What I’ve gained from roots-based travel

Roots-based travel is a fascinating way to see the world and learn more about yourself. It’s been one of the main motivations for many of my travels in recent years. 

I’d always had a rough idea of my heritage, but not much in the way of extensive family trees.

What information I did have, sadly, showed that my connections were all rather distant. Much too distant to take advantage of ancestry-based dual citizenship offers – every travel writer’s dream! Oh well, you can’t win ‘em all. 

Roots-based travel still seemed like an awesome idea, though. I could, at the very least, get a glimpse of where my ancestors lived by traveling to their countries and cities.

After all, I’d only heard about these places or seen them represented in movies or TV (not always the most accurate depictions!).

My ancestral journey has taken me across Europe, and I’m here to share my experiences. 

A family tree & connections far in the past

I knew roughly what my heritage was based on surnames. I also had one relatively extensive family tree (9 generations back) that my dad’s cousin had put together. 

My ancestry consists of English, Scottish, German, and French. I did know enough from records and oral family history that most of my predecessors arrived in the United States during the early Colonial era.

The most recent arrivals were on my mother’s side. My grandfather’s grandfather came over in the 1800s. Again, too distant for ancestry-based dual citizenship programs or anything of the sort.

Regardless, having occasion to travel, I put the various countries (and specific destinations within them as best as I could discover) at the top of my bucket list.

Lindisfarne, England – rolling hills, remote islands, and rich histories

I knew I had English ancestry, and, as far as I could tell, it leaned more towards Northern England. That part of the country always attracted me more as it’s more rural and home to rugged landscapes. I’ve also had a longstanding interest in the early Anglo-Saxon period of English history. 

So, my travels took me to the island of Lindisfarne. Lindisfarne is unique because when the tide is out, it’s connected to the mainland. You can drive there, but keep track of the time! 

Lindisfarne was an important cultural center in early medieval England since it was home to a thriving monastery. The monks who dwelt there preserved the knowledge of classical antiquity but also added their own contributions, such as the elaborately illuminated Lindisfarne Gospels.

I was struck by the austere beauty of the place. There’s a castle, monastic ruins, and a tiny village here today, but much of the island is made up of rolling hills covered in long grass. 

It seemed like the perfect place for a life of contemplation (when the Vikings weren’t raiding at least…).

Scotland – ferries, fog, and a familiar feeling

In addition to my English heritage, I also knew that I had some Scottish blood. Again, there were no extensive family histories to go off of, only surnames prefaced with “Mc.” As far as I can tell, my ancestors hailed mostly from the Lowlands instead of the near-legendary Highlands, but, I can’t complain.

I opted for Glasgow over Edinburgh, given my near-pathological avoidance of the beaten path. Glasgow gets unfairly overlooked. It has lofty Gothic cathedrals, venerable brick buildings, and cozy pubs galore. 

A favorite memory was passing a lazy Sunday afternoon nursing a pint, listening to local musicians play traditional tunes in one such pub on a rainy day.

Further travels took me northward to the coast and onward to the islands of Mull and Iona. 

Looking out the windows of the train, I noticed landscapes quite similar to those back home in Kodiak, Alaska – low-lying mountains, valleys covered in spruce trees, and deep glacial lakes. The weather, gloomy by most people’s standards, also reminded me of home. It’s an acquired taste. 

If you ask me, there’s a special sort of beauty that you only see when the weather’s less than “ideal.” It adds a poetic element. It deepens the sense of adventure. Plus, it made Duart Castle (in the distance in the second pic) look way more epic and mysterious!

Taking the ferry from the mainland to the Isle of Mull also brought back many memories. Kodiak is connected to the mainland of Alaska by a similar ferry service. Thankfully, this voyage was a fraction of the ones to and from Kodiak – 45 minutes instead of half a day!

Poland – unearthing a hidden gem in Poznań

On my mother’s side, we’re mostly German, but from a region that changed hands with Poland a few times in the 18th and 19th centuries. Again, no extensive genealogies, and I wouldn’t have had the best luck with the Polish language barrier if I wanted to go digging through old records!

Regardless, I wanted to see what my grandfather’s home, the city of Poznań, was like.

Poznań is one of my favorite places I’ve ever been to. I even wrote an entire article on it. But here’s a synopsis: It’s rich in history, has a beautiful Old Town, it feels authentic (instead of touristy), and the pace of life there is relaxed for a city of a million.

I spent just under a week in Poland, (I also stayed in Warsaw) but was deeply impressed by all I saw. Poland’s folk heritage is rich (check out the Museum of Ethnography in Warsaw!), the food is delicious, and the Poles have a resilience that has enabled them to overcome all manner of adversity. 

One of the best examples of this strength is Warsaw itself, which was nearly leveled in World War II but is now a booming modern metropolis. Poland’s economy is one of the strongest in Eastern Europe despite enduring the World Wars, Soviet occupation, and much more.

Although my ancestors were German (and Germany and Poland haven’t always gotten along so well), I felt honored to have at least some little stake in Polish history. 

France – Mediterranean musings

I save France for last, because, as far as I’ve figured, French is the lowest percentage of ancestry I have despite my last name being French in origin. 

Here, I was fortunate in that my dad’s cousin did a lot of digging through old records and wrote up a family tree. I discovered that the family came from Marseille to Louisiana back when it was still a French territory.

Again, much too distant to go looking for relatives, but still awesome to know more concrete facts than with my other lineages. This was also quite a non-sequitur. All the rest of my heritage hailed from Central Europe or far-off foggy islands, and here was a little sliver of the sunny Mediterranean!

Marseille is charming. Pastel-colored houses line narrow, winding side streets. Restaurants and cafes offer delicious wine and cuisine. Sailboats fill every quay in the historic Old Port neighborhood. 

There are also several stunning cathedrals, which favor Byzantine influences, as opposed to the Gothic-style that’s prominent elsewhere in France.

As a history nerd, it was mind-blowing to finally catch sight of the Mediterranean Sea. 

Rome, Carthage, Greece, and so many others were all tied together by this sea that is as full of history as it is water. Specifically, Marseille’s history goes back to classical antiquity, being founded by the Greeks as a trading city in the 6th century BC. 

I thought to myself “Maybe my ancestors fought for (or against) Caesar, traded with the Greeks, or even were Greeks themselves.” Seeking new opportunities beyond new horizons? It seems travel is in my blood.

🎙️ Listen to the Podcast: This article was featured in Episode 1 of the Travel Lemming Podcast on YouTube! (segment begins at 8:58). You can also listen on Spotify and Apple Podcasts.

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If you ask me, having a sense of adventure and romance (the poetic kind) is just as important as bringing all the material things you need. 

The austere beauty of Northern England and Scotland. The proud history of Poland. The mystery of Marseille and the Mediterranean. I feel I have some share, even if a very small one, in each of them. 

Oh, yes, I nearly forgot! I also learned that I have ancestors hailing from Wales – the one place on my roots-based bucket list I have yet to visit. I wonder what treasures are there, waiting to be unearthed? Time to start scouting for tickets!

Interested in reading more about travel and heritage? Read about Vanessa’s experience searching for answers about Puerto Rico’s indigenous inhabitants here.