Counting off to the next trip

My sister and I are really taken in by a travel itch! Don't actually know where it comes from, though I suppose it has something to do with the fact that our grandparents already talked a lot about the trip they made to for instance Italy (Rome, Florence, Milan, ...) or Germany (Schwarzwald), France, Switzerland, ... That in a time when travelling was barely done (remember, those were the nineteen thirties and early forties, then continuing after World War II). As a little kid I heard stories about the beauty of other places, of performances in the Scala, just name it.

And also my mother, on marrying our dad, loved to travel. Luckily Dad was in the same mind! I also remember that one day they had the option to buy a house in our neighborhood. It was brought to discussion at the dinner table. If they bought the house, that would mean there was no more money for trips. So we had to decide - and we all voted for the trips! We rather went away than having the house.

It's still the same with us. I guess that in the course of  years, we have spent so much money on near and far trips that we could easily havc a mansion with park around it. But that doesn't appeal to us. We do have a house of our own - albeit it an old one, which needs a lot of upkeep - and a flat at the coast. Nothing too big or too posh, but it's enough for us.

We also don't have a car. We like to walk and do our errands either on foot or by bike. With a bit of organising, that works fine. Don't spent (too much) money on clothes or shoes (one thing only: they should be comfortable and in leather) but pay a lot for food. That another thing we have from grandma - she always claimed that you were rich as long as your belly was full and you had a warm bed to sleep into.

No long now before we take a trip once more. This time to Manchester. Not because it's especially appaling, but we go to a concert there in Bridgewater Hall. And then in December it's off to Mexico. Now that I can walk well again, it's a relief to be able to do all the discovering on foot once more.