I found this post on a blog I like to read and just had to recreate it. Anything to re-live my travels. I'll link the original at the end if you are interested in reading her post. I made it my own and changed a few things but stuck with the basic idea.
Here it is.
Age during my first out of country trip?
I was 10 years old the first time I left Canada. My grandparents took my brothers and I on a road trip through the USA to Disneyland.
Best foreign Beach?
My favorite wasn't even a traditional beach. Hydra, Greece has a man made concrete and pebble "beach" that walks into the most serenely perfect blue water. This picture was taken from a cliff overlooking it. That little platform dead centre in the photo is the beach. Just look how perfect it is!! Might I add as well, this photo is not retouched, enhanced or filtered. It really looks like this.
Cuisine worth the distance?
Greek! Having home cooked Greek food at the house I lived in and delicious street food has basically ruined me. Everything was always so good and fresh. I've had Canadian-Greek food since being home and it isn't even on the same playing field.
Destinations. Most and least favorite, and why?
I have many favorite spots, but for the sake of keeping this post reasonable I'll keep most of them to myself. At the top of my favourites are Salzburg, Austria and Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada. Both are incredibly beautiful and full of culture, history and great memories.
As for least favorite, this one was harder. I'm going to go with Frankfurt, Germany and Brussells, Belgium. I didn't enjoy myself initially in either place, but I grew to love them both.
Events experienced?
By far the most exciting event for me was the Christmas market is Salzburg. I went everyday that I was able. Everything about it was magical for me. Also in Salzburg, the Sound of Music tour was an amazing experience.
Freindships
Unfortunately, I don't find it super easy to initiate conversation with strangers so I didn't meet many people on my trips. I can say however that I managed to make 1 real friend. I met Ieva in Athens, she was an Au Pair living there as well. Chad and I met a few couples along the way but we didn't collect any as friends. I also found myself a buddy that I spent my time in Amsterdam with.
Greatest feeling while travelling?
Finally finding the hostel after getting lost when all I wanted to do was check-in, drop all the luggage and maybe have a nap. Or food.
Also, any time we stumbled onto something unexpected it was so exciting. All the adventures and experiences. All the food and tiny streets and trains.
Hottest place?
Greece. Between the already high temperatures and the crazy humidity, I nearly melted on more than one occasion. The Mediterranean Sea is my personal hero.
Incredible!
What stands out most is my first glimpse of the Acropolis, Coliseum and the Eiffel Tower. I saw all 3 from far away the first time and they blew me away. I got that distinct "they're actually real?!" feeling.
Journeys.
Longest --> I would have to say its a tie between Edmonton to Amsterdam, and Edmonton to Los Angeles. One is obviously a much further distance, but the other took longer to get to. Flying vs. driving.
Worst --> Since I get motion sick so easily, any number of trips could be considered bad, but the journey that really takes the cake is the ferry ride from Newcastle to Amsterdam. I don't think I've ever been that sick in my whole life.
Best --> I can think of quite a few, but any drive in the Canadian Maritimes is a real winner. I'm absolutely in love with Nova Scotia and PEI.
Any Keepsake from these trips?
I collected little things from pretty much everywhere, but the ultimate keepsake is my photos. Through them I can re-live all these amazing experiences again and again. I would have to say though, I do really love my ears from both Disneyland trips.
Let down by anything or anywhere?
This is a hard one because I loved everything so much, but there is one place that stands out. Let me preface this by saying that I learned to LOVE this city and have very fond memories of my time there. Frankfurt, Germany was my second city in Europe and the first time I was alone. It was also the only time I ever questioned my choice and felt homesick. I wanted all of Europe to be old, historic, crumbling and full of culture. Frankfurt is huge and metropolitan and modern. It has a towering skyline, cranes everywhere, busy traffic and busy people. It took a big internal push to get out and find what I wanted. And I eventually did.
Also, I didn't have any specific plans there, but Naples would be a let down as well. We planned to stay overnight, but we were so turned off by it that we actually just locked our stuff up at the train station, went to see Pompeii and then promptly left.
Money!! Problems, confusion, currency.
I can happily say I have never experienced money trouble on a trip. I feel very good about creating realistic budgets and sticking to them. I have however been lost when it comes to the value of different currencies. Canadian to American is simple. Canadian to Euro took some adjusting but I eventually felt comfortable with it. The real issue came with Swiss Francs, Danish Kroner and UK Pounds. The Kroner was especially confusing. I'm sure my wallet only survived thanks to an app- "Frommer's travel tools." I still use it for other things on a weekly basis.
Nicest accommodation?
Hotel Monopol in Lucerne, Switzerland. It was a big, beautiful, fancy hotel with amazing suites, views and food. And at a surprisingly good price. Can't complain.
Obsessed with photographing?
Anything. I took more than 6500 photos in Europe and I cherish every picture. I also have pictures of all my other trips through Canada and the USA.
Passport stamps?
I have 6 stamps and 1 visa in there.
2 stamps from Iceland, 1 from Amsterdam, 1 from London, 1 from NYC and 1 from Paris. My visa is for Germany, it was a backup plan of sorts. It would allow me to travel, live, work and go to school there for 1 year as well as travel in and out of Germany as much as I wanted. You know, just in case I couldn't bring myself to leave Europe.
Quirkiest attraction?
Quirkiest, strangest, most intriguing.. Christiania is the clear winner here. Freetown Christiania is located inside the city of Copenhagen but fancies itself a seperate place. They have a flag, currencies and rules all within their own walls. I don't think I've ever been so confused and intrigued and curious about something before. As intimidating as it was in there, I really wanted to stay and just watch.
Romance?
What more could I ask for than to have Chad fly halfway across the world to be with me?
On a more specific note, how sweet are these lock bridges! You are meant to write on the lock, attach it to the bridge and throw the key in the river as a symbol of eternal love.
Splurge worthy while travelling?
I'm quite happy to stick to a budget and keep things inexpensive when possible, but now and then a nice hotel is a beautiful thing. I genuinely loved staying in hostels. Low price, chance to meet like minded people, laundry, entertainment, walking tours... They really offer a lot. What they lack is privacy and big comfy beds.
That being said, I would happily spend on experiences anytime. Disneyland, scuba diving (I wish I had the chance,) tours, etc..
Preferred mode of Transportation?
Metro, for sure. If I could take the Athens metro everywhere, I would. It was fast, easy, cheap and convenient. I'm not sure what else I could need.. I also liked the tube in Paris and London, even though the stations were like mazes. If we are being honest though, anything that isn't a ferry is a winner in my books.
Unforgettable memories?
Everything. All the places I've been, the people I've met, food, tours, journeys. They are all amazing. Just for you though, I'll give a few specifics.
Seeing my first mummie (Athens,) seeing the buried people in Pompeii and both Disneyland's.
Visit here!
Some places I desperately need to see are Egypt, Iceland, New Zealand, Australia and Hawaii. I've been obsessed with all of these locations for a long time. Some for history, others for nature and all for experiences. I expect Iceland to be my next trip.
What kind of Weather?
I have experienced the entire array of weather scenarios. Torrential downpour in Charrolettown, non-stop rain in Pompeii and Venice, scorching hot in Greece, snow in Austria and Scotland.
eXcellent views?
The top of the Eiffel Tower, the dome in St. Peter's Basilica, all the things out the train windows, any high point in Athens.. I could go on for days.
Years travelled?
I am, unfortunately, not someone who travels all the time, but I took my first significant trip when I was 10. I've been on plenty of trips since then so I'm going to go ahead and say I've been travelling for 13 years. 5 provinces in Canada, at least 7 US states not including drive-thrus and 11 countries in Europe.
Zig or zag? Ever get lost?
So, so many times. In pretty much every city. Always when I first arrived. Either looking for the way out of a train station or on the way to a hostel. Copenhagen, Amsterdam x2 and Nottingham just to name a specific few.
Every time I get to re-live these experiences I can't help but smile. They are some of the best times of my life. I really can't wait to create more memories.
xoxo
And to find more of my 'original' posts, go back to the beginning. Every day of my 5 month Europe trip is documented for your reading pleasure.
