Precisely one year ago I embarked upon one of the most exciting trips in my life. I called it "Sketches of Europe's Northwest" and published something between a photostory and a diary on Facebook, in the context of Brexit. At long last I found the time to compile all Facebook posts and Instagram pictures from the trip in one place and I'm offering them here. It was an unforgettable experience. Maybe it is even better that I am putting this together now, one year later, because it gave me the chance to go over these moments again. Captions are above each image. Click on image for larger version. Enjoy!
Travelling to Paris, France from Sofia International Airport.
19 August 2016 · Sofia
I am off to Paris, Belfast, Bristol and Cornwall on a ten-day trip which I am dubbing #SketchesOfEuropesNorthwest. I am going to cross from the hot, dry, yellow, azure, summery Southeast of the continent to the lush, green, grey, humid and refreshing Northwest. Two diametrically opposed but complementary faces of our cherished common European space - now rattled by a perfect storm of internal and external challenges.
The issue of Brexit cannot but be my silent companion along the way. After all, it is one of the secret reasons for which I chose to head northwest in the midst of an exuberant Balkan summer. Does Paris actually care about Brexit; is it simply gloating or it can’t wait to assume financial powers from London? What about the future of the Good Friday Agreement for Northern Ireland? Do unionists in the country regret voting to remain in the EU, now that there is renewed talk of a united island by nationalists? The Southwest of England: Bristol, home of some of my favourite musicians, massively elected to Remain (62%); nearby Cornwall saw a 56% Leave vote. Why so?
Apart from just exploring novel and long-yearned corners of Auld Europe, the restless type that I am, it is the simple, human answers to the above questions that I will be looking for, in word and in image. Stay tuned!
19 August 2016
Добро утро, Благоевград! [Good morning, Blagoevgrad! - an allusion to an old joke among Blagoevgrad people that their city is nothing less than Paris]
Le Marais, Paris
20 August 2016
Roofs of #LeMarais I. #SketchesOfEuropesNorthwest #Paris #France
Le Marais, Paris.
20 August 2016
Roofs of #LeMarais II. #SketchesOfEuropesNorthwest #Paris #France
20 August 2016 · Paris, France
The living room of a Le Marais student flat on
Saturday morning :D
Centre Pompidou.
20 August 2016
Roofs of #LeMarais III. #SketchesOfEuropesNorthwest #Paris #France
Centre Pompidou.
20 August 2016
Roofs of #LeMarais IV. #SketchesOfEuropesNorthwest
#Pompidou #Paris #France
Centre Pompidou.
20 August 2016
Neighbours. #SketchesOfEuropesNorthwest #Pompidou #Serbia #Italy #Paris #France
Le Tir Bouchon.
20 August 2016
The corkscrew. #SketchesOfEuropesNorthwest #LeMarais #Paris #France
Chez Georges.
20 August 2016
The invitation. #SketchesOfEuropesNorthwest #ChezGeorges #wine #StGermain #Paris #France
Le Consulat.
20 August 2016
No #France without the frog legs. Snails went yesterday. #SketchesOfEuropesNorthwest #Paris #Monmartre
Sacre Coeur.
21 August 2016
View from #SacreCoeur. #SketchesOfEuropesNorthwest #Prisma #redhead #Monmartre #Paris #France
Monmartre.
21 August 2016
The invitation II. #SketchesOfEuropesNorthwest #Monmartre #Paris #France
Trocadero - Eiffel Tower - Paris.
View from #SacreCoeur. #SketchesOfEuropesNorthwest #Prisma #redhead #Monmartre #Paris #France
Monmartre.
21 August 2016
The invitation II. #SketchesOfEuropesNorthwest #Monmartre #Paris #France
Trocadero - Eiffel Tower - Paris.
21 August 2016
The symbol. #SketchesOfEuropesNorthwest #Prisma #Mondrian #Paris #France
Seine River.
21 August 2016
Exchange. #SketchesOfEuropesNorthwest #Seine #Paris #France
Seine River, Paris Fance.
21 August 2016
Toward the north bank. #SketchesOfEuropesNorthwest
#Seine #Paris #France
Pont Neuf, Paris.
21 August 2016
Islanders. #SketchesOfEuropesNorthwest #Seine #Isledecité #Paris #France
Arc De Triomphe, Champs Elysees.
21 August 2016
The #Defense. Awaiting new powers from London. #SketchesOfEuropesNorthwest #Paris #France
Place Concorde.
21 August 2016
The ship's wheel. #SketchesOfEuropesNorthwest #Concorde #Paris #France
Rue Montorgueil.
22 August 2016 · Paris , France
This is what wine can look like in a #Thai street food joint in #Paris . #SketchesOfEuropesNorthwest #LeMarais #France
22 August 2016 · Paris, France ·
Charming Saint Denis street in #LeMarais
Marche D'Aligre.
22 August 2016
Never enough. #SketchesOfEuropesNorthwest #cheese #Paris #France
Le Baron Rouge.
22 August 2016
Wall of splendour. #SketchesOfEuropesNorthwest #wine #LeBaronRouge #Paris #France
Jardins Du Château De Versailles.
22 August 2016
Circles. #SketchesOfEuropesNorthwest #Vesailles #France
Jardins Du Château De Versailles.
22 August 2016
Triangles. #SketchesOfEuropesNorthwest #Vesailles #France
Versailles, France.
22 August 2016
The #Sunday street. #Versailles #France #SketchesOfEuropesNorthwest
Rue Des Lombards 75004 Paris.
23 August 2016
Павето. #SketchesOfEuropesNorthwest #Paris #France
N2 Extreme Gelato Paris.
23 August 2016
THE #icecream in #Paris. #N2 #SketchesOfEuropesNorthwest #LeMarais #France #Australia
Ô Chateau.
23 August 2016
Still life. #Paris
#wine #SketchesOfEuropesNorthwest #France
Esplanade de La Défense.
23 August 2016
Paris La Défense.
23 August 2016
Travelling to Belfast, United Kingdom from Paris Aéroport -
Charles de Gaulle (CDG).
23 August 2016 · Roissy-En-France, France
Off to the capital of Northern Ireland, the next stop in my
trip across Northwestern Europe.
On Paris: The city is in a bland, even lethargic August
holiday mood. The first time I was here was in an October, and it was much
livelier. The weekend and especially Sunday saw empty streets and closed shops.
A wine shop dealer told me it was not unusual for August (of course the
tourists around the hotspots were abundant). Yet the city was powerful and
rewarding as always. We found exactly the spots we needed, from cosy hidden
streets to wine bars to open markets.
Donegall Place.
24 August 2016 at 18:12 ·
Belfast, United Kingdom.
25 August 2016
Titanic Memorial, Belfast City Hall.
25 August 2016
Harlem Belfast.
25 August 2016
The Irish #breakfast I. #Belfast #SketchesOfEuropesNorthwest
#NorthernIreland
Harlem Belfast.
25 August 2016
The Irish #breakfast II. #Belfast
#SketchesOfEuropesNorthwest #craftbeer #Hilden #NorthernIreland
Cathedral Quarter, Belfast.
25 August 2016
Streetpub. #DukeOfYork #Belfast
#SketchesOfEuropesNorthwest #NorthernIreland
Peace Wall, Belfast.
25 August 2016
The "Peace" wall dividing West #Belfast into southern Nationalist/Catholic &
northern Loyalist/Protestant areas. The former is around #FallsRoad, the latter
around #ShankillRoad #SketchesOfEuropesNorthwest #NorthernIreland
Falls Road, Belfast.
25 August 2016
The Nationalists I. #murals #Belfast
#SketchesOfEuropesNorthwest #NorthernIreland #Ireland #FallsRoad
Falls Road, Belfast.
25 August 2016
The Nationalists II. #murals #Belfast #SketchesOfEuropesNorthwest
#NorthernIreland #Ireland #FallsRoad
Falls Road, Belfast.
25 August 2016
The Nationalists III. A touch of #socialism and
#Basque solidarity. #murals #Belfast #SketchesOfEuropesNorthwest
#NorthernIreland #Ireland #FallsRoad
Shankill, Belfast, United Kingdom.
25 August 2016
The Unionists I. #murals #Belfast
#SketchesOfEuropesNorthwest #NorthernIreland #ShankillRoad
Shankill, Belfast, United Kingdom.
25 August 2016
The Unionists II. #murals #Belfast
#SketchesOfEuropesNorthwest #NorthernIreland #ShankillRoad
Shankill, Belfast, United Kingdom.
25 August 2016
The Unionists III. #murals #Belfast #SketchesOfEuropesNorthwest
#NorthernIreland #ShankillRoad
Belfast, United Kingdom.
25 August 2016
Eternal #Balkans. #Belfast #SketchesOfEuropesNorthwest
#NorthernIreland
Travelling to Bristol, United Kingdom from Belfast
International Airport.
25 August 2016 · Belfast, United Kingdom
"All of the North voted to stay," said the lady at
the Sinn Fein office (and memorabilia shop) in Falls Rd, where the Republican,
Catholic residents of West Belfast live. She meant "all of Northern
Ireland," and was not quite right because seven out of 18 constituencies
here voted to Leave the EU. But 11 voted to Remain, or 55.8% of total ballots
cast, with places like West and South Belfast electing by around 70% to stay.
And it was not only the nationalists who voted that way - a large part of the
unionists of Belfast did the same.
A bloke at a pub in the Cathedral Quarter told me the 1.5 million people of Northern Ireland, or Ulster (as unionists call it) feel like hostages to 54-million England about almost every decision. So it was with the EU referendum too, when the English Midlands had their suffocating say. He also said the Irish here were not into politics very much but could feel the positives of EU membership: much of the development and refurbishment taking place across Belfast was powered by European money, he said, and I could see construction sites everywhere. I also read in the local press that Northern Irish farmers feel particularly vulnerable after the Brexit vote (in the same paper there was a piece quoting amazing figures, which we Eastern European societies must only admire and try to emulate: 400 Irish emigrants are returning to their home island every week!).
Belfast is a lovely, honest and intriguing city, especially for those from the Balkans like myself who know the political and social divisions of Bosnia, Kosovo and Macedonia. The streets and quarters have a special feel to them, the pubs are fascinating and welcoming and the people are amiable and open. (Please don't go to the Titanic museum, though!)
I'm off now to England's Southwest for another intake
of this gorgeous United Kingdom.
Bristol, United Kingdom.
26 August 2016
Terraces. I was told Europe's steepest street is here
in #Bristol not in Sarajevo . #SketchesOfEuropesNorthwest #england
Devon.
26 August 2016
On the train to #Cornwall. #Devon
#SketchesOfEuropesNorthwest #Sharps #ale #beer
Cornwall.
26 August 2016
Welcome to the Shire. #Cornwall #England #UK
#SketchesOfEuropesNorthwest
Gyllyngvase Beach.
27 August 2016
"It's a lovely day, isn't it?" #Gyllyngvase
#beach #Falmouth #Cornwall #SketchesOfEuropesNorthwest #England #UK
Falmouth, Cornwall.
27 August 2016
Festive. #Falmouth #Cornwall
#SketchesOfEuropesNorthwest #England #UK
Falmouth Harbour.
27 August 2016
Harbour I. #Falmouth #Cornwall
#SketchesOfEuropesNorthwest #England #UK
Falmouth Harbour.
27 August 2016
Harbour II. #Falmouth #Cornwall #England
#SketchesOfEuropesNorthwest #UK
27 August 2016
Harbour III. #
The Wheelhouse Crab and Oyster bar!.
27 August 2016
Cornish lures. #Falmouth #Cornwall
#SketchesOfEuropesNorthwest #England #UK
The 'Front.
27 August 2016
Cornish power. #TheFront #Cornwall #ale
#SketchesOfEuropesNorthwest #England #UK
Falmouth, Cornwall.
27 August 2016
The gatherers. #
Gyllyngvase Beach.
27 August 2016
The conversation. #Falmouth #Cornwall
#SketchesOfEuropesNorthwest #England #UK
The 'Front.
28 August 2016
Real #ale. #CAMRA #Cornwall #England #UK
#SketchesOfEuropesNorthwest
River Fal.
28 August 2016
Toward the castle. #RiverFal #Cornwall
#SketchesOfEuropesNorthwest #Falmouth #England #UK
St Mawes Harbour.
28 August 2016
Destination. #StMawes #Cornwall
#SketchesOfEuropesNorthwest #England #UK
Saint Mawes.
28 August 2016
Hobbiton-on-Sea. #StMawes #Cornwall
#SketchesOfEuropesNorthwest #England #UK
The Idle Rocks.
28 August 2016
Cornish nibbles. #StMawes #Cornwall
#SketchesOfEuropesNorthwest #England #UK #crab #IdleRocks
St Mawes Harbour.
28 August 2016
Retro. #StMawes #Cornwall #SketchesOfEuropesNorthwest
#Shell #England #UK
Saint Mawes.
28 August 2016
The beach. #StMawes #Cornwall
#SketchesOfEuropesNorthwest #England #UK
St Mawes Castle.
28 August 2016
Watchtower. #StMawes #Cornwall
#SketchesOfEuropesNorthwest #England #UK
St Mawes Harbour.
28 August 2016
The fishing team. #StMawes #Cornwall
#SketchesOfEuropesNorthwest #England #UK
Saint Mawes.
28 August 2016
A break. #StMawes #Cornwall
#SketchesOfEuropesNorthwest #England #UK
Travelling to Sofia, Bulgaria from Bristol Airport.
28 August 2016 · Bristol, United Kingdom
On my way back home after a thrilling Cornwall and a short
Bristol experience. I will never forget the honest, overwhelming joy that
exuded from every single person on the crowded Gyllyngvase Beach in Falmouth,
Cornwall, on that warm and sunny Friday in late August. I finally realised,
after years of exchange with the English and months of living in London or just
roaming the English cities, what really makes them happy: a beautiful summer
day on the beach, the English beach. I cannot but admire these honest human
feelings.
I had yearned to visit the English countryside for years, and Cornwall was my prize. Amazing beaches and hilly land with ups and downs, charming thatched houses as if taken from a Tolkien story, really friendly people, the best cider I have tried (sorry, Ireland!), strong ales and delicious food - especially the Cornish crab and pasties. Most of the tourists, say 99%, were English. It was a German and a French group that we encountered and us that made the difference. I really hoped to hear the Cornish language at play but our airbnb hosts said it was not generally used and could be heard only in club gatherings.
Bristol is a place to which I must devote a separate trip. I fell for it but we only spent one night and then two hours on our way back. Not enough, not even close.
We talked politics of course. It struck me how pro-European Falmouth, the town which was our base, was. Our hosts were art people with leftist inclinations: we certainly didn't agree on Corbyn's idea of Labour but we did agree on Europe. They said Falmouth voted to Remain. I saw an EU flag waving in front of an old semi-detached in the town centre.
My conclusion after this entire trip is that more and more people in our western societies are falling hostages to the primitive, irrational thinking of those that are angry. I don't think Britain is happy about the outcome of the referendum vote. Even small communities like Falmouth, Cornwall, have been explicit about their political preferences in a sea of declared pessimists. It is ironic that we in Bulgaria have been hostages of a similar, angry mass for a decade and a half now. Why is this repeating in established democracies? Do the majorities of the 20th and early 21st centuries, most of them middle class and working people, now perceive themselves as disenfranchised minorities? I am inclined to think so vis-a-vis the Brexit vote and the Trump phenomenon. I think political parties in the West must reform and redraw their priorities urgently. Otherwise they will just remain idle respondents to a major societal change. I don't think Corbyn, Podemos or AfD are the answer.
Dear Sofia, I'm coming home.
No comments:
Post a Comment