For me, travelling is one of the greatest joys; I’m so appreciative of the travels that I can now look back on. Unfortunately, 16-year-old me, the traveler, was super hormonal and ungrateful. For that, I have to say “sorry” to my mom and stepdad. Partially to blame for my sour opinion of travel was my stepdad’s uncanny ability to walk for hours without needing anything more than a ham and cheese sandwich from a cardboard box and a Coke to sustain him. Our family trips became progressively better when we started leading him towards a more “foodie” lifestyle. For me, one of the best parts of travel is the food. Second, I love viewing historical sites, but only if I’m familiar with their histories. Otherwise they’re just old crumbly sites to me. During my teenage travels I was at a stage where the idea of walking for hours to view old sites that I had no point of reference for sounded like a punishment. Also, anything that involved my stepdad telling me to “bring a pair of running shoes because we’re walking a lot and maybe an alarm clock cause we’re going to get up early to get as much sight seeing in as possible” was something that I easily turned my nose up to. Here are snapshots of my five favourite cities that I’ve visited:
1. Marrakesh, Morocco
The Good: My family was very trusting on this holiday to beautiful Morroco, a country located in North Africa, so when my stepdad asked the cab driver to take us to the best local restaurant spot for dinner we followed him whole heartedly down multiple tiny alleyways and then to a big door with no visible signage. We journeyed down hallway after hallway to a basement which led to one of the coolest restaurants that I’ve ever been to. There were these very colourful couches to sit on with low down tables and live music. Late in the evening there was even belly dancing.
More good: The market squares that had every item under the sun were, again, so colourful and worthwhile. Merekesh is so colourful and vibrant that its almost overwhelming for the senses; there’s so much to take in. I also got to ride a camel which was incredible. It was even more interesting to speak French with the daughter of the family who owned the camel riding place, as many Moroccans are French speakers.
The bad: We decided to eat in the beautiful market square filled with vendors selling food, artwork and other household items. We sat at an outdoor restaurant where you could order items such as pastries, rice, and meat off of open-air stands. After we all finished a hearty helping of delicious, tasty food we noticed the cook pick up food that had dropped off his cart on to the cobblestone and put it back on the cart to be sold. We all got very sick after the meal.
2. Krakow, Poland
The Good: This was by far my absolute favourite location that I visited when I was younger; I had little to no complaints on this trip. I highly recommend the Ariel restaurant in the old part of Krakow. My brother was able to join us for this trip. He, unlike me in my teenage angst, at 2 and-a-half years older than I, was immensely grateful. This trip became even more meaningful when we toured Auschwitz; we were very quiet for the rest of the day. I remember reading Hana’s Suitcase in Grade 2 for a book report, but while I knew a lot about the Holocaust, nothing could have prepared me for this visit.
The Bad: No bad, I really want to visit Krakow again.
3. Venice + Verona + Rome, Italy
The Good: We went to 3 cities in Italy and each was so diverse and authentic and unexplainably beautiful. Best pizza ever. Best gelato ever. We went to see Juliette’s wall in Verona which was interesting to see. Venice was one of those places where everywhere you looked was equivalent to a post card. I also enjoyed being called “bella”.
The Bad: In Rome I got the worst hair cut of my life. Unfortunately, getting a haircut when I spoke no Italian and my hairdresser very understandably, only speaking Italian resulted in me getting 6 more inches of hair chopped off than I had hoped. This led to me crying dramatically in the middle of gorgeous Rome. (Sorry Mom)
4. Frankfurt, Germany
The good: We went and saw the Christmas markets. I think the Christmas Markets in Frankfurt are the epitome of the Christmas experience. So many stands of ornaments delicately made, delicious potato pancakes and hot chocolate. If you’re a fan of the winter holiday season, visiting Frankfurt Christmas markets should be on your bucket list!
The Bad: Unfortunately, we discovered there are two airports in Frankfurt and one of them is about an hour away from Frankfurt. So we ended up having to rent a car very early in the morning at the airport. We were only there for a day trip so this ate into some of our time visiting the markets. Check the exact location of your airport before booking a trip!
5. Edinburgh, Scotland
The good: Nothing like starting the day with a bacon sarnie (back bacon sandwich in a bun). Edinburgh locals were unique and friendly. We also went on a hike in the rain, and Edinburgh I think is the only place that I wouldn’t complain about taking a hike in the rain . Also, I wore a fur jacket and not hiking appropriate footwear because STYLE, people.
The bad: Pub culture seemed huge here but unfortunately my parents were not the “who cares that you’re 16, here’s a beer” parents. Mine were the ‘Do you want a diet coke?” So I blame them for not fully being able to enjoy the pub culture in Edinburgh.
Thanks to my step-dad Randy for all these beautiful pictures of our travels!
These are my top picks. Are there any places you wish you could visit again as your current, perfect self and not the whiney teenager you once were?