Day #162 in lockdown in Mumbai, India hotel…

Day #162 in lockdown in Mumbai, India hotel…

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In 2014, we traveled to Normandy, France, on a private small-group tour from the ship. At the time, I was less interested in touring Normandy than Tom. Tom was especially interested and passionate about visiting this historic site. However, everything changed once we arrived at the location, and I found it impossible not to be captured by the powerful message and presence of this critical cemetery and part of history.

Photos posted today are from this date in 2014 from this link.

The Normandy American Cemetery and Memorial.

Our small group of 12, riding in a van from the port, were less friendly than most small group tours we’d participated in in the past. As a result, we mostly toured the vast site on our own, later meeting with the group. The tour lasted over several hours as we walked from area to area, emotionally moved by everything we saw.

Tomorrow, we’ll share several more photos from the Normandy tour, but on this particular date on September 1, 2014, we’d posted only a few photos, for whatever reason, as shown.

With hotel rates increasing with more and more business people arriving from throughout the country, we’re currently booking for shorter periods when it seems we ccan’tbook for weeks at a time. It appears the rates are much higher for long periods, as opposed to short periods, as much as US $25, INR 1820 per night. We keep checking daily in an attempt to lock in better rates.

The region of Normandy is rich in history and charming for its appealing French architecture of the ccentury’spast.

Of course, it would be great if we could negotiate a better rate with the hotel. But, after attempting to do so, their prices wweren’tas good as we could get through Hotels.com on our site, after factoring in the “one free night with every ten nights “they provide. We did the math, and wwe’reahead using the website. However, the hotel provides us with a 30% discount on meals which helps.

Also, eal to all of our readers to use the links on our site for your Amazon and travel needs. We receive a small commission when booking through our links on our site. The pricing for you, using our site,  is the same as yyou’dreceive if you go to these sites on your own and wwe’reprovided a small commission to offset a few of our website expenses. S so much appreciated. We received a number of inquiries from readers mentioning they have noreceivedng the automated email each day with our new daily post. It appears you will have to sign up again for our new site. We apologize for the inconvenience. There is a link entitled “Sign Up to Our Newsletter” at the top right of the main page, where you can enter your email address and will automatically receive the most recent post in your inbox. It takes a day or two to activate this, so; please check our link in the interim: www.worldwidewaftage.com.

The fog rolled into the Normandy region, as shown in our early morning two-hour drive.

Otherwise, everything seems to be working well on our site. Our developers continue to work in the background on a few issues that don’t impact your reading of the new daily post. I have a lot to learn about using WordPress while I spend at least an hour a day going back through the 3,000 old posts, making corrections.

There are a few items I ccan’tcorrect which are images of particular items wwe’dpurchased from time to time. WWe’dcopied the ads from Amazon or another site to illustrate what wwe’dpurchased. Now, those images are gone on the retail site, and I ccan’tseem to delete them from past posts. You may notice these from time to time. Please move past them, knowing there iisn’tanything we can do to resolve this issue.

As in many other areas of Europe, many homes and buildings are attached, each with its definitive front.

Mainly, these images were posted in the first few years of our world travels, in 2012 and 2013. IIt’sunfortunate that Blogger had so many issues over the years that require me to go back over every post. As mentioned, this process will take many months, doing a batch each day. In the interim, you can still read old posts without interruption.

II’mbehind today due to a few tasks that kept me busy; paying off the credit cards we do the first of each month; heading downstairs to the reception desk to pay the current bill, which took more time than it should have. And working on the corrections. I should have been done with ttoday’spost an hour ago.

The area is filled with tourists from all over the world.

Have a safe and fruitful day! I won the game with this word! (II’mreminded of the word “ruitful” when last night when I ccouldn’tsleep, I used this word when playing Scrabble with other online players).

Be well.

Photo from one year ago today, September 1, 2019:

The greenery, the cliffs, and the white sand beach create a stunning scene at Swanpool. For more photos, please click here.
Day #161 in lockdown in Mumbai, India hotel…Mad about this…Are you, too?

Day #161 in lockdown in Mumbai, India hotel…Mad about this…Are you, too?

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We’re still working on a few issues on our new site. Mainly, we’ve been getting many email messages from readers who fortunately had access to our email addresses. They can’t load our link. To them, it appears we are down. Obviously, for those of you seeing our new posts each day, this is not an issue. However, many readers need to empty their “cache” to bring up our same web address: www.worldwidewaftage.com.

Today’s photos are from this date in 2014, as we boarded yet another cruise. Please see this link here for more.

We spotted several popular attractions on our way through London to the Harwich pier, including this church.

This transpired because we changed our hosting company from Blogger to Hostinger, although our web address didn’t change. Those readers’ computers or devices are “remembering” the old link pointing to the former hosting company. I hope somehow those readers who don’t have access to our email can figure out that we haven’t stopped posting and are still here, hoping to be so for more years to come.

Otherwise, all is moving along well. As mentioned earlier, I am going back through each of our 3,000 posts and correcting errors. I started making corrections beginning on the post on March 15, 2012. But, as of today, I am only up to October 12, 2012, with lots more to go. It takes at least an hour to edit 20 posts. I will be at this for months to come.

Buckingham Palace.

Between walking, posting, editing, and handling other general business stuff, my days are full until finally in the late afternoon. We can take a break to start streaming a few shows and escape from our confinement reality.

There’s a harsh reality that’s been on my mind, especially after reading the text in the “year-ago post” mentioned below in this post.

Big Ben was to the right in this shot, but I could not get the photo in traffic.

It wasn’t that I’d suddenly and miraculously started feeling better after enough time had passed since I’d had open-heart surgery in February 2019, which at that point had only been 6½ months earlier. It was because I was finally off three heart medications with side effects that were stripping me of any possibility of a quality of life.

At the rate I was going at that point, we’d surely have had to return to the US, for me to sign up for Medicare to become the proverbial patient, frequently visiting the doctor with a plethora of chronic symptoms and given more medication to treat those symptoms, rather than look at how these three drugs were impacting my life.

Ferris Wheel in London is referred to as the “Eye.”

It wasn’t easy to stop taking these drugs, and I didn’t do so lightly. I spent hundreds of hours in research, determining the potential risks if I stopped them. After following strict guidelines on how to wean off of these three drugs, finally, on this date one year ago, I was free.

The change in my pain levels and lack of mobility dramatically impacted my state of mind and hopefulness. After I stopped the drugs, I no longer needed to be lying down most of the day, no longer felt listless and sleepy, and could bound about the house with the similar zing in my step before I had the dreadful surgery.

A quick shot was taken from the taxi of the Tower of London.

Although my legs tire easily while walking due to persistent vascular disease, I continue to work past it, hoping someday this will improve. Otherwise, in the interim, other than a typical ache or pain here and there, not uncommon at my age, I feel good. No doubt, certain positions precipitate a pain in my chest where my sternum was wired back together, such as when getting in or out of bed. I expect this discomfort to last indefinitely.

However, I’m mad. Sure, I may have been given extra years of life having had triple cardiac bypass surgery with three arteries 100% blocked (heredity), and for that, I am grateful. But, I didn’t feel bad before the surgery, other than a pain in my jaw which ultimately proved to be the warning sign of cardiovascular disease. Women, pay attention. This is a common symptom for women, whereby men may be more inclined to have arm or chest pain.

Not sure as to the name of this memorial as we zoomed past.

In any case, why am I mad? Simple answer, folks, which many of you will relate to….time is passing while in lockdown, chipping away at any possible time I have left on this earth. I am 72 years old, and now, I have spent five months in lockdown in this hotel in Mumbai, India. We could be looking at five, six, or seven more months trapped here.

Will we end up wasting an entire year of our lives, at this later point lost, sitting in a hotel room, when we could be out seeing more of the world, more than we have in the past many years of world travel? What a waste of precious time! I believe this bothers me more now than it would have if I’d been 20, 30, 40 years old. But at 72, one could easily be wasting 10% or more of their time left on this earth.

A memorial near Buckingham Palace. With WiFi restrictions, we’re unable to look up the names of these monuments.

This is not intended to diminish the sorrow for those and their family members directly impacted by the horrors of COVID-19. My heart breaks for all of these people, as well as those who’ve lost their jobs, financial security, and countless families with children unable to attend school who are missing a vital aspect of their growth and development.

On top of that, the sad scenarios worldwide of wars, looting, rioting, shootings and unjust, befallen upon citizens and peacekeepers from every faction of life. It’s heartbreaking. There’s war transpiring in India right now at the India/’Chinese border. We live in trying times.

At last, our ship, Royal Caribbean’s Brilliance of the Seas.

But, everything is relative. And a family stuck indoors without being able to go out to dinner, a movie, bowling, or sporting events, requiring their young children to wear masks and stay away from other people, has its own set of woes and frustrations. This can’t be good for their young emotional state, let alone that of their parents.

All we can do at this point is “our part” to avoid infecting others by social distancing, wearing masks, and making every attempt to stay safe and healthy until this scourge in human history eventually wafts away.

We always appreciate having a sofa in the cabin as opposed to lying on the bed when relaxing.

I pray for all of us, our safety, personal freedoms, and our dedication to hope for the future. Be well

Photo from one year ago today, August 31, 2019:

Colorful buildings create a pretty scene on the narrow roads in small towns in Cornwall. For more photos, please click here.
Day #160 in lockdown in Mumbai, India hotel…The frightening reality…

Day #160 in lockdown in Mumbai, India hotel…The frightening reality…

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Today’s photos are from this date in 2014 while wrapping up our final day in South Kensington, London, England. You’ll find our total expenses for the 15-nights in a hotel below:

Here are our expenses for the 15 nights in London:

Hotel:              US $3,312.26, 1,995.40 pounds
Transportation:          455.29,    274.28
Tours:                        451.81     272.18
Groceries:                 240.34     144.79
Restaurants:              850.46    512.34

Grand Total:     US $5,310.16, 3,198.99 pounds
Daily Rate:         US $354.01, 213.27 pounds

Yesterday, we walked down this road toward Bobo’s Bubbles to do our final two loads of laundry.

Each hour, while walking, I listen to podcasts on my phone. At this point in time, I am not interested in much other than those podcasts that are educational and informational, often a variety of videos from immunologists from all over the world. I do so in an attempt to determine which countries we may possibly visit when we’re able to leave India.

Of course, leaving India is entirely predicated on how India is doing with COVID-19, their infection and death rates which at this point are increasing like a raging fire. Yesterday, by happenstance, I stumbled across this India generated video with a immunologist from Harvard, born in India and interviewed by an Indian news/podcaster.

Occasionally, we spotted a brick building mixed among the white buildings.

This video, found here at this link, This is not a conspiracy theory-type podcasts but a well researched and highly informative report on the statistics for COVID-19 for India and the projections by this highly qualified medical professional. The prospects for us leaving are not looking good.

In essence he’s stating that the reported cases in India, with a population of 1.3 billion, is only reporting 15% of the actual cases when many get the virus, don’t test, and subsequently don’t report their case. In reality, based on statistics gleaned from countries and researchers throughout the world, this could mean there are currently 200,000,000 to 500,000,000 cases in India.

This was the shortest (height) car either of us has ever seen. I can only imagine that getting out of it would require rolling out the door onto the street and then standing up.

This threw me for a loop. I can see why our hotel doesn’t want us to go outside. There is a very high percentage of contagion in Delhi and Mumbai, the two largest metropolises in the country. Opening the airports for international flights is highly unlikely anytime in the near future.

One might think, “Why would they be so cautious for flights leaving India?” The answer is logical. The international airlines are not about to send empty planes to India. To warrant the resumption of international flights it must be a two-way process. India is not about to allow international travelers into the country. It certainly makes sense when worldwide, so much of the virus has been brought into countries via flights from highly infected countries.

South Kensington consists of one pretty street after another with parking always at a premium.

Citizens of the US, regardless of where they’ve been, are on “no fly” lists all over the world and will continue to be so for an indefinite period. The prospect of us leaving India anytime soon is grim.

We accept the fact that if at any point, we cannot stand being here another week or month, most likely we can find a way to get on one of the repatriation flights for US citizens to return from India back to the US. Finding an affordable holiday home in a nice area in the US at this time is impractical and costly, far more than we’re paying here. Also, we’d need a rental car which is outrageously priced in the US for extended periods.

In London, there are no large trash bins for residents in which to place their garbage.  Instead, they place the bags on the sidewalk or street where they’re picked up a few times a week from what we’ve seen.

The alternative would be to find a hotel comparable to this hotel in the US which most likely will be more costly than here. Plus, the travel required to get to a location we’d prefer could result in numerous flights at numerous airports with added risk of contracting the virus. We’d simply be trading one confined location for another. The US is still in the #1 position of most cases of the virus in the world. We don’t want to go to the US due to my high risk status.

At least, here and now, we are as safe as we can possibly be. There hasn’t been a single case of the virus in this hotel. We don’t go out to grocery stores, pharmacies and other shopping. We can get most of what we need from Amazon India which items are sprayed with disinfectant when they arrive and are delivered to our room. We wait a few days to open any package.

Wildwood had a comfortable ambiance, but the food and service was mediocre. See the post here for food photos and prices.

Breakfast is included in our room rate and our dinners are never more than US $20, INR 1463, per night. There is nowhere in the world we’d be able to eat for this low cost. Besides, during these lockdown conditions throughout the world, we can’t justify paying more than what we’re paying now.

Complaining? No. Observing. Reality. Safe. Healthy. We’d OK

_________________________________________

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

Look at the numbers of sailboats moored in this bay! For more photos, please click here.
DSC02785

Day #147 in lockdown Mumbai, India hotel…Travel on the Eurostar from Paris to London…First live post tomorrow…

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The Eurostar train came into the station, which will travel under the English Channel to take us from Paris to London in 2014. Tom, my railroad guy, explained that the train is operated from either end, never having to turn around for the return trips. For more photos and the story, please click here.

Urgent note for today: My dear sister Susan passed away yesterday, and I have decided not to post on the new site today. I had little sleep for two nights, and my brain isn’t working at total capacity to learn an entirely new system today. Hopefully, tomorrow you’ll see our new site with a new post. Thank you!
Today’s photos are from the post from August 17, 2014, while in Paris, France. See the link here for more photos.

While we waited for the train.

Today, we’re sharing photos from our trip from Paris to London via the exciting Eurostar train, which travels under the English Channel. In years past, it was often referred to as the “Chunnel” but less so now as more and more travelers have used this good, efficient service, respecting its proper name.

It was an exciting mode of transportation for us first-timers when considering the engineering feat required to take six years to complete. It only takes 35 minutes for the train to travel through the under-the-ocean tunnel. 

The station while we were still in Paris.

The entire train ride, including considerable above-ground travel on an outdoor track, requires 2 hours 36 minutes plus waiting time at the station and disembarkation at the destination point. In total, it was about a four-hour undertaking.

Tom was finally smiling again when I told him we wouldn’t have to “walk” the bags down steep steps.

For 25 exciting facts about Eurostar, please click here for comprehensive information that may particularly appeal to train buffs and those considering experiencing not only this fast means of travel between these two countries but also in its novelty factor as a sightseeing adventure in itself.

We were taken from our seats which were more comprehensive than airplane seats. I had pictured a four-seat configuration with a table in front of us, which was not the case with our seats.

Once we arrived in London, we took a taxi, one of those traditional “black cabs” as follows: “As well as setting the tone for the general proportions of all black cabs since, the Austin FX3 is also the reason why all London taxis tend to be black. … In 1958, the FX3 design evolved into the FX4, which still serves as the basis for the modern TX4 models.

The scenery along the tracks was mostly limited to industrial areas, although we passed a few areas of the French countryside.

We found taxi fare to be often more than the cost of dining out at most restaurants we visited while in London, as also the case in Paris. So once again, we walked everywhere. 

A church steeple at a distance through the glare of the glass window.

Fortunately, by staying in the lovely area of South Kensington, it was an ideal location for walking with shops, restaurants, and museums less than 20 minutes from our excellent hotel, the historic Regency Hotel.

Cows. Not wildlife but, we enjoy seeing animals wherever we may be.

With expensive laundry service in both cities, we found laundromats within walking distance and waited while our clothes washed and dried. We waited until we had accumulated enough dirty laundry to warrant the walk with a rolling bag to the distance laundromats in both cities.

Within seconds of entering the tunnel, I took this shot of blackness, resulting in only the reflections of the seats in the glass.

If we were to have our laundry done by the hotel in Mumbai, our monthly laundry bill would easily top US $300, INR 22456. As mentioned, we hand wash our clothing every few days and only have jeans washed and dry by the hotel. Instead of wearing jeans, I’ve been wearing yoga pants each day which are easy to wash in the shower and hang to dry.

Within seconds of departing the tunnel. We were now in the UK.

As for comparing sightseeing between London and Paris, we both found Paris to be more exciting with better photo ops. Although we had many wonderful experiences in London, most of which we accomplished on foot.

We arrived in London at the St. Pancras station.

Would we return to either city? Probably not. We saw exactly what we wanted to see, and with it still fresh in our minds, it’s unlikely we’ll return for anything other than a short layover that may be required.

After exiting the train station, we had to walk a distance to the next street and around the corner to flag a taxi. No taxis were allowed to stop at the main entrance.

Hopefully, tomorrow, all will go well when our new site goes “live.” If we run into any problems, please check here for any issues that might impede the process.

There are lots of double-decker buses in London.

Have a good day!

Photo from one year ago today, August 17, 2019:

View over Tallinn, Estonia, as a port of call from the Baltic cruise, from a scenic overlook. For more, please click here.

Day #140 in lockdown Mumbai, India hotel…More photos from Paris in 2014…The continuation of the river cruise…

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Our second Eiffel Tower nighttime light show after our dinner cruise on the River Seine.

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 10, 2014, while in Paris, France. See the link here for more photos.
The Assemblee Nationale, the French National Assembly. The interior of many of these buildings is worth seeing by clicking on the links included here.

Today was a late start in working on the post. After not getting out of bed until 8:30 am and out the door for my first walk until almost 9:00 am, not returning until 20 minutes later, our breakfast had arrived.

After breakfast, I’d promised myself I’d get hold of FedEx to find out the status of the overnight letter containing our replacement credit card after it was discovered to be used fraudulently. 

The Palais de Justice, the French Palace of Justice.

Also, I wanted to check on our supplies package, which hasn’t been moving at FedEx for days, stuck in customs. I started calling several phone FedEx numbers I found online but couldn’t get through on any of them using Skype.

I was unable to use Skype to call India while in India, even using my VPN. Frustrated, I tried using the expensive room phone, but there again, I was on hold for so long, I finally gave up.

The scenery along the river was enhanced by the reflection of lights.

Then, I used my cell phone to call, which also is pricey, but after 20 minutes on hold, I gave up figuring the best method was to email an inquiry when after entering the tracking number, a message popped up that said:

“A specialized statement is required for clearance from the recipient. Call FedEx.”

Tom’s photos of me are always blurry to some extent. That explains why I take most of the photos.

Frustration was setting in, and finally, I sent an email after finding a good email address for customer service in India. I sent a clear and concise email outlining precisely what had transpired, requesting they email me the specified form to complete the delivery requirement.

In that same email, I also inquired about our package sitting in customs for the past week and what they needed from us at this point. No reference had been made to the customs fees, which we usually could pay online, most likely since they’d yet to inspect the contents. Who knows how long it will be until that process is completed?

We were nearing the end of the cruise when I took this outdoor photo of Tom.

Most likely, these delays are a result of COVID-19. When I called a few of the online FedEx India phone numbers, people answered with TV sounds in the background, causing me to assume some of their employees were working from home. Calling became pointless with no response.

Last month I sent an email asking if they were servicing this postal code in India and received a positive response a few days later. We’ll see how it rolls out. I can only hope they’ll reply to the email. Hopefully, they’ll be as timely in their response to today’s inquiry.

The moon was peeking out of a cloudy sky, the green lights, the reflections on the water…nice.

Now, well after 12:30 pm, I’m still working on today’s post, hoping to upload it in the next hour to return to my usual daily routine. Yesterday, we signed up for CBS All Access (first month free) to stream the newest Big Brother All-Stars series, which is mindless drivel, but entertaining and the latest Survivor series, again a fun distraction.

On another note, our friends, Lea Ann and Chuck, a lovely couple whom we met on a cruise in April 2017, from Sydney to Seattle who began traveling the world, at times, asking us for suggestions and sources we’ve used, wrote that they are ending their world travels in light of COVID-19.

We loved this shot of the Eiffel Tower and the Statue of Liberty.

They’ve purchased a home in Florida and will stay put, traveling from time to time as the world situation allows. One might think this might have inspired us to do the same. But, until we get out there again, flying, booking holiday homes, and living in other countries, we have no idea what the future holds regarding continuing to travel. 

This was my veal filet. I don’t usually eat veal. However, in Paris, one must try new things. I was served a delicious plate of less common sautéed vegetables.

Certainly, the option of living in three or four different countries (depending on visas) may continue to be an option for us in the future. Being unable to cruise may undoubtedly have an impact on our options in the future. 

My lovely dessert, two creamy French slices of cheese.

In some ways, it might make our travels easier when we’re not manipulating our schedule to comply with cruise embarkation and debarkation locations. 

Tom’s dessert #1, a strawberry mousse. The pink appearance is due to the red LED lights in the boat after dark.

We can only guess at this point. And, right now, our priority is when and how we’ll be able to leave India when borders open here and in another country that we’re allowed to visit in the future.

Tom’s dessert #2, a layered chocolate torte embellished with a strand of delicious French chocolate.

Have a fulfilling and safe day!

Photo from one year ago today, August 10, 2019:

We’d wished we could have posted the identity of all of these great highlights in Amsterdam. But, it wasn’t possible as the boat moved along quickly. It rained off and on, but we were grateful for what we were able to see. For more photos, please click here.

Day #139 in lockdown Mumbai, India hotel…More photos from Paris in 2014…Gourmet dinner cruise on the River Seine…

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Tom was carrying his dress shoes in a bag when the dress code on the dinner cruise stipulated no sports shoes were allowed. However, on a rainy night, they made exceptions when most of the passengers were wearing sports shoes.

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 9, 2014, while in Paris, France. See the link here for more photos.
As we walked down a few flights of stairs to the boardwalk along the River Seine, searching for the dinner cruise boat we’d booked, the Bataueux Parisiennes.

Today, we’re sharing photos from Part 1 of our exquisite dinner cruise on the River Seine six years ago. Tomorrow, we’ll share photos from Part 2 of the dinner cruise with more photos. 

As soon as we were seated, we were served these little French pastries and champagne. Tom ate all four of these pastries plus three of the white buns. I didn’t try the buns but took a few sips of the delicious champagne. 

Our story for the first of the two posts may be found here, and thus, I won’t reiterate what transpired on that fun, although rainy night in Paris. Due to the rain, most of our photos were taken through the tinted glass of the windows on the boat, let alone at dusk and finally in the dark. We did our best.

Dark clouds were looming over the city for days as it rained heavily off and on. 

Instead, I can’t help but focus on the “year ago photo” at the bottom of today’s post, taken on our first of two days and nights we spent in Amsterdam, The Netherlands, while we awaited a much-anticipated cruise Baltic cruise, we’d longed to experience for years.

Most of the photos shown here today and tomorrow were taken through the blue glass dining enclosure on the boat. 

Once we arrived in Amsterdam, flying from Dublin after a three-month stay, we found ourselves in a lovely boutique hotel overlooking a canal. We were in awe and overtaken by the beauty and uniqueness of this unique city. 

We passed under one of many ornamental bridges.

Chomping at the bit to get outside and walk the narrow sidewalks and streets, a wave of disappointment washed over me as I faced the reality of my situation. It had been almost six months since my open-heart surgery, and I could barely walk more than a few meters without feeling a need to stop and rest.

This foie gras appetizer was terrific. I savored every morsel along with the single perfectly cooked cold asparagus spear, lying atop a line of what tasted to be an anchovy paste.

Having been on many heart-related drugs with serious side effects, including the FDA’s designated “black box” drug Amiodarone and two others, my legs didn’t work well enough for me to embark on long walks. 

Tom’s appetizer of grilled prawns and vegetables. He doesn’t usually care for shrimp. After sharing a few prawns with me, he said, “There was nothing offensive about this.” Nice.

By the time we reached Amsterdam, I had weaned off all of the drugs. However, I was left with weakness and leg pain exacerbated by walking, which I still suffer from today, and cardiovascular disease, contributing to leg pain when standing or walking for long periods.

Some of the spires of Notre Dame.

Subsequently, my memories of Amsterdam center around the struggle to walk when there was no other way to get around the city than on foot or by boat. Not one to complain, I forged ahead while Tom patiently waited every five minutes or less for me to rest long enough to continue.

As the boat continued on the River Seine. The 2½ hour cruise eventually turned around to go back the way we’d come enabling us to see the other side.

In any case, we saw a lot in those two days, probably not a lot less than we would have under better circumstances. While walking during those few days, my mind was filled with concern over how I’d walk when we were scheduled for several walking tours at various ports of call during the upcoming cruise.

At this point, we were nearing the turnaround spot.

We’d signed up for a few small group tours before the heart surgery, and we were committed to our share of the costs. All we could do was forge ahead to the best of my ability. I refused to cancel it all.

Many dinner cruise boats on the River Seine for considerably lower prices, as low as US $51 and EU $39 per person, were less luxurious with standard fare. We’d researched extensively to decide on the Bateaux Parisiennes, which was highly rated on various websites.

As it turned out, we only had to cancel one of the two-day tours in St. Petersburg. There was no way I could keep up with the group on a second all-day walking tour. It was very disappointing, not only in losing the money, which was non-refundable but also missing the second day. 

There were many day tour boats along the river.

I felt terrible for Tom when he had so much anticipated this particular cruise, but he never complained or seemed frustrated with me. Instead, he held me up during the long walks on each tour as I hung onto his arm. 

The sight of all the well-lit boats on the river at night was captivating.

Somehow, we made it through the remaining ports of call on that cruise resulting in many beautiful experiences and photos along the way. It’s hard to believe it was only one year ago. I still struggle to walk without pain, but my current 5 miles, 8 km daily walks have been instrumental in improving my ability to walk for longer distances.

Tom was undoubtedly enjoying the included two bottles of wine plus two glasses of champagne served when we were seated.  He prefers white over red.

No matter where we end up after we leave India, I will continue to walk if safe outdoors and indoors. If I walk every hour for 12 minutes each, I could get in the necessary steps to maintain this current goal by the end of any day.

Photo from one year ago today, August 9, 2019:

Arriving in Amsterdam for a two-night stay before our upcoming cruise, we looked forward to a boat ride on the canals. For more, please click here.

Day #138 in lockdown Mumbai, India hotel…More photos from Paris in 2014…Part 2 of the Palace of Versailles!!…

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The famous Hall of Mirrors. This project was carried out by architect Jules Hardouin-Mansart and painter Charles Le Brun between 1678 and 1686.

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 8, 2014, while in Paris, France. See the link here for more photos.
The stunning artwork is found on almost every wall in the palace.

News is distressing: the explosion in Beirut; the Air India plane crash in Kerala, India; the ongoing increase in cases of COVID-19 throughout the world, all resulting in horrific loss of life, livelihood, and a sense of well-being can easily spin any of us into a flurry of worry and concern.

This is a statue of Marie Antoinette who lived in the famous palace with her children.

This morning, dear friend Kathy (and Don), currently at their home in Oahu, Hawaii, texted that the island is going back into extreme lockdown after an increase in cases when their numbers had been dwindling only weeks ago almost down to zero.

In the 40 years, it took to build Versailles, thousands of workers were employed to participate in the process. Louis XIV not only lived in the palace but was instrumental in its massive renovation. 

Their previous relaxed lockdown that allowed outdoor exercise and activities and some restaurant dining has resulted in a rapid increase in cases. As of today, they are in a complete lockdown until the end of the month.

This portrait of Louis XIV.

This has been the case worldwide as more and more reduced lockdown measures have precipitated increases in cases and subsequent loss of life. There’s no easy answer. It all boils down to personal responsibility and caring for our fellow humans.

It was challenging to aim the camera toward the ceilings when there wasn’t enough elbow room for properly aiming the camera.

In our old lives, before COVID-19, if we developed a severe cold or virus, we wouldn’t go to work, to public places, or spend time with friends and family. That is to say, most of us wouldn’t, preferring not to infect others. 

We believe this portrait was of Louis XIV when he was young.

Why would this virus cause any less concern when in fact, based on its easy transfer from one person to another, you’d think one would tend to exercise even more caution. So, we’d think. 

Louis XIV had this statue made of himself dressed as a Roman Emperor to enhance his image.  He was of short stature and wore tall wigs to improve the appearance of his height.  Others in his court were forbidden to wear a wig as tall as his.

Well, you’ve heard enough about this today and much more over the past many months, from us, from the news, and friends, family, and neighbors. We are all in the same spot, unable to predict what the future holds and how we can best protect ourselves and our loved ones, especially amid varying opinions from medical professionals.

King’s chamber and bed in the King’s apartment.

On another matter…our photos today are those taken from our post on this date, August 8, 2014, at this link. With more photos than we can post, we’ve selected a handful of our favorites from the interior of the Palace of Versailles in Paris, France. If you’d like to peruse the balance, please click the above link.

There were many photo-taking tourists in the Hall of Mirrors.

As for today, not much is different than yesterday and the previous days. We’re healthy, safe, and relatively content, considering these ongoing unusual circumstances.

The Queen’s bed.

Stay safe, stay healthy and stay diligent.

Photo from one year ago today, August 8, 2019:

Our final photo from Ireland was posted on our last day. Goodbye, Ireland. Thanks for welcoming us and for being so beautiful! For more, please click here.

Day #137 in lockdown Mumbai, India hotel…More photos from Paris in 2014…Part 1 of the Palace of Versailles!!…

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This is my favorite spot in the gardens of Versailles. We stood in the pouring rain without an umbrella for 90 minutes during the garden tour, keeping our camera in a plastic bag to stay dry. By the time we entered the interior of the palace, our clothes were soaked through. It was worth every moment.

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 7, 2014, while in Paris, France. See the link here for more photos from Part 1, Versailles. Tomorrow, we’ll share photos from Part 2.
Statue of Louis XIV at the entrance to the Palace of Versailles.

It’s hard to believe it was six years ago that we spent an entire day at the Palace of Versailles exploring as much of the stunning setting and property as we could in the pouring rain.

In the pouring rain, we walked all the way forward toward the palace only to discover we had to go to a side street to meet up with the tour group, another 10-minute walk. Also, the walk from the train station to the entrance was another 10-minute walk in the pouring rain.

We boarded the train across the road from our boutique hotel on a sunny morning with little concern with the weather. The reports looked good for a mostly sunny day.

The ornate gold embellished gates to the entrance to Versailles.

No sooner than we began the walk from the train station to the palace, it started raining. In no time at all, it was pouring and continued to rain for the remainder of the day, including the walk back to the train station and our hotel later in the day. 

Louis XIV had installed numerous fountains throughout the gardens when water was not readily available to turn them on. An intricate system was installed to facilitate the running of the fountains at a huge sum of money. Then again, all of Versailles depicts vanity spending in excesses beyond one’s belief. 

Although we were wearing lightweight rain jackets with short hoods, we hadn’t brought along umbrellas, which proved to be useless when they soaked through to our clothes.

The gardens went on and on for miles. On a nice day, it would have been marvelous to walk further into the garden independently.

We’d booked a small group tour through Viator, which would ensure we’d avoid long lines to enter the palace. No doubt, this was achieved when we didn’t have to wait in long queues. 

The flowers were the most exciting part of the garden for me and the sculpted gardens shown here.

However, with thousands of visitors at the palace, even on the rainy day, once we entered the exquisite property, it was shoulder-to-shoulder tourists slowing the pace to a near crawl.

The flower gardens were interspersed with neatly trimmed evergreens.

We toured the gardens first, per our tour guide’s instructions for our small group, but sloshed in our clothes and shoes for the several hours it took to see everything indoors and eventually get back to our hotel.

Astounding view! The crane in the photo is in an area where the palace is under renovation.

We put aside the discomfort of our heavy wet clothing with water dripping down our faces from our damp hair and relished every single moment.

The colors in the garden were a treat to behold.

In essence, in looking back now, the rain added an element that, now as we look back, made the experience all the more memorable. A sunny day indeed would have been more beneficial for the garden photos. 

Various pools adorned areas of the gardens.

We did the best we could under the circumstances, thrilled for the experience which ultimately proved to be one of our three favorite touring events while in Paris in this order: Palace of Versailles; gourmet cruise on the River Seine; and tour of Le Louvre, the most famous museum in the world. 

It took 45,000 workers many years to develop these gardens.

Photos of our other favorites, as mentioned above, will appear in future posts in the next several days. No doubt, Paris was an exceptional experience. Often, our readers assume we’re only enthralled with wildlife and nature. But, over the past almost eight years, we’ve often been in awe of many places we’ve visited without a single animal in sight. 

There were more areas to experience than the rain allowed us.  One could easily spend hours in the gardens weather providing.

Now, on day #137 in lockdown in this hotel in Mumbai, we’d enjoy seeing a tree, a market, or a flower, when in isolation, we only see these four walls and the walls in the corridors.

The tour guide explained that all of these plants in pots are brought inside the palace into one of the largest greenhouses in the world during the winter months.

A special thank you to many of our readers who sent us photos and stories of their visits to Paris. We love hearing about your experiences. If we haven’t responded to you yet, please bear with us. We will soon as we work our way through the countless numbers of email messages.

Can you imagine the kings and queens walking this path while chatting?

Today, it’s raining again. The ceiling at the end of one of the corridors is falling due to constant rain during the monsoon season. They keep repairing it to no avail. Surely, they’ll have to wait until the lockdown ends and construction workers can come to the property to make the necessary repairs. This doesn’t impact us one way or another.

Our tour guide explained that the design of this statue was poorly designed when the marble and bronze didn’t age well, resulting in constant maintenance.

It’s time to get back out in the corridor for my next walk when I’m sticking to my 5-mile, 8-kilometer goal most days.

Have a pleasant day!

Photo from one year ago today, August 7, 2019:

In Connemara, Ireland, as we wound down our 89-day stay, we spotted this pretty cow and her horns. For more final photos and tally of total expenses, please click here.

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

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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 #135 in lockdown Mumbai, India hotel…More photos from Paris in 2014…Yes, I’m scared…

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We spotted several merry-go-rounds while walking in Paris.

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 5, 2014, while in Paris, France. See the link here for more photos.
To the right in this photo is the City of Architecture and Heritage. On the left is the Palais de Chaillot.

Several readers have written inquiring why we haven’t taken advantage of a few available international flights flying out of Mumbai later this month. As it turns out, many of these flights are for repatriation purposes only, and others are flying to a few major cities in Europe, the Middle East, and Asia, none of which we are interested in visiting at this time.

Beautiful sculptures at the City of Architecture and Heritage.
These flights are to locations that continue to see rising numbers of cases of COVID-19, which we’re striving to avoid. We have to wait it out here to ensure we can travel to desired locations with reduced amounts of viruses and have acquired experience handling outgoing and incoming international travelers.
Another photo of the museum at the City of Architecture and Heritage.
India is working diligently to ensure safe outgoing and incoming international travel. But in a few months, their systems will undoubtedly be revised to enhance the protection quality further. We’d relatively safely wait it out in the cocoon of this hotel than risk the virus in inexperienced environments.
This building reminded me of an area in Minneapolis, Minnesota, called “The Wedge.”
As all of us have seen since the onset of the virus, medical professionals and organizations have revised their recommendations for safety as more and more scenarios are studied. At this point, much of the information is still up in the air.
We stumbled upon the famous Peninsula Hotel, where the basic room is US $1500 per night, EI $1117.
But, so far, it appears wearing face masks, social distancing, and washing hands appear to be the universal consensus. But, what about using a restroom in an airport, let alone on an airplane on an extended or overnight flight? What safety measures will be exercised at security check-in, immigration, and while waiting in line to board the plane? What safety efforts will be enhanced as time marches on? 
We walked down the road as we approached the Arc de Triomphe.
How safe will it be to ride in a taxi to and from the airport? How safe is the counter at the car rental facility, let alone the rental car itself and the driver who drove the vehicle to us? 
 
Bottom line? What will be the consequences of spending an extra few months in this hotel lockdown compared to the rest of our lives, possibly extended by staying safe, especially since I am at high risk?
The Arc de Triomphe was a busy location filled with cars and tourists.
Here is information on those with high risk for COVID-19 from this site:
*People above 60 years of age with any of the following conditions: 
Chronic heart disease; hypertension, diabetes, chronic kidney disease, people
undergoing dialysis, chronic liver disease 
 Chronic respiratory diseases, such as asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary
disease (COPD), emphysema, bronchitis, cystic fibrosis, or severe asthma 
 Chronic neurological conditions, such as Parkinson’s disease, motor neuron
disease, multiple sclerosis (MS), a learning disability, or cerebral palsy 
 Problems with spleen, such as sickle cell disease or splenectomy
 Weakened immune system as the result of conditions such as HIV and AIDS, or
medicines such as steroid tablets or chemotherapy 
 People with organ transplants and remain on ongoing immunosuppression
medication 
 People with cancer undergoing active chemotherapy or radiotherapy, cancers of
the blood or bone marrow such as leukemia who are at any stage of treatment
Midway through our walk, we stopped for beverages. Tom had a non-specialty beer, and I had bottled water. Total cost EU 14, US $18.80
I have indicated in red the comorbidities that apply to me at this point, most of which are at the top of the list. Of course, we must be cautious, as would be the case with anyone over 60 years old, even without these conditions.
From our vantage point, we could not see the name of this church, but we were fascinated with its architecture. 
So what if we are stuck in a hotel room as long as we’re healthy? It’s certainly a lot easier than being in a hospital ICU on a respirator. I remember what that felt like only 18 months ago in ICU, unable to speak and feel as if I was choking to death. No, thank you. 
The Flame of Liberty we passed on our walk. Behind it is the tunnel in which Princess Diana was killed on August 30, 1997. We drove through this tunnel in a taxi on our way to Le Louvre.
Perhaps, that awful experience alone inspires me to be all the more cautious. Maybe, when my heart rate was 260 BPM, I had to be anesthetized to have my heart electrically restarted (cardioversion) to become more stable. Perhaps, when I was trapped in the recovery room, alone for hours after surgery on my infected legs, when the power went out in the hospital, and the elevator wouldn’t work to take me back to my room. It’s no wonder that I might be a little scared. 
Many delis and bakeries line the boulevards.
Whew! I am grateful to be alive. There is no way I’m willing to take a risk and become infected with COVID-19, whatever it takes. And, I’m grateful to Tom for understanding where I am on this. He supports me 100% but certainly wouldn’t be quite as cautious if it weren’t for me.
Bins of delectable appearing treats in a Middle Eastern candy shop.
Each of us has the privilege of deciding how far we’ll go to protect ourselves and our families, within the guidelines of laws and our level of personal responsibility to those around us, in our cities, our towns, and even our backyards.
 We visited a local market to purchase nuts for snacking.
Be well.

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

A pretty rainbow behind the Twelve Bens mountains from our holiday home in Connemara, Ireland. Please click here for more photos.