Ms. Toody Goo Shoes

Ms. Toody Goo Shoes

I want to go everywhere I haven't been, and back to everywhere I have been.

Tuesday, November 16, 2021

ARMCHAIR TRAVEL ADVENTURES

 


 

 

Is anyone out there itching to start traveling again, 
like I am?
I want to go somewhere so badly,
I can taste it,
and it tastes like.......
 
 Paella in Spain.......
Or maybe haggis in Scotland.......
Or possibly poutine in Quebec City.......
Or perhaps......fondue in Switzerland. 
 
I don't really care......I just want to go
SOMEWHERE! 
 

I'm a travel junkie.......
an addict......
and, as it says in my sidebar, 
I've diagnosed myself with incurable wanderlust. 

In my daily life, I'm surrounded by reminders of travel.
 
They sit  on my coffee table.......
 


It's what I read.......
 


They're scattered around my house in the form of souvenirs.......
 

 
They fill my bookshelves.



They come in the mail.


 
It's what I daydream about. 

 
 
 Until I can pack my bags and go somewhere,
I've had to limit my travels to destinations
 I can get to via my armchair. 
And you know what?
It's taken me to some pretty terrific places!

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I'M TRAVELING VICARIOUSLY THROUGH THESE FOUR.......
 
How fun would it be to travel around the continent in your own designer school bus? Okay, at my age, maybe not so fun, but in my head, it's the ultimate adventure.
 
Four college graduates -- two couples who are best friends -- needed something to look forward to while locked down during Covid. They bought, and renovated a school bus. Hence, the birth of Beanie The Bus You  can't believe how amazing the interior is (check out their Instagram page: @4babesandabus). If there was a magazine called Better Homes and Buses, they'd be on the cover! 
 
Photo Credit: Beanie The Bus

Gaby, Skye, Halle, and Matt  are currently living in their bus, and traveling around the US and Canada. (PS - the twins' mom, two aunts, and an uncle  are childhood friends of mine). 
 
Photo Credit: Beanie The Bus
 
These kids are proof that if you want something badly enough, you can make it happen! 
 
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FELLOW BLOGGERS ARE INTRODUCING ME TO NEW PLACES.......
 
Speaking of road trips, I've been  all over the world, but I've never been out west to see our national parks. I know, crazy, right? Paula from Sweet Pea  recently returned from a cross-country road trip, and her photos make me want to pack the car right now and go to these amazing places.


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Julie, from Julie's Creative Lifestyle,  wrote a while back about her vacation to California.  Please reserve a room for me in this hotel in Laguna Beach!
 
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I'm always dreaming about what it's like to be an expat.  Jackie and Joel Smith of TravelNWrite, moved from the state of Washington to a small island in Greece. They're living the real-life Greek version of Under The Tuscan Sun. I'm hooked on reading about their life in a small village, as well as their travels around the world.
 

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One of my favorite blog stops is at the link party,  Our World Tuesday, which features a bunch of travel posts all in one spot. It's like browsing through the travel section at a bookstore.

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TRAVEL TV SHOWS TRANSPORT ME AROUND THE GLOBE.......


Stanley Tucci took me (and a few million others) to Italy on a gastronomic adventure, in search of secrets of regional cuisines. His love for food is intoxicating, and the Italian scenery is bellissimo! Stanley Tucci's Searching For Italy  originally aired on CNN, and is now streaming on HBO/Max. You can see a sneak peak here. I'm thrilled that there will be a season 2!

Photo Credit: Stanley Tucci's Searching For Italy

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Scotland is near the top of my bucket list. Until I can actually go, I'm touring the country with actors Sam Heughan and Graham McTavish, from the  series, Outlander, on Starz.  Their docu-series, Men In Kilts: A Road Trip With Sam and Graham, makes reference to their Outlander characters, while they take viewers on a humorous journey around Scotland, to learn about the heritage of their country.   See the trailer here.
 
Photo Credit: Men In Kilts
 
 
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There's no such thing as too much Italy, so when Lorraine Bracco  (of Goodfellas and Sopranos fame), bought a dilapidated 200-year-old home in Italy for 1 Euro, and documented her many challenges in renovating it, I was happy to tag along. HGTV's My Big Italian Adventure was delightful!
 
Photo Credit: My Big Italian Adventure

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INSTAGRAMMERS FUEL MY DAYDREAMS.......

 
My blog friend, Poppy, shares beautiful pictures of life on the Greek Island of Crete.
 
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Gorgeous photos of Iceland make me want to go back.

 
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When I see these magnificent pictures of Croatia, I'm tempted to make it my next destination. 
 
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MY OWN TRAVEL ARCHIVES HELP ME RE-LIVE FAVORITE VACATIONS.......
 
I revisited our trip to Amsterdam's Keukenhof Gardens, while tulips were in full bloom. 
 
 

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It seemed like a good "time" to check out this post I wrote on "Clocks Around The World." since Daylight Savings Time just ended.


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 Are you an armchair traveler? 
Where have you "gone" lately?
 
Till next time......

LINKING WITH:
 
 


 
 
 
 

17 comments:

  1. Your wanderlust is infectious! I love reading of your travels. Recently all I've done is travel back and forth from condo to house, and I'm sick of the journey. I could use a good beach trip or road trip across the country again.

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  2. I am like you and would love to travel. Let's hope soon we can get off the couch and go somewhere fun and exciting. Have a great rest of the week. xoxo

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  3. You will laugh, what caught my eye was the Settlement Cookbook---just like my Mom's that I revert to--when I want something basic and simple. Back to another time, place, memory. All your photos are gorgeous. I lived vicariously through my BF's work trip to Asheville, where she biked to Biltmore and took so many great photos. Stunning landscapes are worth the trip alone. Planning to maybe do that next year with hubby, as he was quite taken by her photos. So, yes...we do do some couch traveling---I often Google map and wander back roads in the UK, Denmark and Germany---amazing what you can see just going down a road! Hugs, Sandi

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  4. Amen, sister! Welcome to the club!

    I am itching so badly to travel that I am scratching all over!!

    Dang Covid-19 - it pushed the pause button on my travel bucket list.

    Imagine putting your life on hold for 2 years and I am not getting any younger!

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  6. Amy, your wanderlust has always been a source of exciting energy and cheerful hospitality whenever I visit your blog or IG page! You've mentioned some lovely links that take us, albeit, via armchair,to beautiful destinations.

    I hope you get to travel SOMEWHERE soon, for a potent dose of magical adventure!

    Poppy@poppyview

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  7. I'm looking forward to taking another trip for 2022 Amy but we are not sure where we want to visit. I enjoyed reading this blog post and I'll have to check out the other bloggers and where they have traveled. Thanks for the mention of my recent California trip.

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  8. Thank you for the lovely mention!❤❤❤

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  9. I think quite a few of us want to travel. Airline travel is not fun anymore. I have enjoyed reading your posts. Armchair travel is inspiring and fun. Thanks for sharing Amy.

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  10. Oh, we are so on the same page! My bookshelves are like yours -- a mix of travel books (and others) and with mementos of trips past; photos from Paris, Quebec and London, among others. The screen saver flashes my moments from England and Morgan's Forge, the place we stayed near Bath and yes, I'm watching and following and now I have new things to add to my list. (By the way, I'd watch Stanley Tucci even if he was visiting our town -- which would be a very short visit, I fear!) I am enchanted with everything you shared here and ready to hit the road in my head!

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  11. I'm a total homebody, so the way you're "traveling" now is how I normally travel!! Haha! I do love to look though so I love that shared so many fun accounts, so I can add to my collection of worldwide eye candy! Thanks so much...and I do hope you get a chance to travel soon. Now I'm off to check out that bus. THAT would be my ideal way to travel, taking my home with me!!

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  12. For those of us who are used to travelling regularly the restrictions imposed by COVID-19 have been a real challenge. I am in the initial phase of planning a twice-delayed visit to Australia. I am loath to make early reservations in case COVID rears its ugly head again, and I am shocked at the way the prices for an airline ticket have soared - and there are few if any seat sales.

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  13. That is so cool. I love traveling to new places and seeing new things.

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  14. I'm getting my booster and heading to Costa Rica soon. I can't hold back.

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  15. Amy, I've often thought about how hard the no-travel aspect of this pandemic must be for you because I know it is a passion for you. And there is no professional travel writer who writes about it better than you do so we readers have missed your pictures and on the street wandering experiences. It is fascinating to see how you've incorporated so many reminders around your home of places you've been and places you want to see in the future. I hope that you soon have the opportunity to resume those travels because, honey, you definitely feel the need to do more than armchair travel! (Like Kim above, that's almost the only way I've ever traveled. Frances Mayes made me feel like I lived in Tuscany and I still reread all her books continuously!)

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  16. I love your excitement for travel! I will sit on my couch and travel via your blog posts! I am too much of a homebody to be that adventurous. I always love your travel posts with your exquisite photos!

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  17. I am so anxious to travel again.

    But, I say "no" to the haggis!

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