Discovery of Europe in 1962

That was a very long time ago! I only took black and white photos in those days and did not take very many so I did not have much choice when I searched my archives for 1962 pictures.

It was my first trip to Europe where I was going to spend a year of specialised studies at the French Petroleum Institute. Being naturally curious, I decided to have a quick look around Europe before settling down in Paris. My tour of eleven countries in a little over two months was just enough to show me how different Europeans are from North Americans. Unfortunately I have lost most of the photos I had taken so I can only show you the few that can be reached by the links below.

I made stops in Portugal (Azores, Lisbon), in Spain (Madrid, Ibiza, Mallorca), in France (Nice, Castellaras, Cannes, Corsica), in Monaco, in Italy (Elba, Viareggio, Pisa, Florence, Venice), in Germany (Munich), in Austria (Vienna), in Hungary (Budapest), in the Czech Republic (Prague), once more in Germany, (East Berlin, West Berlin, Hamburg), in the Netherlands (Amsterdam), and in England (London) before reaching Paris.

The cultural shock was delightful and I learned a lot about Europe in a short time. Beautiful Budapest and Prague were particularly interesting as I had been brainwashed into thinking that life in communist countries was just terrible. It was fascinating to discover that well educated, sophisticated and happy people could survive behind the iron curtain. At the height of the cold war, my peek at the evil east turned out to be a wonderful experience in spite of the ugly Berlin wall and my equaly ugly western prejudices.

I continue developing this site for the pleasure of sharing the joys of discovery with you. Meeting wonderful people of all skin colours, ethnic origins and beliefs has inspired me to set up the Humanist Foundation of Quebec to promote critical thinking and intercultural tolerance.

You may download and use the globetrotter's photos provided you mention "Photo by Bernard Cloutier" with a link to this site below each photo. High resolution versions can be acquired from our agent Travel-Images.com.

If you feel like it, you may exchange comments and impressions with other readers in the questbook or express them to me privately by the e-mail link. Putting a link on your web site, if you have one, would invite your viewers to enjoy free virtual travel as I hope you did.