A YEAR ABROAD 2014

A YEAR ABROAD 2014 PHOTOGRAPHS FROM ACROSS EUROPE RYAN CRANEY

A special thanks to my parents, my family and the Richard Lee Fisher Memorial Scholarship Committee, for whose support made this all possible.

A YEAR ABROAD 2014

TABLE OF CONTENTS 4 Introduction 6 Arriving in København Denmark 10 Into the Wild Switzerland, Austria, Liechtenstein, France 16 On Tapas the World Spain 20 Climbing and Castles Czech Republic 24 Nu er det Jul Igen!

Denmark 28 The Mediterranean Turkey, Greece, Italy 40 Winter Wonderland Iceland 46 Up (Further) North Sweden, Finland 50 Wine & the Rhine Germany, France 54 Mind the Gap England

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FRONT COVER Snowy Highway just North of Vík, Iceland LEFT Myself Posing at the Panathenaic Stadium, Greece RIGHT Map of my Travels Throughout Europe BACK COVER Sunset near Reykjavík, Iceland

INTRODUCTION When asked about my tour of Europe, it’s hard

give me a chance to meander across Europe, but

to come up with words that accurately capture

I also met and befriended many amazing people

the essence of my experiences, so I turn to

from all across the world.

photography instead. I have been interested-

This book, however, is for those who I didn’t get

or maybe obsessed- with photography since I

to share my travels with (or those who want to

got my first DSLR in 2008 and studying abroad

relive them) and I hope you can use it to explore

only added fuel to this fire. I was incredibly

the distinct lifestyles and vibrant cultures just as I

lucky to have the opportunity to spend nine

experienced them with my camera. So, without

months studying Architectural Design at DIS in

further ado, I give you the best of my travels

Copenhagen, Denmark. Not only did my studies throughout Europe!

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Rainbow Panorama in Aarhus

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Rainbow Panorama in Aarhus

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ARRIVING IN KĂ˜BENHAVN DENMARK Eighteen hours into my year abroad, I was already getting a taste of the excitement to come. Before long, I had made new friends, become part of the family, and explored the beautiful countryside of Denmark. I would have plenty of opportunities to travel across Europe, however this was one of my favorite couple of weeks in my nine month stay.

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LEFT Carlsberg Brewery & Solrød Strand RIGHT Ebeltoft & Aarhus

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INTO THE WILD AUSTRIA & SWITZERLAND Swiss cheese, delicious chocolate, beautiful architecture and amazing people are just a few of many reasons to look forward to a trip into the Alps. We began the trip with a tour of the rural towns of Bregenz and Dornbirn; cities that can only be described by the delicious street food and friendly townspeople celebrating the beautiful weather in the parks. To top it all off, we finished our stay with an amazing hike through the narrow canyons and mist-shrouded peaks overlooking Dornbirn.

Then we ventured our way through treacherous highways and countless hairpin-turns into the lush valleys of Switzerland. The first stop was in another small town, Vals, known for its bottled water and quaint village. Vals has also become recognized for Therme Vals, a luxurious spa nestled into the side of the valley and we were lucky enough to get to experience this amazing piece of architecture first-hand. We finished our memorable tour with a stay in the urban city of Basel and its surrounding cities.

Small Home in the Valley Vals, Switzerland

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Karren Summit in Dornbirn, Austria

Into the Wild

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Rappenloch in Dornbirn, Austria

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Into the Wild

LEFT St. Benedict Chapel in Sumvitg, Switzerland Therme Vals in Vals, Switzerland RIGHT Kunsthaus Bregenz, Austria Cattle in Dornbirn, Austria

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Sagrada Familia

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LEFT Sagrada Familia in Barcelona, Spain RIGHT City Life of Madrid & Barcelona, Spain

On Tapas the World

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ON TAPAS THE WORLD SPAIN Few places in this world have a cultural eccentricity comparable to Spain. Within our short visit, we got to experience the magnificent works of Gaudi, the thriving nightlife, the beautiful parks and beaches, and even an unfortunate pick-pocketing by a group of old ladies handing out flowers. When it comes down to it, Spain was quite the adventure.

Hrubรก Skรกla Castle at Sunrise

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CLIMBING AND CASTLES CZECH REPUBLIC There is really nothing like enjoying a beer and goulash while looking out over the Hrubรก Skรกla forest from a turret in an old Czech castle.

Well, at least until you follow it with an amazing couple of days hiking, spelunking, repelling, archery, and rock climbing in the gorgeous autumnal forests. To top it all off, we made a quick stop to explore the streets of Prague.

TOP Prague at Sunset LEFT Hrubรก Skรกla, Czech Republic RIGHT St.Vitus Cathedral // Astronomical Clock

Climbing and Castles

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Kastrup Sea Bath

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NU ER DET JUL IGEN! DENMARK

“European Christmas” shown in movies isn’t true, right? False. Everything from the Christmas markets to a feast with the family was just as I would’ve imagined… incredible! Of course

This year marked my first Christmas away from

I missed my family back home, but I’m afraid

home and it surely didn’t disappoint. I was lucky

they were the ones missing out, as it’s going to

enough to have an amazing host family and great be hard not to return when the jingle bells start friends to experience it with. Surely the classic

ringing again.

LEFT Karlslunde, Denmark RIGHT Christmas in Copenhagen

Nu er det Jul Igen!

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Oia at Sunset

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THE MEDITERRANEAN TURKEY, GREECE, & ITALY Entering the Mediterranean could only be compared to going back in time a few hundred years. Unfortunately that made air travel fairly difficult, but everything else was a unique experience that left me on the verge of cultural shock. The history found in the Turkish mosques, Greek islands, and Italian duomos makes one feel insignificant and awe-struck.

LEFT New Mosque & Hagia Sophia RIGHT Hagia Sophia & Blue Mosque at Night

The Mediterranean

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LEFT Ferry Ride to Santorini, Greece RIGHT Oia, Santorini, Greece

The Mediterranean

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The Mediterranean

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LEFT Acropolis at Sunset RIGHT Both Olympic Stadiums in Athens, Greece

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The Mediterranean

LEFT St. Peter’s Cathedral in the Vatican, Italy Trevi Fountain, Rome , Italy RIGHT St. Peter’s Cathedral The Colosseum, Rome, Italy

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The Mediterranean

LEFT Ponte Vecchio & Boboli Gardens, Florence, Italy Venice, Italy RIGHT Glass Sculpture in Murano,Venice, Italy

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Black Sand Beach at VĂ­k

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Black Sand Beach at VĂ­k

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WINTER WONDERLAND ICELAND

places where everywhere you look there’s

Iceland is well known as a landscape

even more magical. My stay in Iceland only left

photographer’s paradise, so it should be no

me wanting more and I hope to return again

surprise that it became my favorite destination

to adventure deeper into the mystical lands of

of the 16 countries I visited. It’s one of those

volcanoes, tiny horses, geysers, and waterfalls.

another incredibly beautiful landscape. Once you blanket these landscapes in snow, things become

Winter Wonderland

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Winter Wonderland

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TOP Panoramic Over Thingvellir, Iceland LEFT BrĂşarfoss on the Golden Circle RIGHT Harpa Concert Hall, Reykjavik, Iceland

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University of Helsinki Main Library

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University of Helsinki Main Library

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UP (FURTHER) NORTH SWEDEN & FINLAND

the dense groves of pine trees, that reflect the notoriously bloody history of both of these countries. Even though the wars have long since ended, a certain sense of pride of their past was

For my fifth and final DIS-guided tour, we

present in the locals. I was lucky to have the

ventured far north to the cities of Stockholm

opportunity to learn of this history in late night

and Helsinki. Both cities had plenty of beautiful

chats in the sauna and short conversations on our

churches or crematoriums, nestled deep in

daily commute on the Metro.

LEFT Stockholm Public Library Churches of Finland RIGHT University of Helsinki Main Library Altar of a Finnish Chapel

Up (Further) North

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Trocedero Gardens from the Eiffel Tower

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Trocedero Gardens from the Eiffel Tower

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WINE & THE RHINE GERMANY & FRANCE There’s nothing more relaxing than enjoying the beautiful spring weather with a little free time in the park, although there was very little free time on this trip. I finally succumbed to the hordes of tourists and joined their quest for the numerous attractions that these medieval cities had to offer. The long lines challenged my patience, but it was well worth the wait, as I got to explore countless awesome locations. I also had the chance to share my experiences in Paris with my parents and it didn’t take long for them to see what makes Europe such a special place!

LEFT Frankfurt, Stuttgart & Berlin, Germany RIGHT Paris, France

Wine & the Rhine

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London Skyline at Sunset

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LEFT Sites Off of the Banks of the River Thames RIGHT Velodrome 2012 Olympic Park

Mind the Gap

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time to explore the streets of London. There was an overwhelming amount of things to do, so I

MIND THE GAP ENGLAND

found myself wandering the banks of the Thames

To cap it all off, I made a quick weekend escape

London left me unsatisfied and I’m sure to return

to London as the final trip before a reluctant

someday. Given the incredible nine months I

return flight to my home in California. I quickly

spent abroad, I might as well revisit all of these

found out that 48 hours is not nearly enough

amazing European cities while I’m at it.

and stumbling upon several classic landmarks, as well as a few unexpected ones. My quick skim of

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AUSTRIA // CZECH REPUBLIC // DEN MARK // FINLAND // FRANCE // GERMA NY // GREECE // ICE LAND // ITALY // LIECH TENSTEIN // SPAIN // SWEDEN // SWIT ZERLAND // TURKEY // UNITED KINGDOM