England is a prosperous country when it comes to history and traditions. There are old mansions and ruins scattered all through the nation, surrounded very often by beautiful nature and accompanied by lovely gardens. Amiable is South England, which consists of exciting and sometimes even weird-looking coastlines. Get yourself a nice cup of tea, find a place with a great view, and enjoy yourself!
Wandering through the many labyrinth-like streets of Rome is like walking through history itself. At every corner, there is a church or monument of significance. But what makes Rome are the people and their culture. The Romans enjoy themselves and their lifestyle, which consists of spending time with friends and having a good wine and dinner. Don’t dare to leave Rome without trying some local cuisine! And there is more than just Pizza (although it is delicious over here, to be fair).
Rome is also called the eternal city, as it has withstood any winds of change for 28 centuries already and is supposed to exist until the end of civilization. Sometimes, the city can feel heavy in history and weight, like the monumental statues decorating it. It can be busy too – especially during tourist season. But there are always places and moments to let it all in and feel the romance and melancholy of Rome.
Shot in April and May 2018.
The pictures were taken in Prague, May of 2018.
The “Golden City,” of course, is Prague, the capital of the Czech Republic or Czechia. It is one of the oldest cities in Central Europe and was the most crucial metropolis in the region for many centuries. Prague was a multicultural city with Czech, German, and Jewish populations. It was also a tremendously rich place, being a cultural, political, and economic hub in Europe. Because of that fact, it was probably called golden, maybe because of the many golden tower roofs visible from afar or the myths surrounding alchemists working in the city. There are plenty of other legends about Prague; one well-known is the story of the Golem, a monster who was said to live in the Jewish quarter. For sure, though, it can be said that Prague accumulated an astounding assembly of architecture over many centuries, reaching from medieval Gothic buildings to baroque and art nouveau structures. No wonder the city is a living museum of European history today.
Michael Hoffman Photography 