10.26.19

We have been on the island of Sicily for a few days and spent most of that time in Palermo, on the northern coast. It was busy, chaotic, kind of frantic, but still had a cool vibe to it. I returned the motorcycle to the rental place for a few days while we relocated to the southern coast, and due to the one-way streets and crazy traffic I actually had to go down several one-way streets the wrong way! But the town has a lawlessness about it (could be the Mafioso influence, but not going there…), and I felt like a local who would never think twice about being such a scofflaw!

We are now in Syracuse, also known as Siracusa, on the eastern coast about 3.5 hours south, which was a beautiful ride through the center of the island. And what a different feeling here. Out of the 30+ AirBNB units I have stayed at since 2014, this is probably the best of them all, and since it’s off season, the prices are pretty amazing. It’s a two story with a loft upstairs, which is where the bed overlooks the living room- and the ocean crashing just yards from our back door. We have a door out the back and one out the front and the flow through of air is like being in the jet stream! The kitchen is complete and even has a gas stove, always a nice surprise. Because we each need our “private space,” there is a living room which is apart from the loft and the kitchen so Kathleen and I can each have our own space. Eight months of travel have taught us how important that is. We could easily stay here for longer than the 30 days we have planned, which we might end up doing since we have another 30 days beyond that before we must exit the EU.

BTW, Croatia, which we viewed as a safe harbor outside the EU, just got approved for Schengen entry, so that is probably an eventuality which will change our timing there. Not worried about it yet.

Palermo: busy, chaotic, crowded, trash on the streets vs. Syracuse, which is clean, with a bit of class and a coastline you see on postcards. There are ruins here from BC days and we have only scratched the surface of things to see here. Archimedes, the Father of Mathematics was from here, and Mt. Etna, the only “active” volcano in Europe, is just 50 miles away and you know damn well, we’re going there! Aside from Hawaii I’ve never been to an active volcano, and this one was a huge influence on this entire island.

I have been “back” in Europe for about a week after being in the US for about six weeks and have had time to reflect. The saying “you can’t go home again” may be true here, too. It usually refers to the feeling you get when you visit your hometown or where you grew up. Trees look larger; your old home looks smaller and the streets may be less familiar than they were when you left. Time marches on no matter WHERE you are, and progress seems to continue unabated. I got to visit with friends and a few relatives, and the good news is that no matter what the distance or the time, most relationships (but not all) remain intact. It seems pretentious to sometimes talk about the places you’ve been and the things you’ve seen while life back home remains…the same.

Love and thanks go out to Lynne and Charlie, Christopher, Rob, Mark and Monica, Harold and Georgia, Katie, Rich, Shelly, and Paul and Michele, for hosting me on couches and extra beds during my visit to California.

This week marks the beginning of Book Launch week, and the first Travel Younger drops on November 1.