If these walls could talk.... Photo by your wandering travel4seniors.com editor. There were two rival Popes in Rome in 1309, so Pope Clement V decided to flee to this French city and build this imposing fortress. When the Catholic Church was united again under Pope Gregory IX, it returned to Rome in 1377, and has been there at the Vatican ever since.

Air travel can be very stressful, and made more so by today’s ever-increasing costs, crowds, delays, weather cancellations and security hassles. Also flipped-out unruly fellow flyers. Recent news reported in-air antics of two wealthy passengers, each causing considerable trouble during flights.

One was a spoiled Middle Eastern princess and the other an out-of-control scoin of a big hotel dynasty. Because of the severity of their threats and disturbances, both may face prison terms.

So, what can a not-too-agile senior do when this happens in the next seat or nearby during a flight? A simple rule should help you get through the ordeal.

When a nearby passenger starts shouting in anger, unless there’s actual physical danger to you, don’t argue nor attempt to pacify the person. The noise should quickly attract an attendant, who is trained to deal with the disruption.

If you believe you’ll be attacked personally, unless trapped in your seat, get up and away as quickly as possible. If you’re incapable of defending yourself due to age or other disadvantage, don’t just sit there. Loudly let the flight attendant know, as well as everyone else nearby, you fear for your safety.

First scan the internet and check with your travel agent for special cruise prices, including last-minute deals. Once aboard, you don’t have to scrimp, but there are many ways to save.

Upscale Dining: It costs $50 per person or more to have a posh dinner in special on-board restaurants. Instead, eat in the regular dining rooms and buffets. The food is just as good without a private waiter hanging over you.

Drink Free: Although cruises are advertised as all-inclusive, many drinks are extra, including booze and sodas. Coffee, tea and lemonade are usually free at meals and elsewhere aboard. Also, at a sales pitch art sale, if you can sit through it, you may get a free glass of champagne.

For senior fans of science fiction, this is no surprise. It was just a matter of time when bots take over many human jobs, including hotel services. Last year, evil-looking android male clerks became part of the new Harry Potter hotel exhibit in Florida’s Universal Theme Park.

They look real, but other than automatic moves, don’t actually do anything. Now, it’s happening at another theme park, the Huis Ten Bosch in Tokyo, at its new Henn-na Hotel. Here the robotic clerks are amazingly and anatomically real, and they actually check in arriving guests.

They resemble pretty young smiling women, giving and taking info. This situation requires a stern message for senior guy travelers to Tokyo: No matter how lifelike they seem, you can’t take one up to your hotel room with you.

www.japantimes.co.jp/.../28/...park-get-hotel-staffed-robots