When asked to name some of the most beautiful palaces in Europe, most people mention the ones that they are most familiar with. The Buckingham Palace in London, the Royal Palace in Madrid, The Schronbrunn Schloss in Vienna and Neuschwanstein Castle in Germany are some of the most famous castles people give at the top of their minds.

In a region as vast and diverse as Europe however, it is almost inevitable to miss and/or overlook some of the gems that can be found in its far reaches.

Take for example, the Amalienborg Slotsplads in Copenhagen.

Built in the early 18th century, Amalienborg is the winter home of the Danish Royal Family, situated at the heart of Copenhagen Denmark.

The complex boasts of four identical classical palace façades with rococo interiors around an octagonal courtyard.

The four buildings are

1.Christian VII’s Palace (also known as Moltke’s Palace, used as guest residence),

2. Christian VIII’s Palace (also known as Levetzau’ Palace, used as guest palace for Prince Joachim and Princess Benedikte),

3. Frederik VIII’s Palace (also known as Brockdorff’s Palace, home of the Crown Prince family), and

Christian IX’s Palace (also known as Schack’s Palace, home of the Queen and Prince Consort).

Actually, the four palaces were intended to be used by four noble families of Copenhagen but the fire at the Christiansborg Palace convinced the royal family to use Amaliensborg as their winter Palace in 1794. In return, the four great families were offered 40 years of tax immunity for their services to the Danish crown.

All palace facades sport a late Baroque, 18th century design and all facades are washed white, immaculate and stunning, catching any visitor off-guard.

The centerpiece of the complex is a grand statue of King Frederick V, attributed as the founde of Amalienborg. The statue depicts the Danish king in an equestrian pose.

According to historians and observers, Amalienborg boasts of the most spectacular example of Rococo (Late Baroque) architecture in all of Europe.

Inside the palaces are the Amalienborg museum which will give you an idea of the lavish lifestyle lived by members of Denmark’s royal family. The current Queen Margrethe’s photos and memorabilia can also be found inside the palace halls.

But Amalienborg is frequented by visitors to Copenhagen because of its famous changing of the guard ceremony.

Every day at noon, visitors can catch a glimpse of the changing of the guard.

According to the copenhagen.com, the ceremony is called “The King’s Watch” or “Kongevagt” when Her Majesty the Queen of Denmark is in residence. During this time, the guards are are accompanied by the Royal Guards music band.

The route, that starts at 11:31 at the barracks, goes: Rosenborggade, Købmagergade, Østergade, Kongens Nytorv, Bredgade, Sct. Annæ Plads, Amaliegade, and Amalienborg.

Meanwhile, it is called “The Lieutenant’s Watch” or “Lojtnantsvagt” if one of the Royal Princes is residing at the palace in the capacity of regents, and drums and flutes will be heard.

When the Crown Prince or Prince Joachim are in residence but not n the capacity of regents or when the palace has no residing member of the royal family, the guards march Copenhagen without musical accompaniment and this is called “Palaevagt” or Manor Watch.

I had the wonderful chance of experiencing the Lieutenant’s Watch during my visit to Copenhagen and I was thoroughly mesmerized by the richness of tradition still observed in this northern European country.

It was indeed one of the coolest things I have seen and experienced in Europe and if you have the chance to come visit Denmark, this item should be high on your bucket list

Standing in the middle of the road, looking up, I couldn’t help but smile at the marvelous vista right in front of me. Colorful houses in vivid hues, designed in architectural styles dominant in the Spanish colonial era. In almost every patio and portico, beautiful bougainvillea flowers bloom, and locals wearing friendly smiles spend the lazy afternoon resting in their rocking chairs, and they would wave at you as if you’re a long lost friend.

It’s supposed to be winter in the southern hemisphere but here, the sun shines brightly making you long for ice-cold smoothies, while lying cozily along the the Caribbean coast.

This is Cartagena de Indias, or simply Cartagena, a port city north of Colombia. It is one of the most popular destinations in South America and its offerings are limitless, attracting visitors from different parts of the world, from different economic classes.

Located at the coast of the Caribbean, Cartagena, with its colorful colonial houses has long been a playground for the rich and powerful elite. For art and history aficionados, the 400-year old houses and buildings, are a major attraction, not to mention, that jaw-dropping murals and paintings painted by the locals.

Those who are into architecture love the city for its massive churches, and colorful colonial-period houses and mansions. and for casual world travelers like me, it’s the mixture of all these makes Cartagena such an irresistible destination that you just have to visit at least once in your life.

I arrived in Cartagena, still feeling jetlagged from traveling all the way from the Philippines and then to Istanbul, Rio de Janeiro and then Bogota, Colombia. But all the exhaustion vanished at the sight of Cartagena’s impressive beauty.

My wanderings were concentrated in the Old Town, a Unesco World Heritage Site and my three days in the city weren’t enough for me to get a glimpse of of at least half of what this South American jewel has to offer.

Cartagena is a place that makes you drop all of your sightseeing routines and set ways. With virtually every corner and street boasting of a colorful sight, it is best to simply walk you way around the city and the Old Town, and go where your feet and eyes will take you.

But almost everyone will agree that in Cartagena, the first place you visit is the Centro Amurallado or the Old Walled City.

A Port City, Cartagena is surrounded by a 13-kilometer wall that both protects the city from the elements and from the raiding pirates during the 16th-18th century. You will spend roughly 90 minutes if you walk around the stone walls. Inside the walled city, almost all of the city’s highlights can be reached within minutes by walking.

At the Walled City, the first historical sight that will welcome you is the Clock Tower  or the Torre del Reloj. The most original elements of the tower were built in the 17th century but over the years, its has seen several updates and repairs, and the clock it now sports is Swiss made, added in the early 1900’s.

Once inside the Centro Amurallado, be sure to check out the stunning 16th century church Iglesia de San Pedro Claver, named after the saint. The church has an imposing facade that lords over the plaza. In front of the church, are several fine dining restaurants where locals and travelers alike, stay drinking wines and dining expensive Colombian delights while waiting for the sunset.

Iglesia de San Pedro Claver

Around the wall city are several colorful plazas, houses and buildings that compete with each other in terms of beauty and elegance. One plaza that I really like is the Plaza Santo Domingo where you can find the Spanish consulate.

Another highlight destination inside the Walled City is the beautiful Cartagena cathedral dedicated to Saint Catherine of Alexandria.The building was designed after basilicas found in Andalusia and the Canary Islands. Outside the cathedral, you can find Colombian artists selling portraits and water color-painted slices if rustic Colombian life.

Walking around the old town’s cobbled alleys, and admiring beautiful porticoes and verandas can take some time, since every houses makes an effort to stun admirers. You won’t have any difficulty finding a hotel, restaurant or souvenir shop inside the walled city, but they are a bit pricey. The up and coming bars and clubs are also located inside the walled city, just right after passing the Torre de Reloj.

If you want more value for your buck, a  few blocks away from the wall city, travelers gravitate towards the hip, artistic, laid back, realistic, if a bit noisy, community of Getsemani.

Over the years, travelers have raised their eyebrows on Getsemani no thanks to its reputation as a sketchy community, where the poorer people of Cartagena live. It also had a reputation for prostitution and drugs but that reputation is slowly washing away as more and more restaurants and hotels open within this enclave, and police increase visibility in the area.

The result? An up-and-coming destination, that now attracts a serious load of travelers and tourists. Around Plaza Santissima de Trinidad, travelers, even those staying inside the walled city, hand around and mingle with locals for some authentic feel of Cartagena.

One of the most popular destinations in Cartagena, you simply cannot miss is the Castillo de San Felipe de Barajas, one of the most impressive and solidly build fortresses in the Americas. Built in the 17th century, this fort was never taken, despite attempts by enemies.

Inside the fort is a complicated network of tunnels used by the soldiers of Cartagea to transport food and ammunition. Today, the fort remains intact and a trip to the castle’s highest tip, will reward you with a breathtaking view of Cartagena.

If you have some extra dough, you can also head south of Cartagena to Bocagrande, long considered as Catargena’s own version of Miami beach. The young, hip and moneyed Cartagenos flock to Bocagrande to dine in glitzy restaurants and stay in upscale hotels and condominiums.

Truly, Cartagena is a world class city that opens its arms to the everyone. It is a charming and colorful city that’s full of excitement and romance. It’s a city that makes you feel relaxed and complete at the same time.

If you ever get the chance to visit Cartagena, take it. You won’t ever regret it.

Saying that my teenage years were troubled may perhaps be the understatement of the decade.

I was missing classes, running with different cliques not necessarily good for me, giving in to vices just to fit in. I tried to join the drama club, because my life was full of well, drama. I dated people way older than me, so I could get that feeling of being loved and being secured.

And throughout those moments, I was in a constant search for a place where I belong and for people who would  accept me for who I am. I wanted to get out and live in a parallel universe, so to speak.

It was bad enough that I needed some kind of intervention from well-meaning friends, who saw the potential in me.

And then, during my darkest hour, I found a new path that would inspire me to improve the way I was living, and go through life in a happy, positive way.

A Travel Inspiration

It was year 2000 and “The Beach” starring Leonardo DiCaprio was showing in cinemas. I had to skip a class just to see it.

Everyone I knew, thrashed the movie, criticizing the bad acting, the environmental hazard it posed to Maya beach, in Koh Phi Phi, Thailand, when the movie production set bulldozed the beach’s sand and planted several coconuts to make it more paradise looking.

Of course, I was also against tampering the natural beauty of the island but I saw past that and appreciated the message the movie was trying to convey. Lots of people dismiss it as a cheap escapist movie, but hey, it’s true.

We are all searching for ourselves and for a better life, and we have the means to make it come true.

The end credit showed a jump shot of the islanders with a caption “Parallel Universe”. And yes, they almost had it.

The movie, based on a book by Alex Garland, hit me like a tsunami. It became my most favorite movie of all time, not because it is the best, but because I can relate to it perfectly.

Years would pass, but it would remain to be one of the few movies that actually influenced me to hit the road and travel. It became my lifelong goal to go to places I’ve never been and meet the people that make those places unique and interesting.

I was able to travel to various countries, but my dream of stepping onto the shores of “the beach’ never wavered. It was like, every new place that I visit and conquer, was just a preparation for the feelings that would have overwhelmed me, once I finally get there.

Reaching “The Beach”

It took me 13 years, but I when I finally reached “The Beach”, I was just speechless. The feelings and memories I felt when I first saw the movie on a lonely night more than a decade ago, and during all those long years hit me like an avalanche, I had no choice but to cry.

If you ask me how I felt exactly at that moment, I won’t be able to give you an accurate description. It was surreal.

I just sat there on the shore, admiring the magnificent limestone formations that envelope the beach, oblivious to the noise of the common tourists that like me, were fascinated by Maya beach and by the movie.

It’s different now from the one I saw in the movie. There are no palm trees now, and there’s a convenience store at a hidden cove, 100 meters away from the shore. There are tsunami warnings, reminding everyone that this beach, also suffered devastation during the 2004 Asian tsunami.

But in many ways, it still is “the beach” that I dreamed of. I traveled hundreds of miles just to reach the island of Koh Phi Phi.and from there, I hired a longboat to get to the actual Maya beach

The search for a Parallel Universe

I looked around me and wondered, are all these people also searching for a place to call their own? Perhaps not, but with the multitude of backpackers I can see, I am sure that yes, some are also doing some soul-searching and wondering how to proceed with their respective lives from here.

I was almost the same age as Richard, the main character in the movie, when I first dream of reaching the shores of Maya beach. And back then, both of us are troubled by the expectations of our family, colleagues, and lovers.

13 years ago, I was tempted once again to check out, jump ship and just hit the road, leaving all problems behind me.

But at 30, life has taught me valuable lessons.

You don’t run away from your problems, no matter how big they maybe. You must face them with courage and determination, and be prepared to accept the consequences of the things you do or do not do.

A better life or a parallel universe is always tempting but you don’t always have to go far for you to reach it.

That life, that place you’ve always wanted to belong to, may be right there in front of you all along. You just have to open your eyes to see it.