The Journey Beyond work

Retirement has given Clare and I opportunities to do things which we simply could not do when we were both working. We both like to travel, and consequently, extended travel has featured high on our post-retirement activities. Moreover, retirement has also allowed us to move beyond the usual fortnight away each summer.

Post retirement travel has included a month touring both North and South India, two months living in Toulouse to experience the “French way of Life”, a month long independent train and ferry tour of the main Scandinavian countries of Denmark, Sweden, Finland and Norway as well as extended trips to Russia (before the Ukraine Invasion), Canada, USA and Turkey.

In addition to travel, we have also been sailing. We have owned a small sailing yacht since 2006, but we were always limited to weekend sailing. Retirement has allowed us to sail much further than a weekend allows. Clare and I spent two years slowly sailing around the United Kingdom by way of the beautiful Crinan and Caledonian canals. In addition, I solo-sailed from the UK to both Ireland and to the Azores. On both occasions, once I arrived, Clare flew in and joined me and we spent a happy week or two touring Southern Ireland and the lovely island of Terceira in the Azores, using the yacht as a “hotel”.

As I write, Clare and I are about to embark on a month long camper-van tour of New Zealand and we are already thinking about an extended South America tour.

Retirement has certainly allowed us to do what we both really love.