End of wanderings post-Peace Corps -- May 20, 2009

I am at the end of my travels before going to visit my children and grandchildren. First to Munich, Germany, to spend a week with Peter and his family, then on to Las Vegas, Nevada, to spend another week with Grey and his daughter, and on to Bend, Oregon, to be with Dara and her family. By this time next month I hope to be arriving back in Alaska. I still don't know whether I will fly or drive there, but I am hoping to take my eleven-year-old granddaughter Lorin with me.

I am in a little hotel in Venice, near the Grand Canal off Ca' d'Oro. The room costs only 35 euros a night including breakfast, so you know it is possible to enjoy even the most expensive areas of Europe without spending a lot of money. Of course it is beautiful here, that goes without saying, but words can hardly describe this city. I spent one afternoon on the island of Murano, visiting the glass-blowing factories where they make incredible chandeliers. Although such things are not exactly my taste, I certainly gained a great appreciation for how they are made! Everywhere I travel, I keep taking pictures of beautiful designs, with the thought that I might use some of the ideas in my own artistic projects. I wonder if I'll ever live long enough to use them? Unsurprisingly, at my age I keep thinking about what I want to do with the time I have left and whether I am living the life I want. I am grateful that I was able in 2004 to retire, and sincerely hope I will be healthy enough that I can continue to travel, even though our economy is in bad shape right now. I have some great friends, and would enjoy just going to visit them all.

Today I'll be on the train, so I want to upload some photos before I go. I have posted many photo albums online during the last weeks, and want to thank friends who emailed me that they already enjoyed looking at them and seeing the country with me. I appreciate all of you who read these pages, and especially those who write to let me know they are out there in internet-land. I'll just stick these pictures in at random, so please question me if they don't make any sense to you!