My personal top 15 favorite moments/photos of summer in Northern/Eastern Europe:
1) Norway: Looking down at the Pulpit Rock and Lysefjord. Spent a full 2 hours just hiking around for better views.
2) Norway: Midnight view of Bergen from Mount Floyen – at the end of a 14km night/midnight hike. The view alone invigorated my tired body and mind. The sky never gets completely dark during this period of time.
3) Norway: Sunset at 10.45pm on the Vidden Trail between Mount Ulriken and Mount Floyen, near Bergen. The sense of serenity with no one around you was just amazing.
4) Norway: Vidden Trail: Passing by some sheep with their ringing bells reminded me a lot of my hike in Zermatt, Switzerland some years ago.
5) Norway: View of Aurlandsfjord from the Stegastein viewpoint near Flåm.
6) Poland: At the top of a guard tower in Malbork Castle, the largest castle (by land area) in the world.
7) Sweden: Gamla Stan in Stockholm, probably the prettiest old town in Scandinavia.
8) Poland: The reconstructed Old Town that was nearly completely destroyed in WWII. It has my favorite old town atmosphere due to the numbers of street activities – piano, violin performances
9) Norway: Vidden Trail again. View of lakes and mountains, with Bergen in the background, makes for an unforgettable sight.
10) Norway: View of the houses on the hill shrouded by heavy fog after a rainy day. I liked this quiet, scenic spot better than the Bryggen waterfront, which was swarming with tourists.
11) Poland: My favorite meal of the entire trip, which has all of my favourite things: Potato pancake with goulash: Fried pork shoulder cubes with mashed garlic and shallots, braised in its own juices. With a side of amazing Polish vodka.
12) Lithuania: A peaceful evening at sunset where two rivers, Neman and Neris, meet.
13) Norway: Vidden Trail again. A lone house by a lake, with a backdrop of hills and lakes.
14) Poland: Gdansk Old Town, a very prettified old town just like the one in Warsaw. An abundance of very atmospheric cafes and restaurants to relax in.
15) Sweden: Drottningholm Palace with a really grand interior and a huge, sprawling garden that always feels peaceful despite the throngs of summer tourists.
