A Walk Down Memory Lane

On these particularly cold or dreary days, I like to reminisce about happier, sunnier times. Looking at old travel photos for my War and Peace post also inspired me to look at all of my old travel albums. I had so much fun scanning those photos, that I thought I would share some more travel memories. All of these photos are pre-digital camera, which has its flaws and perks. The flaws are that the quality is not as high and that the amount of photos I can take is greatly limited. The perks to taking photos without a digital camera, though, are that you actually develop the pictures, as opposed to leaving them on your computer or desktop for all eternity. I also miss the days of taking my camera to CVS and then waiting to see the developed pictures for the first time.

So here are a few fond travel memories!

One of my very first trips to Europe is still one of my absolute favorites. This picture was taken in the Boboli Gardens in Florence in April 2004. Toward the end of the Michaelmas term at Oxford, my friend Kristen and I left to backpack around Europe. Kristen planned the trip completely on her own (this was before I became the trip-planning master that I am now), booking all of the flights and arranging all of our accommodations (including two stays with friends of hers who were studying abroad in Florence and Rome). I hadn't planned on traveling outside the UK, but I've always been grateful to Kristen for the effort that she put into making that trip possible.

Here we are in Riomaggiore, a city in the Italian Riveria's Cinque Terre. Kristen's older brother had traveled to this part of Italy while he studied abroad, so Kristen made sure that we got to visit this picturesque part of Italy, too. We are preparing for the big hike between the cities in this photo. I'm wearing a cord blazer and leather trainers from the Banana Republic, which is about as casual as I ever get. Kristen was much better prepared for the long hike! (She's also sporting the official jumper of New College, the college that we were both visiting students in at Oxford.)

This beautiful picture was taken during the hike, which is still one of my fondest travel memories ever. We spent time in all of the cities (Corniglia, Manarola, Vernazza, and Monterosso al Mare), stopping for meals and, of course, gelato along the way. We also visited the beach and took a boat ride back to our starting point of Riomaggiore. Oh, and the trail was littered with dozens and dozens of cats.

After Italy, we flew from Rome to Barcelona for 15 euros. This was back when the budget airlines (Easyjet, Ryanair) actually were cheap, so it was easy and inexpensive to jet around Europe. I absolutely adored Barcelona! It was beautiful, clean, organized, and a wonderland of culture and art. Kristen and I also scored a huge deal at the Tourist Office (something I never visit), reserving a luxurious hotel for a fraction of the asking price. Having a decent place to stay when you're traveling can make a world of a difference! Anyhow, Barcelona was just magnificent. This photo was taken at Parc Guell, which was designed by Gaudi. I believe this bench is one of the longest benches in the world.

This picture was taken in another one of my favorite cities: Antwerp, Belgium. I visited Antwerp while I was in Belgium visiting my family in Brussels in May/June 2005. Antwerp is a fantastic city for lovers of fashion and art. I visited the Mode Museum and caught a glimpse of many of the original boutiques of the Antwerp Fabled Six, a group of designers who all graduated from the Royal Academy of Fine Arts around the same time (Ann Demeulemeester and Dries van Noten are probably the most well known). I really loved the setting for this photo, but I mostly took it for the Union Jack. Can you spot it?

While in Belgium, I also decided to take a little weekend trip to nearby Amsterdam. My aunt booked the train ticket for me and dropped my off at the small station in Waterloo. I didn't have any plans beyond that (no booked accommodations, etc.). I ended up meeting a group of American students in one of the connecting stations who were traveling from Paris to Amsterdam. After chatting for a bit, I asked if I could tag along with them in Amsterdam. That is definitely one of the perks of solo travel- you never know who you're going to meet. Both my sister and I traveled solo to Amsterdam, making friends (in my case) and encountering highly unusual characters (in my sister's case). This picture was taken in front of the Rijksmuseum. Any traveler to Europe knows that those "statues" are inescapable.

Back in the UK. I visited Windsor and Eton during the summer of 2005. While my term at Oxford included many side trips around England (Cambridge, Stonehenge, Warwick Castle, Stratford-upon-Avon), I had not made it to Windsor yet. The trip from London was a short 30-minute train ride, even with the British Rail being partially closed for repairs. I walked around the castle with two American students and then made my way to Eton College. I have a minor obsession with prep/ boarding schools, medieval colleges, and the Ivy League, so I had dreamed of visiting Eton since my middle school days. It was as idyllic as I had always imagined.

I made it back to London, unknowingly, in time for the Trooping of the Colour, which is the Queen's official birthday celebration. While walking around Buckingham Palace, I met an older English couple who lived in London and attended the celebration every year. They told me where to stand for the best photo ops of the Royal Family. It's hard to tell, but Prince William and Prince Harry are the two wearing tall hats in the carriage in this picture. Camilla Parker-Bowles is sitting across from them. After the processional, airplanes fly over the palace and the entire Royal Family waves to the public. I was so happy to be able to experience English pageantry in all its glory.

Here is the Royal Castle of Warsaw, which my sister and I visited during our trip to Poland in February/ March 2006. It was bitterly cold while we were there, but we had a fantastic time exploring our heritage. Up to this point, Poland was probably the most foreign place we had visited. During our stay in Warsaw and Krakow, we only met two other Americans (a father and daughter who were traveling around Eastern Europe), yet the Polish people that we did meet were incredibly kind and helpful to us. On the public transit (a small above-ground bus line), we met a librarian at the University of Warsaw who offered to ride the tram with us until we made it to the Old Town Square from our hotel. We were definitely able to practice our Polish, but almost every young person spoke flawless English. Imagine being Polish and traveling to the U.S. without being able to speak English!

I can't wait to go back to Poland when it's a bit warmer.

After Krakow, we flew to Berlin, which is another impressive city. I loved how modern and cosmopolitan Berlin was. We visited the Film Museum because my sister is a huge film buff. It was probably one of the most unique museums I have ever visited- interactive and filled with exhibits on every aspect of the film industry in Germany.

We took an audio guided tour of the enormous Schloss Charlottenburg Palace in Berlin. What I loved most about the Palace was how every single room had its own unique purpose and design. There was a "Chinese Room," a "winter room," a "ballroom." I just loved the ornate details and decorations. It certainly gave me inspiration for my own future abode!

What are some of your fondest travel memories?