Ten years ago today, I set out on one of my most wonderful adventures – a four week solo backpacking adventure through five European countries. Since I’m on vacation in the real world, I thought I’d pilfer from my own material and reprint some of the entries from my travel journal over the next month.
The trans-Atlanic crossing was quick and relatively painless (if you don’t count cramped knees and a stiff neck.) It was dark most of the way, so I pretty much convinced myself we were still over Labrador the entire night. I am so ready for this trip!… I’m not afraid at all now. For all the nervousness I feel, I could be descending into Toronto.
God, you should see it down there. How different it looks from Ontario. If Canada looks like an orderly patchwork quilt from above, then England looks like a crazy tile mosaic.
Swallowing the urge to flee (or hide!), I walked out onto Damrack in what I thought was the general direction of Rodhuisstr, home of Hotel de Westertoren. I suppose now is as good a time as any to lament that Amsterdam has no (discernible) street signs, and the sidewalks look dangerously like the streets (and vice versa).
After getting turned around (but not quite lost) more than once, and almost being run over by, at various times, a car, a cyclist and a tram, I found my most recent home at the top of the most steep, narrow staircase I have ever seen. Because the room wouldn’t be available for a few more hours, the friendly proprietor let me stow my pack in the office, gave me a map and set me off to wander for a while.
And so I wandered. The further you get from Damrack, the more absolutely breathtakingly beautiful the city becomes. Incredibly narrow cobblestone streets crisscross the canals, lined by tall, cramped, narrow canal houses. Everything is close together, stacked precariously high and completely enchanting
. This is the Europe of which I have dreamed.It is almost 10:00 and the city is starting to wake up. I’m almost finished my small, powerful coffee in this charming, canal-side corner cafe, and the city is calling me to lose myself in it. But I’ll be back.
Categories: Europe95
I’m so envious, I never got to backpack Europe alone, would have loved it!
And you kept a journal through it! Awesome! Was just reading some of my very own travel journals (not as eloquently written as yours though)to my daughter last night and was encouraging her to get one ready for our upcoming European adventure
Did I tell you how much I LOVE travel stories, I’m a born traveler and armchair traveler.
Looking forward to your next European anecdotes.
Oooh, I like this. Keep writing these.
A comment from The Netherlands, only 50 km from Amsterdam: good to see you liked the city! Of course the touristic area near the station is not that good, but the rest of the city is quite cool.
Hmm, I might go backpacking through North America once 😉