Sleepless in Stockholm
First off, just to warn you, I am currently operating on 2 hours of sleep in what is fast approaching a 46-hour travel day. But, in the spirit of off-the-cuff writing, here goes: I am in Stockholm, soon to depart on a 10-day cruise with my dearest Nana (who is crazy - not so much senile as she is a staunch conservative Republican with very dated views of… well, everything). To give you a more specific idea of my Baltic Grand Tour thus far, I am currently the only person under the age of 70 in a group of 17 elderly travelers from Northern California, whom all share a deep fondness for McCain, and a total misunderstanding of any technology that was invented after 1990. But, wait, there’s more. They like to drink, it seems. And they appear to like having me around… maybe almost as much as the booze. Ed, a radio show host in Carmel (“who is friends with Doris Day,” my grandmother happily informed me), even called me “one fine young lady.” So, all in all, gallivanting alongside octogenarians may not be so bad after all…
As far as Stockholm, I haven’t seen much yet save for the wood-paneled Hilton Hotel (see above) me and all of my new elderly travel companions are shacked up in for the next two days. But, rest assured, there’ll be many more updates to come… (In the meantime I am going to try and explain “this MySpace thing” to Nana over dinner, at her request.)
Things I’m thinking about…
*First-class is without a doubt the way to travel; if only I could bring my sugar Nana with me everywhere I go.
*I saw nearly a dozen different women – varying in ages, traveling through Heathrow today – who are embellishing their hijabs with ostentatious designer handbags and sunglasses. I’m utterly intrigued by the dichotomy.
*Someone should launch a television series called, “Old people say the darndest things.”
