable, but it was supremely beautiful. Waking up the next morning to snow-covered rooftops was a nice treat.

The best part of Salzburg was the massive fortress they have perched on the top of a huge hill in the middle of the city. The views from up there are nothing short of stunning. We even had a chance to try some authentic Austrian food for lunch, and I have to say…sauerkraut doesn’t taste as bad as it looks (or smells).

We took a day-trip to Berchtesgaden, Germany hoping to see the famous Eagle’s Nest fortress carved into the tippy-top of the Alps. Unfortunately due to the weather and snow it was closed for at least another month. We did get to play in the snow a bit though before heading back to Salzburg for dinner. Our fight to Croatia was super early the next morning, so we called it a night and rested up for the last leg of our journey.

DUBROVNIK, CROATIA

If it wasn’t for getting engaged in Prague, Katie would say this was her favorite country. Katie was an ancient history major in college, so her appreciation for the old is deep. And man…this place was old.

Dubrovnik’s origins date back as early as the 7th century!!!! It was so freaking cool to be walking around in a place so well preserved and so unfathomably old. The best part is that it’s not just a ruins. It’s still an actual thriving town, and our hotel was right in the middle of it!

The Old Town district of Dubrovnik is surrounded by massive stone walls completed in the 16th century. With the purchase of a ticket, you can walk the walls and see the city from above. The walk takes a solid hour and a half, and it’s worth every minute. The views are indescribable. On the side nearest the outrageously blue sea, the island of Lokrum is viewable.

Katie and I took a 15 minute ferry ride and explored the island for several hours. There’s an old fort on top of the high side of the mountain, and you can see the entire city of Dubrovnik. Truly amazing.

Although expensive, the restaurants inside the Old Town are delicious. Our last meal in Europe was at a place called Taj Mahal. They served traditional Bosnian food, which we’ve never had. IT. WAS. DIVINE. Their liberal use of cream cheese was much appreciated, and we left with full bellies and big smiles.

 

It was a truly incredible trip, and one that we’ll never forget. The people were wonderful, nearly everyone spoke English, and traveling within Europe couldn’t have been easier. And now I have a lovely fiancé to show off to everyone back home! Life is good 🙂

PS – If you’d like to purchase prints of any of the landscape photos taken in Europe, please contact me and ask. Available in any size/material, but metal displays landscapes the best in my opinion.