Travels with Chris

FAQ/About Me

Who Am I?

Boomer. Over 60. One husband, one grown daughter, lots of opinions, limited patience.

Why Do I Travel?

The first part of this answer is easy — I love to explore new places, see new things and eat new food! The world is full of people and locations that are completely different from my rather traditional US lifestyle and it is good for me to expand my horizons.

From a young age my mother used to pack my brothers and me, a cooler of sandwiches and a dozen paper maps into the family sedan (gas guzzling, solid iron, seatbelts optional) and explore the country. My corporate dad would catch up to us along the way, usually by coordinating a business trip to a city along the route. Pretty sure he regretted the chaos of family car travel within 24 hours of arriving, especially after seeing how my brothers attempted to fold those maps.

Being kids, our biggest interest was the quality of the hotel pool and diving board (yeah, back in those days, every pool had a diving board). We had to rotate riding shotgun and that kid was responsible for manning the cigarette lighter so Mom could smoke and drive.

One year, we actually got to go to Europe for a month — actually taking an ocean liner on the way over (yes, I know, looking back I realize I was seriously spoiled). We had way too much luggage (including my brother’s stupid fishing pole, really??), my mother hated the rental car so we used public transit the entire trip and English was far less prevalent than it is today. However, we figured it out and we still laugh about those adventures today.

Scenes from a traveling childhood — high resolution Polaroids and great enthusiasm for having our pictures taken — especially my Dad!

As an adult, I continued to explore. In my 20’s I talked my best buddy Maggie into going to Europe with me a couple of times. We were kind of clueless, but we managed to figure stuff out and had a wonderful time and many laughs. Not long after we got married, Dan and I left our corporate jobs in Boston and drove cross country — a cooler (of course), a box of AAA travel guides and no particular itinerary. Over three months and 39 states we saw a host of national parks, a number of relatives and a few less than glamorous motels. Even took a side trip to Hawaii! I suppose from a career/financial aspect it was not a smart move but we were young and have never regretted it!

These days I am probably a bit more proscribed in my approach. OK, truth be told, I can get pretty extreme in my travel planning, though I still make sure there is enough flexibility for adventures (but ZERO paper maps and no AAA books).

As our daughter grew up, we got to discover new places together as well as introduce her to old favorites. It warms my heart when I see her planning her own trips, using skills she learned with us. I think for all three of us, and now, my son in law, it is a favorite pastime.

Showing Erin the joys (& occasional stresses) of travel

So why the blog?

So why blog? Well, initially, the word blog didn’t exist — I just had notes, photos, old ticket stubs and memories. As social media become a thing, I started posting the photos and a few comments so friends back home could follow. As it evolved, my more sarcastic tendencies started to emerge, along with my wonder at how humans sometimes behave, especially in situations where they are not at home. The resultant snark apparently struck a chord with folks and they actually seemed to enjoy the posts — enough that they said (they could, of course by lying) that they looked forward to them.

However, I feel social media has become more and more problematic. In addition, as time goes on, my older trips get pushed further and further back in my feed. Also, I would like to include both my practical notes on sights, restaurants and hotels as well as some of my own reflections that I have jotted down along the way — my Facebook posts are already too long to have any of that stuff. Thus, this website was born so I can put everything in one place. Even moving them over, I can see how my “blogging” has evolved, I hope this affords a “sweet spot”

What is with all the jogging?

So, one will note that a lot of my days start with some sort of exercise, in particular, jogging. Now, I realize that for many people, that is the antithesis of a vacation. However, while I was an athlete in high school, I came to a regular fitness routine rather late in life, only getting serious the last decade or so (funny, it seems to correspond with my daughter going off to college…hmmm). Covid, and turning 60 (how did that happen?) made me even more cognizant of the importance of health & fitness.

With all that, I have discovered that early morning jogs in a new location actually serve a few purposes. One is the actual exercise — when it’s done early, I have no excuse for missing it. Two, I get to explore even the most touristy locations in relative peace. As noted in many of my posts, it is often just me, the other joggers and the dog walkers out and about — the streets are wide open and it is a beautiful time to see things that I might miss in the crowds. Third, and this seems silly, but at this point, I know if I go a couple of days without saying I exercised, someone will notice — writing about it actually holds me accountable! Finally, as I have mentioned before, I LOVE to eat and try new foods. I like to think (the truth is likely different) that the exercise ALMOST keeps me even.

Some people have asked me about the safety aspect and I have to say, in Europe, I feel safer jogging as the sun rises than I do in some US cities in the middle of the day. My biggest fear is loose canines, but, again, the early morning dog owners seem to be a responsible bunch.

Why SOOOOOO Many Churches?

Yes, as I reread the pages, I realize I do seem to visit a LOT of churches in my travels. As a cradle Catholic with a family that traveled, I got used to visiting and attending church wherever our wanders brought us. And while the Church and I have many differences, Sunday Mass is still a regular part of my week and I attend if at all possible when I am on my travels — I think I have heard Mass said in at least ten languages — the “sit, stand, sit, stand, kneel, stand, kneel” never changes regardless of the tongue.

In addition , in Europe, churches, cathedrals, mosques and synagogues are as plentiful and popular as palaces and castles. The major ones offer opportunities to see classical art exhibited “in situ” and the architecture, stained glass and tower views are amazing. However, those also remind me of the fact that many of them were built based more because of ego and slave labor than piety.

I find myself drawn to the small, local houses of worship, roughly built, sometimes hewn out of a mountain or hidden away from the authorities — they are the product of the truly faithful and their simplicity amplifies that fact. Many have fascinating histories, creaky floorboards, and, if I’m lucky, a resident pet. And all seem to have the requisite woman who keeps the place clean and operating. Well, except for that one crazy lady in the church in Athens whose frenzy for cleaning up the votives left me with a permanent burn on my hand…

Thus is my excuse for the plethora of churches encountered in my posts — enjoy them, skim them, skip them, but recognize I am bound to continue them.

Where can I find a Travel Nancy or Two?

Ahh, an excellent question, one for which I do not have an answer except hope you get lucky! I married into the first Nancy and she brought along Nancy II. Funny, our travels together started fairly recently, for a family 50th birthday celebration and now “Travels with the Nancys” has become an annual event. My only tip is to find people whose travel styles mirror yours, who have a great sense of humor and are willing to do silly things! If one has a husband who is amazing at cooking on a grill, grab hold and don’t let go!

EVERYONE needs a couple of Travel Nancys!