Europe is the richest continent on earth with an area of 10,180,000 square kilometres. History suggests that Europe is named after the name of Phoenician Princess Europa of Greek myth who was seduced by Zeus disguised as a bull. Some 11% of world's population lives in European continent. It is estimated that the first human being travelled to Europe from Africa approximately 1.8 million years ago. The Minoan civilisation started flourishing in the Crete as a literate society in 27th century BC. The Mycenaean civilisation developed and people of this era built cities and they were the first who had a system of warrior aristocracy. However, Europe achieved its superiority in early 15th century when European people started to explore the world; they discovered America in 15th century and established trade and mercantile influence almost all over the world. In 18th century the Industrial Revolution commenced in England which led Europe to a new era of global leadership. The World War-I which began in 1914 was initiated from Europe and in 1939 the World War-II was also initiated from Europe. After a long period of war and brutality, the European Union was formed in 1993 with an aim of mutual cooperation between European nations.
I was always fascinated with exploring the places of historical interest in this historically rich continent, especially those places that still witness a dark past and a flourishing start. My journey began from the United Kingdom. With an area of 94,060 square miles the UK is one of the most powerful countries in the Europe. Geographically, United Kingdom is an isolated island with no land border with the rest of the Europe. I have been living in the UK for almost 6 years for study purpose, so I have had the opportunity to explore life, culture, politics and history of this country. United Kingdom of Great Britain is formed by England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. There is unitary parliamentary democracy and a constitutional monarchy in the country.
London, the capital of United Kingdom, covers an area of 607 square miles, it is a cosmopolitan city and one of the largest financial centres of the world. London is also known as world's diplomatic city, it is also considered one of most expensive places for living in the world. There are numerous historical places in the UK such as Windsor Castle, Roman Baths - Bath, Buckingham Palace, Ironbridge Gorge, Castlerigg Stone Circle, Multangular Tower, Wroxeter Roman City, Sutton Hoo and many more. London Tower Bridge is the Icon of the UK; the United Kingdom is the home of some great people such as Sir Isaac Newton and William Shakespeare. The population here is of multicultural and different ethnical background and the dominant religion is Christian. The original white English people are legendary for their reserved manner, politeness, self-discipline and especially for their sense of humour. These people are mostly honest and helpful. Nationality and English language are their pride.
From London Gatwick Airport I travelled to Venice, Italy, as UK is not under Schengen Protocol I had to obtain Schengen to travel to the rest of the Europe. However, it took approximately eighty minutes to reach Venice, Italy. The city of Venice is one of the most stunning man-made cities on the earth, the city covers 414.6 square kilometres and is formed of 117 small islands separated by canals. Like London, Venice is also a city with multicultural population, but here the dominant group is only population with white skin. Life is far less costly than UK's. According to EU regulation, anyone travelling to any Schengen country would require 50 British pounds per day while in the UK, tourists have to make a budget for 100 pounds for a day. Italy is one of the European giants and once it was home of Roman Empire. The government system of the country is unitary parliamentary constitutional republic. Italy is one of the dominant countries in Europe. However, my main intention of coming to Italy is to explore the city of Pompeii, which is an ancient Roman city. The city witnesses the devastating catastrophe of Vesuvius eruption. Italian people are also friendly, but anyone with no Italian language literacy would face an irritating ambiance as people here don't speak English or understand English unless apart from a few trained officials and volunteers.
From Italy, I travelled all the way to Oslo, Norway by train named Euro-star. The distance between these two countries is approximately 2089 km. I travelled by train because I wanted to experience inter-European transportation system. Norway gained independence from Denmark in 1814, since then Oslo is the capital of this country. Oslo is considered the city of peace. The city is formed by 40 islands separated by canals. The city comprises an area of 454 square kilometres and estimated population is 634,463. Oslo is the city of white people; they are dominant here and it is strictly a region of Christianity. People with other ethical background are marginal in all aspects of their living.
I travelled to Germany from Oslo, the distance between these two countries is approximately 1,257.6 km. It takes nearly 76 minutes by air which cost no more than 30 British pounds. Germany contains vast history of World War II, once it was one of the most powerful countries that ruled almost half of the world. The country was formed by Holy Roam Empire on 2nd February 962. I came to Berlin, the capital of Germany. This city has some ancient taste as well as modern touch. Unlike London, Berlin is a city of German persons. Life here is not much expensive; the city is quiet. It seems like Germans hate English language; I didn't find a single person who could give me some direction of my finding ways in English. People of Germany are also gracious and straightforward but the unique thing about Germany is their height and smartness. Like British, Germans are also proud of their nationality. The political system of the county is Federal parliamentary constitutional republic.
From Berlin, it took me almost 1 hour and 45 minutes to come to Paris, the capital of France. This country is listed as one of five super power countries. It is also an economic giant of Europe. Paris is one of the most beautiful cities on earth. It is known as the city of night. Life in Paris is expensive but still less than London's. Paris is also a cosmopolitan city. Like Berlin, in Paris there is complex mixture of historical and modern architecture. Paris attracts its visitors and binds them in a chain of romance. It itself is the queen of its own kingdom. Eiffel Tower is the icon of France that shines and lights the city during night time when the city tells a story of its own, a story of fantasy, a tale of love and a tale of unfinished romance. Paris is also a cosmopolitan city, there is no dominant group. People from all over the world live here together in harmony. The official language is French, but in some regions German and Italian are also spoken. It takes almost 10 hours to come back to London from Paris by bus crossing the English Channel by ferry.
The transportation system between European countries is so satisfactory, visitors can choose from a wide range of choices such as bus, train, ship or air. A Schengen visa allows a visitor to enter almost all EU countries except United Kingdom. The general currency of all EU countries is Euro while in Britain Euro has not yet been accepted. Pound Sterling is British traditional currency.
The writer is Researcher on South Asian Politics and Political Economy. E-mail: shakkhar@live.co.uk
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