Your Backpacking Memories!!!

I am just going to keep checking this out and live vicariously through you all. My travels are limited.

I was having a conversation with friends at dinner on Saturday night and it NEVER fails….if someone says they backpacked Europe you MUST compare notes on the experience. Since most of the people on this site are well traveled let’s give it a go. Curious to hear about your favorite memories. Here are some of mine!

1. Skydiving over the Swiss Alps. Sounds so exotic but among the backpacking set…..it can be kinda cliche. To someone who hasn’t backpacked Europe you’ll hear “Wow! That’s amazing.” To someone who has traveled the same path you’ll hear “yeah…I did that….and I went Canyoning and Bungee Jumping there too. I also had my very first red bull and vodka in the downstairs club of Balmers five years before Red Bull existed in the U.S.”. Somehow Balmers hostel didn’t seem so Swiss. More like Daytona Beach spring break or something. But the skydiving was FANTASTIC and the mountains were beautiful. Interlaken is a gorgeous village-style town with amazing public transportation ferries that will provide the cheapest boat tour ever! http://www.balmers.com/

2. Mike’s Bike Tour in Munich. Hmmm….checking out all the major historical sites on a bike tour sounds really fun. The fact that you stop at a beer garden in between each site….a little scary. But alas, I survived and I hadn’t ridden a bike since the 6th grade so it must be safe, right? Fun times. http://www.mikesbiketours.com/

3. The Eiffel Tower always seems to conjure up feelings of romance and love. I went to Europe the first time with two of my male classmates who were also studying abroad in Vienna. One had been a varsity soccer player in high school and one was an ex-Marine. My first memory of the Eiffel Tower was running (and I mean literally running) up the stairs of the Eiffel Tower to the second floor with a bottle of wine and a purse in hand. Don’t be fooled…..the second floor is roughly FORTY STORIES UP!!! (or 115 meters according to the website). Wow. So romantic, huh? I made it up to the second floor, sweaty, about 20 minutes after the guys….but I made it! Although not romantic in the least, I had one of the most powerful and inspirational moments of my life watching the sunset from the top of the Eiffel Tower, drinking wine with my friends, all of us vowing that we would live adventurous lives and do extraordinary things. (There was a recitation of Tennyson’s Ulysses involved :) The second time I visited the Eiffel Tower I was with two of my girlfriends. Because I still believed the Eiffel Tower was an icon of romance I was determined to make it a romantic reality in my life. I told my girlfriends I refused to leave the top of the tower until I found a handsome gentleman to smooch and maybe fall in love with. After walking around for about 45 minutes having not spotted even one potential single man to fall in love with….my friends were ready to abandon me. I lost hope (and started feeling some serious hunger pains) and left with my dreams of falling in love on the Eiffel Tower shattered. I then swore I wouldn’t return to the tower again as a single woman. Yeah that’s right….I still haven’t been back. A girl can dream. :) But I adore that place.
http://www.tour-eiffel.fr/teiffel/uk/

Ok…that’s all for now. SO many more stories but I want to hear yours!!!

On the ferry from France to England I met three American Businessmen all old enough to be my father. They were amazed that I was backpacking through Europe on my own. I was going to take a train into London but they had a car and offered me a ride so I took it – We got lost on the ring road around London and by the time we got to the hostel, it was closed. They had a huge company house so they offered to let me stay the night. It was past midnight so I really didn’t have much choice.

I ended up touring London with them for three days – me and my jeans and some really fine restaurants! We had a blast! The best part was our driving tour of the “red light district.” They were so funny – I tried to persuade them to park the car and take a walking tour of the district but they wouldn’t get out of the car – they were terrified! It was hysterically funny!

In hindsight it probably wasn’t the wisest thing I’ve ever done but it turned out great – they were perfect gentleman and I will never forget my London Tour!

That’s great Sandra! You hear so many awful stories in the media nowadays it’s nice to hear how great people can be to each other!

I’m glad you enjoyed it! :)

It was back in 1982!

Year I left school! Those were the days! :)

Like Tina…I haven’t had many opportunities to backpack through other countries but I have hiked some wonderful spots in both the US and Canada and DR.

WOW!!! Sandra…that was a bold move! Sounds like you had fun!!! Good for you backpacking on your own. I met lots of women who did the same. One of my favorite things about backpacking is that we had hours upon hours on trains to have really deep conversations with strangers who we knew we’d probably never see again. Amazing how people are willing to share everything in circumstances like that. It was such a heartwarming experience for me!

Sandra, I just got back from Vancouver. It was GORGEOUS there! I bet the hiking was awesome. I’m also a HUGE fan of the Dominican Republic. I hope you got to dance a little merengue while you were there! :)

Hi I am a four season wilderness camping enthusiast. Has anyone here ever experienced the northern backcountry regions of sweden/norway.

Sandra and Marco !

You are right both ! The times they ar’a changing, I remember the Caucase KAVKAZ in 1976 ! No war in Chechnia. I was young and I was in paradise in Soviet Union ! Believe me ! I was in paradise.

Steven,

I wish I could say I was familiar with the northern backcountry regions of sweden/norway. Hmmm…that must be some very cold backpacking?
You must have some great stories from that adventure!