As we are getting close to the end of 2009 it is time to make a bit of summary of the year. How was the travel year 2009?
It has been a pretty exciting year for me as I have got to visit new places and I have also revisited places that I have been to before. It has also been an exciting year when it comes to just the flying bit - in total I had almost 50 flights and in total it was over 100.000 km (or 155 hours in the air).
I stopped by Amsterdam in March and I have been there on vacation before. But I have to admit that I had totally forgotten how charming this town really is. This time I did not get to see and do anything more or less but I have been tempted to re-visit this city on vacation in the future.
In April it was time for a brand new experience - a trip with the relative new Airbus A380. Yes, this is the plane with two floors and I had the pleasure of flying it from London to Dubai on Emirates Airlines. I have posted pictures and videos of the flight experience on http://gardkarlsen.com/blog/?p=31 . On this trip we ended up in Ho Chi Minh City (Vietnam) (see trip report on http://gardkarlsen.com/Ho_Chi_...tnam_trip_report.htm ) and Siem Reap / Phnom Penh in Cambodia (see trip report on http://gardkarlsen.com/Angkor_...odia_trip_report.htm ). Both Vietnam and Cambodia was countries that we had not been to before and it was great to experience a new culture, new food, new people. I would love to go back to Vietnam to explore more of the country in the future.
Due to a great offer from Lufthansa we ended up going to Dubai in May. Dubai can offer shopping, insane building projects and beaches but I'm stuck with mixed feelings after the visit. There are many other places that are more fun to visit in my opinion. Anyway - here is my trip report http://gardkarlsen.com/Dubai_UAE_trip_report.htm
In September I spent a long weekend in London and I have been there several times before. During visit in the past I have not had any great feelings towards the city but maybe I have changed because this time I was stuck with a WOW feeling when I went home. It is an amazing place when it comes to sightseeing, food, shopping, history etc. I have posted some info in the blog on http://gardkarlsen.com/blog/?tag=london-2009 and I'm also working on a trip report.
In September I spend a few frequent flyer points to fly on First Class to Hong Kong with Lufthansa and back again on First Class with Thai. It was a brand new experience for me and I wish that I could travel like that every time ;-) The service was incredible both at the airports and in the air. I have posted photos and videos on http://gardkarlsen.com/blog/?t...lass-experience-2009 . Feel free to visit the link and find out what life on first class is like :-)
And to round the year of we took a trip to Thailand and Phuket. We have also been there before but we were tempted to re-visit as SAS had a good offer. We had a nice hotel on Kata beach but there is no doubt that Phuket is really busy with tourists. And you know that when you get the menu in both English and Swedish, there must be many Scandinavians in the area. I have posted some thoughts about Thailand on http://gardkarlsen.com/blog/?tag=thailand
That is a short summary of my year. What do you remember best from your 2009 travel year? And where are you going in 2010?
Gard, what amazing experiences you had this year!! Wonderful! I have never been to Asia so it is fun to read about others going. I will check out your business class trip to Hong Kong - that must have been spectacular!
My biggest trip this year was Italy in May - Lecce, Rome (briefly), Bologna and Bolzano. I went for a reunion and hadn't been back in five years so it was just the best. Had a great time and great weather, too.
I went to Ecuador for work and was able to have two days off to check out some sights as well, and it is a fabulous country! So much to see, well equipped for tourism but not at all crowded, great food, nice climate... Would definitely go back again.
For next year, my two big trips are Italy (Bologna) with my mom in May, and Puerto Rico in July. Should be fun!
I will check out your business class trip to Hong Kong - that must have been spectacular!
Just a correction....it was first class not business class ;-) I have flown business class before and that is great but first class is over the top. Lufthansa even have a First Class terminal in Frankfurt! Here you can drink champapgne, taste 80 different whiskeys, have parma ham etc. You get the picture :-)
Well....certainly not as exciting as gards and Chiocciolas.....but reading about your experiences gives me more and more inspiration to expand my travel plans for all the wonderful places still to explore...ah sigh.
That said, my year of travel did expose me to new places.
Germany, other than airports. Only had 4 days there, but would love to go back and explore by car the smaller towns along the Rhine.
Rhodes, Greece. Our namesake, so that had been on our list for a long time. And what a great time we had.
Turkey. The Lycian Coast and Istanbul. What a fantastic place. Historically and culturally. Definitely need to head back as there is so much more of that country to see and experience.
More time off next year, so hopefully also more travels.
2009 was a year of some firsts for me. First time flying trans-Atlantic by myself, first time to Paris on my own, and first time to Africa. This was all on a trip to Morocco to meet a girlfriend for a few days. It was an incredible trip, and I wrote my first major food article for a top newspaper based on our cooking class there.
I went to NYC for work, and went to Czech and Slovakia with my husband -- first time to the Czech Republic.
Next year is my first big trip on my own (France for 17 days) and hopefully our first trip with a kid -- we hope to take our 14-year old nephew to Europe.
2009 was a vicarious travel year for me, from reading lots of trip reports and ruminating on my next "big" trip to appreciating (from very afar) my daughter's semester abroad in Ghana.
I thank everyone here at Slow Trav who traveled in '09.
Posts: 432 | Location: Maryland | Registered: 04 March 2007
January: Sue and I made our annual trek to Florida to visit with my son's family for a few days (nice to leave NH in January...nice);
March: Ray, Nick and Fred and I made our annual visit to the Big East Basketball Tournament at MSG in NYC for roughly the 25th year in a row (counting the old NIT Tournament, we've been going to NYC to see college basketball every March since 1966) - we always check out Central Park South for an afternoon of hotel hopping (bar-to-bar), always head for Canal Street for required shopping for whatever our spouses have told us to bring back and then lunch in LIttle Italy at different spots) - the rest of our time is dedicated to B-ball at the Garden;
May: Same crew spent 10 days in Beijing and Hong Kong - Nick ran in the Great Wall Marathon (trip report published and hotel reviews published);
Nov/Dec: Sue and I spent nearly a week on Isla Mujeres, Mexico - just vegging (trip report published).
2010: Carribean here we come!
Posts: 738 | Location: New Hampshire | Registered: 12 September 2006
2009 was definitely a year of travel for me, for us.
I have to begin with saying that all the travel in which I indulged was probably a reaction - I admit it - a reaction to my husband's sudden death in February at the age of 50. Some people drink, some people travel. Some people travel and drink!
(Not to harsh the mellow, but I can't explain the rather frantic traveling I did without reference to the reason.)
So, in late May and early June, after doing a final clean-out of the house I'd finally sold up in Indiana, we (my 17-year old daughter, 8-year old son and 4-year old son)just kept driving and went to New York City, where we spent five great days - I saw two shows ( Waiting for Godot and The Thirty-Nine Steps) , my daughter got to see four (those plus Chicago and Exit the King) , my sons one ( 39 Steps) . We did the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Natural History Museum, Central Park, shopping, my daughter did MOMA and NBC by herself , we saw friends...it was the first time I'd been to NYC in good weather, and it was wonderful.
Then in late June and early July, we did our "Dramatic Change of Scenery Tour '09" which took us to Sicily for two weeks and Barcelona for one. I had asked a lot of advice here before we went, and it was so, so helpful. I think I am finally ready to do the trip report, so hopefully that will come soon. It was...wonderful.
In early August we did a week in Florida - my husband's family is all in Florida, so it was important from that perspective as well. I rented a great condo on a beach south of St. Augustine, and boy, was it a tonic.
(I should add here that at the same time, my daughter was in Scotland - her theater troop was part of the student festival at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. She's asked for a return trip on her own for her graduation present this year...)
Then at Thanksgiving, yet another journey. I confess, this one was an escape. I share, not to be maudlin, but just because it's interesting to know the motivations that inspire travel. I just...didn't want to do family this Thanksgiving. I just didn't want to sit around and be sad with everyone looking at a proverbial empty chair, especially my little boys, who had a fantastic time last Thanksgiving in Florida with their dad while I went to Rome to visit yet another son who was living there at the time. So even though I am not a theme park person, I decided to bit the bullet and do...Legoland. For my boys are mad about Legos.
It was one of the best decisions I've made. I had never been to Southern California before, and it was a revelation. We stayed in La Jolla and San Diego, did LegoLand, the Zoo, the coastline,saw some friends - it was beautiful and lots of fun for all of us.
I have been a bit conflicted about all of this travel, honestly. I have felt a bit guilty about the fact that I am privileged enough to be able to do it, that I have the type of job (I'm a writer) which allows me to just pick up and go. But I also figure that this first year - I can give myself a break.
I'm looking forward to more travel in 2010. I'm buying a house, so I need to see how that all pans out financially before I make any definite plans, but I am feeling the pull to see a bit more of my own country before I venture abroad again, although I've been to Italy almost every year for the past 4 and so I'm spoiled. But I also have not ever explored the West, so I'm thinking...maybe....
...but maybe Venice, too? We've never been to Venice....
Nowhere exciting this year, as I had a knee replacement in May. I did get 8 weeks off work to recover from it however; so I spent a lot of time in the garden and going out to lunch after physio!!! Our weather this past summer was phenomenally great, so I was happy to be here. I went to stay with friends twice who have a lovely "Cottage" on Osoyoos Lake in Washington State. This year will be Italy in September.....can't wait!!! (Dancing with my new knee. )
My only trip in 2009 was to Vieques, an island I resonate with. Travel for me for the last few years has been limited by a child in college ( mercifully he is entering his last semester and bills are paid!) and by the need for a hip replacement, which I had done in late August. I spent my eight weeks out of work armchair travelling and planning 2010's trips: Sanibel in March ( and not a moment too soon as it is a -3 degree windchill outside my house now!) and then a long anticipated trip to Northern Spain in the fall. And I joined Slow Trav in 2009.
We managed a short break at the end of January and beginning of February in California where we got to hook up with a wonderful group of slow travelers in Paso Robles. If you haven't managed to meet up with your fellow travel fans for a GTG you really should!
It was nice to return to San Francisco and go to some of our favourite restaurant and museum haunts there.
In the summer it was Maine where we relaxed on a beautiful island for a week. We managed to attach a short break in the Berkshires to this trip. It was quick but it was enough to inspire us to return to this beautiful area for a longer stay in the fall of 2010.
Our big trip was in October - Greece. We were in Athens for a week and then spent a week on a cruise of the Greek islands visiting Patmos, Mykonos, Crete, Rhodes, Turkey, and Santorini. What a beautiful spot of the world to hang out. We sure want to return there one day!
Jerry
The traveler sees what he sees. The tourist sees what he has come to see. ~G.K. Chesterton
We went to Italy in April - a week in Tuscany, a week in Umbria.
In July, we went to the American Southwest, for the very first time. After enjoying Zion Park in Utah for several days, we arrived at Grand Canyon, but our trip ended there abruptly due to the sudden death of my father back home.
In contrast to how others cope, I have found that I had the need to nest. I could never pass judgment on how anyone copes with such a loss as death. Whatever works for you is the best decision, amen.
Mine was pretty much off-the-charts ridiculously cool. Got to ride a camel and savor the real tagine. Worked on a farm in Lazio for a month. Hitchhiked from Rome to Paris. A heavy dash (or one might say, a good pinch) of romance there in Paris, with PDAs that'd make Doisneau jealous (or call the police).
2010 will bring on the Middle East, for the first time. And more hijinks.
February 2009 Nashville/Kentucky June 2009 Italy for 2 weeks August 2009 Cape Cod for a week October travel...foiled...my mom had a stroke!! 2010 plans underway for 2 more weeks in Italy Early June
2009 was an extremely slow year for us as with Judith's job not really giving up time, all we were able to get were a few weekends in Vero Beach which is about 2 hours away.
For 2010, we certainly hope to get to a few places... maybe the Grand Canyon later in the year.
We're hoping for Italy again in 2011 or... maybe late this year!
Doug
Posts: 2262 | Location: Winter Park, FL | Registered: 18 May 2005
We were pretty low key this year. We did an Alaskan Cruise in May..hard to pass up last minute deals when you live in Vancouver and then in late September we did a 10 day mexican riviera cruise again out of Vancouver which ended up on LA... we then drove to Vegas for three nights and flew home from Vegas.
My husband and I took a last minute trip to Paris last March and had one of the best trips ever. Perhaps, there is something to be said about last minute planning. Fares on Continental from Houston to Paris were $298 on a non stop flight and we just couldn't resist.
We took our 24 year old son with us to the Piemonte area of Italy and on to Venice last May. It may be the last time he'll managage to travel with us, so it was very special.
We then took our infamous trip to Tuscany last September, which was a fiasco with the luggage issue. We did have a wonderful time, but it really wore us out. We found that because of the airlines, three trips in one year was simply too much. Perhaps, it's our age now, but the airlines are causing us to rethink traveling so much.
We are going to Maui in February, but only because we had so many vouchers from Delta because of all of their screw ups last year, we needed to use them before April. My husband is a million miler and platinum member, so they think those rewards will help undo the damage. They have still refused to repay us the $300 in phone bills it took us to find our luggage.
Sharon J
Posts: 1141 | Location: Houston, TX USA | Registered: 01 November 2003
I had an excellent 2009 travelwise and the highlight was visiting the Grand Canyon for the first time. I would recommend visiting the Canyon and also Death Valley for anyone who is heading to Las Vegas - as Vegas a great base for these trips.
to expand my travel plans for all the wonderful places still to explore...ah sigh.
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(Dancing with my new knee. 
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