Reminiscing Europe

My best friend, M, is in Europe right now. I keep thinking enviously about all the fun she is having. It just doesn't seem fair . . . well, until I remember that I have been to Europe twice in my life -- for free. (Thanks Mom and Dad!)

The first time I went to Europe was when I was a senior in high school. My parents, my brother and I went to London and then to France. We spent two days in Paris and then rented a car and drove down the coast of France to Normandy, Versailles and the most lovely little French towns along the way. I thought I had died it was so lovely! My favorite part of the whole experience is a tie between being one of only a few people that walked along the cobblestone pathways and hidden corridors that were enclosed by Le Mont St. Michel. The other favorite has to be the incredible meal that I had of le poulet et frites and chocolat chaud as we sat at an outdoor café along the Seine next to the Musee d’Orsay while I soaked up the April sun that had been hiding most of the day behind gray clouds. Ahhhh.

The second time I went to Europe was last May. I had just gotten over a horrible case of pneumonia and being (falsely) told I had cancer. Whew! This time we went to London, Sweden, Ireland and Denmark. It was wonderful! I had grown up a lot in the 5 years since I had last been to Europe and I appreciated many things so much more. My favorite part of the trip was the incredible staging of Mary Poppins in the Prince Edward Theatre near Leicester Square. It was being inspired by the bright yellow doorways of Malmö, Sweden. It was the entirety of Wicklow County in Ireland and experiencing an entirely different side of green. It was castles and flowers. It was Marcus playing “Scarborough Fair” on his Irish whistle as we sat on a stone wall overlooking the Irish Sea at dusk. It was the thatched roofs of Bornholm, Denmark and the exquisite chocolate shop where the owner kindly offered us her impeccably formed chocolates as a gift to 4 American tourists who didn’t speak her language.

My parents are taking all 11 of their children (and their spouses) back to Bornholm, Denmark for their 50th anniversary. I cannot wait to go with my husband and to experience so many things with him.