Beauty is in simplicity...

  

First site that caught my eye was Kvalitni Dovolena (Quality Vacation). I thought it was primarily because of the beautiful and good quality photographs but it was not until I found the other ones that I realized what really draws me in. The other sites I liked were Bootsnall  and Unicef.  After examining all of them, I realised that the reason why I like them is their simplicity. The color palettes are simple, almost soothing, the web sites have some "white space" (especially the first one) and the background serves as a framing for the beautiful photographs. The last web site I picked was Gadling--the background is not that simple, but it is not overdone either. (However, I have to admit, that I was also very drawn to the content--the article about illegal Kinder Surprise Eggs broke my heart. I grew up with those and absolutely loved them!)

 What I would like to take from this exercise into the next project is that "the less is  more" and "a picture (it it is a good one) speaks a thousand words". For my next project, I would like to put together a web site for people who plan on traveling to Europe but are on a budget. I want to post some of my photographs, information about some "not so obvious European destinations" and tips for travelers that (hopefully will save them some money and frustration). So far, I am considering Poland, Hungary, and Norway. If time allows (which I doubt) I can add Czech and Slovak Republic. I also know a thing or two about the Ukraine, but I was there in 1999 and a lot probably changed since.

Here is a little taste of Norway I really enjoyed last summer: