MY TRAVEL EXPERIENCES WITH . . .

Alas, the days of my "being single" travel and "being single" travel behaviour are behind me. Now I get to experience some old, favourite travel spots with a new twist and I'm sure with new meaning. I have traveled with family, with girlfriends, and alone, and each time the experiences were different. But in the near future I expect to have many new experiences and build on some old ones with my husband, who also loves to travel, and who also insists that we make many, many memories together. After all, travel to me is a way to experience different things, but mostly to make memories.

Travel with family can sometimes be stressful, but they're family and, well, what more can I say. When I travel with my family, I tend to be the leader and the one who takes care of things. Sometimes I do so by choice, other times by necessity. I would love to be able to sit back and enjoy the ride from beginning to end, but all eyes are usually on me to make the necessary preparations and fix things when they go wrong. After the logistics are taken care of, only then can I start to relax and enjoy. But all in all, it's nice to travel with family and share those memories together. I might be stuck with this kind of travel.

Travel with girlfriends was always an adventure and sometimes unpredictable. My girlfriends and I have travelled extensively together. We've checked out some of the world's best known monuments, stay at some really nice and really bad hotels, hung out at bars and nightclubs, ate at really good restaurants, did lots of shopping and always had a blast. We've been stared at and awed in so many places that sometimes we felt like we were an attraction. People have gravitated to us while other just checked us out from afar. We've drawn crowds like we were "rock stars" in Rome, Venice, Paris and Barcelona. Together with them, I've met people from all around the world. Some of them I've kept in touch with and others, although they have long since been forgotten, the memories remain. There is a chance, however small, that this kind of travel can still happen. (:

Travel alone was yet a different kind of experience. I'm a free spirit and I have a very outgoing personality. This combination has gotten me first class treatment at, on flights, free stays in hotels and resorts, free drinks and vip treatment at bars and restaurants and special attention when shopping. I loved travel by myself because I could make my own schedule and did not have to coordinate with anyone. I did what I wanted, when I wanted and for how long I chose. I did not have to worry that someone would cancel the trip at the last moment or that they would be difficult in a different environment or culture. Best of all, I could choose to go wherever I wanted without the worry that someone else may not want to go there. Although, there many was times when I wished there was someone to share some of the experiences that are now very meaningful to me. I imagine that this kind of travel is now a thing of the past.

Travel with my husband so far has been good. We have not yet traveled extensively together, but we both expect that will change very soon. I'm really looking forward to putting a new and exciting touch on some of the experiences I've already had. I'm mostly looking forward to us making some brand new experience and memories together. I'm looking forward to sharing fun moments, but mostly romantic moments with him. I can already imagine us walking along a beach at sunrise…oh wait, if he has anything to say about it…sunset, holding hands and enjoying each other. I can also imagine spending time during the winter in a lodge somewhere in the Germany or Austria with him being more outdoors than I would like and us being indoors near a fireplace. He loves to take care of me and I allow him to do so. I am so looking forward to this kind of travel. (:

Whatever kind of travel your fits your lifestyle, just be sure to make the best of it and create memories that will last a lifetime. Always, always hire common sense and your instinct and let them be your guides. They cost nothing!

Written and posted by TriniDiva on 7/30/09

FRANKFURT/MUNICH - May 2009

I'm back from another trip to Deutschland and, as usual, I had a really good time. Travelling to Germany is becoming quite customary and the trek from Washington, DC to Frankfurt seems now a familiar path to me. I'm really starting to feel comfortable there and at the end of each trip it's harder to leave my husband. Even the food is starting to grow on me. (lol!) I still have to experience a full winter there, although I hear it's not so bad in Frankfurt, it's a completely different story in Bavaria. The Caribbean it's not!

Although I know I still have a long (really long) way to go, I feel a little more confident speaking German with each visit. My German classes are starting to pay off and with one more level to complete, I'll be finished with the basics. My next goal is to be able to use public transportation on my own or make my way around Frankfurt on my own. That will be the true test of my ability. Yikes!

During this trip, the weather was really nice, and in the afternoons my husband and I went for walks and coffee and ice-cream. Germany has really good Italian ice cream. But the Germans get the credit for being extremely creative in the presentation. (: There are so many combinations to choose from.

We did the usual round of day trips. One of our favorite cities to visit is Mannheim because the energy of the city is high and there is great shopping there. Some of the top designers have stores there but you can find something for everyone that will fit any budget. The trams can take you anywhere in the city. But be warned though, like I mentioned in one of my previous blogs, you have to watch out for the trams in Mannheim. The trams share the same space with pedestrians and crossing the street can be tricky. If you're not sure where to cross, just ask someone, but be very cautious.

We went to a fair in Darmstadt. It was really big with a lot of people and several stages were set up where different bands performed. There was a really good reggae band from Barcelona, and a salsa band from Mexico. My husband and I stayed at those two spots the longest because he knows that those are two of my favorite kinds of music, both for listening and dancing to. There were also so many food stalls that I could not easily decide what to eat. I ended up having a warm crepe with Nutella and powdered sugar, french fries with a spicy "samurai" dipping sauce and a strawberry sangria. Yummy!!

On this trip, went decided to go to my husband's hometown and so we packed up the car and drove to Munich. The drive from the Frankfurt area to Bavaria was, in certain spots, absolutely breathtaking. Going through the mountains and seeing so many different shades of green of trees, grass and flowers was awesome. Also, the clusters of homes that dotted the mountainsides were so beautiful to see. It felt a little unreal at times.

We arrived in Munich in about a little over four hours. I love Munich because even though it's a big city, it has a lot of old world charm. In certain areas of the city, I did not at all remember I was in one of the most well-known cities of the world. I walked on one of Munich's main streets, Ludwigstrasse (named in honor of King Ludwig), which is also one of the most prestigious streets. I saw the Bavarian Hall of Warlords and walked through the Englischer Garten in the middle of the city. This is similar to Central Park in New York. One moment you're in a bustling city and the next you're standing inside the peaceful Dome of the Diana-Tempel as the noise and traffic fade into the distance. We also walked along the Danube river which runs though Bavaria.

While we were in Bavaria, I met my husband's parents for the very first time. It was quite a meeting because they do not speak English and my German is very basic. But somehow we managed to get through the weekend and were able to communicate with each other. His parents welcomed and embraced me and were happy to finally meet me.

We went with his parents to a fair (Pfingst Fest) in Ingolstadt, just outside of Munich. I had so much fun. I don't normally ride amusement park rides, but I told my husband that I would ride one of the rides with him. Seemed like a good idea at the time. We got on the ride and were very excited. The ride started and all was still OK. It was one of those rides that you sit in and when it starts it balloons out like a mushroom and gets higher and goes faster. Well, about half way through the ride I was ready to get off, because I started to feel really sick. The fun was over at that point. I had to finish the ride feeling like I was in a small boat on high seas! Meanwhile my husband had enough also. We both did not look so good at the end of the ride!

After the ride, we went into a huge tent to sit for a while and get something to eat. The tent was similar to the ones at the OktoberFest and although this one was much smaller, it still held well over 1,000 people. (My husband said that the ones at OktoberFest can be up to four time bigger.) We were all drinking steins of beer and coke, eating pretzels (really big pretzels) fish and bread, french fries and rotisserie chicken, and singing along to Bavarian folk music. The DJ played other music, some of which I knew and was able to sing-a-long to. What a great time we had! I ended up on top of the seat dancing and then I asked my husband's father if he wanted to dance and he accepted. He is a really good dancer. OktoberFest 2010, here I come! I will be wearing a dirndl and my husband will be wearing his lederhosen! LOL!

It was strawberry season in Hessen (Frankfurt) and white asparagus season in Bavaria. I ate a lot of strawberries while I was in Frankfurt because they were available everywhere and picked the same day. Bavarians eat mostly white asparagus and green asparagus is not so common. The white asparagus is much bigger than it's green cousin and it was really good in soup and salad.

What's next. . .On my next trip to Germany, I plan to see different parts of the country, and am already planning for OktoberFest 2010!

All photos were taken in Germany in May 2009 and are the personal propety of Screenname TriniDiva.