NATALIJA UGRINA

The first thing that strikes you as you approach Mont Saint-Michel  is how impossibly unreal  it looks. Rising from the misty bay like something out of a medieval fantasy, the abbey seems to defy gravity and logic. I walked the long bridge leading to the island—yes, there's a shuttle, but trust me, walking is absolutely worth it if you want those breathtaking shots. With every step closer to Mont Saint-Michel , the Gothic spires grew larger, and I couldn't shake the feeling t

When I first walked through the gates of Clos Lucé in Amboise, I wasn't prepared for how intimate it would feel. Leonardo da Vinci Amboise - this is where it all happened. This wasn't some grand museum with velvet ropes and crowds - this was a home. Leonardo da Vinci's home. The place where one of history's greatest minds spent his final three years in Leonardo da Vinci Amboise, far from his beloved Italy, creating, dreaming, and ultimately, dying. But as I would soon discove

It was one of those moody Basque afternoons when the sky can’t decide if it wants to drizzle or downpour. I had planned a quick stop in...