My Grandparents Visit Paris

A lot of the travel advice out there is aimed at the young.  We hear that should travel when we're young because that's when we have enough energy, when we don’t yet have responsibilities, when we're still in good health.  It won't be the same when you're older, they say.  Tell that to my 70-something grandparents.

I met up with Grams and Gramps recently when they were passing through the DC area after a trip to Paris.  They told me about getting caught up in French protests, learning the Métro by heart, day trips to Normandy and Versailles, and their conversations with retired French soldiers using the only common language they had: gesturing.  When they visited the Arc de Triomphe, a man asked “Madame” if she would like to use the elevator to get to the top.  Non, merci!  They climbed the arc's nearly 300 steps instead.

As I wrap up a decade of traveling in my 20s, I hope I’ll still be going strong in my 70s.  Welcome back, Grandma and Grandpa!  Where are you off to next?