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| This was the first bridge we drove across to arrive in the center of the town of Bagni di Lucca in Tuscany. |
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| As we approached Bagni di Lucca, the view was not the same town as Lucca itself, which we also visited a short time later. |
Much to our shock, they stated their rooms were filled with workers soon departing to resume work on the oil platforms out at sea. With 334 rooms, this was astounding. Once they leave in a few days, I’ll ask again as to how many of us remain.
Will it still be a small group of 10 or 20 guests since the onset of the lockdown began in March? We’ll report here soon.
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| Notice the “no honking” sign. |
It’s no wonder it’s taken almost an hour for us to receive our room service dinners in the past few days, although breakfasts have been arriving in the typical 30 minutes from when we’ve placed the call.
We don’t see any of these other guests. They, too, are locked away on different floors as we have been on the fourth floor for the past three-plus months. It’s a rarity to see any of the guests on this floor when they, too, are staying in place in their respective rooms.
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| The vegetation was so thick as we drove along the Lima River while entering Bagni di Lucca. This was the best shot we could get until we arrived closer to the town. |
Today, we made our online booking for the hotel from July 1 to August 2, 2020. But, we have no delusions of getting out of here by that date. Based on information coming down the pike from countries worldwide, no US passport holders will be allowed into the majority of countries.
Today, a notice came to my phone that Europe won’t allow US citizens to enter any time in the future, which may prove to be well into 2021.
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| The last portion of the road as we began the descent into Bagni di Lucca. |
As we review options for other parts of the world and potential upcoming flights out of India, we won’t be allowed to enter the majority of the countries on the borders-opening list. How long we’ve been in India is irrelevant since Indians are also on the refusal lists.
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| Tom, at the park by the river. One of our readers commented that his white tennis shoes are a dead ringer for a tourist. Apparently, Europeans wear darker colored shoes. Although, we’re not ashamed to be tourists, spending money and savoring every moment in the current country in our journey. |
At this point, we have no interest, or are we welcomed to travel anywhere in such locations as Asia, South America, Australia, New Zealand, and, as we’ve mentioned many times in the past, in returning to the US.
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| The street was so narrow it only allowed for one-way traffic at a time at the upcoming “T.” As a result, we sat at this light for no less than 7 minutes. |
At this point, we’ve begun to know people in the US with the virus when fe didn’t personally know of a single case. for so long. We pray for their recovery and future well being.
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| The footbridge leads to historical points of interest behind me, where we wandered around. |
With over 2.5 million cases in the US, it’s pointless for us to return any time shortly. We still await information for a variety of island nations that may eventually accept us and, of course, various countries in Africa, hoping someday to be allowed to enter South Africa.
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| Many of these buildings appear newer, although less attractive from the exterior. But many of them are hundreds of years old, built to last with the simple exterior design, common at different times. |
National news consists of conflicting information on which countries will allow US citizens to enter. Each day, we conduct new research to see what our options may be down the road.
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| Building a park around a historical structure is common from what we’ve seen of the world thus far. Hard to read signs prevented us from determining the origin of this structure. |
However disappointing for us, the reality remains that even when India’s borders open for incoming and outgoing international flights, where we will be allowed to enter, it may still be in question. There are dozens of possibilities we watch daily to see when US citizens will be allowed to enter.
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| Historic ruins along the banks of the river remain a part of the properties (circa the 1900s) built over the centuries. |
Also, we have to consider the risk of spending hours in airports and on airplanes. Perhaps, ultimately, we may have to stay here for many months to come to reduce those risks.
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| Danita Delimont Bridge was built in the 1700s. Walking across we were impressed by its strength and stability. |
In the interim, we are fine. Tom is now walking the corridors and doing the stairs, and I continue to walk the corridors ten times a day. Although repetitious and boring, we’re eating fresh, healthy food, sleeping well, and our spirits are as good as can be expected, obviously impacted by family members’ health and well-being.
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| Outdoor cafes never cease to delight us, a novelty from whence we came in bitter cold Minnesota. |
We hope all of our readers continue to exercise safety procedures to remain healthy as the world begins to open up many shops, restaurants, and businesses.
Take nothing for granted.
Photo from one year ago today, June 26, 2019:
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| This is a stream in Oughterard Shrubbery near Connemara, Ireland. For more photos, please click here. |
