9/18/25 – Trains, planes, and automobiles. Add a few boats, and you’ve got the idea…
Hey there happy reader!
I’m writing this on the last leg of my journey, sitting in the lounge in Heathrow airport, waiting for my flight home. This trip all started in Carmel, California at a wedding. It hopefully ends tonight as I make my way back to New York.
At the start — a beautiful weekend in wine country. It was the first time I’d ever attended an Indian wedding, and the ceremony was beautiful. The bride wore red! Absolutely stunning…
From there, I was meant to fly to LA to connect in the airport with my son, daughter-in-law and grandson (often referred to as my assistant #1), but the airlines had other plans for me. My flight out of Monterey was greatly delayed, so I hopped into an Uber, made my way to San Francisco’s international airport and found a different flight through Toronto to Athens, Greece.
(More on Toronto in a later newsletter. I hadn’t been in that airport since the early 1980’s, when I spent one week a month in the home office of Harlequin Romance, back in the days when I worked for them as an editor.)
As luck would have it, my son’s connecting flight to Athens was delayed, so I landed there before he did! But once we all reunited, the real fun began.
Seeing the ancient ruins of the Acropolis was mind-blowing, and it was only the beginning of immersing myself in a time gone by.
Greece is old… it truly made me think about the people who lived there and built this ancient citadel. Much like the builders of Stonehenge, they had rudimentary tools, yet they crafted something that has stood the test of time. Truly stunning to see!
After Athens, we took the first of our ferry rides, this time to Milos.
The beaches are incredible! As you can see, assistant #1 took some “me” time by the water. It was hard to get him back to work after a day at the seaside, lol…
One more ferry ride, and we were in Santorini. Visually stunning, it didn’t disappoint.
But truly, the thing that struck me most was the winding stone streets and the vendor stalls. I could imagine that they were like the ones that surrounded Stonehenge at the time that “Below the Horizon” takes place.
In my mind, I replaced the modern shops with the types of merchandise a resident of Stonehenge might have found.
Simple leather sandals, spices of every color, and foods that filled the air with the smoky scent of meat cooked over an open fire. All in all, this trip refined some details that had been floating around in my mind. Travel always sparks my imagination…
And now, home. I’m tired, but I’m glad I went! How about you? Even if it’s to a local destination you’ve never been to before, seeing something new can be inspiring. Where will you travel next?
As always, let me know what you think!
xoxo,
Hilari

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