… A feeling of pleasure and also slight sadness when you think about things that happened in the past (Cambridge English Dictionary).
I have been a little nostalgic recently, particularly when my photo app tells me what I was doing this time last year and in previous years.
June 2019, we were enjoying a short break in Vienna and it was stiflingly hot! I wrote a post about this trip (follow the Vienna link above) but here are two new photos that I didn’t include. There were many amazing statues in Vienna. This magnificent stone lion was actually stood beside me on a café wall while I drank my nice, cold beer!
There are many beautiful churches in Vienna. These stained glass windows, in one of them, caught my attention.
The year before Vienna, 2018, we were lucky enough to be in Barcelona, a first visit for me. We were able to catch the train from Carcassonne, direct to Barcelona, travelling through some beautiful landscapes en route.
Here are a random selection of photos, from our trip, that I didn’t include in my two previous blog posts about Barcelona.
June 2017, we were at our house in Castelnaudary, having our roof retiled! Not so glamourous perhaps but we were still – and are – grateful to have our place in SW France.
And we did have this to enjoy…
Looking back to June 2016, was a very different time, prior to getting our French house. We had become Trusted House Sitters and our very first assignment was to look after this gorgeous pair of Border Collies.
We couldn’t have had a better housesit! We remain friends with the owners of the dogs and we look after Charlie and Wilma when we can.
So, I do feel a bit nostalgic when I look back over the last few years, particularly in these strange, unusual times when travel may not seem quite as appealing and carefree, as it once did.
I feel privileged to have visited so many different countries, without restrictions, over the years. But travel comes with a cost to the environment, so perhaps some slow travel, in the future, won’t be such a negative undertaking.
I hope you’ve enjoyed my nostalgic, if indulgent, look back over the last few years. Has lockdown made you nostalgic for any particular place?
Fancying France 
Lovely photos! You have been to some wonderful places. I hope you’ll be able to travel again soon. Charlie and Wilma are gorgeous! #PoCoLo
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Thank you for passing by! I’m glad you like the photos. I have been to some amazing places, including South Africa last year. I’m very fortunate. I think Wilma and Charlie are very gorgeous, too! #PoCoLo
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After living in France and only going to the UK this was meant to be a holiday year and we had 3 trips booked, which are now all cancelled. I have to say we were due to be in Spain next Saturday but we are now looking forward to a worldwide staycation. I have some builders sand, a bucket and I am doing food from all over thge world. We will be including tapas as we had some amazing ones in San Sebastien.
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I’m so sorry that you had to cancel 3 trips, I do hope you might be able to rebook some? You made me smile at the thought of you compensating with builders sand and a bucket! Tapas sounds lovely.
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I’m definitely feeling nostalgic for places and events of the past few summers. I really liked the idea of house sitting but Husband is as certain that he doesn’t want to do it, as I am certain that I do! We have house sat for my daughter b fore now which was great as we were staying in an area we didn’t know so we treated it as a holiday. She’s living in another new area now so we’re hoping to do it again next year.
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House sitting isn’t for everybody but it filled the dog-shaped hole in our lives, allowed us to get to know new places and to spend some time in a place where we might live in the future! It always felt like a holiday to us, too. Do hope you are able to house sit for your daughter next year.
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I’m happy with dogs but Husband is much more a cat-man. House sitting is a great way to discover new areas. I was told that it is possible to be longer-term house sitters in National Trust properties which sounds great!
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I love all animals (except rats!) but dogs are my No1 followed by cats. When the boys were young, we had both. I’ve got friends who have rented some fabulous NT properties, for a Christmas break, but they tend to be Lodges rather than Stately Homes! Other friends used to house sit a fabulous French chateau.
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We had a golden retriever when my the children were young, and later a cat who belonged to my daughter. We also had a variety of fish and hamsters. I’m sure NT lodges are lovely
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I love Golden Retrievers; they are fabulous family dogs. After four, long years, we actually have a four legged friend joining us – watch this space!!
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I shall watch with interest! Our retriever, Elsa, was a fabulous family dog and wonderful with the children.
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I understand about getting nostalgic. Probably not over trips because we just don’t travel that much. However, when a Facebook memory pops up of family (especially the grandsons), I get that way-especially now, when it’s hard to be around them at all. Here’s to normal times ⏳
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I don’t have grandchildren (yet!) but I do have friends who have missed seeing their grandchildren so much. Yes, here’s to normal times or the new normal, at least for now. Thanks for passing by!
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Looks great – and great to have such memories. We have been thinking about relatively isolated holidays we’ve had in Portugal, if only we didn’t need a plane to get there! Thanks for sharing with #PoCoLo
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Portugal is lovely but, like you, I’m very wary about travelling by plane at the moment! #PoCoLo
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Hi June
Some friends of ours used to live at the edge of Snowdonia and we often ‘cat sat’ for them. Not an arduous task as the cat was lovely and the house too! They have since moved and no longer have the cat, but we don’t hold it against them!!!
I feel very nostalgic at times, especially during the enforced lockdown. It’s the silly things I miss – the sauntering around a garden centre not even thinking who else is there, just going for a good coffee and cake at a little cafe, jumping in the car to escape the built up area in which we live and driving to the beach or hills. Do you ever think we will get back to ‘normal’?
Sue
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Hi Sue
Cat sitting on the edge of Snowdonia sounds brilliant!
I know what you mean about lockdown and having seen some of the recent behaviour on the South coast, I’m not exactly in a rush to get back to the real world. I’m quite a social person and I do miss meeting up with friends for coffee, lunch etc but we’re lucky to have a pleasant garden to enjoy. It makes me realise how much I used to take for granted. That’s a very good question: will we ever get back to normal? I’m not sure we can until we know more about the virus but I think there will be some kind of new normal but I’ve no idea what that might be. Thanks for commenting.
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