Editor’s Note: Whoa! It’s been a busy time on the blog! Over the last three weeks, Ms. Bear has whisked us away to some very enchanting faraway lands — Paris, Belgium and London! Today, she’s excited to wrap things up with these reflections on her trip of a lifetime! And awayyyyyy we go… xoxo

Yesterday was Labor Day, which, of course, is the unofficial end of summer. To that end, it only seems fitting that I wind up my last guest blog on the summer trip of a lifetime! And also, of course, Melissa has been bugging me all weekend to get writing, so there’s that reason too for getting this done! Hahaha…

I have been thinking since I came home about why this trip has had such a great impact on me. I think it boils down to three main reasons, all of them having to do with learning more about myself. Which just proves, you’re never too old to learn things about who you are and your place in the world.

The very first thing I realized, when I was still actually on the plane flying over there, was that the world may be geographically big, but it’s really a small world after all (sorry, Disney, and sorry if that song is now going through your head!). As the plane was flying, I was watching the seat back in front of me, looking at the little dot of our plane as we crossed areas of the world that I had only dreamed about before. But, when I got off in Paris, the first thing I thought of was how very similar the airport was to all the many airports I have visited in the United States. Sure, people were speaking a different language, but everyone was doing the same thing people all over the world do in an airport. As we went around Paris, then Bruges and finally London, I saw people of all nationalities enjoying the very same sightseeing that my family and I were doing! People were eating, drinking, laughing and enjoying each other’s company, just like we do in our kitchen every night when we all gather back together after a long day at work. Intellectually, I knew this, but it was still a revelation to me as I watched the week unfold day by day. It made me feel closer to the fellow travelers on our planet.

Also, I learned to watch for the goodness of people. From the friendly Jamaican tour guide in Paris to the Australian couple we met in a cafe and talked American politics with (and boy did we get their honest opinion!) to the lovely British man who was our waiter for tea in London, I learned that people are kind, good and really want to connect with others. I will take this with me out into the world, especially when things over here get ugly. I will always remember the people I met and will take their goodness with me.

The second thing that I learned was a more personal revelation. I learned that I am capable of so much more than I think I am. When Brian died, I was convinced that I wouldn’t make it. Time passed, however, and with each new accomplishment, I gained confidence. For years, I told Mona that I couldn’t possibly travel away from home. She was sneaky, though, planting the seed, letting it simmer and being patient as I learned and became comfortable with doing new things. Over the last five years, I became a pro at flying to NYC, and now I dare say, I am no longer afraid of international travel either. Thanks, Mona, you literally opened new worlds to me! I’m not stopping here!!! It may be Sweden next time!!

Finally, I learned that Dorothy was right — there is no place like home! Coming home was joyous, seeing Melissa and Janelle, Harry and Stella and being back in my own bed. And, now I can smile when I say, as I often work into conversation, “When I was in Europe…” And, one more movie reference, with kudos to Humphrey Bogart…I will always have Paris!!!!

The trip of a lifetime may be over, but who knows what memories will be made right here and now, and from wherever my travels take me next. Stay tuned!

Editor’s Note: So far, Ms. Bear has taken us on virtual adventures to Paris and Belgium. Today, she shares the stories from her last — and favorite! — spot! It’s time for some lessons from London! Take it away, Ms. Bear… xoxo

Here I am again for the third installment of Tuesday Travels with Ms. Bear. Our third stop was in London, England. I’ve got to say, I loved London….it was actually my favorite of all the places we went this summer!

We arrived in London bright and early, even after taking the train from Bruges to Brussels and then the Chunnel over to London. I fell asleep right after getting on the train in Brussels and woke up when we got to London! Mona learned her lesson about scheduling such early trains for us because Elaine and I were not too happy about getting up so early! The trip was beginning to wear us all down, but we still maintained plenty of excitement for those British! I remember waking up once when we were in the Chunnel, seeing how dark it was and thinking that I should really wake up and experience all the wonder of being in the Chunnel, but alas, I didn’t.

(Lesson #1: Don’t sleep through important events in your life because who knows when you’ll get back there again…lol)

We pulled into the station in London, and it was so cool to hear the accents! The people were so nice too. We took a taxi over to our hotel, The Marriott Marble Arch. It was a swank hotel. We even had executive lounge passes!

(Lesson #2: Always sign up for the executive lounges in hotels…it’s well worth the money!)

As you can see, we had unlimited access to a full English breakfast everyday, heavy hors d’oeuvres at night, with cocktails, beer or wine, and snacks all day long! Plus, there was a beautiful view! We spent a lot of time there! The hotel had a pool too and Mona and I made use of that, as you can see.

We averaged 15,000 steps a day in England. We saw all the major attractions…Westminster Abbey, Buckingham Palace, the Princess Diana Memorial Fountain, Hyde Park and so much of the city itself! We also took a river tour down the Thames! Whew! Even though we were only in London for two days, boy, did we see a lot.

We did so much stuff in two days that it was unbelievable. You can see the picture of my sister and I sitting on a bench near the Palace. I am a peppy person, but I actually had to sit and rest…Mona was laughing about that!

(Lesson #3: Be careful what songs you get stuck in your head. It was like a whole concert in my head after going under London Bridge on the boat tour. That song made me think of My Fair Lady (the last line of London Bridge), which made me think of the Queen, which made me think of the group Queen, which made me think….well, you see where I’m going with this, right? I had song after song free associating in my head for a long time, and the worst was when I started to remember all the songs from Mary Poppins, my least favorite movie of all time! Haha! I guess that was only appropriate though, since that movie took place in London!)

We went to “tea” at a lovely department store. We were treated like British royalty, and I swear that if we Americans stopped for an hour for refreshments and a little rest in the middle of the afternoon that we would all be kinder and more civil to one another!

One of the most memorable things that happened was when Mona went to visit someone she knew and she showed us where to get the taxi when we were done on the boat tour. Well, we didn’t realize it would be rush hour when we got off the boat, and it was just impossible to get a taxi. So, finally, Elaine and I decided that we are two well-educated women and we could certainly figure out how to take the tube. And, guess what — we did it!

(Lesson #4: I learned that I am capable of so much more than I give myself credit for. After all, at first, I didn’t even think I could go on this trip, and then by the end I was navigating the London underground trains without thinking twice about it! Next time you think you can’t do something, think of two “older” widows in their 60s trying to figure out the transportation system in London and you too will know you can do anything you make up your mind to. It was a pretty funny sight and a wonderful memory of my time in London!)

That is probably the most important of the London lessons. Cheerio for now, Lords and Ladies….one more column coming up next week!

Editor’s Note: From Paris…to Belgium!!! Ms. Bear is back this week with another installment of her travel diaries! I think she’s really having fun writing these and telling all her stories — hope you like Tuesday Travels in Belgium!! xoxo

The words of the title of this week’s guest travel blog come from that stern taskmaster and supreme vacation guide, my niece Mona, who you met last week. Thanks to her, we saw just about every single thing there was to see on our European Escapades! And, how true those words are! From the moment we arrived in the town square in Bruges, to the train station where we left, the smell of chocolate permeated everything. Almost every other store was a chocolate shop. And, oh my, that’s really chocolate!!!

When we arrived via train in Bruges, Mona looked up how far away the hotel was. It was pretty close, but we were so thankful that we decided to “cab it” — New York lingo for taking a cab! haha — because the streets of Bruges were not only circuitous, but they were very rocky and uneven. It would have been a funny sight to see Elaine and me hobbling behind Mona on the way to the hotel!

We stayed at the Grand Hotel Casselbergh and when we walked in, we must have looked just like tourists from the United States. It was so beautiful. The hotel was created out of three historical residences which were owned and lived in throughout many centuries and centuries of important townspeople and aristocrats. It was spectacular!

(Editor’s Note: I feel the need to share a cute story here that my mom neglected to include. See this pic of the open hotel window? Apparently, my mom made Mona close them because of her fear of bats! LOL…)

Of course, we didn’t spend too much time at the hotel! We went out right away and walked and walked and saw the whole city center area, bought lots of chocolate and ate some of it right away, and went to a sidewalk cafe and drank Belgian beer! It was so refreshing, just sitting outside and enjoying a new taste, in both the beer and the chocolate.

We went on a river tour that night in a boat. Our tour guide was such a nice young Flemish man, and we loved listening to his accent. He also showed us the actual window that Colin Farrell jumped out of in the movie In Bruges. According to Roger Ebert, if you want to see authentic Bruges scenery, just watch that movie. Plus, it’s an action flick too!

The next morning we had to get going to London. In true Belgian hospitality, they opened the hotel dining room an hour and a half early just so we could have the wonderful breakfast they offered to guests. It was like being royalty in this big old dining room all to ourselves!

We took a train from Bruges to Brussels, where we transferred to the Eurostar and went through The Chunnel. In true vacation fashion, though, I missed the whole underwater experience because I fell asleep. Ironically, even Mona tired herself out and she slept too!

Next week, you will hear all about our rollicking time in London! As the Flemish would say…”Ik zie je later”, or in English….I’ll see you later! Stay tuned…