A European Adventure

Well that was certainly a long time to disappear but I swear I had a good excuse. I was traveling around Europe with an extremely well packed backpack and a good friend by my side. In the short four weeks I managed a Journey that took me from Madrid, all to way to Dublin with several stops along the way. The experience was amazing, and time in places like Florence and London were more than inspirational for my writing. There was no manner of culture shock (aside from the fact that a bottle of wine in Madrid was one 1 Euro) but only an appreciation of beauty and cultural differences. Canada is a great place in its own right but it truly lacks the rich history that Europe had around ever single corner. You couldn't turn a corner, or witness a building without a story that surrounded it and hundreds of years of history and conflict entwined in the stones. I fell in love with the continent. I have always been a lover of history and royalty, the trip offered me insight and information on both, from the royal guard changing and parade in Madrid to Koningsdag in the Netherlands and a walk through Kensington gardens. It was surreal and so often I felt myself wondering if some of what I was seeing truly existed. Monaco, is quite truly Hollywood's version of a country, it is the idealistic Beverly Hills of Europe. White pebbled beaches, crystal clear water, every second store dedicated to Ferrari or Rolex. Simply walking down the streets felt safe, serene, and everything was clean and well taken care of there was no sense of unrest of safety issues, it was truly a dream.

I've only been back a couple weeks and already I miss it there, more than I missed home while I was gone, what I wouldn't give now to be locked up in a country house in the hills of Tuscany writing away my novel with the warm breeze lofting through the windows. I can see the stairs of Florence now, and the Gardens, a place I could have spent so many days just basking in the history and beauty.