This time of year puts me in mind of all things golden – from fizzy bubbles in glasses of champagne to baubles and tinsel and flickering candlelight. It also reminds me of the amount of money that gets frittered away on gifts that are either unwanted or will get used a handful of times and then forgotten about. Wherever possible I try to gift experiences rather than objects –  theatre tickets, a spa day, a skiing lesson or cookery class. Experiences live in your memory for ever and there’s even a chance you’ll come away with a new skill. Of course, the gift of adventure is my favourite; I would quite happily go without the latest, greatest iteration of phone/computer/tablet in exchange for a hot air balloon ride, wouldn’t you? And while I would be thrilled that you thought enough of me to buy me a diamond necklace, would you mind awfully if I swapped it for a ticket on the Trans Siberian Express? With that in mind, here are some golden moments from past travels.

A stunning exhibit at the Tacoma Museum of Glass.

A golden pig in Seattle’s Pike Place Market.

Crossing the Golden Gate Bridge en route to the Lost Coast.

These gorgeous, ruffled, puckered, golden hills of California.

Last but not least, this cheeky European Goldfinch outside my window in Ireland.

If you would like to join in this week’s travel theme (everyone’s welcome!) here’s what to do:

• Create your own post and title it Travel theme: Golden
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• Get your post in by next Thursday, as the new travel theme comes out on Friday
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xxx Ailsa

Romance is the glamour which turns the dust of everyday life into a golden haze. – Carolyn Gold Heilbrun

You must have been warned against letting the golden hours slip by, but some of them are golden only because we let them slip by.  – James M. Barrie