* about pat and lew
Pat and I retired in 2005, left Manhattan where we had lived for 15 years, and settled in Key West, FL.
Since we love to travel, we’ve created what we think is a unique mode of seeing the world. Two primary components of our plan are a small apartment in Collioure (an ancient fishing village in southern France), and extensive use of home exchanges, mostly in Europe.
When we tell our friends what we are doing, they seem almost as excited as we are, and they’ve encouraged us to write about our ongoing adventure. We report the problems as well as the thrills; the balance is way on the positive side.
pat …
Pat is a retired attorney and marathon runner. A graduate of Rutgers University and Rutgers Law School, her law practice included criminal defense and family law. Pat is still an active runner, which she supplements with yoga and, this year, tap dancing. She’s also a voracious reader and a political junkie.
lew …
Lew is a retired CEO, whose career spanned the private, public and not-for-profit sectors. Once, long ago, he ran for US Congress.
Lew is the author of The Heretic, a historical novel based on the persecution of secret Jews on the eve of the Spanish Inquisition, and A Good Conviction, the story of a young man imprisoned in Sing Sing for a murder he did not commit. He’s currently working on an as yet untitled sequel to The Heretic, set largely in the Renaissance Florence of Lorenzo de Medici, and a short novel titled Case Closed, the story of what really (might have) happened in the anthrax attacks of 2001.
Kerry said
You mentioned in your “live the dream” section that you had 7 children between you. I’m sure with role models such as the two of you they are truly fascinating in their own right
I’m wondering if others are curious about how your children feel about your retirement plans and what sort of challenges you face, if any, in living this lifestyle.
Déplacement heureux,
Kerry
Ben Woolf said
Dear Pat & Lew
I “discovred” your website after receiving a message from friends whom my Partner & I met some 10 years ago whilst making our first visit to Collioure. We immediatelt fell in love with Collioure and after some prompting from our friends Gemma & Kevin Otoole (they have a 2nd home there) we followed their advice to “GO FOR IT”.
We visit our small (originally a “fishermans cottage c. 1600 or earlier” situated on the square where most of the “action” occurs, facing nthe Office de Tourism and a few steps from beach, Copacabana Restaurant and especially the “sound of music” when the bands & buskers are entertaining the visitors from the “stage” opposite our tiny balcony.
We try to visit a few times annually, other home & family matters permitting, are glad to get away from overcrowded London to unwind.
We are both well into retirement, I was an electrical/mechanical/telecomms Engineer (pre-computer age!) and my partner Pixie is an Artist (Fine Arts University Degree, she is modest about that, so Collioure has a lot to offer !
We would love to meet you both, we plan to be in Collioure from end August (28th) to 17 Sept 2008. An email exchange would establish addresses and phone contact numbers, look forward to meeting !
p.s. I guess we have some”common ground” with our respective ancestors and origins and await our further contact with great interest.
best regards
Ben & Pixie
howard weinzimmer and marla hawes said
PAt and Lew – it was wonderful sharing dinner with you tonight in Limoges.
My email address is above and Marla can be reached at marlamh@alo.com
See from your blog that you were Taormina. Marla and I spent a week there 2 years ago and loved it. We did the late afternoon trip up Mt. Etna and saw the sunset from the top – absolutely spectacular.
Look forward to communicating regularly.
Best
Howard and Marla
Kathy Goonan said
Hi Lew
Don’t know if my previous message went through–I entered my street rather than email address.
Looks like you’ve put together a marvelous travel life.
I just ordered THE HERETIC and I look forward to reading it.
Did you ever get the email list togther? Thanks for doing that.
Best,
Kathy