A touron is one-part eager tourist and one-part well-meaning moron. – Kelsey Timmerman Robie and I are aware of our position. It’s hard not to be. We don’t speak the language, don’t dress like locals, walk too fast, have difficulty figuring out change in the native currency and linger at waterfront cafés during work hours. … More Part of the problem
It was a strange city, and seemed to have been cast up in the valley one winter’s night like some prehistoric creature that was now clawing its way up the mountainside. – Chronicle of Stone by Ismail Kadare, born in Gjirokastër, 1936 While staying in one country for seven months seems counterproductive to our mission to … More Gallery of Gjirokastër, Albania
Albania, Albania, you border on the Adriatic. – Coach in Cheers When we told my parents we were headed to Albania, my mom had to use an atlas to figure out where it was. So for anyone else who only knows the country from the Cheers song played to the tune of “When the saints … More Where’s Albania?
More isn’t always better, Linus. Sometimes it’s just more. – Sabrina Many full-time travelers move every month. They arrive in a new city, find a grocery store and one or two restaurants, stroll the streets near their apartment, see the sites, take a daytrip, then leave. They don’t stay long enough to make friends with … More What being homeless feels like
The only true wisdom is in knowing you know nothing. – Socrates Our time in Greece was truly special, from exploring the island of Ikaria where we spent the majority of our time, to revisiting Athens after 29 years, exploring Mykonos in the off season and seeing the port city of Patros. This magical country … More Gallery of Greece
Every step is a destination. – Anonymous I promised my sister that on Ikaria I’d begin training for the Camino. But with the journey still ten months away, how in shape did I want to get? Besides, on a mountainous island everything Robie and I did involved a hike. Buying groceries meant a trek to … More Training for the Camino
A sunset in the Aegean includes joy and sorrow in such equal doses that in the end, only truth remains. – Greek poet Odysseus Elytis When we set out, Robie and I referred to our plan as off-season slow travel. Before we stepped off the hamster wheel, our limited vacation schedules were always a mad … More What is off-season slow travel?
You are what you eat. So don’t be fast, cheap, easy or fake. – Homer One of the best things about our roving retirement is the food. And not just the amazing cuisine we get to try, but the chance to recreate delicious dishes and add them to our repertoire. In Liverpool Robie and I … More Pork, cheese and ouzo – the new winter classic
The people you surround yourself with influence your behaviors, so choose friends who have healthy habits. – Dan Buettner Robie and I didn’t set out to age in reverse, on Ikaria it just happened. Ikaria is a blue zone – one of only five in the world – where people regularly live longer than average. … More Where people forget to die
All places, no matter where, no matter what, are worth visiting. – Paul Theroux I used to avoid reading travel narratives. I just couldn’t stomach following someone else’s voyage down the Amazon or trek across the Himalayas. Not when I so desperately wanted to be the protagonist in a far-off adventure and reading their … More The Pillars of Hercules
Reid & Robie 