Thursday, January 10, 2008

TAMING THE WANDERLUST...


This guide to SF by Naive makes me want to go back to San Francisco, which I last visited BBD (before blogging days). Oh Mama's, oh Dottie's True Blue, oh Miette, oh Nest. It's all there in a box somewhere: a notebook stuffed with cards and papers, coffee stained scrawls jotted down at a table at those same places. But BBD, who on earth was interested in looking at my copious travel notes? Actually, I feel a little bad about my lack of comprehensive blogging reportage from all the places I've been in the past year.

Last year I went to: Paris, New York (baaaadddd trip - shudder, best not mentioned) Paris, Madrid, Paris, Venice, Vienna, Dubai and Oman. I still haven't composed my thoughts or had time to sit down and write about the United Arab Emirates and Oman. I absolutely loved it - even Dubai which I was completely prepared to hate. Nope, loved it and had a wonderful time with good friends, getting along famously with four of us sharing a one bed flat, a car and a slightly odd Omani apartment for a week that felt more like a month as we did so much.

This year I don't think I'll travel as much. The one place that's been niggling at me for years is Japan. Every year I vaguely say "next year" as it seems like such a huge trip to plan (and save) for. I'm overdue to put in an appearance in Florence, my old home; and I'd like to visit Lisbon and the west coast of France.

But that's it. At the moment I'm nesting. I repainted the bathroom, (you will never guess what colour - I'll show you soon) I may yet purchase a new oven instead of a plane ticket (or a dress).

Yet I'm not certain that the wanderlust can be tamed so easily...

{suitcase from Couverture}

12 comments:

Rebecca, A Clothes Horse said...

You're so lucky to have been allowed to do as much traveling as you have been. There's so many places I want to see. I have been to Japan and I it was lovely.

Anonymous said...

I am leaving for Japan tomorrow-- apparently I am going to be dividing my time between Paris and Tokyo for the next couple of years. And we will have a chambre d'amis should you ever pass through town!
xx L

Claire said...

Yes I am really lucky, but I've also chosen travel over lots of other things - like having a working oven/washing machine/a TV that's not 20 years old/a new laptop. So maybe it's time to be here for a while and be sensible. But...I really want to go to Japan!

RD said...

No, no. Keep at it. Who needs a stove when you have airline food? Who needs a TV when you have airline films? Who needs a washing machine when you've got the hotel sink? Simple living. That's my motto. Cheers, BB

Anonymous said...

I'm dying to go to Japan again as well! A trip there once a year would be amazing and so inspiring!!

xox Girl and the City (in Paris)

http://girlandthecity.wordpress.com

perfect bound said...

I agree. Who needs a working oven. Warm your meals over the insane passion you have for travel. And do share. i would love to hear more about your life in Florence. And Dubai. I crave Dubai.

Joanna Goddard said...

i'm so glad you travel a lot -- it's good for the soul:)

but then again, nesting is fun, tooxoxo

Claire said...

Maitresse: I shall be living vicariously through you being in Japan and I may even get there to say hi too - thank you! Wow, good luck over there - it'll be amazing x

Thanks everyone for the travel over oven love. But then you've never been round for ten consecutive grilled (the only bit that works) dinners at my place!

Siru said...

I'd love to travel that much.
You should come to Helsinki and tell us what you think about the little town.

juliet xxx

Mrs Fashion said...

Come on, tell us about the UAE - and then you can go to Japan!
x

Maryam in Marrakesh said...

Oh wow. That is a lot of travel. Last year I went to Paris, Cairo, Aswan, Luxor, Kenya, Bamako, Washington, Boston, and Dhaka. This year, I am scheduled to go to Bahrain, Yemen, Kyrgyzstan, Turkey, Egypt and Dubai - all by the end of April. Yikes.

Claire said...

no Maryam THAT is a lot of travel!