Betty

Europe 1979 – 1- Introduction

Betty sitting on rocks high above a harbor.
So you’ll be able to recognize me,
here I am on the trip in 1979.

I am going to Europe. Would you like to come along?

This trip will actually be taken down memory lane. My posts will describe what I can recall from a trip I took in 1979 when I went to Europe for a month. I went by myself, but I was with a tour group of college students.

I’ve thought about this project for well over a year. Should I spend the time to recreate this time in my life? Is it worth it? Will my readers find value in it? I hope so!

First, on my trip all the pictures I took were slides. Back then, everyone said, “Slides! Slides! You need to take slides. The pictures will be so much better.” And yes, they were, but slides are not conducive to repeat viewing. A couple years ago, I sent my slides in to have them converted to digital images. So, putting these photos on a blog will allow me to visit them more often.

I apologize in advance if some of the photos are not up to my usual standard – which isn’t all that high to begin with. I will try to edit them, but the results will be limited I am sure. I will also include photos of any “artifacts” which I still have. There are a few.

Second, as I do this project I hope to uncover more memories that may lay dormant in my mind. I also think it’d be great if somehow readers could add to the story and enrich its telling. Either with their own tales or knowledge of places or experiences. I’m betting and hoping that will happen. It would also be great if somehow other connections were made – maybe with some of the friends I made on that trip; although, I kind of doubt that will happen.

Third, I do think some of the stories from that adventure are worth telling. And some stories will remain private, as it should be. Though there will be some surprises I’m sure.

Next, I think this to be a good “winter blogging project.” Dan and I won’t be traveling until Spring. It’s on our travels where I find much inspiration. But this will do for now. I’ll title each post “Europe 1979” followed by a number and then a descriptor. There will likely be non-related posts which will interrupt the sequence, but I am sure my smart readers won’t have any trouble following along. I’ll create a header on the main page to group all the posts together. I’m probably the only one who will use that, but that’s okay.

Lastly, sometimes when I am writing a post, I am surprised where the writing takes me. You would think I would know since I’m the writer, but I don’t.

I do hope you’ll join me on this journey.

43 comments

  1. I’m excited to join you on your trip down memory lane. What a great idea for a blog theme! I smiled at your note about slides. I remember that fad in the 70’s. I have many at home still waiting for me to convert them to digital. Neither hubs nor myself have ever “crossed the big pond”, but it’s definitely on our bucket list. His roots are Norwegian and mine are Swiss, Austrian and German. It would be fun to explore those countries at the very least. For now, I’ll enjoy time travelling with you “back to the 70’s”.

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    • Thank you for being excited to join me! I have roots in Austria, too, – Graz. I’ve wondered if I’ll ever go back to Europe. For now, our travels will be in our travel trailer and this one down memory lane. Fortunately, I wrote on each slide itself where the picture was taken. Otherwise, there would be so many I wouldn’t remember. Hope you have a great day!

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    • Wow! I’m so glad you’re along. I look forward to your comments as I’m sure you’ll have lots of knowledge and memories to share. Enjoy your day!

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  7. What a great plan–of course I am in for the tour! Randy began scanning our slides, but he did not get far on the project before he quit. Where was this photo taken? If you still had those groovy pants, they are in style again ya know.

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    • So glad you are along. You may very well be able to add to the knowledge about the places I visited. I boxed up all my slides and mailed them off. I was sure hoping the slides didn’t get lost in the mail. Fortunately, it all worked out, and it didn’t cost that much. This picture was taken in Monte Carlo. I don’t have those groovy pants anymore, but if I did, I would need them in a larger size now. LOL.

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    • Do it! At the very least, I hope to capture my memories. But I also hope others will enjoy and be entertained. I’ll keep my eye on your blog. I think it would be an enjoyable journey for all if you decide to do a similar project!

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  10. Oh my gosh, I’m SO excited for you, Betty!! And for meeeee! I’ve never been to Europe and likely never to go, so I am thrilled beyond words to experience your trip. Twice! Plus, the 70’s are (still) my favorite time of this lifetime! I’m just so excited for you to get started!

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  15. I went on a trip to Europe in 1979 too, in the summer between my sophomore and junior years of college!! The family of my good friend had moved to southern Spain for a year, so I met her there and we traveled around for 6 weeks in Spain, Portugal, France, Switzerland and England. Fortunately, my friend had done a bit of traveling with her sisters by then, so she was experienced at using the trains, staying at youth hostels, etc. I have a limited number of photos (compared to what anyone would take today) and the colors are fading away. I should scan them before they fade away to nothing. So your slides were a good choice after all.

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    • Yes, you should scan your pictures (soon!); the photos may be able to be enhanced, too. We are the same age – as I went between my sophomore and junior year of college, too! I don’t remember the exact date of my trip, but it was in June and July. Your trip sounds like a great adventure.

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      • So fun! I left Minnesota on the 4th of July, because I remember seeing fireworks from the airplane window! I am glad your post has prompted me to scan the photos before it is too late. The other thing is that the friend I traveled with is the one who died in the summer of 2019, the very bad year .

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  16. What fun! I look forward to joining you in your memories. My daddy had oodles of pictures on slides. As much as I hated to do it, I threw out a bunch of them after his death. He had a bunch of slides/photos from the 40s and 50s which were unlabeled; I didn’t know who any of the people were and had no way of finding out. Having your slides converted to digital was a smart thing to do.👍

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    • I understand. I have a photo album from my uncle who has passed. I don’t know who anyone is in the album. Only guilt has kept me from pitching it. But I have thought, I’m going to ask my siblings and if they don’t want it, I will toss it. Fortunately, I wrote a description on each of the slides from Europe. That has been very helpful!

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  17. I love this idea and look forward to reading about your adventure in Europe. Maybe all us readers will learn something about your free spirited past. 😉

    I’ve often thought about posting some of our past travels. It would be easy I think because I kept a daily journal. However, seems I can’t keep up with the present at this point.

    Have a good day.

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    • I am planning to be done with the Europe 1979 trip series before we start traveling on April 1. Otherwise, keeping up with current and past travels would be too much. Since you have the daily journals, you can always do something in the future if you like. It is wonderful that you have those journals. Hope you have a great day, too!

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    • Thank you. Since all I had were slides, I didn’t feel like I had an “album” or a record of the trip. 42 years is a long time ago, but I’m hoping to capture the best parts. Have a great day!

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