Posted on November 11, 2018October 21, 2019 in Living abundantly, Travel, Travel, Uncategorized

On Route to Mexcio: Must Love Horses

My only full day in Athens, Georgia included a visit from the farrier. A farrier is a specialist in equine hoof care, including the trimming and balancing of horses’ hooves and the placing of shoes on their hooves, if necessary. I was fascinated at his work having never seen a horses hoof up close and had no idea what trimming or putting on horse shoes would entail. I was also fascinated and appalled at his running racist commentary – a view into southern, conservative America. Quite an education for me. It was election day in the USA and I didn’t remind him or encourage him to vote. Erev, my mentor in no way reflects this type of thinking – she is an amazing woman with the most generous spirit I have ever witnessed. She is a champion mounted archer. How cool is that!?!?!?!?!?

I haven’t been on or even near horses since I was a teenager. I love horses and dogs and this new adventure has me surrounded by both. My host in Mexico has horses in Phoenix and in Puerta Penasco. I visited with Erev in Athens, Georgia for a few days on route to Mexico and we spent a half day with her horses.

SandraLaya on a horse after 40 or so years

First time with a bow and arrow

I spent a morning in Phoenix at the ranch observing Jorge training 3 of the 4 horses. Jorge is a volunteer from Spain staying in Phoenix for a while as he travels in the United States. He is a real horse whisperer and it was fascinating to watch him. He spoke gently in a soothing, soft voice to the horses. He continually explained to me what he was doing and why. It was mesmerizing to watch and a lesson for sure in patience.

horse training.jpg — Volunteer from Spain, Jorge training horse

Why all this talk and time with horses? Many of you may know that I am studying now to become a Kohenet, a Hebrew Priestess. This past spring my cohort and I were initiated and this summer we will be ordained. I am very excited about the whole process. Kohenet is a training program in spiritual leadership for women on a Jewish path. It is also a movement, a sisterhood, and a network of communities. It is creating a paradigm of earth-based, embodied, feminist, Judaism. I am now working with a Kohenet mentor who uses horses and archery to teach energy-work. The archery helps with my ability to concentrate and to focus. Horses are known for their incredible sensitivity.After a day in Phoenix my host drove me to Puerto Penasco in Mexico. It is a small fishing village located on the Sea of Cortes in Mexico. Commonly referred to by American visitors as Rocky Point, this small fishing town has blossomed into a popular modern day vacation destination. Rocky Point is a little over 60 miles from the USA border which makes the seaside city a popular drive to destination by visitors from the USA. It is here that I will be managing 10 AirBnb properties. Check it out.

Sandra Laya Puerta Penasco — SandraLaya in Las Conchas, Puerta Penasco, Mexico

Posted on November 8, 2018October 21, 2019 in Living abundantly, Travel, Travel, Uncategorized

Quite the Adventure: My Bags are Packed and I’m Ready to Go.

I have been planning this trip for quite sometime now and it has just come to fruition. The dream was a winter out of the snow and somewhere near salt water, sand and sunshine. I am only semi-retired and not independently wealthy so there was a financial challenge to overcome. Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmm…..how to have it all????

I questioned my friends and acquaintances, scoured websites, and sent my prayers out to the Universe. I’ve been very intrigued with the concept of Workaway. Take a look at their website – so many opportunities around the world. In the end, I found an opportunity through a good friend of my mine with her sister in Mexico. For the next 4 months, I will be volunteering in Rocky Point, Mexico helping with their AirBnb business. Check it out here.

The first hurdle was to get there without spending a lot of money. Travelling across the USA for free. There had to be a way. I found it with Toronto Drive-Away Service. I applied online in September and heard back from them promptly. Early in October they gave me my assignment. I drove a brand new Honda CRV to Fort Myers, Florida for a couple of elderly snow birds.

It was a great adventure – driving across country on my own with the radio cranked high singing to the Beatles and a variety of 60’s music and other pop era’s. Yowza!!! This is not for the faint of heart. I hit every type of weather – lots of rain on and off, snow in West Virginia for a few kilometers, bright and blinding sunshine and then absolutely torrential rain on I-75 just a half hour from my hotel. It was terrifying as traffic slowed to nothing and no one could see. I quickly exited the highway and waited it out in a parking lot.

I drove 12 hours on day one and spent the night at the Holiday Inn Suites in Beckley, West Virginia that I easily booked on Hotwire and left a 5 star review on Yelp. I slept well and was up and on my way to Athens, Georgia very early the next morning. I arrived there 6 hours later. I spent a lovely day with my friend and mentor, left my luggage and drove another 12 hours to Fort Myers the next morning. Spent the night at the Hyatt Suites, met the couple (whose car I was) delivering at an airport shuttle office, took the shuttle over to Southwest’s Terminal and flew to Athens an hour and half later. Read my reviews of the Hyatt Suites and Southwest Airlines on Yelp.

Choosing what to pack and how to limit my luggage took lots of my brain power. I need warm clothes for the drive down and for my stay in March in Connecticut, boots and water shoes, clothes for being around the stables and clothes for fun, clothes for meeting clients………….I love my clothes. I had to limit myself to luggage I could manage solo and also the limitations of the airlines.

I know this is the time for me – time to get healthier, face my fears head on, ramp up the adventure meter and experience something new everyday. There’s no stopping me now.

Posted on December 27, 2016October 21, 2019 in Life Cycle Officiant, Living abundantly, Living Life Large, Uncategorized

Pick Yourself Up, Dust Yourself Off and Start All Over Again

So here’s the thing. I love writing and I love my blogs. I was so excited about my Sixty in the City idea. I couldn’t wait to get started. Ideas flowed in my head and my heart. When I was out ideas, words, sentences, paragraphs, and pictures poured in. This is my passion. I love sharing ideas and hopefully inspiring others. Ok, so what happened ….why did I stop? Why do I have lists of blogging ideas in my “To Do List” and why haven’t I written in months? Why? What stopped me? Hmmmm…… time to explore the usual suspects.

The old tapes I suppose. What do I mean by the old tapes? Those are those thoughts that flow through our mind. Crap that other people told us or crap that we repeatedly tell ourselves? Can’t, shouldn’t, wouldn’t, couldn’t. Yowzers!! How did that stuff get into my head?

I pride myself on a cup that is more than half full and often spilling over. I think that I am a “take charge, get it done, kind of Womyn”. I never leave dishes in the sink or laundry unfolded. I plan my meals, plan my grocery list, take time to cook healthy from scratch food, keep my home neat and tidy, stay in touch family and loved ones, remember birthdays and special occasions, make lists and check things off. Yup, you got it….I can busy myself with a lot of mundane details and tell myself that I was too busy today but tomorrow….no the next day….ok no….next week…. I’ll do it….cause I love it. What’s going on????

Looking back over the years (and when you are sixty, there are a lot of years to look back on) I know that many times when I was on the brink of following my passion to have my own business as an Alternative Healing practitioner. My passion for facilitating groups to inspire womyn to create the changes they want for themselves and for the world…..I didn’t follow my own advice but instead took a different path. Consistently a solid, dependable job or contract would come my way and how could I say no to stability and normality? I am not criticizing those choices. I was a sole support parent with 2 amazing daughters who I wanted to provide for. I am certain that isn’t all there is to this pattern, though. My daughters have been self sufficient and stable on their own for over a decade.

Last spring I found a great inspiration partner. We both wanted someone to keep us on track to achieve our goals. We met every other week and we created a whole system to keep us motivated. It was so exciting and so organized. We called our goals sun rays and each ray was a stream that we wanted to pursue and follow. In this time I got my licence to marry couples and started officiating weddings. I was blogging very regularly and many of my ideas were unfolding . I started my training to become a Kohenet (Hebrew Priestess). I was doing it!!! And… Then…I …Stopped !!!!!!!!! Right in the middle of doing what I was sure I loved and what I am still sure I love. What happened? One thing only….I got in my own way.

The really awesome part of all this is that it’s ok to stop and it’s ok to start again. The old but timeless song, “take a deep breath, pick yourself up, dust yourself off and start all over again.” Listen hear

What have I done? I found my old mentors again …..Sarah Ban Breathnach, Louise Hay and Sark. I dug out my vision journal and I have enjoyed looking at it again. (some photos from my old vision book)

Today I am going to start working on expanding that vision journal with my new visions and discoveries. Sarah Ban Breathnach suggests that you get piles of old magazines and cut out pictures that you are drawn to, putting them into separate piles for the various parts of your life. Here is a description from one of her books.

You can usually find Sarah’s books in second hand book stores. I suggest starting with “Simple Abundance”. Currently I am using “Something More” as my guide.

I am ready to commit to me again…..that means healthy choices and exercising, it means writing out my gratitudes from the day before, giving thanks to the Goddess, reading something inspirational. It means making a commitment to my personal success by creating an action plan and following it though. For me it means stepping out of my usual comfort zones. It means finding joy in all the little spaces like walking barefoot on the beach in November in Nova Scotia or wandering through the Allan Garden Conservatory in Toronto on Boxing Day when it is cold and rainy outside.

Winter inspiration at Allan Gardens Conservatory, Toronto, ON

What does it mean for you?

Posted on April 23, 2015September 14, 2017 in Living abundantly

Staycation: That Hometown Advantage

I spent the last few months wondering where I wanted to go for a vacation this year. Spending May in France and Greece last year was one of my best vacation experiences. I loved the scenery, the food, the sea, the warm weather and the new experiences. I also loved visiting with great friends that made me feel wanted and welcomed….best feeling EVER!!! So how do I match that? Go back…do it again….maybe explore new areas. Should I go somewhere where the weather will be hot and spend my days swimming by the sea like Cuba or Mexico? I even considered a summer holiday in the Atlantic provinces where I grew up. I haven’t been back in the summer for over 15 years but I remember the beautiful beaches…Parlee Beach especially and the wharf at ……fried clams and juicy lobsters eaten at a picnic table on newspapers…..endless walking along the seashore, bonfires on the sand………..delicious memories but I want to share these with my daughters so I am going to postpone my walk down Memory Lane for at least another year.

I am a traveller and I believe that every trip adds to who we are and changes us (me) in some way. I was a Travel Agent and actually taught Travel and Tourism for many years in colleges. I travelled as an agent, as a tour guide, as an activist, and as a tourist. I have been to many Caribbean Islands….Jamaica, Dominican Republic, St. Johns, Grand Cayman, Puerto Rico and to the Bahamas. I have taken several cruises (actually managed a cruising agency in the 80’s). I lived for two years in Haifa and spent much time in my beloved Palestine with 2 trips to Gaza. I have visited Jordan and Egypt, Turkey, Greece, The Netherlands, France, Portugal and England. I am sooooooooo lucky!!

And then I started to think about Ontario….maybe a cottage by a small, warm lake? Hmmmmm, or maybe Toronto, my hometown. I live near a large and fabulous lake that looks like an ocean. I have only a 15 minute walk to the boardwalk and let’s face it…I live in an awesome city with countless opportunities that I just never seem to get around to enjoying. I do walk along the beach often and last summer really took advantage of the olympic sized pool that is practically in my backyard. Last summer I walked a different route there and back each day…enjoying all the little streets and alleyways that make up this Toronto neighbourhood we call The Beach. Yup…I want a staycation and I want to spend it with friends and family. To start I have been making lists of places, of activities and of friends and as that list grew longer and longer, I realized it is more than a 2 week vacation but also countless weekends that can and should start today.

I intend to take lots of photos and share this world class city that I live and work in and I think it will be as incredible as any “away” destination. I can tell you about great food that I discover in restaurants, specialty shops and markets. I hope that you will share your own experiences and add to my list of possibilities.

So here is my “wanna do” list………….some things I have done and want to experience again…..

Turkish experience day – all things Turkey – coffee, shops, and pide for lunch and kebobs for dinner
French Day – Cafe au lait with croissants in a French cafe, picnic of cheeses, bread and sausage with a red checkered table cloth
Pig Roast at Bairrada Churrasqueira in Little Portugal
All you can eat grilled fish ($24.95) at Lisbon by Night
Greektown for an afternoon stroll eating spanikopita and a cold drink with appetizers on a patio.
Toronto Island for a day or an overnight. The Bed and Breakfasts look spectacular and can be booked on AirBnB or Torontoisland.org
Royal Ontario Museum (ROM) – best value is on Fridays after 4:30pm for only $10
Art Gallery of Ontario (AGO) – Wednesday evenings from 6pm – 830pm are Free
Rouge Park – Hiking, Camping and a Sandy Beach and close to the city.
Rent a car for the day and just drive – Zipcar gives a free membership for use Monday to Friday. Cars2Go gives out free memberships at many events around the city.
Wing joint for wings and beer on a patio
St. Lawrence Market any and everyday of the week but it is recommended to go early on Saturday morning
Allen Gardens – botanical garden in the heart of the city and open every day of the week and it is free

Outside the city

Theatre in Stratford on the Avon River, Ontario
Sunfest, London, Ontario, July 9-12, 2015 ( 20 years of amazing world music and I have rarely missed a year)
A wine tour or theatre in Niagara on the Lake
Wasaga Beach – never been but everyone talks about it…..should I go?
Port Stanley, Ontario – this is a beach on Lake Erie – so close to London and I spent many a summer day there
Sparta, Ontario – a Quaker town that was established in the early 1800’s.
Grand Bend in Ontario on Lake Huron
Goderich, Ontario

Now all we need is some warm weather, bright sunny skies…………..looking forward to hearing more ideas and places that you love.

happy summering,

Sandra

Posted on May 24, 2014October 21, 2019 in Living abundantly, Travel, Travel

Returning to Greece aka going home

Being back in Greece feels so comfortable….of course, I don’t speak Greek and of course, I still have no sense of directions….I can walk 1 km and have no idea how to get back but I don’t care……always possible to find a solution somehow. There are so many things that are different here – the little elevators that hold a piece of luggage and 2 people maximum, turning on the hot water 20 minutes before a shower, metal shutters over the doors and windows that always challenge me to operate. The apartment where I have been staying in Athens has been completely renovated and the shutters work off a remote control. Best of all I love hanging my laudry outside on the clothesline and bringing them in smelling of the hot sun. It is a smell so delicious that I cannot stop breathing in the intoxicating fragrance. In Toronto, I have a rack that I put out on my balcony hoping that my building manager won’t knock on the door and tell me to remove it. It isn’t the same though. I think there is a special scent from the Mediterranean sun.

2014-05-19 20.10.03-1 — My beautiful apartment in Athens, Greeece

Today I had lunch in a restaurant in Illiopoli. I ate there once before and I remembered that the food is like home- cooked Greek fare. Today I had Pastitsio with a half order of steamed Swiss Chard. Pistitsia is a noodle dish cooked in a tomato meat sauce and covered in a Bechemel.

I am writing now on board a ginormous ferry that will take me from Pireaus to Heraklion on the island of Crete. There I will cross the street and board a bus that will take me to Aghios Nikolas where I will catch a taxi to the Dulac Hotel. At this moment I am drinking my first Mythos beer – a cold mug of draught and it is delicious. At least it is in Greece. I lived at the Dulac for 5 weeks in 2011. When they asked me what I did, I said I was very lucky to be able to do my work on the internet. It was somewhat true. Later when they learned what I was really doing in Crete (see previous blog), they were very supportive of our project – The Canadian Boat to Gaza – to break the illegal siege on Gaza.

The past 2 days I traveled 700 kilometres to the north with my wonderful friends Anna Stamou and her equally wonderful husband Naim Elghandour. Anna is a candidate in the European Elections which are this week. She is running for the Eco Green party. She wears a hijab, is a true Feminist and believes that women must be involved politically to make changes. She is so intelligent, so caring and never stops working for change. I know that I would not have been as successful with the preparations for the Canadian Boat to Gaza without their help. We went to Xanthi to speak with women and men about the upcoming elections. Xanthi has a Muslim community that has been there for centuries. Until only recently, this Muslim minority was not able to obtain building permits to renovate their home or to build new homes. They worked as farm labourers. The women I met I had been educated in Turkey – sent to boarding school at 12 years of age because of the prejudice that surrounded them from the other Greek communities. Today they are stronger and the laws have changed to allow all Greeks to own their homes and renovate them. Today their children are educated in Xanthi and mothers and children do not have to cry at night because they are separated. Meeting the women of Xanthi was wonderful. We went to the center square where like all Greek communities, people of all ages gather in the evening. One of the women is an English teacher and she speaks English very well. She and her husband met while they were students in Turkey. Now they have 2 adorable children – a girl 3 and a boy 1 ½. She invited us to her home that night for a late dinner and an informal conversation with several women. Dinner was delicious- cucumber and tomato salad, lentil soup, fried potatoes, small meat patties and a traditional pastry – filo dough filled with potatoes and rice.

The wonderful women of Xanthi.

The trip was long traveling 7 hours each day but it was such a rewarding experience. I got to spend some quality time with my friends Anna and Naim and I have made some wonderful new friends in Xanthi.

setting up the booth in northern Greece for the Anna Stamou, Eco Green party. European Elections in Greece are May 25, 2014

Posted on May 23, 2014October 21, 2019 in Activist, Living abundantly

Story of commitment, a boat, justice and peace

Ten years ago, I planned a 1 year sabbatical to travel as a volunteer to 4 different countries. The first stop was Palestine and it was there that everything changed. I chose to stay for 2 years and become part of the struggle for a just peace for Palestine. It was very important to me as a Jewish woman. If you are interested in this story go to my blog at Sandra for Just Peace and read the archived blogs listed from January to June 2006. They tell the story from December 2004 – June 2006. http://miriamswell1.wordpress.com/ I refer to this time as unpeeling the onion as I discover the atrocities inflicted on the Palestinian people.

Naomi O’Hara and me, Women in Black, Haifa 2004

I have been very fortunate to have traveled to many destinations but most of that travel was through work – as an activist and also back when I was a travel agent and travel instructor. I travelled on fam (familiarization) trips with groups of agents and also as a Tour Escort. When my daughters were growing up, our holidays usually were car trips to the east coast (New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island) or to Clearwater, Florida. We did spend a summer in Oslo, Norway selling t shirts, costume jewellery and African crafts but that is a whole story in itself. Later I travelled as a peace activist. This 3 week holiday is just that – a holiday- to visit an area I have fantasized about and to open a new chapter in my Life Story. Ten years later, I am still passionate to see this Just Peace become reality but it time for me to change how I am walking in the world. I am rebirthing my business as a healer and teacher, “Miriamswell Healing Care” in Toronto. I am a Reflexologist and a Doula who uses a variety of healing modalities in my practice. I facilitate workshops in foot massage, aromatherapy, homemade beauty products, homemade cleaning products, vision books, meditation and more.

http://miriamswellhealingcare.com/

I came to Greece in March, 2011 for the Canadian Boat to Gaza.

The steering committee realized the only way to complete our project was to have someone on the ground in Greece. They sent me to buy a boat. The boat needed to be refurbished to take 45 activists from Aghios Nicholas, Crete to Gaza, Palestine. I hired a captain and a crew. I hired a lawyer who we could trust. Together he helped to open a company and a bank account. We chose a country to flag the boat. We purchased insurance. I found help to plan a menu for 45 people for 10 days and then purchased the food. I also purchased $30,000 in medicines to take to Gaza. Everyday involved a huge learning curve. I was away from home for 5 months. When the Greek government locked down our boat refusing to let us leave the port, we decided to stage an escape in protest. The Greek coast guards captured our boat after about 20 minutes. Everyone on board in a great Spartacus moment claimed to be the captain.

Awesome international Tahrir team of Canadians, Australians, Danish and Belgium with our Greek crew

The Greeks were reluctant to arrest 35 foreigners so they arrested me instead since I was the registered owner of the boat. I was arrested with two others, convicted and given a 30 day suspended sentence.

Released from detention and overwhelmed from the support of my friends, Aghios Nicholas, Crete, July, 2011

Eventually the other activists left and I stayed another month in Aghios Nicholas living on our boat “The Tahrir”. Finally we had permission to leave and I sailed with the captain and 2 crew members to Turkey. I even got to drive the boat for an hour or so, on my own.

Tahrir 010 — Me on the Tahrir, July 2011

Now I am back in Greece and this time I am a tourist. I am here to see Greece without an agenda. Greece holds many memories. I made lifelong friendships. I am here to remember and I am here to appreciate this wonderful country.

Posted on May 17, 2014October 21, 2019 in Living abundantly, Travel, Travel

A little more Provence

The past few days in Provence can only be described as delicious……………delicious scenery, delicious food, delicious smells from roses, lavender, orange blossoms, jasmine and the burning leaves. That is an awesome memory smell for me – burning leaves and branches from the olive trees – for me that is the smell of Palestine and it evokes some of the best life memories. The sun is so bright and the past few days the sky has often been cloudless.

We visited a huge Friday market in Valbonne where they sell clothing (mostly Italian), soaps, pottery, linens, herbs and some vegetables and fruits. I bought an Arnica cream(Baume a l’Arnica pour les Articulations Douloureauses) that is effective on aches and pains – great for my creaky knee. I also bought some lavender soap and some mountain honey (Miel de Montagne).

Greta is an awesome tour guide and has made sure that I get to see everything. She has taken amazing care of me. Hmmmm…..how can I possibly say thank you enough?!?!?!?

I took a leisurely walk through the village of Bar Sur Loup – there is not much there but it is just so picturesque.

Today we had lunch at a neighbour’s home. This villa is exquisite and I could not do it justice with my words but it was exactly how I would imagine my dream home………pictures of ships and beach scenes, African art and furniture, beachy, breezy, and comfortable. The table set outside was just beautiful and the food and wine….ahhhh….delicious and abundant.

In true Provencal style we ate and ate and ate….and then ate some more. The starters were tomatoes and cheese on toothpicks with a salad of cucumber and creamy cheese similar to sour cream. Everything made with fresh herbs from Greta’s herb garden. We had garlic bread hot from the oven, bread with green olives, and another baguette. Then came the main course….I thought we had it…..forgetting the multitude of courses. We had a delicious Italian pasta covered in olive oil, basil and parmesan cheese. We then grated more parmesan over it. Next was a platter of cheeses and a salad of mixed leaves. Wine and more wine…………. and then dessert which was a beautiful platter with a variety of pastries. We were almost too full to walk home and naps were all we could manage.

Posted on May 14, 2014October 21, 2019 in Living abundantly, Travel, Travel

More Provence, My birthday

My 58th birthday and I am just where I want to be –physically (in Provence with friends), mentally and emotionally. Ahhhhh………..so Blessed. I always enjoy living in community. This week I am doing just that. We are 4 women in this magnificent villa. We range in age from 58 to 80. We have a lot in common – radical crazy- ass activists, independent, self supporting, mothers, travellers, passionate about all we do. Greta is the perfect host -so generous of her time, her home and her spirit. The days seem to flow organically with everyone moving at their own pace. Yesterday Greta drove me to Gourdon –a breathtaking village set high up in the mountain. It has little touristy shops and a few lovely cafes. I bought jasmine eau du toilette –an intoxicating fragrance that I love and always reminds me of the Mediterranean.

Earlier in the morning we went to a nearby Farmer’s Market. We bought fresh fruit, vegetables, sausage, bread and cheese. I am shopping for the perfect market basket – serious business that will probably take me the whole visit to find!

Shopping in the farmer's market — Shopping in the farmer’s market

Perfect market basket — Seeking the perfect market basket

Today we had a beautiful birthday breakfast with Greta’s famous Swedish scrambled eggs ( a recipe from her Grandmother), crusty baguette, and delicious melons with banana slices. Of course, the usual pots of coffee and glasses of juice. The table was covered with a very traditional Provencal print with matching cloth napkins in the outdoor dining area where we seem to spend a lot of our time.

Villa dining area and master bedroom balcony

My friends – Greta, Audrey and Mary gifted me with a huge bottle of pure lavender essential oil that I will have great fun when I get home making bath salts and bath bombs, eau du toilette and other cosmetics, room fresheners and cleaning products. I will scent my homemade beeswax candles and look through my book that my daughers, Raya and Tovah, gave me for my birthday more than 10 years ago “Lavender and Lovage” for more ideas. At midday we drove to Juan les Pins – a sea resort where I swam in the Mediterranean Sea for the first time in 3 years. The water was cool but not for a Canadian from the east coast…..pure bliss!!! Cold beer in a cafe outside under the bright spring sun………………can you feel my JOY?

Posted on May 12, 2014October 21, 2019 in Living abundantly, Travel, Travel

On my way to Provence

I chose to start this blog at a time when I am turning a new page in my life story. It is time for that change and I am calling this holiday to Europe the first chapter, the first page of my new life story.

There are so many things that I love and that bring me pleasure and those are the things that I want to write about and that I wish to share. For me it is important to embrace things I love, acknowledge them and share them. I love to travel, I love great food, I love my daughters and my grandson, I love new adventures and I love to embrace life!

Provence isn’t just a destination for me – it is a place that I have fantasized about, dreamed of, read books about, watched films about and always knew that one day I would visit. I never doubted it but I wasn’t sure how I would manifest it. When Greta invited me last year, I knew it was closer to my reality.

Provence – the lush gardens, mountains, forests and water. Provence – farmer’s markets with delicious foods – baguettes, cheeses, sausages and delicious melons and other fruits and vegetables. Provence – villages playing Boule, friendly shop keepers, unforgettable dining experiences, meals a la fresco. I have come here to find it all. I want to feel, touch and taste every experience.

I flew overnight from Toronto and arrived at 7a.m. in Paris. A few hours later, I boarded a train to Antibes in the south of France. The trip took about seven hours. I could have flown to Nice but I wanted to experience that train ride across the country. I really enjoyed it watching the French countryside pass by and the scenery changing.

When my daughters were young, they had a story book called “ Orlando and His Little Friends”. Orlando went on holiday with his parents and he met new friends along the way – his little while friends. My girls have teased me for years about being Orlando because I love to talk to people and make my own “little while friends”. Checking in at the airport, I met a woman and we started up a conversation in the line. We found we had things in common and we were both on our way to Paris. We decided to give the special Air Transat lounge a try. The airline had a special on and the lounge was $36 for 2 hours. It included alcohol, a buffet meal and a quiet calm atmosphere. It felt like traveling first class and was a great start to the holiday. I traveled to the airport by TTC (Toronto Transit Commission) – I recommend it because it is cheap and easy – subway to Kipling and then the express bus to the airport all for a $3 ticket.

I am visiting my friend Greta Berlin who owns this magnificent villa in the south of France. It is so beautiful – 3 large bedrooms, 3 bathrooms, a gourmet kitchen, large living and dining room and a view that catches your breath every time you look.

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Sixty in the City

Living Life Abundantly with Gratitude

Tag: Travel