Most of these photos and images bring back memories or feed my longing to visit places and environments I’ve never been to or would love to revisit. For example, I’ve hiked, but never in the mountains. I’ve never been to a warm, sunny place where everything is done for me and I can just sit by the water with a drink and a book. Luxury!
Of course, even the places I’ve been to before will be viewed and understood differently now that I’m older, and I look forward to that.
The Rockies
North America has an incredible variety of landscape. I have driven through a lot of the United States, but comparatively little of Canada. I have stopped and visited far less – and remember even less than that. Almost 40 years ago, I do remember excitedly anticipating crossing the first chain of the Rockies via Rogers Pass, but unfortunately the weather that day was so cloudy and foggy, I saw nothing. I am resigned to the fact that my birthday, at the beginning of March, which is when we were there, almost always happens in yucky weather.
However, probably #1 on my bucket list is to return to the mountains, by train, so I can luxuriate in the view, in June or September, when Canadian weather is at its best and actually see and experience the gorgeousness of Rogers Pass.
Montreal
My favourite travel companion, without a doubt, is my daughter; she is a competent organizer, taking care of bookings and itinerary, she nudges me out of my comfort zone, we enjoy each other’s company, and she takes great photos.
In the late summer of 2020, we went to Montreal for a few days. I had a fabulous time with her: biking, exploring Atwater Market and the Botanical Garden, eating at interesting, delicious restaurants. In retrospect, it was a necessary break. At that point, caregiving was a full-time, draining responsibility, but after all the guilt and worry, creating detailed instructions for my supply caregivers, I barely thought about it all once I was gone. The same thing happened when I went to England two years later. Maybe it’s my mind’s, my spirit’s way of coping.
Italy
Italy is the country of our family’s ancestors, at least a tiny corner of it is. Italians even have an expression for this mentality: campanilismo (life and loyalty focussed around the campanile or bell tower and a distrust of outsiders, even the neighbouring village, town or city). Anyway, as I have written before, I will write about this in more depth at some point.
I have been to Italy several times over the years. The only time, however, that I visited more than my family’s region, and sometimes Venice, which is a short train ride away, was in 1981. I would love to go back and revisit Rome, Pompeii, Florence and Assisi, to name a few. I’ve forgotten so much! Also, it would be wonderful to visit Bellagio on Lake Como. My daughter’s photos are so tempting and evocative of Italy’s beauty and old world romantic mood.
England
Canada House in Trafalgar Square, the monument in Westminster Abbey to James Wolfe, who fought on the Plains of Abraham in Quebec City in 1759, and a view of Tower Bridge from Shad Thames on the south side of the Thames River
My most recent vacation, in 2022, was to London, England, and it is arguably the best vacation I have ever had. Not only did I get to spend time with my daughter, it was also incredibly satisfying and uplifting to finally see so many of the places that I had read about, taught about, and imagined all my life: the Globe Theatre where I watched The Tempest, one of Shakespeare‘s plays, being performed, Westminster Cathedral, Buckingham Palace, and so much more.
However, I can’t wait to go back to England; it’s definitely in competition for #1 on my bucket list! There is still so much that I would love to explore: I want to hike the English countryside, explore lots of London neighbourhoods, including Shad Thames, just east of Tower Bridge, visit at least some of England’s castles and some of its incredibly beautiful, historical homes, such as Castle Howard in Yorkshire.
Plus, there is so much more to see in London: I barely scratched the surface of the National Gallery, and I want to go inside Buckingham Palace. Maybe I can find Abbey Road and get my picture taken strolling across the street like The Beatles!
Travel Dreams
Above New York City are a resort in the Caribbean, images of Prince Edward Island and a hiking path in Ireland.
Finally, these images are of some of the places I would like to visit; I would love to wander around New York City, with, of course, a side trip across the Hudson River to Hoboken, Frank Sinatra‘s hometown. I think it would be fun, and hopefully very relaxing, to experience a week at a resort: have some focussed reading time in the sunshine with no nagging chores and projects to complete. I included Prince Edward Island because one of my favourite stories when I was little was Anne of Green Gables and I have never been east of Quebec City. It would be wonderful to finally visit the East Coast of Canada. Speaking of childhood, I have wanted to visit Ireland since I was young: the gorgeous greens, the charming people. I will go someday.
So much of what I see reminds me of something I read in a book, when shouldn’t it be the other way around? (You’ve Got Mail) This is definitely true of me. I know so much about England because of reading Jane Austen, Dickens, P.G. Wodehouse, Kate Atkinson, Martin Amis and so many more. To prepare for visiting London, naturally I read even more. The standout was Peter Ackroyd’s London: A Biography, which I learned from and enjoyed tremendously. When I was little, I was charmed by stories of leprechauns in Ireland and immigrant families in New York City. A goal for this third act of my life is to hopefully see and experience more of the world: to be reminded of a place I’ve been as I read and write about it.
Where would you like to visit? or revisit? Let me know in the comments.
Leave a Reply