“The Gene Kelly centre of Paris surrounded on all sides by North Africa,” changes my whole perspective on a place I have only ever seen in my imagination. This is what good writing does!
Thank you, Irene. It turns out that Paris is a real place and goes on for miles in all directions beyond the Eiffel Tower. Wouldn't it be wonderful if North Americans and Europeans could comfortably go to all those places not in the guide books?
I so love this post. I’m relatively newly on my own and with enough money to go places, and I haven’t quite accepted that there are limits now, limits to my own energy, my age, and limits because of the state of the world.
So your words really spoke to me as I’ve been imagining, going to several places in the last five or six hours, places I would’ve done so easily in my younger self . I travelled much as you did in my 20s and it’s such a delicious memory.. I have been to Paris several times in the last few years because my daughter lives in France, I’m very aware of the duality of Paris, but the centre is a magical place.
Really appreciate your response, Heather. Where are you dreaming of going? I've never been on a tour, but some people have positive experiences with that kind of travel. I can say unequivocally that I wouldn't be the same person if I hadn't traveled over the years...particularly the 20+ times I went to Tobago in the eastern Caribbean.
I also wouldn’t be the same person if I hadn’t convinced my husband to go to San Miguel 16 years ago. We were self-employed and he never left his office. I convinced him that we should get out of here here being Canada for part of the winter. The first year we went to Southwest US camping and the next year we went to San Miguel where we bought a small dump of an apartment, and it was the best thing we ever did. He was a frustrated, architect and a treasure over the years initially he was able to work from there. We were happier there I think than we ever were here and a year after he died I went back and I continue to go every winter and I have a different life there and that has given me the courage to go other places, I travel alone to France and meet my daughter and I’ve been out to BC several times to see family but I haven’t gone anywhere unknown alone. That’s the next big one. I always meet people because I’m curious and I love people so I’m thinking.
These long term engagements with another culture are so rich and completely different from vacationing. In Tobago, where we visited from 1981-2006, we had deep friendships with local people. One guy called us in Massachusetts to invite us to his wedding.....But when we first went there, there were chickens on the plane.
Lovely traveling with you, Susie. I’m very content I got as far east as the-then Yugoslavia, as far south as Neruda’s Temuco in Chile, as far west as Hawaii’s Big Island and as far north as the Orkneys off the tip of Scotland.
Yes, I missed Australia as well as The Forbidden City, China and all of Asia; Australia, New Zealand, Iceland, Greenland, the Arctic and its Anti. And those are only the land masses. But all that will have to wait for another lifetime. Unless I’ve done that already. Lookin’ at you, China.
Low cost and not ad exhausting. Meet you in the Mumbai of the mind.
“The Gene Kelly centre of Paris surrounded on all sides by North Africa,” changes my whole perspective on a place I have only ever seen in my imagination. This is what good writing does!
Thank you, Irene. It turns out that Paris is a real place and goes on for miles in all directions beyond the Eiffel Tower. Wouldn't it be wonderful if North Americans and Europeans could comfortably go to all those places not in the guide books?
Sounds like time for a spin aboard the Marrakesh Express, even if only through song. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0TYq9RjdYYU
The places you've been will always be with you. The places you want to go will always be there.
What places do you hold in your heart, Bryan?
I so love this post. I’m relatively newly on my own and with enough money to go places, and I haven’t quite accepted that there are limits now, limits to my own energy, my age, and limits because of the state of the world.
So your words really spoke to me as I’ve been imagining, going to several places in the last five or six hours, places I would’ve done so easily in my younger self . I travelled much as you did in my 20s and it’s such a delicious memory.. I have been to Paris several times in the last few years because my daughter lives in France, I’m very aware of the duality of Paris, but the centre is a magical place.
Thank you for your writing .
Really appreciate your response, Heather. Where are you dreaming of going? I've never been on a tour, but some people have positive experiences with that kind of travel. I can say unequivocally that I wouldn't be the same person if I hadn't traveled over the years...particularly the 20+ times I went to Tobago in the eastern Caribbean.
That was quite a ramble because I dictated it and then didn’t edit it🤪
I also wouldn’t be the same person if I hadn’t convinced my husband to go to San Miguel 16 years ago. We were self-employed and he never left his office. I convinced him that we should get out of here here being Canada for part of the winter. The first year we went to Southwest US camping and the next year we went to San Miguel where we bought a small dump of an apartment, and it was the best thing we ever did. He was a frustrated, architect and a treasure over the years initially he was able to work from there. We were happier there I think than we ever were here and a year after he died I went back and I continue to go every winter and I have a different life there and that has given me the courage to go other places, I travel alone to France and meet my daughter and I’ve been out to BC several times to see family but I haven’t gone anywhere unknown alone. That’s the next big one. I always meet people because I’m curious and I love people so I’m thinking.
These long term engagements with another culture are so rich and completely different from vacationing. In Tobago, where we visited from 1981-2006, we had deep friendships with local people. One guy called us in Massachusetts to invite us to his wedding.....But when we first went there, there were chickens on the plane.
Lovely traveling with you, Susie. I’m very content I got as far east as the-then Yugoslavia, as far south as Neruda’s Temuco in Chile, as far west as Hawaii’s Big Island and as far north as the Orkneys off the tip of Scotland.
Yes, I missed Australia as well as The Forbidden City, China and all of Asia; Australia, New Zealand, Iceland, Greenland, the Arctic and its Anti. And those are only the land masses. But all that will have to wait for another lifetime. Unless I’ve done that already. Lookin’ at you, China.
Yes indeed, I'm on exactly the same wave-length!
Where are you going? I always want to start in Istanbul, but I'm open to suggestion.
Susie, this is a delightful way to travel. I'll have to try it.