Roving Retiree
A slow travel blog
About Me
I am a new retiree and have just embarked on my retirement dream of open ended and slow travel. This blog site will be used to display and share my daily experiences from the destinations where I find myself. This adventure began in Paris in early June. I’ll be exploring Central Europe first and then travelling slowly through France, Spain and Portugal. Of course, any plans can change on short notice. I will not be on a schedule after the initial few weeks.
I have included some pictures and video clips from my most recent travels prior to this trip. I started the blog page in June to help personalize this experience. Feel free to comment and ask questions. Hope you enjoy the pictures.
Recent Destinations
Paris – Revisited
Late August, 2026
I started this adventure in Paris so I’m ending it in Paris. This time is much better than the first and I almost feel like a genuine Francophile after having spent 6 weeks in France this summer. I’m feeling much more comfortable with the culture and can zip all around Paris on the Metro with ease. I’ve visited some of the less touristy sites this time along with quality cafe sitting and it has been a much more pleasant experience. Here are a few pictures from my second stay in Paris.
Bordeaux, France
August, 2026
After a hot and busy summer, I forced myself to slow down a bit and stayed in Bordeaux for almost 2 weeks. What a wonderful and much needed break it was! An easily walkable central historic district and Paris like cafe culture made it a very pleasant ‘slow down and live’ kind of place. I did a group walking tour of the area, plus a wine tasting, vinyard and chateau tour in St. Emelion where I felt the soil and touched and tasted the actual grapes used to make Merlot wines. Here are a few pictures from my time in Bordeaux.
Normandy, France
August, 2026
With its historical significance, no trip to France would be complete without a visit to Normandy. It is mostly rural farmland with maybe more cows than people. Because of its proximity and historical connection to England, it has a little of a British vibe. I’ve included pictures here from the towns of Rouan and Bayeux where I stayed, the Mont-St Michel as well as the D-Day sites of Omaha and Utah beaches.
Lyon, France
July, 2026
I have to feature my favorite city in France, Lyon. It has a wonderful, relaxed vibe accentuated by its lively cafe and restaurant scene with the same ambiance as Paris but without the intensity. As the gastronomy capital of France, it is unrivaled. It also has a charming Old Town and hilltop cathedral like Paris’ Sacred Coeur, to boot. Here are a few of my favorite pictures from Lyon.
Lake Como and Milan
July, 2026
Lake Como is absolutely breathtaking in its beauty and serenity. I hope these few images from three very picturesque villages along the lake can help capture it but there is so much beauty everywhere you look that it was difficult to know what would represent it the best. Here are a few images from Lake Como with a short video clip from a ferry boat plus additional images from Milan.
Athens, Greece
July, 2026
I know there is more to Athens than the Acropolis, but for me on this trip, that was about all it was. I stayed at a hotel within a 15 minute uphill walk to the Parthenon and ate and drank in the very touristy area surrounding the Acropolis hill. The streets and shops were fun to explore with street musicians around every corner. Here are a few pictures from that trip.
Budapest, Hungary
July, 2026
Perhaps one of the most underrated big cities in Europe, Budapest has far surpassed my expectations. I think the friendliness of the people here while surrounded by opulent Baroque domes and art nouveau architecture has certainly help create a welcoming atmosphere. Here are a few images from Budapest.
Vienna, Austria
June, 2026
As the birthplace of classical music, Vienna offers the best classical music concerts and more of them than you can shake a stick at. I had no problem finding music concerts to fill my time in addition to visits to the grand Hofburg Imperial Palace and the Schonbrunn Palaces not to mention the museum quarter. You will find plenty of images of these on the Vienna gallery page.
Prague, Czech Republic
June, 2026
It sure isn’t hard to find a picture here. Just about everywhere you look is a picture. There is more to come, but I’ve added a few of the most well known scenes on the Prague page with images from Old Town, the Prague Castle and an evening dinner cruise on the Vltava River. You can also see video clips on the Blog page.
Krakow, Poland
June, 2026
With just 2 full days in Krakow and one of those being a full day at Auschwitz, the second day was packed with Old Town, the Castle Hill and Jewish Quarter. I didn’t get much of a chance to relax except at dinner on the Main Square. Here are images on the Krakow Gallery page plus a few clips from that visit on the Blog post.
Riga, Latvia
June, 2026
Riga, Latvia has never been on my bucket list of places to visit until it came up as an option with a travel club that I’m a member of. I said ‘why not’ and here I am. I am certainly not disappointed. It has interesting history and culture, plentiful restaurants and sidewalk cafes and welcoming locals. I’m here for a while longer, so there will be more to come, but here are a few image of my time here so far.
Paris, France
June, 2026
Paris is my first and last stops on my summer European trip. I’ve visited the marquis sites on this round. Here are a few of my favorite pictures from the Effel Tower, the Palace of Versailles, Notre Dame and a few notable art pieces from the museums. And finally, I’m adding a few pictures from Montmartre and the Sacred Coeur Basilica at the top of the hill along with a photo of the Army Museum and Napoleons tomb.
Hong Kong
November, 2025
Hong Kong was the launch pad for my first ever Southeast Asia visit. I only had one full day to tour the area before a cruise, but was able to get to The Peak and view the iconic scene of Hong Kong’s Victoria Harbor and a few other sites before sailing. Here you can find a short video clip of the harbor view and some additional images from that one day visit.
Vietnam
November, 2025
My memories of Vietnam stem from the Vietnam war which dragged on for several years during the time I was in high school and college. I mostly remember war scenes in rice paddies on the nightly news. Today’s Vietnam is vastly different. I’ve included images and video clips which show a mix of the old and the new from the three major cities.
Thailand
November, 2025
I had no idea what to expect from Thailand. I had not studied or even read much about it. But the city of Bangkok certainly didn’t disappoint. The most obvious stand out was the sheer number of Buddhist temples all over the city. With an overnight stay in a riverfront hotel and evening dinner cruise sailing right through the center of Bangkok, it provided some quite iconic scenes which you can see here.
Nice, France
February, 2025
I picked a late February date for my first visit to Nice, France and to my surprise, it happened to be Carnival week which provided some scenery and carnival events that I may not have seen at any other time. Nice is a very pleasant and laid back vibe and is very easy to navigate. The sea front is especially appealing and is perfect for cafe sitting and people watching. Pictures and video clips of my week in the French Riviera can be viewed here.
Italy and Malta
August, 2024
This post show cruise stops in Valletta, Malta and Italy, including Catania, Sicily and Naples. The Naples stop came with enough time for an Amalfi Coast tour which you can see here with images of Sorrento, Positano and Ravello. Each location had a completely different vibe but each was distinctly Italian.