Once again, we saw a year where travel was heavily restricted. I really hope 2022 will be better! I was able to travel to just two countries, and five cities in 2021. The first was Germany. I've been to Germany several times over the years, and it's one of my favorite destinations. If I had to choose a favorite country to travel to and explore in Europe, it's Germany. The second country was Spain. It wasn't the first time I visited Spain. I've been twice before, but it's more than ten years since the last time. This was the first time I went to Spain with a camera.

I'm still feeling okay with my travel year. I would have wanted one or two more trips. But, I also feel that since there are still restrictions in most destinations, it's better to save my money and wait for the situation to get better. I do have one big regret, which you can read more about towards the end of this blog post.

Bremen

I went on a road trip to Germany with my family in August 2021. Bremen was a good option in Northern Germany for the first stop. Usually, we've always stopped in Lübeck, but I wanted something new. I think Bremen filled the purpose very well. It's a city with some interesting and historic sites. But I can't lie and say that it's the most interesting of all possible destinations in Europe either. The Marktplatz and the area around it are your typical German Old Town. Nearby Schnoor is a little bit more unique, but it's also very touristy.

Best: Weserpromenade | The waterfront promenade with cafés and restaurants along the Wester in central Bremen.

Bremen

Leipzig

Leipzig was only a quick stop for a few hours. I could definitely go back there another time and explore more. The center is not very large though, and could mostly be covered in a short time. There are some sights a little bit further out from the city center that could be worth checking out, and as a Swede, I will make time for a day trip to Lützen if I visit again. Lützen is the small town where the Swedish King Gustavus Adolphus died in the Battle of Lützen in 1632.

Best: The architecture | The city is undergoing a renewal process. There are both old and dilapidated buildings, and also old and renovated.

Leipzig

Dresden

A city that I've been looking into visiting for many years. Dresden could very well be one of the most beautiful cities in Europe. It's also a great example of that you can build new and beautiful. Much of the city is rebuilt in recent years. New quarters in classical styles are built almost every year.

Highlights of a trip to Dresden include the Frauenkirche, Fürstenzug, and the Museum at Dresden Castle. This is a city I liked very much and could return to in the future even though I feel that I saw everything worth seeing. Unfortunately, the road trip was cut short after Dresden. I could have spent a few more days in Germany. But it proved impossible to find hotel rooms in Northern Germany for the next few days (mid-August).

Best: Fürstenzug | A unique and historic sight of Dresden.

Dresden

Madrid

I was looking at traveling to Madrid for several years, even before the pandemic. It never happened before because I didn't want to go unless I had the time to make a day trip to Toledo. So when I got a full week of vacation in late August this year where I had nothing planned it was the perfect time to finally go.

I've never seen Madrid as a prime tourist destination. It doesn't have the world-famous sights that London or Paris have. I also think that since the coastal areas of Spain are so popular, the capital city in the center of the country gets slightly forgotten. However, what I found in Madrid was an amazing city! A city with lots to offer and something interesting to see on every street.

Best: Puerta del Sol | The central square of the city and the place where much of the life of the city is channeled to.

Madrid

Toledo

I can recommend everyone to make the trip to Toledo when you're in Madrid. The former capital of Castille/Spain is a historic site in world-class and an insight into the history of the Iberian peninsula. The trip takes less than an hour by train. So it doesn't require much planning, and you're back in the city well in time for the evening.

Best: Exploring the narrow alleyways | I loved to just aimlessly stroll and explore the narrow, medieval alleyways of Toledo!

Toledo

The one that never happened...

My biggest letdown of the year was in November when I had two weeks of vacation and big plans for a trip. I was hoping to finally leave Europe for the first time since November 2019. At first, I planned to go to the US, if they opened up for European travelers. Something that they did! But since they made the announcement so late, I was unable to find a travel companion, and the non-cold part of the US isn't great to travel solo in. I then aimed at Mexico!

I had my travel plan ready, I had found hotels and transportation, as well as good day trips from Mexico City. Then the prices spiked, the covid situation got worse all over Europe and with the uncertainty that followed I postponed to make the booking. The final nail in the coffin was when I looked at Youtube videos from Mexico and saw that a lot of stores and restaurants still seemed to be closed. The country is fully open for entry, but it still seemed to be many domestic restrictions. I now have Mexico as a priority destination for the future!

I then had to find yet another option. Which became Egypt. I also looked at Morocco. The thing about plane tickets is that nowadays, they don't get unreasonably high close to the travel date in most cases. I could still book tickets to Cairo the next day cheaper than what I can find today for next June. Sure, if you want to find the best deals you need to be months ahead. But for most tickets and situations the price difference is less than $30-50 if you book two months ahead or the day before.

Then Omicron came, almost on the first day of my time off from work. Which made everything even more uncertain, and I decided to just stay home for 14 days and relax. Finally, the weather in Cairo was forecasted to be terrible. The day I would have traveled to Morocco if I would have gone with that option, they closed their borders for 14 days... My biggest regret of 2021 is that I didn't book Mexico a little bit earlier and just went with it. I hope to be able to check off both Mexico and Egypt on my travel map in the next year though!