Cath:

The OP has not lost her humour. Despite disabilities, people can still laugh at life. Many readers are amused. If you're not amused, than perhaps it's you who needs to lighten up.

(Achtung: drama among the readers which adds to the entertainment value) :)

I have a great sense of humor. Your and Laurie's idea of what is "entertaining" is just very different from mine.

Pardon, meant to type Lauren's

"how do you possibly get any amusement out of her situation?"

You gotta laugh at someone who "has no idea" what a tour is like and yet books not one but two of them. The TD did the right thing by limiting her participation and no doubt breathed a sigh of relief when she bailed on the second one. Best all around.

OP self described as overweight, out of shape on bad knees with a Percocet problem -- it's hard to know where the disability ends and the denial begins. She walks back and forth back and forth trying to get out of Pompeii yet is "significantly disabled" if she can get a Vatican waiver. Maybe she thinks it's her last trip in life and so has to rush about, or maybe it's just her style, who knows.

Be careful on the rest of your trip OP, and good luck to your couchsurfing hosts!

Where do you see that the OP has lost her sense of humor? Some posters are amused, others outraged, still others enjoy the sound of typing, apparently, but the OP, who hasn't returned for a bit, seems to have stayed on the same emotional wavelength for the duration of this thread.

I doubt she posted with the intention of entertaining anyone, but she has a flair for writing. Unlike...some others.

My goodness, this thread does go on...and on. I simply wish OP the best and a safe arrival home, period.

About what lauren_s_kahn says, I'll reaffirm our good experiences with Grand Circle Travel having been on eight and also Road Scholar recently on our 41st (Baltimore-Peabody Institute). Yes, GCT tour directors may be young yet not that young necessarily but do work hard and are well qualified. And a chuckle from Fidel.

Today is our 61st wedding anniversary and how lucky to be alive and also healthy (not boring you with medical issues) and still traveling. So we head for Spain-Portugal with GCT in October, the good Lord willing.

Ozarksbill, have a wonderful time in Spain in Portugal. I had some of the best food in my life in Spain last summer. I was home exchanging in Salamanca and found this restaurant that I kept returning too. Later someone told me the King (now retired king) Juan Carlos eats there when he's in town. I had the best steak of my life there as well as the roasted piglet with the crisp skin for which Spain is famous. Enjoy!

I did about 10 Elderhostel trips but I have not done anything since I began home exchanging with more intensity. I have looked at the Peabody Institute program. Maybe I should look again as I live in DC and it would be an easy one for me to do.

Happy 61st wedding anniversary and keep traveling as much as you can!

>>>>Insofar as twoteachers is concerned, I have no idea if what she is saying is the truth, if she really went on the tour, has an ongoing grievance against Grand Circle for something else that she parades around all over the internet to cause harm to their buisness, just enjoys pulling people's legs on internet message boards to start fracases (successful here), or just wants attention for herself (also successful here)<<<<

Just as we have no idea if anything lauren_s_kahn says is true either.

Yes, noted your home exchange. We now are apartment dwellers for past four years...moving from a Missouri residence. So Salamanca! I have pleasant memories of our study trip years ago with focus on St. Teresa of Avila led by a priest. Here's something interesting: at his invitation we Protestants partook of the Mass in this once center of the Inquisition! Could say more about Salamanca...how relaxing those evenings in the Plaza Major.

Yes, Ozarksbill, and the "Tuna" groups from the University. Unfortunately, I made the mistake of buying one of their CDs and it was crap when I tried to play it at home, so don't buy one. Would have made a nice souvenir, but, no.

For my blog on Spain, you can look here for some photos:

http://altecockertravels.weebly.com/...ghtseeing.html

For my current trip to Warsaw, you can look here:

http://altecockertravels.weebly.com/...ange-2014.html

If you think I am lying, well, you are entitled to what you think. Conspiracy theorists will simply not believe the evidence, so go ahead and be a conspiracy theorist.

There is lots more on both extended home exchange trips on the blog. Last year's was Toulouse-Bordeaux-Salamanca-Madrid (hotel stay 4 nights). This year is Krakow (home hospitality), Warsaw (home exchange), Belarus (hotels & visits to the villages from which my grandmother and great-grandparents came)-Istanbul (home exchange)-Stockholm (home exchange)-Aland Islands (2 nights hotel). The trip is 9 weeks long and took a lot of work to put together with the logistics.

"Just as we have no idea if anything lauren_s_kahn says is true either"

Exactly.

Now that the oracles have spoken, over and over again, let me wish you Godspeed.

I like that Lauren can speculate whether or not the OP is telling the truth - but when the same is applied to her she accuses others of being conspiracy theorists.

That must mean her posts doubting the truth of the OP = she's a conspiracy theorist. :-)


I join others in hoping the twoteachers is enjoying herself in Europe right now. Wish I were there!

Was it something we said :-)?

Just wanted to let everyone known that I heard back from GCT via twitter. They tweeted "We have been aware of this thread & we've been in touch with the traveler. Thanks!"

Hope they've given the OP a day with a private guide, a massage and a bottle of wine.

Very little wifi access lately. Just to say I have NOT heard from GCT except indirectly thru the td that they ok"d my canceling second tour. I have been to venice, Zurich and now in Paris on my own. Of course, I did not make this up. good Grief.

Lots and lots of free wifi in Paris. See: http://www.paris.fr/WiFi

So happy you've been able to tour on your own, TT. Thanks for updating us.
AZ

Keep us posted, twoteachers. It's an adventure, after all.

Such a difficult situation for you but possibly even for the tour director and fellow travelers. I was on a tour a couple of years ago where a couple of folks were limited with mobility. They were each half of a couple & got help from their partner -- also they stayed behind when rest of group did the walk up to Mont San Michel. But by managing Sienna on your own, I hope that tour director will believe now that you can do these things. Tours are rated so that may be part of the problem if yours is rated active or challenging. How large is your group? That matters, too, for the tour director. I once went on college tour where everybody knew each other and some were always late but on commercial tours, I've found people are prompt. Hoping that trip improves for you!