Cobblestone Chronicles

A place of enormous cultural, economic and financial influence in the country as well as globally, Barcelona stands today as one of the most important cities on the Mediterranean sea. The Gothic architecture, the mountains and the sea make for a unique and vibrant city. The most captivating part of the city is the symmetry. It is remarkable how well-planned the city is, right from the times when it was under the Roman Empire. The city lies on a bed of land engulfed by the Mediterranean on one side and the Serra de Collserola mountain ranges to the west. The Catalan capital is naturally a tourist hotspot, with travellers coming from all over the world to experience the rich culture, the scrumptious cuisine, the welcoming vibe and the fandom for sport. I visited Barcelona at arguably the best possible time, Christmas. The excitement in anticipation of the festival of merriment was tangible, and every street was extravagantly lit in preparation to bring home the holiday cheer. ...

Back in 1944, the blood-soaked beaches of Normandy stood as a representation of just how brutal World War II really was, and served as a background for many-a-battle, the most famous of which is the seaborne invasion on D-Day. Jumpcut to today, Normandy’s beaches have become the go-to summer destination for tourists. The northwestern coastline of France is blessed with sprawling beaches of white sand and pebbles, with favourable weather making it a very viable option for visitors. As one leaves Paris and enters the province, the Seine river which is once surrounded by the iconic architecture of the French capital begins to be surrounded by lush green meadows and quaint settlements, a completely different aesthetic to that of the city, but very refreshing in its own right. The port of Le Havre is one of the biggest cities in the province, and along with its own beach serves as a gateway to many other beaches in Normandy. One of these is the town of Etretat. Not as renowne...

The Austrian town of Hallstatt Set aside from the grandeur and the classic Viennese coffee and Sachertorte of the Austrian capital, nestled within the Salzkammergut mountains is the early Iron Age town of Hallstatt. This lakeside market town is home to one of the world’s oldest salt mines, and the Hallstattersee lake itself is the starting point for the world’s oldest industrial pipeline, which is operational to this date. Sounds like a very mundane run-of-the-mill industrial town, but do not let the initial description of the place deceive you. Hallstatt is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and having now become one of the most visited destinations, was recently popularised as the most Instagrammable town in the world. Ebensee Eager to see what the hype is all about, we boarded a train to Hallstatt from Vienna early in the morning. A late January winter’s day saw our view from the train transition from lush green meadows to an endless white carpet of fresh sno...