At the End of a Road Trip, a Romantic Detour

In January 2021, Elizabeth Ives Solomon rolled into Naples, Fla., in a converted Toyota Sienna camper van. A thirst for adventure, along with international travel restrictions wrought by Covid-19, had inspired a monthslong road trip to explore the American West, and then, the shores of Florida.

Upon her arrival, Ms. Solomon, a writer and former radio journalist who lived in Washington D.C., decided to stay in Naples for a bit.

One of her first stops was to the Arthur L. Allen Tennis Center, putting advice from her mother into practice. “She always used to tell me it’s important to have a good tennis game because it’s a great way to meet people,” Ms. Solomon, 58, said.

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She quickly befriended a septuagenarian Austrian woman who agreed to be her playing partner. During their first game, Ms. Solomon became distracted.

“I noticed a really handsome guy walk onto the next court,” Ms. Solomon said, recalling the first time she set eyes on Gero Klaus Geilenbruegge. She overheard Mr. Geilenbruegge speaking in German to his tennis partner and asked her friend, who also spoke German, to make an introduction.

The foursome struck up a conversation (in English) and set a date the following week to all play tennis together. A rainstorm canceled those plans. But Ms. Solomon and Mr. Geilenbruegge met up anyway for a misty walk on a public beach. Under a shroud of gray clouds, they discovered they were both free spirits who a shared passion for travel and new experiences.