Walking for Coffee

Mom on the Beach

I'm trying to avoid writing about work here, so I'm torn between trying an ode to coffee and priming myself for a trip to Florida next weekend with stories of Ole, a German exchange student, who will be visiting my mother at the same time as I.

If I write about coffee, I'll have to acknowledge that I just discovered that a thermos works at home or work, as well as on the road. I've used this thermos for several years when I travel, but just started using it as an everyday beverage warmer. Boy is it nice to have hot coffee in my office. Or tea that stays hot for more than ten minutes on my cold desk beside a winter window.

If I write about Ole (now in his 40s!), I'll have to note our joint love of walking, whether it's around my mother's neighborhood with her dog or off the path in the states or abroad. We took long walks in Speedway, Indiana that dulled the pain of a recent breakup.

But the most fun (and most walking) happened in Italy, when Ole joined a friend and me from Germany. We walked miles along busy streets to the catacombs where we walked some more on a Walks of Italy tour. We walked to the metro for a ride to Ostia, where we walked among the Roman ruins, marveling at the remaining tiles. And we walked along the nearby beach, jealous of semi-nude sunbathers in private enclosures. 

During my trip to Florida next week, I'm hoping to take more walks with Ole, my mom, her husband, and their dog. The beach will be public, and the water will be too cool for bikinis, but the company will definitely energize!