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Puerto Vallarta
I arrived! After unorganized lineups to get out of customs, there is a huge area inside the airport lined with time share salespeople. I was curious to know what they would offer, but I ran the gauntlet with my head down and came out untouched. At the airport exit, I made a hard left, taking me over a pedestrian bridge to the other side of the road. Here I knew I would be able to get a taxi or uber for about half the price you would pay for the taxis lined up outside the airport. I ended up in a taxi for 200 pesos to my downtown hotel ($13),…
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Flight to Puerto Vallarta
Flight day My flight day came and no cancellation! (Earlier this winter, flights had been cancelled or combined often). I set off for the airport 2 hours ahead, and had plenty of time. There was a very long line of people checking in, which I was able to skip since I didn’t have a bag to check, so I thought there would be a full plane. But I would say it was only about a third full! Why aren’t more people travelling? The last Canadian government advisory to avoid international travel was put into place last fall, to stop the spread of the omicron variant. That obviously did not work.…
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Mexico and covid January 2022
Why travel now? Well, here were are in a 5th wave of covid. The omicron variant is rampant, weather has been brutally cold, and Regina feels like it’s in lockdown. The government of Canada officially advises to avoid non-essential travel internationally. This was done due to the risk of the omicron variant entering the country. Well, that didn’t work, so I take that advisory with a grain of salt. We are not in any lockdown though, unlike all the other provinces right now. There are some serious restrictions across Canada in place, but they are not stopping omicron anyway, so in Saskatchewan are trying the opposite. We are only watching…
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Around Venice
Murano and Burano The next day we used the vaporetto (water bus, 20 euros for 24 hours) to go outside Venice’s historic center and go to the island of Murano. Murano is famous for glass blowing, a centuries old art form with artisans molding glass heated in furnaces. I carried on by vaporetto to the island of Burano, famous for its lace-making and its colorful buildings. Back in Venice The vaporetto took me back to San Marco square. Back in Venice’s center, I found a nice outdoor restaurant in a square, and had a seafood appetizer with white wine and impeccable service. Others in the group had asked me to…
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Venice
Getting to Venice From Como we took the train back to Milan. Even the dogs were fashionable there. We then took a fast train from Milan to Venice or Venezia in Italian. The fast trains here reach up to 300 km/hr. Covid testing Our train’s arrival time was 2:15 and it was a couple of minutes late. I needed to get a covid test at a walk-in clinic that was a 15 minute walk from the train station. That wouldn’t be a big deal but the clinic closed at 3:00. I would be out of luck If there was a lineup and I would have to make my way to…
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Lake Como
Milan From La Spezia, we went on by train to Milan. While on board, a pair of Polizia boarded twice, asking for passports. I was sitting with my travel friend Kiran, a young Indian/Canadian guy. The Polizia seemed to be targeting a guy sitting across from us, maybe they thought he was an illegal immigrant? To make it not look like they were picking on him, they also picked on us to do passport checks. They seemed shocked that we were travelling together so we may have been added to their list. Kiran thought we should have told them he was my sugar baby to see what they thought about…
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Cinque Terre
It’s a bright, sunny day, and we are on our way to Cinque Terre! Last night we were not so sure. First of all, one of the hikes between towns that our tour leader had planned for us is now closed due to heavy rains a couple of days ago. (Tip: Some trails are still closed from a major landslide a few years ago, and things change all the time – always check current status on http://www.parconazionale5terre.it). And if that wasn’t enough, railway workers gave notice of an impending strike. This could affect the trains we planned to take to the villages and in between them. Today only. But, they…
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On the way to Cinque Terre
Pisa On the way to our next stay, we spent a few hours in Pisa to of course check out the famous Leaning Tower of Pisa. Construction on the tower started in the 12th century. I climbed to the top of this tower the last time I was here many years ago. I remember the worn slippery steps to get to the top. Before the current trip, I checked back to my (film!) pics from last time and found this one I took of a friend at the top of the tower. Shortly after I climbed the tower, it was closed for almost 12 years to restabilize it, and lessen…
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Siena
We took a day trip from Florence to nearby Siena, by bus. Siena is a medieval city centered by a clam-shaped square at the base of its sloping cobbled streets. Every summer, this square is home to a horse race called the Palio, pitting the different contradas (groups within the city) against each other. The winner is the horse who crosses the finish line first, even if it has no rider! It’s a huge event here. At the top of the slope, there is a huge church dedicated to St. Catherine, an influencer in the 14th century. Her head is enshrined here, since stealing and preserving body parts was the…
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Florence
As in Rome, the museums and galleries must be booked. I chose to first visit the Uffizi gallery on our free day in Florence. On my first trip to Italy many years ago, one of the my most vivid memories is seeing the statue of David, by Michelangelo, the most famous sculpture in the world. He is a perfect massive statue made from a single block of marble, and he stands in the Accademia gallery. I remember gazing at him in awe. So, since I have already seen him, I decided I should see the equally famous Uffizi gallery first. Very near the Uffizi is Piazza della Signorio, a square…