Whew!

Well, it was a bit iffy there for a while if all the work I had gone to for another trip to Europe was going to be for not.  I ended up having emergency surgery on August 29th which I was concerned would put my September 17th departure date in peril.  However, thanks to a very responsive medical system and the miracles of modern medicine, I am good to go.  The surgeon confirmed it early this week.  Whew!

My last two trips to Europe have included stops in Türkiye (the official name of Turkey).  Last November, the cruise I was on stopped in Antalya and Alanya, both ports on the south coast of that country.  I found them quite interesting.  In May, I returned to Türkiye for a cruise from Istanbul to Athens with stops in that country as well as in Greece.  Prior to the cruise, I did a private tour to Cappadocia which was amazing.  The guide, Ata, was wonderful and he suggested perhaps I might be interested in seeing more of his country.  There is something about that country that has captured my interest so, as I put together a plan for the fall, I made sure to add it to the itinerary to take advantage of his suggestion.

Fast forward to June when I started organizing a new trip for the fall.  Things fell into place pretty quickly.  My good friends who used to live in London have retired to Portugal.  So, that will be my first stop, staying with them in their home in Setubal which is just south of Lisbon for about a week.  I have seen parts of Portugal but didn't get to spend much time in Lisbon when I was last there.  So, the plan is to see more of it plus a few other nearby places.  I would like to return to Cascais, even just for lunch, as it is a very pretty town.  Sintra, which I didn't get to last time is also on my "wish list".  The visit will also enable me to continue my recovery as we will be able to define our own pace - no structure, booked tours or the like.  

From there, I fly to Istanbul where I will reconnect with Ata.  We will be doing a 9 day road trip along the coast of the Black Sea in northern Türkiye almost to the Georgian border.  From what I have seen on YouTube videos and from the research I have done, it is going to be a unique experience.  Everything from beautiful coastal towns, to UNESCO World Heritage sites with the possibility of a cave, a monastery and a tea plantation in the Highlands.  It will all be new to me and I know I will be in good hands as Ata is very well educated, caring, and a proud Turk!

Following that, I will head to more familiar territory - a week in Italy (Tuscany and the Cinque Terre) with the friend I was in France with last year before returning to one of my favourite places anywhere, the Cote d'Azur.  My friend and I have rented the same apartment in Nice I've rented the last two years.  After that, I will stay in France longer to visit my very good friends in Alsace before heading home at the end of October.  Just before flying home, I will be meeting up with another friend who, by chance, will be in Frankfurt the same time as I am.  So, rather than finishing my vacation as I often do by eating dinner by myself in an airport hotel, she and I will be able to eat in the old town of Frankfurt instead.

It is going to be one of those trips where I get to experience some new places but still savour the nostalgy of being in places I already love and with people who are important to me.

Stay tuned and, again thanks for following along on my adventures.  

· TTo move, to breathe, to fly, to float, to gain all while you give, to roam the roads of lands remote, to travel is to live – Hans Christian Andersen