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[edgtf_dropcaps type=”normal” color=”#3f6557″ background_color=””]O[/edgtf_dropcaps]ur Gay Couple Travel Year 2017 – Happy New Year’s celebrations everyone. May the year 2018 become a great year for you and your beloved ones full of love, peace, opportunities! We would like to take the chance to thank you for your support, love, and loyalty during our past travel year 2017 and, of course, for all your tips, advice, and for all the time we spent together all around the world.
The past 12 months have been full of explorations of unknown countries, getting to know so many wonderful people in Europe and North America with gay pride parades in Jasper, Canada, Tallin, Estonia, Amsterdam, The Netherlands, Benidorm, Spain and of course, the Pink Lake Festival in Southern Carinthia, Austria. Additional to that we did several city trips in the Netherlands and Europe, not to forget our second The Gay Cruise! And now, enjoy our Couple of Men’s end-of-year review of our travel year 2017 and get inspired by our gay travel stories for your own upcoming adventures in 2018!
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All about our Gay Couple Travel Year 2017
The world for the LGBT Community keeps on changing. We saw a lot of bright and promising moments with new countries embracing equal marriage like Germany, Australia and Austria and powerful rainbow demonstrations all around the world. But unfortunately, not only positive moments for Lesbian, Gay, and Trans people have been part of our daily lives. Our mission for 2018 while traveling the world together as an openly gay couple will be to continue bringing love to the destinations we are visiting will showing the best moments with photos and videos for those who cannot be part of a free life as a member of the LGBTQ+ community. We are looking forward to exploring even more of our beautiful world in 2018 together with you. This is our Gay Travel Year 2017 in pictures:[/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=”40px”][vc_row_inner row_content_width=”grid”][vc_column_inner width=”1/2″][vc_empty_space][vc_column_text]
January 2017: Road Trip Central Germany Uplands
Our Travel Year 2017 started already in January with our short winter road trip in the Central German Uplands visiting the German state Hesse. Lucky us, Germany was covered in snow transforming the mountains and the forest in a stunning winter wonderland. Starting from Frankfurt am Main, we made our way all the way up to the hill Vogelsberg.
Like two hobbits in love, we spent 2 nights in a slumber wine barrel village on the Vogelsberg. Hiking through a deep snow and warming up in a sauna barrel afterward and cooling down in the fresh powder snow made this road trip a perfect travel debut in 2017!
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February 2017: Winter Time in Amsterdam, the Netherlands
The rest of January and February, we spent together in our cozy home in Amsterdam. So we were lucky to be actually in the Dutch capital when the only snow of the last winter arrived covering Amsterdam in a beautiful white dress. And of course, we took the chance to capture some magical moments in the Grachten city in North Holland. Since we had already two winter days this winter, we added a video of Karl biking around Amsterdam in the snow. What else would you do, right?
Additional to that, we prepared our blog articles for the Roze Filmdagen in March, one of the best LGBTQ+ film festivals taking place in the heart of Amsterdam hosting a huge number of Gay, Lesbian, Trans and bisexual movies, short and long.
- All about the Roze Filmdagen in Amsterdam >
- Our Best Gay Movies for 2017 selected for Roze Filmdagen >
- Our Best Lesbian & Mix Movies for 2017 selected for Roze Filmdagen >
- Our Photo Story of a snowy Winter Day in Amsterdam >
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March 2017: Road Trip Canadian Rocky Mountains
The month of March was all about Canada and our Winter Road Trip to the Canadian Rocky Mountains. Starting with some wonderful day in the city of Calgary, we took the world-famous Icefield’s Parkway all the way north to Jasper, where we celebrated our first gay ski week ever. The Jasper Pride Festival was such an inspiring LGBTQ+ event taking place in such a small mountain town with overwhelmingly friendly people!
Highlights of our time in Jasper and the Canadian Rocky Mountains was the rainbow parade on the slope of the ski resort Marmot Basin. We met incredibly wonderful people from all over the world although we experienced deepest winter environment with temperatures below minus 20 degrees Celsius and half a meter snow.
- All about our Winter Road Trip Canada >
- Best of Jasper Pride Ski Festival 2017 >
- All about the city of Calgary, Alberta >
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April 2017: Traveling Alberta, West Canada
But our trip did not end in Jasper. On our way back to Calgary, we had the chance to explore the beauty of the Canadian Rocky Mountains in winter with Banff and Jasper National Park, the Ski areas Sunshine Village, Norquay, and Lake Louise and stunning photo moments literally behind every corner.
We stopped along our way south to hike over frozen rivers and waterfalls like the Athabasca falls and even saw a black bear and several wapitis. The nature of Alberta is unbelievable and especially in winter time, there were almost no cars on the road. Banff and the Fairmont Banff Springs Hotel, Lake Louise, and its Ice sculptures and the delicious food made our first trip to Canada a very special trip for us.
- Hotel Review of Banff Springs Castle Hotel >
- Our 13 Highlights Road Tripping Alberta >
- Top 13 Gay Ski Weeks worldwide >
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Mai 2017: Spring & Tulips in Amsterdam, the Netherlands
The end of April and the month of May can be characterized by our explorations around Amsterdam and the Netherlands. All around Holland, colorful Tulips and flowers mark the beginning of the springtime. It is also the beginning of the best travel time to Amsterdam with less rain and more sun.
End of April, the Dutch people celebrate one of their biggest holiday days, the Kingsday, the birthday of the Dutch King. Therefore, the whole city, no actually the whole country turns orange. Traditionally, we are celebrating the day of the Dutch king with our friends at the Homomonument at the Wester Kerk in Amsterdam West. Before 2014, the day was known as the Queens Day, in honor of the former queen.
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Juni 2017: Exploring Amsterdam with Kit & John per boat
The best time to travel to Amsterdam is from June to September. Especially June is one of our favorite month’s spending on the canals, biking around the forest of Amsterdam and celebrating the sun on one of the uncountable festivals in and around Amsterdam.
This June, we had some friends over: Kit and John from Los Angeles, USA visited Europe with a stop in Amsterdam. And as is right and proper, we organized a canal boat tour showing off the most beautiful parts of our home city. If you are planning to come to Amsterdam during summer, don’t miss the opportunity to become a canal boat captain and cruise around the beautiful Grachten houses.
- How to book a Canal Cruise Boat in Amsterdam >
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Juli 2017: Baltic Pride in Tallinn, Estonia
Since Daan was busy art directing a new movie, Karl and his best friend Sven attended the 9th edition of the Baltic Pride. In 2017, the gay pride event in the Baltic states was hosted by the city of Tallinn. More than 1.800 participants turned the capital of Estonia into a rainbow-colored place for the LGBTQ+ community coming from all around the world.
The first gay pride parade in 10 years was a total success. Although it showed, that, especially in the eastern part of Europe, Gay Pride Parades are essential to establish normality and equality for lesbians, gays, trans and queer people. Next year, the 10th edition of the Baltic Pride will take place in Vilnius, the capital of Lithuania. Are you going to join and stand up for equality and love?
- All about the Baltic Pride Tallinn in 2017 >
- Our Gay Pride Trips worldwide >
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August 2017 Part 1: Best of Amsterdam (Gay) Pride
Back in Amsterdam, the month August was our very own Gay Pride month at home. Starting with the Pride Walk Amsterdam a week before the Canal Pride Parade, Amsterdam was dressed with rainbows showing once more, that the Dutch capital is one of the most gay-friendly places in the world. Thousands of participants made the Pride Amsterdam, the first time without “Gay” in the name, a total success.
You can join the parade on a boat or along the Prinsengracht. Either way, the Canal Pride Parade is considered to be one of the most beautiful LGBTQ+ parades worldwide celebrating equality, respect, and love for everyone. An event, everyone should attend at least once in a lifetime.
- Best of (Gay) Pride Amsterdam 2017 >
- All about Euro Pride Amsterdam 2016 >
- Our Gay Travel Guides Amsterdam >
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August 2017 Part 2: Pink Lake Festival in Carinthia, Austria
Next stop on our gay travel bucket list for 2017 was Austria for the 10th edition of the Pink Lake Festival in Velden at Lake Wörthersee. It was the perfect short summer trip into the Alps spending wonderful warm days by the lakeside, hiking through beautiful nature, and meeting handsome guys from Austria during one of the parties.
The highlight of the LGBTQ+ festival was the lake cruise, where three ships loaded with fun people dancing the night away in the middle of the lake. A truly magical experience putting the Pink Lake Festival very very high on our travel bucket list for 2018 again! And congratulations on same-sex marriage, that will be legalized by 2019! See you in Lederhosen in the Austrian mountains!
- Our Gay Travel Guides for Carinthia, Austria >
- All about the Pink Lake Festival at Lake Wörthersee >
- Tips: How to buy the perfect Lederhosen in Klagenfurt >
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September 2017 Part 1: Gay Pride in Benidorm, Spain
Our next adventure brought us from the Austrian Alps to the south-east of Spain, to the Spanish holiday destination Benidorm, to be exact. Famous for its skyline directly on the beach, the sunny beaches, and coastline, for the theme park Terra Mítica and for the beautiful nature parks easily accessible by bike.
The Gay Pride Parade along the beach promenade of Benidorm was extraordinarily colorful giving us the feeling of attending a Spanish Carnival! Handsome Spaniards, uncountable rainbow flags, and a very open mindset of the tourists and people living there made our trip to the city between Valencia and Alicante a must do for a summer short trip ending the Gay Pride season in Europe.
- Best of Benidorm Gay Pride Festival 2017 >
- Our stay at the Adults Only Level Meliá Villaitana Benidorm >
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September 2017 Part 2: Beach Holiday in Portugal south of Lisbon
From the warm Mediterranean Sea in Spain to the fresh Atlantic coast in Portugal: Before we boarded our second gay cruise, we spend 10 wonderful relaxing days south of Lisbon with neverending white beaches, delicious and fresh seafood, and our gay-friendly eco-resort (more about it very very soon).
Flying directly from Benidorm to Lisbon, we took a rental car driving all the way south to Praia do Carvalhal – Comporta. We seriously needed a break from all the traveling and can only recommend the calm countryside along the Portuguese coast. Nothing more to add. Summer holiday!
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September/ October 2017: The (Gay) Cruise
After our beach days south of Lisbon, it was finally time to board the cruise ship for our second The Gay Cruise Adventure. Starting from Lisbon, the cruise ship loaded with more than 2000 gay travelers headed toward the flower island Madeira and then further south over the Atlantic to the Canary Islands La Palma, La Gomera, Teneriffe, and finally Gran Canaria.
It was a week full of costume parties, island explorations, and magical moments on the sea where we were able to make some wonderful new friends again! Don’t miss the next The Cruiy by La Demence planned to depart from Barcelona already next July! Hopefully, we can travel and dance together in 2018!
- Our Gay Couple The Cruise Diary 2017 >
- Best of Gay Cruise Party “Where are you from” >
- Best of Gay Cruise Party “Disco, Disco!” >
- Best of Gay Cruise Party “Ladies T-Dance” >
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November 2017: Gay Volleyball in Berlin, Germany
It was time again for the yearly LGBTQ volleyball tournament hosted by the gay sports club Vorspiel in Berlin. Karl still plays from time to time with his Dresdener volleyball friends so we packed our bags and stayed for a long weekend at the Moxi hotel downtown East Berlin. Additional to meeting up with friends and playing a whole day volleyball tournament on Saturday it was mostly time to relax and have a few days away from work.
We always love Berlin with its grungy character full of beautiful artistic spots and places to enjoy. Although Bergheim was only on 5 min walking distance away, we decided to spend our night (and day) another way… see you next time queue! 😉
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December 2017: Home for Christmas time
The last month of 2017 we spend at our lovely home in Amsterdam. We enjoyed the Dutch traditional holiday ‚Sinterklaas’ with our friends at home playing games and catching up. We took quite some time decorating our tree, making sure our house would be as cozy as it can be during the cold winter month. It was also time to start planning 2018 making sure we would have some exciting trips to look forward to.
As you might have read already, we are very looking forward to our trip at the end of January where we will visit Canada again but this time on the other side of the Rockies, starting in Vancouver during the „eat out festival” and ending up at Whistler Pride, the biggest LGBTQ winter pride in Canada. We are looking so much forward seeing our Mountie friends back on the slopes again.
- Gay Travel Guide: Copenhagen & Tivoli Theme Park >
- Our Top 10 Christmas Gift Ideas for Gay Travelers >
- Merry Christmas 2017!
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More Gay Travel Blog Articles:
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Happy New Year with the best of our Gay Couple Travel Year 2017
We cannot wait to let the new travel year begin. But for now, we would like to wish you a Happy New Year full of love and see you all in 2018.
Do you wanna know more about our gay travels around the world? Stay tuned on Facebook, Twitter, Youtube, and Instagram. See you next time in Canada!
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ดวงดี พันธชาติ
Monday 1st of January 2018
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