Travel keeps you young!

Friday 19^th August.

6am

Umbrian amazing daily service!

Here he comes again with his broom!  Followed closely by guzzling monster!

Guzzling Monster

7.30am

Have given up on the bread!  Just having to resort to the unhealthy, but scrumptious alternative!  This is still warm, crisp and oozing with yummy custard!  It’s currently 30C in the sun!

12.15pm

Just back from my 10k hike!

Wasn’t as bad today – probably cause I knew where I was going and recognised the distance markers!  Have had the second shower of the day and now enjoying. a long, cool, ice-filled San Bitter.

Have come to the decision, after deliberating during the two hour walk, that travel does actually keep one young!  I don’t mean the kind of travel which involves frequent short business flights to different countries where all you see is the inside of a hotel or conference room.  These no doubt keep you very mentally alert but probably the stress, air-conditioning and lack of sleep far out-weigh the advantages! Nor do I include the typical package holiday spent mainly in hotel, bar and beach with lots of other tourists.

 The travel I’m thinking about is that which involves spending several months or years in different countries working or, if not actually in an occupation, then living in a community apart from one’s own nationality. 

Just think of the health advantages:

For a start, most of us would choose to have a second-home or spend time working in a country hotter and sunnier than our own – not difficult if you are British!  This means we have longer hours of sunlight which, in turn, stimulates our bodies to produce more of that feel-good hormone, serotonin or something like that!  
The more we feel good the more motivated we become and the more active.  Thus we are more energetic (hence the two 10 k hikes in three days!)  the more we exercise, the stronger our hearts, lungs and bones become etc, etc. 

Also living in a hot country reduces one’s appetite so not only do we remain lean and slender, we rely more on healthy foods like salads and fruit and fish with all their health benefits and don’t feel the need for meat or carbs. (except the cake for breakfast!)   Fish is brilliant for the brain and prolongs life so there we go again! 

Then, of course, in Europe there will be the wine – which could, in excess, have a negative effect!  But  I did read yesterday in, I think, the Daily Mail,  that a glass or two of red wine is thought to have health benefits too!

Of course more sun could mean skin-cancer but  when you are spending a long time in a hot place you avoid the sun which is why I choose to stay inside at this time of the day and get my work done or go on the computer or read in the pine-woods.   Everywhere will be deserted in the village now until 4.30pm!  If anyone does walk past our house it will be the odd mad tourist!

Travel also entails a great deal of brain work – planning, organising,  mastering a different language.  Even normal everyday tasks like shopping, going to the bank, communicating, driving, finding your way around (and simply keeping alive in some places I’ve been!),  require more concentration, which in turn makes our brains work harder and, so I believe, thus produce more brain cells.  Also, because you are meeting people from different cultures you acquire more knowledge and actually need to remember more, so there we go! 

This train of though came about when I thought about one of my friends, now living in Italy, who has travelled widely and worked in several different countries.  She, like so many people with similar life-styles looks and appears at least ten years younger!  Then I thought of all the other friends and relations I know with similar experiences.  They are all so vivacious, interesting, healthy and ALIVE! 

Well, that’s the end of my thought for the day.  Now I’m going to stimulate my brain even further by trying to find a way of downloading these damn videos onto my blog.  I refuse to be beaten!  I’ve also got to think of a different topic of conversation (in Italian) for when I go to the hotel! Good brain work!

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