Hospitable, sunny and tasty Georgia :)

Some beautiful palaces close to Basilica di Santa Maria della Salute in the Grand Canal of Venice

12 days, almost a full circle around the coast, active volcanoes, great beaches, amazing architecture, and most importantly, delicious food!

After a month of quarantine I finally managed to commemorate my latest holiday. I've been collecting and admiring map illustrations for ages and I thought isolation is the perfect time to give it a go myself while exploring watercolor as a medium. Big thanks for all contributors here for the inspiration!

*The map is a bit distorted, with the island slightly squeezed on the north-south axis to better fit the layout, thus the lack of scale indication. The yellow dots illustrate either overnight stays or important day trips/transits.

A hand drawn map of the Western part of Russia

One of the creepiest and also the most interesting bits of human history is the abandonment of man made objects and places when nature takes over. This map illustrates 4 of my favorite abandoned theme parks in 4 different European countries.

My goofy rendition of Venice, Italy.

Poligon, revisited. The area is now slowly being eaten from every direction. Main developement still contested in courts and by public referendums.

Aurangabad is an important city in the state of Maharashtra, India. The city is heading towards rapid industrial growth, but retains its past glory and charms, heritage and traditions. Conspicuously seen on the Deccan plateau, it has a rich culture and a plethora of magnificent arts on display. Aurangabad has a long association with the concept of heritage. Aurangabad has seen several dynasties and experienced the power of rulers of different religions, cultures and communities, each of which has left its mark on the city. Aurangabad is also known for its artistic silk fabrics, particularly shawls.

This map was inspired by my honeymoon trip!

Map of the historic town Stolberg am Harz

While living in the same street for 26 years, I've changed my country 5 times.
Sometimes in Balkans, we love to forget our history. Luckily, monuments of the past stay and they remind us of grandiose times, better tomorrows and fight our grandparents fought. This is the map of some of the most significant (personal and no so) places of the former Yugoslavia found in its capital - Belgrade.

My absolute favourite place on earth is the island where I grew up; Engeløya. The island is located in the north of Norway, in-between Bodø and Lofoten.

The map I have illustrated only covers a fraction of the history and sites Engeløya contains. I've chosen an area on the south-west end of the island, where the majority of sites and landmarks are datet to the iron and viking era, when Engeløya was an important site of power. Whenever we have visitors coming to the island, they all have to join on a mandatory sightseeing drive around the island. And Stegen/Laskestad(the place I have illustrated)are some of the most important stops. On a normally 30 minute drive, the sightseeing trip will take up to 2 hours with my family behind the wheel.

If you ask me, Engeløya is the best place to grow up. The island is packed to the brim with historical attractions, mixed with medium tall mountains, long white beaches, midnight sun and some pretty typical Norwegian residents.

MAPPING SPECIAL PLACES - A walk along London's Southbank! There is nothing quite like sitting down on a bench after a stroll along the south bank.
It’s such a whimsical place perfect for both Londoners and tourists alike.
And yes going to the South Bank is a touristy thing I still do after so many years of living in London. This space is special to me. In 2006 arrived in Waterloo Station on the Eurostar from Germany via Brussels with only one bag and the idea of staying here for one year. Everything about London and South Bank was new and exciting to me. Fast forward it was the beginning of many years of adventures in this special town. There are so many great places in London that I love and where I go to off the touristy beaten tracks, but for some reason, I always come back to this lively stretch of the river and its surrounding area. This is is one of the most vibrant parts of the city for me and such a great place to soak up London and it's fast-paced rhythm even if it is just watching busy people walk passing by. Whenever I cross the Golden Jubilee bridge at night after meeting up with friends in a bar on the South Bank, I think “This is London. I can’t believe I live here” when I look at the city skyline.

This map shows a selection of the spots you can discover when taking a walk along the Southbank - a perfect spot for a wander along the Thames or a drink with a view of the city skyline.