We tell you about the destinations, but don’t always mention those entertaining sights (and sites) along the way. Those brief snapshots in time . . . so fleeting. . .so unexpected. . .but oh, so memorable, like in:
Tuscany, Italy
We had been, for some time, the only ones traveling this two-lane road through Tuscany last fall. Yet, we stopped and waited at the red light. . .and waited. . .and waited, to the point we started thinking it might be some sort of joke. When, finally, it turned green, we found major road construction just around the corner had narrowed the road to a single lane.
Eastern Washington State
We’d passed through a number of picturesque small towns as we drove from Spokane, Washington to Joseph, Oregon but none had as clever a welcome sign as did the town of Anatone, a tiny spot in the southeastern part of the state.
Nothing, Arizona
Nothing, Arizona is just that these days. The sign on US 93 between mile markers 148 and 149 is six miles north of the junction of Hwy 97. It once was the site of an operating rock shop, and a gas station and even a pizza joint.
Sfakia, Crete
That is a roadside guard rail at the top of the photo, framing this beast of beauty we spotted sunning itself one fine day on the southwestern coast of Crete. This laid-back sunbather could have been posed there for the attention he gave to my phototaking.
Nevada’s Extraterrestrial Highway
State Route 375 is a long, lonesome 98-mile stretch of highway in remote southern Nevada. Like other similar roadways in Nevada and Arizona, it provides immense stretches of vast, barren high desert-scapes.
What sets it apart from those other roadways – besides the fact it’s near ‘Area 51’ which was for sometime a top-secret government research and test facility within the Nellis Air Force Base’s Bombing and Gunnery Range -- is that in 1996 it was officially named the Extraterrestrial Highway because of the UFO and other paranormal activities recorded here.
We’d chuckled about not seeing anything extraterrestrial or otherwise as we drove between Crystal Springs and Warms Springs, on that particular morning. About then, this is what we saw in the distance:
Alien Research Center- Jackie Smith photo
We drove past, but I insisted I had to take a photo, so we returned to the parking lot so I could take the above shot. It was then we saw the sign "Alien Research Center." Hmmm, not a person in sight, although the sign read, ‘museum and gift shop now open’.
That was two years ago. I Googled it then and again this week and found no more information on either of my investigations than I have told you of this place located at: 100 Extraterrestrial Highway, Hiko, Nevada: It is simply there.
That’s it for this week’s Travel Photo Thursday. Hope you visit Nancy’s Budget Travelers Sandbox today for more fun photos. And if you’ve not yet checked out TravelnWrite’s Facebook page hope you’ll drop by there as well.
How about you? What have you seen on your travels made you exclaim, “Did you see that?!”
Wednesday, January 9, 2013
Tuesday, January 8, 2013
Travel Tuesday: Waikiki (Sticker) Shock Waves
The good news for Hawaii is that tourism is on an upswing.
The bad news for travelers planning to go there is that tourism is on an upswing.
As hotel occupancy rates spiral upwards they are taking prices with them. For example, last January (2012), we got a ‘steal’ of a stay in Waikiki by booking a deal with the online company, Jetsetter.
Four nights in a premium ocean view room at the Aqua Lotus Honolulu near Diamond Head and total cost: $530.
Following our stay on O’ahu’s western coast at our KoOlina timeshare, we returned and paid $169 per night (plus taxes) and stayed a couple more nights at the hotel.
Still a reasonable rate, we thought, for a property that sits in the shadow of Diamond Head across from Kapiolani Park and not on the beach.
Our $169 got us this ‘ocean view’ room:
We’d loved the place and planned to return this year. . . but after being struck by Waikiki (Sticker) Shock Waves, we’ve come up with a different -- affordable -- plan.
A quick check of this hotel’s web site (last Thursday), -- using the equivalent days and dates of last year’s stay for comparison purposes -- found that ocean view room available at $351.50 and premium ocean view at $371.50 for the January dates. It costs more in February.
We turned to our trusty Expedia, the on-line booking company where we've often found great discounts, only to be hit with a sticker after shock: the January dates for the hotel were listed at $527 for ocean view and $556 premium ocean view. February dates: $599 and $627, respectively. (Expedia users rate the hotel as 3.5 out of 5 and TripAdvisor rates it #3 of 81 hotels in Waikiki.)
We are thinking our decision to buy a timeshare at Marriott’s Ko Olina (pictured above) and avoid Honolulu hotels was probably a good one. In fact, we’ll likely skip Honolulu and Waikiki in 2014 and head directly to Ko Olina.
But since we’d booked flights this year to allow three days in Waikiki, we pulled out the stops on the hotel search and landed at Costco. . .yes, you read that correctly. (For those not familiar, it is a customer membership warehouse chain that got its start in the Seattle area). So, now in addition to purchasing large quantities of paper goods and food, we also can lay claim to booking our travel there:
We’ll be across the street from Waikiki Beach at the Aston Waikiki Beach Hotel (one of those on the right in the photo above) on a three-night package that provides a partial ocean view room, lei airport greeting, round-trip transfers, daily continental breakfast on the beach and a variety of half-off coupons. Package price: $614.
This hotel has the same Expedia rating as the Aqua Lotus but doesn’t fare quite as well on TripAdvisor. Will we find our ‘deal’ wasn’t as good as we thought? Stay tuned. We’ll let you know soon!
Have you experienced sticker shock in Hawaii? Or have you found some good hotel deals? If so, where?
The bad news for travelers planning to go there is that tourism is on an upswing.
As hotel occupancy rates spiral upwards they are taking prices with them. For example, last January (2012), we got a ‘steal’ of a stay in Waikiki by booking a deal with the online company, Jetsetter.
Four nights in a premium ocean view room at the Aqua Lotus Honolulu near Diamond Head and total cost: $530.
Following our stay on O’ahu’s western coast at our KoOlina timeshare, we returned and paid $169 per night (plus taxes) and stayed a couple more nights at the hotel.
Still a reasonable rate, we thought, for a property that sits in the shadow of Diamond Head across from Kapiolani Park and not on the beach.
Our $169 got us this ‘ocean view’ room:
We’d loved the place and planned to return this year. . . but after being struck by Waikiki (Sticker) Shock Waves, we’ve come up with a different -- affordable -- plan.
A quick check of this hotel’s web site (last Thursday), -- using the equivalent days and dates of last year’s stay for comparison purposes -- found that ocean view room available at $351.50 and premium ocean view at $371.50 for the January dates. It costs more in February.
We turned to our trusty Expedia, the on-line booking company where we've often found great discounts, only to be hit with a sticker after shock: the January dates for the hotel were listed at $527 for ocean view and $556 premium ocean view. February dates: $599 and $627, respectively. (Expedia users rate the hotel as 3.5 out of 5 and TripAdvisor rates it #3 of 81 hotels in Waikiki.)
We are thinking our decision to buy a timeshare at Marriott’s Ko Olina (pictured above) and avoid Honolulu hotels was probably a good one. In fact, we’ll likely skip Honolulu and Waikiki in 2014 and head directly to Ko Olina.
But since we’d booked flights this year to allow three days in Waikiki, we pulled out the stops on the hotel search and landed at Costco. . .yes, you read that correctly. (For those not familiar, it is a customer membership warehouse chain that got its start in the Seattle area). So, now in addition to purchasing large quantities of paper goods and food, we also can lay claim to booking our travel there:
We’ll be across the street from Waikiki Beach at the Aston Waikiki Beach Hotel (one of those on the right in the photo above) on a three-night package that provides a partial ocean view room, lei airport greeting, round-trip transfers, daily continental breakfast on the beach and a variety of half-off coupons. Package price: $614.
This hotel has the same Expedia rating as the Aqua Lotus but doesn’t fare quite as well on TripAdvisor. Will we find our ‘deal’ wasn’t as good as we thought? Stay tuned. We’ll let you know soon!
Have you experienced sticker shock in Hawaii? Or have you found some good hotel deals? If so, where?
Sunday, January 6, 2013
WAWeekend: Romance in the Pacific Northwest
With Valentine’s Day now only weeks away and springtime - that perennial season of love – not far behind, it’s not too early to be thinking about romantic getaways. Here are some ideas for Pacific Northwest snuggle spots:
Operation Romance:
What a great tribute to our military men and women from The Kimpton Hotels in the Pacific Northwest (The Alexis, Monaco and Vintage Park in Seattle and the Monaco, Vintage Plaza and RiverPlace in Portland)!
Those hotels are saying thanks to those who’ve served our country (or Canada) with a package aptly named, Operation Romance, which includes:
· Exclusive $99 rate (Friday and Saturday nights only)
· Bottle of wine from Maryhill Winery
· Nightly hosted wine reception
-Must show military ID upon check-in (good for active or retired, U.S. or Canadian military)
-Reservations: www.kimptonhotels.com rate code: OPR
-Good through March 31, 2013
Wedding Bells Ringing?
If you or someone you know is starting to plan a destination wedding – on a beach, mountain, lakeside, or some luxury hotel -- then check out my article in today’s (1/6/13) Seattle Times: Great Places to say “I Do!”
I can tell you that it is chockablock full of ideas for some non-traditional venues that highlight the best of the Pacific Northwest’s outdoor backdrops! Places like Cama Beach State Park, (pictured above) just 90 minutes drive north of Seattle or San Juan Island (below).
No nuptials in your future? Doesn’t matter, the places I wrote about are perfect for romance – wedding or not!
Thanks for stopping by today. Hope you’ll join us Travel Tip Tuesday when we tell you about being hit with (sticker) shock waves in Hawaii! Stop by our Facebook page for more travel tales and tips.
Wednesday, January 2, 2013
Kotor, Montenegro: Climb Every Mountain
“Climb every mountain,
Search high and low,
Follow every highway,
Every path you know. . .”
As the steps grew more uneven – actually missing in places – and the town below looked like a miniature toy land, I started humming those lyrics from the “Sound of Music.” My mental musical mantra carried me upward as we conquered one of those ‘travel bucket list’ items we’d had since a cruise stop in Kotor, Montenegro back in 2004:
We were finally climbing the walls that zigzagged up the sheer face of the Hill of St. John to the remains of a once mighty fortress high above this town of some 26,000+ people. It had been on our list since July’s triple-digit temperatures during that previous cruise kept us from tackling it.
Last fall we’d again arrived by cruise ship, this time aboard the Celebrity Silhouette. The October visit, on a cool crisp sunny day, didn’t provide us any weather-related excuses.
Kotor, is a UNESCO listed “World Natural and Historical Heritage Site” and its Old City, (that triangle of red roofs you see on the photo above) built between the 12th and 14th Centuries, remains a delightful warren of narrow streets and squares.
It is located on Boka Kotorska, the Bay of Kotor, at the far end of the deepest natural fjord in the Mediterranean.
Upon paying the 3-euro fee to walk the walls, we were provided a brochure with map showing color-coded zones: ‘relatively safe walking path, zone of increased risk and high risk zones’ and a brief history of points along the way. It also said, in bold red letters: You are advised to use caution on the trail and consider your physical condition.
After all, it is a climb of 1,350 steps with an ascent of 3,947 feet/1,200 meters. (And once up there, you will need to come down). It began quite easily on somewhat uneven steps that lined a sloped cobbled path, which once had been used to move cannons up to the fortress.
Steps along our route continued to be uneven, many broken or missing in places, yet fine in others. Low borders in places and others not. (There were places you didn’t want to make a misstep. )
This somewhat rickety metal bridge, spanning a deep crevasse, led into what remains of the fortress.
We explored its nooks and crannies, which were often accessed by tiny openings. (I am five feet tall, by the way).
Venetians built the walls and a reminder of their presence remains today in the image of the winged Lion of St. Mark, the symbol of the then Republic of Venice, just above modern- day graffiti.
From the fortress we had spectacular views back over the city and bay and into valleys on the other side of the hill, like this one that revealed the remains of an ancient church.
From the fortress mega-yachts appeared to be the size of row boats.
Not everyone was able to make it to the top. Those of us who did photographed each other to celebrate the feat. We felt pretty smug during our descent when half way down we came across a group of red-faced, 20-somethings sucking air and declaring that they had gone far enough!
We had two major chuckles on this outing. The first was the “No admission” sign near the fortress that cordoned off a sheer drop of several hundred feet:
And the second was the young woman we encountered along the way, who obviously had decided to dress formally for this outing:
If You Go:
By water:
There is nothing better than arriving in Kotor by boat traveling through the fjord that cuts through the towering cliffs, passing intriguing small hamlets along the way. If you have an opportunity to take a cruise with Kotor as a port of call – we recommend taking it!
Ferries from Bari, Italy and Bar,Montenegro also travel to Kotor.
By air:
The nearest airport is Tivat, eight kilometers away and is served by several airlines.
More information: http://www.discover-montenegro.com/
It is time for Travel Photo Thursday so head over to Budget Travelers Sandbox for more armchair travel! Hope to see you back here Sunday for WAWeekend!
Monday, December 31, 2012
2013: We’ll Be On the Road ~And Going 60!!
In his book, Dark Star Safari, Paul Theroux chronicles his solo trip through Africa taken in celebration of his 60th birthday. When I read it several years ago, I thought to myself,
“How good it is that a person that old still travels like that. . .”
The Scout is already at work planning travel escapades for 2013. He’s been at it for weeks already. . .seems he began sometime during our Winter Road Trip.
Don’t you love this end-of-the-year moment in time when the new, untouched year - only hours away - beckons with possibilities for adventures and travels?
While the possibilities are endless, the trip The Scout’s currently focused on is the one we will take to celebrate The Scribe’s 60th birthday.
(The Scribe who is now quick to point out that Paul Theroux wasn’t that old after all! )
Earlier this year I quoted in a post another favorite writer of mine, Frances Mayes, after learning that a couple of our friends were dealing with cancer. By the end of the year, eight of our friends had had their life altered by the disease. The quote I had used back then still rings true for us:
“Life’s little wake-up calls. (Do they have to be so numerous?) Scroll down the list and start to wail – or shout out Carpe diem.”
The birthday is six months away, but if all goes as planned the trip in launch in the spring. Will it rival Paul Theroux’s? Will it result in a book as his did? It just might! It’s going to rock no matter ~ because this is the year we hit the road – going 60 all the way.
But before we set out to discover all that 2013 holds for us; we want to take a moment to toast each of you’ who have come along on our journeys this past year via TravelnWrite. To you, we raise our glasses and say:
*Photos in order: Outside Ely, Nevada, Naxos, Greece, on board Carnival Spirit off Mexico's Baja Coast, Waikiki, O’ahu, and somewhere in the Mediterranean on board the Celebrity Constellation.
“How good it is that a person that old still travels like that. . .”
~~~~~~~
The Scout is already at work planning travel escapades for 2013. He’s been at it for weeks already. . .seems he began sometime during our Winter Road Trip.
Don’t you love this end-of-the-year moment in time when the new, untouched year - only hours away - beckons with possibilities for adventures and travels?
While the possibilities are endless, the trip The Scout’s currently focused on is the one we will take to celebrate The Scribe’s 60th birthday.
(The Scribe who is now quick to point out that Paul Theroux wasn’t that old after all! )
Earlier this year I quoted in a post another favorite writer of mine, Frances Mayes, after learning that a couple of our friends were dealing with cancer. By the end of the year, eight of our friends had had their life altered by the disease. The quote I had used back then still rings true for us:
“Life’s little wake-up calls. (Do they have to be so numerous?) Scroll down the list and start to wail – or shout out Carpe diem.”
Life’s little wake-up calls, Frances called them. She got that right! Each friend's news was a reminder that hitting 60 is reason to celebrate!
Knock it out of the ballpark.
Dance in the street.
Put your feet up and watch a sunset.
Seize the day.
Pack the bags.
The birthday is six months away, but if all goes as planned the trip in launch in the spring. Will it rival Paul Theroux’s? Will it result in a book as his did? It just might! It’s going to rock no matter ~ because this is the year we hit the road – going 60 all the way.
But before we set out to discover all that 2013 holds for us; we want to take a moment to toast each of you’ who have come along on our journeys this past year via TravelnWrite. To you, we raise our glasses and say:
“Thank You!
Carpe Diem!
Happy New Year!
Happy Travels!”
*Photos in order: Outside Ely, Nevada, Naxos, Greece, on board Carnival Spirit off Mexico's Baja Coast, Waikiki, O’ahu, and somewhere in the Mediterranean on board the Celebrity Constellation.
Saturday, December 29, 2012
Ely, Nevada: An Elixir for the Soul
While The Scribe was packing our suitcases, The Scout was planning the route for our Winter Road Trip through the Western United States.
He’d calculated that on our second southbound day we’d reach tiny Ely, Nevada, (population 4,288 in 2011) tucked away in the eastern part of the state in time for lunch. This town, that began in the late 1800’s as a stagecoach stop, is located at the northern tip of Nevada’s Great Basin. It became the county seat in 1887 and by 1906 was a copper mining boom town.
Illuminated by a mid-day sun against a blue sky background the the city park with its nearby towering County Courthouse called out Small Town Americana. It’s a call that we find irresistible.
The Scout had read about the historic Hotel Nevada and Gambling Hall which at six-stories it was until 1948, the tallest building in Nevada. it was there we dined on our mid-day break. (You can tell from the photo it is still one of the tallest buildings in town.)
So charmed were we by this taste of the Old West – both town and hotel -- that we vowed to return on our northbound trip – and three weeks later pulled in for a second dose of small-town-soul-elixir.
By then winter had turned the little town into a Currier and Ives card:
Our arrival seemed synchronized with the snow that began falling in the mid-afternoon.
The small town seemed even more charming as -now bundled in winter coats and gloves - we strolled along its darkening main street, named Altman.
One of our favorite ‘finds’ along the way was Economy Drug, an old-time combination pharmacy, gift and toy store, and boasting one of the coolest authentic drug store soda fountains we’ve ever seen. Opened in the 1940’s the family’s on its third generation pharmacist.
We were warmly greeted by two camera-shy ladies running the eatery, one in particular was a ‘fountain’ of history about the town and the business. She told me not to miss the ‘naughty boy’ mural on the side of the building. So . . .
I didn’t want you to miss it either. (Look closely near the lighted window.)
This time we stayed overnight in the historic Hotel Nevada and it’s a story unto itself. . .one that I'll soon be telling. . .
If You Go:
WHERE:
He’d calculated that on our second southbound day we’d reach tiny Ely, Nevada, (population 4,288 in 2011) tucked away in the eastern part of the state in time for lunch. This town, that began in the late 1800’s as a stagecoach stop, is located at the northern tip of Nevada’s Great Basin. It became the county seat in 1887 and by 1906 was a copper mining boom town.
Illuminated by a mid-day sun against a blue sky background the the city park with its nearby towering County Courthouse called out Small Town Americana. It’s a call that we find irresistible.
The Scout had read about the historic Hotel Nevada and Gambling Hall which at six-stories it was until 1948, the tallest building in Nevada. it was there we dined on our mid-day break. (You can tell from the photo it is still one of the tallest buildings in town.)
So charmed were we by this taste of the Old West – both town and hotel -- that we vowed to return on our northbound trip – and three weeks later pulled in for a second dose of small-town-soul-elixir.
By then winter had turned the little town into a Currier and Ives card:
Our arrival seemed synchronized with the snow that began falling in the mid-afternoon.
The small town seemed even more charming as -now bundled in winter coats and gloves - we strolled along its darkening main street, named Altman.
One of our favorite ‘finds’ along the way was Economy Drug, an old-time combination pharmacy, gift and toy store, and boasting one of the coolest authentic drug store soda fountains we’ve ever seen. Opened in the 1940’s the family’s on its third generation pharmacist.
We were warmly greeted by two camera-shy ladies running the eatery, one in particular was a ‘fountain’ of history about the town and the business. She told me not to miss the ‘naughty boy’ mural on the side of the building. So . . .
I didn’t want you to miss it either. (Look closely near the lighted window.)
This time we stayed overnight in the historic Hotel Nevada and it’s a story unto itself. . .one that I'll soon be telling. . .
If You Go:
WHERE:
- Ely, is in White Pine County in the central part of eastern part of Nevada, sitting at the crossroads of U.S. 93 and U.S. 50. As you enter the town,you’ll find a selection of motels flanking the main drag.
- It’s a great base for outdoors enthusiasts as camping, hiking, fishing and places to climb are found within a close radius.
- In Ely, you are also in old Pony Express Country and not far from some old stage stops and mining ghost towns.
- The old Ely Ghost Train, is an operating railroad museum. Between May and September you can take train rides powered by old steam engines No. 40 and No. 93 – both important links to the area’s mining past. For more information: 775.289.2085
Wednesday, December 26, 2012
In Pursuit of Passion: Those Who Dare
Travel, for us, is pursuing a passion. It is about risk-taking; leaving our routines and comforts to experience new cities, countries and customs.
“You are so brave!”
So often that is the response when we talk of some destination or our plans for reaching and discovering it. (That's us high above Dubrovnik, Croatia in the photo above.)
No, not brave.
Just passionate about seeing the world while we are ‘young’ enough to do so.
Along the way we’ve met others who haven't let age or health deter pursuit of their passions. As the year draws to a close, we've been remembering some of those folks who’ve inspired us along the way:
The two ladies in the photo above finally paused long enough for me to snap a photo of them while on a stop in Ravenna, Italy. They were fellow cruisers who had been a continual source of inspiration from the moment we first noticed them aboard the ship.
Their white-hair and frail-frames masked the spirits of a couple of independent travelers who were constantly on the go; never missing a port of call – nor an afternoon of reading at poolside when on the ship.
Two years ago, on the Greek island of Poros we visited one afternoon with self-taught artist Vasilas Poriotis as he sat in his sidewalk gallery.
As our visit ended we told him that we hoped to return one day and find him there. He said he would be "if I am not dead." Then with a sweeping gesture over his work, he added, "I am not focused on the end - I am not afraid of it when it comes. . .it is what you leave behind that matters. And I have left something behind. . .It is important to leave something behind."
John Koruga, who splits his time between Seattle and Mexico, has pursued his travel passions for decades. But it wasn’t until this fall, at age 86, he tried the world of cruising. He flew from Seattle to Rome and boarded the Celebrity Silhouette, the cruise on which we also ‘looped Italy’s boot’.
Age and health are not topics John readily discusses (although he had both knees replaced a few years ago); he’d prefer to talk about the next trip he’d like to make and he’s got quite a few on his list. In this photo he was teaching me the art of bocce ball.
It was on our stop last spring at El Pedregal Museo, The Stone Museum in Mascota, Mexico the town high in the Sierra Madres near Puerto Vallarta where we met the owner, curator, and artist Don Francisco Rodriguez.
“Pero, por que piedra? (But, why stone?), Joel asked of the 76-year-old artist as he explained how he goes to the river and searches for rocks, loads them into a wheelbarrow and hauls them.
“Porque es mi pasion, (Because it is my passion),” he answered simply with a shrug and a grin.
“The colors of the sea” is what I told him when he said he wanted to make me a gift. But the real gift was the time I spent with Georgios Chalkoutsakis on that warm spring afternoon on Crete’s southern shore. Georgios is a glass bead artist whom some might label as 'handicapped', but I would call him talented!
He is wheelchair bound as a result of a premature birth. His hand movement is a bit limited but that hasn't kept him from perfecting his art of glass bead making. My colors of the sea are pictured on the left.
Yes, we believe it all comes down to daring to pursue a passion. Will 2013 be the year that you begin pursuing a long-put-off passion? Or will you simply step up the pursuit of an existing one?
Stop by Budget Travelers Sandbox today if you need a bit more travel inspiration. And if you want to receive TravelnWrite posts in your inbox, sign up in the box on the corner,become a friend by signing up below that box (where our other friend’s photos appear) or follow us on Facebook. We'll get back to the Winter Western Road Trip this weekend.
“You are so brave!”
So often that is the response when we talk of some destination or our plans for reaching and discovering it. (That's us high above Dubrovnik, Croatia in the photo above.)
No, not brave.
Just passionate about seeing the world while we are ‘young’ enough to do so.
Along the way we’ve met others who haven't let age or health deter pursuit of their passions. As the year draws to a close, we've been remembering some of those folks who’ve inspired us along the way:
~~~Ravenna, Italy~~~
The two ladies in the photo above finally paused long enough for me to snap a photo of them while on a stop in Ravenna, Italy. They were fellow cruisers who had been a continual source of inspiration from the moment we first noticed them aboard the ship.
Their white-hair and frail-frames masked the spirits of a couple of independent travelers who were constantly on the go; never missing a port of call – nor an afternoon of reading at poolside when on the ship.
~~~Poros, Greece ~~~~
Two years ago, on the Greek island of Poros we visited one afternoon with self-taught artist Vasilas Poriotis as he sat in his sidewalk gallery.
As our visit ended we told him that we hoped to return one day and find him there. He said he would be "if I am not dead." Then with a sweeping gesture over his work, he added, "I am not focused on the end - I am not afraid of it when it comes. . .it is what you leave behind that matters. And I have left something behind. . .It is important to leave something behind."
~~~Adriatic Sea~~~
John Koruga, who splits his time between Seattle and Mexico, has pursued his travel passions for decades. But it wasn’t until this fall, at age 86, he tried the world of cruising. He flew from Seattle to Rome and boarded the Celebrity Silhouette, the cruise on which we also ‘looped Italy’s boot’.
Age and health are not topics John readily discusses (although he had both knees replaced a few years ago); he’d prefer to talk about the next trip he’d like to make and he’s got quite a few on his list. In this photo he was teaching me the art of bocce ball.
~~~Bologna, Italy~~~
It was Anna Maria Monari, the 72-year-old owner of Trattoria Anna Maria that inspired during our visit to Bologna, Italy. She founded her restaurant 24 years ago in a smaller location a few blocks from its present site. Back then, Anna Maria was both waitress and chef, serving menu items created from her mother’s recipes.
She’s not entertaining thoughts of retirement either, as she told us, “I am here every day. Where else do I have to go? This is the party. . .Mama Mia!”
~~~Mascota, Mexico~~~
“Pero, por que piedra? (But, why stone?), Joel asked of the 76-year-old artist as he explained how he goes to the river and searches for rocks, loads them into a wheelbarrow and hauls them.
“Porque es mi pasion, (Because it is my passion),” he answered simply with a shrug and a grin.
~~~Kastri, Crete~~~
“The colors of the sea” is what I told him when he said he wanted to make me a gift. But the real gift was the time I spent with Georgios Chalkoutsakis on that warm spring afternoon on Crete’s southern shore. Georgios is a glass bead artist whom some might label as 'handicapped', but I would call him talented!
He is wheelchair bound as a result of a premature birth. His hand movement is a bit limited but that hasn't kept him from perfecting his art of glass bead making. My colors of the sea are pictured on the left.
Yes, we believe it all comes down to daring to pursue a passion. Will 2013 be the year that you begin pursuing a long-put-off passion? Or will you simply step up the pursuit of an existing one?
Stop by Budget Travelers Sandbox today if you need a bit more travel inspiration. And if you want to receive TravelnWrite posts in your inbox, sign up in the box on the corner,become a friend by signing up below that box (where our other friend’s photos appear) or follow us on Facebook. We'll get back to the Winter Western Road Trip this weekend.
Monday, December 24, 2012
Merry Christmas 2012!
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