Meet the writers
I’m Karen Bryan, the founder and editor of the multi author Europe a la Carte Blog, which focuses on the best places to visit in Europe. I started the blog in October 2006, to inform, inspire and entertain readers who love travel in Europe.
I’m Amanda Kendle, I’ve been writing about my travels for some years now, and after living in Germany, Slovakia and Japan, and travelling to almost 40 other countries, I’ve had plenty of fuel. Although I’m now based again in my homeland, Australia, I still pine for Europe and write about it every chance I get it.
Two of my favourite journeys took place in Europe. My most memorable Christmas was in Finnish Lapland, when I got to drive a reindeer sleigh on Christmas Day. And probably the best trip I’ve ever taken was across Russia and down through the Baltic countries, starting on the Trans-Siberian train and then backpacking my way through Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Poland before settling for a while in Bratislava.
To pay my bills these days, I teach English to foreigners part-time, and write part-time for a collection of blogs, including travel blogs like Jaunted, Vagabondish and Travel Rants. I also edit musings about travel, people and cultural differences at SameSkyMagazine.com and am trying to get some novels completed and published, a struggle I’m documenting at BecomingAFictionWriter.com, especially like seeking out hidden corners of cities and towns and look forward to highlighting some of my favourites on the Europe a la Carte Blog.
Andy Hayes is a freelance travel writer and photographer based in Edinburgh, Scotland. When not out having travel adventures (or dreaming of new ones), he is hitting the walking trails near home. Passionate about European escapades that avoid hordes of tourists, he is feeling quite at home here at Europe a la Carte. To get in touch or see Andy’s other travelogues, visit his website at http://andyhayes.com.
Heather Cowper lives with her family in Bristol, England. She caught the travel bug as a child from family camping holidays in Europe and since then has devoted her energy to packing as many holidays as possible in between day job and family life. Heather loves to feel the sun on her face and when the skies are grey in Bristol she dreams of escaping to far off places to bask in the sunshine. Heather also blogs about the interesting things she sees on her travels around the world and on her doorstep at Heather on her travels.
Marcus Cederstron was born in Sweden and moved to the US just before his 6th birthday. He grew up in the United States eventually graduating from the University of Oregon. After graduation and about 17 years in the US he made the decision to move back to Sweden. He has been living in Stockholm since the summer of 2007.
Since graduation he has traveled throughout eastern Australia as well as in Sweden and Europe. His most recent trips have been to Poland and Greece where he went scuba diving for the first time since being certified.
Neha Puntambekar is a freelance writer. Having spent her growing years in Zambia, and then India, she now lives in Croatia, with her husband, where she spends her time discovering the country and the continent. Her travels and experiences usually end up as travel and lifestyle articles or can be found on her personal blog – page175.wordpress.com.
When she isn’t on her laptop, furiously typing away, she can be found at a local Zagreb café, sipping on coffee, paperback in hand.
Hello, I am Thomas Dowson – a freelance writer and archaeologist living in Normandy, France. My field of expertise is prehistoric art – such as the cave paintings in the Dordogne and South Africa. But I am becoming passionately interested in France more generally, and Normandy in particular, and what this country and one of its very well known regions has to offer people with all sorts of tastes and desires. I also greatly enjoy cooking, and I am currently discovering what it is that makes cuisine in Normandy so distinctive. In 2005 I exchanged a university archaeology lecture room for Basse Copette, a Bed & Breakfast in Normandy. Providing a destination B&B is not simply about providing a great place to sleep and eat – although that does help. It is as much about knowing an area inside out and what will appeal to each and every guest and their varied interests. And it is that that makes travel writing so much fun.
My name is Lindsay Cusworth-Sydenham. I am a public relations professional and freelance writer living in Salt Lake City, Utah. I was raised in beautiful Portland, Oregon located in the Northwestern portion of the United States. Most of my mother’s side of the family live in Europe – which has given me the opportunity to explore Germany, Italy and Finland in depth over the years. While I have enjoyed all of my travels in Europe, learning about and experiencing German culture has become a devoted obsession and something that is very close to my heart. Most of my travels have taken place in Europe, but I have also dabbled in humanitarian experiences in Central America – namely in El Salvador and Costa Rica. Among some of my favorite travel experiences include rock climbing in the Italian Alps, attending a social event with Angela Merkel at the German Reichstag building in Berlin, zip lining through the canopies of the rain forest in Costa Rica, spending a night in a castle off of the Rhein in Germany, catching crayfish on an isolated lake in Finland and accidentally getting locked inside the grounds of the Dublin Castle in Ireland. I’ve recently started writing a new blog, Looking Through Windows.
Kimberly Sullivan is an American who loves Europe and has lived in Germany,the Czech Republic, Austria and Italy. She graduated from Cornell University (USA) and Bocconi University (Milan, Italy) and works in international development in Rome. She loves exploring new destinations and returning to old favorites and will never tire of visiting beautiful destinations in her adopted country, Italy.
