Can an old man recapture the magic of his youth's Euro-Odyssey by brazenly crashing his son's?!?
Forty two years after I and my good friend Tim Nolan set out to find Europe, Christine's and my son Jackson and his always-pal Niall O'Rourke are doing the same.
As a dad, I purposely set out from the start to create a palpable romance about traveling the world as a young, independent adult, for my two children. When they were very young, my kids knew all the stories of my own youthful travels. They knew of my first truly independent night in Paris, nervously spent under a blanket, between the massive exterior columns of that city's Gare du Nord. They knew about the price paid by a man in Milan, to whom I awoke as he attempted to rob me while I slept on an out of service train. They knew of my desperate plea to a Greek pharmacist to free me of the effects of, "animilia" I'd contracted there. And they knew that in the final analysis, I had visited 15 nations at 19 years of age and that I saw that world in a way that I knew might not always remain possible. They knew these and ALL the stories and passion of my great epic trip and the degree to which I have always treasured all of its memories. I knew they'd both visualize themselves living the same and I knew they'd both venture in their lives to make it their reality too...and I was right! On April 29, 1979 young Tim Nolan and I boarded an open-return flight to London, with plans to visit and experience the great capitols of Europe. We'd both been suitably romanced, ourselves by the passions of our neighbor, Shoreline College's, Prof. Dennis Peters. "Denny" taught a course he'd designed at SCC that he called, "Civilization", which seemingly captured ALL his students in the way it captured Tim and me. When Tim came to visit me in Bellingham one weekend after my transferring to Western Washington University...we hatched the plan, worked for it and stuck to to it. Once on the ground, we spent months following a paper map that came with our 'Eurail-pass' and masterfully saw so much of the European continent that I am still in awe of our skillfulness as neophyte travelers.
Here is a photo of Tim and me near the Olympic Ski Jump at Innsbruck, Austria on our trip in '79. (Please...save the 'Brokeback Mountain commentary.)
Jackson though, is NO neophyte as a traveler. He has traveled with his sister and parents throughout his life...He has lived in Hong Kong and seen China and much of Asia with us, as a little guy.
More recently he has worked as a camp counselor in Istanbul and visited friends there, and in Paris, independently. (For me and Tim, that London flight marked the first time we were ever on an airplane!) Jack began to plan the trip he's on now at least a year ago. He started by visiting his old friend Memet Volcan in mid-August at his family's Istanbul home, before they two went to 'Bodrum' on the 'Turkish Riviera', where Met's parents own a summer home. It was Jackson's plan to walk the earth alone after leaving Bodrum, until Niall decided he wanted in too. So...with the narrative set...My son traveling an open plan to discover Europe in the company of his lifelong IRISH friend (Tim is also, second-gen Irish)...I simply HAD to find a way to catch a glimpse of my ancient, beloved Euro-epic through these two kids so remarkably similar to young Tom and Tim! I am not sure if I hinted or not, but Jackson invited me to drop in on the last days of his solo travels (before Niall's arrival) in Paris. When Niall arrived a few days later, the three of us took a flight to Rome, where we shared a VRBO apartment for 4 more days. For me, the trip wasn't about accomplishing travel objectives. I left that to them. I just told myself I'd look for remembrances of my own youthful trip to the same cities, as reflected in their eyes...and I'd simply follow with whatever their plan called for. I am happy to say today (3 days since returning home) that I am shocked by the great memories of my 42 year old trip that rushed into my consciousness as a result of crashing theirs...and I am already so grateful for this.
After studying these lads for about 10 days, I'd say biggest differences between then and now are each connected to technology that didn't exist in '79. I had an "instamatic camera" representing the highest of 1970s technology in MY bag! Our families heard from us through snail-mail postcards or the few times, when we were directed by travelers grapevine to a broken payphone that allowed free, unlimited calling. (Actually this happened quite often, but always resulted in my poor mom receiving calls at about 4:AM, her time.)
When we could find an English language newspaper, we'd learn scattered bits of world news. (I remember the BIG news stories that summer involved President Carter's Salt II treaty signing with the Soviet Union's President Brezhnev, the death of the actor, John Wayne and of course, the Seattle Supersonics winning an NBA championship. (Which we learned from a congrats-banner hung by some Seattle folks at the Grand Prix d' Monaco.)
For travel finance, I carried books of American Express Travelers checks, constantly protected in a hidden waist-wallet. If we arrived in a new nation before or after 'bank hours' we'd just find a closed bank and wait outside until opening, before we could eat, sleep or pay for anything in that nation's currency. (Sometimes when in this state, people took us for homeless, broke or just LOST, and threw a few coins into our hats!)
These guys obviously have constant access to their 'pocket-brains' and have at least one laptop in tow. Both are journaling daily...both are in constant contact with friends and family. What'sapp constantly updates all in their worlds as to their location and experiences and allows them to be contacted at all hours from home. Both use debit and credit cards, with rare need for cash or banks, and of course only one currency exists for ALL the nations they'll be visiting on their trip. When they're moving from one location to another, accommodation reservations assure early that they HAVE a bed for the night. (Sleeping on the beach at San Tropez wasn't SO bad though...) And they both keep as current as always as regards world events.
Despite these modern tech differences though...I was happy to find that the feel of my own exciting youthful odyssey intoxicated my hours spent in the company of Jack and Niall. They communicate in the same sort of 'democratic' manner Tim and I did. They separate tasks as we did...they monitor and share expenditures...clarify and discuss all possible paths to take. But mostly, like Tim and me, they're SO happy and excited to have inherited the world that obviously seems to suddenly be sitting on an accessible plate, just before them.
What's better than that? Magic recaptured!
Cheers, t!
Take a look at my next post...which will feature photos of the visits in Paris and Roma.