Unlike many Aussies, I didn’t back pack around Europe as a young person and it’s possibly my only regret in life, but c’est la vie! My attitude to disappointment or missing out is based on this, you can’t focus on what might have been or what you could have done. Turning points, sliding doors or forks in the road are choices mostly made in the here and now. That is, we choose a course congruent with what we know, what’s influencing us or what our circumstances are, at that point in time. For some, there will be considerations such as plans, goals and desires, for others impulses or gut feelings. I’ve been in both camps. I’ve done a lot of planning and goal setting and also made many impulsive decisions.
I didn’t get to Europe until my late 40’s, when the kids had finished school and finances allowed for a lengthy trip. Playing cards one night with a regular crew of 3 long time workmates, a thought bubble turned into an idea which turned into decision and then a plan. We met regularly over a 5 year period to plan a 10 week tour. The planning meetings were fun, as we explored the possibilities, searched websites, poured over travel books, nominated our ‘must do’ and dreamed of our ‘cannot miss’ places. Two girls in the group had been to Europe earlier in their lives so their experiences were invaluable. We were each set tasks to research and report back on. We narrowed down the countries, the key sites, the events we would attend and the rough timeframe. Before we knew it, we were sitting at the travel agent booking the flights.
At that point, I had been overseas every year since I was 23, some years 2 or 3 times, but my first Europe trip was the most planned and anticipated trip of all. Two of the girls I’d known since I was 20 and had travelled with previously. We had common history and good knowledge of each other. When you plan to spend 10 weeks day and night together the commonalities, life history and interpersonal relationships are extremely important as are tolerance, deep breathes and the acceptance of the occasional dummy spits.
We criss crossed the continent beginning with 2 weeks in Italy (too short), three weeks in France following the 2012 Tour de France with short stays in Amsterdam, Barcelona and Athens. We wandered awestruck in Berlin, swam in the Mediterranean at Cinque Terre, got confused in Venice, soaked up the sun in Santorini, ran for our train in Monaco, sipped champaign on the French Riviera, and drank buttermilk (grimaces) in Brussels. We stayed in youth hostels of varying quality, the best being in Liege (Belgium) and the least favourable in Paris, as well as some apartments and hotels. The Hotel in Rafina (a port in Greece) overlooking the ocean, ferries and the gypsy campers at night was most memorable. But it was the food where the real memories lay. Duck confit in Rouen (northern France), scampi in Riomaggiore, fresh pasta (tomatoes straight from the garden), tapas (strangely the best in Amsterdam), onion pizza in Rome, baguettes, baguettes and more baguettes in Paris and violet deserts Liege, the list goes on.
Travel and Life Observations 