Le Grand Tour: Spring 2013 Trip, Day 0

Tuesday, May 14, 2013

Spring 2013 Trip, Day 0 - PDX

I start my blog for my spring 2013 trip before the trip has even begun, as I sit waiting for my flight at PDX. In about 18ish hours I will be in Barcelona, Spain. From there I'll go to Madrid, and then Toledo, Granada, and Sevilla. After Sevilla I'll leave Spain and fly to Toulouse, France, and tour the Dordogne, Loire, and Normandy regions of France before a visit to Paris. Then I'll finish the trip with stops in Brussels and Bruges, Belgium, with a finale in Amsterdam. All told it will be about a month - my longest trip so far. My goal is to write a blog post for every place I visit, and maybe even daily if I can find time. For now I'll leave this one here, but look for my next post from Barcelona (with pictures) soon.

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About this blog

Hi everyone, my name is Ryan and this is my travel blog. One of my great passions in life is travel, and specifically travel in Europe. I don't know what it is exactly, but I just love Europe; its culture, its languages, its people, and the living history that exists in abundance there. I have been on several trips to Europe in the past few years, and I plan on continuing to go back as often as I can and for as long as I can. My dream is to maybe one day parlay that experience and passion into a side venture as a tour guide and travel consultant, but for now I'm just an enthusiastic recreational traveler. As I continue visiting Europe I intend to use this blog to share my experiences and impressions with you all.

P.S. a note about the blog's title: "le grand tour" means simply "the grand tour" in French (I think we can all agree that it sounds sexier in a French accent). The grand tour was a traditional trip around the continent that young people in Europe would take upon reaching adulthood. The idea was that one should see and find enrichment from the many peoples, cultures, and historic places which can be found in every nook and cranny there. The tradition has largely died, but its spirit lives on as many budget travelers tour Europe today and get the same experience at an affordable cost. Whereas at one time time such travel was accessible only to the wealthy, today almost anyone can have the same experience with the right knowledge and the gumption to do it. It is my goal to spread that message as widely as possible here at home, to share the beauty and wonder of Europe with Americans who might not otherwise get to see it, and to encourage folks to get out and experience it for themselves.