Solo versus Single Travel.......but no selfies please !

I was reading a travel article recently on the growing popularity of single travel among women in the " over 40 " demographic and it made me reflect on solo travel as I like to experience it. It so happened that I had a previous conversation with a very well traveled female friend and we were discussing the differences between single and solo travel. She travels on her own to join a travel group as a single traveler. The travel article also defined this type of travel as single travel and was providing many websites for group tours designed especially for singles. My definition of solo travel is traveling alone as the entire experience and not joining any kind of tour, travel group or retreat. So I will use solo travel as my own personal distinction!

I met an older woman recently in Spain who was traveling on her own. She was taking photos of a fountain and I asked her if she wanted me to take her photo. I know what that is like as one of my travel quirks is never to take "selfies" or buy one of those dreaded "selfie sticks " ! Have you ever seen a sign in a cafe that says they don't have wifi....talk to people ? I don't take selfies...... I talk to people ! Ha ha. We sat in a cafe for a drink and she told me she travels for a few days on her own before she joins a tour group. However, her own personal story was she adores travel and her husband does not. He golfs in Florida, USA while she goes as a single traveler and joins various travel tours around the world.

This is a way to have travel adventures if you just cannot see yourself going completely solo!

I know solo travel is relatively rare for both men and women but if you have the feeling you would like to try it , even for a few days,  it can be a deeply renewing and self revealing experience !

As a woman who is not afraid to travel solo and who concentrates on European travel it is always an opportunity to keep learning and exploring, to follow my own individual interests, to celebrate the ability to take risks, be confident in myself, and to renew my body and spirit with the concept of slow travel.

For example, in Athens, Greece the Parthenon and the Acropolis are one of the ancient wonders of the world. When I was there recently I spent two hours absorbing the details of the structure, the architecture , the deep historical energy, soaking up the wonderful golden warmth and light while walking carefully on the marble stones that have been polished by millions of feet and are as slippery as ice !  I could easily have rushed to a few other places in those two hours but I prefer the more intense experience. I also had a nice  interlude acting as an impromptu tour guide to an older couple who were on their own and who had not researched the Parthenon beforehand  ( they thought it was a castle.)

The opportunity to travel is always a precious experience in terms of  both time and money so it is wise to shape it in the way that you truly will enjoy ! There is no "right "or "best " way to travel and my advice is to be thoughtful and careful in regards to your own personality whether you travel solo, single, as a couple or with friends or family !

"But no matter, the road is life "  Jack Kerouac

An Iconic Flea Market Experience in Berlin,Germany

On a slow, solo weekend in the vibrant and individualistic city of Berlin I spent an afternoon exploring a little known and culturally iconic flea market located in the former East German area. Berlin is famous for their amazing flea markets and one of the best known is at the Tiergarten. This is a wonderful one to also stroll around and I particularly like looking at their silver ware and old linens.

However this market is not the one I am going to write about in this post ! If you want to experience a small flea market, in a real neighborhood and which is focused on selling items from the former East Germany ( as well as other items from the 1960's and 1970's ) then go directly to the Arkonaplatz on Sundays between 10 and 5 p.m

In a small leafy square and surrounded by neighborhood coffee shops this is an iconic Berlin experience. As you wander up and down you will see record players with vintage albums, German movie posters from the 1940's and 50's, vintage dresses and shoes, sunglasses, coffee cup sets and silver ware from the East German era, and cool, futuristic ( even for today's standards ) furniture and lamps from the early 1960's "sputnik " era from the time of the Russian and American race for space !

The vendors are relaxed ,specialize in their wares and nothing is very expensive. You can bargain a little, usually offering 10 to 20 percent off the asking price. Fantastic people watching too as you peruse the treasures ! I love the juxtaposition of items which often have a surreal air to them. Last time I was there I bought six silver plated spoons from an elderly couple who I am sure spent most of their life growing up in the former East Germany. This is the area of Berlin that has the most remnants of this era in history as well as the longest length of the remaining infamous " Wall " known as the Mauerpark.

If you have enough time and energy left over you can walk to the huge, sprawling and lively flea market in the Mauerpark ( which has the graffiti laden and artistic paintings on what is left of the real Wall )

 But that experience is another story...........

How to get to Arkonaplatz with the Berlin metro -      Take the U8 to the Bernauerstrasse stop

"Always keep your eyes open. Keep watching. Whatever you see can inspire you " - Grace Coddington

A Life Long Passion for Greece !

I resonate to the idea that all of us have a ' soul country' , which is often not our place of origin , and we are very fortunate if we find it during our lifetime. This concept of a soul country is not as simple as " I love the beaches, the food, the buildings " etc. It is rather a deep sense of belonging and a sense of knowledge on an inner level when you first travel to that place.

This happened to me at a young age when I first traveled to Greece in my twenties visiting Athens and Crete when Greece was emerging from the times of their dictatorship. I instantly felt an instant connection and rapport with the land, the culture, the history and the people. I studied ancient history and have always loved ancient Greek mythology but this feeling went way beyond an academic interest !

I have been so fortunate to travel back to Greece and the astonishing Greek islands countless times during my life ( well, lets say more than thirty times and I have explored twenty plus islands ) There is a very unique energy in Greece made up of the translucent quality of the light, the crystal sapphire seas, their ancient history, the simple Greek philosophy of enjoying and appreciating life, their attention to family, their open hearted attitude to tourists, travelers, foreigners, their traditional way of life on many islands, the Greek food which is very simple and fresh ( and their extra virgin olive oil which they use liberally is now known as a health food crucial to the long life " Mediterranean diet " ) and of course the beautiful sunshine which Apollo provides Greece with most generously all year long !

Ahhhh...the heavenly Greek islands !  Did you know that Greece has approximately 1,400 islands of which 227 are inhabited and has 17 UNESCO World Heritage sites. My life long passion has been to experience many of them......Chios, Rhodes, Crete, Astypalea, Corfu, Kefalonia, Karpathos, Naxos, Sifnos, Andros, Thassos, Aegina, Hydra and so many more !

My advice if you want to experience the Greek islands ( and perhaps this may be your only visit to Greece ) is to definitely see Santorini for its sheer geographical beauty, although it is the most heavily touristed with cruise ship visits and then one other island , perhaps Folegandros, which is close to Santorini and much more traditional.

If you are an independent traveler then I recommend island hopping as the thing to do on your first visit to get an overview !

Greece is a very safe country to travel around as the people are honest and genuinely friendly but of course take the usual precautions with your belongings. Personally I have never felt unsafe in all my years of traveling in Greece.

If you have any questions about traveling in Greece and around the islands please ask me in the comments section below. I love Greece and will be happy to help !

Carpe Diem *  Sabrina

" The days in Greece are like golden coins which I spend slowly one by one.....   -   Sabrina