Day #136 in lockdown Mumbai, India hotel…More photos from Paris in 2014…Dining and a museum in Paris…Credit card chaos…

Posted by worldwide-admin on with 0 Comment
Tom, ready to dine at Les Ombres in Paris. We ate early, at 7:00 pm, when most French diners and tourists prefer dining after 9:00 pm.

Note: To all of our readers visiting our site via a smartphone, please click the “View web version” tab under the word “Home” at the bottom of the page to access the web version enabling you to access all of our archives on the right side of the page. We’ll be updating our site shortly, making these extra steps unnecessary. Thank you. 

Today’s photos are from the post from August 6, 2014, while in Paris, France. See the link here for more photos.

Once we realized we’d be in lockdown for a considerable amount of time, we knew we had no option other than to post past photos from our prior almost 3000 posts which began on March 15, 2012.

At first, we jumped around searching for favorite photos but, as time marched on, we came up with a system we’ve generally followed by posting photos from the same date as the day’s post from another year in our eight-year history. For example, today’s photos are from August 6, 2014, and so forth.

These warm, cheese-filled buns arrived before dinner. Tom said they were good.

On a few occasions, we’ve varied from this plan when the photos we posted from a particular post didn’t appear attractive, our WiFi signal at the time prevented uploading photos, or it was a travel day when we didn’t post any photos at all.

Butter arrived at the table imprinted with “Marie Antoinette.”

Now, as we work our way through the posts from the few weeks spent in Paris in 2014, we have more photos than we can copy. We’ve chosen those we hope to be interesting to our readers and have left the remainder behind. 

The menu at the French restaurant, Les Ombres, is situated near the museum. Tom chose the fixed price option at EU 68, US $91.

At the top portion of each post, in smaller font, we provide a link from which the day’s photos have been copied to today’s post. Please click on that link if you find you may be interested in seeing more photos, such as in today’s older link with many more photos than we could add here today.

Tom’s lobster, prawn, and octopus risotto were delicious but such a tiny portion, as to be expected in French restaurants.

Using Blogger as we do here, spacing issues ensue when too many photos are posted in a single day. Hopefully, with our new upcoming site, we won’t experience such an issue. We’ll see how that rolls out in the next month or so.

We both had the same main dish (entrée in French translates to “appetizer”), grilled salmon topped with shredded cabbage and a slice of cauliflower. These four bits of broccoli were no more significant than the end of a thumb. This consisted of my entire meal, not quite enough after a busy day of walking for hours. When we returned to our hotel room, we ate plenty of nuts after the small portions.

Our new site has been delayed due to the time it takes for the developer to move over those almost 3000 historical posts, one by one, a laborious and time-consuming process. We’ve put no pressure on the company to do so more quickly. After all, we’re okay in the interim.

Tom dessert. Below is a dollop of chocolate ice cream atop a spoonful of a chocolate sauce containing chunks of chocolate. At the top is a roll-filled chocolate cake with a Grenache frosting garnished with chocolate candy sticks. Each item consisted of no more than two bites. They appear more prominent in the photo.

On another note, yesterday morning, I received a notice from one of our credit card companies to contact us immediately with an issue. I couldn’t imagine what it was until I looked up the account online to see there was a charge for INR 12.72, US $.17, a definite red flag. The charge was for equine vitamins. We don’t have a horse in our hotel room in Mumbai!

Based on today’s exchange rate, our dinner bill at EU 116 was slightly under US $155. A 20% gratuity was included.

I knew from past experiences that this charge of US $.17 was a “test” for a fraudulent party trying to use our card to a more significant amount. They charged the small amount to see if it would go through. Once it did, they’d charge whatever they chose for a more substantial sum.

We have too many photos for one post about our experiences of the past 24 hours; a visit to Musee de Quai Branly. For more of our museum photos, please click here.

At the credit card company’s fraud detection department, our card was immediately shut down, resulting in the necessity of us contacting them. I reached the company hours later due to the time difference and informed us to toss the card, and they’d send us a new card via FedEx overnight to our hotel here in India.

Wood carving of mother and child.

Thankfully, we have plenty of credit cards as a backup, required for world travelers such as ourselves when we must charge large sums and feel safer with plenty of credit lines available at any one time. Primarily, we use the cards that provide the highest loyalty points, saving the other for emergencies.

These costumes were made centuries ago in preparation for Mardi Gras in Mexico.

We’re still waiting for customs to process the package we sent from Nevada to us here at the hotel. The new card may not arrive for a week or more in light of COVID-19 slower shipping times from the US to India. It could be several more weeks.

Many of the masks on display in the museum were intended to ward off evil spirits.

That’s all, folks! Happy day!

Photo from one year ago today, August 6, 2019:

Tom was standing at the doorway to a house at the Connemara Heritage and History Centre and the Dan O’Hara Homestead. For more photos, please click here.

Day #129 in lockdown Mumbai, India hotel…Grocery shopping in Phuket, Thailand in July 2016…

Posted by worldwide-admin on with 0 Comment
In Phuket, Thailand, we’d purchased enough food here to last a week. Check out the fantastic total cost below!

Note: To all of our readers visiting our site via a smartphone, please click the “View web version” tab under the word “Home” at the bottom of the page to access the web version enabling you to access all of our archives on the right side of the page. We’ll be updating our site shortly, making these extra steps unnecessary. Thank you. 

Today’s photos are from the post from July 30, 2016, while in Phuket, Thailand. See the link here for more photos.
Check out the size of the fish and steak portions. Tom was craving peanuts, and we added a few packages to the stash. The brats in the bottom right of the photo are gluten, grain, and sugar-free.

Again, today’s photos are from four years ago, but this time from Phuket, Thailand, where we stayed from July 23, 2016, until August 31, 2016. For the starting photos in Phuket in our archives, please click here, which will lead you to the events of the next 40 days and nights.

 Using this app to convert the Thai baht (THB) to 3,803.25, we discovered we’d only spent US $109.38. We were shocked. (See the photos of everything we purchased).

Before I was with Tom starting in 1991, I’d visited Phuket, Thailand, for my 40th birthday in 1988 with my former husband. This was before the devastation from the tsunami that changed the entire look of the island. 

We purchased so many items. It took several photos to include all of them.

When returning to Phuket with Tom in 2016, 28 years later, I didn’t recognize a thing except for the white sand beaches, the aquamarine seas, and the friendly faces of many locals.

Free-range eggs, beef, and celery rounded out our purchases. 

We’d rented a beautiful house with rooms surrounding a large pool, air-con, WiFi, and cleaning staff we paid separately twice a week. We cheaply rented an older car from the property owner and managed to get around the city amid the crazy traffic to shop and see the various sites.

The fresh produce department is packed with locally caught treasures at reasonable prices.

Unfortunately, we were anxious to leave not long after we’d arrived. Nearby, there was violence in the streets with an eventual bombing, the frequent sounds of sirens, armed military police outside the shops and markets, and a feeling of being more unsafe than we had in most other countries.

It looks like Sam’s or Costco.

, The mosquitoes were worse than we’d seen in Africa (or even Minnesota, for that matter). It rained almost every day, and we seldom used the pool or lounged outdoors. Instead, we often stayed indoors in air-conditioned comfort, and for the first time in our world travels, we began counting the days until we were scheduled to leave.

Row after row of frozen foods.  We don’t buy much in the way of frozen foods when most contain additives.

Our highlight of the week was grocery shopping in the enormous warehouse-type grocery store, comparable to Sam’s Club or Costco. The huge amount of selection and ingredients contributed to making some of our favorite meals.

Although we ventured sightseeing a few times each week, we never dined out when Thai food didn’t appeal to Tom due to the spices and often odd ingredients for his tastes. This didn’t bother me when we thoroughly enjoyed cooking our meals in the roomy, well-equipped kitchen.

Littleneck clams. 

In essence, it wasn’t safe to eat out in the evenings when the streets were jammed with motorbikes, tuk-tuks, and fast-moving cars and trucks, and an endless stream of troublemakers. Foreigners were frequent targets of crime.

We’ve been to many rough cities throughout the world, but we’d never felt so unsafe as we had in Thailand. Staying inside with several locks on the doors felt the safest, although we were somewhat of a regular residential neighborhood.

We weren’t able to determine which type of seafood this might be.

While living in a country, we write with caution, preferring not to draw attention to ourselves by possible “haters” living nearby. It wouldn’t be hard for local troublemakers to find where we’re living when reading our posts and seeing photos of our location. Americans, especially seniors, are often victims of horrific crimes in some parts of the world.

We were thrilled to leave after the 40 nights to return to Sumbersari, Bali. We once again stayed in the fantastic beachfront villa, besides having a wonderful experience, feeling safe and comfortable in the exquisite location and property.

Squid, yet to be cleaned.

Thailand has many charms, cultures, stunning temples, beaches, and history. It simply worked out that we happened to be in “the wrong place at the wrong time,” which ultimately tainted our view at the time.

In India, we recall the extraordinary times we spent touring many popular sites in big cities and remote locations. Never once did we feel unsafe or in danger, even when we were out walking independently.

Regardless of this challenging time in lockdown, we’ll always have good memories of our time spent touring in India, a very special country with its kind and gentle people.

Rest easy. Stay safe. Wear a mask. Social distance. Wash your hands. Have hope.

Photo from one year ago today, July 30, 2019:

The Glinsk Pier is located near our holiday home in Connemara, Ireland. Fishing has always been a big business in this village. For more photos, please click here.

Day #122 in lockdown Mumbai, India hotel…Seven years ago, a fun recipe…Our bread-free submarine sandwich recipe…

Posted by worldwide-admin on with 0 Comment
It’s essential to wash the dirt off of lettuce. If it is organic, careful rinsing removes dirt and tiny green worms we found on the organic produce in Italy, where we were at the time of these photos. If it’s not organic, careful, repeated rinsing in cold water may remove some pesticides. Usually, we dry it with a clean white kitchen towel or paper towels, wrap the leftover lettuce in the white towel, and place it in the fridge in the towel, which will keep it fresh for days. For the recipe below, wash and dry eight large romaine lettuce leaves. Usually, the giant leaves are closest to the outside of the bunch.

Note: To all of our readers visiting our site via a smartphone, please click the “View web version” tab under the word “Home” at the bottom of the page to access the web version enabling you to access all of our archives on the right side of the page. We’ll be updating our site shortly, making these extra steps unnecessary. Thank you. 

Today’s photos are from July 23, 2013, while in Boveglio, Tuscany, Italy. See the link here for more photos.

Slice fresh tomatoes, purple (or yellow) onions as you prep for making the sandwich.

When I noticed the post from seven years ago today, while living high in the mountains of Tuscany, I couldn’t help but smile when we saw it consisted of the step-by-step instructions for making one of our favorite meals, the bread-free submarine sandwich.

This sliced Emmental cheese or sliced Provolone cheese seems to add the most flavor to the sandwich. Try to avoid using overly processed American or cheddar cheese. There is no yellow/orange cheddar cheese in Italy since they don’t use dye to color it.

With only two or three grams of carbohydrates per sandwich, this is an ideal meal along with low-carb coleslaw or green salad for a fun dinner, almost feeling like a delightful carry-out or a takeaway meal for movie night.

Place the meats on a plate in preparation for assembling the sandwich. This mayonnaise was the best mayo we’d ever used, with no chemicals, few ingredients. 

Seeing the process of making this bread-free sandwich makes our mouths water. Wouldn’t we love one of these for tonight’s dinner, along with a big bowl of fresh, crunchy low-carb coleslaw?

On the days we made the sandwiches, we usually had bacon and eggs for breakfast, made extra bacon for the sandwiches, refrigerated until we assembled the sandwiches.

One may ask, this looks easy enough to make. Why couldn’t we put it together in our hotel room, when we have a small refrigerator? Most likely, we’d have trouble finding the meats, cheeses, and parchment paper online. Then there would be the concern over using undrinkable water to wash the lettuce, tomatoes, and onions. Too much trouble at this point.

Parchment paper is readily available at any grocery store. We used it almost every day to cover the bottom of any pan going into the oven (don’t use it on top of the stove) to reduce the cleanup and ease in getting the food, such as pizza, out of the pan. It’s excellent for baking, but one must not use it over 375 degrees, or it may burn. Do not use it when broiling. If you eat potatoes or sweet potatoes, parchment is ideal for making oven fries. Toss pre-cut potatoes with olive oil and salt and place in a preheated oven to (190C), 375F, baking for 30 minutes or until brown, tossing every so often. Best fries ever. For this sandwich recipe, we cut two pieces of about (75 cm) 30 inches each to wrap the ingredients as one would wrap a tortilla.

We haven’t prepared a meal in six months. Also, we have no space to put it all together. It’s simply not practical at this time. We’ll wait until we’re situated in a holiday home somewhere in the world and can make the process fun, as will be the case when we finally have the opportunity to prepare some of our other favorite meals.

To begin making the sandwich, lay two large romaine lettuce leaves, overlapping, end to end, centered in the parchment paper, the long way. Be sure the lettuce is dry to avoid a soggy mess later.

Tom is chomping at the bit for some beef and pork (although we can order bacon), which has not been on my mind quite as much as his. More so, I’ve been thinking about fish, salads, and delicious one-pot dishes we’ve loved over the years. A glass of wine would be nice, too.

Place the turkey or chicken slices atop the lettuce, cover with tomatoes. It’s OK to add more if you’d like.  We prefer this smaller amount.

This recipe isn’t only for those avoiding bread, carbs, or starches. It’s so tasty. It would appeal to any family members or singles who enjoy eating a wrap, in this case, a pseudo-wrap.

Place the cheese atop the tomatoes adding the mayonnaise using the spatula or broad knife.

Also, if one prefers, they can use the simple ingredients inside a jumbo tortilla wrap of any other type of round or oval sandwich wrap. Two critical elements are the bacon, cooked well, and a good quality mayonnaise, slathered on as shown in today’s photos.

Ham slices in Italy are different than deli ham slices in other countries, more fatty with no nitrates, but less flavorful than ham slices in the US. One can add or delete any items in this sandwich. But, the most essential things for maximum flavor are bacon, cheese, and mayonnaise. Sliced roast beef also works well when available. We would have purchased roast beef in Italy but, it was INR 3139, US $42 a pound, so we were content with the ham and sliced chicken.

A few of our readers wrote last time we posted this recipe was, “Can these “subway sandwiches” be made in advance, and will they keep overnight?”

Layer the cooked bacon and onion slices.

As with any sandwich, they aren’t as great the next day. But, if you leave out the tomato and lettuce, they’ll keep for three days. Unfortunately, the sandwich will have to be fully unwrapped to add the tomato and lettuce a few days later, but wrapping the parchment paper is easy if wrapped tightly. Unwrap, add the tomatoes and lettuce, and then re-wrap the parchment using the same parchment paper.

After layering all the ingredients, lay two more dry pieces of the romaine lettuce atop, matching up the length of the sandwich to avoid a lot of overlap on the ends.

Is the parchment paper a must? Can you use waxed paper or tin foil? Preferably not since the waxed paper doesn’t hold it together, and tin foil is OK only if used to additionally wrap a parchment-wrapped sandwich for added insulation.

Please fold the paper over the sandwich on edge closest to you, beginning to roll it tightly. Re-wrap it if it’s not tight enough. After a few times, you’ll get the hang of it.

As mentioned in the previous post on this date in 2013, we started making these after visiting a Jimmy John’s sandwich shop before we left the US and were delighted to eat their version of the bread-free sandwich, the “Unwich.” 

Tuck one end over as if you were gift-wrapping a package.

If you live near a Jimmy John’s store, you can avoid the fuss and buy from them. But, our version is much heartier, more filling, and tastier than the fast-food version. 

While in the US, we purchased the meats from Costco since they sell gluten-free, sugar-free, and nitrate-free meats. Surprisingly, we’ve had no trouble finding such meats in other parts of the world. 

Continue to roll it tightly, tucking in both ends, leaving one end loose for unwrapping it as it is eaten. Using a few well-placed wide rubber bands helps those who may have difficulty pulling the paper down neatly.

If sliced, good-quality deli meats aren’t available in your area, you can use leftover thinly sliced roast beef, chicken breast, and lean ham, removing all fat from the edges of the slices. 

The only countries we haven’t been able to get bacon have been those that don’t sell pork due to religious beliefs. We didn’t make these sandwiches in those countries since bacon is such a vital ingredient for the superb flavor.

The final product, tightly wrapped, ready to chill, and enjoy with a side salad.

Here’s the list of ingredients (for two to three sandwiches):

Jess & Tom’s Unwich Sandwiches
One large ripe tomato, sliced medium thickness
One large purple onion, thinly sliced 
8-12 large washed and thoroughly dried romaine lettuce leaves
Four slices Provolone cheese (or other preferred sliced cheese)
6 ounces sliced deli ham
6 ounces sliced deli turkey or chicken
6 ounces sliced roast beef or other preferred sliced meat
Six slices of cooked bacon
Mayonnaise (Tom doesn’t like mayo but in this sandwich, he does. Give it a try or use another sandwich spread you prefer).
Parchment paper, cut into two 30′ long pieces.

If two sandwiches are made from this list of ingredients, they will be huge. I often eat half of one for dinner and the second half the next day, not minding the somewhat soggy tomato and lettuce.

For us, we prepare sufficiently sized meals to last three dinners, enabling us to cook less often. In those cases, we triple these ingredients and make up a fresh sandwich each evening. We place all the meats in a Tupperware-type container with a lid, and they easily keep for three days.

We can’t wait to prepare our meals again!

Enjoy!

Photo from one year ago today, July 23, 2019:

Cattle along the driveway from our house in Connemara, Ireland, could have been a mom, dad, and calves. For more photos, please click here.

What do we miss the most during the lockdown in Mumbai?…Mainly food…

Posted by worldwide-admin on with 0 Comment
Mosques and churches are abundant in Istanbul, Turkey, which we visited in June 2013. 

Note: To all of our readers visiting our site via a smartphone, please click the “View web version” tab under the word “Home” at the bottom of the page to access the web version enabling you to access all of our archives on the right side of the page. We’ll be updating our site in a few months, making these extra steps unnecessary. Thank you. 

Today’s photos are from June 11, 2013, while in Istanbul, Turkey. See the link here for more photos. Istanbul, Turkey, is the only capital city globally that is located on two separate continents, Europe and Asia.  Tom filled me in on this morsel, history buff that he is.
 

Several of our readers suggested today’s post topic when we requested input from our readers on future topics in this post a few days ago. Thank you to so many who’ve written to us with excellent suggestions, which, over time, we’ll undoubtedly utilize in future posts, especially while we’re still in lockdown in Mumbai, India.

Many inquired as to “What we’ve missed the most while in lockdown.” Mainly, as mentioned in the past, what we eat is a significant source of importance, now more than ever. With the long days and nights, mealtime is a pleasant distraction and a needed source of sustenance and nutrition.

What a view of Istanbul!

Of course, we can’t wait for the days when we will be in a new location when we can go outdoors, sightseeing, and visiting points of interest in and surrounding our everyday lives.

I can’t wait for those first photos of our “new” grocery store when we have the exciting opportunity to shop for our meal preparation while living in a new temporary home. The thought of sharing photos of our new home and surroundings sends shivers up my spine. 

The contrast of old and new is breathtaking in Istanbul.

It’s even harder to envision taking photos of sightseeing venues when at this point, it’s been three months since we’ve done so, the same amount of time when we didn’t go out and about while I was recovering from open-heart surgery in the bush house in Marloth Park in 2019.

At least during those long three months, Tom was able to take plenty of photos of the visiting wildlife daily, often accompanied by exciting tidbits suitable for inclusion in the next day’s post.

We were able to zoom in on many historic sites from the deck of the ship.

Here, in lockdown, the most significant tidbit of the day might be something like this: last night’s Paneer Machkni was made by a different cook using a different recipe and didn’t suit my taste. 

Now the question is, “Do I tell them it was awful and hope they use the former recipe, or do I stop ordering it entirely?” I don’t know. It was a nice break from the grilled chicken breasts night after night with a side of cooked cabbage and spinach, both often too salty even when I’ve said over and over: “No salt, please.” I use salt, but over-salting is unpleasant. We have our Himalayan salt on hand, which I’d prefer to use at my discretion.

Google Maps
The far-left point of the blue line is the Port of Istanbul. The endpoint of the blue line toward the right is the Blue Mosque and an area of most of the tourist attractions, a little too close for comfort by our commitment to safety. Taksim Square, where there was political unrest in Istanbul, Turkey, at that time, is across the bridge from the Blue Mosque.

With the language barrier, it’s hard to explain changes over the phone. We aren’t allowed to meet the cooks in person. When I’ve tried ordering the one other item I can eat, salmon, the portion is too small to fill me when my sides only consist of the two small portions of vegetables. 

If I ask for more, we’ll be charged twice as much, and it’s just not worth paying INR 1818, US $24, for a 6 ounce, .17 kg serving of salmon. Each dinner, I need a 6 ounce, .17 kg serving of protein, two non-starchy vegetables, and a side salad. But, it’s not safe to eat raw vegetables in India, even in this lovely hotel, making a fresh salad is out of the question.

Here again, old and new intertwined in Istanbul, Turkey.

Don’t get me wrong, the staff at this hotel is excellent, and in no way do I intend to negate the quality of their service or food. But, they are used to serving Indian food, not my low-carb way of eating, let alone continental cuisine. 

If I could eat Indian food, I would since I do like most of it. But, I don’t need to suffer the unpleasant effects of changing my diet. Tom is doing well with his same dinner each night, which doesn’t seem to vary much in taste, although the portions may vary in size.

We find this French style of architecture in parts of the US and many other cities worldwide.

In a nutshell, we miss our homemade meals, and yes, a nice big steak would serve us well. Neither of us had had any beef since before January 30, 2020, when we left the US to travel to India. 

We knew we wouldn’t have any beef in India during the planned initially two months of touring. That was anticipated and not a problem. Now, it has been five months, and it could be many more months until we can have a bun-less burger, meatloaf, pot roast, roast beef, steaks, or the many other cuts of meat we’ve regularly enjoyed in the past.

This simple church spire adds to the Istanbul skyline.

Nor can we have pork here other than Tom’s over-cooked or under-cooked bacon each morning, including pork chops on the grill, a pork roast, pork tenderloin, and shredded pork, all of which could be which is unavailable.

Even the chicken is different here. They do not serve dark meat as a protein source on a plate that I prefer. Dark meat is used in various Indian dishes, while dry white meat serves chicken as an entree. I’ve never really cared for chicken breasts unless they were roasted on the bone. 

Each night when I don’t order Paneer Mahkni, I get two small chicken breast halves. Fortunately, they aren’t as dry as they could be, but it’s never quite filling enough. An hour or so later, the hunger subsides, and I am fine for the evening. Tom’s portions are sufficient for him.

The Port of Istanbul, where we sit today, is a 20-minute walk from the unrest in Taksim Square.

What else do we miss besides food? Fresh outdoor air, shopping, space to move around, everyday household tasks, walking outdoors, happy hour, friends, conversations with others, birds singing, wildlife, flowers blooming, sunsets, trips to the market, and being able to purchase toiletries and odds and ends we need from time to time.

When I take my contacts out at night, I wear those cheap drugstore glasses while reading my phone or playing scrabble. Within a week, both of the “arms” (the part that goes over the ears) broke, and there was no way to keep them on while lying on my side in bed. 

Tom broke off the head of a toothbrush provided by the hotel and handed me the handle, which I used with an elastic hairband to fashion a new handle. See the photo below. It works. In normal times, I would have gone to a pharmacy to purchase a new pair. But, these are the times of Covid-19. Nothing is the same.

Revised eyeglasses using a toothbrush handle and an elastic hairband.

We manage. We improvise, and we continue to have hope eventually, all of this will change. Yesterday, Tom asked me, as Covid-19 cases rapidly escalate in India, if we could see ourselves still here a year from now. It’s entirely possible, but we’re praying, not likely. 

We anticipate we’ll be able to leave in three months, perhaps not to South Africa but some other country we choose as safe and palatable for our needs and desires. Under no circumstances will we select a location that we deem to be unsafe in any manner. 

Are we unhappy? Not at all. We laugh, we chat, we tease, and we are playful with one another. We analyze the state of our planet, other countries, India, our own country, our former home state of Minnesota, and the progression of the virus, for us, our loved ones, and for the future of the world to come.

May God keep us all healthy and able to withstand the challenges facing each of us, regardless of how big or small they may be. It’s all relative.

Be well.

Photo from one year ago today, June 11, 2019:

A calf on a hill overlooking the sea in Connemara, Ireland. For more photos, please click here.

Air India opening up international flights but see the caveats here…Why we’re excluded…We can handle this…

Posted by worldwide-admin on with 0 Comment

While in Campanaria, Madeira, Portugal, we heard the music coming from the fish guy’s truck and raced up the hill to his trucks. He held up a tuna for us to inspect. It was smaller than some of the others but, this size was perfect. It weighed 7.7 kg, 17 pounds, and the cost was INR 2569, US $34. He cut them into portion-sized pieces, wrapping each piece individually.

Note: To all of our readers visiting our site via a smartphone, please click the “View web version” tab under the word “Home” at the bottom of the page to access the web version enabling you to access all of our archives on the right side of the page. We’ll be updating our site in a few months, making these extra steps unnecessary. Thank you.
Today’s photos are from June 6, 2014, while living in Madeira, Portugal. See the link here for more photos.

Many of our concerned readers (thanks for your interest and support) have been sending us messages about international flights opening up via Air India or other countries. It all sounds well and good.

But, here are the countries to which they are flying per this news story:

“Air India will operate around 300 flights to Europe, Australia, Canada, the USA, the UK, and Africa between June 10 and July 1 during phase 3 of Vande Bharat Mission.”

Next, they weighed our tuna. It was slightly under 8 kilograms, approximately 17 pounds.

First off, in most of Europe, all of Canada, all of Australia, and most of Africa (including South Africa), the borders are closed to US citizens, regardless of the fact we’ve been in India since January 31, 2020. 

Now, as India’s number of cases escalate, the fact that our passports indicate we’ve been here during the worst of the pandemic, there is an additional whammy against us entering many countries.

With the number of cases in Europe continually increasing, we have no interest in going to Europe at this time. In 2020, we spent three months in Ireland and two months in the UK and had no interest in returning at this point with their ongoing increases in the number of cases.

First, he removed the head and tail using a huge knife.

But, all of the above is a moot point when we read this news today at this news story:

“The national carrier (Air India) posted at 8.20 PM on Friday on Twitter: “Bookings for select destinations in the USA, Canada, UK & Europe, etc., under Phase3 of #MissionVandeBharat opened at 5 pm today. Around 60 million hits were received till 7 pm on our website & 1700 seats were sold through the website alone in 2 hrs. Bookings continue & tickets are being issued.”

Only 1700 seats were booked for the above locations, and they received 60 million hits. Their website crashed. Most of these flights were designated for Indian citizens and others returning to their places of residence, not for “tourists” like us trying to leave India to go to another country to continue our travels.

The flights involving Africa for repatriation purposes are as follows from this site:

“Phase 3 of this repatriation drive covers around 17 African countries — Air India will operate flights from Egypt, Kenya, Mauritius, Nigeria, Seychelles, and South Africa and charter services for Djibouti, Morocco, Sudan, Morocco, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Malawi, Tanzania, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ghana, and Sierra Leone.”

All of the above country’s borders are closed to US citizens. All of these flights are for repatriation. This does not include us unless we’re interested in returning to the US for repatriation. As mentioned, we are not. We’d rather wait it out here for many more months to come than return to the US, with no US health insurance, no home, and the high cost of living.

He reached into the cavity and started removing the entrails.
If we were to return to the US and rent a home, we’d have to buy a car, outfit the property, sign up for US Medicare Part B and supplement, and give up on our dream to continue our lifestyle of world travel. 
 
We couldn’t afford to maintain a comfortable lifestyle in the US while continuing to travel the world. After all, as we’ve mentioned, we are not wealthy, nor is our retirement income sufficient to support both ways of life at any given time. Sure, we could go on a trip or two each year, but that is not what we want.
 
No, we’re not like everyone else in this regard. We understand and respect how the majority of the senior population find comfort and pleasure in their retirement, living in a retirement community (or not), and filling their days with what they enjoy the most. It’s just not us.
He was highly skilled, most likely as a result of years of experience.  Plus, he had all of his fingers.
So, after 7¾ years of world travel, if we have to spend 8 or 9 months in lockdown while we emotionally and financially continue to handle it, be it. No, it wasn’t easy living in other countries, with over 40C, 104F temperatures without air-con (except at night). It’s a lot easier here in this hotel in India. We can handle this.
 
If we survived my dreadful experience of having emergency open-heart surgery in a small hospital in a small town in South Africa with numerous complications, we could handle this.
 
Even if we wanted to take advantage of one of these 1700 available seats on Air India, how would we compete with the 60 million hits on Air India’s website, all clamoring for these relatively few seats? 
This was our remaining tuna after we gave Judite, our cleaner, and Gina, our property manager, each a good-sized bag, some of which we’ll cook over the next few nights and the remainder, which we sealed in Ziploc bags and froze for future meals.
Once international flights open up in India for some of the areas we’d consider, who then have open borders to US citizens, we’ll wait a few weeks for the “rush” to settle down and then book our preferred locations as they become available. 
 
I check this ticker for the number of cases, the new number of cases, and new deaths each day. We realize it may not be 100% accurate, based on reporting procedures in various countries. But it’s easy to see why we aren’t interested in visiting most of the countries mentioned above when the risks are so high and why we are interested, if possible, in waiting it out to go to South Africa (#24 on this list) or certain other African countries or islands in the Indian Ocean, while we wait.
 
Yes, it’s possible that at some point, India could require us to leave with the only option available to return to the US. If that were the case, we’d go for a short period, stay in a holiday home or hotel, and then we’d fly away, continuing our journey. The less time we spent flying in crowded airplanes, the better.
 
We can handle this.

Photo from one year ago today, June 6, 2019:

Cows in the garden. As we drove down the shared driveway between ours and the owner’s house, we noticed we had cattle on both sides. The owner allows a local farmer to let the cattle graze in her grassy fields. For more photos, please click here.

We arrived in Chennai…Food issues…Another long travel day with a few worrisome moments…

Posted by worldwide-admin on with 0 Comment
This blind priest prays in this position all day, standing outside the  Eklingi Temple. As a functioning temple, no photos are allowed. Silver was used in embellishing the interior, and it was stunning.

Yesterday at 1:00 pm, our driver, Vishnu, picked us at the hotel in Udaipur to begin the harrowing drive to the airport for our 4:00 pm flight on Indigo Air with an expected arrival time Chennai after changing planes in Bangalore.

The first flight was relatively smooth. No food is served on Indigo Air unless pre-ordered and paid for online, although the flight attendants will serve coffee/tea and nuts for a fee during the flight.
We’re always in awe of the detailed carvings, many of which require decades of diligent work to complete.

Since my breakfasts are somewhat skimpy due to a lack of foods I can eat other than eggs in one form or another, I was hungry and thirsty by 5:00 pm when the flight was in the air, and the flight attendants began serving.

I ordered a small bag of almonds and a cup of green tea, enough to hold me for a few hours until we’d expect to arrive at our hotel in Chennai, sometime after 9:30 pm. There’s nothing I can eat at the airport stands that are available after we’ve gone through security.
Every carving has a special meaning.

No doubt, food has been an issue for both of us in India. Don’t get me wrong, I love Indian food, although most dishes are laden with thickened sauces, lentils, and potatoes, none of which works for my way of eating.

Sacred cows were kept safely on the grounds of the temple.

Tom, on the other hand, is struggling more than I am. He won’t even try most Indian dishes when his taste buds don’t allow for heavily seasoned or spicy foods. If spices are left out of most words, they become bland.

Generally, there are other visitors when we visit temples.

He doesn’t eat dark meat. For example, he’s ordered plain chicken, but pieces of dark meat are often cut into smaller pieces with the bones. The chicken appears to be boiled and, without the Indian sauces and spices, doesn’t appeal even to my less picky tastes. 

Nagda Temple is not a functioning temple, but the Gods contained therein are attended to daily. They are symbolically brought food, flower offerings, and bathed each day. No visitors are allowed when the Gods are sleeping.

We’ve yet to see white chicken breast offered as the main dish option. We’ve asked, but they don’t seem to know what that is. It’s a cultural thing. We keep reminding ourselves we are in a unique culture and what they eat is different from what we know.

Many Gods are represented in artfully crafted stone and marble.

Vegetarian dishes are out for Tom, although he’s ordered vegetarian fried rice and potatoes on several occasions. The reality is, we are making the best of it, somehow not starving and filling up on foods that do work for us.

I order omelets for breakfast each day. Tom has eggs and toast, enough of each to fill him up. There’s no bacon, no ham, no meat side dish of some type. Dinners are challenging when most are buffets with literally nothing I can eat and nothing Tom will eat.
A ceiling in one of the temples.

Anyway, when our first flight was 30 minutes late taking off, we were worried we wouldn’t make the second flight with only a one-hour layover. We checked out flights online only to discover there were no flights from Bangalore to Chennai after our scheduled flight at 7:30 pm. 

If we missed the connecting flight, we’d have to spend the night at the airport until the first flight in the morning. What a dreadful thought that was. As we rushed to our gate at the second airport, having to take a bus from the plane to the terminal, we thought we were going to miss it.
Many God sculptures in temples have been pillaged over the centuries. And yet, the Hindu people still treat the temple with the same symbolism and respect, as if they were still there.

As it turned out, when we arrived at the appropriate gate, we discovered the connecting flight was delayed by 45 minutes. Relief! We could sit back and relax until it was time to go.

Once in Chennai, our new driver Raj explained he would be with us on all tours and road trips until March 29th. He sleeps in the nicely appointed SUV, which, much to our delight, even has WiFi, which will be great on the long road trips. 
Tom takes a photo of me taking a photo of one of several beautiful temples.

We couldn’t believe Raj sleeps in the car, but apparently, other drivers and guides in India do the same. I’ve yet to ask him where he’ll shower and do his laundry. I assure you I will ask and report back here.

The temple structures were made of marble which is abundant in India, but over the years, the white color has changed to this light brown coloring.

When we arrived in Chennai at the most peculiar hotel, the Ibis City Centre, at 9:30, it made no sense to have dinner that late. Tom wasn’t hungry. I was starved. He explained he’d sit with me if I wanted dinner. There was nothing on the menu that appealed to me. Thus, I passed on eating and went to bed in our (as stated above), the most peculiar hotel.

These massive pillars remain along with these 400-year-old temples.

As for the peculiar hotel, it’s clean, friendly, and ultra-modern, circa the 1990s, with lots of colorful molded chairs and black lacquered tables. There isn’t a single bit of evidence that we’re are in India, anywhere in the entire facility. It has the fastest WiFi signal we’ve had anywhere in India, so that helps.
We’ll leave again tomorrow for another road trip to our following location, which we’ll share once we arrive. Tomorrow, March 7th, will be our 25th wedding anniversary, and we’re excited to spend it overlooking the sea in a gorgeous traditional Indian hotel.

We met this lovely French woman, Stephanie, a yoga instructor who’d come to India with many of her students. After chatting across tables at dinner, we invited her to sit with us, and a lively conversation ensued. We are always so delighted to meet beautiful people like Stephanie in our travels.

This morning we visited some temples, unlike anything we’d seen so far, reminding us of our visit to Singapore in 2016. More on that tomorrow while we prepare the day’s post in the WiFi-enabled vehicle on our way to the following location.

This is such a good experience for us, unlike anything we’ve done in the past almost 7½ years, which we’ll carry with us into the future, God willing, a long and healthy lot… For YOU, too!

Photo from one year ago today, March 6, 2019:

Little came looking for me, wondering why I hadn’t been sitting outdoors after the primary surgery as I’d usually done. Oh, Little, you put such a smile on my face. For more photos, please click here.

Eight hour car ride from Shimla to Amritsar…No delusions, rose coloured glasses…

Posted by worldwide-admin on with 0 Comment
My spectacular dinner was made by the thoughtful chef at the Amritsar Ramada, where we’ll stay for three nights.

It was quite a day. Our good driver Prince drove perfectly on the treacherous roads as we made our way down the Himalayas. The traffic, the horn honking, the weaving in and out between cars, trucks, and motorbikes was quite a sight to see as well as many other stunning scenes along the way.

As we entered Amritsar after an eight-hour car ride.

India is known for its pollution, skinny stray dogs, and rundown structures as a part of life in many parts.

A herd of sheep moving on down the road.

Sure, we tend to sugarcoat these rampant realities with often rose-colored glasses in an attempt to paint a colorful view of our nonstop world travels. But what shall we do? Whinge about the fact we’ve yet to see a bright blue sky or a totally clear day? Hardly.

A historic building as we drove through crowded town after another.

This country of over 1.3 billion people belongs to its people, and they are proud and grateful for what they do have instead of what they don’t. We are humbled by their acceptance and kindness, not by everyone, but by most.

It’s easy to see how India had 1.3 billion people. They are everywhere, and little land is reserved for the countryside or farming.

And, what do we gain by exposing ourselves to these challenges? Exactly what we intended seven years and almost four months ago when we left Minnesota to explore the world.

Color is everywhere.

It was never about hedonistic pleasures pumping our veins with luxurious comforts. It was always about filling out hearts and minds with a new appreciation, a unique perspective of life outside the box we so freely occupied all of our lives.

Every area, every town is congested with people and “stuff.”

The meaning, the purpose, and the scope of our past experiences were limited to a tight circle around us. Today, it’s the world.

Shops are packed with colorful dresses worn by Hindu women.

Why, “they” may ask? Originally, curiosity. Now, this blissful opportunity has become about sharing this adventure with all of you, for those who traveled, for those who dreamed of travel, and for those who continue with their own goals of exploring the world.

People, cars and more shops.

Every day we plot, plan, and share the peculiarities, the nuances, the joys, and the challenges we encounter along the way. Not always pretty. Not always heartwarming and enchanting. But always, as real and concise as we can be from this long acquired perspective.

On a rare occasion did we encounter a more modern building.

Yes, in time, it will come to a close. In six days, I will be 72 years old with a precarious heart condition. Tom, five years younger, will only be able to haul the bags for so many years to come.

As we came down the mountains, we encountered snow.

But we’ll carry on, slipping on those rose-colored glasses from time to time to soften the blows of the many harsh realities we encounter in the world to share each perspective with all of you.

Dirty snow piled up on the side of the road.

We just returned from a fantastic dinner on Valentine’s night sans alcohol. No alcoholic beverages are served in Amritsar in the proximity of the golden temple, which we’ll see tomorrow morning with our new guide. We don’t mind forgoing happy hour for three nights to savor the local treasures of Amritsar.

Town after the town became a picturesque view as we wound our way down the mountains.

Tomorrow evening holds quite an adventure. We’ll share the following day.

Thank you, dear reader/friends, for your inspiration and your loyalty. You are always with us.

Happy Valentine’s Day to all the lovers out there…

India pleasures continue, minus a few glitches along the way…

Posted by worldwide-admin on with 0 Comment
With my laptop crashing and the dreadfully bad WiFi signal at this hotel, I cannot upload any photos today. The hotel is fully booked for Valentine’s Day, and with so many guests sharing the connection, we’re unable to upload any images.

Once I get my new Chromebook in within a week, I’ll get caught up, especially if we have a better WiFi signal when we’re not so high above sea level and in a hotel with such a poor signal.No doubt, we anticipated WiFi issues when visiting somewhat remote locations along the way. But, what did we expect? We didn’t anticipate that Tom’s old computer, which I’d carefully reformatted only a few weeks ago, would essentially crash for good, leaving me in difficulty attempting to post.

We’ve been a bit frustrated with the hotel we’re currently in while staying in Shimla for three nights. In the remodeling process, numerous steep stone outdoor stairways are required to navigate from the make-shift temporary lobby to find our room.

Tom counted that we had to navigate 96 steps (10 flights of stairs) each time we need to access the main entrance to the hotel. There aren’t adequate elevators (lifts) to get from one level/location to another. Had we known this, we’d never booked this hotel.

The hotel room is spacious and quite lovely, as is the restaurant. But there is no bar/lounge to relax or work before dining or anywhere in the entire hotel where we can sit other than in our hotel room when we have work to do. This is ridiculous, especially for a usually quite convenient Radisson Hotel.

Subsequently, we’re looking forward to moving on tomorrow.  At 10:00 am, we’ll be on the move again when Prince drives us the required seven hours to our next stop in Amritsar, another famous city many tourists come to India to see.

Don’t get me wrong; we’re enjoying India. It’s a fascinating country rich in culture and history with an overall kindly and gentle population. But, like life itself, sometimes travel isn’t as convenient and as easy as we’d like it to be. 

These few glitches will soon be resolved, leaving us more at ease and in our element. Or, we may continue to experience WiFi issues that make posting difficult each day. In any case, we’ll make every effort to figure all of this out as we continue.

We’re managing with the food, which is predominately Indian flavored, using considerable starch and sugar. The only dishes I can count on working for me are simple curries. For Tom, it’s a little more challenging, but we’re both managing to find foods suitable for both of our needs and taste buds. 

The easiest meal is breakfast which is included in our hotel fare at most locations. We’ve been able to have eggs, omelets, and bacon. Dinners are a little more challenging, but here again, we’re able to make it work while still savoring some Indian flavors in our meals.

Last night, we had a good meal in the dining room while celebrating my first anniversary of open-heart surgery. These minor issues remind us of how lucky and grateful we are to be able to continue on in our travels after what transpired in the past year.

May your day and evening leave you feeling grateful.

Meet me at the Khaas Bagh…The wonder of Indian culture continues…

Posted by worldwide-admin on with 2 Comments
An impressive fireworks display was orchestrated for the Maharajas Express passengers. We were honored and breathless.

I don’t know where to begin. We are amid so many great sites and venues, as we continue our journey on the luxurious Maharajas Express, it’s challenging to narrow it down sufficiently to prepare one complete story at a time. Thus, I have no choice but to break it down into segments.

A full bar was set up in this antique car.

Today’s segment is from last evening’s extraordinary dinner and cultural show at the Hanwant Mahal, also known as the Khaas Bagh. I know I’ve heard the line, “Meet me at the Khaas Bagh” in a movie, but after looking online, I’m having trouble pinning it down. If any of our readers recognize this line from a movie, please write and let us know. 

An exquisite and highly skilled puppet show was presented during the cocktail hour. Many sumptuous appetizers were served during this period.
Jodhpur, still in the state of Rajasthan, is a vast city amass with culture and historical presence. Yesterday, we visited its historical masterpiece, the Mehrangarh Fort, a well-preserved museum and fort. 
Many antique cars were presented at the venue, both a restaurant and part of the Umaid Palace in Jodhpur, India.

We have taken hundreds of photos, but with the often poor WiFi signal, we’ll have to wait until we’re off the train and able to receive a better signal at various hotels in our upcoming 55-night tour, commencing on Sunday in Delhi.

Stunning view of the elegant outdoor restaurant, Marwan Mahal (or Khaas Bagh), located in the famous Umaid Palace, had a delicious array of Indian foods which was not quite as good as Chef John’s aboard the train.

Plus, we’ll have new photos of those upcoming sites we’ll visit during our tour. All we can do is keep posting while highlighting the events we find to be most appealing to our senses.

Upon entry to the venue, we were offered a ceremonial Hindu dot on the forehead and a string of beads.

And yes, our senses are on overload; the sights, the sounds, the smell, and of course, the food is over the top. Our diligent and charming Chef John (John Stone, an Indian with a westernized name) is attentive beyond all expectations. We couldn’t be more pleased with his exemplary food and over-the-top service.

Another antique car.

And last night’s meal off the train, although excellent and beautifully presented, was a little sketchy for me when there was no way I could determine what I could and couldn’t eat. As a result, I only took a few bites of the varied offerings. Tom was able to find a few items that suited his palate.

A bright orange antique car is on display behind glass.

Shortly before dinner was served at the beautifully appointed tables and chairs, the fireworks display commenced. We all oohed and ahhed over the well-orchestrated display. We were thrilled our new phones could capture good photos of the collection, as shown above.

Upon returning to the train by approximately 9:00 pm, it was evident that most of the passengers were as weary as me. My Fitbit read at almost 11,000 steps, one of the more significant days for me in a long time.
We’d never been able to capture quality fireworks photos until now with our new Google World phones.

Although neither of us slept through the night, we ended up with a good night’s rest, both feeling chipper and prepared for today’s upcoming activities, commencing after lunch which seems to include lots of walking on uneven surfaces.

Today will hopefully prove to be another exciting day. No doubt, we’ll be back tomorrow with more. Tonight includes an unusual dining experience we can’t wait to share in tomorrow’s post; dunes, camels, and more.

Thanks to all of our readers for your patience during our quiet time in the US for 82-nights. We are excited to make all of that up to you during these next several months.

Happy day!

Photo from one year ago today, February 5, 2019:

One year ago, preoccupied with my medical issues, we posted photos from the previous year while in Antarctica, as indicated here: Icebergs are exciting and unusual.  This iceberg was massive, many stories high. For more, please click here.

Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride…A leopard in the palace…

Posted by worldwide-admin on with 0 Comment
The locals are doing their laundry in Lake Pichola, but no laundry soap is allowed. Nor are fishing and private boats permitted on the lake.

It would be possible to upload 20 posts with the information and photos available after yesterday’s fantastic tour in Udaipur, India. We visited places, rode in wild congested traffic in fast, expertly driven tuk-tuks (two motorized passenger rickshaws) to get Shiv Niwas Palace to dine in a fabulous nearby restaurant with exceptional food and service.

A structure on the grounds of Shiv Niwas Palace also known as the City Palace.

But before going further, we must provide an overview of what transpired yesterday to explain a change in the arranged itinerary (through the Maharajas Express train).

Tom listened to our tour guide and provided headsets with the five-star Taj Lake Palace in the background.

After a lovely breakfast on the train by 10:00 am, we wandered to our company-owned, assigned bus #2, of two, that follows the route of the train always to be available for passenger tours to various arranged venues from the several train stations where we stop along the route from Mumbai to Delhi.

The Maharajas Express provided us with many gifts, including scarves and hats.

In air-conditioned comfort in the luxury buses, the ride to the first venue of the day in Udaipur was pleasant and uneventful. We pulled into the guarded gates of the City Palace, also known as Shiv Niwas Palace. We headed to a veranda overlooking the famous artificial (1362) Lake Pichola for photo-taking and detailed storytelling by our guide.

Side view of the City Palace as our boat wafted past.

We’re posting several of those photos today with more following as time allows. About 40 minutes later, the 70 train passengers boarded a flat bottomed boat wearing mandatory life jackets for what proved to be about an hour-long boat tour of Lake Pichola.

Descendants of royalty still live in the Shiv Niwas Palace 

When the first segment of the boat ride ended, our guide explained the much-anticipated lunch venue in the City Palace would have to be moved to another restaurant. The reason?

The palace began being built in 1559 and is always under construction and renovation yet today.

A leopard had entered the palace overnight and had been seen in an area close to the original restaurant in an area that had been cordoned off to protect visitors as well as the leopard.

In recent times, the lake was bone dry during periods of little rain, as shown by watermarks.

Rangers had been called with hopes of tranquilizing and relocating the leopard back to the nearby mountain from whence it had come. Unfortunately, we never had an opportunity to see the leopard, nor did we hear if they had been safely relocated.

A shrine was built between the walls of the palace.

Subsequently, very last minute, the lunch venue was changed to another restaurant on the opposite side of the palace, which was way too far to walk, nor would buses be able to maneuver in the congested, traffic-laden area.

Lake Pichola was man-made in 1362.

After the boat ride, we all meandered to a nearby street within the confines of the palace to be driven by tuk-tuks for what ultimately proved to be an adventurous, heart-pounding 20-minute ride through the worst traffic one can imagine.

As is tradition, a bride and groom have photos taken before their wedding.

My favorite ride as a kid was Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride, most like long gone from the park but memorable for those of us who remember this ride. Nonetheless, it was the wild ride of our lives. We both giggled over the excitement of it all, which reminded me of my childhood living in California and visiting Disneyland quite often.

Another stunning palace overlooking the lake.

The sights, the sounds, and the smells as we whipped through the city streets were a senses overload. The cows wandering through the streets, the smile on the faces of the adorable children as they waved to us, the shops, the street food, the endless array of motorbikes, the tiny tuk-tuk type trucks, and the people, all was a part of this glorious experience.

Jag Mandir Palace.

Tom couldn’t wipe the smile off his face as our driver rapidly darted in and out of traffic and tight spaces, unlike any ride we’ve ever experienced. We felt like little kids having the time of our lives.

We spotted a few green parrots on the grounds of Jag Mandir.

The lunch as the fantastic restaurant was an indescribable buffet of Indian foods like none other with many items I could eat. The head chef walked me through the buffet line, pointing to the safe things for my way of eating. Once back at our table of eight, I was in pure heaven eating the spicy and flavorful foods.

The tuk-tuks were lined up and ready to take us to the opposite side of the palace, which required a 20-minute wild ride through narrow streets and outrageous traffic.

On the other hand, Tom only had a few bites, claiming he was saving room for another great dinner on the train. But I knew him better. He politely tasted a few items, but these spicy items were not his “cup of tea.”

A cow and her calf were scavaging for food on the city street.

And, later on, we did have a fabulous dinner with Chef John Stone, preparing yet another memorable meal for me, often stopping at our table, hands pressed together in a gracious Hindu bow, seeking the knowledge that I was pleased.  I was.

Colorful shops lined the streets, many offering a variety of textiles and Pashmina scarves.

Tom even ate lamb last night, the first time I’d ever seen him do so, finishing every last bite. This morning I only had a bowl of plain yogurt since I was still full from yesterday’s eating frenzy.

Busy streets on which we scooted through traffic.

Tomorrow’s post will share some historical facts about the palaces and the fort we visited. There isn’t enough time to go through all of that today since soon lunch will be served, after which we’re heading out on another extensive tour which will include “dinner on the town.”

We were awaiting the name of the restaurant where we dined on delicious Indian food. We’ll add it later.

Need I say? Yep, we’re enjoying every moment of this marvelous adventure, and, undoubtedly, we’re loving India. We’ll be back with more…

Be well

Photo from one year ago today, February 4, 2019:

.
A hippo and a cattle egret have symbiosis in their relationship. For more photos, please click here.