My Most Memorable Trips

I travel a lot. I have visited some amazing places and seen, and photographed, lots of wonderful wildlife.

But of all the trips I have taken, three stand out as particularly memorable. And none involved beautiful landscapes or wildlife.

The first memorable trip took me to Spain, where I walked and hiked 50-some miles of the 500-mile Camino de Santiago. Although not a religious person, I was very moved by the experience. Pilgrims first walked the Camino in the early 9th century. 

The Way of St. James takes two routes. One begings in France, the other in Spain. My group took the Spanish route, beginning in the Basque city of Bilbao. Both routes end at the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela in Galicia. Along the way, we saw that our route was marked by scallop shells, either on the ground as in this photograph, painted on wooden signs or carved and painted on concrete pillars.

Walking either of the routes in full takes from 30 to 35 days. I met pilgrims from Italy, Australia and several other countries. I saw a man walking the Camino on crutches. This was a spiritual experience I would like to repeat. I think I'm too old to attempt the entire route, but doing 50 or so miles of the Camino definitely appeals to me.

My second memorable trip was a visit to the ancient pyramids and the Sphinx of Egypt. I have wanted to visit Egypt for several decades, and last year I finally got the chance to go. I wish I had been given more time to photograph the sites, but we had a lot to see and long distances to cover, so I made the most of the limited opportunities I had. Standing inside the tomb of a king who ruled his country more than 3,000 years ago was an amazing experience. The brightly decorated walls held incredible works of art. Walking in the Valley of the Kings, despite the rushed visit, was spectacular. We also visited the ancient temple at Luxor, as well as the temple of the female pharaoh Hatshepshut. I would love to return to Egypt on a photographic excursion.

Entrance to Auschwitz-Birkenau death camp

The third trip that will always be with me, and that had the greatest impact, is a trip to Berlin and Oswiecim, Poland. In Berlin my group visited sites connected to the development and implementation of Nazi Germany's efforts to eliminate all Jewish people, as well as others considered unworthy of life, from Europe. In Poland, we spent several days learning about the Holocaust, visiting the two main Auschwitz camps on in-depth tours, and learning about the ongoing work to preserve not just the camps, but the belongings of prisoners that were left behind when the camps were liberated in January 1945. I don't think I will return to Auschwitz, as I shared the experience with a wonderful group of people and I doubt I could find a better group of people. The trip was mentally and physically tiring. 

I found that I had a love/hate relationship with Auschwitz. I hate what happened in those camps, but I found myself drawn to the main camp during our free time to explore on our own. I valued the time to wander on my own, to photograph things that had meaning to me, and to reflect. I wish there had been opportunity for self-exploration of the bigger camp at Birkenau.

I love visiting Yellowstone National Park. I love visiting Kenya and Tanzania. I know I will always return to those places. But the three trips described above have had the greatest impact on me. 

And that, I believe, is one of the greatest things to be gained from travel. I don't go somewhere just to sit on a beach. I love visiting places that leave a lasting impact on me, whether it is the location's incredible beauty, unique wildlife, or an experience that makes me think, educates me and creates life-long memories.