Monday, July 6, 2026

A 50FTY


Yesterday mostly involved trip preparation, so there's not much to write about. How many ways can a person pack a suitcase?

But before I did any of that I took a long walk up into Willesden Green, and got some photos along the way. I'll leave you with those -- no commentary necessary!






I also found some DVDs on the sidewalk, and brought home two seasons of the TV show "Curb Your Enthusiasm." We may be watching some of that upon our return.

We're off in a few hours for the airport. I haven't described our trip in much detail, I realize, but that's mostly because Dave chose it and I have only the barest sense of the itinerary. We'll be in a different place pretty much every night, with the first few days on land and the rest at sea and in various ports. Basically, we're traveling through northern Italy by land, and then cruising down through the Adriatic along the coast of Croatia and Montenegro, then around the boot of Italy to Sicily, and then up along the Amalfi Coast to Pisa and Rome.

I hate to leave all the plants with the garden at its peak, but such is the necessity when you can only travel in summer. Warren will take care of it well, I'm sure, and it's nice to know he'll be here holding down the fort as our house-sitter. (So attention, any thieves reading this: Not only do we not own anything worth stealing, our house will not be empty!)

59 comments:

  1. Here's to a good trip.

    Some of the photos slightly sad..the lost charm bracelet with a maritime feel...the abandoned chairs...

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    1. I felt bad about the bracelet. I hope whoever lost it finds it again!

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  2. Your trip sounds wonderful.....have a great time.

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  3. Enjoy your trip, I look forward to your photo's.

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  4. Enjoy your trip, and I am very much looking forward to your photos and description of the trip. Of course I am particularly interested in anything you can say and show us about Sicily - it's been so many years now that I haven't been back, after I spent almost every summer there for ten years in a row from the late 1980s to the late 1990s.

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    1. I think we're only in Messina in Sicily, so I don't know how much outside of that I will see, but I'll be sure to post photos!

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  5. Drat! With Warren there as your security guard I guess I will have to cancel my van hire agreement. Amongst other things I was hoping to thieve all your clothes to sell to a fashion museum. I hope you have a fabulous time in Italy and on your cruise.

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    1. Thank you! As I always tell Dave, "Anyone who breaks into our flat will be sorely disappointed."

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  6. I like the fence in the last post and wonder if that was intentional or just happened over time.
    I also wonder who would drag a chair into the shrubbery and leave it there.

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    1. I assume it's a deliberate mural of sorts. The chair in the bushes was very strange. It looks like someone set it up to sit there and gaze out through the fence at the street, but I don't think it had been used in a long, long time.

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    2. That picture of the chair is so perfectly framed by the branches and the chicken wire.

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  7. Took me a minute to fathom your title today. Have a great trip. So even when dogless you have someone living there? Definitely cautious.

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  8. Can't wait to see your pictures from this trip. Have a safe journey.

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  9. That sounds like a trip of a lifetime, Steve!

    Safe travels to you. And Enjoy!

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    1. I had mixed feelings about a cruise, honestly, but Dave really liked the idea and it's his year to choose since I chose South America!

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  10. You will have a great trip. Hope it will not be too hot to do excursions.

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    1. We start up in the Lake Country of northern Italy, so there at least I think it will be temperate.

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  11. I hope you have a wonderful time. xx

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  12. Bon Voyage! My sister and her husband did a similar trip and said it was wonderful!

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    1. Oh, interesting! I wonder if they went on the same cruise line? I think we're on Celebrity.

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  13. Enjoy your trip! It sounds like you will have a grand tour of Italy. I'll look forward to hearing all about it and seeing the photos.

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    1. Dave has never been to Italy so he really wanted to see it!

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  14. So many of your pictures makes me think London is nothing more then a sidewalk junkyard!
    I'm sure the cruise will be wonderful and no high seas or sea sickness! Carry some dramamine!

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    1. Well, there is a certain sameness to a lot of London streets, with identical houses built in rows. So what I notice is what's unusual, and that's often discarded stuff sitting out on the streets! But no, I wouldn't call the city a sidewalk junkyard. Sadiq Khan would be very disappointed in me for promoting that view. :)

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  15. Phuc Yez !! Travel On !!

    Cheers

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  16. It sounds like a good trip. I've never been on a cruise. My daughter and her husband plan to do an Alaska iceberg cruise next year for her 50th birthday. I may tag along.

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    1. Oh, do it! I've heard Alaska makes for amazing cruising. And those icebergs won't be around forever!

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  17. Have a wonderful trip! Sounds amazing. I would say takes lots of photos, but that would be redundant:)

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  18. Lovely walk and what a fabulous trip you will have. Safe travels!

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  19. It sounds like a fabulous trip! I hope you see many beautiful sites and enjoy great food and weather.

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  20. Happy travels! The Mediterranean cruise will be phenomenal. The sea and salty air while being on the ocean never disappoints. Dining on a cruise is also pretty special. Enjoy.

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    1. Our first few days are on land, but I'm looking forward to getting on the boat and not having to move our suitcase around!

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  21. Have a safe and restful trip. I look forward to seeing your photos.

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  22. It took me a minute to get the license plate - A Softy! Ha! At first I thought you'd finally lost your grip on reality because I couldn't see where the title was located in your post.

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    1. I tried to make it a challenge for the observant. :)

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  23. The painted fence looks interesting. Safe and happy travels.

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    1. Yeah, I thought it was a pretty cool paint job! I can't make out the wording on the sides though.

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  24. Sounds like a wonderful trip! Enjoy!

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