March 2020 – COVID-19 led to an unprecedented shut down.

Suddenly everything was different.

Closed borders.  Luca was in Italy. I was in Vienna.

Our plane to the Seychelles cancelled. Our dream to dedicate the year 2020 to tropical islands in the pacific burst.

Instead, we involuntarily chose to spend summer 2020 in our home continent Europe.

With the coordinated opening of Europe under the supervision of the European Commission happening gradually and irreversibly, we decided to plan some trips in summer 2020 in the European Union. With thousands of years of history, a rich cultural heritage and breathtaking scenery, Europe is home to some of the world’s most popular travel destinations.

You may know a lot about Europe — we bet there is much about this vast continent that you don’t know:

  • Sweden has more McDonald’s per-capita than any other country in Europe. That’s 225 sets of Golden Arches! 
  • Sorry, France: the Croissant was actually invented in Austria. While the Viennese Schnitzel actually comes from Milan.
  • Lanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogo is the longest name for a town and it’s located in Wales. 
  • Perucica in Bosnia is one of the last rainforests in Europe. 
  • In Finland, men participate in a contest to see who can carry its wife the longest and fastest. No joke!
  • ¼ of the Netherlands lies below sea level.
  • In Switzerland, you’re never more than 10 miles from a lake.
  • Portugal is the oldest country in Europe.
  • A mosquito free summer? Iceland’s stunning nature is even more pleasant to experience with the fact that there are absolutely no mosquitos in the country.
  • With around 20 inhabitants overall Croatia’s town of Hum is the smallest in the world.
  • Norway has the longest coastline in Europe and the second-longest in the world. The highly rugged coastline, including all the fjords and islands, is over 100,000 km long.

Cheers to a summer in Europe.