Come Along And Ride On A Fantastic Voyage
I recently embarked on a dream trip which took me to ten (or nine depending on how you count – more on that later) different countries in three weeks. Some of you followed along with the occasional pictures I posted on Instagram and Facebook. But I want to share details much more in-depth here for a few reasons.
One reason is because my trip was awesome and, though I wish I could have packed you all into my over-stuffed luggage and brought you along, you will have to settle for sitting through my slide show. Another more practical reason is to inspire you, dear readers, to think about how you can embark on your own dream travel. Hopefully I can offer some specific tips, tricks and things I’ve learned along the way that can help you in your planning. Especially if, like me, you are somewhere in-between the gap year, budget backpacker and finally retired, higher-end traveler (who likely isn’t reading blogs but instead working with their travel agent).
The Backstory
A while back a good friend posted on Facebook that she wanted someday to see a Bruce Springsteen concert with me as I’m the biggest “tramp’' many of my friends know, having seen The Boss in concert 60+ times now (I’ve lost exact count over the years). Several other friends then commented that they too would like to see a Springsteen concert with me. So, when Springsteen announced The River Tour for 2016, I contacted those friends who commented and who lived in cities with tour dates and told them that, if they were serious, I would come for a visit and join them for a show. Thus began my year of travel (I’ve managed to take some kind of trip every month so far in 2016).
After seeing shows with friends in Chicago, Washington, D. C., Oakland and Los Angeles, Bruce decided he was having too much fun to stop and he added not only more U.S. shows but announced a European summer tour as well. Since the friend who started this whole thing lives in the UK, I made plans to see a show with her across the pond!
Unfortunately, my European friend was unable to join me for any Springsteen concerts due to some ongoing health issues. However, I decided to make the trip solo. My mother died last year and I’ve had the (granted clichéd, but truthful) “life is short” epiphany. I have more fully embraced a memories-not-things philosophy. My mother had travel dreams she was never able to realize and so, I decided that since there never is a perfect time to go, I would go now. And the adventure began…
The Itinerary
Three Springsteen shows formed the nucleus of my tour: June 19th in Berlin, Germany; June 22nd in Copenhagen, Denmark; and June 29th in Oslo, Norway. From that core I figured out the rest of my itinerary. I wound up with:
June 14: San Francisco, California to Los Angeles, California
June 14-15: Los Angeles to London, England
June 15: London to Bilbao, Spain
June 17: Bilbao to Zurich, Switzerland (Via Brussels, Belgium)
June 19: Zurich to Berlin, Germany
June 22: Berlin to Copenhagen, Denmark
June 23: Daytrip to Malmo, Sweden
June 24: Copenhagen to Longyearbyen, Svalbard*
June 26: Longyearbyen to Tromso, Norway
June 28: Tromso to Oslo, Norway
July 2: Oslo to Reykjavik, Iceland
July 5: Reykjavik to Boston, Massachusetts
* Here is where the sort-of tenth country comes into play – Longyearbyen is pretty much Norway but technically not fully as it’s subject to the Svarlbard Treaty which gives a bunch of other countries some important rights and access. At any rate, you have to go through passport control in Norway to get there and you get a stamp so I’m going to count it as a separate “country.”
Coming Up
I have many more posts coming in which I will share details about the places I visited and the sights and activities I enjoyed in each city. Also, I will share tips and tricks I discovered for packing lighter than you probably ever have (certainly more than I ever have!) and travelling more affordably than you might think. Even if you are just sightseeing vicariously, I hope you will join me. But, even better, you might find yourself making some notes for your own big adventure. I hope so!
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