Our 2019 In Review
This past year we had the good fortune to travel to 22 different countries around the world. We ate, we drank, we saw beautiful cities and landscapes, but most importantly, we learned about new cultures and customs. This blog post is a collection of my favorite photos from 2019, as well as some interesting facts we learned along the way.
1. Istanbul, Turkey
Interesting fact: “Kebab” actually just means grilled meat in Turkish. A shish kebab means grilled meat on a stick, while doner is a certain style of grilled meat rotating on a vertical spit.
2. Sahara Desert, Morocco
Interesting fact: The Sahara desert is mostly composed of rock! Sand is a minor part of the desert.
3. Fes, Morocco
Interesting fact: Morocco has two official languages: Arabic and Berber. The Berbers are native to the lands of Morocco, and have what I think is the coolest alphabet I’ve ever seen.
4. Istanbul, Turkey
Interesting fact: Turkey is the only city to straddle two continents! (Europe and Asia)
5. Burgundy, France
Interesting fact: If you are drinking a red wine from Burgundy, France, you can only be drinking Pinot Noir! Often the bottles do not even mention the grape, because it is assumed that you know that it is Pinot Noir.
6. Switzerland
Interesting fact: Much of Switzerland ISN’T at a high elevation. Despite the striking alpine scenery, most of the valleys (and all of the main cities) are only around 1,200 feet high
7. Ukraine
Interesting fact: Ukraine has had FOUR revolutions since 1990. It is not easy being Russia’s neighbor.
8. Salinas Grandes, Argentina
Interesting fact: The Altiplano, or “high plain,” in Argentina, is the most extensive area of high plateau on Earth, outside of Tibet. The average height of the Altiplano is 12,300 feet (or 3,750 meters), with the Andes towering another 10,000 feet higher to the west.
9. Lake District, England
Interesting fact: The Lake District in England is home to six times as many sheep as humans!
10. Douro, Portugal
Interesting fact: The Douro Valley, famous for making Portugal’s port wines, is not easy to get to! Before the construction of the current train and roadway systems, all wines had to be transported down the narrow and shallow Douro River. This river journey could take TWO weeks to go only 100 miles.
11. Salta, Argentina
Interesting fact: Known as “Salta La Linda” in Argentina, this region in the northwest of the country is home to the highest altitudes vineyards on earth. The Bodega Colome grows grapes at more than 3,000 meters (10,000 feet)!
12. East Kilbride, Scotland
Not necessarily an interesting fact but… on a trip to Glasgow, Garan and I were able to track down my family’s homestead from several generations ago. My grandmother immigrated from Scotland at the age of 7.
13. Croatia
Interesting fact: Roman and Venetian ruins have been found on many Croatian islands, showing that Croatia has actually been a popular vacation destination for over two millennia!
14. Belgrade, Serbia
Interesting fact: Located between the 43rd and 45th parallels, Serbia is a prime wine growing region. Serbia has a rich wine culture, going back thousands of years, with several of their own native varietals.
15. San Sebastian, Spain
Interesting fact: Located in Northeast Spain, San Sebastian is located in Basque Country, a very small region with a very big personality. Despite being surrounded by Spain and France (and the Romans well before them), Basque Country holds tight to its own wholly unique language and food customs.
16. Edinburgh, Scotland
Interesting facts: The national animal of Scotland is the unicorn. Seriously.
17. Teotihuacan, Mexico
Interesting fact: Teotihuacan is home to the third largest pyramid in the world. The largest being Cholula Pyramid outside Puebla, Mexico, and the Great Pyramid of Giza in Egypt.
Thank you for following along our adventure this past year!
We can’t wait to see what is in store for 2020!
What a busy and adventures year for you two. You guys are so blessed and fortunate to be about to see so much at your young ages! We love all the pictures and stories and being able to be apart of your trips! Hope 2020 is a fun and safe year for you guys.
John
You are so lucky to have had such adventures this past year!!!
Happy New Year!!
Love your blog and all your beautiful pictures!