Greece!
Recently, for whatever reason, this Allergic Traveler has been discussing “bucket lists” with people. Do not worry; I am in perfect health! I have just been curious what makes someone’s bucket list. I have heard things like “I have done everything I wanted to do,” or “ I’d like to make amends with my brother.” If you were to ask me, my bucket list would be full of destinations that I would still like to see. Fiji and Tahiti are at the top of my list. In the meantime, I have listed my top ten places I have traveled and why. You may be surprised to learn that most of them have nothing to do with any of my food allergies. From an early age, I never let my food allergies govern my sense of adventure. So top ten, in no particular order:
Greece: Mykonos. The blue of the buildings matched the blue of the sea; the white buildings simply hi-lighted the depth of the scenery.
China: The Great Wall. When we started climbing at the bottom, it was rainy and nasty. The higher we climbed, the more snow fell on us. It was truly a beautiful experience.
Austria: Salzburg. The open aired market showed off their culinary specialties along with their skilled crafts.
New York: New York. This will always be on my list. My father first took me to NY when I was 16 years old with my best friend. I have been going every year since. Each time I visit there, I always see something I have never seen before.
Quebec: QuebecCity. This is one of the only European feeling cities I have been too in North America. The castle, the wall and the food make you think that you have been transported to a little European hideaway.
Italy: Amalfi Coast. Aside from its stunning beauty, the winding roads and great food, there is something else that makes this place special to me. My husband and I went a few years ago in December. We got to experience some Italian Christmas traditions. By far my favorite was the climbing Santa Clauses hanging outside the buildings. It kind of looked like Spidermanbut in Santa gear.
Venezuela: Angel Falls. I had the experience of going there many years ago with my mom and sister. They are the tallest falls in the world. We got to swim in them. The water had magical effects!
British Columbia: Victoria. Aside from having family there, Victoria is also home to one of the great chocolate manufacturers in Canada. Roger’s chocolates are divine. If you have not tried them, then you are missing out!
Arizona: Grand Canyon. My sister and I traveled there over 17 years ago. My favorite memory of this trip was eating with the natives while being surrounded by such splendor.
Ireland: Causeways. My sister lived in Ireland for a little bit a few years back. She recommended that I travel up to Northern Ireland and visit the Causeways. The best way to describe this is it’s a set of stairways made out of stone that lead you into the sea.
So what destination would be on your list? One thing to note about my list is that four out of ten of these locations speak English as their first language. I never let language stop me from discovering the world and I hope you don’t either.
Happy Travels!