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Cobbles and Concrete….

May 23, 2019

I have been walking for miles on the old streets of Prague and Budapest.

In the 2 weeks that I spent touring these 2 amazing cities, I walked 194,082 steps and 82.8 miles. I could hardly believe it as I looked up the mileage that has been tracked by my iPhone. I’m not going to lie. My back, legs and feet started to complain a bit, and I almost totally wore out my favorite walking shoes. I was planning to leave them behind anyway. And, now, with so many miles and a few rough edges on them, it wasn’t an option. My shoes were staying in Budapest.

I will miss them.

Wandering in old cities is probably my favorite travel experience. I love immersing myself old cultures that are rich in history. It’s like getting a college education in architecture, art, music and food. I love the stories that unfold as I explore the nooks and crannies of these time-honored cities and talk to the local people. But, I do wish they could do something about the streets. If you aren’t walking on cobblestones, you are walking on concrete. This is no small feat for those of us with back, knee and foot issues. Toss in a couple of difficulties with depth perception and you have an accident waiting to happen.

In the first few days of my trip, Kathleen, my travel buddy for this leg of the trip, gave me a tutorial on how to safely and effectively walk on the streets of Prague. She and one of her friends had already been there for a few days and had studied this situation as they walked along. According to this sensible pair, the easiest path was on the smaller cobblestones. The spaces between the cobbles were tighter together. The larger stones were further apart with bigger spaces between, making it easy to catch your toes and stumble….or worse, take a spill. To further complicate things, the bigger cobbles were quite uneven in height. Even if there were no spaces in between, it would be easy to catch your toe on a cobble that was higher than the others and head to the ground. The unforgiving concrete, which is usually the most difficult surface….for standing anyway….was actually the best option. There is no give in concrete, but at least it is smooth and without “booby traps”. After only a few hours of walking around in Prague, I agreed that Kathleen and her friend had, indeed, figured it out.

I covered a lot of ground in these 2 weeks. But, even with the extensive mileage I logged, it was not enough to see everything. I missed a few things that were on my list. Well….I say it’s a good excuse to go back!

These are the highlights of my walking extravaganza.

In both cities, I hired a private guide to take me on a walking tour on one of the first days of my visit. I like getting an overview from an expert.   It’s a great way to get the “lay of the land” and gives me an idea of things I would like to explore in more detail. They also sometimes have interesting tidbits about the place and show you things you would not find on your own. It’s well worth the investment in time and money.

Both tours included the Jewish quarter of the city. The Prague tour was focused only on this area, while the Budapest tour included other sites as well. As I toured the Jewish quarters and heard the stories of the struggles that each of these cultures had endured, I could make many correlations to things that are happening right now in our world. I wished that everyone could have ready access to this history lesson.

In Prague, my favorite site was the Charles Bridge.

It was my favorite stop on my last visit there, as well. There is a special kind of magic and serene peace that happens as you take in the landscape on either side of the bridge.

It’s particularly beautiful in the evening as the sun is setting.

I also enjoyed the castle and the surrounding area. It was a bit less frenzied than the center city area where people will knock you over to get a front row view of all of the tourist sights. I particularly enjoyed viewing the basilica at the castle.

I love looking at the old churches and cathedrals. There is a history lesson there, as well, in the architectural structure of the buildings and the decorations. I especially enjoy the stories that are depicted in the stained glass windows. They are works of art all on their own.

In Budapest, I had so many favorites, that I can hardly choose. But, I’ll do my best.

I did a tour of the opera house. I had hoped to see an opera there, but it’s closed for renovation right now. Nevertheless, I was able to take a small tour of the interior and then hear a tiny concert….

….given by the principles of the Hungarian Opera Company. Unforgettable if you are an opera buff….or even if you are not.

St. Istvan Cathedral was another favorite showing, again, my love of the old churches.

The “Ruin Bar” area in the Jewish quarter was an invigorating and lively experience. This area is the home of some creatively decorated bars in the old “Jewish Ghetto” area.  In the early 2000’s individuals started this concept of building bars where creative types could gather and drink for little money. I visited the “Szimpla Bar”, which is the most famous.

It is decorated with an odd mixture of vintage bric-a-brac. It was fun to look at, and it was cheap to drink there. I had a beer for $1.50. I haven’t seen that price since my first trip to Spain.

Right next to the bar, I found a row of food-trucks.

I moseyed on in there and found a truck selling the local dish called “Langos”.

I hadn’t tried it yet, so I got one of those things. It’s basically flattened fried dough topped with sour cream and cheese. I could only get through about a third of the helping. But, it was delicious.  Even after I have been home for a few days, I feel like I am still digesting this yummy treat!

I also enjoyed wandering the streets of Buda. You may know that Budapest is divided into 2 sections, “Buda” and “Pest”. They are separated by the mighty Danube and are very distinct areas. “Pest” has a very vibrant and lively city feel, with loads of all kinds of restaurants, theater and museums. “Buda” is a bit quieter and more provincial. Having said that, at the time I toured “Buda”, all of the tour buses and river cruises had just dumped their passengers out for the day. So, it was crowded. It was also hot.   But, I enjoyed wandering there, even through the masses of tourists.

When I got tired of the people, I wandered out of the center and down the small, tree-lined streets where the locals live.

And, of course, I loved the big market on the “Pest” side of town. Perusing these markets is another of my favorite things to do while traveling.

I managed to get through my whole eclectic tour of these cities without tripping on the cobbles, turning an ankle or taking a spill. I will count that as a success.

But……..

I am still thinking about my old shoes. They have served me well over the last few years. Maybe someone will pick them up and give them a happy home somewhere in Budapest.

So long old friends…….

Posted in Europe, Solo Travel for Women | 1 Comment »

Bathing with the Beauties at the Szechenyi Baths…..

May 18, 2019

As I was doing my research on Budapest in preparation for my trip, every tour book and article I read said that the baths are the thing to do in Budapest. Honestly, I went back and forth on this before I left home. Then, I revisited my angst all the way up until this morning when I decided I would regret it if I didn’t take a dip in the famous baths. This is, after all, the top rated activity when visiting Budapest. It would be a shame to miss it.

For those of you who follow my blog, or just know me, you know that I am not a water person. I dislike being wet. I hate being cold. I also have trouble with the thought that someone might have taken a pee in the pool….or worse.   But, when I got up this morning, I decided I would forge ahead. It would be an interesting experience, at the very least.

I was not wrong.

I read that in order to use the baths I would need to have a bathing suit and flip flops to take with me to the facility.  Before I left home, I got my bathing suit out and looked at it. I hadn’t worn it in a long time, but it seemed like it was still in tact. It had some of those bra forms that one can take in and out through a small slit on each side. You can decide if you want to be perky for the day or saggy.

That’s nice.

Somehow, the pads had come out. I searched high and low for them and finally located them in the bottom of my drawer. I tucked them into the openings in the bra and went on. Then, I folded up the suit along with a bathing suit cover I bought at “Ross” for $10 and tucked them into the waterproof “bikini bag” that my friend Christine lent me to bring along. It keeps the wet things away from the dry ones. I had never seen one of these things. It is very clever. I also packed my brand new $8 “Ross” water shoes. Flip flops are not my thing.

So, I headed out this morning feeling very pleased with myself. I got on the Metro and headed towards the baths.

I was instructed by yesterday’s walking tour guide to get a cabin to change in, not a locker. She didn’t think I was the type of person that wanted to stand out in the open and change my bathing suit, which is what I would need to do if I got the locker.

She was right.

So, I purchased a cabin for the day.

It’s really very clever how the locks on these things work. When you pay, you get a bracelet with a sensor on it, which you wear on your wrist all day. This is your entry into the baths. When you get inside, you hold the sensor up to another sensored device that pairs you with a cabin or locker. Once the system syncs you use the bracelet to lock and unlock your cabin. Simple! I, of course, got stuck on the syncing part. The cute blond attendant had to help me. Then, he asked if I had purchased a cabin or a locker.  I said,

“What do you think? I’m old. I’m not taking my clothes off in front of all of these people.”

This made him chuckle as he walked me to my cabin.

The cabin was pretty tiny, but certainly big enough to hold my things and give me some privacy.

I proceeded to get into my bathing suit. I was having trouble adjusting the top when I realized that when I packed it, I had not actually put the forms into the bra area correctly. When I pulled the suit on, they were balled up at the top making me look like I had two bosoms in each side of the bra. Well…..this would never do. So, I took the suit off and adjusted the forms. It wasn’t easy to do and it took me about 10 minutes to get them right. But, finally, I got them placed and went out to the pool.

If I was worried about how I looked, I didn’t need to be. I saw people of all shapes and sizes in all kinds of bathing suits. Suffice to say that I saw some men wearing Speedos that should have reconsidered their choice of swimwear. Some women, too. YIKES!

I looked like a beauty queen!

I was feeling more confident now and decided to take a dip in the bath. It was actually like a bath, aside of the rotten egg smell…sulpher. It wasn’t too bad, but definitely noticeable. My guide yesterday told me that the water in the natural spring that feeds this pool is 170 degrees. Clearly, they need to mix this with cool water. Otherwise, people would be boiled as they relaxed in the bath. Anyway, one of my swimming dislikes was knocked down. I was definitely not going to be cold.

The pool was separated into 2 areas. There was a rectangular area for lap swimming….

…and a very large round pool for people like me that just wanted to have a soak.

I began to wander around the outer ring of the soaking pool. The first thing I found were suspended pipes that were forcefully spewing water into the pool like a faucet. They were high enough so that you could get under them and get a good shoulder massage. I visited this section several times.

Then, I looked around and realized there were 2 round pools within the larger pool. The very center pool was a hot tub where you could sit and chat with your friends. Surrounding the hot tub was a river of water that was continually moving around and around, kind of like one of those lazy rivers, if you have seen one of those. I could see people’s laughing faces bouncing around in there. That looked like fun and went over to check that out.

As soon as I got near to the moving water, I was picked up and carried around and around and around. I didn’t need to do anything except to just float along. I met a couple of Italian flight attendants as I circled around. I kept bumping into them. Then, I kept bumping into 2 girls from the USA who were studying in London and were on a holiday. We all rolled around together in the soothing water. There was literally no control once you entered the continuously moving water. Then, when you were done, it was hard to get out.

I circled around for a few more minutes and then decided to go to the hot tub. I found a space between 2 people and took a seat. Before too long, the girls from the USA came and joined me. We were chatting and relaxing with the massage of the gentle, rumbling jets….very soothing. I was considering taking a nap when all of a sudden there was a very forceful jet flow under my butt. It sprang up between my legs and and out of the water like a fountain, drenching my hair and my sunglasses. Then, I looked down and realized that some of the water had also gone up both of my bathing suit legs up to the bra area of my bathing suit and had dislodged the forms that I had painstakingly maneuvered into the bra of my bathing suit. They were once again balled up at the top of the bra. Double breasted again. UGHHH…… I looked around to see if anyone was looking at me. Why I thought someone would be watching me is beyond belief. But, still, I wondered. When I realized that everyone was going about their own business, I reached into the bra areas and adjusted the forms. I got them back in place! Again, no small feat! Whew!

After all that, I decided I should get out of the bath and take a look around. I had to pee anyway. You know how it is….all that water……

Then, I realized that I really wanted to get a massage. So, I went back to the cute blond attendant and told him that I wanted to sign up for a massage. This, again, made him chuckle, as most people sign up for the massage before entering the bath area. But, he made it happen. My hero.

After a few hours of fun, I decided it was time to go. I was now wet and cold from being outside in the cool air. So, I walked through to where my cabin was and to the showers. I don’t love communal showering. But, I was also not looking forward to walking back to the hotel wet and now covered in massage oil. It took me a minute to decipher, but check out the status of the showers…….

…..co-ed.  HA!!  I was tempted to go in just to look around. But, I was never going to take a co-ed shower.  I also didn’t want to be rude by gawking, which I knew I would do. So, I went to my cabin, put my dry clothes on and pasted down my now wet and oily hair into a suitable coif so that I could get back to my hotel via the Metro.

Now that I am back in my hotel room and all cleaned up, I have to say that this was one of the most entertaining and fun days I have had in awhile.   It was time well spent.

At the end of the day, I’m still not a water person. I still don’t like to be wet. I still hate being cold. But, a few more experiences in a warm bath in Budapest might persuade me otherwise. I would probably need to get a new bathing suit, though….one with the bra form that’s sewn in. Next time, I might not be so lucky with the readjustment. I could have a wardrobe incident.

Trust me……nobody wants to see that!

 

 

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“Wine”ding my Way Through Eastern Europe….

May 17, 2019

…well….maybe not the whole of Eastern Europe. But, I have certainly made a dent in Prague and Budapest…and, I still have a few days to go. I will need to dry out and go on a diet when I get home. But, in the meantime, I’m trying everything and following my philosophy of saying “yes” to whatever comes along…..within reason of course!

The first thing I am going to tell you is that Prague and Budapest are not known for their wine. They are known for beer. If you polled all of the people who visit these areas, I would guess that 95% of them would never even know there is local wine. It’s definitely not the first thing the average person thinks of when making travel plans for Prague and Budapest. In fact, when I told one of my California friends that I was going to do some wine tasting while in Prague she was a bit snooty about it. Why would I do this when we have such good wine in California?

I agree that we have excellent wine in California. I work in the industry there, so I should know. It just happens to be my personal interest.  I explore the wine areas everywhere I travel…..just for fun…and for knowledge.  And, while I was definitely hoping for some drinkable wine on my travels, I knew that it would never be as good as California wine. But, for me, these wine adventure side trips are not always about the quality of the wine. It’s more about the substance of the people who are making and selling the wine, the evolution of the industry and how the culture of the area is impacted by the wine industry. It gives me a broad view of things. Wine people are friendly, open and generally happy to share information. This is the part I love the most and if I get some good wine along the way, it’s a bonus!

My Eastern European wine adventure started with a day trip with some other wedding goers to the Bohemian wine region just outside of Prague last week and continued with a tour to the Eytek region just outside of Budapest this week. I found some decent wine in Prague. But overall, the wines I have had in Budapest are much more to my liking. Because of cooler weather, both regions are focused mostly on whites, although there are some regions in both countries that produce reds as well.  I’ve had a mixture of both.

We visited three wineries in the Bohemian area of Prague.  The best day for us to do our wine tour happened to be a bank holiday. So, the wineries were actually not open. But, they graciously opened their doors just for us And, our guide, Michael…….

……gave up his holiday to show us the ropes!

What a treat!

The first winery was probably my favorite, not for the taste of the wine, but for the overall experience. It was a very tiny, family owned business that also runs a bed and breakfast.   We tasted wine in their small restaurant while their guests were having breakfast.

The owner was happy to show us her wines and shared some of her home made bread with us, just baked that morning.  It was accompanied by a spread made with pork “cracklings”. It doesn’t sound great, but it was really tasty and the acidic quality of the wine was a perfect match for this wonderful treat.

At the end of our tasting, we ventured down a few steps underneath the restaurant to a primitive “cellar” where we tasted a very nice dessert wine made with the equivalent of “grain alcohol”.

I remember this from my college days. But, not in a good way!  Oh boy! It is super strong and will blind you if you drink too much. But, it seems in moderation it is the perfect fortifying agent for the dessert wine. Those of us who enjoy sweet wine, gave it a thumbs up!

The owner also shared stories of how the wine industry has evolved in the Czech republic.   During the reign of the communist party, all businesses (including wineries) were taken from the owners and became the property of the government. The wineries that remained in production became focused on quantity rather than quality. The owner of this establishment was about eighteen years old when things changed to a more open society and the businesses were turned back to the people. It has taken a long time for them to get the wines up to their current standard. She talked a lot about the joy of owning something and her ability to be creative with her product. As I said, the wines weren’t my favorite. But, her story is. I am rooting for them and hope they will be able to keep things going and continue to improve on their wines.

We also visited two wineries that were much more modern in terms of production and tasting room ambiance.

We had lunch in the second of these wineries.

It could have been plopped down right in the middle of Napa Valley somewhere. The dining room was nicely decorated, and they served us some very well prepared and presented food. The quality of the wines was also a bit better. These last two places clearly had more money to work with. Sometimes more money means a better product. But, not always!

Yesterday, in Budapest, I visited the Eytek wine region just outside of Budapest. We had some very nice wines in two tasting rooms here. Again, they are focused on whites. But, we did have a Pinot Noir that was very unusual and tasty. I enjoyed all of the wines we had at both places.

The first tasting room was owned by a man who had actually participated in some harvests in Italy, Australia and New Zealand. The wines here were of a very high quality. It was evident that he had paid attention during the foreign harvests and acquired a good deal of skill. I enjoyed the stories about the wines and the labels.  They were very creative. This one was a blend of two different grape varietals and it was being made at the same time the owner’s wife was having twins.  There are two hands coming together on the label.

Here, we again went under the ground to a rather primitive “cellar” to view the how the wines were aged in barrel and stainless steel.

They even had an old wine press that was still functional.

At the second winery, which was a bit more rustic, we had a wonderful lunch that was prepared by the winemaker’s wife. The whole meal was spectacular, but the highlight was the cow’s milk cheese that she had made that morning, along with some venison sausage that was also home made. All of this was presented with some pieces of freshly baked bread.

What a treat…..a home made meal. Yum!

We had a very nice Chardonnay with the cheese and a lovely Pinot Gris with the main course.  I was quite impressed with the quality.  Each wine was aged in neutral oak and had a small amount of acidity.

I will add that we also met the winery dog, a Scharpe, whose endearing wrinkles made him look a little sad and a bit older than his years. But, he was cute!

As we traveled along, Juliana, our guide for the day, talked to us about the evolution of the wine industry in Budapest. Her family owns a small winery where they make wine just for their own consumption. It has been in play since she was a child.  She talked a lot about her memories of how wine production and consumption was restricted during the time of the Nazis and Russian invasions.  It was a similar story to the one we heard in Prague. IThings have shifted now and are back on track. Until, of course something else changes. We talked quite a bit about how the political scene here seems to be changing to a more Nationalistic approach, which will impact these small businesses. We’ll see what happens.

There are twenty two different wine regions in Hungary.  It is a small country, so all of the wine regions are accessible for day trips from Budapest. I won’t have time to do any further exploration of the wine industry here. But, I feel I have a good sampling and have a good idea of what is available. I also feel that my understanding of the culture is much better from having experienced the wine and the people I met along the way. I have had a real history lesson direct from the people who were living it.  It was fascinating.

I have come away realizing that people are pretty much the same anywhere. We all want to be able to call something our own, to be free to express ourselves in any way we like and to lead happy and fulfilled lives.

And, of course, we want good wine!

After all that wine…and also some beer….I am ready for a nap. So, until the next post…..

I am signing off as sleepy and “soused” in Budapest.

Zzzzzzzz……….

Posted in Europe, Solo Travel for Women, Uncategorized | 1 Comment »

Never Throw Caution to the Wind….

May 15, 2019

….when traveling solo……

Well……yesterday was an interesting day for me. For the first time since my very first solo visit to Paris sometime in the mid 1990’s, I have reached a travel destination and found the need to make a change in my reserved accommodations. I was shocked at the situation and more than a little bit annoyed as I spent the day searching out a new hotel rather than leisurely taking in some of the sights of Budapest as I had planned. I was even more irritated as I, once again, wrestled my luggage from one place to the next. It was something that I was trying to avoid on this trip, but have ended up doing far too many times.

What, you might ask, would compel me to change hotels? You won’t believe it. I’m still in disbelief….and I’m still thinking about it, despite the fact that I am now settled in to another hotel that is nicer and in a better location.

Here’s the story.

On my first morning in the original hotel, I went to the included breakfast before heading out for the day. As I was perusing the vast buffet, balancing my plate and negotiating the masses of people that were bellied up to the food table, an older woman walked up to me and started to chat about the array of food. When I responded, she looked at me and with some relief said,

“You are an American. So am I. I am so glad to meet another American.”

We exchanged first names. The woman wondered if I was there with a tour. I explained that I was on my own.

“Oh”, she said. “Me too. What are you planning to do for the day?”

I said I was thinking about exploring Buda, but wasn’t really sure and continued down the buffet line. She continued talking and followed me down the line. I learned that she was Jewish and was from New York. I also learned that she was intent on joining me. I am a friendly traveler and have, from time to time, met people along the way and had dinner with them or gone on a tour with them. But, this woman was clearly wanting to attach herself to me for the duration of my visit to Budapest. I am a nice person. But, I didn’t want to spend my time with her. So, I politely turned her down by saying that I really didn’t know what I was going to do. I excused myself, sat down and finished my breakfast.

After I ate, I returned to my room to get my things together for the day. As I was putting my coat on, there was a knock at my door. I thought about whether or not I should answer. It’s not a great idea to open the door to someone when you are on your own in a strange city. But, it was a little late in the morning and I thought it could be housekeeping. So, I opened the door.

Guess who was there?!

It was the woman I had met in the breakfast room. I asked her how she found my room. She announced that the front desk had given her my room number. She had her coat on with umbrella in hand ready to tour Buda with me. I explained that I had changed my mind and would not be touring Buda, but doing something else. She wondered if we could go the next day. I said I was sorry, but I had already organized a tour outside of the city to the wine region, and I would not be available. She was angry and disappointed. But, she went on her way.

After I recovered from the shock of the front desk giving someone my room number, I decided that I would do some investigation to see how this could happen. The girl at the desk said that the woman had my first name and told her that she knew me. They often share information among parties who are traveling together and assumed we were friends, as this is what the woman told her. I made it clear that I was not OK with her, or any of the staff, sharing my room information with anyone.

She was very sorry.

I went out and started to walk to my first destination. As I walked and thought about this, I realized that this could happen again. Maybe the next person would not be so harmless. So, I contacted the reservation agent I had been working with and told her what had happened and that I was no longer comfortable staying in the hotel.  I would expect a refund of my prepaid room fee. Again, I received an apology and then an offer to change rooms. What I heard from the reservationist and the staff was a lot of apologies. What I didn’t hear was that this would never happen again…or, that they would train their staff to do this differently….or, that their policy was to never share room information. So, what difference would it make if they changed my room? They would just communicate the new information to someone else if they were asked for it.

So, I moved.

I often travel on my own. Safety is always first and I have a list of “do’s” and “don’ts” that I follow in order to stay that way. Sharing my room information with anyone is at the top of my “don’t” list. I can honestly tell you that I have never had a hotel share my room information with another person. I am rarely afraid, and I am still not afraid. But, this situation gave me some pause.

Traveling alone can be invigorating, exciting and very satisfying. But, one must be careful and ever aware of potentially dangerous situations.

I’m happy to report that I am now in a nicer hotel in a better location. The staff at the new hotel is tuned into not sharing my room information with anyone. They were also shocked that another hotel would do that. I’m also spending more money. I’m OK with that. Because, frankly, what is your safety worth?

I say it’s priceless.

So, as of today you can count me as safe and happy in Budapest…and ready to take on the town!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Big, Jammy Reds….

April 4, 2018

Big, Jammy Reds….

That has been my impression of South Australian wines since I was introduced to them with all of the rest of you years ago when they first broke into the American wine scene. Sometimes I can get myself interested in a big, juicy Shiraz, but it’s not usually my favorite. It’s so much not my favorite that when I was planning my trip, I almost skipped visiting the wine regions near Adelaide because I really felt the wines were nothing special. But….I reasoned…..if one is going to Australia and part of the trip is focused on wine, how can you skip the Barossa? It just didn’t seem right. So, I forged ahead and planned some time in Adelaide. My wine tasting landed on the Barossa and McLaren Vale.

To begin, I will confess that I took an organized tour of like-minded tasters out to each area, and I left the decision on the regions to visit to my tour guides. I am not always a fan of the organized tour. I like to do my own thing. And, when my friends were with me and we were doing some tasting in New Zealand, we did do our own thing based on recommendations of industry contacts and friends. But, I didn’t have the time to do a lot of research on these regions and, thus, I wasn’t too sure what “my own thing” here would be exactly. Left to my own devices, I would probably just end up at the bigger, high production places that we all know and love….or hate. So, I decided that I would rely on the people who lived and work here to direct me to the best regions and the best representations of the regions.

It was a good strategy.

I hired “Perfect Blend Tours” to take me out to McLaren Vale and “Cellar Door Tours” to take me out to the Barossa. Thanks to Russell and Tim, who proved to be excellent and informative tour guides, I got out to some of the lesser known…..and more interesting……vineyards. It was a great education on the wines of Southern Australia.

I would be lying if I didn’t tell you that I did have my fair share of juicy Syrahs, or “Shiraz’”, as the Australians call it. It’s the signature wine of this region, after all. The terrior as well as the general customer demands this style of wine. But, just as in other regions in my own area, the climate is changing and the winemakers are adjusting. And, there are some very creative winemakers that are just looking to do something a bit more interesting. I found a few such people here.

My biggest revelation was that I didn’t find only Syrah, as I expected. I’m not sure why I thought this would be the case.

Silly me.

What I found in both regions were Rhone varietals. It makes sense, of course. With Syrah comes Mourvedre (Mataro in Aussie speak), Grenache, and blends made with those grapes. I also learned that the Clare Valley does a great deal of Reisling. The climate in that area is right for Reisling. There was a large German population in the whole area, the Barossa in particular, and when they discovered the favorable climate, they introduced the Reisling. I did get some of the Reisling from Clare Valley vineyards at 2 of the wineries where we stopped and it was fabulous. I also found interspersed in my tastings some Italian varietals as well as some Spanish varietals. In the end, it was quite like tasting in my area of California with the same varietals and an interesting mix of styles.

To me, the most notable wines in McLaren Vale came from Chapel Hill Wines…

…..and Hugo. Chapel Hill had a Mourvedre that I thought was outstanding. And, I did a reserve tasting there

……where the “Gorge Block Cabernet” and “The Vicar Syrah” competed for my attention. The Syrah had a much more elegant style than we are used to with the typical Australian imports that we get in the United States. I was close to buying something here, but how would I get it home?

I liked everything I had at Hugo, but they had a new release 2017 Grenache that they were pouring for special guests that knocked my socks off. I’m still thinking about it and wishing I had purchased it.

We also visited “The Cube….

……a new and innovative tasting room done by the D’Arenburg family. Does this look familiar?  It’s patterned after the Rubik’s cube. The tasting room rivaled MONA, the museum that I saw in Hobart, for unusual and creative art. This was part of the display that gets you ready for a tasting of the wine.

You squeeze the bulbs and the scent of whatever is in the glass comes out.  It’s probably on of the most unusual sensory experiences I havc seen at a winery. The Arenbury family owns and operates this, but they have gotten a fair amount of money from the government to build it and keep it going. It brings in a lot of tourists…not only to this facility, but to the area as a whole.

The Barossa was probably the biggest surprise I had.   We went to 4 places. They were all different and they were all excellent. At Murray Road…..

…..we tasted two 2006 single vineyard Syrahs that were very different from each other. One had begun to take on the tobacco and leather characteristics of an older wine. It finished with a layer of delicious light fruit. The other had a much more dark and juicy fruit quality. Both were an unexpected delight!

We stopped next at a place called Tscharke’s.

The owner/winemaker, Tscharke, was our host. His wines were fantastic and they were priced somewhere between $10 and $15 Australian for a bottle. He has fine-tuned his winemaking and aging process with production efficiencies that allow him to charge less per bottle. We figured he makes his money by selling more bottles at the lower price than by selling just a few at the higher price. He doesn’t care about the pretense of expensive wine. He cares about taste. In additon to the usual suspects, he was also working with Italian varietals. My only purchase of the 2 days was here. I bought a 2015 Montepulciano that was so unique that I couldn’t pass it by. It had an earthy, almost “barnyard” feel about it. I can’t say that I have ever had anything like it.

If I lived in Australia, I would join his wine club. You can’t beat his creativity and the price per bottle.

The other standout was Rusden.

They were very small and some of their production techniques were quite primitive. This was the machine used for pressing. It’s a high pressure affair and had exploded on them a few times lately. We had to get special permission to get close to it.

All of the Rusden wines were outstanding, but the highlight for me was the Mourvedre. Believe it or not, they also had a Zinfandel. It was the only one I saw in all of the tastings we did. It was good….and a little jammy….not quite at California standards. But, it was fruity.

We ended our day in the Barossa with a small upstart winery headed by Peter Lehman’s son, David Franz.

For those of you who don’t know, Peter Lehman was the founder of one of the major wineries in the Barossa that still bears his name. It’s still there, but has been purchased by one of the large wine management groups. David was quite a character. Very fun! We had a rose that was made with 108 different grape varietals. They were all printed on the bottle.

It wasn’t my favorite. But, I’m guessing it is or will be someone’s favorite! But, it was certainly unique.

So, my final call on the Barossa was quite different from where I started at the beginning of my tour. Just as with people, you can’t always “judge a book by its cover”…..or reputation as it were. Sometimes it’s worth a second look to see if there is something beyond the surface. As I have found with people, it doesn’t always happen, but it’s such a pleasant surprise when it does.

 

 

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What Was I thinking?……

April 2, 2018

What Was I thinking?……

…when I decided that 2 full days in Tasmania would be enough?

I don’t always have this feeling when leaving a travel location, but I can honestly say that I felt sad when it was time to depart from Hobart a few days ago. From the minute I checked into Hadley’s, an old historic hotel in Hobart, I felt like I was at home. After getting settled in my room, I walked down the hill from the hotel to the port area for dinner……

….and made friends with the bar keep.

I was going to like it here.

When I got back to the hotel, I was given a free bottle of the local Pinot Noir…..it came with the price of my room. I took it to the small hotel bar where they were playing old Frank Sinatra tunes. The first one was “I Did it My Way”, a choice full of personal symbolism that reminded me of some happy times in my recent past. I couldn’t imagine that it could get any better.

But, it did…..

I loved everything about my visit to Hobart and the surrounding area.

Hobart is really just the “tip of the iceburg”, as they say, in the exploration of Tasmania. It’s a sleepy port town where those who are exploring the island usually start their journey. For me, it was a mixture of a lot of the things I enjoy about my area of California.

And more.

I loved walking around the port area. On the different piers along the water’s edge, I could wander in and out of small shops selling all kinds of things that were fun to look at. I wove my way in and out of shops filled with local art, clothing and food products.

I could take a break, sit on a bench looking out to the water and view the moored pleasure boats that bobbed up and down at their docks. It was peaceful and relaxing.

I also sat and watched the activity on a pier had some commercial fishing boats.

Several nights I dined on fresh fish in restaurants along the waterfront. One night I had scallops at “The Blue Eye” restaurant. The scallops and the restaurant are favorites of the locals.

On my last night, I had dinner at Muir’s Upstairs, another local gem. I had a white fish that reminded me of cod.

I wish I could remember the name of the fish. I can’t. But, it was the trademark of the restaurant, an institution in Hobart, and had been brought in by its own fishing boat that morning. The waiter called it a “hook to plate” dinner…fresh from the sea and onto your plate. It reminded me of some of the fish restaurants in Morro Bay, near where I live, that touted the same kind of freshness in their fish. It was delicious!

Salamanca Place was another favorite.

It’s the site of the famous Saturday market, which, sadly, I missed. But, I did enjoy a stroll through the shops there…

and enjoyed the little square that anchored the area.

Battery Park and Arthur’s Circus…..

…..were filled with the history of Hobart and the old buildings that have been a part of Hobart from its beginning. They are now upscale living areas boasting real estate that comes at a very high price. The infamous bakery, Jackman and McRoss lives there. This restaurant is purported to have the best scallop pie in town, another favorite Hobart taste treat.

In the morning of the day I had my visit with the kangaroos and the Tasmanian Devils, I spent a fair amount of time at the Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery.

They had a great exhibit about the Tasmania Devils, which gave me a good base of information for my afternoon tour.   The museum was delightful……and, it was free.

Tasmania was, of course, where I spent my time with the kangaroos and other Australian animals at the Bonorong Animal Sanctuary. This was one of the highlights of the whole trip for me.

On the way to the sanctuary, we stopped in Richmond. There, I viewed a beautiful old church…

and the oldest surviving large stone arch bridge in Australia.

The bridge was built by the convicts who were banished to Tasmania in the 1800s and beyond. It still stands today as a reminder of the forced convict labor that was used to build the bridge. The area around the bridge was beautiful, green and serene and is now a lovely residential site.

I also toured the old jail, where convicts were imprisoned.

Men and women British convicts were imprisoned on the island for doing “bad” things. “Bad” was subject to interpretation.

Isn’t that always the case?

“Bad” could be anything from insubordination to murder. When the convicts got to the island, they had some semblance of freedom. But, they were required to do tasks as assigned. If they didn’t do them, they were imprisoned in the jail, crammed in together in very small quarters. If they misbehaved in the jail, they were sent to solitary confinement. It was a double-edged sword. Solitary confinement provided some relief from the overcrowding of the jail, but the cells were lonely, cold and desolate. It’s hard to say which was worse, the general prison or solitary. Either way, it wasn’t pleasant. I, for one, am glad I don’t have to spend any time there.

Much to my disappointment, I never got to any of the walking and hiking trails in the beautiful mountains surrounding Hobart, of which there are many. I also missed Mount Wellington and the spectacular views of the city.

I enjoyed my visit to Hobart…..but there were other places for me to visit on this trip before I was done.

So, I will just have to go back.

And, I will go back…..and, I will spend more time.

What was I thinking?……..

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Old…or New…..or Somewhere In Between…..

March 31, 2018

Old…or New…..or Somewhere In Between…..

This sums up the unusual artwork at MONA, the Museum of Old and New Art that I visited while in Hobart, Tasmania last week. Frankly, I think they should add weird, wacky and wonderful to the name. It would be a much better descriptor, but I’m guessing it would extend the acronym too far.

Oh well….what do I know?   Maybe it’s better to let visitors come to their own conclusions.

As you know, when traveling, I typically ask everyone I come in contact with what I should look at in the area. I like to know what other travelers are enjoying, as well as what the locals like to do. Per almost everyone I came in contact with, MONA was one of the “must sees”. It’s an institution and so unusual that a visit to Hobart just wouldn’t be complete without a wander through. While I won’t say that the artwork is necessarily my “cup of tea”, I would agree that it is well worth a stop…..if only to see what kinds of things very creative artists are thinking about these days.

You might be surprised. I was.

So, on my first full day in Hobart, I boarded the ferry…..

….and made the 20-minute trip to the island that is home to this distinctive museum. It is also home to Moorilla Estate, the second oldest winery in Tasmania, which is now also owned by the rich gambler, David Walsh. I, of course, did a tasting there. Part of my trip, after all, is focused on wine. I would be remiss if I didn’t try it….considering that I was so close……

David Walsh, gambler extraordinaire, who managed to get himself expelled from every gambling establishment in Australia….or something like that…….is the mastermind behind this establishment. He is a math genius who developed a numbers system that beat the house…every time. When he got expelled from working casino games, he created a system to beat betting on horse races. As you might guess, this wasn’t received well either. But, in the process, he made some money. He had to do something with the money, so he thought of this museum. It is focused on sex and death….and, some other things, too. But, it presents a very dark and twisted view on life. Some of it was a bit disconcerting…..to say the least.

The journey to get there on the ferry was the first indication that this was going to be a “wild ride”.   Some of the chairs were ceramic lambs…

….set up around the perimeter of the deck. People “rode” them as if they were in a saddle. There was also a ceramic white cow…..

……on board that people could lean against with their cocktails. I, personally, chose to sit on one of the round cushioned seats that were arranged around small, round metal tables that were interspersed around the deck.

It was pleasant…….and amusing.

As we approached the museum, we were told that we would need to ascend 99 steps to get in.

I was dreading this, as I thought about my day in the Blue Mountains near Sydney where I walked 94 floors of very uneven steps in order to see a waterfall. I shared this with some other travelers, who pointed out that if I could do that, I could certainly do this.

They were right. It was a piece of cake for this veteran climber!

There were some outdoor sculptures that were interesting….

……but the exhibits that were inside the museum were the most interesting.

You can’t see it here, but the words…..

…..on this display were formed by a shower of water droplets that were coming from the top of the exhibit. I can’t imagine how they organized the holes that dispersed the water in order to get the water to come out in words. This is way beyond my comprehension of math and engineering. But, it was certainly interesting.

This photo…..

……comes from a display lining 2 walls that I walked through that were facing each other. It was like walking down a hallway. There were somewhere in the way of 100 drawers between the 2 sides. Each drawer had a picture of a person on the front in the middle of what looked like the center of a vinyl record. When you opened the drawer, there was a writing of some kind that talked about the person and then the voice of the person saying that they loved you. I spent some time here. I’m OK with a bit of loving repartee right now. Never mind that it was a bit eerie, and I didn’t know any of the people.

This was one of my favorite displays.

It’s a dinosaur of some kind made of cassette tape covers. This was one of the few exhibits that I could find some meaning around. I thought it was interesting that they used something old to create something even older. I have no idea if I am really even close to what the artist was getting at. But, my interpretation is good enough for me.

I also thought this exhibit on airplanes….

…..done by a German artist, was interesting. Probably because I could actually figure out what it was. My hats off to him for producing something I could connect to.

I thought about getting some pictures in the section that focused on sex. But, I couldn’t imagine what I would do with them.   My blog is G rated. So, I wouldn’t be able to put them here. But, I will say that the most disturbing exhibit I saw in this area was one where 2 human skeletons were having sex. The other was a set of women’s parts that were displayed in a row on the walls in this section. There were 27 of them…..all the same part, but from different angles and perspectives. Apparently, the artist thought there was some kind of interesting discussion that could be initiated around this. I’m guessing he was right. If I had been visiting the museum with someone, we would probably still be talking about the meaning of this exhibit.

After all of this, I was glad for some comic relief at the wine bar.

I wasn’t bowled over by all of the wines. But, I did have a really good Burgundian style Chardonnay and a cool weather Syrah that I thought was top notch. Before I left, I also purchased a glass of one of their top label Pinot Noirs that I thought was the best of the lot and enjoyed some truffle infused potato chips. I shared them with this chicken.

He soon became my best friend…just like the kangaroos. It’s amazing what a small treat will do for you in the making friends department.

All in all, it was a great experience, and I’m glad I went.

I sometimes think that my mind goes off in random tangents that others don’t really understand. After viewing this museum, I have gained some perspective as to where I fit in the grand scheme of unconventional thinking. It’s nice to know that there are people who are even more eccentric than I am.

Old, new, crazy, sane……in the scope of it all, I guess that I am somewhere in between.

I think most of us are.

I’m OK with that.

 

 

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Me and the “Roos”…..

March 30, 2018

Me and the “Roos”…..

Kangaroos……that is…..

Yesterday I found myself in the middle of a “mob” of kangaroos.

They formed a bit of a crowd around me, licking my hands and generally having a good old time.

They loved me!

It helped that I had a bag of kangaroo food in my hand that I was willing to share with any “Roo” that would give me some attention. As it turns out, with food in hand, just about anyone can get some attention from the “Roos”. They are not a particularly selective crowd. They like just about anyone who has food. As long as you have food in a flat, open hand positioned close to the ground you can count on making one…or several….new friends. And, if you don’t get the hand position just right, they will do you the courtesy of helping you by taking your wrist in their paws and moving it to the right position. They have to be able to reach it after all.

How’s that for efficiency in making friends?

Despite the fact that I was not the only object of the affections of the “Roos” yesterday, my afternoon at the Bonorong Wildlife Sanctuary in Hobart, Tasmania….

….was undeniably one of the most enjoyable days I have had so far on my trip “down under”. The tickling of the kanagroo tongues and the occasional grazing of their teeth on my hand and my intermittent scratching on their chests…

….was a unique and special way to get up close and personal with these animals.

This was where we started our tour.

I just couldn’t get enough!

Bonorong is an animal sanctuary located outside Hobart. It’s not a zoo. I’m not a big fan of zoos. But, it is instead a rehab center where they take in animals that are hurt or sick and rehab them so that they can be placed back in the wild. It’s an admirable cause, and their success rate is pretty high at getting these animals back to their normal habitat. Several years ago, I visited a similar center in Costa Rica and was touched and moved by the work they were doing with monkeys there. This was similar, but with a different set of animals. They are doing good work at Bonorong, and I was highly impressed by the compassion and love that the staff showed for their charges.

The animals were clearly attached to the staff and the staff to the animals, as was the case with this baby wombat. As soon as the attendant entered the enclosure and sat down on a rock to talk to us, the baby jumped up in her lap and fell asleep. The staff person stood up, turned and held it like she was burping a baby so that we could see its cute face. As it woke up, it nestled against her ear and began to make sucking noises.

It was a touching scene. A tribute to the loving care these animals are getting.

At Bonorong, we also got a good education on the Tasmanian Devil, an animal that is heading towards extinction.

I had seen an exhibit at the museum in town earlier in the day about this animal. It seems that the “Devils” are becoming afflicted with cancerous tumors of the face, which is killing inordinate numbers of them. There is a group of people that is doing a lot of research to try to figure out why this is happening and how to prevent it from spreading. There are several different strains of the cancer that proliferate through the bites of other affected “Devils”, making it quite difficult to contain. It’s becoming a real issue.

The Tasmanian Devil is a very misunderstood animal. They are thought to be vicious carnivores that will eat anything living or dead. It’s not so. They are carnivores, but they are really quite meek. They feed on the carcasses of animals that are already dead. The attendant did a feeding while we were there, giving the “Devil” a hank of a wallaby. The “Devil” chewed on the meat for awhile and then took it to his den to finish his meal.

He would eat everything…..bones and all. The mouths of the “Devil” are quite strong….much stronger than that of humans. So, they can bite through almost anything. That, in addition to the “devilish” sounds they make, their shiny eyes and transparent ears that look red when the light goes through them have given these animals the reputation of being ferocious. Don’t get me wrong, I don’t want to touch one, and I certainly don’t want to meet one in a dark alley. But, they are not as fierce as they are made out to be……and…..I thought they were cute!

The other highlight for me was the Koala Bear. Everyone has a love affair with the Koala.

They are so cute and cuddly looking. Up close, they look like the stuffed bears that we have seen all over Australia in tourist shops. But, in reality, they are not that cuddly…or friendly for that matter. And, they were not too excited to have us traipse through their living quarters. But, we did it anyway with the approval of the tour attendant.

I got to touch the Koala.

I wanted to hold the Koala. Sadly, this is not allowed, as it creates stress for them. So, we all just touched them on the back and went on. It was still thrilling for me!

Bonorong has 3 Koalas. They are not indigenous to Tasmania. They inherited one from South Africa that impregnated one that they already had there. We met the “stud”….

…..and his children. These will be the last of the Koalas for Bonorong. But, they will have these for some years to come. The children are pretty young.

We also saw lots of pretty birds…..

……and some echnidas…….

…..which were round and prickly looking. Still cute, though!

After we toured, we went back for one more visit with the “Roos”. One of the members of our tour group pointed out that one of the kangaroos had a “joey” in the pouch. We looked at its little ears popping up.

Melt my heart……

Me and the “Roos” and a “joey” too……

Perfect!

 

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Tuesday was an interesting day……

March 6, 2018

Tuesday was an interesting day……

Or, maybe it was Monday……or it could have been Wednesday……..

I’m not sure.

All I know is that in New Zealand, where I am currently traveling, my today is your yesterday.  I have no idea where that leaves all of you…..wherever you are right now.

The first thing I have learned on my tour of New Zealand and Australia is that the time change between home and here as one travels over the international date line is really disorienting. That, in addition to the 16 hours of travel time to get here gave me a real run for my money in terms of orientation and common sense. Or, at least that was the case as I was negotiating my way through the Auckland airport on my first day…..Thursday…or whatever day it was….

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And, it was only the first day.

I think.

Try as I might to get everything done exactly as I needed to have it before leaving home for a few weeks…on whatever day I left…..I missed on a few items…..

For those of you who don’t know, I am driving south through New Zealand from Auckland for a few weeks with some friends. We are ending up in Queenstown and will then be extending our fun in Australia for a few weeks.

Several months ago when I began to think through the driving route and methods of communication, I decided that I would unlock an old iPhone and then buy a New Zealand “sim” card at the airport in Auckland that would give me local cell service and texting capabilities while on my trip. That would also give us access to GPS and driving directions from one place to the next, which we would need. I’ve never done this before, but people do it all of the time.

How hard could it be?!

I also decided that I would outfit my United States phone with the international calling plan so that I could access voice mails if needed. AT & T was happy to help me with this.

AT & T unlocked my phone…super easy……I took it home and stacked it on the pile of things to take with me on my trip. The day before I left, I remembered to search out a power cord for the phone and put it on the stack of things to take with me. I tucked all of it into my suitcase and off I went on my trip on the appointed day.

When I got to Auckland at 5:45 am, I went to the VodaPhone (local phone service) counter…..

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…..and purchased the “sim” card. The clerk put it in and then pushed the power button for the phone. He looked up at me and said,

“When was the last time you used this phone?”

I didn’t know…a few months probably. Why?

After all of the planning, unlocking the phone, and finding the power cord, I had forgotten to check to see if the phone was actually functional, charged up and ready to go.

…..sigh……..

“Well,” he said. “How much time do you have?   I can probably charge it for you if you can wait.”

I couldn’t check into my Air B & B apartment until 3:00 pm and my friends weren’t coming for hours. So. OK. I could wait. No problem, and about an hour later, I was on my way.

Great!

With my phone charged, I headed to town on the shuttle.  It was still to early too check-in. But, I knew this would be the case and had checked out a solution before I left. Around the corner from my accommodation were storage lockers for purchase. What I didn’t know was that the storage lockers were in the bus station…..kind of seedy.

Oh well! What choice did I have?

So, I went in, got some coins from the girl at the counter and picked my locker. The doors on the storage spaces were spring loaded. So, as soon as you opened them, they popped back shut.  Unless, of course, you were holding them open.

Really?!

I picked a locker that was on the ground. Maybe that would be easier.  I could roll it into the space. Because, otherwise, how is it possible to maneuver the continuous spring action of the door when you are tugging and pushing your suitcase into the space?

It wasn’t easy, but I did it and was feeling pretty good about it.

Until……..

I realized that the storage locker I had prepaid was not the one where my luggage was waiting.

Sigh…..

So, I unloaded my luggage from its current spot and moved it to the one I had paid for. It was on the top. How inconvenient. But, I wrestled my luggage out of one locker and lifted it up into the next, all the while fighting the spring loaded doors on the storage lockers. I locked up the storage space and went on.

After all that, I felt that I deserved to have a good breakfast down by the waterfront and headed in that direction.

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I found a great breakfast at a restaurant with a relaxed pace.

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As I was sipping my “flat white” and was beginning to relax, I thought I should check my phone to see if my friends had arrived. They were going to text me. I picked up my USA phone, which is the number they had and guess what!

No service!

Duped…..by AT & T.   So now I couldn’t communicate with my friends and I also couldn’t communicate with my accommodation, who also had my USA number.

But, I am a problem solver.

So, I thought this through. OK. I can use my local phone, to look on the internet to access my Air B & B account.

No worries.

Of course, when I went on to the internet on my phone to access my account, I didn’t have my password. It was saved on my laptop.

Still…..no worries.

I’ll just change my password. I got all the way to the end of the process and because Air B & B didn’t recognize my New Zealand phone as a connection device, they wouldn’t let me into my account.  I needed to receive from them an entry code either via text message or voice mail…..on my USA phone…. for which I had no service. And, because I had been using my New Zealand phone to do all of this, I was now down to 20% battery.

Uh Oh……

I then realized that I had locked my phone charging equipment in the storage locker.

I finished up my breakfast, trudged up the hill to the bus station, got my charging unit out of the storage locker, paid again for the locker…….because you pay every time you open the locker……… and went to the desk where I had gone 4 times to get change to feed the locker and asked for an electrical outlet to charge my phone.   I plugged in my phone and guess what! The outlet didn’t work.

With 12% charge on my New Zealand phone and no service on the other phone, I decided I was done. So, using my New Zealand phone, I sent a text to my friends and told them to text me on that number when they got in.

It all worked out. I met my friends, got into the apartment and charged my phone. I am now about a week into the trip. And, I will say that my technology is now working out just great…..all except for the AT & T service. There is no hope for this.

So, on Monday……or Tuesday……or whatever day this is, I am signing off and hoping that I don’t run out of minutes on the “sim” card of my only working phone.

We’ll see what happens.

I’ll keep you posted……

…..or not…….

 

 

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In and Out…..

January 22, 2018

….does it really need to be this complicated?

There are many things that I have learned to appreciate about small town living since relocating 10 years ago to the little coastal town in California that I now call home. I like the intimate feel of things that makes it easy to know your neighbors, the ease in which one can become involved in the community and the short distances to places of business that make running errands a morning activity rather than an all day affair. In addition, I have a wonderful group of friends that I love, a couple of colleges in my backyard that provide intellectual stimulation and culture, and beaches that are lovely and close by.  The weather is great.  And, I am right in the middle of wine country.

What’s not to like?

Generally, I feel very satisfied.

Satisfied, that is, until my wanderlust hits…which is pretty often…. and I feel the need for a travel adventure.

As I begin to negotiate the challenges of getting in and out….to go almost anywhere…..I wonder if I really am a small town gal. I’m beginning to think that I might be a city slicker in hiding. I’m almost at the end of my Mexico travel adventure and I’m still thinking about the convoluted schedule I took to get here and the complex path I will take to get back home.

I’m pooped!

One would think that getting somewhere in Mexico would be simple from a location in California. We are just north of Mexico after all. In fact, if you live in Los Angeles, San Diego, San Francisco or another of the bigger cities it actually is pretty easy. These airports typically offer nonstop flights and there are lots of them to choose from. And, they are usually reasonable priced.

Not so from my small town.

We have a small regional airport that can get you to a bigger city, but the cost of doing business in our small airport is quite high much of the time. Every now and then you can hit it just right and it turns out to be reasonably priced. But, it’s not the norm.

The other option we have is another airport about 30 minutes down the road. You can’t actually fly from there to any of the other major California airports. But, you can take a driving shuttle to Los Angeles, which gets you to the airport in about 3.5 hours. It’s often the best choice, but it’s complicated.  Nevertheless, this was the route I chose in order to get to my destination in Mexico.

The cost was good and the flight times were good…or so I thought.

When I booked my outbound fight for 1:30 in the afternoon and my inbound flight to get back to Los Angeles at 9:30 pm, I thought I could get the driving shuttle to and from Los Angeles at a reasonable time.

Nope!

My first problem was the outbound flight. In order to catch my 1:15 pm flight and have the required time for security, I would have to get the 5:30 am shuttle. This means that I would have to be up at 3:30 am to get myself moving and onboard the shuttle.

This was not happening!

Then, there is the return trip home. The shuttle company used to have runs leaving Los Angeles up until midnight.  Not any more. Now, the last shuttle leaves the airport at 9:30 pm making it impossible for me to get the last shuttle back.

So, my easy, short and inexpensive vacation has now become complicated, long and costly, as I now have to stay at a hotel near the Los Angeles airport on either side of my trip so that I can catch my flights and then the shuttle back to my small town.  When I calculated the total cost, it was more than it would have cost me to just leave from our small airport in the first place….which by the way was a ridiculous amount. And, now I am spending extra days.

As someone who travels a lot, I find this very frustrating.

It’s really no one’s fault. It’s just the way it works in a small town. Despite all of the good things that are easier to negotiate in a small town, one needs to be creative with many other things in order to achieve priorities. I have become very good at thinking outside the box on things like getting to Mexico from California. But, as I get older, I am becoming less flexible and less creative.

So, I am researching…..

Researching ways to make this easier for my next adventure.

Travel should not be this complicated.

Right?

 

 

Posted in Solo Travel for Women, South America, Uncategorized | Leave a Comment »

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