Month: April 2018

My first visit to Chicago was in 2000 after the birth of my first grandchild. Next to seeing her, the thing I wanted to see the most was the Field Museum.  I’ve made several trips to it since that first one but it has become my favorite. My interest was first sparked by a story about Sue, the Tyrannosaurus Rex on display there. She is the first thing you see as you enter the museum and the first completely intact Tyrannosaurus found and on display. How she got to the Field Museum is a very interesting story that is worth learning. The museum complex also contains the Shedd Aquarium and the Adler Planetarium. They are all located on a beautiful stretch of Lake Michigan shoreline and within walking distance of each other.

The next trip was a baseball trip to see the “Cubbies” in 2004. Out of all the stadiums we visited, this was the best experience. Of course, this was before they finally broke “the curse”. What we realized is that the Cubs fans are loyal to the core. Not having a world series win in 96 years didn’t seem to be an issue. The fans went to support their “Lovable Losers” and for the party, which started hours before the game and continued on after the game.

The icing on the cake was that they won that day! Another trip to the Field Museum to see an exhibit on China-The Forbidden City. This was a great opportunity to see exquisite treasures from Chinese emperors and royalty on display for the very first time. And of course, once again, there’s Sue. I’m sure from childhood on, I share a dinosaur fascination with many of you. She’s the real deal.

2005 and we’re back again. My husband had family in the Chicago suburbs and on this trip we were travelling with cousins and friends. We had fun people to travel with, more that we were meeting there and tickets for all 8 of us to see a White Sox Game. Another home team win. The White Sox went on to win the World Series that year for the first time in 88 years.

We took a boat tour on the Chicago River which afforded spectacular views of the city.

And of course, the now required trip to the Field Museum. This time, in the midst of some absolutely beautiful life size bronze figures of South Seas Islanders, I found a statue of a fisherman from Sicily who looked exactly like my father-in-law who was half Sicilian and wore a lot more clothes. There are so many things to do in Chicago, you would be hard pressed to find yourself with free time. It’s all there whether you favor sports, culture, music, theater, sailing or just sight seeing and there’s that tower.

We made one more trip to Chicago in 2006 to see the King Tut Exhibit at, you guessed it, the Field Museum. Unfortunately, photography was not allowed so I have no photos but it was breathtaking.

After my husbands diagnosis in 2007, he was treated in a Chicago area cancer hospital and for a time we commuted monthly for his treatment. There were complications at home from the treatments and it became clear that we needed to be close to the hospital since everything that he could possibly need was under the same roof. We decided to move there and lived in a Chicago suburb for two years. In spite of the reason for being there, they turned out to be very good years.

We moved to Illinois in 2008 and settled into a nice rental house. Since I work from home, my routine was pretty well set. I wasn’t too sure how my husband was going to adjust but in the beginning he was very busy with medical appointments. We soon discovered there were countless things to do and see. We were located midway between Chicago and Milwaukee which decided the next baseball excursion.

Milwaukee turned out to be another one of those places that was a most pleasant surprise. They also have a wonderful museum, the Public Museum.

The reason I used this photo is the elephant. This was part of an exhibit on the history of Asia. The items in this photo were from the early 20th century. Apparently, I have an artifact. The elephant is a teapot and I have the exact one that I inherited from my grandmother. This museum is definitely a must see with a lot of fascinating exhibits. We saw Titanic artifacts and the Dead Sea Scrolls. There are a number of really great restaurants in Milwaukee also. Definitely worth a trip. Oh, and the Brewers won.

The two years in Illinois brought remission, and some wonderful adventures. More trips to Chicago. If you didn’t know, you can see the same Broadway shows there. It’s called Broadway in Chicago. We saw Rent and Jersey Boys which, due to circumstance, we had missed.

There’s much more to tell about our time in the midwest but I’ll save that for a future post.

The main purpose of this blog is to encourage anyone who has a limitation due to illness, injury or just plain fear of the unknown, that it’s possible to travel to the places in this world you’ve always wanted to visit. With a little research and planning, you can be on your way.

One of the best things I’ve found for domestic travel is the TSA Pre Check program. You can apply online and once you are approved you can breeze through security on a separate line without taking off your shoes, belts, light jackets or removing laptops from cases or removing liquids. It costs $85.00 for 5 years and is worth every penny.

The program for international travel is called Global Entry. Global Entry members can simply visit a kiosk (skipping the long lines that often plague the customs area) to enter the country. You scan your passport or valid U.S. permanent resident card, verify your fingerprints, and complete a customs declaration. When the quick process is complete, you’ll be given a receipt and can head on your way to baggage claim. Also available for application online, the charge for this program is $100 but it also includes Pre Check. Both programs save so much time and will get you to your gate or through customs much easier. If you are travelling with someone in a wheelchair, they will be expedited but you still have to go through security. The quicker, the easier, the better.

If you need oxygen, there are portable oxygen concentrators which weigh about 8 pounds and are perfectly suited for travel. There is a wealth of information online including a list of approved manufacturers. If you don’t own a portable concentrator you can rent one at a fraction of the cost. They will ship it to you and you return it when you arrive home.

Walkers travel very easily for anyone who has balance or mobility issues. This falls under the same category as embracing the airport wheelchair. There is no shame in travelling with a walker. My friend recently walked 2 miles uphill in Santorini which would not have been possible without that walker. What she first viewed as an encumbrance turned out to be the means to more freedom. Depending on where you are, scooters, like the ones in the supermarket, can also be rented at a reasonable fee and will give you the opportunity to keep up with everyone, or forge ahead of them.

Don’t forget to pack any medication you need but just as important are vitamins, minerals and over the counter medications like analgesics, anti-histamines, acid reflux medications etc. If you are travelling out of the country, these things or an equivalent, may not be available so make sure to pack what you think you’ll need.

I’ve covered most of what I think you’ll need but I do want to address the intangible. Fear of the unknown. The best advice I can offer is this. If you believe in a higher power, then its already written how and when you will depart this earth. Why not spend the time in between doing something you’ve always dreamed about? Seeing the beauty this world has to offer. Reliving history, ancient or recent. Spread your wings, the world is waiting.

Next up-Chicago, the Cubs, the White Sox and the tower formerly known as Sears.

 

Day 2 started with a tour of Mt. Vesuvius.  My friend’s 20 year old granddaughter was my hiking buddy. My husband and my friend decided to sit this one out.

I decided to make the hike up to the crater with the 20 year old. I was told it was 1300 feet and it certainly felt like it when I got there. Not being a frequent hiker but being fairly active, I just assumed it would be easy. NOT! Thankfully, my little buddy had the foresight to bring a bottle of water, which I snatched and consumed about halfway up. We made it to the top and as I looked into the crater, I found myself hoping it would stay quiet. Again, memories of my dad came back. He was in Naples when Vesuvius last erupted in 1944 and remember my 5 year old self thinking I had the coolest dad in the world. He actually saw a volcano erupting! Luckily, Vesuvius slept the day I was there. Next stop Pompeii.

On the way, the bus pulled into a rest stop where the guide pointed out the monastery on the cliff behind the rest stop was Monte Cassino. For anyone familiar with WWII, this was one of the deadliest (55,000 Allied casualties) and most famous battles fought in Italy. My dad fought in this battle. There’s a very detailed history of this battle in Wikipedia.

Seeing Pompeii is like stepping back in time to 79 AD. Excavated from under 70 feet of volcanic ash, it is remarkably intact. Anything you may have seen or read doesn’t prepare you for the experience of being there. The city was very well planned. What Roman city wasn’t? There were streets for carts and chariots with obstacles at certain points to prevent them from going into pedestrian areas. There’s an amphitheater, mosaic courtyards, bakeries, blacksmith shops, public baths and even a bordello.

Seeing the tragic figures of the souls that died that day brought home the fact that looming over Pompeii, with its own schedule, is Vesuvius.

The two days of tours had been pretty intense and since we were staying in such a beautiful location, we decided to spend the next two days wandering around Lido d’Ostia where our hotel was located. I feel we made the best decision to stay outside the city. Along the beach there was a walkway, marina, shops and  great restaurants.

Perfect weather, perfect location and perfect two days. Our last day in Rome we had scheduled a tour through the cruise line that was billed as “Highlights of Rome”. My friend had desperately wanted to see the Trevi fountain and this seemed like the best and most convenient way to accomplish this. Who would think that the Trevi fountain would not be considered a highlight? It would be another five years before she finally got to see the fountain. Aside from missing the fountain, it was the perfect end to our time in the Eternal City. We had specifically chosen this tour because at the end, it took us and our luggage to the airport. After another comedic episode which later involved returning our rental car, causing a traffic jam at the airport with luggage carts and me sprinting (did I mention, I don’t run) to meet the tour bus. Once on board, we saw the Roman aqueducts, the Circus Maximus (think Ben-Hur chariot race) and many other sights we hadn’t yet visited. We also went back to the Vatican which was very interesting. They were setting up for the canonization of seven new saints which included the very first Native American, a woman, Kateri Tekakwitha. This was such a memorable few days that all I could think of on the way to the ship was returning to Rome.

One last thing, the trees. I’m not an arborist nor do I have an extensive knowledge of tree species but I would love to know what type of trees these are in the photo above. They are all over the city and are all trimmed to perfection. You see them wherever you go. Who trims them? They are really tall but a perfect backdrop for this eternal city.

After this trip was over, my husband and I seriously considered moving to Italy but since then, life has taken me in a completely different direction. My next post will cover how to navigate Rome (or any international city) with companions who have additional needs whether medically or mobility challenged.

It doesn’t get better than this. The sites, the history, the people and of course, the food! Rome was all that I expected and so much more.

On this trip, the flight was smooth and uneventful. This time I was travelling with my husband, my friend and her adult granddaughter. To simplify things and to make it easier on them, I had arranged for a rental car at the airport. I’ve heard innumerable comments about travelling light. We don’t. While I don’t disagree with the concept, I’m never able to put it into practice. I’ve found my biggest problem is the security measures regarding liquids. Things like lotions, perfumes, hair products, liquid medications, some deodorants and dental hygiene products require you to pack them in checked luggage which increases the weight and consequently, leaves less room for clothing. Most international flights allow 1 checked bag of 50 lbs each for economy class and the usual “personal item”. There were four of us and a total of 12 bags, 4 carry ons and the rest large bags. I will say, my husband and I were responsible for only one-quarter of it. I had serious reservations about fitting all this in the car. We had the good luck to find an Italian porter who insisted he could fit it in our Peugeot station wagon and he did, although not so securely. The ride to the hotel was a scene out of a Saturday Night Live skit. GPS announcing names of Italian streets with an Aussie accent and bags flying all over the place at every turn. We had chosen to stay near the airport rather than the city center because we were beginning a cruise after our 5 days in Rome and had to return the rental car and meet a bus at the airport that was taking us to the dock.

We had booked a hotel near the airport on one of the discount travel sites with the thought that as long as the room and bathroom are clean, it would be fine. After all, we weren’t planning to spend much time in the room and at $63.00 per night (in 2012), we really had no complaints. The biggest surprise of all was our arrival at the hotel. Since we had rather low expectations, we were totally unprepared for what we saw.

We were directly across from the Mediterranean! In a really nice hotel!

I’ve had really good luck on the discount and online travel sites. Most are legitimate and post reviews with Trip Advisor. Even if you don’t book through them, you’ll get enough good information to make an informed decision.

Having secured more than adequate accommodations, we were ready to begin our first day in Rome. On the schedule was a tour of the Vatican in the morning and the Colosseum in the afternoon.

A tour of the Vatican can represent different things to different people but ultimately, you can’t help but be overwhelmed by the magnificence of the art. The Sistine Chapel was almost other worldly. The paintings, mosaic tile work and sculptures are breathtaking. The Pieta has to be seen to understand how it is possible to breathe life into a slab of marble. I must say, having seen these treasures, my favorite was the hall of maps or I should say the ceiling of the hall of maps.

This is one of my favorite photos. There were so many other treasures to see. No matter your beliefs, this is one not to be missed.

Next on the agenda and part of the same tour is a visit to St. Peter’s Cathedral. I was especially looking forward to this since my father had visited St. Peter’s as a GI during WWII and I remembered a conversation I had with him as a small child. He told me that St. Peter’s was the largest church in the world, that he had been there (which amazed me since at the age of 5 I had no knowledge of WWII) and that there were no church pews. Finally getting to see the interior, I was stunned by its sheer size and grandeur. The dome is truly impressive. I was actually very emotional standing there. I felt like I was seeing it through my dad’s eyes.

On to the Colosseum. Can you picture the gladiators, the emperor, the crowds? The Colosseum itself? Prepare to be amazed. We were able to tour all the levels including the notorious lower level. All the gladiator movies you’ve ever seen don’t prepare you for actually being there, the view from the top, or this architectural and engineering marvel of the ancient world.

This was just our first day. More to follow.

Once you have decided where you want to see your “away” game and have purchased your tickets, depending on your location, your method of travel is the next item to consider. We traveled to games both before and after diagnosis and there came a time when a little extra consideration was required. I’m not a fan of wasting time travelling to my destination so in most cases, we flew. I realize for most people, this is a choice which may be motivated by any number of things. However, in my experience, flying is the best way to insure a pleasant journey for both. Most airlines are very accommodating when you make them aware that you or your travel partner has some limitations or needs. Most importantly they have onboard facilities you won’t have in your car. To anyone who may have mobility issues or who may not have the same stamina, embrace the airport wheelchair! Not only will you save your energy for the fun stuff but you get an extra hand. I have found the wheelchair transporters to be friendly, helpful and always willing to assist with luggage, rest room stops and any other requirements you may have especially when they know you have a legitimate need. They have all seen too many times, the wheelchair passenger who was there just for the perks. As soon as the plane lands and the passenger was wheeled off the jetway, a miracle happened and they were able to sprint to their ride.
Physical impairments are not always visible but honesty will always overshadow pride. Pursuing treatment and/or therapy always has the objective of regaining health and/or mobility with the ultimate goal of reclaiming your life. Be honest about what you can do and don’t be embarrassed to ask for help. A hallmark of maturity is knowing when help is needed and requesting it.
A last word on flying. Most cities have smaller regional airports that are worth looking into when making reservations. The distance to and from your home is much shorter, security is easier (especially if you are in a wheelchair) and the airports themselves are generally less congested. The one downside to this is that flying from these airports typically lengthens the trip since you will probably have to change planes or make a stop but even this comes with some good news. You won’t have to deal with the logistics of getting to and from the major airport.
I hope this gives you a small idea of how really uncomplicated it can be to give yourself the confidence to go to that dream destination.

Have you ever seen a movie or read an article about some far off exotic place and secretly wished you could go there? Or maybe just to a baseball game in a different city. But of course you can’t. You have bad knees, can’t walk far, have a chronic illness or any number of conditions that limit your activity. You have a million “what ifs” racing around your brain. What if you could go there? You can! With equal parts courage, desire and determination almost any destination is within reach.