Who will take care of our kids?

 There is no end to the travel temptations that The Scout finds. 

The question though isn't 'Where will we go next?' but more. . .

Island of Kos - another travel temptation

'Who will take care of our kids while we are gone?' Our 'fur kids', that is.

Our Greek family consists of two felines. There's our 12-year-old 'Princess' who reigns supreme and our part-time roustabout 'Nermal' who's been a regular at our house for five years. Their care while we are gone is as much a consideration as the trip itself. 

Princess watching for jackals and wild boar in the grove

Gone are the days of having someone stop by for morning and evening feedings with the cats fending for themselves in between. As the numbers of jackals and wild boar in our rural slice of the Peloponnese continues to rise, so does the need to have 24/7 cat care. Jackals have killed five cats in our area within the last year.

Nermal making sure it is safe to step outside

It was a fortunate happenstance when over coffee in the village a few years ago that an acquaintance mentioned how happy she'd been with a recent house and pet sit; her dogs had been well cared for and she returned to a clean house as well.

A chance conversation - a life changer

That chance conversation was our introduction to Trusted Housesitters,(THS), an online community marketplace where pet parents and pet sitters meet.   We are now among the 230,000+ members of THS, a 10-year-old pet sitting resource that encompasses 100 countries. 

The only cost for this pet sitting is in the annual membership fee paid by both sitter and pet owner.  No money changes hands between sitter and pet owner. The sitter pays their travel expenses, and daily expenses during their stay. The homeowner provides the accommodation and pays all utilities. 

Details of our home are part of the profile

As a pet owner I've created an on-line THS profile about us, the cats and our home. When we need a sitter, we post the dates and wait for applications. We review applicants, often video chatting with them before making a selection. The sitters also have on-line profiles, and recommendations.  Reviews of both the sitter and the homeowner appear on the respective profiles after the sits begin.  

Nermal isn't sure about the pet sitter in the computer

Even with all the checks and balances provided by THS, I have to admit that I was skeptical at first.  Our cats are very particular about who they like and who they don't. I wasn't sure that either of them would be comfortable with 'a stranger' caring for them, no matter how comfortable we humans were with the individuals we'd selected. It could be compared to on-line dating, but the pets have no say in with whom they'll be spending time.

A Game Changer

THS Merri and Ivana are among village friends at this gathering 

I am here to tell you, that we've been blown away by the way 'the kids' took to their new caregivers! It is humbling - yet comforting - to realize that you can be replaced. 

One of the unexpected benefits of the pet sit program, has been the friendships made. Each person that has arrived here as a sitter, has left as a friend. We stay in touch on social media and see each other when the opportunities arise.  

So, with their permission to tell you a bit about them and show you some of the candid photos they us sent while we were away, let me introduce you to our new friends:  

 Ivana from the Czech Republic.

Ivana saying goodbye to Princess

We met Ivana a few summers ago when she sat for our friend, Chuck, in the village. Two summers ago, when she returned for another sit at his house she agreed to care for our two cats as well. As a remote worker (one who can work from anywhere there is internet access), Ivana divided her time between our two homes.  Our cats were contented and well cared for as were his two dogs and cats. 

Ivana, Princess and Maggie

This sit was our introduction to the wonders of getting daily reports, photos, like the one above, and videos. Getting these reports and seeing 'the kids' is most reassuring - we were sold on the program. Our cats back then, Maggie (who's since crossed the Rainbow Bridge) and Princess didn't seem to miss us at all.  They no longer roamed the neighborhood looking for human interaction and love in between feedings.

Mouthwatering homemade Czech dessert awaited

And if coming home to happy cats, and a clean house wasn't the icing on the cake, the plate of fresh-baked Czech dessert we found waiting for us on our return was!  

Ivana continues to watch Chuck's 'kids', so we get to see her socially while she's here. We stay in touch the rest of the year on FB.

Merri from New Mexico, now Mani

We met THS Merri when she cared for the feline family of our friends Mic and Jean in November 2023. We met up a couple times during that stay. We had her over to meet Princess who made it clear she liked her within minutes of her arrival. We stayed in touch after she returned to the States and were delighted when she said she'd come back to watch our kids for a month last summer.

'Wake up, Merri! Time to play with me,' said Princess

Merri was unruffled by the Mani storms that struck during her November stay not to mention the heatwave and drought that struck last summer while at our place. Even that pesky rat, I've written about, who struck our car's electrical system, did so while Merri was here. While she insisted that she had enjoyed our area, we worried she might not consider another sit here. . .

Who needs sunset when you have Merri scratching your head?

The THS website explains that these sits can be life changing and Merri can attest to that.  She really did like the area, but she won't be sitting here any longer. Merri, with a digital nomad residency permit in hand, has moved here! We'are sad to have lost a great THS but now have a new friend just down the road. (Within her first two months she was adopted by three stray cats!)

Gabrielle and Steve from England

This twosome arrived on a glum, gray January day for a three-week stay to care for our feline family.  They were the first sitters we'd not met in real life prior to the sit although we'd done a WhatsApp video call with them. We were delighted that they'd traveled here from England, but I fretted about whether Princess would like them or not.  

We hadn't been gone 48 hours when we received the photo below. . .and I quit fretting.

Princess seemed to think Steve was a perfect fit

There is nothing better for a fretting fur kid parent than to get daily reports with photos of how the kids are doing. It is listed as a condition of a sit for our fur kids. Gabrielle and Steve notched up those reports as I had pointed out to them the street cats I feed when in the village, but assured them, that wasn't expected of them.  Imagine the joy when they sent photos of the cats in the village they had fed as well!  

'Nermal, our 'part-time' cat,' I had forewarned them, 'is a 'cat of the hill' - he might show up, he might not.' He might be too afraid to come in and eat if he sees strangers in the house. He is afraid of humans. If he didn't show, they were not to worry. 

Gabrielle cuddling Nermal!

Need I say we were gobsmacked when this photo popped up in our messages?  Gabrielle had achieved a trust with our scaredy cat we'd never would have thought possible!

Jeanne from Switzerland

An island-hopping ferry trip in March would be determined by whether we could get a THS on rather short notice.  No sitter, no trip, we'd decided. We were hoping to leave in two weeks. 

We posted our travel dates and to our surprise had seven applicants within the first hour.  The one who stood out among them was Jeanne from Switzerland. And luck was with us - she was already traveling in the Peloponnese and was but a few hours' drive away.

I took this photo- Princess preferred Jeanne!

Because she had a flexible travel schedule, we were able to leave sooner than we'd hoped and stay longer than we'd originally planned.  We had a face-to-face video chat and then a few days later we met for coffee and a home tour as she continued her travels in the area.  A few days later she returned for the sit, and we left confident that our cats were in good hands (and feet as evidenced by Nermal below).

Nermal wrapped around Jeanne's leg

Despite rather unseasonably wet weather she was able to get out and explore our immediate area and do some hiking while taking care of the wee ones.  Like Gabrielle, she won the heart of Nermal and had Princess never far from her side.  

We returned home a day early due to bad weather so overlapped with Jeanne. The next morning when we said goodbye, it felt like a longtime friend was leaving.

Not for Everyone

THS was a game changer for us

We found al our sitters to be extremely focused on the care of our fur kids and our home.  They enjoy the benefits of the accommodation and the area, but don't approach the stay with the idea of it being a vacation. Not everyone would want to take on that responsibility. Just as not every homeowner would want to have someone they don't know well, come into their homes and care for their pets. 

For us, it has worked extremely well. We recommend it highly.  This summer we have another THS couple coming from America to watch the kids and water plants while we are back in the States. They have not only been to the Mani but have been pet sitting in the neighborhood!  

If any of you are interested in joining Trusted Housesitters, (either as pet sitter or pet owner) you can get 25% off your membership if referred by a current THS member. The referring member, if you join, gets their membership extended by two months.  (Send us an email and I will make sure to divide the referral opportunities between the sitters I've introduced you to.)  

That's it for this week. We'll be back with more travel tales soon ~ thanks for the time you've spent with us!

Athens Grande Bretagne ~ The Butler Can Do It. . .

We declined the doorman's offer to carry our bags the short distance from the taxi into the palatial lobby. Our two bags were small - we were in Athens for a long weekend. We could manage.

Lobby - The Grande Bretagne (GB) - Athens

But when the young receptionist, who looked like a Greek Goddess reincarnate upgraded us to a junior suite and said, "Your butler will take your bags and show you to your room," who were we to refuse?

The Butler, with our bags in tow, led us to our 7th floor junior suite on the 'Butler Floor' of the undeniably posh Athens Grande Bretagne Hotel.

Less than 10 minutes into our stay we knew why this property is part of the Luxury Hotel Collection and consistently rated by travelers as one of the top hotels in Athens.

This stay was going to be memorable.

Let the Butler Do It

'The Butler' was one of several staff members assigned the responsibility of responding to the wants and needs of those of us staying on the designated butler floors. He seemed a bit bellman and concierge rolled into one.  Anything we needed 24/7, just call his number, he said as he handed us his business card.  He'd shown us about our spacious room, opening curtains, explained the wi-fi and the room-card operated electricity (common throughout Europe).  Did we need reservations? Recommendations? Help with anything. . .just call.

Problem was that when one lives their lives without a butler, it is difficult to think of something we needed 'buttled' as we referred to his services from then on.

Our suite at The GB in Athens

"Why doesn't our house look like this," asked The Scout with a big sigh as we inspected our Athenian digs. 

"Well, for starters our interior walls molded while we were gone this winter and now we have the ant problem on top of it," responded his sidekick, The Scribe, who was thinking, 'I could live in a hotel like this.'  

Suffice to say, the room itself -- had we never stepped outside its door -- would have been a treat of a getaway. 

Welcome: Liquor and chocolates by French  pastry chef Arnaud Larher 

The attention to detail was amazing. Take that down comforter on the bed in the photo below:  When made up by housekeeping the top is folded about 45 cm towards the foot of the bed then rolled back over itself to 5 cm from the edge of the fold. This, I learned from the in-room hotel magazine, lets the guest snuggle into the bed using the minimum amount of effort. My kind of bed! Housekeepers  use a 10 point checklist when inspecting the made beds.

A linen rug, slippers and chocolate at night

If Only the Walls Could Talk

The hotel stairway a metaphor of its layers of  history

The layers of history at this hotel are almost dizzying. And that was a stronger enticement for us than the luxurious accommodations. 

Ambiance is unbeatable in the GB Winter Garden

As we dined in the Winter Garden, off the lobby, we wondered how it looked in 1842 when it was built as the 90-room 'Stadtpalais' (majestic residence) of Antonis Dimitrio. His home was constructed across from the Palace of King Otto barely more than a decade after Greece achieved its independence from the Ottomans.

18th Century tapestry in Alexander's Bar at the GB

Or as we sat at the bar in Alexander's Bar, in the shadow of the hotel's treasured 18th Century tapestry of Alexander the Great entering Gaugamela, we pondered the massive effort undertaken  by Savvas Kentros, who purchased the home for 80,000 drachmas and converted it to a hotel.

Who's walked here before us?

We wished the walls could talk about the decade of the 1940's when first the hotel was evacuated in October of 1940 to be used as governmental headquarters of the King, the Armed General Staff and the Allied Forces.

Or April 1941 when the invading Germans took it for the headquarters of their Wehrmacht.

Greek flags in the morning sun from the rooftop restaurant

Then, with the liberation of Greece in 1944, it became the seat of the new interim government and British forces.

By the late 1950's the hotel was back to being a hotel, renovations and ownership changes marked the subsequent decades. Its most recent $100 million renovation in 2003 created the property as it today. 

Traveler's Tip

We often sing the praises of hotel and airline loyalty programs. We are long-time members of the Marriott Hotel's loyalty program, which has become BonVoy the loyalty program of the merged Marriott and Starwood Hotel chains. The upgraded room was part of the loyalty program benefits and an example of the benefits that can be had from such programs.  The room we booked was in the 250 euro ($280US) per night range; the junior suite on the Butler Floor we were upgraded to was about 350 euro ($393US) a night.  

We used accumulated loyalty points -- 60,000 a night for 180,000 total - to pay for the room. Our out-of-pocket cost was 4 euro a night for the room tax levied in Greece on hotel stays.

Acropolis from the Grand Bretagne

If you find yourself in Greece - even if you don't stay at the hotel - we'd recommend a drink or a meal at either the Grande Bretagne or its sister Luxury Collection Hotel, the King George, next door. Both are across the street from Syntagma Square.

That's it for this week.  We are back at our Stone House on the Hill in the midst of springtime projects. We are keeping busy and that is good because we can't leave Greece.  No joke. And not our idea.  But that's a topic to tell you about next week. Hope to see you back then and bring a friend or two as well.

Safe travels to you and yours. 

Linking with:

Through My Lens
Our World Tuesday
Wordless Wednesday

 

Athens ~ Merchants Markets and Mezes

'The traveler sees what he sees,

the tourist sees what he has come to see.'

             -- G.K. Chesterton

Waiting to cross a street near Syntagma (Constitution) Square in the heart of Athens, a person focused on his mobile phone while balanced on a lime green scooter came whizzing down the sidewalk behind us. A car in front of us speeded up, ran a red light and could have taken out a few pedestrians had we not been slow to react to the 'walk' signal. To our side the 'hop-on, hop-off' buses vied with a parade of taxis for a spot to stop near the famous square.

On this Saturday afternoon the streets were crowded and the sidewalks were crammed with shoppers - we could tell they were shoppers by the name-brand logos printed on the bags they carried. Chatter and laughter wafted from tables at open-air cafes.

Cafe and taverna tables are filled in Athens these days

A decade after the economic crisis sucker punched this country, you can feel the vibe, the life, perhaps even the soul of this popular central area returning.  This part of downtown is night-and-day different from even a few years ago when shops were shuttered, businesses closed and the streets in once-busy commercial areas empty.

Time and time again during a long-weekend here earlier this month, we were touched by this upbeat rhythm in the neighborhoods we explored. We avoided the 'tourist' sites this trip and set out to see the 'every day'. To be sure, there is a lot to Athens and economic recovery isn't going to be achieved uniformly or immediately but we could tell the areas of the city we visited are on a definite upswing.

Syntagma (Constitution) Square - Athens

Staying in a hotel at Syntagma Square we remarked on the quietude of the place that less than a decade ago gained notoriety -- much like Cairo's Tahrir Square during their Arab Spring -- when Athenians protested and rioted here as the economy tanked and European Union economic sanctions kicked into gear.

Friends who witnessed first-hand such riots from the same hotel in which we stayed say they'll never return to Athens. It is a shame, that attitude - because that was so then, this is so now.

Ermou Street - Merchants

We headed west from Syntagma Square on Ermou Street, one of our favorite routes in this sprawling metropolis. The 1.5 kilometer road, named for Hermes, the god of commerce, leads  to  Kerameikos, (ceramicus) the old potters' quarters archeological site.

The street, ranked among the top five most expensive shopping streets in Europe and among the top 10 world-wide, begins as a pedestrian zone at Syntagma Square, a feature that makes for excellent 'window shopping'.

Shop until you drop on Ermou Street in Athens

Stretching for several blocks are stores selling shoes, jewelry, specialty items and brand-name children's, women's and men's clothing. Street vendors set up shop in front of the stores offering everything from eats to books. You really could shop until you drop and never leave this street.

Street Vendors are up and open long before stores on Ermou

We love to walk it before the stores have opened when the sidewalk vendors are just setting up shop and again late in the evening when the buskers set up to entertain late into the night.

Night - bucker's delight on Ermou St. Athens

And then several blocks later there sits in the middle of Ermou Street an ancient church. Once you pass this small square, it isn't long before the pedestrian zone ends and you are back on rather narrow sidewalks. This Byzantine Church of Panaghia Kapnikarea is believed to have been built about 1050 on the site of an ancient temple to Athena or Demeter.

Church of Panghia Kapnikarea - Ermou Street, Athens.

The Markets - Ancient and New

We love markets - those public gathering places where farmers and producers gather to sell what they have grown, raised or created. When it comes to such places, you can't beat Athens for having a selection of both ancient and present-day venues. All are walking distance from Syntagma Square:

Tower of the Wind - Roman Agora - Athens

Ancient Agora - once the hangout for the likes of Plato and Socrates, this historic site is a popular stop for tourists.  So large and encompassing are these old grounds between Monastiraki and the Acropolis, that Lonely Planet guidebook's self-guided tour advises it will take two hours to complete.

Just a short distance away are the ruins of the Roman Agora, a commercial center dating back to the first century BC. Julius Caesar started the project and Caesar Augustus finished it.  Perhaps the most famous of its remaining structures is its Tower of the Winds, a handsome eight-sided marble structure that once served as a water clock, sundial and weathervane.

Strawberries are in season in Athens

Our focus this outing was on modern-day markets so we bypassed the ancient. We began with a stroll through Monastraki Square, named for the 'little monastery' that sits to the side of its square.  While the square still has a fruit vendor or two and boasts a weekend 'antique' market, the rest of its small shops could better be described as a tourist-shop arcade. You want a souvenir? You'll find it on the narrow street flanked by shops offering everything from key chains and post cards to mass produced art work, 'traditional' leather sandals, and women's wear. If you want Army camouflage gear, you'll find it at a shop here.

Antique/flea Market Saturday at Monastiraki Square

You'd need hours to rummage through the display tables that sprout on Saturday mornings  in the plaza. There are bona fide antique stores that front the plaza and operate daily but the weekend brings a hodge-podge of sellers who display piles of old used 'stuff' on folding tables. Somewhere within them, there's likely an antique but we didn't have the desire or patience to try looking.

Meat and fish and veggies at the Dimotiki Market

We left Monastiraki and strolled several blocks on Athinas Street to Athens' enormous Central Municipal Market that also goes by the names of Dimotiki (public market) and Varvakeios (a long ago hero) Market.

Now this was real Athens - not a tourist item in sight and no arts and crafts. It was serious food for serious shoppers.  We did spend a lot of time strolling the aisles - which is best done in closed-toed shoes as they are wet and somewhat slippery on the meat and fish side of the street.

Mezes and other culinary delights

One of three market cafes - Dimotiki Market Athens

We suspected the food was excellent at the three small cafes that operate within the market but we were saving ourselves for dinner with friends, long-time Athenians. And were we ever glad we did as they introduced us to a café tucked up in the Plaka area near the Roman Agora - a café that got its start back in the 1930's and is still incredibly popular today. It served authentic Greek 'village' food -- and Taverna Platanos is one we'd recommend if you find yourself wanting a bit of good 'home-cooked' flavor and presentation.

Good Greek food served at this historic taverna

Now before I sign off, I need to circle back to that mention of the lime green scooter that I told you about in the opening paragraph. Electric Lime Scooters debuted in the city in January.  Using an app uploaded to your phone you can unlock a scooter, use it and leave it on the street at the end of your ride. The cost is 1 euro plus .15 cents  for every minute.  They can travel at a rate of 25 km an hour - yikes!  We still prefer walking but keep it in mind if you find yourself in Athens.

Electric Lim Scooters have come to Athens

There's a lot more to discover about Athens and one day we'll head back for another adventure.  Hope that if your travels take you there you'll allow yourselves a few days to experience as much of the city as you can cram into your schedule. As Matt Barrett, who writes an online travel guide to Greece, has said,

'The true wonders of Athens may not be in the dead past, but in the very alive present.'

Hope to see you back here next week when we'll indulge in a bit of the luxurious side of travel in Greece.  Until then, thanks so much for the time you've spent with us and safe travels to you and yours ~

Linking this week with:
Through My Lens
Our World Tuesday
Wordless Wednesday

Too old for travel or expat life? 'No Way!', you say. . .

“The key to successful aging is to pay as little attention to it as possible.”
― Judith Regan

Wow! You do have some thoughts on 'boomer' lifestyle and travel!  Your response to my most recent post made that very clear. . .

Elders in Tripoli, Greece reading the news

In that post (The Night I Danced with the Barmaid and other tales.  . .)I wrote of the juxtaposition of  my experiences in dancing with a barmaid in a Greek taverna and falling over a suitcase at an airport with my first U. S. Medicare Wellness Exam. While neither of the falls I took had given me cause to think about ageing and health, the exam certainly did. 

I began pondering if 'a woman my age' (that phrase doctors start using when you turn 50) just might be getting too old for the adventures we have been having as full-time expats in Greece and avid world travelers.

Aging playground in the village of Trachila, Greece

Ending that post with the question, 'what do you boomer travelers and ex pats think about the impact of aging on your lifestyle. . .or do you think about aging?' we didn't expect such an outpouring of thoughts.

Boomers are ready for new vistas and discovery

For those getting Travelnwrite delivered as an email, you miss the richness of the comments that are added by readers to the blog post. If you respond to the email you receive, we are the only ones who see it. Those of you not on Facebook also miss the comments posted there. And for that reason, your most recent comments -- which deserved to be seen by more than the two of us --  prompted me to shelve my planned post on updates from The Stone House on the Hill and instead share a sampling of your thoughts on boomer travel and lifestyle choices.  And I've included links to the blogs written by many who left comments - I'd recommend them all!

Kalderimis - ancient Greek roads make excellent hiking paths

 Anita Oliver, co-creator of the blog No Particular Place to Go, a friend and fellow American ex-pat who lives in Portugal wrote:

We've talked in the past of common experiences we share but this post lands on the top of the list! I've tripped over chairs in restaurants, fallen off bikes and down stairs, skidded across gravel and rocks when walking and yes, sprawled over my own damn suitcase in front of crowds of people. 😁 All you can do is laugh and be thankful that nothing's broken. I couldn't agree more with your words, "... they've made me appreciate even more our decision to live differently; to dance, to travel, to climb stairs without handrails and to walk on uneven surfaces for as long as our old bodies and minds allow us to do so." How boring our lives would be if we didn't challenge ourselves to search for new experiences and adventures rather than play it safe

Boomers are ready to travel new roads

Philadelphia-based traveler Suzanne Fluhr, who authors the blog, Boomeresque wrote:

My Medicare card just arrived effective April 1, the month I turn that age. Is it cheating if I start memorizing those words before my Medicare Wellness Exam? I wish I could honestly say I travel with as much abandon as I did when I was younger although some people might think I'm still a little cray cray. However, with apologies to the country music singer whose name I can't remember ;) , I still dance like nobody's watching at every opportunity, especially if frozen mai tais are available.

Greek village of Stoupa at sunset

Fellow American ex pat in The Mani Linda Jackim Werlein, writer and one of the creators of Write Club The Podcast Group summarized her thoughts on aging and ex pat life:

I love living in Greece in large part because of the pace of life. We're not necessarily expected to show up on time (unless you're going to an affair hosted by other Americans), and the cashier doesn't panic if you don't have enough money with you ("Don't worry. Bring it later.") and nobody dresses up for much of anything. Everything is down to what's really important: Are you comfortable? Are you happy? Do you need help with anything? . . ..


Life here is good, people are friendly and generous, and the landscape is unspeakably beautiful. I'm 74, Hal is 81, and we wake up grateful every day for the privilege of living here. And hell no, we don't feel old!!

Springtime in The Man

From Viet Nam, Elena, slow-traveler and co-creator of Traveling Bytes blog writes:


I’d been slow traveling around the world for the past 7 years. I noticed that outside of the US, there is a very different perception of what “age” means. My host in Sicily was a tiny lady with boundless energy. Once, in a conversation, she mentioned that she was born a decade before Mussolini came to power. Ouch! I needed a break in the middle of hot summer days, but she didn’t. In rural Japan, during my morning runs along the river, I often saw a gentleman effortlessly (and tirelessly) running back and forth. As it transpired, he was training for an upcoming marathon. He mentioned that his wife joked that at 82 he would be the only entry in that age category. He was pleased that his tenacity and wise approach to training produced results that put him in an almost half-a-century younger bracket. I wonder if whoever put together questions for the “Wellness Visit,” ever saw stairs of homes in Amsterdam or knew that elevators are a rarity in many French buildings. In my yoga class, here in southern Vietnam, half of the participants would qualify for Medicare in the US. However, they do not get any different treatment than others and would be puzzled if somebody asked them about feeling unsteady while walking. Cheers!

“Maybe it's true that life begins at fifty. 

But everything else starts to wear out, fall out, 

or spread out.”

― Phyllis Diller 

Stairs without handrails are normal in this part of Greece

Goatdi who raises La Mancha goats and a few chickens on '42 acres of paradise at the most southern tip of the Cascade Mountain Range and who writes New Life on the Farm Last Chapter, said:

When the folks who run the rules and regs at Medicare volunteer to help me haul and stack a load of alfalfa bales for my dairy goats (125# per bale ) we will talk. 

Mani in the Springtime

Forest Ranger Gaelyn who writes Geo Gypsy Traveler travel blog from various locations in America's Southwest replied:

I just got signed up for Medicare and haven't taken that test. Please don't ask me to stop dancing, sauntering and traveling. Who is that wrinkled Ranger in my mirror? I will do what I do until I am unable.

A springtime sunset over Messinian Bay

An email from long-time reader, Sue C., who is a tireless 'can do' volunteer with whom I've worked in civic and political efforts in the Seattle suburb where we used to live, provided more food for thought:

I just got an email that said "How old would you feel if you didn't know your birthday? ".  Food for thought.  Luckily I sure don't feel 77!  I can even do stairs without railings!

Greece and olive groves - timeless

Cindy Carlsson, fellow travel enthusiast and author of Exploration Vacation blog, responded:


I'm younger, but my spouse passed the Medicare milestone the other year and, of course, my mother deals with these questions all the time and that nagging fear "am I too old to do this?" For many people 65 is simply not old anymore and we shouldn't be rushed to stop living our lives because "something might happen." Something could happen to anyone at anytime - especially if you are klutzy like I am. I love that you've decided to live life on your terms and not society's expectations and I try to do the same. I just hope that when they do the memory test they don't ask me what day of the week it is, because I never have a clue - why would I need to know if I'm not living every moment on someone else's schedule?! Keep those dancing shoes handy just in case!

Spring wild flowers carpet olive groves in The Mani

From Israel, Dina, author of Jerusalem Hills Daily Photo blog, observed:

I think the best way for us not to get old is to hang on to our sense of humor. :) 

Taygetos Mountains frame The Mani

Tom Bartel, who along with his wife, Kristin Henning, created Travel Past 50 blog, wrote during their current travels in Cambodia:

And yes, I too, passed the memory test. At least I think I did. I can't remember. We're in Cambodia right now and I haven't so much as seen a hand rail yet. However, we do also have rugs on hardwood floors at home, and we measured them and got thin rubber pads non slip pads for them. Cheap insurance. At least cheaper than Medicare.

A toast to boomers everywhere!

“There is a fountain of youth: it is your mind, your talents, 

the creativity you bring to your life and the lives of people you love. 

When you learn to tap this source, you will truly have defeated age.”

― Sophia Loren 

Our sincere thanks to all of you who take the time read our blog and share your thoughts in return. The richness of the discussion is what makes the blogosphere so interesting!  We wish you safe and happy travels.  Carpe Diem and hope to see you back again soon - bring some friends with you!


Linking with:

Through My Lens
Our World Tuesday
Wordless Wednesday