I am 95now，and when my wife was alive I’d always wanted to travel.But she had chronicarthritis （慢性关节炎）and ostoporosis （骨质疏松），so we were a little tied down.Ten years ago he passed away and I was vegetating （懒散地生活）a bit at home in Quensand，so I set __1__around Australia in my Car---I packed the budgie （虎皮鹦鹉）in there，too.She was a beautiful little thing and used to sit on my shoulder singing，but she held me back __2__going overseas.
After she died and I was left alone，1decided to head off -first to Gallipoli，__3__by a 10-day overground trip on one of those cheap backpacker buses around Europe.We went to Romania and Hungary and on to Vienna.The upper age limit for the backpacker bus was 45-my travel agent had to knock 40years __4__to sneak me in.I got so much more respect and kindness in Europe than I get at home __5__I wanted to go back，so I decided to start with Vienna on a two-month round-the-world trip in 2006，when I was 89.I traveled through Paris and Berlin before deciding that I wanted to see Warsaw，and after that I __6__on a train to Dresden and then Prague.I made it all the way to London before flying over to Canada to __7__down the west coast of America，where I have friends.
I’ve __8__been on one of those city open-top bus sightseeing tours because they’ve got set route，and I like to do things independently when I can.Until I got cataracts （白内障）I __9__to walk 20km a day around a city.You see some wonderful things，walking the backstreets.
I don’t have a credit card and I’ve only just been given my first cell phone，but I still don’t know how to use it.I’m far better __10__without them.There’s always somebody willing to __11__you a hand.Once，I wanted to see the running of the bulls in Spain and I hadn’t found __12__to sleep，so the lady whose hostel in Madrid 1always stay in found an old Spanish woman who took me __13__at the last minute.That’s the sort of kindness and hospitality __14__I’ve found from strangers in Europe.The lady in Madrid always leaves me a note on my last day at her hostel：“See you next time Keith，love and kisses."
Another year，I took a bus from Paris down to Bordeaux to get some red wine for a friend in Melbourne.I __15__into the driver later in a restaurant and told him I’d bought some wine from a bottle shop.He said it would be rubbish ---and it was!The next night，going back to Paris，he came over and gave me a EU35bottle of Saint Amour.During my trips，the young ones traveling about have always __16__me into their groups.I put my medals on for Anzac Day when I went to Gallipoli，and they went gaga.They all wrote down a testimonial to me，one of them three pages，and some of the comments were really beautiful.
I’ve stayed in __17__with the ones living here in Queensland.I’ve found out we’ve got a lot of good young people；forget about the kids you hear about who’re wandering around graffitiing and carrying knives -they’re a very small __18__.
I think companies for young backpackers are beginning to find out that old bums keep cold seats warm.I’ll keep on going as long as I can-I’m hoping that I can get a minder to come __19__with me when I turn 100in five years.But my wife would have __20__to have been seeing the world the way I do now.

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