Its the new year. And I am starting as I mean to go on. The last year of my blog was all fits and starts but this year I aim to be regular and following a calendar.
To start myself off, here’s a recap of my year – travel wise. It was an adventurous year and the overview is as colorful as possible!
Starting off in Style
The year started with a trip – in Paris. Eiffel Tower, Arc De Triomphe and the Montmartre – these were my sights for the first couple of days of 2023. The weather mostly co-operated and being there with my family was such a good time! While I saw some beautiful sites and had a great time with my family, Paris disillusioned me in some respects. Nevertheless, it was still worth a year end-new year trip. Read about it here.
The water beckons...
It was April and The Netherlands was still cold (atleast I felt so, being from a tropical country), so we wanted to escape to somewhere warm. Thus was arranged a trip to Albufeira, Portugal. Hot days, intensely blue waters and gorgeous craggy cliffs – what an absolutely invigorating vacation.
The kiddo loved the time-out, running about the beaches and having fun in the hotel playground.
Under The Tuscan Sun
The year’s next trip came up as early as May! Yep, a month after Portugal we were off to Italy. Tuscany greeted us with lush greenery. The weather was a mix of grey and brilliant slightly scorching sunshine but overall really pleasant. Pisa, Siena, Greve and Florence absolutely enchanted me. Such beauty that it leaves you stunned. The food, oh the food was soo good – ravioli, pasta, pizza and oh the desserts were just the stuff of dreams. Everything I ever though my Italian sojourn would be.
Getting to know the "Homeland"
June, July and August were when we enjoyed some of the sights in and around The Netherlands. Getting to know summer in our new homeland was pretty nice.
Rotterdam was an enjoyable day trip. The zoo (Diergaarde Blijdorp) was interesting and the view from the top of the Euromast was fantastic.
Typical Dutch Summer Days
We also tried some quintessential Dutch experiences in the summer.
The Keukenhof gardens: Unimaginable varieties of tulips on full bloom, in a multitude of colours. A pretty, pretty sight!
And, enjoying a barbecue among the greenery!
Brussels in Belgium is a 3-hour drive from the Hague. So that was another day trip we took. It was a intensely sunny day so we checked out just a few sights and mostly relaxed in the shade.
This is how we made the most of summer time. (It’s still not summer if I have to keep jackets at hand, but what do I know?!)
Hues of Cote d'Azur
Then came September and we were off to the truly sunny climes of the South of France – Marseille. The sun was a bit extreme actually but none of that mattered because this port town was utterly delightful. History and nature existed in perfect harmony. The highlight of the trip though was the boat ride to The Calanques. Amazing!
Back to the roots
The final trip of the year was back home to India during festival season. Wherever we are, we try not to miss Durga Puja in Kolkata. Family, friends and food – the trifecta that is the oxygen of existence. It soothed tired minds, mended homesick hearts and recharged the soul for the next year away from all that is familiar.
Wrap up!
It would be an understatement to say the year was interesting and exciting travel wise. I do consider myself luck that I was in a position to take these trips to European cities and enjoy a full week there.
Time to plan for 2024. Happy New Year from Nils!
Meanwhile keep an eye on this space for the detailed posts on the above destinations.
