Ten on a Tuesday

My friend Sue has a blog. One of her regular posts (every Tuesday) is answering ten questions posted on another blog called Roots & Rings. The questions often come from the readers of that blog, and this time it was Sue's turn to ask some questions.

Although I don't usually take part, I often do read Sue's answers and think about the questions myself. Seeing as this time Sue has asked the questions (some very good ones), and the theme is TRAVEL, I thought it would be appropriate to post my answers right here.

So here we go:

1.  What book, movie or song has made you want to travel to a particular place? 

Last year I read a book about a Lonely Planet travel writer writing the guide to Northern Brazil. It makes me want to go to Brazil!

2. Aside from your significant other, who would you want to take with you on a dream trip?

Some of the best and most memorable travel experiences are the ones I have done alone. The freedom of doing whatever you want to do, when you want, and the increased likelihood of meeting new poeple along the way, makes it an interesting way to go!

3. Where would said dream trip be to?

My dream trip is to spend a few months travelling around South America. I feel like I have done so much Europe and North America that I need to get out of my comfort zone again and try something new. I find the idea of South America both daunting and fascinating. Having a good amount of time there to see a bit of everything and also have time to lie on the beach would be fantastic.

4. If you were hosting guests or providing tips, what three things would you show visitors to your hometown?

Although I am living in London right now I will answer this for Melbourne. I wasn't born there and I'm not there now, but I did most of my growing up there and still consider it home. I think these would be some of my suggestions:

• I agree with Sue that an Australian Rules Football game at the MCG would be a must. If it is in the summer, a cricket game might suffice.
• Either the Eureka Tower or Rialto observation deck to see the sheer size and sprawl of the city, which is one of the world's biggest cities by area.
• Riding the city circle tram, which is an old tram around the CBD (downtown) area.
• Going to the beach. So many good ones to choose from, or an hour's drive to the open ocean.
• Having a coffee at one of the many great independent cafes.

5. If you had a long weekend ahead of you, where you head – beach, city or country/mountains?

Beach. I love the beach and miss it terribly living in London. I have done so many city breaks lately that country breaks really appeal, but nothing can beat going to a great beach when the weather is right.

6. Do you have a passport? If so, did you get it for a particular trip or just to have, in case?

I have two.

When I was about 17 I started planning by big trip to Europe and applied for an Australian passport.
Unfortunately, 5 years later the passport expired and I still hadn't used it. I got a new one and finally used it on 24 March 2006 at age 25 when I flew out of Melbourne on the first leg of my around the world ticket. 

I also have a Czech passport, which allows me (thanks to the European Union) to live and work in the UK as long as I want.

7. Are there any travel souvenirs you collect? If not, is there something else you collect?

When I remember, I try to collect beer coasters in pubs around the world. After a few beers, though, it is easy to forget. I got one here in New York (where I am right now) from the Outback Steakhouse, an Australian themed restaurant/bar.

My girlfriend has an awesome collection of patches from every country she has been to. One day, she plans on sewing them all onto a blanket. I think it is a fantastic idea and am very jealous of her collection!

8. If you could name a paint colour, what colour would it be and what would you call it?

Being a bloke, I do not accept colours with names like chartreuse, fuchsia, or salmon. These are not colours.  Colours should be explained with reference to real colour names like green, blue, red and orange, and if necessary prefixed with adjectives like dark or bright.
9. If you were heading away for a weekend citybreak solo, where would you go?

I would have probably been tempted to agree with Sue and say New York. However that's where I am right now, completely unexpectedly, due to being stranded in America due to the ash cloud (I fly back to London tonight).

I think I would like to go the Las Vegas. When I went there in 2006 it was before I started playing poker. I'd love to go back and spend some time on the poker tables. A weekend would be enough, I think.

10. Is there a song or a smell or something that you strongly associate with a particular holiday/place/time, such that it always takes you back? 

Smells and tastes can bring back memories in a really strong way.  Eating grapes on the beach brings me back to when I was five years old, sitting on the beach in Croatia with my parents just after we left Czechia. That's my earliest memory that smells and tastes bring me back to, but there are many others. For instance, and this is a bit strange, certain detergents I smell in some toilets always bring me back to America where they must commonly use one particular fragrance of detergent. When I smell it, I often think of a nightclub in LA that I went to when I first arrived in the States.