Travel bliss isn’t something you take note of when it’s happening. 

That’s because you’re too busy enjoying the experience.  Losing yourself in the moment is what Travel Bliss Now is all about.

So, it’s fun to look back on my year of travels to remember not just the amazing sights I saw, like the Pantheon in Rome or the Sagrada Familia in Barcelona, but also those moments of pure travel bliss.

If there are any themes this year, it seems I often found my bliss in small villages and neighbourhoods in Europe and in Canada’s natural beauty.

I hope this list will inspire you to find your happy place in the coming year.

Hill towns in Provence

Saint-Paul de Vence, France

If you follow my blog, you know I like to wander narrow, cobblestone lanes, sometimes in search of the best pastries, but usually for no purpose at all.  During a Mediterranean cruise with Windstar Cruises in November, I enjoyed plenty of aimless wandering in the hilltop towns of Èze and Saint-Paul de Vence in France.

My wanderings in Saint-Paul de Vence led me to a beautiful shop, Parfums Godet, which was a picture of elegance inside, with a crystal chandelier, colourful tiles on the walls and luscious scents wafting through the air.  It’s very rare that I shop when I travel, but whenever I use the soap I bought in that shop, it takes me back to all things quaint and elegant in hill-top Provence.

The Italian Riviera

Prior to the Windstar cruise, I hadn’t heard of a town called Camogli in Italy.  Now, I want to go back.

It’s a colourful fishing village tucked into a hillside on the Ligurian coast.  It’s a popular tourist spot in the summer, but in November when I visited, it’s a perfect time for a Canadian to go for a stroll on the beach.  In that moment, I could take in the sounds of the sea, the laundry outside the church fluttering in the wind, and the multi-coloured palazzi lining the street with their doors and shutters framed by trompe l’oeil flourishes.

Deco in Detroit, Michigan

You might be surprised that Detroit made this year’s bliss list.  So was I. 

But this city fascinates.  From its stunning Art Deco architecture to its vibrant street art and music scenes, it’s a city on the road to a comeback from hard economic times.  When I visited, I could not help but feel an energy and a spirit of resilience in this amazing American city.  Read my post on why you should visit Detroit here.

It rained in Rome

Sometimes, rain can put a damper on your travels.  But, it doesn’t have to. 

When I visited the character-filled streets in the neighbourhood of Trastevere, Rome, it was all part of the ambiance. 

When it wasn’t drizzling, it was pouring.  Of course, this is all the more reason to pop in to the local bakery for Italian specialty pastries and a hot beverage.  At the end of the day, with slightly squishy shoes, I was savouring rich pasta in a restaurant with red-checkered tablecloths, while being serenaded with “Arrivederci Roma”.   It was like a romantic scene from the movie, Lady and the Tramp. 

It was a day of doing nothing in particular, and yet doing everything that is Rome.

Cruising the Great Lakes

Here’s another thing I didn’t know until recently.  There are cruises on North America’s Great Lakes and they’re fabulous. 

During the summer, I enjoyed a 10-day cruise with Victory Cruise Lines that started in French Canada (Montreal and Quebec City) and wrapped up in Cleveland, Ohio and Detroit, Michigan.  The destinations, and the tours offered in each of them, were the highlights of the trip. 

But, I have to confess, it’s also bliss to be spoiled when you’re traveling, with service and perks like afternoon tea, replete with scones and clotted cream.  Victory Cruise Lines did a great job taking care of its guests.  You can get all the details in this post.

Notre-Dame Basilica, Montreal

Christmas-time in Vienna, Austria

Belvedere Palace, Vienna

I was a Christmas Market Neophyte until this year, when I visited Vienna, Austria in all of its festive glory.  It’s something I’ve always wanted to do.

Many of the markets are located in the most spectacular settings, like the one (above) at Belevedere Palace.  They are stocked with all manner of Christmas cheer from decorations to glühwein (German mulled wine).  People were even spontaneously breaking out in Christmas carols.  Could be the Christmas spirit.  Could be the glühwein.

Among the highlights of my Vienna visit were meeting a Lipizzaner stallion, a day trip from Vienna to Salzburg and a chocolate bliss experience at the luxury Hotel Sacher, famous for its Sacher-Torte.  I had a chance to relax at its spa during a “Taste of Chocolate” treatment, a chocolate scrub and massage with chocolate shea butter.  That was followed by cake, of course.  It was all delicious!

Medieval villages in Portugal

Monsaraz, Portugal

A lovely, slower-paced visit to the Alentejo region of Portugal last February was like taking a walk back in time.  It’s a place where the villages are surrounded by stone walls and the countryside is dotted with olive trees and vineyards.  And when you visit the local restaurants, you’ll savour food that tastes just like Grandma made it.

In October, I enjoyed a couple of days in Óbidos, not far from Lisbon.  Like the villages of Alentejo, it’s on a hilltop and surrounded by ancient walls.  Medieval castles in the centre of these towns add to the atmosphere,  as though you might be captured by a Knight at any moment.

Óbidos, Portugal

Mountain majesty in Alberta, Canada

The natural beauty of Alberta, the Canadian province where I grew up, never gets old.  In fact, it’s jaw dropping whether I’m revisiting some old haunts or discovering new places.

In August, I was thrilled to join a night sky photography workshop with Kristin Repsher, an uber-talented landscape photographer based in Calgary.  Despite the challenges of forest fire smoke, I learned some valuable techniques and took my favourite photo of the year at sunrise at Moraine Lake in Banff National Park (top photo).  Kristin also gave me a lot of tips for a road-trip along the Icefields Parkway, one of the most scenic drives in the world. 

Sipping in Spain

Happiness is a wine-soaked day in the tranquil region of Priorat, Spain on a tour with Sommelier and wine writer Miquel Hudin. 

If you’ve never heard of Priorat, chances are that you’ll be hearing more soon.   This region, in southwest Catalonia, produces rich, full-bodied wines from grapes grown on slopes so steep, it’s a wonder anyone can walk on them.  It has sleepy villages and ancient wine cellars and, being relatively free from the tourist hordes, it’s a place where the term “authentic” still applies. Read more in my post on this unforgettable day.

Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada

In June, I checked off the last province in Canada I had yet to visit:  Newfoundland and Labrador.  I wanted to go in June because there’s a chance to see icebergs and whales during the month.  I’m pleased to say that it was mission accomplished on a tour from Twillingate with the Iceberg Man. (See my post here).

One of my favourite experiences was a traditional beach boil-up in Bonavista with Bonnie and Jordan from Bonavista Adventure Tours.  Basically, that’s a Newfoundland-style picnic, with seafood cooked over an open fire. You can get all the delectable details in this post.  It’s often said that Newfoundlanders are the most friendly people you will meet, and Bonnie and Jordan are fine examples of that.  Good food, new friends and a post-dinner show from Mother Nature.

It just goes to show that you don’t necessarily have to go far to find travel bliss.

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