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| This hill in the neighborhood in Boveglio, Tuscany, was much steeper in person than it appears here. |
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Today’s photos are from June 26, 2013 (I am one day off here due to an error) while in Boveglio, Tuscany, Italy. See the link here for more details.
With the numbers of cases of COVID-19 rapidly escalating daily, it doesn’t look hopeful for international flights commencing soon.
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| It appeared that this house might be occupied, one of few dilapidated entrances in the area. |
This news story came out only a few hours ago from this site:
“Over 16,000 COVID-19 Cases In 24 Hours For 1st Time; 4.73 Lakh (473,000)
Total CasesNew Delhi:
India recorded its most significant surge in coronavirus cases in 24 hours for a second consecutive day with 16,922 new patients, taking the total to 4.73 lakh cases (473,000), the Union Health Ministry said this morning.This is the first time that more than 16,000 new infections have been reported in a single day. The government on Wednesday said a single-day high of 15,968 new conditions.
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| Lisa and Luca, property owners in Boveglio, presented us with this basket of cherries from the tree growing in the garden after they’d seen us admiring the tree. Lisa, speaking no English and us, no Italian, it was impossible to explain my restrictive diet that forbids any fruit sugars. Tom, fortunately, ate a few each day, while I’ve merely enjoyed their beauty. We thanked them profusely, impressed by the thoughtfulness they had shown each day since we’d arrived. For more information on Lisa and Luca and their properties, visit their Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/casasottolatorre.villabasilica?fref=ts. |
Of the total cases, 2,71,697 patients have recovered; 14,894 have died so far. In the last 24 hours, 418 deaths linked to the highly infectious illness were registered. The recovery rate stood at 57.42 percent this morning.”
With these numbers, it’s doubtful India will open its borders anytime soon. I also anticipate the lockdown stages will be raised to the initial higher and more restrictive levels soon.
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| Many individual houses are attached, a common occurrence we’ve observed in some regions of the world, such as Dubrovnik and Mykonos. |
The lockdown has had little benefit with this level of increasing daily cases hitting an already economically devastated health system. It’s easy to see why the cases are increasing in India and other parts of the world. People are not strictly adhering to guidelines instituted by local and federal governments in many parts of the world.
India is not unique in its increasing cases. Yesterday, in the US, statistics indicate there were 38,383 new cases, the majority of which were in California, Texas, Florida. See these stats for the US here.
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| Rushing by this flowering plant to avoid the hovering bees, I caught a whiff of pure heaven. |
For stats for other countries throughout the world, including India, please click here. India is still in the #4 position in the world statistics with the US #1, Brazil #2, Russia #3.
As previously mentioned, these stats could easily be lower than the actual numbers when equal numbers or more aren’t being recorded. How many stricken cases aren’t going to doctors and hospitals? More than we can imagine.
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| No cars fit between these narrow pathways to the houses. It’s no wonder that the Italian people appeared slim and fit. The parking area, as for us, is a bit of a hike from the house. Add the hills to the walk, and it becomes pretty a workout regularly. |
Some of our readers may ask, “Why do we keep posting these dreadful numbers?” We certainly don’t do so to terrify our readers. For us, these stats are vital regarding our current situation in lockdown in a hotel room in Mumbai, India, after over three months.
Secondly, many of our readers are travelers, and for those considering future travel, these stats, although low from reality, can be used as a guide to determine where and when they may consider traveling in the future.
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| More blooming flowers. In a few days, the many lavender bushes in our garden begin to bloom. I’d wished we could have done online “scratch and sniff” for the sweet smells in Tuscany. |
Of course, once international flights commence in India, we’ll be reviewing these stats for countries we may consider traveling to. What point would there be in leaving this hotel in lockdown for another hotel in lockdown in another city?
We’d just as soon stay put here until it’s safe to leave and to commence a somewhat average quality of life in another country, staying in a fully equipped holiday home and being able to be outdoors providing we observe social distancing, wear masks, and exercise proper hand washing, and crowd avoidance.
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| Ah, a flat stretch where I can catch my breath. |
At this point, we realize cruising is out of the question for some time to come. We have no cruises booked until November 2021, 17 months from now. Also, cruising was all about transportation from one part of the world to another and for socialization which may be entirely different on cruises in the future.
We can’t imagine table sharing and socializing in small groups will be possible on cruises. How will everyone stand in line to leave the ship at various ports of call? The group gatherings and activities, and shows will no longer be possible.
What will be the point of cruising? We’ll have to wait and see what transpires.
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| We’d have added a couple of chaise lounges to this veranda we spotted, but then again, we didn’t see any Italians sunning. |
When and if a vaccine is discovered, I imagine being vaccinated may be a requirement for international travel. As much as many oppose a vaccine, it may be a reality we travelers will have to abide by.
After all, before we traveled to Africa in 2013, it was required by several countries we visited that we had proof of yellow fever vaccination to enter. The requirements for this have lightened up in many parts of the world over the past several years, with fewer cases of that virus as indicated here:
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| This was the steepest hill in the area. |
“Yellow fever is common in sub-Saharan Africa (where it is endemic), countries in South America, and a few other parts of the world. Many countries that do not require yellow fever vaccination for entry do require proof of the yellow fever vaccine if coming from an infected region.”
Most likely, this will be the case (but even more stringent) in years to come, possibly as soon as 2021, when most likely a vaccine for COVID-19 will become available.
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| Maintaining sure footing on this walk was more important than the exercise factor. The stone walkways were rugged and uneven, inspiring me to keep my eyes down as much as possible. |
If a vaccine is required for us to continue to travel, we will get it. We don’t want to allow this virus to prevent our future travels any more than it has already. Our goal is to continue, with or without cruising, with or without the opportunity to visit public venues for sightseeing purposes, or with or without 14-day quarantine requirements.
We shall see.
Photo from one year ago today, June 25, 2019:
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| As in most areas of Ireland, there is a tremendous number of rocky regions, streams, rivers, lakes, and ponds. For more photos, please click here. |