Lyrics on Postcards

Like a lot of people, I was inexplicably petrified of turning 30. It was barrelling towards me like an articulated lorry through a country lane. I was appalled to realise I could neither outrun nor dodge this indignity. I was convinced that my life was over, and all that could done was sit and wait to be crushed into a wrinkly pulp. 

Luckily, I woke up one morning with the pure and certain knowledge that turning thirty would be somewhat bearable if I was surrounded by mountains at the time. Perhaps I thought that being in such close proximity to something truly ancient would help put things into perspective. Who knows. As someone who’s now approaching 40, it’s hard to decode the maniacal thoughts of a still twenty-something who considers 30 ‘old’. Nevertheless, I’m glad I came to that conclusion. Being surrounded by mountains turns out to be one of those rare things that’s even better than you imagine it will be. And you know what? They do put things into perspective. I think I might have to escape to the Alps for every landmark birthday from now on, or even just every time I find a new grey hair.*

So, working backwards from D-day, I concocted a plan that begun with ‘be somewhere with mountains on January 1st 2018’, and ended up including four difference countries, a train ride through The Alps, a Sound of Music tour bus, a free performance of Wicked The Musical, and an itinerary that required more military precision than I’d ever imagined I was capable of achieving in my wildest dreams. There were only two occasions where it all looked set to implode like an undercooked soufflé: once when I lost my phone, and once when we nearly missed the last train to Munich. Both of these things were either caused by or resulted in better stories than I’d have had otherwise though, so I count that as a success (in retrospect).

My travel companion was my girlfriend, Jade (pictured above enjoying being fabulous on The Bernina Express).

Pictured below are photos of the two page itinerary that I printed out and carried around with me as if it was 1992.

*I do not actually have the funds to do this

Speaking of funds, looking back over my itinerary I’m shocked that I was able to afford to do all of this so seemingly easily. I don’t remember spending months saving up, or paying back, or stressing over spending money while travelling. Perhaps my brain is just editing those bits out, or perhaps it’s testament to how relatively affordable things were before the pandemic. Nowadays it feels like I’m teetering on bankruptcy every time I go away for a few days. But never mind, because this isn’t a blog about the miseries of finance, it’s a blog about reminiscence, escapism and a place to record my impressions of places before I forget them. Even places close to home, and places that appear too ordinary to warrant a second glance. Because anywhere can be fascinating if you see it through the eyes of a traveller.

My next post will be about the starting point for our journey through the Alps: Tirano, a small town in the Valtellina valley in northern Italy.