(not quite) vintage europe

Back from 1996. Not thinking about Christmas cards back then.

(not quite) vintage europe

It is cold here. Winter cold. A nip in the air, a chill in the bones. And I'm sure it is here to stay. This realization made my mind wander to warmth. I thought of Spain, of Barcelona. Here is a picture of me in Park Guell. Bryce and I walked all over Barcelona that day. And it was hot, really hot. The park was up on a hill. It was incredible. The detailed mosaics, so colorful and full of life. A perfect fantasy on a chilly Luxembourgish night.

(not quite) vintage europe

The sheepy landscape of County Clare got me thinking about Zmutt, a little village in Switzerland Bryce and I visited in 1996. As demonstrated by the picture, this was at a time when I was still trying to convince Bryce (and myself) that I was outdoorsy. I wouldn't be surprised at all if the map I'm holding is upside down.

(not quite) vintage europe

While in Seattle this summer I made a little visit to our storage unit. One of the items I was after was a photo album from my first trip to Europe. I loved the idea of comparing photos from then, 1996, and now.

After college Bryce and I set off with backpacks (after spending a cushy week with my parents in Tuscany) and a Eurorail pass to see the wonders of Europe. It was my first trip to Europe and Bryce's second, he went with his class in high school. I was pretty intimidated by the thought of the trip - the languages, trains, cities, and unknowns. I wanted to have every hotel pre-booked and all train reservations made before we left. Obviously, I didn't understand how easy it is to move around here. I was a bit neurotic. Bryce was very patient with me and we settled somewhere in the middle, with a fair amount of reservations set.

We started out the trip in Tuscany, seeing Florence, Sienna, San Gimiano and a handful of smaller hill top towns. We then ventured forth to Zermatt, Paris, Barcelona, Copenhagen, Brussels, Antwerp, Bonn, and Lubeck; obviously not in that order.

I thought it would be fun to share some of these pictures with you. I'm starting a series of posts called, (not quite) vintage europe where I'll share a photo or two. Maybe it'll inspire you to dust off your (not quite) vintage travel pictures and reminisce with me.