Marble from the Greek island of Paros (2007)
This was my first travel rock. On the epic Greek adventure organized by the Curriers and attended by the most awesome group of friends (Team Bacchus!), we took a tour of an old marble quarry. It blew my mind to think I was walking on a really big formation of marble, because the place looked mostly orange. I thought marble was white. The tour guide said that the more orange the outside, the brighter white the inside, and she invited us to break open any rock (marble is relatively soft) to see. I grabbed the first big stone nearby and hurled it at a boulder. The thing shattered, and this beautiful shard was the result. I thought to myself, "Not only is it beautiful, but it's marble! That's freaking Greek!"
Navajo sandstone from Zion Canyon (2010)
I mean, outside Zion Canyon. I definitely didn't take a rock from a National Park, which is totally not allowed. This beautiful orange stone is everywhere in Utah, and it nearly defines the place in my mind. The orange rock and the blue sky complement each other so beautifully out there. I found this slab not far from the road when I stopped to take some pictures.
Glacial deposit from Capitol Reef National Park (2010)
I mean, outside Capitol Reef. I definitely didn't take a rock from a National Park, which is totally not allowed. Among the miles of orange landscape in Utah, you see random black rocks that easily stand out. They are completely unrelated to any of the surroundings and were deposited there glaciers 13,000 years ago or so.
My Blarney Stone (2012)
I found this in Blarney Castle, Ireland. It was in the gardens. I couldn't resist having my own Blarney Stone.
By the way, I had a much better rock from the Aran Islands off Galway. The whole island is made of a beautiful gray limestone. I found a perfect shard, but it ended up being way too heavy to carry all over the island. I regret putting it back. I should have kept it.
Chalk from the White Cliffs of Dover (2012)
On my first EF Tour to London, we were blessed with a day off to get out of the city. I took a group (the Noones, the Seldens, Christine and Gen) to see Dover. It was the coldest, windiest day imaginable, and these folks were just the happiest people you could ever hope to be with on a day like that. I told them about my fondness for rocks, and they embraced it. We found a little place littered with fallen stones, and each of us got our own little piece of the cliffs.
Pumice from Pompeii (2013)
Okay, I didn't actually go to Pompeii. It's still on my to do list. On my second EF Tour, we had a free day in Rome. I really wanted to go to Pompeii, but the vast majority of the group was staying in Rome, so I was needed there. Luckily, Sammie Johnson is amazing and brought me back rocks since she was one of the few students who took the guided tour to Pompeii. This is volcanic rock from a city buried by a volcano. So very awesome.
Part of the Travertines of Pamukkale (2013)
These formations in Turkey are covered in mineral deposits (mostly calcium) from the mineral springs flowing over the rocks, gathering in pools, and evaporating. I did not break off a piece from this natural wonder, I swear. I was actually lucky enough to find this sitting next to the base of one of the formations. I couldn't believe my luck. Perfect cross section.
Limestone from a calanque in Marseille (2014)
Marseille is surrounded by rock formations called calanques, steep limestone formations common on the southern coast of France. The bright white/light gray rocks with the blue water makes such a pretty backdrop. I went for a nice walk up into the hills, and I found this smooth, beautiful specimen while sitting down on an outcrop.
Marseille is surrounded by rock formations called calanques, steep limestone formations common on the southern coast of France. The bright white/light gray rocks with the blue water makes such a pretty backdrop. I went for a nice walk up into the hills, and I found this smooth, beautiful specimen while sitting down on an outcrop.
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