Oct. 29, 2024

Horowitz Travel Oct. 29, 2024 No surgery…yet. She put David in a boot and will X-ray in a week to see if the break is stable. If it is, he’ll wear the boot for 6 weeks. It gives him more mobility in that he can put minimal weight on the boot when transferring to car, chair, etc., and can remove it for a shower. We’ve been using wipes for “sponge” bathing and washed his hair in the sink. Still, there’s nothing like a real shower with that hot water pouring down. Here’s hoping the teen-age healing kicks in and he’s boot free for our granddaughter Talia’s college graduation in Dec. Always good to have a goal. Toby

Horowitz Travel October 25, 2024- We’re waiting for the results of the CAT scan done this afternoon. Meanwhile, I was remembering the words of a guide we had in India. He said that it was easy to be caught up in the filth, poverty, and illness you see there when touring. But we have to keep looking for the lotus in the mud. With all the problems we are facing now, I looked out a window in our building and saw the lotus. We are having a spectacular autumn. Toby

Horowitz Travel Oct. 24, 2024-othopedic surgeon I love David’s orthopedic surgeon. She’s not fast to operate, yet cautious. Her office staff is kind and caring. Bottom line is that with the X-rays from DC and one more she took today, there may be a horizontal fracture as well as the one we knew of. If so, surgery may be a consideration. She ordered at CAT scan for tomorrow and will let us know. She has 4 femur surgeries tomorrow and the staff said they had 6 broken ankles this week. I’ll report as soon as we know. Toby

Oct. 23, 2024

Horowitz Travel Oct. 23, 2024 How is it going? We’ll, yesterday morning while getting ready to leave Judi’s, I brushed my teeth with hydro-cortisone cream. BTW they don’t itch. We did get to an urgent care clinic after landing yesterday. They splinted the foot after X-rays. It’s definitely broken at the end of the tibia where it joins the ankle. It’s a displaced fracture of the lateral malleous. They wouldn’t discharge him without him signing an AMA unless we promised to go immediately to a hospital to see if there was a blood clot. We agreed and ended up at Suburban Hospital in Bethesda. I really loved driving after dark in a strange area. The hospital is affiliated with John’s Hopkins but the ER was more like a cross between a MASH unit and an Israeli triage center. It was so crowded I had to find and push the wheelchair. When David was called I wasn’t allowed to go with him. He ended up sitting in a back hall with the rest of the “non life threatening” cases. There was no clot. We got to bed at 2AM. I was surprised and pleased I was able to drive the entire 6 hours it took to get home. David offered to spell me but he was in great pain and I thought better of it. We were greeted at our building by people I refer to as “my village.” A friend and neighbor secured a wheelchair and knee walker from the building’s “gimp supply closet.” The doorman met us in the garage with the wheelchair while others helped move the luggage. We had texted Daniel from the road and invited him to treat us to a Chinese dinner when we arrived. He showed up with all the fixings. It was Tuesday, after all, our family dinner night. Today we’re trying to figure out how David can maneuver using knee and regular walker. There are some things that can’t be done from his recliner. It’s stressful on him and his pain level is high. I can’t wait to see the doctor tomorrow. Hopefully she has a device to stabilize it more. We’re bringing an orthopedic boot from a former ankle break to the appointment. Maybe it will be useful. Still don’t know if surgery will be needed. I managed to get to the grocery store. There too, people asked about David. I guess we’re weekly fixtures. Since retirement he helps shop and pack. I’ll let you know Toby

Oct. 21, 2024-Potomac, MD

Horowitz Travel Oct. 21, 2024-Potomac, MD We landed at Dulles airport and were met by a driver that Judi uses. He took us to her condo and helped get our luggage upstairs. We went to an urgent care nearby at about 6pm. In 24 hours, the foot went from slightly swollen to bruised, very swollen with swelling going up the lower leg. The clinic took X-rays, pronounced the end of the tibula broken (acute displaced lateral malleolar fracture), splinted it, and told us to go to a nearby ER to be certain there wasn’t a blood clot. The ER had to cut his jeans up the seam so they could do the ultra sound. There was no clot. They left the splint on, gave him a walker, and sent him out. We were home but midnight. SIGH. David messaged the doctor at home who treated him for the cracked patella on the other leg. We like her a lot but this is ridiculous. We will drive home to Akron tomorrow. David will not share driving so it will be a slow trip as I’ll need several breaks. Picture is of Business class pods. Toby

Oct. 21, 2024-to DC

Horowitz Travel Oct. 21, 2024-to DC Was that 12 hours we spent in the Istanbul Business Lounge? Yes. Did we survive? Yes. Were we happy about it? No. We couldn’t get a bed but managed to doze and graze our time away. We watched young parents be outsmarted by their infant. Every time they thought he was asleep and tried to put him in his stroller, he woke up screaming. This went on for hours. The other pastime was observing Mediterranean and Middle Eastern noses. The varieties are endless. It’s like there’s a design competition for variety in length, bumps, and humps. I can say that as I belong to a group of folks whose Eastern European noses rival the best of today’s survey. Then there were the shoes. Sneakers galore paced by in a parade of wedged, zippered, gilt, and neon. It was an international diversity of brands worn by people from all corners of the world. It would have been wonderful if we could have locked the doors and refused to open them until those within agreed on a plan for world peace. Cleaning never stopped. Floors were constantly being swept and mopped. Swarms of workers dusted continuously. Food service areas were wiped and polished incessantly, and the player piano never quieted. NEVER. Boarding time finally arrived and we were wheeled right past the secondary bag search for US passengers and on to the plane. Our accommodations are more like a first class mini-room. We have a sliding panel between us, much like a confessional, and a door to afford more privacy. There’s a shallow closet, drawers, and cupboard We kept falling asleep before dinner was served, barely staying awake to eat our sea bass and lamb chops. Managed to sleep 6 hours and were awakened by the not so subtle breakfast preparations . I guess breakfast is going to be chicken salad and mousse. Don’t know what the real time is and don’t care. We have a couple of .hours before landing. We’ll try to make the clinic today but may have to wait overnight. I’ll stay in touch. Toby

October 19, 2024- forever Thessaloniki

Horowitz Travel October 19, 2024- forever Thessaloniki The hotel informed us that we can stay in our room until tomorrow. They are extending checkout until our airport transportation arrives. The bar is supplying us with bags of ice and David is in bed with his leg elevated. He has plenty of pain pills from the pain clinic at home so at least there’s that. Thank goodness for Netflix. I’m watching The Hours. It’s not exactly uplifting but it fills time. I may be forced to partake of the cannabis vending machines I saw as I cruised the streets foraging for lunch. Tourist that I am, I took a photo. A man explained in broken English that it only has cbd products. We have new thoughts for our arrival. We will probably go to an urgent care near Judi’s instead of waiting to drive home. At least they’ll X-ray and perhaps immobilize the foot for the drive to Akron. Can’t wait to get this return trip started Toby

Oct. 18, 2024-still Thessaloniki

Horowitz Travel Oct. 18, 2024-still Thessaloniki It has been a long day but a lot has been accomplished. We will be flying out of Thessaloniki to Istanbul on Oct. 20, at night, and from Istanbul to Dulles Oct. 21. With time changes and all, it’s hard to describe the layovers, but we’ll be spending overnight in the Bussiness lounge of the Instabul airport. Our son, Daniel, once joked that since I like flying business class so much, he might gift me a round trip to Europe with a quick turnaround. I guess that’s what this turned out to be. I never handle foreign currency when we travel overseas, so it’s ironic that I’m the one shopping now. I just put on my big girl pants that I’ve been wearing the last 3 days and did it. As I made my way down the street I realized Greeks haven’t gotten the memo about not smoking, although indoor venues don’t allow it. Retailers stand in their doorways puffing along with pedestrians. It’s kind of nostalgic. David’s instep is swollen. The ankle is not. He can wiggle his toes, and yes, we’re keeping it elevated and iced. In any case, it’s painful. He hobbled to breakfast then back to bed. I hit the streets to get lunch and dinner and made a new friend at a sandwich shop. I bought bottles of water there yesterday and I think he remembered me. I ordered sandwiches today and saw bananas in a bowl. I asked for them then realized they were fake. He understood what I wanted and pullled a shopping bag out of his refigerator and showed me his bananas. He then put them in my bag and said, “No charge.” For sure he’ll get my business tomorrow. Arranging an extension at our hotel was a challenge. The Greek economy has rebounded, and they’re full as was their sister hotel. I told the clerk that my husband broke his ankle (maybe) and I must have looked like I was going to cry. He rummaged around in his computer and asked if we would mind an “economy” room with a double bed. It’s better than the street, so I took it. We’re wait listed for a larger room. The company is arranging transportation to the airport and all that’s left is to check in. And yes, wheelchairs were ordered. We’re arranged ground transportation in DC to take us to Judi’s. When we’re fit to drive home we’ll head for the ER in Stow. It’s never busy. We’ll have them send the images to David’s foot surgeon and get a diagnosis. No pictures today. I have one of David’s foot, but you don’t need to see that. Toby

Oct. 17, 2024-Thessaloniki

Horowitz Travel Oct. 17, 2024-Thessaloniki I’ll get right to it. David took a spill today. He’s ok but embarrassed. His good leg gave out on him while he was trying to keep up with the group. He has a sore ankle that we’re icing. Since there was a rigorous climb down steps coming up, the guide, Angelos, suggested we go back to the hotel in a cab. We agreed. Ended up walking to a nearby restaurant for lunch and resting until dinner. And the day started out so well! We met our fellow travelers who now number 14. Six of them were scheduled on a trip to Ethiopia that was cancelled so they ended up choosing this trip. David is no longer the only man. We have a 40 passenger bus which is always nice. Our first stop was the Statue of Alexander the Great on his beloved horse, Bucephalus. We have a photo of it from when we were here years ago. We then drove to the Byzantine Museum to gaze at original remnants of that era which ended when the Ottoman Empire came to power. Northern Greece is still considered Macedonia. Northern Macedonia is an entirely different country. The main timeline of the area is that after Philip was murdered, Alexander became king at age 20. Unlike his father, Alexander was a formidable warrior and tactician. He completed his father’s dream of conquering the Persian Empire but died at age 33, His 4 generals divided the kingdom among themselves until the Romans rained on their parade. Ptolemy was the most noted of the generals. He ended up with Egypt and the Ptolemaic Empire lasted through Cleopatra. After the Romans came the Byzantines, Ottomans, and the Greek royals in 1912. Jews started coming in great numbers during the Inquisition in Spain and Portugal. At its height, the Jewish community numbered 68,000. There are now a thousand and two synagogues. The verdict is in. We’re making arrangements through the tour company to come home. We met with the guide to discuss our options. We thought David could stay on the bus or in a cafe while we toured but even getting to some hotels is a challenge. One in particular has a 20 minute walk from the bus parking lot uphill to the hotel then up 20 steps into the hotel. We don’t know if his ankle is broken and decided not to go to the hospital to find out. We wouldn’t have it treated here anyway. He’ll get an X-ray when we get home. Toby

Horowitz Travel N. Greece, Albania, N. Macedonia Oct. 16, 2024

From now on I will refer to our destinations as GAM. From Dulles to Istanbul airport was all about wheels. Wheelchairs, that is. We had reserved a wheelchair for David in advance, and it went like clockwork. He was transported to the Business Lounge by Speedy Gonzales with me trotting behind pulling our two rolling carry-ons. All I remember is long hallways and 3 elevators. When boarding time came, there was a chair waiting for us, although the gate wasn’t far. The lineup of chairs at the gate numbered 15. The configuration of our seating area on the plane was different as it was an Air Bus. We’d previously flown Boeings on Turkish Air, which I prefer. Once again OAT messed up and we were not seated next to each other, but across the aisle. It turned out not to be a big deal since we ate, slept, & watched movies most of the time. I finally got to see Killers of the Flower Moon. Thoroughly enjoyed it despite its 3+ hour length. What else did I have to do? I’ve had a problem with an irritated ear lobe. It was particularly itchy even though I’d stopped wearing earrings, but my rubbing alcohol was in packed luggage and the hydrocortisone cream wasn’t doing its thing. I decided that the closest I could get to rubbing alcohol was vodka, so ordered a glass…no ice. I dipped my lobe in the stuff periodically and it did provide relief. David, on the other hand, enjoyed his Glenfiddich Scotch in the traditional way. True to their word, Turkish Airlines was ready with a wheelchair when we landed. They rolled us onto what was a re-furbished lift that could have doubled for food delivery and we rode to ground level. We then transferred to a motorized chair steered from behind by the attendant. I got my own chair because there was no way I could keep up with them on foot. Mr. Toad’s wild ride commenced weaving around inert and human obstacles until it stopped at what was a way-station/storage area for chairs (motorized and manual) and trams. We scored a tram and with only a brief gate detour to off-load, we were whisked to the Bussiness Lounge where we ate, drank, and waited for Judi. I’ve described this Lounge in previous emails, but for those new to the blog, I’ll go through it again. There is a baby grand piano spewing automated soothing diddys. There are at least 3 food buffets including a carvery. All drinks are included whether alcoholic or not. More personal services include dry cleaning, massage, alterations, showers, prayer rooms, playground, ironing, and laundry service. Judi arrived in the lounge as scheduled and we had an uneventful flight to Thessaloniki, Greece. Our hotel is small but updated. The only glitch was that the receptionist insisted that David and I had separate rooms. Our guide straightened that out quickly, and we collapsed in our beds. I’ll skip the part about trying to figure out how to turn off the room lights but leave the one in the bathroom on. Toby

Horowitz Travel Northern Greece, Albania, N. Macedonia-Oct. 15, 2024

We’re at Dulles Airport in Washington, DC waiting for our flight to Istanbul then our connection to Thessaloniki,Greece. Let me start at the beginning. I read Mitch Albom’s book, The Little Liar, and was intrigued with the vibrancy of the 60,000 members of the Jewish community of Thessaloniki pre WWII. We watched a documentary about Alexander the Great and were fascinated by the man-god. Overseas Adventure Travel (OAT) with whom we frequently venture, had a trip including all those new-found interests. We booked it over a year ago. We spoke with Judi Cope, a long-time friend and frequent traveling companion, about the trip and she decided to join us. We planned to drive to Judi’s in Potomac, Md and fly over together. OAT hand other ideas. Through incompetence and negligence, we ended up on different flights to Istanbul, but will meet up there for the flight to Thessaloniki. That was the least of the glitches we had to contend with. On Aug. 9, David took a bad fall and broke his nose and kneecap. The race was on through doctors, physical therapy, and an assortment of braces to get him into traveling condition. Fortunately, he didn’t need surgery and was declared good to go a week ago. As usual I will keep you apprised of our trip: the good, bad, ugly, and humorous. Remember, what I write is my opinion unless otherwise stated. Toby