I think one similarity I see in Portugal and Scotland is their isolation from the rest of Europe and their ability to find an identity all their own. I’ve never been to Scotland before but it is at the top of my list as one of the next big trips that I want to take.

Thanks for sharing your thoughts.

What you shared speaks to one of the greatest lessons I have learned from travel – your best memories and experiences are due to the people you meet, not the places you see. It was your time with that family that made your trip and Lebanon all that more memorable.

As for Poland, I love Krakow. And Auschwitz is incredibly somber. It’s one of the quietest tourist sites you will visit. No one laughs or is having a good time in there. It’s a time for somber reflection in one of the worst places in our modern history.

The profound impact of such extreme Mother Nature was incredible. As well, I did one of the ‘epic’ trails, which meant a solo hike of about 5 days without seeing any humans. Pretty surreal

Poland evoked different emotions and definitely had a profound impact on me. My husband is Jewish and we toured many Jewish historical sites in Krakow and then went to Auschwitz. There are no words that accurately convey the flood of emotions that most people have when seeing the camps in person. It was eerie because we were there in the miserably cold winter — snow on the ground –making the experience all that more emotional as you imagine the people who were exposed to those elements on a daily basis. There were some parts of the camps that were too hard to even view, especially the wall where mass killings took place. Seeing photos are nothing compared to being there in person and walking the train tracks that brought passengers into the camp and to the gas chambers where they were killed. I had nightmares for a few days after that trip.

Indeed, a few years back when I began to think of offering secular retreats for women, Portugal seemed like the most logical place in the world for its combination of culture, safety, scenery, great food, friendly people and reasonable prices. My clients have been amazed about their experiences there.

If I can sneak in a second place that has impacted me it would be Scotland. Partly because Scotland turned out to be so not what I expected! I expected bland, industrial, cranky. Instead I discovered such incredible beauty I lost my breath many times, so many open, craggy, wild spaces that it is easy to understand the Scots determination and creativity and opinionated yet friendly people. As a Canadian I had never really understood why so many Scots chose my country as a place to emigrate to. But after an all-too-short visit I can easily see a gut-level attraction to the space, the geography …and their influence on our collective personality.

Great question, by the way.

Gwen