Rex,

Haven't seen you around for a while. How are you? Where are you? Hope you're doing well now.

Any Fodorites know how Rex is?

http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...p;tid=35133392

He may not be doing well.

Rex, if you're reading, we do wish you well.

Didn't Rex have a big family trip to Sicily planned for this summer? I hope he is being kept busy with that.

Here's a fairly recent post:

http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...p;tid=35144004

In responding to a post about the Chateau d'Artigny in the Loire valley (one of his favorites) Rex said that he's feeling well and that his lymphoma has been in clinical remission for 15 months but that he's been busy with other things including a planned trip to Sicily.

Rex, if you are reading this, two of my favorite fodorites who are friends in my real life have two different lynphomas and are doing VERY well. You can email me if you want to contact them. Those of us who are stricken or have a loved one, need all the support we can get.

Rex is back from Sicily and was going to write a trip report.

Oh my - - I am fine, unless you count a protracted problem of being generally too busy and working too much after our fantastic trip to Sicily.

Medically, I do have a heretofore-never-published case of spontaneous remission from Fodors addiction.

Others who have been in the grip of this forum have gone away - - some to eternal rest - - and we miss you, Ed, Art, Ben and others...

...while others may have planned travels which ended up in a parallel universe - - and they cannot find their way back to a keyboard (it would be nice to think that Elvira and the Loons are flourishing in another dimension).

I'll keep checking in here, but I don't know if I'll have another trip to Europe before 2011 or so.

But of course, if the notion of a repeat Fodorites' trip was looking for a leader... well, I'm not that hard to find.

Best wishes,

Rex

Rex, I'm curious as you have had up to two trips per year to Europe for a while now, I think? Why are you giving up Europe for three years? I'm glad to hear you are doing well.

No specific reasons - - more like a lot of little reasons...

1) during my most intense Europe travel period (13 trips in 1992-1998, I think; 11 in the ten years since), at least some of those trips were vaguely business-related. None since then. Might come again, but not expected on the near-term horizon.

2) We like scuba diving and snorkeling, at least for now (newly discovered hobby) - - so a whole bunch of destinations are on the "might-be-interested" list in the next 5 years or so - - unless/if/when they get to seem all too much the same. I do not anticipate that; NC ship wrecks vs. Belize barrier reef vs. any of several of the more southern Caribbean islands vs. south Pacific and/or back to Hawaii - - they all seem reasonably different... at least as different from one another as, say... Portugal is different from Spain.

3) I remain fairly hooked on the "big family trip" for as long as the interest and the ability to afford it remains; once every other year seems about right - - this was installment number 5 ("and a half&quot, having gone in 1998 (Europe); 2000 (Europe with six kids, but it omitted one of our own daughters... thus it's the half); 2003 (Europe; had to skip 2002 because daughter #2 had big surgery that summer), 2004 (California), 2006 (Virgin Islands), and this year. We have already initiated a discussion about 2010, and for the sake of variety, there is considerable interest in Arizona in the springtime. I'm not ruling out Europe in 2009, nor a mini-trip of some kind in (fall?) 2010. I guess it's just matter of money prioritization.

4) - - and a lesser reason - - I continue to really enjoy being the "trip pleanner/leader" for a group, even if only a small one. This year's Sicily trip scratched that itch as did last fall's "wine trip" (Piemonte and Bourgogne - - we played host to my wife's brother and his wife). And the truth is... nobody has asked me to take them anywhere in the upcoming year or two.

5) Last of all, these past five years have been somewhat a new experience for me - - actually spending (at least slightly) less than I am making. For most of my adult life, I never worried much about building net worth. I am discovering anew the pleasure of being able to spend x or y or z from money that is actually IN the bank now... rather than paying it off in the 6 or 12 months that followed a trip. Sometimes, I actually would prefer to take advantage of "impulse" deals that pop up here and there... but I schedule my work 6-8 weeks in advance, and I find that re-arranging my time - - to go and spend a few thousand for a five day trip (and in the process making a few thousand less in income)... well, inertia can take over, as you get a little older. Besides, I still have two weddings to pay for sometime in the future, and no likely guys in the picture to help me anticipate when that might occur. Having a little cushion in the bank might end up to be a relief, in case they should come in rapid succession!

More info than most people might give, I suppose... but maybe that has always been my style here.

I just wanted to say hello Rex and to say it is good to see your post as I too was wondering how you were. I always remember the very thoughtful care you gave to a Fodorite whose husband was hospitalized in Paris. The long distant phone calls you made to the hospital and all the good medical advice you gave her. Best regards and good wishes that you are able to take the trips you wish to take. May you and your family always be happy and in good health.

Rex Hello I just came across your posting from long ago about Orvinio. My wife is from there I first visited in 84 and It was a shock for me. Now all these years later we have a house, an apartment and an acre of land.We plan to retire there in 7 years. I am working on my Italian citizenship and language. To paraphrase REO speedwagen I finally found home. If you visit again in the summer look us up Andy Jensen and Stella Bryant.

Hey, Rex

I miss your posts.

Regards,

Bird

Rex, I'm glad to hear you are doing well. I remember several years ago you were going to visit family in Wellfleet. You would have driven past my office. I wanted to suggest that you could stop for a few minutes for a very brief mini GTG. I was rather new to Fodors and too shy to suggest it. I've always regretted it.

Hi Rex! Just wanted to say hello.

Thanks for all the kind hello's...

I still check in, at least once a week or so.

It's my son-in-law's parents that have a place in Wellfleet - - so we might get back there some summer. They seem to spend a few weeks there every July or August.

And what an intriguing idea to relocate permanently to Orvinio. I think I like my "modcons" too much, but I would definitely consider Rieti on a short list place of places worthy of "re-living" our very special moments there.

I remain quite firmly attached to the idea of a repeat Fodorite's trip (in 2009?) if there ever were a few willing souls prepared to give it some thought.

Portugal would be nice - - maybe?

What time of year for the 2009 trip?

Probably pretty open ended at this point; my favorite months have been May, June, Sept and October in the past.

Hi Rex!

So glad to hear from you! I didn't see this the first time you replied, so glad it came up again and that you are doing so well.

I would LOVE to do a Portugal trip, but the cost of living has nearly ended my traveling for the near future.

Right now, I looking into the possibility of home exchanges with some great success so far.

I have an exchange planned with a couple from NC. They will be my guests for a week of skiing and I will use their vacation home in the NC mountains for a week next fall.

Just agreed to a Thanksgiving exchange with a couple from Springdale, UT (just outside Zion) for the long weekend. It's such a nice time to visit there!

Did you do a Sicily trip report? That will definitely be my next Europe trip and I'd love to hear your details.


Buon viaggio Rex

Hi Rex, something off topics: wonder whether you might like to share the experience/ expertise about travelling with groups of semi-strangers?

While talking with one old classmate online, I happened to mention my dream of doing self-driving barge in France; by world of mounths and the magic of internet, it ended up there are more than 20 of old classmates (from 5 countries) ready to go with me next spring, all of them I have seen/talked for more than 30 years.

Among your trips with Fordorites/other groups, how did you coordinate or arrange things? Any guidelines I shall be aware of?

Thanks in advance.