Wednesday, January 13, 2021

Blogging Challenge: Top Five Places

For the last two years, I've been taking part in the Wednesday Weekly Blogging Challenge over at Long and Short Reviews. I've had a great deal of fun with it, so naturally I'm continuing it this year. If you'd like to participate, follow that first link for the list of prompts, and then check the main site for the weekly post with links to everyone's responses (and add your own link, if you're so inclined). 

Today's prompt is "five best places I've visited". I wish I'd given myself more time to prep this one, because I might have been able to come up with some photos. Oh, well. 

5. Matamoros, Mexico. I was about twelve, and I don't remember too much of it; this was back in the eighties. What I do remember is that the area we were in had the feel of a bazaar, with all sorts of strange little shops selling all sort of different things. (I bought myself one of those switchblade combs, probably for a lot more than it was worth.) Mind you, I'm not sure I'd recommend this one on its overall merits -- a lot may have changed in the years since I was there, and a lot of the appeal probably comes from the simple fact that at that age visiting Mexico was a grand adventure -- but I still remember it fondly. 

4. Florence, Italy. This was during one of two study abroad trips that I did in college, and we had a large dinner at a very nice restaurant -- after which I realized that I'd eaten so much that there was no way I could go to sleep. So, I wound spending most of the evening practicing my Spanish with a bunch of Italians on the Ponte Vecchio

3. Chartres Cathedral, France. (Same trip.) The architecture is gorgeous and the crypt is very cool; but it was the labyrinth that really stuck with me. I really want to work that into a story someday.

2. Sewanee, Tennessee. It's a college town, so it's nearly impossible to talk about it without also talking about The University of the South -- but in addition to the University it's set in the middle of some of the last real Wilderness left in the United States. Step off one of the hiking trails, and you're gone. It's within easy walking distance of any number of caves, cliffs, waterfalls, and various combinations of such things. The University has some lovely gothic architecture, including a carillon

1. York, England. (That same study abroad trip.) Lovely city, liked the people, and I still have some postcards from the Jorvik Viking Centre.

9 comments:

  1. Wow, you've been to some cool places! I've heard Italy and France are amazing. Sewanee sounds really neat, too.

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  2. Sounds like you've gone on some great trips. :-)

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  3. Nice list! Studying abroad must have been a lot of fun :)

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  4. That must have been one fantastic trip. Tennessee sounds interesting too. https://pmprescott.blogspot.com/2021/01/wc-011321.html

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  5. I'm so jealous you were able to do a study trip abroad. That was something I always wanted to do, but it never worked out. My post is here if you want to stop by.

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  6. I've never thought of Tennessee as "picturesque" but you've made it sound so... Think I'll add it to my list of places to see in the US :-)

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  7. Wow interesting places you've been. Thanks for sharing. Here's mine. https://www.tenastetler.com/5-best-places-ive-visited-lsrs-blogging-challenge/

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  8. I love York. We visited there a lot before lockdown and are planning a weekend there at some point.

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Feel free to leave comments; it lets me know that people are actually reading my blog. Interesting tangents and topic drift just add flavor. Linking to your own stuff is fine, as long as it's at least loosely relevant. Be civil, and have fun!