Storm Island & Other Adventures
The October National Geographic Traveler has a feature called “Experiences of a Lifetime,” which purports to explore “120 of the greatest cultural, spiritual and physical pursuits in the world.” Being a person who has always made an effort to do unusual, off-the-beaten-path things in my travels, I kind of enjoyed the article—even if a number of its picks (temple pilgrimages in India, Nepalese treks, etc.) fairly scream “retired bourgeois bohemian.”
Inevitably, though, reading the article reminded me that it’s been about six months since my last major trip (the point at which I usually get a serious hankering for some international travel), and that got me thinking about some of the more interesting, unfulfilled travel dreams I’ve had over the years. Since I’ve become cynical to the point where I consider nearly every thought that crosses my mind weblog fodder, I thought I’d share a few of them with the world.
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Ile d’Ouessant, France
I first read about Ouessant, a French island famous for its violent storms, in an Atlantic article by William Langewiesche. Essentially, Langewiesche’s piece is a meteorological travelogue, complete with advice on how to figure out when a bad storm is going to hit the island so you can hightail it down there (which is, unfortunately, a bit impractical unless you happen to live in Western Europe), as well as more traditional pointers on where to stay and how to get there.
As unlikely as it seems that I’ll ever be able to actually make it to Ouessant to witness a storm (except by pure chance), Langewiesche’s vivid descriptions (crawling along cliffside paths while being buffeted by wind on the way to the lighthouse, drying off with the locals at the Hôtel Duchesse Anne) greatly appeal to my sense of drama and keep me hoping that some day I’ll be able to swing it.
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Scotland to Iceland
My friends and I spent some time on the Isle of Skye during our 2000 visit to the UK, and the experience left me wanting to see more of the northern Scottish islands. I’ve also always wanted to visit Iceland, and looking at a map one day it occurred to me that I could probably travel by ferry from the Scottish mainland (or Skye) to the Shetland and/or Orkney islands, from there to the Faroe islands, and finally on to Iceland.
I haven’t checked very much into the feasability of this plan, but the idea of essentially backpacking from Scotland to Iceland seems like just the kind of off-the-beaten path adventure I crave.
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Vuelta a Espanaña
I’m not what you’d call a hardcore cycling afficionado, but my Denver friend and former coworker Chris Jones has always talked about wanting to see the Vuelta, and the idea of kicking around Spain for a couple of weeks while watching a sporting event (perhaps pursuing a doomed romance along the way) appeals to me as a high school Hemingway fan. Plus, I’d love to be able to smugly remark to bike people “Oh, the Tour de France has gotten too commercial. I’m really more of a Vuelta man myself!”