On this date in 1971, my younger sister and I flew to Gatwick Airport in London for our first Europe trip. The RT fare was $259. Over the next 7 weeks I spent $741, including passport, Rail Pass, food, hotels and incidentals. We had the Europe on $5 a Day book and followed it religiously. London to Scotland to Ireland. In Scotland a street sweeper asked why we were not down at Holyrood Castle. He said the Queen would be passing by as she went to Holyrood with Princess Margaret. So went down the hill and saw that pretty up close. In Ireland I kissed the Blarney Stone, thus my gift for gab.
Parisians didn't like us drinking Perrier right from the bottle, but it was so hot! We continued to Vienna and up to Denmark and The Netherlands. I hadn't yet acknowledged I was gay even to myself, but we did go see Death in Venice in Dublin, so my sister later told me that was when she began to wonder. Lots of things happened but I won't bore you.
It does seem so long ago. We surely never gave a thought to looking back 50 years later, but here we are! Yes, I have returned multiple times and would still go if COVID allowed.