The Usual Suspects

Travel is definitely not a dish for one. It is meant to be shared. Our travel adventures are rarely just Mr. Angspar and myself. We usually travel with family or friends. Vegas with my brother and sister- in- law. Greece,Turkey, Egypt and Israel with my sister, brother-in-law and Hensler cousins. Niagara Falls with our Supper Club. Traveling with a group means there is always someone who wants to do the same thing you want to do. And if you all go separate ways, you have built in dinner conversation.

The majority of our adventures have been spent with three friends. Nancy is the most warm, funny and wonderful lady. She's been with us since the beginning. Stonehenge, Nancy was there. Guy peeing in Shakespeare's garden, Nancy was there. Dead body in Rome, Don Ho, pedicures in the Detroit airport, Nancy, Nancy, Nancy. Tim and Andrea first joined us in 2004 when we visited Rome and London. Tim is very tall and I have taken advantage of that height many times, from reading street signs to getting the last bottle of Coke Light from the top shelf. Tim and I shared an adventure in driving at late at night on the Italian Autostrata from Figline to Florence airport. Andrea comes across as very sweet and demur. But she is hiding a wicked sense of humor. Just ask her about David's father and the cat. (Photo upper left, Top row: Tim, Andrea, Nancy. Bottom row: Joan and David. Theater of Dinoysus - Athens, Greece).

Lastly there is my mother, Joan. Traveling with my mom allows us to experience the amazing things the world has to offer together. These memories are extremely dear to me.

Later this year the usual suspects are off again. This time we The Danube River begins our journey. We arrive in Vienna and end in Prague. This trip is exciting for everyone as no member of the group traveled to these countries. The majestic Danube presents up close and personal views from our above waterline cabins - everyone gets one on this cruise. The winding valley, lined with pristine towns and christmas markets overflowing to the river's edge.

The river cruise also presents the group with a new mode of travel. While many of the group cruised the ocean in the past no member of the group traveled along an intimate body of water such as this river or on a boat of this size - 150 adorned cabins. In addition with each of the more recent trips the group traveled increasingly like a "local". In Tuscany, we rented a car burned down the Autostrata and in Amsterdam, I used many of the local city transit offerings. Now the river cruise and Christmas markets like the locals.