Nomad Old Farts' Guestbook

Granada
Half your luck, guys! We have been in lockdown for the last 6 weeks and are finally allowed out tomorrow. As for touring Spain (or even the US), I suspect that is months away for us yet. There was an interesting article written the other day about the contrasting attitudes towards covid between Americans and Australians, with Florida being used as the US example with a similar population to us. While Ausses accept 'rules' and lockdowns, Americans want freedom. The difference is that we have had 1,000 covid deaths and Florida 57,000. I guess it just depends on what your priorities are!

Bad experiences
I don't disagree, Bob, but to some degree it is a risk/reward thing. There is no doubt that travelling in a group gives you a greater degree of safety, and usually some pleasant like minded company, but the downsides can be that every now and again you get someone (or more) in the group that drives everyone crazy, and also to some degree you get a more sanitised view of some of these culturally diverse countries. Some of my best travel experiences have occurred while travelling solo (or just with Joan), two that come to mind from 1974 being the homestay we had with a Tunisian family in the Sahara and also the 6 weeks or so that I left Bob and the Kombi in Europe and teamed up to travel with some great people during that period. But there is no doubt that as you get older, your appetite for risk diminishes considerably.

People
You're absolutely right, MJ. Almost the major highlight for me in all my travels has been the two categories of people met - 1) fellow travellers who usually have great stories to tell, and 2) locals, who invariable have offered amazing hospitality, even though in many cases they have very little to give. Wrt the latter, I have a great 100 page photobook full of over 300 pics of the most interesting locals (usually young kids or very old people) that I have met in all my travels. I'm sure you two would love to see it. I've called that photo album 'Faraway Faces' and it is a complement to my other two 100 page albums called 'Faraway Places' and 'Faraway Spaces', showing the best scenes and particularly fascinating sights respectively.

World Travels
I make no apology for that, Merry Jo!