It’s so amazing to think about this now - this tour itself, and all that’s come since. I updated the journal to add a map for our ride up the Ardeche after reading the Classen’s post. I keep struggling to find the route we took on that memorable day so I thought I might as well save it this time.

Just 31 years ago!

The ivy's certainly an attractive embellishment but the building itself is quite graceful. But yes, the ivy's going to play merry hell with the stonework, as noted elsewhere.

It’s the ivy. It’s a shame what it’s doing to the masonry though.

That's an especially attractive chateau, to my eye.

Visible evidence of how hard ivy is on masonry walls.

Yup. It’s pretty remarkable that Rachael didn’t leave me years ago, really.

Had to look it up. It’s been 50 years since I read the Trilogy.

With enough whitewash it could pass for Minas Tirith.

Oh, that’s another thing. Digital cameras! No more carefully hoarding a few dozen rolls of film. And especially, no more waiting until getting back home to see if anything actually came out. That’s what happened to the 2001 tour - the lens cover was stuck partly shut for nearly the entire tour and I didn’t know it until we got home.

I'm glad that the internet and digital photography have freed you of the constraints of thirty years ago. Your coverage, descriptions, and photos from your 2022 return to this area are far more vivid and complete.

Rats.

You can’t. I never published it. There are three or four of our European tours where I either didn’t keep a journal or had such a poor set of photos because of camera issues that I didn’t bother publishing them. I’ve got the prints all scanned though, so I really should take them on one of these winters before the memories fade any more.

I certainly remember 9/11 in Orvieto though.

There are so many things like this that have completely transformed travel - the GPS, email, e-books, ATM’s, the euro. Just thinking about the simple act of making a phone call brings back all of the challenges involved.

It’s simpler in so many ways now, but I’m really glad that our first overseas tours were in that era and that I took the time to write down our experiences.

I'll have to go read that journal when I finish this one. It'll be interesting to read your thoughts on 9/11 as experienced from outside the U.S.

I was at work in a Federal building (rented space in the MD suburbs, not downtown DC) and of course they closed and sent us all home. Before that happened, though, I happened to be in front of a television when the second plane hit the South tower. I'll never forget, or fully recover from, the realization that I'd just seen hundreds of people die, in real time. The memory nearly makes me nauseous even now.