Meet the current writers
I’m Karen Bryan, the founder and editor of the multi author Europe a la Carte Blog, which focuses on Europe travel tips about 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.
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.
Demetrius Vouyiouklis, originally from Greece, is an early retiree from scientific research, who enjoys outdoor pursuits such as kayaking, hillwalking and cycling.
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.
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.
Inka Piegsa-Quischotte is German but after 20 years working as an international lawyer in London and Spain, she has become a travel writer, photographer and novelist, living in Miami and Turkey, with plenty of travel in between. You can find Inka’s Guide to Galicia on GuideGecko.
Greetings from the Netherlands, I’m Arwa Lokhandwala. I grew up in Rajasthan, India. After my graduation, I worked in Hyderabad, India for 2 years. I have also been in Denmark on a project for a few months. We relocated to The Netherlands in Dec, 2008 because of my husband’s work.
Coming to the Netherlands has been a huge learning experience. I like meeting new people, learning about cultures, and the ins and outs of an expatriate life. I have become more appreciative of the differences in cultures now. I have traveled extensively in India and Europe and have lately been to Egypt as well. This has given me an excellent opportunity to know the varied lifestyles, and cross cultural dilemmas.
I am a professional writer working for a company. I write about expat life and culture as well as Home Improvements and Interior Decoration. In my free time, I love to write about my expat experiences, expat tips, travel and cross cultural dilemmas on my blog Orangesplaash.
I am currently learning Dutch and dream of becoming fluent in it some day soon. I am also a voracious reader, and am trying my hand at photography these days. Other interests include cooking, cycling and listening to music.
“Sian Meades is a freelance writer based in London. She’s founding editor of Domestic Sluttery and also runs the fashion blog A Change of a Dress. Her favourite holidays involve lazy adventures and wondering around markets in the sunshine, and she’s rather enjoying her love affair with Italy and Sicily.”
“Hi I’m Jeremy Branham, I’ve been to Europe 7 times and seen a total of 15 countries (Estonia, Netherlands, Germany, Austria, Italy, Switzerland, France, Czech republic, Poland, Slovakia, Hungary, Croatia, Slovenia, Spain, and Portugal). I love everything about Europe – the culture, people, languages, history. I appreciate the differences between the US and Europe and believe we both have a lot to learn from each other. I have traveled to Europe as a solo traveler, on tours, backpacking, in a large group, and with my spouse so I have experienced traveling to Europe in a variety of ways. Currently, I have 3 friends living in Europe and have had many more live there as well. When I travel, I seek out locals and want to understand and connect with the people and the culture rather than just see the sights as a tourist.
I currently live in California and spend my free time writing for Examiner.com where I am the Sacramento Budget Travel Examiner. In a little over 6 months, I have written over 120 articles on travel (some local, some international) and have had nearly 25,000 views. While I focus on budget travel, my passion is Europe. I would hope I could bring that same passion in my writing to Europe a la carte. As a 35 year old married guy with kids living in California, I would like to bring a different perspective to Europe. I wouldn’t be a native European or an ex-pat. I understand traveling for all different ages and from different perspectives. Being a family man, I understand the challenges of traveling with kids but seek to make memories and enjoy my experiences in travel while getting the most for my money. I am someone who enjoys and appreciates the culture of Europe and believes America can learn just as much from Europe as Europe can from America.”
