The Euro Covid Travel "Catch 22"

Quarantines R US

UPDATES 1-11-22

Every day the world reconsiders its willingness to admit visitors from countries that have failed to address the Covid pandemic (the US scorecard now passes the mind boggling statistic that 1 of every 500 300 Americans has perished from Covid) and yet we still argue about minor measures to slow the spread. 

Currently in the EU some countries have opened their borders, some only admit vaxed and / or tested travelers, others are open to those that are vaccinated + quarantine, and still others have simply said stay away.

Conditions change frequently and it is hard to keep up. And all this uncertainty makes international travel planning a challenge. 

So how has the travel industry responded to all this chaos? I personally feel the airline industry responded pretty nimbly and fairly. When borders suddenly closed, most airlines stepped up and offered accommodations even on non-refundable / non-changeable tickets. 

And the reward for those airline efforts has been the emergence of dipshit passengers feeling entitled enough to physically assault flight crews who are just doing their job. 

The airlines have responded by placing these morons on "no-fly" lists. Frankly that is unacceptable to me. Anyone disrupting a flight and / or threatening airline staff should be escorted from aircraft in cuffs by Air Marshals and face fines equal to the costs of turning planes around and disrupting airport operations. A few well publicized cases and these cockroaches will crawl back into whatever mask-free, horse de-worming fantasy hole they emerged from.

Ahem, but....back to my blog post.

Along with airlines many hotels also stepped up. Most of the bookings I made directly through major hotel chains were adjusted with fees waived.

Conversely, bookings I made through third party travel services like Hotels.Com, TripAdvisor, Kayak, Expedia, Orbitz etc. resulted in a different story. With few exceptions those services just seemed to look at the ground, ignoring the pandemic. I also came to find out they have no customer service lines. I'll rarely use them again.

Last week I felt the chaos rise up again. I had a pre-pandemic hotel reservation in Rotterdam (I've been planning a visit to explore its amazing modern architecture). Then suddenly Holland imposed mandatory quarantines for fully vaccinated US visitors and Poof!, my vacation plans became worthless.

Yet, since the border is not "technically" closed, hotels contend that they need not offer any accommodation. So my $450 worth of Hotels.Com vouchers also became worthless.

So until the world gets back to "normal"(whatever that might look like) Roadboy says book only using refundable rates and stick to direct bookings from hotel chains.  

Update 9-16-21: After less that a week the Netherlands reversed itself leaving tens of thousands of travelers to (again) rework bookings. 

Update at Travel Time: When I actually traveled to Holland I entered on a flight within the EU (arrival from Spain). I landed and there was nothing; no customs, no check of my passport, I just got off my flight and walked to buy a ticket for a train into Amsterdam.  

When the music stops, sit down.

Roadboy's Travels © 2021 

Roadboy's Quick Summer Escape - Maine

Cool, Green, Surrounded by Water

And Home to Stephen King.......

Roadboy's final summer escape was spent with my friend from Austin. Our trips together are special as Ms. C and I have traveled somewhere annually in an on-going celebration of life, friendship and another anniversary of her being declared cancer-free. 

We go places that inspire us. And, at the end of each years trip, we select the destination for the following year. 

So, after last years trip to the pacific northwest, the "future destination dart" landed on Montreal for this year. 

But sealed borders made us reprogram our travel GPS for another great northern destination. 

We began by meeting up at Boston's Logan Airport. We boarded the Blue Line for State Street Station, checked the Club Quarters, found a spot for lobster rolls and called it a day. Slept like a pup. Traffic was light on Devonshire Street as a movie crew had the street all blocked off for a movie with Ryan Reynolds. Sadly, we never saw any stars....

We spent the next summer day walking through the Boston Commons, Boston Public Gardens on our way to the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum. Boston is a compact and walkable city. This day we racked up over 18,000 steps according to my i-watch. 

  

The Boston Commons Wading Pool 

For those not familiar with it the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum is a Boston treasure that has become wildly popular, in part due to the recent Netflix documentary The Heist. 

  

El Jaleo "The Ruckus"

(John Singer Sargent 1882)

Isabella Stewart Gardner's dream museum, opened on New Years Day 1903 with champagne and doughnuts. It is a Renaissance Venetian palace specifically designed to showcase her incredible art acquisitions. The building is built around a sun dappled atrium space housing some very happy tropical flora.

The Gardner's Central Courtyard

We marveled at the spectacular art and furnishings in each gallery and imagined what used to fill the empty frames where the stolen Rembrandt's, Degas and Vermeer masterpieces once hung. The 1990 theft is considered the single largest property theft in the world with an estimated value in excess of $500,000,000. A $10,000,000 reward is still in force.

The Dutch Room 

(With the still empty frames)   

Ms. Gardner's attention to detail included strict instructions how the gallery would be maintained in perpetuity (nothing must change). Her love of the Boston Red Sox assures discounted tickets to anyone wearing the Red Sox logo. And, if you are named Isabella, or arrive on your birthday, your admission is always free. 

Isabella Stewart Gardner 

(John Singer Sargent 1888)

Although it would be considered downright prudish by today's standards, Jack Gardner felt Singer Sargent's portrait of Isabella featured too much flesh and requested it not be displayed until his after death.

Ms. Gardner not only acquired art, she inspired it. By maintaining friendships with such luminaries as John Singer Sargent (who used the Gothic Gallery as a personal studio) and James McNeil Whistler. 

Years of her correspondence is also preserved and displayed including letters from artists, religious leaders, entertainers and political figures of her era.

There is currently a special exhibit of the six Titian masterworks dating from the 1560's that have never before been reunited with The Rape of Europa (acquired by Gardner) since their delivery to Prince Phillip of Spain.

 

Lamentation of the Dead Christ

(Terra Cotta - Artist Unknown)

I found the the terra cotta altarpiece Lamentation interesting because as designed to serve at the altar it would clearly portray the agony of a mother to parishioners and a skull and cross bones (behind Mary) to the priests at the altar. I wonder if the artist was making a point to the priests?

Christ Carrying the Cross

(Giovanni Bellini 1505-1510)

I was also taken by Bellini's very small painting of Christ carrying his cross. His eyes are riveting. Anywhere in the room he seems to be staring directly at you and you cannot look away. Simple, and highly composed, it is only when you get very close to the painting that Christ's tear is evident.

Isabella Stewart Gardner in Venice

(Anders Zorn 1884)

Perhaps the most lovely painting of Ms. Gardner is Anders Zorn's painting above where she turns from a balcony in Venice to implore other party guests to come see fireworks. 

After visiting her incredible museum visitors feel a kinship to her and this portrait embodies a women full of the love of life.

After a walk back to the hotel we finished the day with a dinner at the Mast Sail Loft. I had a wonderful baked scrod.

The next morning we returned to the airport to collect a rental car. We programmed it and aimed it towards our AirBNB in Blue Hill Maine (via a side trip to the Atlantic Brewery in Bar Harbor for dinner).

Our cottage AirBNB turned out to be very special. And our host turned out to be very special too. She and her late husband restored and updated the circa 1860's cottage. He was an artist and she was a documentary film producer for the BBC and (W)GBH Boston. 

The cottage was an amalgamation of three sections and shared a large porch facing out over a rocky cove below. 

Our Cove Cottage in Blue Hill

The View from our Blue Hill Cottage

The next two days were spent sightseeing in Acadia National Park. Day one was spent on e-bikes riding its famous Carriage Trails.

Cycling Acadia At Eagle Lake

The Crystal Clear Waters of Jordan Pond

Outdoor Dining at the Jordan Pond House

(Home of the Famous Jordan Pond Popovers)

On Day two I purchased my Lifetime Senior National Park Pass and we circumnavigated the park in our rental car cruising the parks stunning coastline.

The View From Otter Cove Toward Little Cranberry Island 

The weather was cool and mostly dry. The lobster and blueberry pie was sweet and scenery was just wonderful. 

We finished up the trip with a drive to Bangor for our flight home. We stopped to see Stephen King's residence (my second time detouring past his home). This trip I admired the creepy sculpture he had created from the trunk from a huge tree.

 

 Stephen King's House in 2017 

(Note the old tree trunk)

 

 King's Tree Trunk Today

The trip was wonderful!

Carolyn and I have set our sights on Italy next year. Fingers crossed the world is able to reopen fully by then.

Roadboy's Travel © 2021

Cycling Cape Cod / Martha's Vineyard - by VBT

Days 3-6

After docking in Oak Bluffs we walked over to take a peek at the "Flying Horses" (the nation's oldest operating carousel). It is primitive and tiny, but it still brings smiles to kids (and adults) and it gives riders the opportunity to grab a ring. The ring grab reminded me of all my childhood rides on the Looff Carousel at the Santa Cruz Beach and Boardwalk. According to the Santa Cruz Boardwalk website there now are only 20 carousels remaining in the US where you can grab a brass ring.

The VBT Van Transported our Bikes and Gear

We all found places to get lunch and then collected our bikes for a quick ride to circle Oak Bluff's 1800's era Methodist Camp with its open air Iron Tabernacle surrounded by tight rows of colorful little gingerbread summer cottages.

The first thing we noted was how crowded the island was with an onslaught of summer tourists. Chatham had lots of summer visitors too, but felt somehow more comfortable. Martha's Vineyard (Edgartown) felt overrun. In an era of Covid the island's buses and restaurants were far too overcrowded for this little buckaroo. But luckily the island offers lots of trails and interesting places to explore away from all the crowds.  

 

The Flying Horses of Oak Bluff

Oak Bluff's Church Camp "Gingerbread" Houses

With the sun darting in and out from the clouds we began our 14 mile beach ride from OK Bluffs to Edgartown and our new accommodations the winderful Harbor View Hotel. For those interested there was a detour along the way to ride the ferry to Chappaquiddick Island.

VBT's plans for us on Martha's Vineyard had us circumnavigate the celebrated 23 mile long, 9 mile wide island from almost every direction.

Of course my first question was "where's the vineyard?". Well there is no vineyard, there never was a vineyard on Martha's Vineyard. Go figure.

Upon arriving at the hotel we found an oasis of quiet with a harbor view. Rooms were perfectly appointed. My favorite little detail was filtered fizzy drinking water next to the ice machines. 

I've come across a number of hotels offering cruiser bikes to loan, but this hotel offered (I am not making this up) is the first to offer a fleet of brand new complementary Mercedes Benz sedans for guests to "check out" for up to 3 hours. 

 

The Pool Area at the Harborview

We were booked in as part of a group tour, so I couldn't help but look up the right now Harbor View room tariffs and was gobsmacked to see the "Hotwire®" rate for the Harbor View was $1595 / night during our stay. So I guess Mercedes Benz figures that an average guest here is their target buyer.

Wow

Day 4

After a great breakfast we gathered for our route review and discovered a ride designed to tickle the heart of anyone that loves art and good food.  

 Morning Route Review on the Porch

We soon pedaled off with stops at a glass blowing studio, sculpture gardens and the amazing Granary Gallery (where I was mesmerized by the classic photographic images of Alfred Eisenstaedt). 

 

Glass Blowing 

The route was a mixed bag of canopy trees, open pastures, beautifuul stone walls and canopy trails offering a nice diversity in scenery.

An Inquisitive Bovine

 

Island Canopied Trails

Lunch was at the Grey Barn and Farm home to a large bakery and artisan dairy. Our picnic included a big selection of meats and the farms own cheeses.

 

Our Picnic

 

The 28 mile ride completed at Bad Martha's micro-brew where I enjoyed a deep rich dark Turkish Coffee Porter. On the island everything is "Martha", Bad Martha, Sad Martha, Mad Martha.....

 

Bad Martha Beckons

 

After a suitable period of time to absorb our brews, we climbed aboard our bikes and pedaled on to the hotel. 

 

Lots of folks then went looking for restaurants. But as I walked through Edgartown too many of its restaurants were packed cheek by jowl, so I vectored off and found a great dive taco bar and scored some pretty excellent tacos. 

 

Day 5

Our last full day of riding featured a 41 mile ride the Aquinnah Cliffs and Lighthouse. This ride began in mists and featured some fine coastal riding all leading to a ferry that only shuttles bicycles (my kind of ferry boat!)

 

Nearing the Aquinnah Cliffs

 

The historic cliffs at Gay Head have been restored to their original Indian name "Aquinnah". The cliffs are watched over by a stately restored brick lighthouse (another lighthouse that has been moved to its present location due to cliff erosion. 

 

We found views of the beautiful cliffs shrouded in fog.   

 

The Cliffs

 

The Aquinnah (formerly Gay Head) Lighthouse
 

Our ride had us retrace our ride back to the bike ferry and then lunch at the Menemsha Harbor where many of us enjoyed hearty lobster rolls (with extra butter 😋).  For those of us old enough to remember it, Menemsha was the filming location for the movie Jaws.

 

Today's Special at the Menemsha Fish Market

Lunch on the Menemsha Docks

My Lobster Roll

We returned to the hotel to get dressed for our farewell dinner. As always it was a perfect sharing event with new friends trading photos and enjoying a great halibut dinner.

 

Day 6 - Farewell

Well after our farewell dinner most of us spent the rest of the evening getting packed up for the journey home. In the morning we rose to eat breakfast and some opted for a short morning ride and then boarded buses back to the Woods Hole ferry and shuttles back to Boston's Logan Airport.

 

In sum, this trip was a lot of fun especially for a newbie to the Cape.

 

Roadboy's Travels © 2021

Cycling Cape Cod by VBT

Days 1-2 Chatham

In all my years of travel, I'd never been to Cape Cod or Martha's Vineyard. So when my bike buddies decided to make it a cycling destination this year, I was all in. 

Spoiler alert, I really loved it. 

Whether it was the morning mists over the water, the incredible courtesy shown to cyclists by local drivers, our amazing hotels, or the food, I was smitten.

 

There is a Timeless Allure to Cape Cod

Getting from Boston to the Cape however was not to occur without tribulation. The tour was to provide us a direct shuttle, but in researching how to get there without a rental car I came to realize it takes some real perseverance and logistical skill.

So Sunday morning our fellow cycle tourists all started to assemble at the designated Logan Airport shuttle stop. It was a nice chance to meet each other and chat. 

Well it was nice until it became clear that no shuttle was coming.

That realization came after standing (sweating) next to piles of luggage for two very hot hours. 

Next came the realization that Vermont Bike Tours omits any contact information allowing a guest to seek help when stranded on a weekend. VBT's phone banks in Williston are closed on weekends and the only link they include in our handbook is for the travel insurance provider (to assist travelers with missed flight connections).  

But, our group consisted of insistent and veteran travelers. No shrinking violets here. And the flurry (and fury) of calling began in earnest. 

We called the hotel. 

We called the insurance carrier. 

We called pretty much anyone we could think of. 

Eventually contact was made with guides at the hotel and a shuttle was ordered. 

Note to VBT, the oversight in providing guide names and contact data resulted in the crappiest possible way of starting a vacation. 

I am willing to give VBT one "accident forgiveness pass" however, as this, my seventh VBT tour, was the first where they left travelers without recourse. 

The much delayed shuttle finally delivered us to the lovely Chatham Bars Inn where we met our guides Jason and Tøril who had been busy adapting plans. They quickly set about fitting us to our bikes.

 Hydrangeas Were Blazing at the Chatham Bars

A Classic Coastal Resort

After the bike fitting a few tired riders went off to nap, a few went sightseeing and a few ventured out for the seven mile warm-up ride. I was one of the warm-up riders and was so glad I did. The ride was a sunny little ramble past still coves filled with anchored sailboats, lighthouses, and elegant summer "cottages". It finished with a ride down Chatham's picturesque main street.

Sunset: The Warmup Ride 

Now it was time for a welcome dinner and a good night sleep. Cycling was to begin in earnest Monday morning. 

We mounted our bikes on a misty Monday morning setting out for a doozy of a fifty seven mile ride. But, as we pedaled it began to sprinkle, then came full on rain. Then the rain came even down harder. Then the heavens simply opened. 

We were soaked to the bone. 

The positive side was we still had great green scenery and our rail to trail cycle trail was empty.   

A Tunnel Offered Our Only Respite From the Rain

Stops along the way included the recently reopened Cape Cod National Seashore Salt Pond Interpretive Center and the iconic Nauset Light (immortalized on every bag of Cape Cod potato chips and on state commemorative license plates).

 

The Nauset Light

 

The Nauset Light on Every Package of Chips 

The Nauset Light(house) is a red and white 1925 steel and brick surround built over the 1877 Chatham Light Tower. 

It replaced the three sisters (three small wooden lighthouses that used to reside in the same location). An adjoining oil house stored the fuel used to power and rotate the beacon. The original fresnal lens is now on display at the Salt Pond Visitor Center after being replaced in 1981 with aerobeacons.

By the 1990's the Coast Guard set about to decommission the Nauset Light as it was 50' from toppling down a 70' cliff due to erosion. 

At this point a private organization was formed to move the 48' Light 330 feet west. Ownership of the light was then transferred in 1997 to the National Park Service and the light now operates as a private aid to navigation.

Surprisingly, after many in the group opted to take the shuttle back to the hotel, those that rode the 28 mile return enjoyed clearing skies and a really nice ride.  

We explored Chatham that evening finding respective dinner spots. I indulged in a warm bowl of clam chowder and a huge Irish coffee. Kind of a perfect night in my book. 

Back in the room we all started the process to drying cycle gear (particularly our shoes) with room hair dryers. I then slept like a pup.

In the morning we assembled for a (very punctual) shuttle to the ferry to Oak Bluffs on Martha's Vineyard.  

 

Vaxed, Masked, and Ready to Sail for Oak Bluffs

The crossing to Oak Bluff was short and we all set off to have lunch and stretch a bit. Then it was time to collect our bikes and begin exploration of the Island. 

Next Post: Martha's Vineyard.

Roadboy's Travels © 2021

Roadboy Returns to the MFA

A Rainy Day Art Detour

When architects talk about certain art museums their eyes roll up in their heads as they mentally drift off to that special place where the world is the best it can be.

For me one of the best museums in the world is Madrid's Museo del Prado. Not only does it feature some of the worlds best art, it provides written explanations that feel like Sister Wendy is whispering in my ear.  

No explanations given youngsters, google Sister Wendy.

Once in awhile art just stops me in my tracks. An example in the Prado is a painting by Joaquin Sorolla (coincidentally a contemporary of John Singer Sargent) entitled "And They Still Say Fish is Expensive!" The power and composition of the piece drew me from across the room to its compelling visual portrayal of two old fishermen tending to an injured young man. Then as I read its description, fully understanding what I was seeing, my eyes began to fill with tears at the portrayal of the old men grieving over a young life needlessly cut short. 

Such is the power of a timeless masterwork. More than a century after Sorolla painted it, it still powerfully touches souls.

And They Still Say Fish is Expensive!

(Joaquin Sorolla 1894 - Photo: Museo Del Prado) 

In North America I experience those same "Prado" feelings when I explore places like The Smithsonian's Portrait Gallery, Chicago's Art Institute, the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA), the Getty, Philadelphia's Art Museum and Boston's magnificent Museum of Fine Art (known affectionately by locals simply as the "MFA").

My original intent for the second day in Boston was to visit the Isabella Stewart Gardener Museum, but that was not to be. Upon arrival we got waived off as the museum was sold out (note to self next time - get tickets in advance online!). You have to love a City where an art museum sells out!

Luckily, Boston's MFA is a short walk away and there we were welcome to buy tickets and enter. This was a second visit to the MFA for me and between the two visits I've yet to scratch the surface of the MFA.

Arrival the MFA

Much like the visit to the BPL yesterday, the MFA building presents every visitor from pauper to king with a majestic entrance leading to stairs crowned by an extraordinarily beautiful dome. 

On this visit my goal was to explore the MFA galleries that have been updated since my last visit and emphasize American art. Here are a few items that caught my eye during this visit.

The "Shelter in Place" Gallery

Stuck with no galleries available Boston Artist Eben Haines made this gallery available. He then issued  a call over social media soliciting artists to prepare exhibitions for it. The result was over 100 exhibits from artists around the globe. 

But....this is a little trickster. The gallery is actually a 1" = 1' scale model of a gallery and the artworks displayed inside are tiny. 

Think little Covid Thorne Miniature.

Views Into The MFA's Restorations Labs

A museum of this stature not only displays art it preserves it for future generations. This restoration lab was open to view the restoration of Asian antiquities. 

Head of Medusa

(Arnold Böcklin 1894)

Knowing that this mask of Medusa had stopped me on an earlier visit and did so again, I veered overto read about it. 

 

And, reading about it made me understand that the Medusa's stare is the point. Medusa's gaze upon men was said to hold the mythical power to turn them into stone. Sorta had that momentary affect on me. 

 

The story concludes that Perseus held up a his reflective shield to her and beheaded the snake haired monster.  

 Up in the Sky #1

(Tracey Moffatt 1997)

This image is not a painting. The artist says it is "making" a picture rather than "taking" a picture. The viewer is left to project the story of the image with an aboriginal baby held by a white woman as menacing nuns approach. A statement about Australia's forced separation policies and assimilationist policies.

 

With the recent news of mass graves at Indian schools in Canada and after living in Arizona and Alaska where native children were separated from families at age 12 to attend boarding (indoctrination) "schools", this one hit me full force. Every time I drive Phoenix' "Indian School Boulevard" this image will haunt me.

Ready to Breathe Life

I close with this sculpture. More than a sculpture, the young woman appears as it she could spring free of the bonds of stone and come to life at any time. I admit to being a huge fan of this type of work. An affection based on seeing Bernini's sculptures at the Villa Borghese. 

Anyway, this sculpture was just lovely.

 

Roadboy's Travels © 2021