The Salty Blog

I spent a lot of time in my younger years traveling around Europe, and somehow I let that slip in my life as my interests turned to the Pacific and South America. It was really refreshing, therefore, to find myself crossing the Atlantic and spending a few days in London this past week. While I’ve never actually been to London, I experienced this old familiarity that I can only liken to seeing or smelling your grandfather’s favorite sweater.

The European way of life, something I took for granted when I lived in Austria at age 15 and 16, is definitely calling my name again. The personalities, landscapes, architecture, food… the intersection of so many languages and cultures… the genuine interest in news stories and views from around the world rather than just one’s own country.

It’s interesting to be back in Europe with a cell phone and to have wireless Internet access anywhere I need it (mainly thanks to BlackBerry). It’s also weird to see a Starbucks on every corner. On British Airways I even had the choice of eating vegetarian, vegan or gluten-free - and the food was really good!

My list remains pretty consistent for must-dos (I hope Gary’s matches up): Greece, Spain, Portugal, Chile, Argentina, Amsterdam, India…