By Caitlin Kelly
Loved this recent blog post with 10 reasons why you should go back to places you’ve already been to, instead of some frenzied checklist or bucket list of all the places you haven’t yet visited.
A few of these:
You’ve changed
Oh yeah! I spent a year in Paris at 25 on a life-changing journalism fellowship on the Rue du Louvre. Since then I’ve been back many many times, as often as I can afford, and have spent three birthdays there. I’m still me, but my perspective has changed, as it would.
I’ve been to Ireland five times — in the 80s to visit a friend in Dublin, the mid-90s when my father owned a Georgian house near Athenry, Co. Donegal; in the aughts with my father driving around, alone to cover the Lidsoonvarna singles festival and in 2015 with Jose. Happy to go back many more times!
You know what to expect
I love Riana’s detail — of bringing your Old Oyster card (yes!) back to London with you. I keep little bags of euros and Canadian currency for those return trips. I know how long it will take to get around some cities by bus or subway. I learned — in the heat of July — that city blocks in Berlin are massive! I thought New York city blocks were long, but no.
Every first visit will bring surprises (ask my husband about the pre-dawn post-flight bus I said would take us into Paris…but didn’t) but if you go back, you know better now.
You can revisit old favorites
Well, post-pandemic I suspect many have closed for good.
But the ones that remain are a lovely comfort, whether a diner or cafe or museum or even a favorite street or park.
Like me, she’s Canadian and has created some fantastic adventures for herself.
Paris — bien sur!
I hope to be back in Berlin, Paris and London this fall.
And yet, there are also so many places I do want to see the first time, like:
Morocco, Japan, Jordan, Namibia, Malawi, South Africa, Botswana, VietNam, Nepal, Tibet, Mongolia…
What are some spots you love to go back to?
Broadside 
I’m with you — love to go back and revisit places. In fact, I would say that I enjoy most a lot better the second time around. We often return to Canada, to visit friends and family in Toronto, and recently made return stops in Montreal and QC. Here in Europe: Chania, in Crete; Split, in Croatia, Lisbon and Cascais in Portugal. Not to mention London and Paris, perennial city favourites. Hope you are able to make it back across the pond this year!
Nice!
We are SO eager to flee!
Fingers crossed about the fall travel.
I have never been a quantity person when it comes to travel. I like to go back again and again; there’s always so much to see, experience and learn. I spent a lot of time in UK when I was growing up (my mother was from UK) and never tire of returning. I lived in Germany and did lots of travelling round and about Europe, and for many years, I returned to Abano Terme (just outside Padua, Italy) because I loved the area. Santa Fe is also a favourite and I loved returning there with my M (who had never been) and watching him fall in love with it, too.
I understand about visiting the new places, but for me, the old places have just as much allure.
So true…I love knowing where to go and checking in on favorite spots again.
Santa Fe is so great!
I’m hoping/planning to return to England next year to see more of London and the country. I just didn’t see enough in 2014, and I’m hoping with two weeks and more freedom, I can see a lot more and get more ideas than I know what to do with.
And I always enjoy a trip to Boston, Massachusetts. It’s a lovely city and I enjoy walking around and seeing the sights. And it’s only a few hours away from my beloved Lizzie Borden Bed & Breakfast. Ooh, I hope I can find an excuse to go again!
There’s so much of England I want to see! And so much of Scotland, partly thanks to all the BBC shows set in Shetland and Yorkshire and Cornwall.
I know! Those shows make the country look like do much fun!
I am obsessed with Cornwall after seeing Poldark.
I think one of the places I want to visit is in Cornwall.
It looks amazing.
If I go, I’ll let you know.
So glad my blog post inspired you! Thanks for the shout out and hope we can both get back to exploring new and old places soon!
It was so good. So nice to feature a fellow Canadian and world traveler and YVR-ite. (I was born there.)
i think the reason to go back is that you now have a bit of the lay of the land. no need to waste anytime on a learning curve, just show up and enjoy the parts you didn’t have time to enjoy on your first visit or revisit the parts of a place you really loved.
So true…I love heading back to the familiar/foreign. Makes the world feel smaller.
So ready to get back to France. We have tickets for last week of September/first week of October; Normandy and Paris, respectively. Looking forward to exploring Normandy, one of the few areas we haven’t been to. And Paris is an old friend because we’ve done all the de rigueur things and now can just be.
Really waiting to see how the French (and EU) are managing Covid and what the requirements will be. We’re both vaccinated; albeit still prudent.
Portugal seems like it’s managing better with some really good numbers lately. And Lisbon has long been on our wish list. So it’s possible we switch itineraries. We’d welcome any Lisbon or Portuguese countryside out-of-the-box suggestions ripe for serendipity and discovery.
Thanks as always.
Carl
This sounds lovely!
Lisbon is fantastic…I love its specific, Baroque-ish Manueline architecture. Sintra is AMAZING. I went to Beja and Evora and Albufeira.
Love Normandy — go see the Bayeux Tapestry. It is every bit as amazing as you might hope. And the D-Day beaches and cemeteries. I was moved to tears by the Canadian cemetery and all the notes of thanks (still!) in local windows…