It's May 12th and we are on our way to Bologna, Italy by car from Croatia. It's a symphony of red poppies as they are blooming everywhere along the roadside in our new hometown of Pula. I've never seen red poppies blooming outside of photographs, and the landscape doesn't seem quite real dotted with these …
Tag: Over 50
Visiting Roskilde Cathedral: Cold Days, Warm Hearts
On a frigid, dreary day in Denmark at the end of March, Mike and I bundled up in our warmest coats and set out with our friend Carolyn to visit the Roskilde Cathedral in the city of the same name. Our first and foremost stop had been the Viking Museum nearby, but the cathedral was also …
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The Wheels on the Bus Go Round and Round
Many times when we are traveling we have expectations of what we want to see and do and how to pack the most into the little time we do have. We sometimes deviate, but it's hard to do if you've set an itinerary in stone. Planning is good, but a little spontaneity can give us …
On Being Grateful and the Nature of Traveling
We learn a lot about our true nature when we are traveling, and some of the things we learn about ourselves aren't so complimentary. Often times when things don't go as planned or places don't meet our expectations, we balk, we gripe, we complain. But these are the very experiences that teach us the most …
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A Visit from the Policija and Komplikacije (Complications)
April 5, 2018 I interrupt this series of posts to announce we have just had our first official visit from the Croatian policija. Yes, you heard right. We were woken up early this morning with a knock on our door from our landlord Edvard. Since we were still in bed because we both had insomnia …
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Searching for a Home in Croatia
As we walked along the cobblestone sidewalks of Rome, I became obsessed with the massive and unique doors that faced the centuries-old streets. Some were brown and heavy with brass knockers; some were heavy black iron; some painted, peeling, and solid, while some were newly varnished and clean. One thing that they all …
Finding the Right Moment
One day it happened that there were no more excuses. Our kids were grown, my husband, 57, had retired early, there were no grandkids on the horizon, our house was paid off and we had something that had been missing for a long time in our rushed and hectic lives --- free time. We had …
Crossing the Bridge to a New Adventure
By Cindy Gelpi Few things affect a person’s outlook on life more than the death of someone they love. Watching a family member suffer through a long illness or the sudden death of a friend destroy our perception that there is time to do all the things we want to accomplish in our short lives. …