Travel Stories - Marie-Claude Arnott

When I first traveled to places I’d likely never go back to—the world is a big place—I was frustrated and even sad to leave beautiful and interesting sites behind. Sure, I’d bring back photographs galore, souvenirs and other mementos, and books, but they weren’t enough. They wouldn't keep my memories alive.

But writing stories about these places would let me keep them forever. And since everything is better when it’s shared, I am sharing them here, in an uninterrupted reading format that, I hope, will let your mind drift to those places and engage in the experiences. I hope the photographs will visually take you back there, as they never fail to take me.

Most articles were first published at Buckettripper.com, a multiple-award-winning digital travel magazine - no longer collaborative. Other original travel articles appeared in my travel column in the West Vancouver Beacon. Recent ones are published only at Writing is Living.

Italy – Capri and the Blue Grotto

The tour guide says it’s impossible, but I couldn’t give up the hope of a chance to see the Grotta Azzura.
We are on a cruise from Monte Carlo to Venice on the Regent Seven Seas Voyager. Today’s port of call is Sorrento, on the Amalfi Coast, where we’d visit the island of Capri, but.. →

Tahiti – A Wet Walk in Polynesian Waters

“It will be weightless underwater,” I am told as I stare at the eighty-pound helmet that will encapsulate my head. On my mind is that a stingray accidentally killed the Australian diver and conservationist Steve Irwin, not that long ago. Our guide tries to reassure us about this shark-related.. →

Australia – Sunrise at Uluru

I feel as if I am part of an entourage waiting for the awakening of the Sun King. Except that here at Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park—aka Ayers Rock, in the Australia Red Center—cameras, tripods, binoculars, and phones are contemporary evidence that the real sun is rising and the event not limited.. →

Morocco – A Shopping Marathon in Tangier

I am rushing through the crowded streets, minding my steps as I keep up with the pace. Our first trip to Tangier is turning into a shopping marathon with a guide we nickname ‘Speedy Mustafa.’Morocco is one hour behind Spanish time, so we arrived before the shops opened. Never mind, we need.. →

Morocco – Tangier for Foodies

A labyrinth of streets in the medina, haggling in the souks, a sputtering moped, a loaded camel, authentic craft wares, antiques galore… These are Tangier’s sounds and sights, but its true pulse is taken through the taste buds. So, this is Tangier’s food as if you were there.

Tangier’s.. →

Australia – Interpreting Aboriginal Dot Paintings

Dots are everywhere in Sydney and seem to follow me like curious eyeballs. They peek from every shop through vibrant boomerangs, didgeridoos, and other crafts and souvenirs. Surely, there must be more to them than polka dots.

Back to School in an Art Gallery

The first thing I learned.. →