The First Hurrah

Each trip I've taken has a special significance, whether it be an accomplishment, a monument, a meal or an experience. In Paris, it was Notre Dame and the Eiffel Tower. Ireland had live traditional music in the pubs and the towering Cliffs of Moher standing guard over the sea. Egypt had too many to mention.

One trip in particular has a special place in my heart. It was our first backpacking trip where we headed off to Switzerland, Italy, France, and Monaco during the summer of 2009.

It was an adventure of experiences, sights, meals and firsts largely on the cheap. We took regional trains across Germany to Switzerland and camped by the lake in Lucerne at the base of Mount Pilatus. The top of the mountain was home to a restaurant, hotel, and a beer dispenser built into the wall, much like a water fountain. 

From Lucerne we took a winding train through the Alps to Italy and made our way to Cinque Terre, a picturesque series of five historic towns along the western coast connected by a footpath and the railway. 

We camped nearby, away from the crowds of tourists, at a campground that had  holes in the bathroom floor instead of the thrones most of us are used to. The perk of the place was great, cheap local wine from a vending machine and some fantastic pizza down the street. I also had myself an unforgettable dinner at a side street restaurant. It was homemade spinach and ricotta ravioli in homemade pesto sauce, preceded by a salad and followed by a heavenly slice of tiramisu and espresso. 

The train from Cinque Terre to the south of France hugged the coast the whole way. We stayed at a hotel with clean bathrooms, hot showers and crisp sheets. The tent and the sleeping bags got to take a break.

 We spent our day in Monaco laying on the beaches and admiring the yachts of the super rich before going to see a John Butler concert in the evening. 

We left the sea behind and returned to Leipzig, our base from which many more trips would come. But out of all those trips that followed, even Ireland and Egypt, our first still ranks among the top.