Being in History

Visiting Europe is a kind of historical re-awakening - a way of linking to our collective past.  Walking down a centuries old cobblestone road, walking between centuries old buildings, I get the feeling that in some way, the past is alive in these places.  With the correct historical context, or a guide who can provide it, you will get this feeling too.

When I take a OneLife Tours group into the 850 year old Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris, I like to tell some of the great stories from the church's history.  But I also want my travelers to get in "touch" with history.  Inside, at the back of this gothic enormity, I take them to one of the huge stone pillars.  And I invite them to touch it.  And to imagine the hands that quarried these stones, that carefully chipped them into this shape, and placed them at the base of the column.  To realize that those people lived, worked and died here, in history, and that those who placed the stones we can actually touch would not have lived to see their work completed (in fact even their great-grandchildren would not have seen this - the cathedral took 200 years to build!)  This is history.  This is being in history.  

Do this when you travel. Be in history.              www.onelifetours.ca

Hungarian photographer Ablak Múltra forces people to "be in history" by overlaying old photographs over new images captured in the same place. The results can be stunning!

5 Great Water Experiences in Europe

Humans are drawn to water.  There is a universal appeal to the beauty of a waterfall, a small stream, a crystal clear lagoon.  Just look at house prices - the closer you are to a coastline or a lake, the more expensive the property.  When I share pictures from travels in Europe, I can prove statistically that the ones that have water in them, whether they be the Ligurian coastline of Italy's Cinque Terre, the Grand Canal of Venice, the Seine River in Paris, or the waterfalls of Plitvice in Croatia, are by far the most popular (they get the most "likes" and "shares" on facebook). But it is not just aesthetics - our attraction to water goes much deeper than the "surface".

Water sustains life, and makes up more than 50% of our own bodies by weight.  It is a powerful force that can bring positive energy (medieval watermills / modern hydro-electric dams) but also unstoppable devastation (tsunamis, floods).  And of course there is the mystery - another world exists in the water - one that humans can visit briefly, but never join.

Despite the danger and the unknown, we love to be near the water, on the water, over the water, and in the water.  Travelers routinely seek out any available water-themed experiences.  Here are a few you should try in Europe:

#5 - Paris, France:  A cruise down the Seine River. 

I prefer to do this in the evening, when Notre Dame, the Conciergerie, the Eiffel Tower and other riverside structures are beautifully lit up.  It's a good way to relax for an hour or so after a day of sightseeing in Paris.  If you are staying in the Latin Quarter area, take the Vedettes du Pont Neuf  near Saint Chapelle.  If you are staying closer to the Eiffel Tower/Rue Cler area, take the Bateaux Parisiens.  You can also splurge and take one of the dinner cruises - reservations and proper attire required.  Join us in Paris for three nights on our Grand Tour!

#4 - Cinque Terre, Italy:  A swim in the Mediterranean - any time of year?

I take tour groups to Europe in the summer, when you will see lots of people, locals and tourists,  populating the beautiful beaches on the coast of Italy.  I also take groups in March, when, on what a Canadian would call a nice warm day, the locals, in their full length winter coats and scarves, will watch in disbelief as a bunch of North American tourists hit the somewhat chilly waves.  Hey - you're there - you might as well have the experience!  Both our Italian Experience and Grand Tour feature a two night stay in the Cinque Terre region.

3. Škocjan Caves, Slovenia:  Daring to walk high above the Reka River.

Disappearing underground in the Karst region of Slovenia, the mighty Reka River becomes visible only to those who venture into the Škocjan Caves.  In one of the largest underground canyons in the world (think Grand Canyon, but with a stone ceiling above you) tourists of old used to hug the walls and walk high above the river with only their torches for light.  Now with modern railings and lighting, the journey is a lot less dangerous, but still a thrill!  Note that you can only enter Škocjan with a guide - click the link for more information.  Or join our Best of the East tour and we'll take care of the details!

#2 - Cesky Krumlov, Czech Republic:  Rafting down the Vltava River.

Want to enter this beautiful baroque town in style?  Rent a raft up river, and float into town!  Locals and visitors alike love to cruise down the usually calm river in an assortment of rafts, canoes and kayaks, stopping at one of the many riverside pubs for lunch and a refreshing Czech pils beer.  The natural scenery is wonderful, but once you enter the town, which sits conveniently on an "s" curve in the river, it is glorious!  There are several raft rental agencies - I recommend the friendly people at Maleček Rafting & Canoe.  Our Best of the East and Ultimate Beer Tour both feature a rafting trip into Cesky Krumlov!

#1 - Venice, Italy: This is the classic - a gondola ride through the canals of Venice.

Once a major form of transportation for locals, now a remnant of a bygone era, gliding down these lovely waterways can be a great joy.  Expensive - yes.  Romantic - depends who you're with.  Best time to go - the evening.  Best place to hire a gondolier - debatable, but I wouldn't hire one at the Rialto Bridge or St. Mark's Square - the "back" canals are much preferable to the Grand Canal, which you can travel on in a local vaporetto (water-bus) for a lot less money.  Campo San Moise is a nice place to hire a gondola.

"You don't even have a tan"

Upon return from one of my trips to Europe in 2012, a neighbour asked me, "So what do you do when you're over there?  I mean, you don't even have a tan."

I actually did have some colour from hiking under the warm Italian sun in the Dolomites and along the Mediterranean coast.  And I even went swimming and spent some time on the beach while visiting the Cinque Terre.  But my goals in traveling to Europe are not related to acquiring a tan, and I had not put any conscious effort into deepening my pigmentation.

My neighbour has not been to Europe.  She has been to Mexico.  Multiple times.  I believe to the same resort.  And Hawaii.  And she, of course, comes back with a deep tan, as well as a sense of satisfaction and a relaxed demeanor.

I think when I come back from a trip, I definitely share that sense of satisfaction in time well spent, but I think my demeanor is usually one of excited anticipation - of sharing stories and photos (and beer and chocolate for the lucky ones) with friends and colleagues, and of, well, planning my next trip!

So when she asked me the question about what I do when I'm in Europe, she got a long and enthusiastic answer from this admittedly jet-lagged Europhile.  I talked about meeting new people, trying new Belgian brews, searching for a winery in the hills of Tuscany, walking lopsided out of the Leaning Tower of Pisa, cycling along canals past windmills, quiet moments of reflection in 800 year old cathedrals, being overwhelmed by the magnificent beauty of Botticelli's Birth of Venus, eating the freshest most flavourful pesto anyone has ever had anywhere at any time in a little restaurant in a little village on the west coast of Italy... and on and on and on.

Her response: "Wow, you must come back from vacation more worn out than when you left!"

True, my "vacations" are not really relaxing.  And most of the time when I'm overseas, I'm actually working (to provide a stress-free vacation for the people who are traveling with me) not vacationing.  But I'm not tired out when I come back.  I'm energized and invigorated.  And I can't wait to go again.

Have it all on your next vacation - Europe's got history, art, architecture, food and drink, great people, and even a few beaches where you can work on your tan if that's what you like!  This is Vernazza in the Cinque Terre region of Italy - part of the Grand Tour.