Millennial Aitken long enjoyed talking to his grandparents and found, in general, older people more interesting than his peers. What better way to enjoy the company of "elders" than to take a series of bus trips in their company? Aitken travels north to Scarborough in his native England; he admires the chattiness and general happiness of his bus mates. His girlfriend accompanies him on a trip to Cornwall, and their fellow travelers assume the two want to be left alone, which they don't. His grandma (his "nan") goes to Wales with him, where she becomes expert at sleuthing out the latest gossip from fellow travelers. On later trips, Aitken goes solo to Ireland, Italy, and Scotland. While he describes sights, his companions are the real joy of travel for Aitken. Readers will enjoy the delightful footnotes liberally sprinkled throughout each chapter, and the chapter titles themselves (e.g., "It's Judy bloody Garland") are literary gems. Armchair travelers and Anglophiles will enjoy the resigned-yet-hopeful, stoic-yet-droll way of the English and tuck into this diverting read.

Aitken (A Chip Shop in Poznan: My Unlikely Years in Poland) is a 32-year-old Englishman who hopped a bus and took several tours with a motor coach company catering to retirees. He was accompanied on one of the trips by his girlfriend, one with his grandmother, and took several by himself. He is a person who obviously enjoys the company of others, and his lively memoir reveals more about his fellow passengers than the destinations, which included visits to Scarborough, Cornwall, Wales, Ireland, Scotland, and Lake Como. Sometimes he ate alone, sometimes with his fellow travelers, and always had a good time. Playing bingo, eating bacon rolls, drinking tea, and buying expensive snacks at a Swiss gas station were all part of his adventure. He makes no deep philosophical musings about the seniors on the tours, but enjoys their stories and varied backgrounds. Aitken is a fan of cross-generational encounters, and if you enjoy "haggis on a jacket," you will be too. VERDICT For readers who delight in witty accounts of travel with an Anglophile flair, this is a hilarious guide to the road in the company of retirees.--Susan Belsky, Oshkosh P.L., WI