Cyclades Islands in Greece

Oia Shopping

Fira

Our Hike from Oia to Fira

Our Mode Between Islands

Sock It to Me

By Jay

This came to me in the middle of the night, while I was playing back the events of yesterday. It was one of those crummy days of mixed weather where we abandoned our visit to the beach and took the bus to the old town to wander around the port, have a Cappuccino and watch the world go by. The “crummy” turned into a light rain and we decided to cut short our shopping and wanderings and hustled back up to the bus station just in time to catch the hourly schedule. There is a small kiosk right there and I decided it would be a good time to break a twenty Euro note. You can pay on the bus but they really want exact change, certainly not happy to make change for a large bill. Now the fare is € 1.80 per and Jain is standing about fifty feet away at the open door to the bus, giving me that, “hurry up” look as the bus is leaving in six minutes. 

Now here is the catch…

In our book, “Your Passport to Independent Travel” we devote an entire chapter on methods locals use to separate tourists from their money and you would probably think that after traveling for over a million air miles, in forty years and visiting ninety plus countries that I would be immune to a common scam. I’m laughing now! Thinking about how many times must we learn by doing the same dumb things. This is almost an exact replay of an experience I had in Sicily not too long ago.

Follow me closely here….

The vendor is sitting in this little booth having a casual conversation with another local man leaning to the side of the window and there is room enough for me to approach the window. This situation screams, “Pick Pocket Alert” in spades, but I am wise to the world and have already removed my Twenty Euro note from my purse which is in my hidden zipped pocket and I hand it to the man in the booth, “Two for Ornos Beach, please”, I say. He peels off two tickets and puts my twenty in the drawer, counts out a Ten Euro note, three Two Euro coins and shows me a Fifty Euro Cents coin and asks, “Do you have a Ten Cents?” He owes me Sixteen Forty… “Of course”, says I, and quickly show the whole world where my money is by withdrawing my purse and spilling a hand full of coins into my other hand. Now both of my hands are occupied (are you getting the picture?). 

The vendor is holding my tickets and change in his right hand and with his left index finger is sorting through the coins in my hand, discovers that I have plenty of change for the fare and says, “Oh, let’s do it this way” and extracts three One Euro coins and three Twenty cent coins, the exact amount of € 3.60 for the two tickets. He hands me the two tickets and the Ten Euro note and I hustle off to board the bus just in time.

I think I will go back there today, give him a wink, shake his hand and say, “Well done”.

When I Grow Old

By Jain

When I grow old
I want to remember
The places I have been,
Not the places I didn't go.

When I grow old
I want to remember
The good times,
Not the bad.

When I grow old
I want to remember
Friends and loved ones that added joy to my life,
Not the people that didn't.

When I grow old
I want to be happy with my life
And not wish I was young again.

When I grow old …

Sent from my Galaxy Tab® S2

Travelers vs. Other modes

By Jay

Traveling independently certainly has its rewards and challenges. I thought I would take a shot at sharing some observations from our recent adventures in Europe. Traveling to, from and within the continent has its own set of issues which I will defer to another time and just talk about accommodations, foraging for food, maintaining our health and budget. 

Rewards

You know you have the right traveling companion when you can share the same space for a month or more. As I write this, we have not been more than fifty yards apart for seventeen days, 24/7. This is much more togetherness than we have at home.

We are sharing the sights, sounds and flavors that are quite different than we are used to. We have our tense moments but we move on and meet the challenges in a spirit of adventure and discovery. Most of the time she is right, of course….

We find interacting with shop owners and locals and watching them go about their daily activities most rewarding. Greeks are notably very expressive and close to family. In spite of what we see on television about demonstrations over the monetary and refugee crisis, we have not encountered any anger or hostilities. It is common to see small and large groups in discussion, all talking at once and no one seems to mind. Somehow, with all of the animation and gesticulations they are having meaningful conversations. We know when people are having an agreeable conversation when the discussion is peppered with "Nai," which means "Yes, I am agreeing with you."

I guess we also find interacting with other people amusing. I will put them in three categories: Tourists, Travelers (like us) and Trouble. Tourists are the most entertaining and frustrating and I won't go into a lot of detail. Tourists and Trouble are to be avoided. We do meet like-minded travelers who share our values about respecting local culture and customs without making a lot of noise, complaining, being demanding and leaving trash. Nuff said about that…

One of the benefits we derive from staying in one place for awhile is getting to know a few locals and they soon distinguish us from the other two types.

Accommodations

Jain does a lot of online research in finding accommodations that meet certain criteria and negotiating the reservations. Considering the length of time we plan to be here, budget is a major factor so we have focused on apartments with cooking and laundry facilities as opposed to B&B's or hotels. We will, of course, splurge occasionally in some locations, particularly when we are in travel mode and have to catch an early transportation link between destinations. Not every apartment, in fact few, meet our entire list of qualifications but most are close. Our "list" is simple:

1. Morning sunshine / view
2. Not too hard beds
3. Hot water
4. Ensuite shower or tub
5. Electric kettle for morning coffee
6. A/C and heat
7. Internet access
8. Stove top (sometimes called a "hob")
9. Oven or microwave
10. Fridge
11. Walking distance to transportation and food market
12. Washing machine, if we will spend a week or more
13. Beach / pool
14. € 60 per night

Most notable disappointments include:

1. Hard beds, some so bad we have to improvise with what ever is on hand. Jain has been known to go out and borrow poolside cushions.
2. Inadequate "hot" water and/or weak water pressure and flow
3. Wi-Fi limited to public areas, not in room
4. Mismatched or missing utensils and cooking tools
5. Lack of kitchen staples, such as spices and cooking oil
6. Undecipherable directions and labels on appliances. Some are in foreign language or symbols and some are just worn off.
7. Patio furniture, uncomfortable or broken.
8. Lack of an in-room safe
9. Smoking odors and mold

Jain's "Staging" experience and skills are often put to good use, rearranging furniture, artwork, adding color and softness with flowers, hiding all of the offending things like ash trays and hookah pipes. Usually we spend a day or two deep cleaning the apartment and we always leave it in better condition than we found it. One landlord even had a professional photographer come in and update her Internet Web site and ads.

Technology 

This area can be an issue if not anticipated. Wi-Fi may be first on our list, but electrical service and outlets are sometimes inadequate or inconvenient as we like to have our phones, camera and tablets all charged up and, of course, there are the hair tools to consider. We love the ubiquitous "kettle" which heats water to boiling in a flash, driven by the 220 volt current. All of our charging devices are dual voltage, multi-cycle, so we only have to equip ourselves with the appropriate adapters.

In the technology department we must comment on the plumbing. Invention follows need and form follows function, or something like that… we have seen so many variations of ways to flush a toilet or get hot water; pull, push, twist…

Culture and Communications

Keeping abreast of weather, currency values and world news can be done pretty well on the internet, but television adds another level of access and we find the local language stations a little hard to follow. We are finding CNN and BBC in a lot of areas. BBC helps us see how America is viewed in other countries more so than CNN. Nuff said about that.

One notable thing about conversing with a local is the important greeting. When you get on a bus, enter a shop or when a waiter approaches your table you establish a relationship before blurring out, "Oh, Hi. I would like a hamburger and fries…". In a shop, it is very "tourist" to say, "Just looking". We learned in Asia, that shop owners are very superstitious about customer interactions; definitely something to consider when traveling.

Foraging for food

Grocery shopping is a hoot especially deciphering labels. Sorting through the meat market can be fun, but study your kilograms before ordering and beef is expensive and not always available. A 4€ bottle of local wine is quite good, Greek beer and (surprisingly) Corona is cheap. Premium beers and regular liquor are expensive.

We find "Super Markets", about the size of 7-11 are quite common; two or three within walking distance generally meet our needs. Shopping becomes a daily chore because we have to carry the goods and there is always a large bottle or two of water.

Check-out is pretty simple. Payment with a "Chip and Sign" or "Chip and Pin" credit card are the best way to pay where accepted. These purchases will record the amount in local currency and your bank will make the conversion and be sure to carry your receipt out the door. Authorities are on the lookout for merchants that are evading taxes by not registering sales. You can become an unwitting party to this if caught without your receipt. This is true in restaurants and all other transactions.

Eating out

We naturally try to manage our budget by preparing our own meals, but an occasional night out or lunch is part of the experience, to enjoy local dishes. One of our favorite things is to have a Cappuccino at a waterfront or street side café and watch the traffic and people. Beverages are almost always accompanied by a small snack, gratis.

To be continued…

Sent from my Galaxy Tab® S2

Blue and White

By Jay

Most buildings on Greek islands are painted a brilliant white with a rich blue trim, complementing the country's flag, the whiteness of clouds and blue essence of sky and water. On a bright day the white can be a little hard on the eyes but round corners and archways soften the architecture and the buildings blend well with the steep terrain.

Many buildings of diverse use and ownership, angles and elevations make for interesting, photogenic views. In older sections of towns the streets and walkways meander back and forth across the landscape in confusing patterns and it can be difficult to get directions from locals and they will often just choose to walk or drive you to your destination. A good compass and sense of humility are good tools for finding your way.

Easter in Greece

By Jain

Paros Greece Saturday April 30th
By Jain

We arrived in Paros after a 3 hour ferry ride from Santorini. The town is buzzing because it is Easter here. Lucky us we get two Easters this year. Greece celebrates its Easter according to the Julian calendar rather than the Gregorian calendar as we do in the Western world. Easter here is the biggest holiday of the year and overshadows Christmas by a long shot. It has nothing to do with  easter bunnies, easter egg hunts, hollow chocolate rabbits or candy filled plastic eggs. Instead this religious holiday centers around lamb roasted on a spit, wine and family. Oh yeah and making the traditional treats like Easter cookies and Magiritual soup. For you lamb lovers that is soup made from lamb innards, egg, and lemon. Since I don't care for lamb that much I doubt if I would like the soup. (Saved by the bell).

So let's see Friday April 29th was Good Friday; today Saturday April 30th is called Easter Saturday; Sunday May 1st is Easter Sunday; Monday, May 2nd is Easter Monday referred to as Bright Monday (also known by our family and friends as our 38th wedding anniversary); and Tuesday May 3rd will be Labor Day and May Day. Come to Greece if you want a good time if you like holidays and of course like lamb.

We are staying at Joseph Apartments in Parikia, Paros. It has a kitchen, living room, bedroom, and bathroom. It is nice, clean and basic and for $40.00 a day can't be beat. It also has the standard Greek bed as hard as a rock. I am sure if you slept on the floor  you could not feel a difference. It is pure torture. Over the years traveling so much I have encountered beds that were equally miserable. I usually find creative ways to make them bearable; padding them with extra blankets, pillows or towels, borrowing pool lounge cushions, flipping the mattress, or using a blow up rubber pool matress. Here was easy, I slept on the futon in the living room... problem solved.

This morning, Easter Saturday, our landlord delivered us traditional Easter homemade cookies, and two hard boiled eggs dyed red. She explained the tradition of rapping the end of your egg against a friend's egg to see which egg cracks first.The one whose egg cracks first loses and ensures the winner will have good luck for the next year. She also invited us to join the rest of the town in the main square at 12 midnight for candle lighting complete with fireworks, drums, singing and church bells.

Today we took a long walk around town trying to find where we attended the Nose, Flipper and Hat party at a local seaside tavern 30 years ago. We never found it but did find the pensione we stayed in and also the fountain where I hid a present for Jay on my compass scavenge hunt I planned for him back then. On our walk it was fun to see the locals preparing for upcoming festivities including preparing their lamb spit in their yard.

I like Paros. I don't especially like holidays; everything usually is closed. Here everything seems to be buzzing at least for today.  Shops are open for business and almost all the restaurants are working like crazy preparing for their 5 course Easter meal complete with lamb,and that yummy lamb soup.

Opah!!!

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Paros Poppies

On PAROS

By Jay

Passport Renewed

I just received my renewed passport and putting the old one away reminds me of all the great destinations recorded there. 130+ stamps and many Visas make for great memories.
I'll be curious to see how the TSA agent reacts to this new one.

Home is where the heart is

I think that is how the saying goes. At any rate, it's also a good place to do laundry, download the pictures, open the mail, check to see that all bills are paid and re-stock the refrigerator.

All in preparation for the next trip...

Approaching home

After 14 hours of travel we decide to spend the night at the Peppermill in Reno, rest up and make the final forty miles in the morning. By coincidence there is a fire conference here at the hotel and I was able to slip through the gate keeper in the exhibits area and look for friends. I'm reminded of my age when out of three hundred+ folks attending, I can't find one. Life goes on,

Homeward Bound

So we made the 5:15 and now sitting out a three hour layover in the Delta lounge at JFK and reminded how much we dislike this part of travel. It's bad enough sitting in an airplane but at least it is moving in the desired direction. 

It's All About the Miles

We presently have more than a dozen future flights booked with Delta and we frequently check our bookings for schedule changes. One of our trips is coming home from Quebec by way of New York (JFK) and Salt Lake City (SLC). We made this booking when we bought the train tickets across Canada from Vancouver, B.C. back in November. We paid for the flight with accrued miles plus a few hundred dollars in taxes and fees.

 

Wouldn't you know, the little regional airline company (Delta Code-Share) that takes us to JFK changed their schedule to a 5:15 a.m. departure from Quebec. Delta took it on themselves to change our itinerary to earlier flights from JFK and SLC which we would normally applaud, BUT, the seats we had on the original flights were premium "Comfort+" and we got really bad seat assignments on the revised schedule. Now JFK to Salt Lake is over 5 hours and in seats that don't recline would be torturous. O.K., so our Platinum Elite Plus status with Delta has made us a little spoiled.

 

Hey, we're still learning… Four phone calls to Delta's Premium Sales line and exploring half a dozen alternatives taught us a few things:

 

1.     Purchasing a flight with miles is a non-revenue flight and puts us at the bottom of the pecking order in terms of complimentary upgrades.

2.     We can't use the upgrade certificates in our account on non-rev flights.

3.     We can't revert to our original bookings from JFK to Reno (which would mean a 7 hour layover at JFK) because everything on the later flights are sold out.

 

Somewhere in the discussions and looking for alternative routings using the "Flexible Dates" feature on Delta.com revealed a First Class fare on the day before our original departure of under $600 USD; what a steal! All three legs of the trip in the forward cabin? Hey, I can go for it. First Class fares from the East Coast are usually over $1,500 and then some.

 

So a fifth call to Premium Sales and we learned a couple more things:

 

1.     Talking to a real person can get you what you want if you ask the right questions

2.     The 25,000 miles we paid for the original itinerary goes immediately back into our account

3.     The taxes and fees are refunded, so the cost of the new First Class ticket is under $500 net.

 

We still love Delta…

 

Sent from Mail for Windows 10

 

World Plugs by Country

http://www.iec.ch/worldplugs/list_bylocation.htm

Elephants

This goes to show that you can't fool mother nature.

Click Here

 https://youtu.be/NdTII_unZSA

Sent from Mail for Windows 10

B & B's

B & B’s

The Evolution of Travel

Introduction

A good story should always start with ”in the day”, don't you think?

At least it helps me to recapture images and experiences and in forty+ years of travel we have certainly seen changes in travelers and accommodations. Travelers these days have larger expectations and I believe accommodations have changed to meet them. Technology has played a big part in making information available and assist in planning, getting where you want to go, when. Travel has become more accessible to more people,  modes of transport have become able to accommodate more people with a broader appetite for comfort and travel appeals to more people than “in the day”.

In the day, we would book a flight to Europe and accommodations for the first night at or near our destination and “wing it” from there. We knew where we wanted to go and experience but there was little competition for places to sleep. “Zimmers” in Germany and B&B’s elsewhere were simply rooms in private homes that could be negotiated for one or two nights; included a shared toilet down the hall, a hot water bottle or extra blanket and breakfast with the family and family pets. We occasionally had the pleasure of a family pet sleeping at the foot of our bed.

The owner’s expected that guests would go out and about during the day or move on to their next destination. They would often ask about our plans for the day and help us make arrangements for our next stop.
(to be continued...)

The Outdoor Cafe

The Outdoor Cafe

By Jay

We find ourselves wondering what it is that draws us to foreign countries, wanting to leave the familiarity of the good old U.S. and our friends and family. It certainly can't be difficult languages and currencies, confusing transportation systems or unfamiliar food. It must be something that is uniquely enjoyable and difficult to find at home. One of these things might be the outdoor or sidewalk cafe.

The outdoor cafe is an institution in many countries we visit; one of the most intriguing things that we love and look for in our travels. These places are fun to be in and to watch. People gather here in a relaxed mood or engaged with others. Coffee, Cappuccino, Wine; with snacks or cheese or other accompaniments attract the pallet, people make up the rest of the experience. It is a small price of admission to a live theatre.

Most outdoor cafes would have a difficult time with the strict regulations imposed on eating and drinking establishments and traffic standards in the U.S. It is quite common here to be seated curbside with cars and motorbikes whizzing by your elbow. In many cases a restaurant or cafe will have tables that are on opposite sides of the street with waiters negotiating the traffic carrying trays of drinks and food. Adjacent establishments will often distinguish their territory with different colored chairs, tables and umbrellas. Most will have a chalked menu on a sandwich board or attached to a post or wall. In some heavy tourist area they may have menu displays in multiple languages. This is rare in France but we do see menus with pictures occasionally. It pays to have a modicum of understanding of a country's customs and preferences when ordering food or drink. What you read or interpret on a sign or menu may or may not be even close to your actual experience and the more close that the item matches a literal meaning in the U.S. is cause to be especially careful. We had a most unpleasant "Cheeseburger" in Paris on our last visit there. It was more like Steak tartare smothered with a gooey harsh cheese and mayo...served cold. French fries, in almost any country will come close to a familiar texture, shape and flavor, but don't count on it. We have had some pretty ugly imitations.

One thing that we notice in Europe, France in particular, are the number of people smoking. This can be a distraction (along with the dog poop) especially when people are smoking at an adjacent table. It is particularly disturbing to see the young people smoking and imagining their future health problems.

Relaxing in an outdoor cafe may be the penultimate form of voyeurism. We hear quiet, thoughtful conversations and because we do not understand the language we can only speculate as to the relationship between the couples or group of people we see sharing a table. In France it seems to be O.K. for public displays of affection; not so in many other countries. Viva la France!

We sometimes see very animated discussions and by the tone and expressions it is difficult to determine if there is anguish, conflict or something else going on between the participants. They, at least,  take their time about it; in fact people in France seem to relish free time and you can read much about the workforce in France and their propensity for long periods of non-work. Another "Viva la france!"

Cancun Here We Come

We are on our way to Cancun. Yes, that's right we only just got home a week ago... but hey we needed a break. Not really, but when we discovered we had a $2,400 credit for Delta airlines that was only good until mid-August (the literal interpretation we discovered is that we had to travel not just book by this time). Looking at our schedules and with a trip planned to Boston in July and upcoming dental appointments left us with little wiggle room...so it's go, go, go for us.

What was interesting when deciding where to go, turned out to be somewhat a chore (Really, we need to get a grip and give thanks). We spent close to an hour pondering spots to go. New Orleans... no just there, Quebec... too many plane changes, Montana too close, Hawaii.... just been there. Okay maybe Mexico. We have been to numerous places in Mexico but never to Cancun. That fact and the direct flight from Salt Lake made it a winner; besides the US State Department says Cancun is not under a travel advisory like most of Mexico (Meaning there has been fewer kidnappings, rapes and murders than other parts of the country). It is a well known fact the police have lost control, but what else is new. Unfortunately we have found out although Cancun's weather is nice and warm, they are also predicting thunderstorms and some rain, maybe a hurricane here or there. Oh well, so much for continuing to work on that tan. Cancun here we come, rain or shine.

We are traveling first class again because we had bucks to buy a first class ticket. It strikes me how much of a snob I really am. When I fly first class and Delta airlines runs out of champagne I am annoyed. I am annoyed when the raviolis are not quite to my liking, and the chocolate Sea Salt brownie tastes like something from packaged goods in a 7-11 store (I think they may be "Little Debbies" brand) but what is most irritating is the economy class passengers using our first class restroom (Now I know why the first class passengers are given real knives.) I comment to Jay, "Why can't those whoville people use their own restroom?" He replies, "Like we do when we are in economy class?" I reply, "That's different."

We are unfortunate to be flying with about 20 members of the "Shultz" family. We know this because they are all wearing "Shultz Family 2015 Reunion" light blue tee shirts.  That combined with the fact 19 young and old Shultz's have paraded to the first class bathroom. They are a happy lot, probably because they are taking a trip of their lifetime and probably because Grandpa Shultz is paying for it.  

Mexico ranks way up there with China, India and Egypt as a country having the most irritating touts.  On our visit to Cabo San Lucas a couple of years ago you had to literally fight your way through the airport amongst those who want you to buy a timeshares, stay in a vacation resorts, or sign up for leisure activities. In addition, there are dozens and dozens of taxi and transfer drivers waiting and wanting to transport you to your hotel. If given half a chance they will grab your bag and wisp you off with a big smile on their face.

We have learned it is worth paying the extra money to have our hotel have a driver waiting for us with a placard with our name on it. We have also learned other touts given the opportunity will copy your name they see on those placards and pretend they are your real driver. Thus the hotel will give you secret clues so you get the right driver. They will describe to you how the official driver is dressed and the particular location he will be standing. Of course the driver will only flash your name periodically, so other touts cannot copy it. It is actually like a secret agent mission. Now was it the guy in the khaki pants and blue shirt or the guy in blue pants and khaki shirt? I forget and don't have a clue. Maybe we were supposed to meet Professor Plum in the library holding a candlestick. But not to worry, we usually find our driver and pray we are not taken to a dark alley.  Of course if you are one of the Shultz family they will not be accosted by any of the touts, because doing so would mean putting up with the whole “fam-damily” and touts know it's not worth their trouble.

It is only a week since we have been home but I am happy to be travelling again. I look forward to our week in Cancun, and can only hope the Shultz family will not be staying at our hotel.  We are staying in a large resort thank God it is not an all- inclusive where you are served leftovers day and night, and you have to fight the crowds at the bar for watered down "well" drinks.  The Grand Fiesta Resort is large, meaning there will be a lot of tourists… meaning there is probably a lot more to write about since I am such a people loving person. LOL... To be continued.

Air Travel by Jay

Perhaps I am putting too much negative spin on traveling by air, but flying to a distant place is only fun when the aircraft is doing what it is designed to do, "flying". Airport time is the least enjoyable aspect of travel and the most tiring.

There is a lot of dread associated with traveling to a foreign country, especially one with a significantly different culture such as Vietnam. We worry in all of our trips about missed connections,  diverted or delayed flights, fellow travelers with bad behavior (we've seen our share of this), long layovers, other disappointments that come up in every travel experience. We have learned from our extensive travel experience to "go with it" and "adjust" to the circumstances. The unique challenges that come up can be anticipated and managed thorough research, study and preparations and it is very evident when we have missed an important point. It can also be quite frustrating to watch the unprepared and inexperienced traveler finding their way through the embarkation and disembarkation process, particularly when they are so oblivious to the two to three hundred people that are waiting in line behind them.

We had an oft-repeated experience on this trip that was truly frustrating in the extreme. When the "pre-boarding" announcement was made we watched in horror as the queue formed and "excuses" for pre-boarding jammed up the system while we waited in the "Sky Priority" line and watched a good one hundred people board, or I should say, fill the jet way and aisles. I don't mean to be insensitive but on another trip we watched a guy pull a sling out of his attaché, put his arm in it and board with impunity.

The other boarding frustration that we witness too frequently is the patent disregard for number, configuration and size of "carry-on" luggage. We watch people trying to jam oversized luggage in the overhead bin, much to the detriment of other people trying to get to their seats and there is always one person that decides this would be a good time to extract something from the suitcase while further delaying the boarding.

Retired For Good

I occasionally hear speculation from friends and relatives that I might not be “Retired for Good” as my Facebook page announces. Therefore a little self-examination and research are in order. Using the Google search engine I found the following definitions of “Retired”

“Having left one's job and ceased to work.”

“Retirement is the point where a person stops employment completely.”

“Not working anymore.”

While it is true that I have not received a “pay check” in the previous three years, I haven’t given up “thinking” and certain “projects” that come to my attention intrigue me to the point that I might be lured into some activity that resembles work. I am not seeking employment.

Further study on the subject revealed these definitions:

“Having ended one’s working or professional career.”

“Withdrawn from or no longer occupied with one's business or profession.”

Does “thinking” negate the concept of retirement? Does one have to give up thinking to be “Retired for Good”? Are there activities that benefit from one’s former training and experience that are worthy of pursuit? Am I relegated to limiting my decisions to “Paper or Plastic?” at the grocery store?

Still pondering. In the meantime, we will continue exploring the world, visiting different cultures, enjoying the sights, people, food and transportation and looking for fire stations.