Canada (three times) 2003 to 2004
These were family holidays, with my parents and brother, when I was 12 and 13. Not sure why we went three times in fairly quick succession like that, but it was really interesting, and I have a lot of good memories. We spent most of the time in either Toronto or Hamilton, where our hotel was, but also made various excursions to places like Niagara Falls.
Israel 2009 (January)
This was a school trip, in our final year. We spent two weeks there, first in Tel Aviv, then Eilat, and finally Jerusalem, travelling around by coach. Needless to say, I have a lot of really interesting memories of this trip, which was intended to be partly educational, though to be honest, the thing that sticks in my mind most was all the different food. And the heat, especially in Eilat, even though it was January.
Netherlands and Norway 2009 (October)
I’ve put these two together as they were part of the same cruise, which I went on with a friend after we had left school. We spent about an hour at a place called Ijmuiden in the Netherlands, with barely enough time to grab a snack in a cafe, then spent the rest of the cruise going along the coast of Norway, starting at Bergen, then various fjords. We got lost up a mountain at one point.
I should also mention Wales, which I’ve been to loads of times, often for camping, but that’s part of the UK, of course. I think it’s always good to travel and have new experiences, not least because it makes you realise how important home is.
I’ve never been out of the U.S., but I’ve traveled halfway or all the way across it several times by bus, car, or truck, and full circle around it once by truck. I’ve lived in 4 different states. Would love to have more time to take it slow & visit key places. The one place I visited on my own along the way was Washington, D.C. That was during the pandemic, so not crowded.
Went to west germany with the old man in late 81. He was sent over there by IBM so i went with em and stayed for four months. The few most memorable things about germany: the oktober fest, the soldiers patrolling the wall, dachau, the cuckoo clock shops everywhere, hauling ass on the autobahn in the old man’s rental, the poached egg and honey biscuit breakfasts, and this strange lady that walked up and hugged me when me and my old man’s friend Herb were standing in some big open downtown square type place. Neither one of us knew who she was.
During that four month period, we ventured into Switzerland and took a cable car up the Alps. Went to Venice as well and rowed around in those boats. All i was missing was a lyre.
Visited Chopin’s grave in Paris, Mozart’s in Vienna, Istanbul last summer got really badly twisted in old town, Pressburg in what used to be Hungary-Austria, Linz in Austria, saw Belmoral Castle and right across the church and the seating place of the Royal Family, Paris, Switzerland, took a boat ride on Lake Comi, and the Phillippines , Lizan . Lived in Manila for a year with my youngest daughter , an actress, who left there because of her brother’s suicide to marry a drug dealer who misrepresented his vocation then when she found out, she kicked him out, only to have kill her in revenge, Morth Vietnam, Malaysia, Abu Dani and the United Arab Emirates most recently. I was a gypsy , was meant to travel as such, or a wondering Jew, or whatever.
There were other places and times, some worth remembering, others left best to forget. I worked in a suburb of DĂĽsseldorf for a summer, a place called Solingen, then found Innsbruck,
Definitely a varied itinerary, for sure, but I’m very sorry to hear about your daughter, sounds like truly awful situation. And your son, too, which I assume he was, since you described him as your daughter’s brother.
Yes.maybe my often travel reflects my wanting to get away from the recurring thoughts which remind me of my dear children, although they were already grown,(physically at least), and supposing a change in surroundings may achieve that.
But I afraid wherever we go, we take them with us, their spirit will no allow us to leave them behind.And yes they were siblings, and had it not been her brother’s passing, she probably would’ t brashly get married without notice. He sweet talked her into it,
I pray that they never leave, yet I fear the thought one day will, even if they are not really here. And it is concerning and painful to think that they may be no longer here, and leave,as if they will continue to abide by their pursuit of continuing to seek their fated destinies.
If one is to believe in karmic law then itheir perpetuity is a guarantee of cause and effect.
That is at least for me the baseline for faith without needing eyes that can create double vision, for the lack of a third eye.
Your dreams and memories are always about heat. The something is knowable like that. Heat that can burn if you push past it as if it isn’t there, but warms you when you’re done pretending. Because you are made of it.
Yes, that’s true. It’s something that I find quite oppressive. But it’s also true, of course, that warmth equals life. Perhaps there’s a happy medium.
Wow- more than I thought until I actually start to list… Parenthesis is for different trips.
Belgium
Cambodia
Canary Islands
Cyprus
Dominican Republic.
Egypt
England (lived here most of the time)
France (Dieppe, Paris)
Greece (Athens, Crete, Rhodes)
Ireland
Italy (Pompeii, Rome)
Laos
Mexico
Morocco
Netherlands
Portugal
Scotland
Thailand
USA (California, New York, Las Vegas, Washington, Washington DC)
Wales