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was mandatory. We had also discovered a fellow pas- senger, Melba, a self-proclaimed, well-to-do, seasoned traveller, found fault with everything around us. Constantly complaining about minute details and blaming Franco for everything, she was responsible for a near mutiny on our coac Vienna, our next ly enoug! with the bus Locotta ae lost “enroute to finding our hotel. Roley, our driver was taking directions from Franco who could not find the property. | learned later that we had somehow lost our initial reservation and Franco was try- ing to find a new hotel for his 30+ charges. After several hours of combing the city we stopped at a hotel that could accommodate us, and | found myself sleeping on a cot in a tiny room. ‘Tourist Class’ had a whole new meaning for me. Even Roley, the driver was complaining openly about our guide. The following morning it was announced that Melba had decided to return to New Jersey the evening before and we could not help wonder if she left of her own free will or was asked to do so or, perhaps, Franco had hidden her in the luggage area of the bus. From Vienna we crossed into Italy and it was as if we had been transformed into an entirely different tour. Franco was home and began to explain every detail of life in Italy. Our visits to Venice, Florence, Rome, Milan and Pisa were refreshingly wonderful. | was sad to leave Italy, fearful of what lay in store. Fortunately for me | was young and resilient, whereas most of the passengers were over 50 and not willing to let issues roll off their backs as easily. We continued into France and stayed in Paris, which was uneventful from a problem perspective. Franco was back to his old self pointing out the odd bridge or a passing train, without any reference other than “Look, a train,” or “Look, a bridge.” | jumped the tour in Brussels and took a train to visit with my relatives in southern Holland, before taking the Hovercraft back to Dover (no more ferries across the North Sea for me). Looking back it was an adventure still vivid in my mind. Since then | have taken great care in planning every detail of every trip | have ever taken, for, as interesting and eventful as that first exploration was, it was not one | ever want to repeat. tarted i Jonathan van Bilsen is a photographer, author and columnist and can be followed at photosNtravel.com SIGNI LUXURY CRUISES & TO! 204 Queen The Hidden Wonders of Europe River Cruising Holidays more hectic than ee Hank’s is proud to offer the rare skills of “scratch-baking” still done “the Old Fashioned Way” with all natural ingredients and no fillers or preservatives, so you can take time out to relax. Traditional Thanksgiving Pies: mincemeat, apple and pumpkin pie ~ Holiday cakes and cookies ~ Festive tarts and cinnamon rolls ~ Pumpkin-spiced muffins ~ Fresh baked bread and dinner rolls ORDER NOW! 5 ; C¥anks Fastries , Port Perry 0 ONE MORE REASON TO GIV Zi, 1100 +4 32 A marlin/~travel 158 Casimir Street, Port Perry 905-985-2268 virginia.frew@ marlintravel.ca ‘Swing by for a copy of the 2016 brochure. FOCUS - OCTOBER 2015 39