The 5 Most Beautiful Countries in Europe (Landscape)

Posted on July 13, 2019July 15, 2019 by dev

I have traveled a lot worldwide for 7 years, been to every country in Europe and most of them +2 times. These are the 5 most beautiful countries in Europe based on ONLY landscapes, according to my point of view. We all have different preferences, but for me these countries blew my mind. This is the Top 5!

The 5 Most Beautiful Countries in Europe (Landscape)

5. Scotland

Edinburgh and Glasgow are very cool cities, but the most fascinating part of Scotland is the dramatic scenery, the lush woodlands, the stunning lochs, rugged coastline and green rolling hills topped with crumbling castles. My personal favourite part is the Scottish Highland. I still remember my travel around Scotland, the fabled Loch Ness and these, misty, magical mountains. If you’re lucky to have no rain the Isle of Skye is an iconic place! I’ve been to Scotland 3 times and I really hope I will come back to see more.

Scotland has some of the most beautiful landscape in Europe

4. The Azores, Portugal

I’ve been to mainland Portugal 3 times and it’s a beautiful country! I like Porto, Lisbon and Sintra very much, but my fascination of mainland Portugal is most of all because of the cozy cities and villages, yet the landscape is nice too. On my 4th time in Portugal I wanted to see a new part of the country and went to The Azores. The Azores was actually recognized as the most beautiful destination in Europe by the European Best Destination, and the blue lakes ringed by forests of laurel and cedar and the peculiar rocks and structures certainly is TOP-CLASS on this volcanic archipelago. Hyacinths are everywhere, nature is so lush and green and breathtaking views from mountain tops when hiking around.. So close to my very top!

Portugal is so much more than only Lisbon.. The Azores has STUNNING landscapes

3. Iceland

Iceland is a country you CAN’T skip on this list. I’ve only been to Iceland one time and I spent 7 days there, but tried to see as much of the island as I could. Iceland’s blue bubbling geysers, rugged lava fields, and spectacular glaciers create a visual spectacle that seems out of this world. Definitely the Land of Fire and Ice, and who honestly wouldn’t love taking a dip in the Blue Lagoon?! Crazy colors, geysers, waterfalls and rock formations everywhere here.. Thumbs up for Iceland!

Visited Iceland is 2015 and I still remember these unique landscapes

2. Norway

I’ve been to Norway 20 TIMES.. Insane!? I went a lot to Norway as a kid and just as much as an adult.. I love the landscapes, there’s always a new adventure waiting in my Danish neighbor country. Deep, striking fjords, rugged coastal mountains and glaciers that take your breath away. Spectacular national parks which protect the nation’s unique scenery and wildlife. Norway is so big and some parts of the country lies within the Arctic Circle. Go north in the country and there’s a good chance of seeing Northern Lights, while reindeers and polar bears roam the staggering ice fields of the Svalbard archipelago most north.

Norway is fascinating, even in the extremely cold winter days with 2 meters snow laying everywhere…

Norway with my dad. As a kid I went mostly to Norway for holidays and a few other countries. Now I’m at 120 countries!

1. Faroe Islands

If you visit Faroe Islands on a big cruise ship for a few days and you only visit the capital Torshavn, then I’m sorry to say that you’ve missed out on some of the most beautiful scenery in the World. Faroe Islands is every photographer’s dream coming true!

I’ve been to Faroe Islands 14 times and been to most of the 18 islands, which are all very unique in their own way. The dramatic, mind-blowing islands landscape is shaped of steep cliffs with sheeps everywhere (Faroe Islands means ‘Sheep Islands), deep fjords and high rising mountains – no matter where you are, you are never more than 5 kilometers away from the ocean!

This natural paradise is Europe’s best kept secret, and while tourists are flocking countries like Iceland and Norway the Faroe Islands still goes under the radar, which makes it even more unique and special!

In a small village called Tjørnuvik in Faroe Islands with 64 people living there

Faroe Islands even has an island with only one family living there! As remote as it gets. Check out The 5 Reasons Why You Need To Go To Faroe Islands, if you’re planning to visit soon. You definitely should!

That was my ‘Top 5 Most Beautiful Countries In Europe (Landscape!) What’s yours?

Gustav

gus1thego.com

England VS Scotland (7 Differences)

Posted on April 16, 2019April 17, 2019 by dev

First of all I really like both England and Scotland, and I mostly see a lot of similarities between them, but having traveled a lot in both of them I couldn’t help but to write down 7 differences I’ve noticed.

1. The Accent

English accent

The London accent is a bit posh, but don’t get me wrong, I’ve realized England as a country has a ton of different accents like the Scouse accent, the Geordie accent and the Yorkshire accent etc! The list goes on..

This is what texting in England could probably look like!

Scottish accent

The Scottish accent is more harsh and is an accent you probably won’t find any other places in the World than Scotland or from Scottish people living abroad!

My friend said: “I can’t understand much Scottish, but it sounds great.” Keep in mind that in Scotland there are the Lowlands accents (Edinburgh, Glasgow, Perth, Dundee) and the Highlands (Aberdeen, Inverness,) all very different from each other!

I really enjoy the ‘O’-sound in Scottish, which is pronounced like ‘Or’. Goat becomes gort, know becomes knor and so becomes sor. An example:

“I don’t know, Owen only opens donuts.” becomes: “I dorn’t knor, Orwen ornly orpens dornuts.”

Too good! This is what texting could be like in Scotland..

Pretty filthy, but you get what I mean!

2. The Flags

English flag

The English flag is a white field with a centred red cross

Scottish flag

The Scottish flag is a white X-shaped cross, which represents the cross of the patron saint of Scotland, Saint Andrew on a blue sky.

3. The Landscapes

The landscapes are quite different from each other. Most of England is flat or low-lying especially in southern England and Scotland is in general more mountanious and more dark green.

English landscapes

The land of turquoise waters, Cornwall, England

Scottish landscapes

Both countries have beautiful landscapes with great scenery. Scotland is landscape-wise a bit more impressive for me than England is – although Cornwall, Yorkshire Dales and the Lakes are nice enough. Still, nothing compares to the Highlands and the Isles. Scenery is won by Scotland – hands down!

4. The Weather

In general, both regions have warm summers, mild winters and lots of clouds. The fact that the west of the UK is so close to the Atlantic Ocean means that it has milder winters. Because of the huge mass of water that holds heat better than land and therefore ‘heats’ Wales and Western England during the winter.

But be prepared for clouds, clouds and a short glimpse of the sun, before clouds again..

English Weather

Tower Bridge, London. Weather is usually cloudy in England.. But never really cold

July is the hottest month in London with an average temperature of 19°C (66 °F.)
Coldest month is January at around 5°C (41°F.)

Scottish Weather

Surprise! Cloudy view in Edingburgh over Hibernian FC’s Football Stadium

July is the warmest month in Scotland, with average maximum temperatures ranging from 15°C (59°F) to 17°C (63 °F.)
Coldest month is January at 3°C (37°F)

England feels more mild and warmer in my opinion.
Both countries can have beautiful sunny days too! You just have to wait long enough for them..

5. The Football

English football

The English Premier League (EPL) is often said to be the best football league in the world competition wise and also the most followed!

Scottish Football

Teams in The Scottish Premier League (SPL) can’t compete financially with the English teams. Focus on Rugby instead?

The Premier League in England is a lot better than the Scottish League. More money, more followers, more attention and much more entertaining football!

English football in general is miles ahead of Scotland, whether the Scottish lads agree to it or not! In Scotland you’ll indeed find passionate fans, but in England you’ll find a lot of football fans, who live for their local team. Furthermore Celtic basically win the League every year in Scotland and is the only team who would stand a chance in the Premier League in England.

Getting a one-man tour at Celtic Park, Glasgow. Celtic has *won the Scottish Premiership the last 7 years in a row!*

6. Prices

English property

Rent in England (London especially) is super expensive

If you check out cities on the Cost of Living Index from the UK, London is the most expensive with a price index of 225 and the Top 10 most expensive cities are all English.

Scottish property

Property in Scotland is in general slightly cheaper.. Funny!

Edinburgh has 155 and Glasgow 148 on the Cost of Living Index, which is a lot cheaper than London.
Maybe it’s better to buy a castle or some land in Scotland, and become a Lord, than renting a 1 bedroom flat in London? I still like London though!

7. Similarities

“English and Scots are the same people, with different accents. Why pretend otherwise? Why are unionists so scared to talk about what unites us?” – Chris Deerin

For me it’s been really hard to point out differences, but these I’ve listed above are what I could think of! And they weren’t even that different at all, right?!

The stereotypes are all too often that Scottish people are more pro-EU, pro-welfare and left-wing than the English, but you’ll find these types in England too and the statistics show they’re pretty much the same.

Others would say the English people in general are a more competitive folk, more self-centered. At the end of the day, buy either a pint, and you’ll be alright in both countries!

But still, the whisky selection tends to be better north of the English border naturally 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿

The National Dress of Scotland is impressive. Should I buy me a kilt? Edinburgh, Scotland

Any differences or similarities between England and Scotland? Feel free to join in!
These are only my thoughts.. But if you’re from England or Scotland and you hate your neighbor country, remember you remind a lot more of them than what you think.

– Gustav

gus1thego.com

Travel Pictures Of Gustav

Posted on April 1, 2019August 26, 2019 by dev

Here are some random pictures from all over the world. One from each country/territory. I will add more here and there from new travels and adventures, so check back every now and then. Enjoy!

Albania