Less Monaco, More Berlin

Yesterday I joined my mum in the lounge room, prepared to watch whatever she was watching. This happened to be a documentary on Monaco, a Mediterranean concentration of millionaires and billionaires. Over half an hour or more the camera pored over luxurious details and conservative ideals. At one point, an architect - about to be celebrated for a futuristic sculpture - admitted that it's not really possible to be radical in a place like this. Which is when I decided that I was less about Monaco, and more about Berlin. 

Once upon a time I donated $20 per month to a popular Australian charity called Save The Children. This year I re-entered the world of supporting meaningful businesses by becoming a Patreon of Nomadic Matt. Part of my membership includes access to dozens of fun presentations on various aspects of travel. I've vibed with a visual guide to Cuba, been encouraged to hike the Camino to Santiago de Compostela (because why not?), and been inspired to cultivate even more colour and creativity in the way I approach my journeys. 

I now have so many travel plans that it's hard to know which one stands out the most. I see Spain in my future when Covid recedes, but where and for how long are variables which are constantly changing. I find myself eager to return to Portugal, too - we got off on the wrong foot (with minimal sleep in a noisy guesthouse), but I caught glimpse of its charms and know there are more of them in wait. (Perhaps it's time to dig up Saramago's book on the place... I know I have it somewhere.)

Another country that excites me in its potential is Greece. I've only been there once, in 2003, for three days, but I do believe it deserves more. I may have overlooked it because it shares a border with Bulgaria, and feels 'close to home', but there will be time to build on past passions - for island architecture, natural beauty, and an atmosphere pulsating with history. 

To read The Guardian this week is to know that we are making financial decisions in a more risk averse state of mind, that the travel sector may take up to five years to return to 2019 levels, and that when Covid does recede there will probably be a 'golden era' of travel, partying and socialising at close quarters. Our impulses to travel will be indulged many times over. And yet, I can't help but wonder if I should be putting $ away for the future. And since there's no right answer, I can look forward to much in the way of happy deliberating.