Final UK post: the various journeys we take

I’m flying home as I write this, taking stock of what we accomplished. This was much more than a trip to Europe, of course. But I’ve struggled with how much to talk about cancer in this blog even though cancer shapes much of our life now.

But I’m going to share this today in case there’s another pancreatic cancer family reading this…just one, even…to be reminded that a cancer journey can contain joy within the pain. I didn’t have much hope a year ago, and while cancer has reshaped the life Ron and I live, we are still here.

Way back in March of 2024, the grim outlook of Ron’s illness was revealed to me first. I was alone in a patient support room. Ron was somewhere else, sleeping off a procedure. I fainted when they told me, flat down on the ground, and so while Ron was wheeled through the hospital on a gurney, I was also being wheeled through the hospital – shamefully sitting in a wheelchair. But, over time, the prescience of those rides is revealed in the parallel journeys of caregiver and patient. Ron and I are bound together in this crisis and yet our journeys through cancer are so utterly separate.

I’ve never tried harder at investigating anything – legal research, college searches, airline routes, hotel reviews – all my passion for looking anything – everything – up, distilled into trying to find a way to extend our time together. And then I’ve had to couple that focus with finding a framework that works for me – to sit with the fear, to learn to feel happy despite this sadness.

Having earned/gained/lucked into this time – well, we’re determined to live it large.

I’m grateful to Ron for trusting me, listening to my advice when it wasn’t the same advice coming from our doctors and nurses. I doubt there can be any stronger proof of Ron’s allegiance to me. It was scary for me to transit us around the world, and I’m certain it was scary for Ron to get on that plane at SeaTac.

It turns out, though, that the only health issue that we had was a blister on Ron’s foot, which caused travel complications of the most joyfully ordinary kind, involving band-aid purchases, squabbling about how to apply a band-aid, and Ron complaining about the blister.

Having taken the train from Edinburgh back to London for our flight, we finished off our trip with a night at the London Zoo:

Our night at the zoo offered our least luxurious lodgings, possibly ever, but the experience was perfect. Here’s our little cabin: (Note to Book Club: I am basically camping, I think)

The London Zoo has placed their 9 Zoo Lodges right into the landscape of the Land of the Lions –

Here’s Ron, heading down to our little blue cabin. The other 8 cabins were full of families and young children – all of whom were polite enough to not ask what we were doing there without any kids of our own:

The entire experience is so well-executed and done with such enthusiasm. We had 3 zookeepers with us – and all of our touring was done after zoo hours – so we were the only people in the entire zoo. The keepers would take us up to an animal enclosure and then bring the animals right up in front of us by tossing in really special treats. Here’s me – this morning – face to face with Bhanu, 14-years old:

We also got to go into the food preparation area. Each animal in the zoo has a feeding chart this specific:

I spent a lot of time with the penguins. This is the penguin habitat, built in 2011.

Prior to this, the Zoo used this Lubetkin Penguin Pool, from 1934. This old penguin pool is a Grade I (of exceptional special interest) structure – for its modernist architecture and early use of concrete. It remains a cool pool, but the penguins didn’t like it. Scientists discovered that the concrete was bad for the penguins’ feet – the concrete caused “bumblefoot”, a kind of arthritis from the concrete microabrasions.

Here’s the Lubetkin pool, when it was still in use:

The London Zoo has some really special exhibits. The one below has free-flying monkeys everywhere. Soon after that picture, we were chased by a loose monkey and you should all know that I abandoned Ron to the monkey and ran out of the exhibit house. My loyalty to him can only go so far.

I have a lot of zoo pictures, but I’ll just stop with this scarlet ibis. I’ve never seen one before. They hatch as pure black chicks and it takes them 2 years to turn this vibrant red:

Since I travel mostly for architecture, I’ll leave you with this last site from Edinburgh. These are the from Holyroodhouse Palace in Edinburgh. This first picture is the ruins of Holyrood Abbey – from 1128. The abbey is attached to Holyroodhouse Palace – although the palace was built in 1671

Here’s the whole palace, but you can’t see the abbey. It’s attached at the back of the left side:

And then here are a few pictures for the Ron fans. The first two are part of a continuing series of mine: Ron trying to use the tourist headsets at various sites of interest:

And then the old standard: Ron demanding yet another donut:

Emboldened by this trip and reminded of how much we love to travel, we have two more trips on the books this year: Scandinavia in August and Sicily in November. I’ll be back with you then!

21 thoughts on “Final UK post: the various journeys we take”

  1. Bravo Bravo Bravo!!! I am so proud and impressed with the courage you both had to plan this trip, and it was perfection personified! See you in Sicily!

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  2. I was in the process of replying to your post but got cut off somehow…so I’ll keep this short just in case it happens again. My husband, Don was diagnosed with Prostate cancer also last March. But was sent from his doctor to urologist to radiologist then full circle with many tests in between. So finally he is now being treated with hormone therapy because he’s too old for surgery. This treatment we felt, was an answer to our prayers. However, it has its fallback with severe headaches. So now he’s referred to neurologist. He had daily appointments last week for testing of full body nerves and will undergo more MRIs and PET Scan on Thursday. So your disclosing, all you two are going through, makes me feel, we’re not alone. My daily ritual is constantly looking for info and recipes Vegan/Vegetarian to help fight this Devil disease.. Thanks again and take care.

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    1. Rosemarie – Thanks for your note! I’m sorry to hear that your household has also been invaded by cancer. It turns everything upside-down, doesn’t it? The amount of hours spent at appointments and clinics…well, I’m glad I didn’t keep track – adding it up would be a terrible number.

      I wish you both well – he’s lucky he has you there. I can’t imagine doing cancer without an advocate, cooking, hanging out at long appointments…just a buddy to know you’re not alone, really.

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  6. Valerie, I know I have told you many times how funny you are and how much I enjoy your witty reports. But I also want you to know you write beautifully and can move me to tears. I’m so glad you took this trip, and I wish you and Ron many more trips together. With donuts of course!

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    1. Thanks for your nice note!!!! I’m always happy to hear from people reading my posts:)
      I am also so glad we took this trip – I never thought we’d get to see beautiful London together again. And I’m so glad I was wrong.

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      1. Just wanted to let you know who I am. I don’t know how Carroll changed to chm1423, but I have already demonstrated my lack of tech prowess so you can’t be surprised!

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      2. Thank you – now I recall that you’re from the Rick Steves’ community:) No worries about technology issues – it’s a wonder I am able to put blog posts up. I have very little skill!!!!

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  7. It is always so good hearing from you folks. We look forward to your travellogs and updates on Ron’s health.

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  8. I loved reading this post and so very happy you and Ron are still traveling! I am putting that zoo stay down for a future trip (with my young adult girls) to London!

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  9. Hi Valerie!

    Loved reading about your zoo experience here! Thank you so much for sharing as well over breakfast in Seattle! It was nice reconnecting witb you and I hope to see you more in the future as it has been too long. Talk to you soon, and tell Ron to save me a Krispy Kreme donut

    Mike Faber

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    1. I’m so glad we got to see the two of you! What a treat it was!! I doubt Ron will ever save you a donut or share a donut with you – it’s just a sad truth about his pastry selfishness. But meet up with us in Stockholm and we’ll buy you all the pastries you can eat!!!!!!!

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