Traveling Companions

Anyone who has a blog name with "Happy Wanderer" in it obviously loves to travel, and we certainly do! How fortunate that over the years we have had family members and friends to accompany us. In the early years our travels were a bit more limited due to finances, so we only went to events like the Great Plains Food Festival and Rockies' games in Denver with son Jerry and wife Marlene. Great food and great fun! One of the highlights was watching our son accurately pitch a peanut from a second floor balcony into a beer mug on the bar below (it only took 99 tries!). Remarkable aim! As our finances improved, we began to tour Europe, once sharing the trip with Mom and daughter Kim. 1HW was visiting schools in Germany and France, while Kim was just finishing a Fulbright Scholarship in Paris, and Mom just wanted to go with us. That was one wonderful experience! Having a fluent French speaker to guide us around Paris gave us an enduring love for that city which still remains! There are many stories that will be saved for a later post. During another European trip with Mom shortly after the "Wall" came down, we went across Germany to the Czech Republic and stayed with the family of Kim's close friends Bertha and Mario. From there we drove across Europe, ending up in Italy to see Venice, Florence, Pisa, Elba, and Rome.... all full of more adventures. Our next trip was a month-long visit to the British Isles, driving around the English and Scottish countryside for two weeks, spending a week in Ireland, and finishing with a week in London. It was a fantastic trip! Six months later, newlyweds Kim and Chuck asked us to go on another European trip, and we all agreed upon Rome and Sicily. It was incredible! The last trip was two years ago when we traveled to France with good friends Susan and Cal for a barge trip in the Bordeaux area, and except for my broken finger, it was another exceptional trip. Certainly, although we have enjoyed our European travels, we have not neglected the beautiful United States. Our delightful friend Phyllis has joined us for several jaunts, including a MOST memorable visit to Seattle and Vancouver.... more later on THAT one! We have covered a good deal of Michigan, including the U.P., with Kim and Chuck, and we have had several excursions with Kristy, Tim, and family. So far, all of our traveling companions have been good-humored and accommodating, in that we limit ourselves to one castle and museum per day and usually stop for a cup of espresso or cafe au lait with croissants in the morning and a glass of wine or mug of beer in the afternoon. One must stop to enjoy the local customs, you know! Anyone out there ready for a trip?