Have you ever considered breaking your own self-imposed travel rules?

great story. Pretty good daughter too.

If you never break the rules......you can miss out on a lot.

Oh my goodness, that is a very extra-special gift that your husband encouraged your daughter to get for you in those final days. This is an absolute treasure. What you must have thought when you opened that !!

What a lovely story and a wonderful gift. Thanks for sharing!

Wow, what a spectacular thing your husband and daughter did, and how extra special their thoughtfulness is now.

My tiny little self-imposed travel rule is to check for my passport before departing any place - a plane, train, hotel, etc. And put my passport in its designated spot for the transition. On the odd occasion where I've been in a rush and broken that tiny little rule, it's a mini-panic until I find the passport in a place where it never should have been.

And then my 2nd travel guideline (not so much a rule) in case I break my "passport checking rule" is to end my travels in an embassy city. (That typically happens anyway, due to the nature of my city travels and big city airports.)

It seems, though, that I should make a more fun "rule" .... perhaps something like "not buying a bottle of local wine to bring home." Then I'll see if one magically shows up for me when I get home! :-)

Number 1 rule: rules were meant to be broken. So glad you now have a very special book - and without breaking your own self-imposed rule.

Great story, glad you got the book! One of my favorite sayings “Well behaved women never make history”. Can also mean women who don’t break the rules, never make history. Jean, I think you were an engineer in your working life? My DH is also a recently retired engineer and he won’t even make a U-turn if it’s not allowed. I think it’s just something about being an engineer that makes it harder to break rules!

Tammy, LOL! You know me. ; )

This is such a wonderful story! Thank you for sharing it.

I must admit what I thought of when breaking travel rules set for self before I got to the ending was not as positive. I was thinking about my “rules” for renting Airbnbs that I did not follow in Venice in 2021.

There were for sure seven of us but possibly nine so made finding a place a bit challenging. I found a place but rental company was not as responsive as I usually would consider booking with. I booked anyway and then later it became clear that only 7 of us. The rental company got worse at responding and I should have canceled but did not. It seemed like a lot of effort to find a new place.

But beds were not set up as we requested, a/c in one bedroom did not work, no wi fi in apartment. The rental company totally ignored my attempts to contact them. The fact that had 7 not 9 people made it workable.

It turned out no one else was that bothered by all this and let it go.

But I will trust my instincts next time no matter how much effort it seems to be!

BethFL, that’s good that the rest of your group maintained a good attitude through your Venice lodging experience, so you didn’t feel any extra pressure!

Not so much "Breaking a Travel Rule",
but if my Mom saw something she really liked while on tour, she would buy it instead of waiting til later to see if there was something she might like better or the same thing at a lower price at a later location.

So thoughtful of your daughter and husband to remember the book!!

I was in the middle of planning a spring 2025 Sicily trip, and annoyed and stressed because I was being "forced" to break several of my own travel "rules" to make it work out in the time available. In particular, the "no one-night stays" and "don't backtrack" rules. Then, Jean, I happened to read your trip report and tribute, and learned from you to embrace this trip.

Jean, your daughter is a gem. What a lovely and thoughtful gift she planned with your dear husband. I imagine you will feel much joy turning the pages often.

As for my personal broken travel "rules", since COVID times I have been much more willing to spend money on experiences that will bring me joy or good memories. I am usually a pretty tight budget traveler. But I will not regret for a moment dropping serious cash on a balloon ride over Cappadocia, Turkey - simply magical. My free wheeling spending is within reason (I haven't lost all my senses lol) but based on the adage that you can't take it with you. And precious life is short as you have so recently taught us.

Nancys8, oh, I am looking forward to reading your trip report in 2025 to see what you end up doing in Sicily! I know you enjoyed the Puglia region previously. It could be an area I return during another trip. ; )

CL, that’s a wise perspective! Those exceptional experiences can take the trip to another level of excitement and memories.

Rule 1, keep air travel simple. This Fall, 2 weeks in Portugal followed by a week in the Dordogne in France. What do I do? Book direct flight to Barcelona followed by a flight on a separate ticket to Lisbon. 2 weeks later, fly from Porto to Bordeaux, and then after our week in the Dordogne, fly from Bordeaux to Barcelona followed by a flight home on a separate ticket.

If I keep this up I'll soon be running with scissors...hopefully my Trip Report won't be a tale of poor choices.

Lovely, Jean! I’m one of those who can’t leave a bookstore empty-handed…and I would have tried to weigh (pun intended :) ) the merits of carrying it with me. But that book was absolutely meant to be yours…what a wonderful story!

Oh my word, Jean. I hope to heck it had waterproof pages because I am sure tears were shed. Beautiful.

I am currently breaking a rule on a flight. Delta changed my flight home in October routing me thru SLC with a short transit time. That transit time has shrunk to 1 hour. I bought up to Delta One to get off the plane first, I’ll do carry on only, have global entry and hope that I will make it. Next flight is about 7 hours later. I’ve also stayed at the SLC Hampton when Ive had flight cancellations in to Lewiston when I was flying out/in to there so familiar with hotel options. We’ll see if I manage to make our November meet up, haha!!

Pam, could Delta route you through Minneapolis instead of Salt Lake?

Yes, there were happy tears when I opened the book! I waited a couple of weeks because I wanted to open it on a happy day. I opened it while I was on the phone with her, so she could hear my reaction. : ). When I saw the Italian post office labels, I really started getting excited, thinking, “Could it be?”

My daughter is very adept at sleuthing, so it was fun picturing her telling my husband on the phone that she’s found the book, and them talking about how & when (or even if!) it might show up at the house.

Allan, I would be losing sleep over those connections. ; ). Hope everything goes very smooth and on time. On the other hand, now that you’re retired, maybe you’re in for a fantastic adventure you hadn’t planned!

Found a site that sells the book: https://www.salentolibri.it/puglia-a-love-story-mollica-fabio-falcone-marco-l00014467

Book: 39 Euros

Shipping to California: 53.90 Euros

Brushtim, yes, that’s the site she used. She ordered it sometime mid-May, and it arrived a few weeks later.

Allan, I would be losing sleep over those connections. ; )

At the time of booking I thought it was a good idea, but now I'm wondering what I was thinking. We have wanted to try some of the lower cost airlines to get a sense of longer, multi country trips in the future. We'll be using EasyJet and Vueling for this trip and we'll dive in with both feet and see what happens.

Your (the OP's) story was a pleasant one to read. But though I usually cannot count on a thoughtful gift to rewards me afterwards, I think I can honestly say that I do scrupulously abide by my travel rules. I am proud never when travelling abroad to have stepped into a global US food franchise (McDonalds, Kentucky Fried Chicken, Starbucks, and the whole lot of them), except once, 30 years ago, in Comayagua, Honduras, when I patronized a "Dunkin' Donuts" -- doughnuts seemed innocent enough to merit an exception, and perhaps at the time they were, but I don't think I would do that again.
Anyway, I'm responding because I once had an experience very similar to yours -- and I stuck to my rule, then regretted it afterwards. It was 2006, in a bookstore in Managua, Nicaragua, where I met a local author who had written a regional history. Now, history books are the ones I like to buy, but this one, like yours, was rather large and weighty, and I had serious concerns about stuffing it into my luggage -- I love purchasing books when travelling, but I stick to light, paperback ones (though in this case I'm sure I could have managed if I had really squeezed the book in). So I reluctantly turned it down, but now I wish I had purchased it. First, I would have spared myself the embarrassment of telling the very author himself that I was turning down his book, and second, I'm sure it would have made for some interesting and unique reading.
Conclusion: maybe I should have considered breaking my travel rule at least once (or for a second time, recalling that "Dunkin Donuts").

Thank you Jean, for continuing to come back to the Forum and for this lovely story! I'm sitting next to a bookshelf with a book of Giacinto Gigante's (who? Yeah, me neither) elegant watercolor paintings I discovered in a small bookshop on Capri. i had seen some of his paintings in a Naples museum and loved them. Really silly to have bought a book mid trip, when we always traveled pretty light & by train, but hey, 20 years later I still page through that book, isn't that a gift?!

I guess the other thing I would say about travel rules is that as we've aged, some rules have just needed to change whether I liked it or not. Powering through more than one museum a day and many churches isn't something either of us are willing to do with aching feet. Taxis are a blessing. We like to actually stop and eat lunch, and OMG occasionally go back to the hotel to rest! Thanks again.

Faedus, you had me smiling, reading about your US food franchise rule. We each do have our own rules since I can’t recall a trip to Europe where I haven’t eaten at a McDonald’s at least once! Their salads are predicable & quick if I don’t want to linger over lunch. I don’t go near a Starbucks in Italy, but I have a few Spain espresso cups of theirs. ; )

Oh, and you just brought back a sweet memory that my husband & I ate in a busy Five Guys restaurant in Madrid in February and once in Paris on the Champs Elysees!

Sandanciso, ”20 years later I still page through that book, isn't that a gift?!”

Wow, that is a great reason to pick up a book during your trip!

I’ve cheated a little in the past by buying a book pre-trip. I’ll call it travel research-LOL! So, I end up having a nice book and not needing to lug it with me during the trip. They do get me even more excited to actually be at the city! Some I’ve purchased ahead of time:

• The Musee D’Orsay by Margherita D’Ayala Valva - a heavy coffee table book with great photos.
• Buon Giorno, Arezzo, a postcard from Tuscany. Excellent prep read to staying there.
• Travels through the French Riviera, an artist’s guide to the storied coastline from Menton to Saint-Tropez. This one made me daydream until I could see it in person!
• Chartres Cathedral by Malcolm Miller. This large book really prepared me for understanding much more, even before taking the wonderful tour at the cathedral.

”I guess the other thing I would say about travel rules is that as we've aged, some rules have just needed to change whether I liked it or not. Powering through more than one museum a day and many churches isn't something either of us are willing to do with aching feet. Taxis are a blessing. We like to actually stop and eat lunch, and OMG occasionally go back to the hotel to rest! Thanks again.”

I think part of that is aging as you mentioned. And another reason why I can relate to your comments is now that I’m retired, there isn’t such a feeling of rushing to maximize the time each day since I can stay longer on trips. We certainly noticed that when my husband & I vacationed in southern Spain in February.

If I keep this up I'll soon be running with scissors

Allan, thanks for the laugh. I'm a rule follower, so I can definitely relate!

I loved your story, Jean. <3

Yes, I have an iron clad policy of not flying anywhere in Western Europe, for environmental reasons. There are a handful of exemptions in Scotland.
To me that is very important.
That causes obvious limitations.
Mardee has a current thread about doing the Orient Express route by ordinary trains to Istanbul.
I left a whole paragraph off my response. I would love to do that ASAP but now the overland routes from Turkey to Syria, Iran and Greece are all closed, and the ferry routes to Greece are also history there is no land route back except to retrace my steps and there is no fun in that.

I could argue a case for continuing on to Izmir, in Asian Turkey and flying back from there - but that feels like using a get out clause.I

Just one example.

What a great story and a great lesson to us. Thanks for sharing. And yes there are tears in my eyes.

I have isn...'s rule:

I have an iron clad policy of not flying anywhere in Western Europe, for environmental reasons

But because of this rule I broke another one of my rules of no overnight flights. In 2023 I took the overnight flight Boston to Madrid. For many years, I didn't take an overnight flight as I knew better for me, but due to my more recent rule of no short flights, I took the overnight flight. I had jet lag so bad that after 4 days I almost just flew home as one needs some sleep to walk the Camino and I was about to start walking. So shame on me for breaking that rule.

My next flight is back to following my rules so the usual day flight to Heathrow and then the next day, the Eurostar to Paris. I need my sleep! NEVER overnight again and will stick to my environmental rules for within Europe...no short flights.

And another reason why I can relate to your comments is now that I’m retired, there isn’t such a feeling of rushing to maximize the time each day since I can stay longer on trips.

Jean, That's also true, rules can change when we retire and have the luxury of staying a few extra nights, lingering over lunch, and just relaxing into where ever we find ourselves!