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Travelling over Christmas – Here’s an Idea–Attend Christmas Mass

Berliner Dom

Christmas Mass at the Berliner Dom

Christmas is about food, friends, presents and just plan old excess living–right?

No? But that is how most people celebrating Christmas will structure their day while barely acknowledging the birth of an extraordinary man–Christians, Muslims and Jews can at least agree on this fact–over 2000 years ago.

Now you nay not be inclined to attend Christmas Mass at home but on the road it is an opportunity for a unique experience of the local culture.

Whether you sit with the faithful in the grandeur of Westminster Abbey or in a small local church, it will enrich your Christmas travel regardless of your own faith or beliefs. It is a great time to meet and interact with the locals who will be brimming with Christmas joy, and they may just invite you to a meal.

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Five Advertising Slogans to inspire your Travel Dreams.

Vernazza Fishing Fleet

Vernazza Fishing Fleet

Advertisers strive to make slogans a part of our lives but as we strive for minimalist lifestyle I am increasingly immune to advertising and their tricks to get us to buy products we neither need or use. Instead I use their slogans to inspire my travel dreams by twisting their meaning to suit my own purposes. Here are five of my favourites:

Just do it. (Nike)

Stop procrastinating, pick a destination and go. I spent years planning a trip to Europe, my Grand Tour started as a motorcycle trek across through the Germany, Austria and Switzerland then morphed into a vagabond journey with my young wife before going on hold while we raised the kids and paid off the mortgage. It took us 20 years finally see Europe, and I always regret not doing the motorcycle tour. Now we pick a destination and just do it by setting a goal, prioritising our budget and realising our travel dreams.

Think different. (Apple)

Travellers flock to the major sights, like the Colosseum in Rome, the Great Wall of China and the Pyramids of Giza, and if your travel dreams take you to those destinations they will be prominent in your itinerary. Heed the Apple’s wisdom and think different, and find an experience that bring a unique twist to your adventure. My son and I ride motorcycles, and enjoy watching MotoGP racing so we added the Assen TT MotoGP event to our visit to the Netherlands. It remains a highlight of that trip because we thought differently to the average traveller.

Can’t beat the feeling. (Coca Cola)

Travel is an adventure, no matter where, you can’t beat the feeling of exploring a new destination or rediscovering the wonders of an old favourite. The bustle, and to some chaos, of Rome welcomes Colleen and I back again and again. The feelings of familiarity and impeding discovery combine to exhilarate our senses every time. Embrace your feelings and discover travel adventure down the road or across the globe.

The happiest place on Earth. (Disneyland)

No matter where I wake up, I let the energy of the place run through me and embrace the local culture, and that makes it the happiest place on Earth for me that day. Speak the language, try a local delicacy or stroll with locals away from the tourist spots and you will find the happiest place right there.

Live unboring – Ikea

Life filled with travel is never boring, whether you are researching your next destination, trekking through a foreign land or gathering your journal entries and images into a permanent memory there is always something to excite you. Embrace travel, and live unboring.

Do these slogans inspire you to travel? What slogan would inspire your travel? Please share your thoughts with us in the comments.

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My First Travel Comic.

Thoughtful travel helps us understand the world we explore but often we stand in front of a famous site with only a superficial understanding of why it is famous. On those occasions, my kids would hear my twisted histories to fill in the gaps. Let me share one with you in my first travel comic.

Eiffel Comic