This paper consists of my recollections about the studies of crystal growth which I have been involved with over the past decades. I am deeply indebted to many outstanding co-workers who have collaborated with me. The descriptions are drawn from my memory of events, and subject to all of the failing which that might entail. I only regret that I will not be able to mention all of my collaborators over the years, due to a limitation of space and a faulty memory. This paper includes sections on interface instabilities, on the surface roughening transition, on the Jackson alpha factor, on transparent analogues of metals, on analytical models for crystallization, and finally, a few remarks about on-going and future of studies of crystal growth processes. (C) 2004 Published by Elsevier B.V.