Already, I have embraced the freedom. What began as a trip to see cousin Sandy became a declaration of the next phase. And more than anything it was a wonderful experience because Stephanie came with me. These are my friends in Greece. They were Sandy’s boys first – they call her their “
second mom” and she loves them like her own children. And they love her too. This is the real Greece – the people who have all the world’s history on their shoulders and who will give you everything they have if you need it.
This year I decided to go back in spring and see Thessaloniki – where Sandy spends her winters. Lemnos will still come this summer but it was time to see everyday life. Stephanie and I made it a true trip – we stopped in Germany on the way there and Belgium on the way home. We spent a week enjoying northern Greece – the museums, the Byzantine history, family and friends. We stayed in the old city and walked the cobblestone streets.
In Germany we toured a bit of Jewish history – there was an amazing time before the holocaust for Jewish people in Frankfurt. We saw a wonderful museum that celebrated that life before. We took a train down to Heidelberg and saw the romantic period in full – the castle, the architecture, the gardens and the people.
In Belgium we stayed in Brussels and the food was amazing. So was the architecture. From old world renaissance paintings to new modern trains. We took one down to Bruges and spent the day seeing all the sights from “that movie” and it was really nice.
More than anything I realize that this is a key part of what I want to make of the last act. Travel, family, friends and spending all the time I can with my love, Stephanie. These hav been an amazing 60 years but I’m not done yet. Here we go!