Travel Reflections - Dartmouth, England 2002

In March of 2002, eleven years ago today in fact, friends Nicky and Paul got married in the spectacular seaside village of Dartmouth, England. Perched majestically above the village, The Britannia Royal Naval College, the site of the wedding, shimmered in the warm spring sun that Easter weekend.

I find myself thinking of this weekend often and the memories feel as fresh today as if it was last year. The ceremony was beautifully done and the reception was the perfect mix of class, elegance, and warmth.  But it was the way in which Nicky and Paul folded their friends into every aspect of the weekend that made it such an extraordinary time.  Rather than feeling like just a guest, we were made to feel like family.

Much laughter took place that long weekend and the memories have stayed close to my heart all these years and are revisited often. Being guests at the Speat house in Torquay our first night in England, where Nicky’s parents hosted about a dozen of us; taking the small ferry across to Dartmouth; playing miniature golf with the guys while the girls got ready for the big day; hours spent in the pub the night before the wedding; meandering the cobbled streets of Dartmouth popping into shops, the wedding speeches; cutting of the cake with the ceremonial sword; drinks and dancing at the reception; long lazy brunch in the pub the morning after drinking pints, reading the paper, and reminiscing about the antics from the wedding; chilly afternoon walk to the 600 year old Dartmouth Castle; warming up at Paul’s parents house to watch the wedding video; and topping off the weekend with a meal at a local Italian restaurant.

Life has changed for all of us the past eleven years, but I have a feeling that if we were to do it all over again, we would find not much time has passed at all.

Happy Anniversary to one of my favorite couples!

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Travel Reflections - Hogmanay 2001

View of Edinburgh from Carlton Hill by day

It took a great amount of willpower to leave the warmth of the crackling fire behind with our empty pints at The Ensign Ewart pub. Spilling out of the pub onto the Royal Mile, we are hit at once with a chill that worms its way expertly underneath our winter coats and gloves and seeps into our bones. Pausing briefly, we take a deep breath and join the throngs of people clogging the street for the start of the “river of fire”.

It is 2001 and the first night of the 3-day Edinburgh’s Hogmanay Festival.  Scottish for the last day of the year, Hogmanay is also the Scottish celebration of the New Year. For over twenty years, Edinburgh has hosted one of the biggest Hogmanay festivals in Scotland attracting upwards of 100,000 people. The festival starts with the Torchlight Procession on December 29^th and ends with a concert in the park on December 31^st.

Five of us took the train up from London to experience New Year’s Eve, Scottish style. Uncertain about what to expect during the festival, we decide to partake in the Torchlight Procession that very evening. We had tucked into a pub after exploring Edinburgh Castle many hours ago and were now ready to face the dark wintry night.

Photo courtesy of bbc.co.uk

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Winter Day at Ocean Beach Dog Beach

Travel Reflections - Clone House, Ireland 2000

As we begin a fresh year full of hope and possibility, I find myself reflecting on the past twelve years and the adventures that have been had. Traveling has been such an enormous part of my life that I am hard pressed to find memories that aren’t tangled deep in the fibers of travel.  In times of celebration and in times of heartache, traveling is the one constant that has kept me afloat, rejuvenated my soul, and given me the strength to tackle the many shades of life. As with life, my relationship with traveling is fluid and ever-changing. And, for that, I am forever grateful.

The past few weeks, I have found myself silently reminiscing about various journeys and unforgettable moments in time of years gone by and thought I would put these memories to paper, so to speak.

The task of filtering through twelve years of travel memories is daunting to be sure, but I would be lying if I didn’t say it was also an immensely enjoyable assignment. Over the next several weeks, I’ll work my way through the last twelve years, starting with the year 2000. I am sure there are many gems that I have overlooked, so be sure to remind me of any that I may have missed along the way!

2000 – Clone House, Ireland

The bluish white candle flames danced seductively with the wind that seeped through the 19^th century dining room windows of the rural Irish manor house. Laughter roared across the Christmas adorned farmhouse table where we were devouring a Sicilian-influenced, locally sourced feast, with our Italian hosts and newfound friends. The scorched earthy aroma of the peat fire laced with hints of garlic cloaked the room like a smoky savory blanket.