I longed for a long time to go to England before I finally got there two years ago.
Spending a week in a beautiful B and B in the medieval village of Cagnes Sur Mer, France on that trip, is magical in my memory. Home to the original Grimaldi castle, the sweet little town is rich with history and nestled in view of the mountains between Cannes and Nice along the Cote D’Azur. London, England was wonderful, bustling, crowded, busy and fun. To say I loved that trip is a gross understatement.
The open road has always beckoned me. When I was younger, it was all about hitting the highway in my car. I’ve always loved road trips and now going on motorcycle rides certainly scratches that itch. I also think that’s why I’ve long envisioned my retirement involving an RV of some description. To live like a turtle, with my house on my back, for part of the year, at least. There is so much to see and experience and every small town has its own charm and its own story.
Organized group tours are not for me, at least, not so far. Although when I heard and read about my friends Erin and Rob’s trip to Egypt, being part of a tour certainly made sense. They’re experienced travelers but this excursion was far from run-of-the-mill. If you wandered around the pyramids on your own you’d miss the important, hidden stuff. However Egypt isn’t in my immediate plans. Now we’re talking about Ireland next. I would eventually like to see all of Europe and drink in its history. One of my most vivid memories is of a little Indian restaurant in a small village in Kent, England where we ate late at night, and emerged to dim streetlights reflecting off the damp cobblestone street. My heart warms at the thought of our next adventure.
My most vivid memory of a trip to Ireland many, many years ago: I had stopped in a small village to look for a place to have a bite to eat. Sitting in the car and looking at my map to decide which interesting looking road was next. A largeish truck pulled up & parked in front of me. The back door opened and out stepped two men with submachine guns. This was during a period of time when IRA trouble happened occasionally. It was apparently a “Brinks” type of truck making a delivery or pick up at a bank. I didn’t stay for lunch!