Places I've Been in Europe (Updated: Aug 2026)

As of Aug 2026, I've been to the following places in Europe:

1. Iceland

- Reykjavík

2. Norway

- Oslo

3. Sweden

- Stockholm (2)

4. Denmark

- Copenhagen (2)

- Roskilde

- Humlebæk

- Helsingør

5. Finland

- Helsinki

- Turku

6. England:

- London (4)

- Stratford-upon-Avon

7. Belgium

- Brussels

8. The Netherlands

- Amsterdam

- Maastricht

9. France

- Paris (3)

- Versailles

- Lyon

- Nice

- Cannes

- Marseille

- Cassis

- Aix-en-Provence

- Arles

- Carcassonne

10. Germany

- Berlin (4)

- München

- Magdeburg

- Leipzig

- Quedlinburg

- Hannover (multiple times)

- Celle 

- Bahrendorf

- Hitzacker

- Burhave (3)

- Sillens

- Hamburg (2)

- Frankfurt (2)

- Coppenbrügge

- Hameln (2)

- Köln

- Aachen

- Lübeck

- Dresden

- Bremen

11. Austria

- Vienna (4)

12. Switzerland

- Zürich (2)

- Geneva (2)

13. Portugal

- Lisboa (2)

- Óbidos

- Coimbra

- Porto

14. Spain

- Barcelona (3)

- Figueres

- Madrid

- Valencia

- Murcia

- Granada

- Órgiva

- Málaga

- Sevilla

- Zaragoza

- Bilbao

15. Italy

- Roma (3)

- Caserta

- Napoli

- Pompeii

- Sorrento

- Positano

- Amalfi

- Firenze

- Pisa

- Venezia

- Milano (2)

- Palermo

- Torino

- Bologna

16. Malta

- Valletta

17. Greece

- Athena (2)

- Aegina Island

- Santorini

18. Monaco

- Monte Carlo

19. Vatican City

20. Poland

- Warsaw

- Opole

21. Czechia

- Praha

22. Slovakia

- Bratislava

23. Latvia

- Riga

24. Estonia

- Tallinn

25. Hungary

- Budapest

26. Serbia

- Belgrade

27. Bulgaria

- Sofia (multiple times)

- Plovdiv

- Samokov (multiple times)

- Borovets (multiple times)

- Malyovitsa

- Bansko

28. Türkiye

- Istanbul

-------

Progress Made

That feeling when... you speak your mind in all honesty, and you lose a friend over it. That happened late last year. What is it worth to know she had been trying to explain to me why she was in love with the cis guy I hated? It's true that her initiating the relationship led me to grow some distance between us. Knowing the kind of misogyny she was exposing herself to meant I was hesitant to share my deepest feminist thoughts within earshot. Perhaps she interpreted that as a universal fear of intimacy. But really, I didn't feel safe.

I didn't feel safe with her ease around the flatmate who I last heard talking about mashing up Britney Spears' 'I'm a Slave 4 U' and The Prodigy's 'Smack My B*tch Up'. The one who claimed that Paris Hilton released her own sex tape into the public sphere. The one whose own sister thinks he's a pedophile. The one who, more recently, won't consider a female as a relationship partner unless she's 'good-looking enough'. F*ck that guy. And the misogynistic boyfriend? He decided he, too, liked that guy. The alliance of women-haters. It surprises me what some people are willing to put up with.

I am privileged to have such an intensive relationship with the light that is feminism. I have put in the hours, read many a book, volunteered with the appropriate organisations. I am actively engaged in making the most of my limited experience here on earth, which includes protecting myself from male supremacy (which is everywhere). I'm yet to meet a cis man whose sexism and misogyny has been whittled down to an acceptable level. I decided, as a response to Trump's election, that their lack of revolt meant that they were worthless as life partners and friends. I would no longer concern myself with making myself likeable to them. They didn't deserve my energy.

So yeah, I've been going out without a bra more often this new year. I've been withdrawing as much energy from cis men as is possible. Only women and non-binary people can win me over. #sorrynotsorry

Queer Acceptance

What does it mean to me to be queer these days?

The communities I know often advocate for pride.

But pride is just the flip side of shame. 

Queer is an everyday reality.

By the time I tell people, I've known them long enough to recognise that they'll maintain a warm, genuine connection with me. Due to my sensitivity, this process doesn't take long. 

Queer links me to thought leaders, pioneers. Queer people are ahead of the game. 

Queer is also a source of pain, as when people are callous.

Everybody should aspire to be queer, at least in theory.

Best of '18: Travel Photography by Epiphanie Bloom

Intrigued by Iceland

The photographer enters the frame

Deconstructed by Spain

Passive consumer (Updated)

Every day I place myself in

Front of a screen and

Click my way into 

Bliss -- or oblivion?

You care

I see you care

But will you be there for me

When I'm unable to dare

Reimagining Riga [2]

I waited. For bowed heads with ornate hairstyles attached. For deep glares from stern, angular bodies. A vivid sense of imbalance that I could use to dismiss a nation which had wounded me with its non-Zürich-ness. But the women were mostly looking straight ahead (and at some point which was other than me), and the men, likewise, seemed neither particularly impressed nor disgusted by my presence. A few days went by and I started to see that this, too, was a likeable place. A relatable place. A place with its own dignity economy, and rewards which revealed themselves even to a short-time visitor.

(It was when I landed in Tallinn, Estonia, that I noticed more of the misogyny I was looking for. But even that was counterbalanced in between deep friendliness, a passion for technology, and a hearty way of living. This city clearly deserves more time than we had for it.)

One thing my mother and I actually have in common is our fascination with ornate architecture. As such, I spent most of the time in Riga chasing one manifestation of aesthetic bliss to another. Along the way, I found out that the regular Jane may not be able to eat out, even for a special occasion, but doesn't allow that to diminish her enjoyment of the city's delights. I only needed to look at the physical environment discernible on the streets of the Old Town to see that the people were engaged by it. The vibe was cultured and sophisticated - a place people were creating something worth tuning into. I hope I can spend more time there someday, perhaps in month warmer than October.

Reading Henning Mankell's 'Dogs of Riga' was both a plus and a minus - the crime fiction tale put the city on my map, but continued to paint it in hues so gray, that it would take me a while to disentangle myself from a sense of horror upon viewing the real thing. I suppose I am grateful that Latvia was selected at all by the Swedish author I was dabbling in. I might not have been as eager to come otherwise. Reports of abundant Art Nouveau are one thing, but a narrative that stirs your imagination is far more lucrative. And so I reluctantly raced into the unknown, and ended up relishing the reliably colourful reality. 

Notes and Reflections: My Travels in Europe [1]

A) Flying into London ain’t what it used to be

A decade ago it was pointed out to me that, being from Bulgaria, I could very well work in the UK if I felt like it. In 2018, I was quizzed extensively about my intentions for London and onward. By the end of the encounter I had handed over my phone to show the electronic proof of my onward ticket to Reykjavík, and explained those pesky visas to Vietnam (all three of them). I had more stamps from Thai airports, leaving me to speculate that it was the Southeast Asian country’s Communist status that had inspired suspicion. Whatever the case, after a 24 hour flight I’m generally not in the mood for this newfound interrogatory zeal. Next time I fly through friendlier customs in "The Continent."

B) Iceland made me feel at peace with my “psychic” powers

I have been told by my last few psychologists that it’s impossible to read people’s minds, advice I always felt missed the mark. I can agree that I’ll never know the exact detailed infrastructure of a person’s innermost thoughts, but I can often pick up quickly and intuitively on details that it might take a less sensitive, attuned person a five minute conversation to establish. Shutting down my intuition never helped me, and I see now that if I trust myself, I will go further in life than the naysayers can imagine.

Walking around Reykjavík, I was often treated in a way highly conscious of my general disposition. So used to trying to conceal aspects of my eccentricity, I was taken aback at the locals’ openness to it, and would have liked to stay longer and get used to ‘snap-judgements’ that worked in my favour!

A note to those thinking that I am indulging in magical thinking: I’m pretty sure my perceptions would be backed up by science, if tests were conducted. I even agree with those who claim that there is no such thing as intuition, but acquired (heightened) powers of observation.

C) London is still worth the visit

One my last night in Europe I made it to the 02 Brixton Academy to see Lykke Li live. An old favourite, LL charmed me and countless others with her feisty, sad ditties accrued around haunting, off-beat soundscapes. She was psyched to be there, and I was in a good mood for quite some time after.

In a nod to what makes London stand out as a global hub, I made the acquaintance of a Muscovite who had spent lengthy stints basking in the plentiful outsiders (and outsideryness) of the British capital. He only wished the people of this city were more enthusiastic about literature, and could incorporate more Russian-style authenticity into their lives. I was shown that Muscovites wouldn't smile at you if you asked them for directions on the street, but that smiles were something saved for a genuine friendship.

And so, even with Brexit looming, it's going to be hard to dismantle the melée of international influences which have made London into one of the most alluring cultural hotspots to be found. I will confess to feeling more relaxed about the city, having wandered off the (dark, gloomy) headlines of the Guardian page, and onto its shiny, elegant thoroughfares. People here treat each other with a kind of mutual respect that's appealing.