Why not Machu Picchu?

Why is Europe my number 1 destination?

Am I a product of my childhood in the 60s and 70s? Does food have something to do with it? Do I really like art and history? Am I Eurocentric? Am I looking for the origins of my culture?

There were wars in southeast Asia, Central America and South America when I was growing up, and in my mind they were no-go zones. They never made it to my lists of places to see when I was traveling in my early 20s.

So I went off backpacking in Europe for 5 months. I loved it, its history, its art and its food. So when I began traveling again in my late 40s I wanted to go back.

Food may be an important factor. If I don’t love the food, do I really want to go there? Mexican and Chinese food are my two least favourites. I’m a wimp when it comes to hot curries and spicy food. But I love French, Italian, Greek and even British food. I love cafe au lait/capuccino/espresso, sidewalk cafes and good croissants.

Yes I am Eurocentric. But why? I think I go in search of my own history, trying to understand and know the past cultures of my ancestors. I like to see the bigger picture. How and why things evolved the way they did. I like to put things in context.

So in my 30s I studied ancient Roman and Greek history, archeology, art history and linguistics, inspired to fill in the huge gaps of my knowledge that I discovered when visiting Europe the first time. Finally I knew some of the who, what, where, when, and sometimes why, and it felt good. It was something I needed to know.

So a big part of why I travel is to discover where I come from. And perhaps that’s why not Machu Picchu.

Now here it is your moment of mosaic. Roman mosaic (150 AD) from St. Alban’s, UK.