Damned Siri!! Above she wrote "saying" where it should be "sing" and I missed correcting her!

socialworker - nice thread.

We've had some moments like that too, some also involving music - the trumpeter practising next door to our restaurant in Salzburg who gave us a free lunch-time concert, the wonderful candle-lit concert in Pope John Paul's cathedral in Krakow, the lovely rose garden in full-bloom in florence that we came across by accident.

as you say, it is very often the unplanned moments that make a trip.

thanks for sharing socialworker. evensong is truly a unique experience in London

One of our transcendent moments was the first time in France together, having left a very cold and depressing Toronto spring. Saw flowers outside our hotel in Fontainbleau - that was almost enough.

The next day we were in Loches, in the Loire valley, walkding around at sunset, with trees in bloom, birds singing, the ruins of the chateau behind us. "how could we think that we didnt need to come to Europe every year?" we asked ourselves.

The next day we found the Dordogne, and have now lived here for 18 years.

What a lovely story, Carlux! Amazing the paths that we can set upon unexpectedly......

Your post just turned my drab, rainy, depressing, morning here completely around.

Thank you!

Sigh! Thank you.

>>Damned Siri!! Above she wrote "saying" where it should be "sing" and I missed correcting her!<<

I thought maybe you were using Southern pronunciation.

That was lovely - thanks for posting it.

Lee Ann

Great thread, socialworker!

I had a brief moment like that in Florence last year. ms_go was napping, so I set out to wander a bit and ducked into a small church that's in nobody's guide book. A young organist was giving a recital, couldn't have been more than 19 or so. And this guy was amazing. Bach himself would have been impressed!

How exciting: I had exactly the same moment in Florence. I was annoying my husband about what I had read about The Prisoners and my head turned. There HE was, talk about the classic Double Take!! The sun was shining on the fabulous David.

Similar moment in London: evensong at Westminster

Beautiful. I also loved Chambéry, was there for one day before my flight home from Geneva. Had initially thought of training to Annecy (where I'd been before) but ended up staying because I was not feeling that well. What a lovely old town. It was Sunday, the town was very quiet, I enjoyed walking around discovering the old back alleys and the gorgeous buildings. I also went into the cathedral - impressive. I will go back one day to explore the museums.

It is often music that does it, isn't it? Once, on a weekend break in Hamburg in early November, it was a bright day with autumn colours on the trees standing out in the sun against a clear blue sky, but bitterly cold, and I took refuge in a nearby church - I can't now remember which. I found a full choir and orchestra rehearsing the Brahms German Requiem (it was the run-up to the Remembrance weekend, so the music was all the more moving). There were quite a few passers-by held as enthralled as I was.

Awesome moments..Coimbra..organ recital in chapel, only on feast days and we were there !. Florence..late for the Acadamia but the gate keeper let us in as far as the hallway for a peek and there "he" was..aglow in the rotunda. A green flash on seven mile beach..Lisbon.Queluz Palace..3 kindergarten classes on tour were meeting "Dona Maria" and her entourage in full court dress. Awe and wonder abounding on all the little faces (and ours)

Thanks for sharing, socialworker, for it is truly these moments that years later, we reflect on. And while we may enjoy a memorable meal or experience the perfect risotto, I always look forward to the unexpeted moments that make memories.

Like getting totally lost in Venice and ending up taking a ride around the Grand Canal at night just to get back to the hotel. Unplanned, unexpected, but still my fondest memory of Venice.

Just the other day, I came across a picture of me standing at the base of David. It was taken sometime after 1985 - I don't remember it being taken (or how I am the only person there), but it certainly shows the awe on my face. A Kodak moment for sure. Thanks, again.

I love these special travel moments .. great thread. My personal experience which often springs to my mind happened in '98. My son, daughter, son-in-law (pre kids days) and I had spent two weeks in a small German village on the Rhine. When our apartment stay ended, we traveled by train to Prague .. relaxing in one of those compartments, enjoying the countryside and views and just being together. Arrived in Prague, went to our small hotel high up near the castle. We asked for a nearby restaurant and were directed to a small place, almost old world in feel. But when we exited after dinner the true magic began. It was misting rain, the castle was all lit and we couldn't believe the beauty! We quickly returned to the hotel, grabbed umbrellas and jackets and began the most gorgeous stroll through that paradise. I honestly believe we had the whole place to ourselves! I can still see the gentle rain, illuminated by those gorgeous street lanterns, the architecture of the buildings highlighted. For those who have been to Prague, I'm sure you can imagine how very special it was.

Hadley, you paint such a lovely picture of your stroll that I can imagine being there!

I also love your reference to the train trip when you say "enjoying just being together". That is what we all hope for, and yet too few of us manage to find it.

I love this thread - it captures the true reason most of us travel!

One of many special moments from my trip to England with my mom in 2011 was a visit to Romsey Abbey, in Hampshire. We were on our way back to Winchester from the New Forest, and made an unplanned visit to this delightful little town with its gorgeous abbey. Upon entering the abbey, we were treated to a spectacularly empty church and the sound of the organist practicing for services. While we stood in awe of the combined history, architecture and music, a very modern sound inserted itself into the moment - the ring of a cell phone. The organist stopped playing and answered his phone: " 'elo, luv" - and Mom and I just grinned at each other. It was the perfect juxtoposition of quintessential English history and the modern world.

You really made me smile, BB!! You are right, how perfect!!

(Parenthetically I also absolutely *love* the English's use of the word "luv". Always makes me feel warm inside.)

Oh thank you for these lovely moments.

It reminds me so of all the real reasons we travel, not just for ticking boxes off a "must-see" list.

And, speaking of mothers, a busy day at Trevi Fountain with DH snapping the obligatory picture of my mother and I tossing our coins behind our backs. It was my mother's first, and probably only, trip to Europe. The look on my mother's face was one I hadn't seen for years. Pure unadulterated happiness. Priceless.

--Annie