Where in the World is Deb?

[Julie]

madrano wrote: "I wanted to apologize for my absence. Last week i underwent some surgery. My presumption was that i would quickly recover & resume my life but, as my surgeon warned me, my advanced age worked again..."

Take care of yourself!

[madrano]

Thank you for the good wishes. My follow up is next Thursday, so i should know more then. Meanwhile, i've dramatically reduced my meds, so i'm happy!

[Alias Reader]

madrano wrote: "I wanted to apologize for my absence. Last week i underwent some surgery. My presumption was that i would quickly recover & resume my life but, as my surgeon warned me, my advanced age worked again..."

(((Deb)))

I hope BNC helps take your mind off things for a bit and you can relax and enjoy your time here with your Book Nook friends.

Continued well wishes headed your way. 💜

[Petra]

Glad to hear that your strength and vitality is coming back. Keep healing and getting healthy, Deb.

[madrano]

Thank you, Alias and Petra. Visiting this board is, indeed, a lovely way to distract me from discomfort. Thanks to all for posting on the threads!

[Alias Reader]

Deb, so happy to see your posts. Are you posting from the cruise ship ? If so, how is it?

[madrano]

No, we are in Manhattan with our daughter today, leaving tomorrow for Athens. We are afraid to do much here, thanks to the uptick in COVID cases. On our return we’ll be less cautious but now we are playing it safe. We won’t be on the ship until next Sunday.

Will keep you posted.

[Alias Reader]

Got it. I was excited as I've never posted to someone on a cruise ship !

Enjoy you time in Manhattan. Though it's hot and humid. Hopefully the rain this afternoon will cool things off.

[madrano]

We didn’t get that rain cool off yet. However, the breeze made the day fine, i’m happy to report. I’ll let you know when we are onboard.

[Julie]

madrano wrote: "No, we are in Manhattan with our daughter today, leaving tomorrow for Athens. We are afraid to do much here, thanks to the uptick in COVID cases. On our return we’ll be less cautious but now we are..."

Have a good trip!!

[madrano]

Still not on the ship but we are in Athens, at least. We won’t board until Sunday, as it turns out. Really, i should pay more attention, right?

Now we have three full days here. As this is our fourth trip (we so enjoy Greece), we have fewer things we “must” see. Today, however, is recouping from the trip. Is that our old age showing? Perhaps, but i am drained.

We specifically chose this hotel because it is near https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nationa..., where we go tomorrow. COVID test Saturday, which is required pre-boarding. Just catching up with the boards here now.

[Alias Reader]

Enjoy you stay in Athens ! It will be nice that you can leisurely enjoy your stay there before boarding the ship.

The National Gallery looks wonderful.

(Where your sun block ! )

[madrano]

Thanks. It is warm here but nothing like NYC last weekend.

[Alias Reader]

madrano wrote: "Thanks. It is warm here but nothing like NYC last weekend."

That was a gross two day in NYC. Thankfully we got a reprieve. Though next week the hot/humid weather is suppose to make a return performance. :(

It's not even summer and I can't wait for the Fall.

[madrano]

Summer is not my joy, either, Alias. Possibly, though unlikely, that is why i so treasure autumn.

While Athens has been warm—upper 80s—the heat intensifies because there is hot concrete all around as one walks. Just walking three streets over to the art gallery overheated us. Of course all the traffic around didn’t help.

The gallery, meanwhile, was strictly Greek artists. This is the first time i’ve seen that interpretation of “National” gallery. Unfortunately the section with the El Greco works was closed, although we could see two. It was a nice, modern, three-floor building with good light. Yet not one I’d recommend unless one is very interested in Greek artists.

Today we had our COVID tests, required to board the ship, which were negative. Tomorrow, we sail!

[Alias Reader]

I hear you on the heat. It totally drains me and I can't function.

Great news on your Covid Tests !

[madrano]

Did you wonder what happened to me? I didn't fall off the surface of the planet, as some may have suspected. The boring fact is that my iPad apparently was incompatible with the ship's wifi. Or their app. It's still unclear but the staff tried several approaches, all to no avail. In fact, i wondered if my machine, which is somewhat old (i've actually forgotten when i got it but i know it was 2012 or so, pre-house sale), was broken, good only for reading, which was not a problem on the cruise. However, all was well once we stopped cruising.

So, sadness for not keeping you abreast of our travels. The trip was fine but not as good as we'd hoped. Frankly, it was warmer than we anticipated, although not as warm as the 95s we left in Texas. One surprise is that we had a number of higher humidity days, as well. As Dan reminded me, this is why we usually travel off season. :-)

Other issues--the woman who planned the trip presumed the COVID restrictions would be dropped, as she has not had a single shot of vaccine. They didn't drop them, so she couldn't join us. What a damper that was. She knew the ship required a negative COVID test within 2 days of leaving and the US requires a 24-hour before arrival negative test for re-entry but she was willing to gamble. She lost.

Additionally, our nephew (age 20) was ill much of the time. He and his mom, my sister, visited Istanbul prior to the cruise and he thinks he may have "caught" something there. As his constitution isn't particularly strong generally, this tempered his cruise pleasures, as well.

However, Dan & i got to see all we intended to see and more. We were pleased to visit Ephesus, Turkey, walking the ruins with a well-informed guide. Our primary goal was to revisit Delos, an island sacred to the ancient Greeks as the birthplace of Artemis and Apollo. This was our second visit, as the first time we couldn't see it all. This time we did and are satisfied.

Now we are back in Texas, where the weather is approaching 100s with high humidity. And i'm ready to post on our boards here.

[Alias Reader]

Welcome home, deb ! Know that you were missed.

Sorry to hear that trip wasn't totally a win. Still, I'm glad you got to see the sights you wanted to see.

Ugh ! Texas heat/humidity can be brutal. After you left NYC, that was the last spell of hot/humid weather we had. It's been a quite nice end to spring. I am sure come July we will be roasting.

[madrano]

Alias, we landed at JFK after Greece and was beguiled by the lovely weather. I honestly hated to leave, so wonderful did it feel. Now we are in the midst of it again.

I worked on our photos yesterday and realized i need a new camera. Most folks just use their phones, which is handy, but i like pulling out my little digital. The problem is i have acquired some kind of spots on the photos which appear to be in the lens. With this digital, i cannot remove the lens, so can't figure out how to get rid of the spots. Bummer.

[John]

Great to hear you the trip went a long way towards making up for your 2020 disaster! Putting on my judgmental hat: the organizer's approach was moronic. I'd been putting off any international travel for fear of a positive test result overseas as a Kafka-esque nightmare, but that's over starting tomorrow. Am booked on a Rhine Cruise in October (Viking credit that been carried since 2020); I've long wanted to see Strasbourg, and can say I've been to Switzerland also (albeit briefly).

I'm planning on getting a new phone before the trip for pictures.

[madrano]

John, you are wise in the way you planned your trip. We felt a bit of group pressure & you read the results. I'll be hesitant to travel with her (even ghostly her, i guess i should say) again. It really altered the experience.

I'm glad the US is ending the entry COVID test. It was actually unclear because the terms were "one day" ahead of departure, as well as 24 hours. We met a couple who had to take two tests, as their departure was canceled and didn't fit the standards. That's just wrong.

Athens hotels were accommodating, i must add. They made appointments for lab personnel to come to the lobby to test clients such as us, for 20 euros. And pharmacies in the city offered the tests for 10 euros but there were lines and the waiting was all outdoors.

Your trip sounds great. We like River cruises and hope to try again someday. It's a pleasant way to see nations. Our sole night in Switzerland was odd because, even though it was July, we were the only ones in the 200+ room hotel. Why? It was a ski lodge. Why they were even open is beyond me. This was in 2017, btw.

[John]

madrano wrote: "John, you are wise in the way you planned your trip. We felt a bit of group pressure & you read the results. I'll be hesitant to travel with her (even ghostly her, i guess i should say) again. It r..."

Our Danube Cruise was great - most negative aspect was that they made us wait a long time on the ship after checking out for airport shuttle, would've liked a less hectic airport experience instead. Fellow passenger told me she'd done the Rhine already, different experience.

[madrano]

Ditto Danube Cruise. We didn't have the airport issue because we stayed a couple of nights in Budapest after the cruise ended. That was when we were younger, however. I suspect we are in the process of changing the way we travel now that we are older. Although...we are eyeing a 120 day 'round the world cruise in some future. Not this year, maybe not next but someday. *sigh*

[John]

madrano wrote: "Ditto Danube Cruise. We didn't have the airport issue because we stayed a couple of nights in Budapest after the cruise ended. That was when we were younger, however. I suspect we are in the proces..."

Some family friends did a six week cruise around South America, reporting that it was a loooong trip!

[madrano]

I can imagine! The cruise we were looking at spends a couple of days on the Amazon & i realized that worries me more than any other aspect. I think i've been dissuaded by what little i've read about South American jungles and rivers.

[Barbara]

It's interesting to read about your adventures Madrano. Happy travels. 😎

[madrano]

Thanks, Barbara. Now that we've returned, there are moments when i forget we went! It was a different holiday--less than a month, fewer photos taken and traveling with family/friends. Nice. Weird, for us.

[madrano]

We leave tomorrow morning for the Pacific Northwest. In October a college friend of our daughter's is getting married and we are attending the event. Our daughter will be Maid of Honor, which adds sparkle to things for us. Additionally we have family & friends there in Washington and Oregon.

Likely we will be gone through October but it's possible the trip may be extended. Packing for such a trip has been luggage blowing, as you may imagine. Did i mention a short cruise to Alaska? This will be my fourth visit, so much do i relish sailing there.

ANYway, i will be using my iPad, as usual, to communicate on this board. It is not as easy for me, so my messages may well be truncated. (Did i hear a cheer?) Until the 27the we will be on the road. Later!

[Alias Reader]

madrano wrote: "We leave tomorrow morning for the Pacific Northwest. In October a college friend of our daughter's is getting married and we are attending the event. Our daughter will be Maid of Honor, which adds ..."

[Petra]

Have a great time, Deb! Safe travels.

[John]

Have a swell time! Communicate here as best you can!

[madrano]

Thanks, friends. We are in Salina, Kansas, tonight. Long but quick drive. For those into mileage—we got 53.8 MPG with our Prius. The car is 7 years old. Happy, tired campers.

[Alias Reader]

Glad you arrived safe and sound on the first leg of your trip !

[madrano]

Day 3. We are in Logan, Utah, where our nephew attends university. Lovely country! Wyoming doesn’t have the forests Utah does but i’m more delighted with its landscape. I could spend a year there just studying formations.

Nephew tonight!

[Alias Reader]

madrano wrote: "Day 3. We are in Logan, Utah, where our nephew attends university. Lovely country! ."

Will you be able to spend any time at Bryce Canyon ? My friend just did a trip to a few states around there and said Bryce was the highlight of the trip.

[madrano]

Not this time. We are kinda rushing because our son is moving.

On our return trip home i would like to visit Bryce. *Crossing fingers* My sister told me today the only Utah canyon i’ve visited, Zion, is her least favorite.

[madrano]

Well, life caught up with us. Despite keeping our masks on during the cruise, we caught COVID. We are at the tail end of a fairly mild case of it. For me, it was more like a long, coughy cold but my husband, Dan, had fatigue several days and barely ate. My non-eating days were exactly one. I missed both the wedding and open house, the reasons we were in the Seattle area.

And yet COVID was a guest at both those occasions. Our daughter, who was the Maid of Honor, apparently caught it at the Open House but showed no symptoms until yesterday, the day after the wedding. Yup, probably a wide swath of folks got it there & is taking it home. Watch out, New Zealand and Indiana!

Meanwhile, said daughter intended to spend tonight in our Air B&B. We'll see what we/she do next. Btw, we lucked out, in that the rental's owner is a Nurse Practitioner, so helped us figure out what to do. And, fortunately, they didn't get it from us, despite spending a couple of hours with us the day we moved in, the day before Dan took his test. And so it goes.

[Alias Reader]

:( Speedy recovery to you, Dan and Autumn.

You are the second person today that I know that got it. A friend of mine her BIL got it and he is pretty sick.

A few weeks ago my niece's husband got it.

[Petra]

Oh no! I'm glad to hear that you are both recovering. Sorry that you both got it, though.

[Barbara]

Glad to hear you're both recovering. I got covid recently too, despite two vaccinations and two boosters. Looks like no one is safe. 😕

[Alias Reader]

Barbara wrote: "Glad to hear you're both recovering. I got covid recently too, despite two vaccinations and two boosters. Looks like no one is safe. 😕"

The vaccinations are said to make it less severe, so you don't end up in the hospital or worse. I don't think they say it stops transmission. So it's important to still be mindful of safety protocol. Glad you are better, Barbara.

[Barbara]

Thank you Alias. 🌞

[madrano]

Thank you each for your good wishes. Because we are seniors (both in our 70s), we had 3 boosters, two shots. Yes, the symptoms were mild, thankfully, but we are going to amp up our protocols. Who knows how the next bout would change?

Since we got our flu shots for the year a week after the COVID, we'll see if we get that, too. Btw, we probably won't see our daughter today, as she is feeling the poorly. Not awful, similar to what we experienced--a bad cold--but also with a bit of vertigo.

Again, thanks for the good thoughts. And, Barbara, i'm glad to hear you are better, too.

[Barbara]

Thank you madrano. 🙂

[Nicci]

I read this thread with interest... we're about to leave for an Africa safari. A group of us is going for four days of safari in the Masai Mara region of Kenya then some light sight seeing in Cape Town. We leave in 9 days and are going to London first (just my husband and I for that part).

[Alias Reader]

Nicci wrote: "I read this thread with interest... we're about to leave for an Africa safari. A group of us is going for four days of safari in the Masai Mara region of Kenya then some light sight seeing in Cape ..."

Wow ! Lucky you. That is an awesome trip. Please do share with us your experience when you return.

[madrano]

Enjoy that holiday, Nicci. We’ve barely dipped into Africa with our Egyptian adventure. My in-laws were wild for their safari. Sadly, some parts were canceled due to weather, such as the high winds which meant scrubbing a hot air balloon ride. They were really looking forward to drifting over some animals.

[Barbara]

Sounds like a dream trip Nicci. Enjoy!🌞

[Nicci]

Thank you, I will keep you posted on my Africa trip. I wanted to do a hot air balloon ride but am saving that for another trip if we ever go back. We are going during the mini wet season rather than the great migration. Keeping it simple this time, jeep rides...

[madrano]

Have a great time, Nicci!