travel – Page 4 – Barefoot in the Pampas

Leggi in italiano qui.

A friend suggested I make a list of all the places I’ve been so far in my life. I thought it might be interesting, so here goes.

Another friend suggested uploading a map to show where I am/have been/am going – I’d love to do that but I lack the technical know-how (or the time to gain it) to do it. So if anyone wants to help me with that, please let me know!

Italy – country of my birth where I spent the first 18/19 years of my life.

UK – the country I call home. Mainly London, with jaunts in Scotland, the West Country and Leicester. Never been to Wales, can you believe that?!?!? I must rectify this ASAP.

USA – This was the first time I went abroad, ever, at age 16. New York had been my dream for years and years, so much so that going there felt like being in a movie… I have been back many times since, more than I can count. I have been to the East coast and the West coast, a little bit in the “midwest” (hello Ohio!) but it is such a big place that I feel like I’m only now scratching the surface. More trips needed. Plus some of my dearest friends ever live there so…

Ireland – if you live in the UK you MUST go to Ireland. Having said that I’ve only really visited Dublin… still… I checked “drinking a Guinness in Dublin” off my bucket list. The Irish remind me a lot of the Italians, btw.

Portugal – only Lisbon and surrounding areas. Beautiful sunny weekend. Highly recommend it.

Spain – Madrid (cool) and Lanzarote in the Canaries (which tbh it’s like another country, however officially it IS in Spain). Loved, loved, loved the Canaries, I will definitely be back, especially in Lanzarote, due to its volcanic landscape and the amazing architecture of Cesar Manrique.

France – Paris (many times, both for work and pleasure) and the Aveyron region. Need to do more. This wish is tempered by my innate dislike of French speakers and by the fact that I never fell in love with Paris, which many people seem to do. But thumbs up for some (only some) of the food.

Switzerland – in my old days of working for an airline, we got taken to Zurich for the day. Not much else to say.

Austria – Only really crossed into it while skiing in the Alps.

Germany – I’ve only been to Munich. Beautiful city, and I visited Dachau, which was very emotional. Berlin is beckoning me and I will need to go very soon.

Greece – Had a fab holiday there with a very good friend. Athens is beautiful but also crazy. And Greek food was a big disappointment. But I’m willing to give it another try! Some things of Greece remind me too much of Italy…

Belgium – Ah Belgium, one of my first loves. Being totally crazy for the bands dEUS and Zita Swoon, and having become friends with some of their members eons ago, I made my way to the lovely Antwerp for secret gigs and general shenanigans. I liked it so much I went back 10 times in the space of a couple of years. I could live there if I were happy to become an alcoholic… 🙂 The people of Antwerp are amongst the nicest I have ever encountered in my life, and their chocolate truffles are second to none! Cherry beer also rocked, and photography museums. I must go back, soon. On the other hand, Brussels left me underwhelmed. I guess I need a good guide.

Netherlands – The rain. Oh, the rain in July! But the people are so nice! Wageningen was interesting. Amsterdam more so. It’s on the slate as one of the other (very few) places where I *think* I might live if I ever decided to leave London. Food for thought. Also, my lovely co-writer is from the Netherlands, and I think that says a lot. And how can I forget that it is one of the countries with the tallest people on earth? I feel right at home!

Norway – I’ve only been to Stavanger to visit friends. Liked it. But prices for everything are just astronomical so further exploration is hampered (for now).

Sweden – I went to Stockholm with the sistah last year. We had great weather, a crazy Airbnb host, and a blast. Sistah now lives there, so I will need to return sooner rather than later. I really liked it, it has a great vibe.

Former Yugoslavia – Apparently my parents took me there before I was even one – this was in Croatia, for a beach holiday. I would have thought this would signal a series of foreign holidays with the family, but that was the first and only time abroad. Sadface. No wonder I’ve been trying to make up for it ever since.

Morocco – My friend A. and I wanted to see what Marrakech was like to then maybe return and do more Morocco. She flew from Italy and I from London, and we met at a lovely riad. We loved Marrakech, the men’s attentions a bit less. Jardins Majorelle was my favourite location. Beautiful (I seem to fall in love with these outstanding homes around the world – strange, huh?). I definitely want to do more.

Egypt – Only flew through it, so doesn’t really count.

Jordan – Intoxicatingly beautiful and with lovely, warm people. I felt (and apparently looked!) at home there. Petra is probably the most amazing place I have ever been. Hurry up, the wind is eroding it!

Israel – Land of some very good friends. Beautiful, with amazing food. Strangely welcoming in some respects, and the opposite of that in others. Life in Tel Aviv is good and you almost forget you’re in a country that is permanently “at war”. Jerusalem is incredible and every place, every name evokes something dormant in my “non-catholic raised in a catholic land” brain.

Dubai – The only place in the world where I had a few bad experiences. I decided to visit for a few days en route to Thailand once. Let’s just say that for a woman alone and without a car, Dubai is not really welcoming… go with someone, in a group or hire a car, then you will be safe.

Malaysia – Interesting, weird place. Very westernised (they love their Christmas decorations and Starbucks!) but also deeply Muslim. Racial discrimination also is quite odd. The place drips with history and names from long-forgotten children’s adventure stories. I enjoyed Penang most of all.

Thailand – I left a piece of my heart in this amazingly beautiful country. My dream is now to build an eco house on a Thai island and spend half my time there. Maybe I will make it one day! I am in love with the nature, the food, the people… for now I choose to disregard the political and human rights situation, but knowing me I would not be able to do so for long. But expat life in Thailand is second to none. Also home of one of my favourite places ever: Jim Thompson’s house. Can I pretty please move in there?

Singapore – Asia lite. My first ever taste of Asia. Probably the best food I’ve ever had. That’s it.

Cambodia – Gorgeous, shocking, amazing, maddening. Went to Angkor Wat for 2 days and ended up staying for 7. The most beautiful smiles you’ll ever see. The most awful living and physical reminder you’ll see of hell on earth – the effects of the Khmer Rouge regime. Sobering.

Vietnam – I always say the Vietnamese are the Neapolitans of Asia – but only Italians will understand this comment. A chaotic, febrile country where nearly all the past has been wiped away (most of them can’t even remember the war or don’t know what it was about) in a mad rush for what appears to be “progress” but it’s something I can’t define. Food is out of this world, including their coffee and cakes (only place in SE Asia where this stuff is good – I guess a big thank you to the French!).

Canada – I’ve only been twice for very short breaks. I like Canadians and their spirit, but I think to find out more I need to visit outside the cities. In any case, Toronto over Montreal any day!

Argentina – My first time in South America. As readers of this blog will know, I did not have the best of times in Buenos Aires, including being robbed at gunpoint. Too much of Argentina reminds me of the bad things of Italy. I won’t be back in a hurry, however I do want to see the country as opposed to Buenos Aires… but this time with a group of friends.

Uruguay – My only other foray into South America. It was a quick trip from Buenos Aires, just to go somewhere by the sea and chill out for a few days. Interesting place. I will definitely need to return at some point.

The sad thing is that writing this list only makes me want to go to those places I haven’t yet visited!

As for new places on the horizon, I am hoping both Burma/Myanmar and Australia will be happening soon in 2016. See you around the world.

She’s got everything she needs
She’s an artist, she don’t look back
She can take the dark out of nighttime
And paint the daytime black.
(Bob Dylan)

Leggi in italiano

I have travelling between islands.

First stop was Elba, historic, gorgeous, almost impregnable. I came to Elba for a wedding, a wedding that I had been looking forward to for a long time and that turned out to be even more than promised.

The weather was changeable, windy. I met with some of the other guests to travel to Elba and connect with the others. Most of us were staying in the same place, the reception place. And most of us who sort of knew each other and were coming from Rome were, originally, a million years ago, school friends.

You see, I went to a special school. Not special in the bad sense, but in the good one. Partly also due to the fact that I left Italy immediately after graduating high school, I have remained friends, and in some cases I have become better friends, with people I’ve known since I was around 14. To some, this might be weird, to others not at all. To me, it is nothing short of miraculous. But the story of our school and of your friendships is for another day. Suffice to say, a good group of friends (and actually several groups) have emerged from that experience, and though separated by geographical location, we still get on like a house on fire.

So it was that this disparate group of people was to be found traipsing around Elba, killing time, chatting and gossiping, sometimes irritating me – I have been travelling solo for so long that suddenly being thrown into group dynamics threw me for a loop for a while. And the distinctive Roman knack for just being completely indecisive and dilly-dallying about everything was quickly driving me up the wall. I think I snapped a couple of times. So yeah, sorry guys!

The other explanation for this was that, the night before the wedding, I felt really sick, and was convinced I was going to come down with something. I cocooned in the bed, people brought me blankets, I even skipped dinner (and those who know me well know that I NEVER miss an opportunity to eat – so this must have been serious – I can’t remember the last time I didn’t feel hungry). A night full of weird dreams was followed by a sickly morning, but amazingly, by the time it came to go to the registry office, I was fine and fit and enjoyed myself immensely.

The duration of the wedding rivalled that of Indian weddings: 11am to midnight, with dancing and eating, and playing football, and some people sneaking into the hotel pool for a midnight dip (not me), and some other people attempting to light flying lanterns that got caught in some trees :/

I cried a little a the wedding (I often do, dammit) and it reminded me that I feel ready to have a serious relationship again, with eyes open and not my head in fairytale land. We’ll see what life brings. I am hopeful, but maybe that constitutes as having my head in fairytale land.

I stayed in Elba a few more days. My home was in Via dell’Amore – fitting, wouldn’t you say? I ate good fish, took walks, and worked (as usual). Unfortunately the weather was too cold for beach time.

Then came Rome, and we shall say no more about it…

After Rome, I embarked on a 14 hour ferry trip to Cagliari, as my auntie gave me her car to take. I had to dose myself with an anti-travel sickness medication, the sea was a bit rough (I get sick even standing on a floating pontoon) and the whole thing went by quite quickly. I drove west from Cagliari and then took another, this time short, ferry to the Island of San Pietro, the town of Carloforte, the south-westernmost tip of Sardinia: after that, all you’ll meet is Tunisia…

So I’m on an island off an island off a nearly island. I don’t think I can get more isolated than that. Moreover, my internet connection here is VERY temperamental so I am mostly cut off. Not a bad thing. I am spending my days alone, driving to the beach (so far only two days were warm enough for sunbathing and swimming), working, writing, reading. I’m detoxing my brain (I hope).

In a few days, my mum and auntie will arrive and we will enjoy the Girotonno, a yearly celebration of this island’s most precious product: tuna. HINT: I will be eating A LOT.

The other aspect of this trip is I find it very introspective. Since I was very little, my father used to take us to Sardinia once a year for two-three weeks, usually at the end of summer (for my birthday) when it was quieter and cheaper. Days were shorter, true, but the water was warmer and the fishing was good, though not all the time.

Setting foot on Sardinia again and smelling its unique smells, tasting its amazing foods and drinks, I am reminded of all those summer trips, of going fishing with dad and almost always having to make do with fish soup (though I once caught a seabream!), of preparing the bait, sticking it in the fridge with its pungent smell, of having to dive off our little boat for a swim every time I felt seasick (and it was often), of possible sunstroke, of skin so dark I looked like a different person, of saltiness, of sand-smoothed legs, of fresh tomato sandwiches, of snorkelling looking for octopus, of ice creams in the afternoon and playing with my brother and cousins, of reading for hours and hours on the beach, not feeling the heat so much. Of not wanting this to be over because when it was, school would start for another year.

I never came to Carloforte with my father, and in truth it is a bit different from the rest of Sardinia (it has had various influences including a strong Genoan presence), but in many ways it is exactly the same. Here I feel like my dad could come through the door any minute, after having gone to get fresh croissants from the bakery, eager to get the day’s fishing going.

Hope we catch a big one this time.

Tag: travel

All around the world

Islands