Mes Voyage Introduction

My passion for travel was clearly passed down to me from my Mother.  Around 1949, she accepted a civil service job in Wiesbaden, Germany.  This was during the American occupation of Germany following World War II.  My mother, especially for her time, was quite independent.  She boarded a train in San Bernardino, California headed for New York City.  In New York, she boarded a troop ship destined for Bremmerhaven, Germany.  Upon arriving in Germany, the ship was met by General Eisenhower who formally welcomed the troops and civilians, like my mother, there to support the military’s efforts in Germany.  

Her first night in Weisbaden confirmed her fears that she had made a mistake.  The hotel where she was ultimately to live was not prepared for her and her paycheck and funds had not arrived.  She was finally placed in a tacky hotel room located in the red-light district of Wiesbaden.    She was unable to sleep because of the noise outside of the hotel.  There were screams and glass breaking.  It was a long night filled with regret and scepticism.  

Not that that night was the complete end of her doubts, but overall, her life in Europe was right out of a fairy tale.  Although her job was as a mere clerk/secretary/steno, earning a low salary, she enjoyed the advantages of the dollar being king in post-war Europe.  Between her income and amassing a lot of time off, she was able to travel extensively throughout the continent.  She was also an amateur photographer and took dazzling pictures of the places she lived and visited.  

Growing up, I was raised with those pictures and the stories accompanying them.  I became enamored with this fairy tale world she described to me.  I would look through her photographs and imagine what it all must have been like.  

This was definitely the seeds that grew into my desire to travel the world. 

When I reached adulthood, my desire to travel to Europe was strong.  But it seemed that I either had the money to travel, but no friend with whom to travel, or the reverse was true.  I wanted to go, but the time never seemed right.    

My mother and I might be having lunch someplace and she would suddenly get this far-away look in her eyes.  Over time, I learned that something had reminded her of her life in Europe.  She would often sigh and say “Ah, this reminds me of Lake Luzern” or some other such location.   I began noting the places she mentioned in my memory cells, knowing that I too must visit them.  I once asked her, “What is the most beautiful place you have ever visited?”  Without any hesitation, she replied, “The Amalfi Coast in Italy.”  I immediately placed that on my list of places to visit one day.  

I know my mother visited Norway, Denmark, Holland, England, Italy, and Switzerland.  She spent a minimal amount of time in France, which was interesting, because there was no place I wanted to visit more than France.  

To quote Erma Bombeck, “Vacations are nothing more than a series of ‘moments.’ These are special times that you remember in between all the exhaustion of getting from one place to another.”   This site is a collection of my special “moments,” as well as what I have learned along the way to help ensure more interesting and enjoyable trips abroad.  I hope my stories, tips, and photographs inspire you to travel as well.