TRAVELLING IS...OTHER PEOPLE (Part #1)

A paean to Travelling Companions, Chance Encounters, and the Kindness of Strangers.

Part #1:  Travelling Companions

The oh-so-familiar sight of travellers searching....

Do you know what a Rosarian is?  According to Dictionary.com, a Rosarian is a person who is fond of, develops, or cultivates roses.  Better question:  do you know any??  I recently met Linda, a rosarian, who put a whole different spin on "looking at gardens!" The Alhambra in Granada and The Alcazar in Seville were richer for the sharing.  Travelling with her sister, Gloria, the "Sisters" graciously allowed us to crash the Seville-Granada leg of their Spanish vacation.  It was joyful watching "The Sisters" interact, finish sentences, set priorities, respect each others needs and wants---all-the-while soaking up the Spanish culture and food and art and sharing their knowledge with us!

Me and The Sisters, Gloria and Linda

Do you have any friends whom you've known for decades and still like??  The Kathys taught in Spain oh-so-many years ago and brought their intimate familiarity of the language and the culture to the Granada leg of the trip--now, if you're one for math, you've figured out there are now 5 women and my husband, who adores women.  But noooo, there was yet one more woman, Rita, who has a long history with one of the Kathys....now the numbers are correct; 6 women and my guy.  (He felt like he was with his very own harem when we cruised the Granada tapas bars, basking in all that estrogen--baby-oh-baby-oh!)  But, back to the Kathys...these ladies are vastly different, yet their history ties them to memories and each other, with mutual respect and similar tastes.  The Ks were always open to an adventure or a drink, remaining easy-going and generous in their interactions.

Tapas Crawl, Granada, the Kathys...
notice the empty Sangria pitcher on the table??

The Italians call it chiacchiere, chatter.  And chatter we did, from the moment Lynne picked us up at the airport to the moment she dropped us off...the year we've been apart melts away in an instant.  What a comfortable, familiar, loving welcome and visit we had...How lucky are we??  And then, there is her cooking!!!  Her duck--yow--we counted that meal as one of the best of the trip!!  Lynne is a generous and gracious hostess...we reconnect through our history-and her food-while making new memories.  Ahhh, France!

Lynne with Rags and her cook books!

We see them 3-4 times a year, either in one side of the world or the other, finding solace and comfort and lots of advice.  John and Angela have bought in Italy also and have many of the same frustrations and joys we experience---it's like coming home when we see them.  We share a shorthand, an understanding of this culture and its idiosyncracies, our struggles and successes.  There aren't many people who have this shared experience--it helps to just talk and vent and laugh and ask again and again...did we do the right thing?  Would we do it again??  Will we still be here in 10 years??  That, coupled with great wine ( I mean, Barolo and and Barbera are born in Piemonte!), excellent food, beautiful scenery, some serious laughs, made for a delightful end of our little giro.

some delightful ends....

I have always contended that a trip isn't about a place or a church or a monument, but about the people that populate said place or church or monument....we were privileged to share our trip with some pretty great people, enriching even further a very rich life!  Thank you!

Okey dokey, I wanted to move on to Chance Encounters and The Kindness of Strangers, but I'm leaving that for Volume #2....