Well here we are again at World Tourism Day. On this day last year I was here at home so brought you all on a walk around my local village of Shankill. Little did I think back then that I’d walk those roads so much in 2020!
I can’t sit here and snivel (much!) about being unable to travel – I’m thankfully NOT one of the 10% of the world’s population that’s employed by the industry. But I can reflect today upon what a privilege my life has been – traipsing around the world freely and safely for so many years – how grateful am I.
I don’t know when our international travels will resume in any meaningful way and I don’t know what shape those travels will take – am I looking at fewer trips but longer periods away? Who knows. For now, all I can do is support our domestic tourism industry as best I can.
At the moment my world is a very small. Dublin is under extra restrictions and we are asked not to leave the county. So to ‘celebrate’ the day, I’ll have to look to the past and to the future:
10 places I’d go back to in a flash…
Jordan
Desert, sea, stunning landscapes and… Petra.
PS – A big thank you to Barry Brink who shared his Jordan photos with me when he heard I’d deleted everything from my trip in 2010!
Siem Reap (Cambodia)
Ah – temple after temple after temple…..
Namibia
Desert and amazing wildlife…
Morocco
A bit of the ‘exotic’ not too far away… great cities, food and landscapes….
Ravenna (Italy)
To be honest I could have picked anywhere in Italy!!! But I love Ravenna for the mosaics
SW USA (Arizona and Utah)
Monument Valley, Bryce Canyon, Arches NP, Antelope Canyon……
Sri Lanka
Ah that food… almost came home a vegetarian!
St John (US Virgin Islands)
A little dot of paradise in the Caribbean
Luang Prebang (Laos)
Monasteries, food, monks and the river…
Bora Bora
Another slice of paradise….
10 places I really, really want to visit:
Galapagos
Machu Picchu
Meteora (Greece)
Borneo
Komodo Island
Some of the ‘Stans’
Hermitage (St. Petersburg)
Ethiopia
Iceland (Summer)
Camino de Santiago
Of course the big question is – what will I be sitting here and writing about on September 27th, 2021!!
‘Happy’ World Tourism Day, y’all.
Stay Safe. XXXMarie
Last year we were enjoying ourselves in the Piedmont region of Italy, this year we’ve had to stay home and remember past trips. Hopefully, next year we’ll all have tales from our travels. Cheers to an eventful 2021.
I know you’d a big trip planned for this year. Very disappointing for you. I wonder about 2021 though… can’t see things improving enough by then…. Trying to come to terms with at least another year without foreign travel .. maybe this time next year? XXXM
I think that as soon as the risk of the virus is gone, travel will resume as before, there will be no new world. In the meantime we have to be careful and even if some travel is possible, caution suggests not to do it.
That would be wonderful wouldn’t it. Re future travel, I won’t go anywhere until I’m very very comfortable with it. Anyway, I’d hate to be somewhere when I couldn’t enjoy everything the country has to offer…. XXXM
Absolutely agree Marie. I have been looking at places close to home but access limited.
I suppose we just have to get a bit more creative for a while re travel… we’d a few lovely mini trips over the summer – revisiting places we hadn’t been for years. We’ve less scope over the winter months – especially if they start to discourage city breaks here. I’m not great staying cooped up at hotels with spa facilities etc – I’d rather be out and about….so weather will curtail me for the next while…… But hey – it could be worse….. XXXM
Like you, I’m just grateful that I managed to see so much of the world while it was available. Now that we’ve been given so much time to think about things I’ve decided I can live without returning to some far-off places I once enjoyed as they are all changing so quickly with so many tourists flocking to just take the perfect Instagram picture. Instead, when we can travel again I shall concentrate on European trips – and more to Ireland. I love Italy and realise that my happiest moments were spent there, so my first trip will be there, and I’ve my heart set on doing more than one opera festival there.
I think we’ll probably concentrate on Europe also for a while …. And like you, I’d say our best times were in Italy. Were you ever at the Lago de Puccini Festival? We camped there one summer right before the festival and heard them practicing every night….. We went to Aida in Verona one time (but everyone does that… true tourists)
Wonderful list of places you’ve visited. I hope we will resume international travel again soon but it looks like we will be waiting for awhile yet.
Ah definitely for a while… In early March I was coming to terms with not going away at Easter. Then by end of April I knew I’d not get away during the summer…. Now – I can’t see enough of an improvement for 2021. Maybe by the end of the year…
2019 Ireland, Italy and France seem so far away now. So glad we fit that in when we did. Who knows when next we can travel afar. Stay well Marie. Allan
We were in Mexico in January and I went over to pal in the US in Feb…. it seems like a lifetime ago!!! For the past few years, between our own traveling and then celebrating a number of ‘special’ birthdays in England, Spain and the US, we seemed to be constantly on the go…. and I’m SO glad!!! XXXM
Oh, the food in Sri Lanka is just lovely, isn’t it? I loved too how often we would place an order and then see someone jumping on their scooter to run to the market, so you know everything is fresh. We’ve tried to cook some Sri Lankan food during the lock down, but it just isn’t the same. If you make it to Iceland, pack snacks! Unless you really love hot dogs….
Its NEVER the same is it when you get back home!! We just loved the array of vegetable dishes – such variety and freshness as you say…
I hate hot-dogs so I’ll pack wisely!!! XXXM
Those are great lists, both where you’ve been and where you want to go. Namibia is definitely on our want-to-go-to list.
Well if you ever make it you should consider self drive – you can do your own safari in Etosha National Park – brilliant. We had a great time there… I’d highly recommend it. XXXM
Thanks for the tip!
Thanks for sharing your wonderful stories and experiences. The Hermitage is awesome need a good amount of time, Landscape in Iceland is breath taking went in the month of August . Machu Picchu is amazing with the site and history. Stay safe
Ah lucky you – you’ve already worked through a lot of my list!!! I’d say we might have gone to St Petersburg next month … we’ll definitely keep Iceland for a summer trip. Right now I’d settle for anywhere with a bit of heat!!!
You have visited so many terrific places! Until safe to get back on the road (or on a plane), treasure all those memories. I’m hopeful about mid to late 2021 – perhaps not international travel, but possibly a nice, long road trip here in the U.S.
I’d think late next year also…. at best. I’d love a US road trip – our scope is a bit limited here!!!! Having said that we’d easily idle away several weeks on our south or west coasts…. Another option, which several are considering, is to take a place on mainland Europe for an extended stay – 6-8 weeks in one spot. Still heeding social distancing etc but with nicer weather. I’d certainly consider that this time next year if things are still the same. Meanwhile, take care. XXXM
As always, this stay-at-home appreciates the world being brought to him by great travel bloggers. Lovely pics Marie.
Ah thanks Roy – we’re all stay-at -homers these days!
Great lists! I used to live in Jordan so glad to see that there. Stories on my blog site.,
I’ll definitely have a look….. I’d say it might be our favourite place to visit. We loved it. We only had about 10 days and always intended returning. Some day……..