TRAVEL

LASTING CONNECTIONS

One of the best parts of travel is the memories you make. In some cases, the people you meet on those trips stay with you for many years after a chance encounter. We asked readers to submit stories about some of the individuals they have met while traveling.

— Compiled by Kathy Saunders and Amy Scherzer, Shutterstock illustrations

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HEARTFELT WELL WISHES

Nearly 20 years ago, we took my mother and our two children to England on a trans-Atlantic voyage aboard the Queen Mary 2.

The six-day crossing was heavenly and the travels through London included a visit to Buckingham Palace and train rides to the north of England to my mother’s birthplace. We left Mom with relatives in Durham and took a short trip to Scotland. For my husband and son, that would not have been complete without the opportunity to play a few holes of golf at St. Andrews Links.

Our hotel concierge in Edinburgh managed to get them a tee time and we drove just over an hour to the lovely town of St. Andrews, Fife. The guys hit the links, and my daughter, who was 5 at the time, and I spent the morning in the pro shop picking out souvenirs and having a cup of tea in the cafe.

Our server was a lovely girl named Chloe, from Boston. In fact, all of the servers in the restaurant were American. Chloe said they were all students at the University of St. Andrews, allowing they all chose the college because Prince William was also a student there at the time. He was probably the most eligible bachelor in the world then and they had hoped to capture his affection.

We wished Chloe luck as we left and, as we all know, William did find his eventual bride, Kate Middleton, at their university. I always think of Chloe when I remember that trip. I hope that she eventually found her prince charming.

From left, Hanna and Brian Roney and Vera and Isabella Muzzillo are pictured at Mount Everest base camp in 2017. Photo courtesy of Vera Muzzillo

Kathy Saunders, Bay editor

A FRIEND FOR LIFE

In February and March 2017, my son and daughter-in-law, Brian and Hanna Roney, and my daughter Isabella Muzzillo and I took a family trip around the world — Hawaii to Hong Kong, China, Thailand, Nepal, India, Dubai, Zimbabwe, South Africa, Morocco — 12 countries in about 60 days.

In Nepal, I asked the manager of our hotel if he could arrange dinner with someone who had climbed Mount Everest and he invited Shailee Basne, captain of the Seven Summits Women Team, the first group of Nepali women to summit the highest points on all seven continents. She told us how women weren’t allowed to participate in sports in Nepal and the government decided to change that. They put out a call for women to try out for this team and she responded. Men were taking bets on how many of them would die and how far they’d get before they cried for help.

Shailee inspired all of us with her courage, tenacity and strength. We became instant friends. Her husband, Tyler, is from Colorado, and they’ve come to visit us and fell in love with Tampa and St. Petersburg. She spoke at the Academy of the Holy Names high school for girls about some of the things she’s accomplished that people believed were impossible, including performing standup comedy in New York.

She’s an engaging, sweet and wonderful person who inspires me every day. Her team continues its incredibly worthwhile mission of raising awareness for women across the globe and empowering survivors of human trafficking to learn mountaineering skills to become trekking guides.

Vera Muzzillo, Tampa

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AN EARLY-MORNING ENCOUNTER

In March 2018, my wife, Yvonne, and I booked a river cruise on Uniworld’s SS Beatrice. Our itinerary was from Budapest to Bucharest. After three wonderful nights in Budapest, we boarded the ship. The ship was spectacular and the crew was friendly and engaging.

After stops in Hungary and Croatia, we were bound for Belgrade, Serbia. The captain announced that the Serbian authorities would board the ship and each passenger would have to present their passport to an immigration officer. Almost as an aside, he mentioned that this would occur at 4:30 a.m. After an elegant meal, we stopped at the bar for a nightcap. While having our drinks, Yvonne said, “If I have to get up at 4:30, I should have a mimosa waiting on me.” We finished our drinks and went to bed. At 4:15 the next morning there was a knock on our door. Yvonne answered in her pajamas. Standing there was the bartender, Viktor, with a mimosa in his hand. He had overheard Yvonne’s comment. This went above and beyond in terms of service. We’ll always remember Viktor.

Betty Castor and Sam Bell traveled to Pietrasanta, Italy, for the unveiling of the Dr. Mary McLeod Bethune statue commissioned by the state of Florida for Statuary Hall in the U.S. Capitol. The 4-ton sculpture was created from marble mined from the same quarry used by Michelangelo. Photo courtesy of Betty Castor

John Whitcomb, Tampa

A MOVING TRIBUTE

My daughter, U.S. Rep. Kathy Castor, D-Tampa, asked my husband, Sam Bell, and I to accompany her and her husband, Bill, to Northern Tuscany for the unveiling of the statue of Dr. Mary McLeod Bethune that had been commissioned to represent the state of Florida in Statuary Hall in the U.S. Capitol.

Kathy worked to get bipartisan congressional support to replace the current statue of Kirby Smith, a confederate general who only lived in the state a short time. It’s incredible that it will be replaced by a Black woman, the first female African-American woman, one of less than 10 women in the 100-statue collection. There were three women responsible: Kathy; sculptor Nilda Comas, who lives half the year in Fort Lauderdale and half the year in Pietrasanta, Italy; and Nancy Lohman, a ball of fire from Ormond Beach who took on the crusade to raise a couple million dollars to pay for the sculpture and its transportation to Florida and then to Washington, D.C. The state didn’t allocate a penny for it. It was all raised by private citizens.

It gives me goose bumps talking about it. We went to the caves where the marble was mined in Pietrasanta, the caves where Michelangelo got the marble for the Pieta and David statues.

On July 10, Dr. Bethune’s birthday, about 40 of us

gathered in front of city hall, dignitaries and some recent Bethune-Cookman University graduates, in 100-degree weather. Everybody stood as still as could be as the students sang the alma mater. Tears were coming down my cheeks and I don’t cry very easily.

The irony is not lost that this is a white marble statue of a Black woman.

Betty Castor, Tampa

THE TRAVEL COMPANION

After flying on Sept. 11, 2001, when the terrorist attacks occurred, getting on a plane was never the same for me. I was quiet, alert, anxious and always aware of the time. I wanted the flights to end as soon as possible. The days of layovers were done. I only flew direct. I didn’t want to spend one more minute on a plane than I needed.

But then, on a flight in 2016, I found myself wishing time would stand still.

I was flying from Gainesville to a work conference in Las Vegas. Since it was booked by my employer, I had to fly to Atlanta first before making it to Sin City. I was not happy. It was one of those small planes and I hoped no one would sit next to me. Then came Jon — tall, gray hair and dressed more for brunch than an uncomfortable day of traveling. He had kind eyes and a charming smile. You know, the kind that you see that automatically makes you smile even if you don’t want to.

Jon was a University of Florida student. He was getting an advanced degree in the Department of Family, Youth and Community Science. In fact, he was the oldest student on campus at age 70. UF had even spotlighted him in a video as a Vietnam veteran graduating with a 4.0 GPA. I found this all out before the plane even took off. I knew this might be a special plane ride, and Jon didn’t disappoint. With sincerity and a sense of humor, he shared his life story. As a former features reporter, I loved every second! I even took notes. I couldn’t help myself.

He adored being an avid traveler, and shared tales of his stateside and international adventures. “I’ve been to every state!” he proudly told me. He owned a printing business for 45 years and raised his son as a single father.

He was so engaging, wise and humble — the latter revealed as he shrugged off my reactions of awe and admiration about his journey. (“I’m not anything special. I’m a very fortunate man. I’ve lived a great life. I’m living a great life.”)

I felt like I was in a short film. Two people have a chance encounter and they both leave changed in some way. And I did. He reminded me to make the best out of what you have, and never forget to have fun. After that experience, I loosened up about flying because a wise man once told me, “Life is an adventure if you allow it to be.”

Thanks, Jon.

Lashonda Curry, Seminole

GO AND ENJOY

We honeymooned in Montreal in 1987. We were in our 20s, neither of us had traveled much, and the Canadian city was as close as we could get to a European destination. Still, we were a bit intimidated by the international culture; it seemed as if everyone we met spoke three languages: French, English and the one of their native country. On our first night, we wandered into a little Italian restaurant for a late dinner, maybe because Italian was more familiar than the international cuisines — Greek, French, Russian, Chinese, Indian — that we passed on the walk from our hotel and would later sample.

Neither of us remembers the name of the restaurant we chose or what we ate. But we vividly recall the loquacious owner. When we were the only diners remaining, his wife stood watch in the back, rather impatiently waiting for us to finish. He, however, was in no rush. He pulled up a chair, genuinely interested in our story and sharing tips on his city. When we finally took our leave, to his wife’s relief, he proclaimed with much enthusiasm in his Italian-accented English: GO! ENJOY! MAKE LOVE!

That welcoming gentleman set a tone for the rest of our honeymoon — and our many travels in the almost 35 years since. Talk. Eat. Explore. Love.

Wilma Norton, St. Petersburg

FAMOUS AND FRIENDLY

Over my more than 20 years of teaching history, I have taken many students to Europe during the summer. I once had the unique occasion to meet and hang out with a famous early music ensemble in Cambridge.

Several years back, an advertisement had been posted at school for a Program Dean at Peterhouse, the oldest college at the University of Cambridge. I applied and was accepted.

I decided to walk around the city, reacquainting myself with various cultural hot spots. For those who have been to Cambridge, the summer is loaded with concerts and theater, and there were postings almost everywhere along Trumpington Road, the main drag of academic Cambridge. I spotted a concert at Great Saint Mary’s Church by the Academy of Ancient Music, who would be accompanying the choir in Handel’s Messiah.

When I got to the church precincts, I was beckoned into the graveyard where there was a group eating dinner. Unbeknownst to me, it was the entire ensemble. We chatted and they were very unassuming since in classical music circles, they are pretty much at the top.

The concert was wonderful and after it was over the harpsichordist asked me to join them for a pint. What this chance encounter taught me is that unlike in the States, talented people are just that — talented and not demigods who would probably not deign to hang out with mere mortals.

Ron Heller, St. Petersburg

AN ARTIST’S SOUL

I remember so clearly meeting Nora NaranjoMorse in the sunny yard in front of her adobe home on the Pueblo in Santa Fe in early May 2014. Exuding stillness and strength, she seemed rooted to the earth as she spoke about her art.

Nora was not on my list of 51 people that I would be meeting on my two-month, solo road trip to film groundbreakers addressing systemic change in the arts, education and the economy. I added a stop in Santa Fe to visit a childhood friend, a horse whisperer, whom I had not seen in 60 years. Before I left, Sandy wanted me to meet her sisterin-law, whom she said was a nationally known artist. Within moments of our meeting, I knew I wanted to interview Nora. She is very cautious about who she shares with and she waited 24 hours before saying yes.

As we sat in front of the fire in her studio, Nora’s restraint melted away. I remember thinking that her soul shone through her eyes as she spoke about the depth and meaning of her art. Nora’s story is so moving. Like many other Native American children, Nora and her eight siblings were bussed from her tiny Pueblo village to a school and method of teaching that was so foreign to them. The only way Nora could feel safe was to get lost in her art — drawing and making things.

Everyone in her family is an artist ... some make pots for utilitarian purposes and to sell to make a living. She remembers her mother, after a very long day, sitting by the fireplace working her clay. Nora saw such a face of serenity and peace and she wanted that. So began her life as an artist.

Most impressive to me was her deep reverence for Mother Earth. When I began interviewing her, I learned about her installation, Always Becoming, standing in front of the Smithsonian’s National Museum of the American Indian. The huge teepee sculptures constructed of clay and organic materials slowly disintegrate over time back into the earth.

In the video she says, with sadness, that her people used to save everything … wasted nothing. Today, she devotes her life to working with clay and using discarded goods to heighten the urgent need to care for and nurture Mother Earth.

Nationally known Sante Fe, N.M., artist Nora Naranjo-Morse left a profound impression on environmental activist Jan Roberts during a visit in spring 2014. Photo courtesy of Jan Roberts Jan Roberts, Tampa

LIVING HISTORY

Meeting the 2008 presidential candidates, John McCain and Barack Obama, is hugely significant to me. Back then, I was co-host of CBS network’s The Early Show and I was invited to introduce the candidates at the conference for the National Council of La Raza (now called UnidosUS), the largest Latino civil rights and advocacy group in the country.

What impressed me when speaking with Obama one-on-one was his easy demeanor. He made me ... and everyone … feel comfortable instantly. He asked questions beyond, “How are you?” and seemed genuinely interested in the answers.

His charisma is like nothing I’ve ever seen. I’ll never forget the roar of the crowd as he approached the podium. I imagine that’s what a Beatles concert must have sounded like. Seeing that passionate response was something incredible to behold and I knew it would translate to votes.

Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Barack Obama talks to the media during a news conference on his campaign plane en route to Washington, D.C ., on June 17, 2008. (Alex Brandon/Associated Press, 2008)

Republican presidential candidate Sen. John McCain speaks with reporters on his bus, the Straight Talk Express, on July 23, 2008. (Clark Van Orden/Times Leader , 2008) Maggie Rodriguez, who co-hosted CBS’s The Early Show and met 2008 presidential candidates John McCain and Barack Obama, is pictured on Inauguration Day 2009. Photo courtesy of Maggie Rodriguez

Two things struck me about Sen. John McCain when I traveled on his campaign bus, the Straight Talk Express, as he made swing stops in several Southern states. He was a gentleman and he was tireless. I gained a new appreciation for what it takes to keep up with the constant demands of campaigning and was amazed at how easily he seemed to manage it. He was as enthusiastic at stop one as he was at stop four. I remember being on the bus, along with his wife and daughter and handlers, and even though he must have been exhausted, he took the time to talk to me about my father, a Cuban patriot, and what it meant to fight for your country. I also remember how respectful he was during interviews and of his opponent. Both candidates were, despite their differences. I miss the time when we could respectfully disagree with each other.

Covering that election, the first with an AfricanAmerican presidential candidate on the ticket, I had a sense that I was living history. On Inauguration Day in Washington, D.C., I wrote a letter to my then 3-year-old daughter describing the events and emotions of that day and mailed it home so it would be postmarked with the date and the location and she’d have a keepsake from that historic moment.

Maggie Rodriguez, Tampa

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