Bob and Jane's Excellent Adventure

~ Retirement on the Road

Bob and Jane's Excellent Adventure

Monthly Archives: July 2019

Things to See and Folks to Meet…

14 Sunday Jul 2019

Posted by Jane R Hendrickson in Travel

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Finally the time came and Rita, my good friend from Pittsburgh, arrived in Antibes.  She had flown from Pittsburgh to London and then into Nice. 20190511_171702As we waited for her plane, we were a bit taken aback by the armed guards we saw in the airport.  I know they’re supposed to make me feel more secure but…

Rita and I had so much on our list of “must do’s” while she was visiting.  But first we just needed to get something to eat and catch up.  One of the first excursions  was to see the Van Gogh Immersion. As you may recall in a previous blog, Bob and I and Cary had enjoyed a Van Gogh Touring Immersion while we were in Lecce.  We had read online that the Atelier des Lumieres in Les Baux de Provence (as well as in Paris) was featuring a similar exhibit. This one was much larger than what we had seen. The website provided a lot of helpful information.  I found that I could purchase timed tickets in advance avoiding standing in a long line when we got there and I also discovered there was a discount for senior citizens. Ah! The advantages of getting old! We set off on Sunday morning for the two and a half hour drive to visit Van Gogh. I was amazed that Rita was able to jump right in to sightseeing even though she had landed about 15 hours earlier and was experiencing a six hour time difference.

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The exhibit is in a cave and its entrance is on the side of a mountain making parking very limited.  The fact that we were there on a Sunday afternoon with what seemed like half of France only complicated the situation.  Not finding a place, Bob turned the car around for a second pass. We were stunned when a young park employee stopped us and asked if we were looking for a place to park and then held up traffic as we waited for a car parked almost exactly in front of us to leave.  Talk about serendipitous!  

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20190512_133038The exhibit didn’t disappoint.  It was very much like the one we previously viewed but this one was absolutely huge.  Between the Van Gogh loops, we watched a short program entitled “”Dreamed Japan, Images of the Floating World” based on Japanese prints of the late 1800’s and featuring the art of Kasushika Hokusai’s, The Great Wave off Kanagawa. According to the literature I read, VanGogh was fascinated with Japan.   The entire experience left us feeling like we had stepped into another dimension.

From Les Baux de Provence, it was a short drive to the Pont du Gard, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Not knowing what to expect we followed our GPS, then followed the signs to parking and started walking and then all of a sudden, WOW.  There it was. 20190512_15274320190512_153005We were looking at an ancient Roman aquaduct, built in the first century! It’s three levels high, built from huge stones, cut so accurately that no mortar was needed in the construction. Rita and I decided we had to walk across.  And although it was a chilly sunny day, I can’t begin to describe how windy it was. I had the distinct impression that had I been carrying an umbrella I would have been picked up in Mary Poppins style. My reading glasses were literally blown off my head! 20190512_153321_HDR

Bob and I had loved Avignon and so we wanted to share it with Rita.  Unfortunately, it had turned considerably colder than it was on our previous visit but was still enjoyable. And it was a good location to spend the night and continue our adventure the next day. Near the top of Rita’s list was Arles. This is where Van Gogh painted Cafe Terrace at Night. And the cafe still stands.  What an emotional experience to stand where Van Gogh stood and painted in 1888.  20190513_130310_HDR

I had read about the Rothschild Gardens on several occasions.  So we set off once again for Cannes, Ahh…way too many Rothschilds!  Unfortunately, I had confused the Rothschild Historic Home in Cannes with the Rothschild Gardens in Nice.  It caused us more than an hour’s detour but well worth the drive. Villa Ephrussi Rothschild, located right on the water on the French Riviera was constructed at the turn of the twentieth century. We passed on a tour of the inside of the villa. It was the gardens that we wanted to see.  The views of the sea took our breath away. In front of the villa is a musical fountain and from there you can wander the nine gardens each with a different theme. 

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Rita had discovered on ancestry.com that she had relatives living in northern Italy, about an 8 hour drive from Antibes. So having no idea what we would fine, we set off early one morning, stopping to pick up Cary at the Genoa airport. How lucky to have a daughter who is fluent in several languages and willing to meet us and act as our interpreter. From there we drove to Lasino, a tiny village not far from Trento and close to the Austrian border. The drive north into the Dolomites, was a part of Italy we had never seen and the scenery was spectacular and very different from the rest of Italy! 20190516_164201_HDRWhen Rita had booked an Airbnb for us for 3 nights she had mentioned that she wanted to see the area where her relatives had lived and check out the cemeteries.  When our host, Giada, greeted us she showed us the lovely apartment with gorgeous views of the mountains. 20190516_083227She mentioned that there is a woman in the village, Titsiana, who carries the geneology of the families in the area in her head. Would Rita like to meet her? She would arrange it for the next morning.  This was far more than Rita had hoped for.  

We went off in search of a restaurant.  A short walk from our apartment we found a really nifty place to have dinner (connected to a gas station).  And everyone was so friendly. Thank heavens for Cary. Without her Italian skills, we would have had very limited conversations with folks. But when people found out that we were Americans and that Rita had come in search for connections to her family, everyone had something to volunteer.  20190515_211740_HDR

The next morning we walked up to a local bar and over cappucinnos we literally spent hours as Titziana explained relatives and connections.20190516_103953_HDRShe talked about those who had left for South America and who had left for the United States. So many folks left and no one had any idea what had happened to them. And Cary continued, hour after hour, to translate nonstop. When we left the coffee shop, the ladies asked if we’d like to see the women’s museum.  It was a block away and featured the work of the area women during World War II.

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There was even a canvas bag from the corn meal that was supplied by the Allies. It’s hard to imagine their lives with all the able men off fighting leaving them to maintain their homes, find a way to feed their families and all the while trying to keep their families safe. This is the stuff we read about in history books.

Later that evening, Giada called and told Rita if she were interested in meeting some of her relatives she’d set it up.  The next morning we walked up to the community center and all of a sudden it dawned on us that the folks who were standing there had all come out to meet their American cousin.  20190517_112952_HDRIt still puts chills through me when I think of it. Cary, ever in gear, continued moving with Rita from one person to the next helping Rita understand who these people were. They then invited us into their town hall and the conversations continued.

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Folks had brought pictures and even a family tree. It was hard to take it all in. And then the mayor, who also happened to be one of Rita’s relatives, presented Rita with a book of local history as well as a banner of the city.  20190517_120947_HDR

A smaller group then escorted us up to the local church, with one woman commenting, “Rita, this is the same path your grandmother would have walked.”  20190517_125730

From the church we went to the cemetery.  It’s difficult to understand the cemetery. As I understood it, because of the very limited space, the graves are changed every 25 years. 20190517_130308_HDRIt’s hard for me to imagine going to a graveyard and then returning years later and it’s different. But in any case there were many with familiar names that Rita recognized from her research although I’m sure it will take quite a while to put it all in order. 

And as if that hadn’t been enough, Tiziana invited us to her home where she lives with her sister, Dory, to continue our visit They asked if we’d like a snack and proceeded to serve lunch meats, breads, cheeses and an amazing torte and of course, wine! 20190517_144356 Cary continued to translate. Then we were invited to another cousin’s home. Here more wine was served! And the conversations continued. Finally, about 6 pm, nearly 9 hours after we first had gathered, we said goodbye already anticipating the next time they might see each other. 

It’s amazing how quickly the foreign can become familiar. Three days after first arriving in a small village where Rita thought she would be wandering through cemeteries trying to piece names together,  Rita now left with more than memories. She left not just knowing a lot more of her family but to feel personal connections with so many, many relatives she had not even known existed just a few short days before.  And how lucky we were to be part of the whole celebration! 20190516_102951_HDR

Time had absolutely flown and we were getting ready to leave France.  The three of us flew to London where Rita would spend a day with us before flying home. Bob and I would have another few days.  

We had rented an Airbnb in Belsize Park in the same neighborhood where we had stayed previously because we liked the area, and the bus lines made it an easy trek into London. The apartment was really lovely with high ceilings and leaded glass windows.  Because this was Rita’s first visit we decided the Hop On Hop Off would be a good choice so she could get an overview of the city. Of course, we had to have the traditional pictures at Trafalgar Square. We also enjoyed seeing Buckingham Palace.  The next morning Rita headed to Heathrow for her flight back to Pittsburgh. What a great time we had!

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 For our respective birthdays, Bob and I had given each other tickets to see Hamilton. How fun to see it in London!  There was some kind of gathering near Westminster Abbey and our bus seemed to be stopped dead in traffic. So we decided to hoof it.  After stopping to ask directions to the Victoria Theatre (which no one seemed to have heard of) and accessing our GPS, we finally made it.  King Georg is portrayed as such a bumbling fool! At intermission, a man walking into our aisle, leaned over to the woman next to Bob and commented, “At least we still have the queen!” 

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Theatre is one of our favorite parts of London so the we decided to check out what other plays we might see. Mamma Mia has been running in London for twenty years. Seemed like a good choice and it was great. I found myself humming the music for days afterwards.20190525_172955_HDR

When I first learned that we were going to be back in London I connected with a friend, Jackie, we had met in Gosport in 2016.  We arranged to meet up for a drink before we headed to the theatre. Jackie is following a book of walks in London.  They sound really interesting.  She told us that while they’re all within the city, they are focused on of off the beaten paths and are usually connected to history.  We are so lucky to met such interesting people in our travels.20190525_132658

It was time to head back to the States.  We started the year in the Dominican Republic and then after a weekend in DC, spent the next month in Italy, and then two months in southern France.  Now we were headed back to DC and then on to Michigan to our oldest granddaughter’s high school graduation. It was going to seem different to understand the dominant language and use the American dollar.  Europe has been wonderful but we are ready to go home to the US for a while! 20190527_083400_HDR

 

 

The French Riviera and Provence

13 Saturday Jul 2019

Posted by Jane R Hendrickson in Travel

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We found there were lots of things to see near Antibes.  Cannes, the home of the famous film festival is only a 30 minute drive.  We intentionally wanted to catch a glimpse of the city a week before the festival so we wouldn’t have to encounter all the mobs.  Again, another lovely promenade along the sea and we definitely had to take pictures of the hotels all ready for the celebrities to arrive. But as I think Rick Steves pointed out there’s not much there except for the film festival. 

 

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Since it was a pretty quick trip to Cannes, we drove back via Grasse so we could visit the Jardins de Musee International de la Parfumerie, the perfume gardens.  The gardens were hard to find. We followed the GPS and it led us to a garden shop. We thought maybe the shop was connected to the gardens but when we asked, the clerk had absolutely no idea what we were talking about.  We decided to look around and finally we hit upon it. Although it was still early spring many things were beginning to bloom and we could imagine how lovely (and crowded) it must be in the summer! Plants were well marked with an explanation of what scents they are used for.  And it was helpful that the signs were in both French and English. We waited to visit the perfume factory later during the month, but things got so busy we never were able to check that off our list.

 

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We decided to visit the Maeght Foundation Museum of Modern Art in nearby Vency. It’s a small private collection that contains some works by artists including: Miro, Chagall, and Caulder.  It’s located in a picturesque setting with lots of sculpture surrounding the building itself.

 

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Both Aux en Provence, or Aux as the locals call it, and Avignon were on our list of things to see in Provence. So we decided to make it an overnight trip  It may seem odd that we rent anAirbnb and then leave there for an overnight trip, but traveling full time we find that we it just makes sense to book an overnight or two from our base in order to see things that would require a lot of driving to return to our home.  We decided we’d spend a couple of hours in Aux and then go on to Avignon where we’d spend the night. 

We found Aux difficult to navigate.  We finally found a parking garage thanks once again to Google Maps. And then walked through the city market.

 

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This time the market actually included violins!  20190430_120524Wow! Paul Cezanne was born, educated and died in Aux. He even went to law school here. But decided early on that art, not law, was his chosen profession. We tried to get to his studio and even the cemetery where he is buried but because of road construction and detours we were unable to get to either.  We decided to move on to Avignon.

Avignon, also known by many as “The Other Rome,” has more than four kilometers of walls built in 1355 to surround the city.  20190502_100728_HDR

We had booked a room at the Hotel de la Palais.  It had discounted parking and we thought we had finally, after navigating endlessly through the winding streets of Avignon, found the right parking garage.  The walk to the hotel took about 15 minutes but we were stunned when the clerk told us that indeed we had parked in an Indigo garage, but it wasn’t the one for which we would receive a discount.  Did we want to move? NO! We were happy to have the car parked. Our room had a spectacular view right out onto street.  

I was going to ask where the Palais de Papes (Palace of the Popes) was, knowing it was nearby, but thankfully I didn’t because after we walked out the door of the hotel, for some reason I turned around and there it stood!  It was dusk and the lights had just come on and it truly was something to behold! 20190430_210511This was the home for Popes in 1305 when Pope Clement V became concerned for his safety in Rome. He was a guest of the Dominican Monastery. Seven Popes resided there until 1377 when the center of Catholicism returned to Rome but the palace remained under papal control for more than 350 years after that. 

It was a warm night and a good time to walk along the street in front of our hotel that was lined with a carousel, a few historic buildings and open air restaurants.  The following morning we were awakened by the sounds of singing and chants. I looked out our window where we had a great view of the yellow vests once again marching. This time right toward us.  Of course, that made sense, it was May 1. Labor Day in Europe.

 

And again these were peaceful marches. We saw people of every age; some walking with canes, some with their kids; some with their pets. At one point I gave a thumbs up and a woman waved in return! 

Right near the Palais des la Papas was the Little Silver Train.  For nine euros we got a tour throughout Avignon with a guide explaining everything as we passed. 20190513_114851_HDR At one point in a busy downtown area we came to a dead stop. The driver told us to just wait patiently as she left and talked to some locals next to the road.  It seemed there was a car blocking the street. Several men on the side of the road, picked up the car, moved it aside and we were again on our way! Wow! Talk about resourcefulness! 

Not far from the Palace of the Popes we found a pretty little square where the Elgise Saint Pierre is located.  This church dates from the seventh century.  If you look really closely you can see a statue of Bacchus with grapes high atop.  One wonders why he was placed there.20190501_122456_HDR

To me though the highlight of Avignon was the St. Benezet Bridge.  I remember it from childhood singing, “Sur Le Pont Avignon.”  What a disappointment to learn that no one ever danced on the bridge! It still was fun to see! And the ditty stayed in my head long after we had left Avignon.20190501_142709

As we returned to Antibes it began to rain and we felt really lucky to have had such a beautiful weather to do all of our sight seeing. And there was still so much we wanted to see and do.

 

From the Hills and Up the Coast…

11 Thursday Jul 2019

Posted by Jane R Hendrickson in Travel

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Before we left Lecce I received a notification from home that I needed to have a document notarized.  This turned out to be no easy task. It seems in Italy notarization is something really unusual.  Generally only documents involving a transfer of property get notarized and then it’s really expensive; usually a percentage of the sale. After searching high and low, we found that only at the US embassy or consulates would I be able to procure the signature required.  So, Milan, Rome or Naples? Rome seemed to be the obvious choice; it was the easiest to get to; we could see Cary again and we could drive through Tuscany and then over to the Ligurian coast and on to France.

We made the appointment on line luckily finding one slot left for the day we wanted. Even though it meant back tracking over roads we’d already traveled, we long ago realized that driving in the opposite direction on the same roads gives us a very different perspective of an area already traveled.

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Service plaza food is very different in Europe; they have a variety of offerings we never find at home. In Italy: fresh squeezed orange juice, varieties of homemade pastas. 20190320_144750 In France, the bakery items were like something out of a magazine. The drive over the mountains was lovely and we truly enjoyed the 6 hour trek back to Rome.

We had never been to the embassy area and because we were early for our appointment we wandered around the neighborhood and stopped and had a cup of coffee before proceeding into the embassy.

 

 

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Although heavily guarded, the United States Embassy is truly a beautiful building.  We found once inside it was nondescript but the height of efficiency.  After we walked through security we followed directions to the second floor where we were given a number.  We were then called to a window and explained what we needed.  A bill was given to me for $50 and we proceeded to another window to pay.  Because it’s the US Embassy we could pay with a credit card, Euros or American dollars.  We then had a seat and were called back to the original window where we were met by the US Consul who watched as I signed the paper and then signed his own name and title and added his seal.  The Consul hesitated a moment when I asked if I could get a copy.  He then explained that the US Congress had passed a bill requiring the Embassy to charge $2.00 for copies.  And while that is a high price to pay to copy one sheet of paper, the fact that I wouldn’t have to wander the streets of Rome figuring out where I could make a copy made it indeed seem like two dollars well spent. Overall, this was a very pleasant experience and again it seemed exceedingly efficient. 20190321_133910_HDR

Later that evening we were able to catch up with good friends, who had invited us to dinner at their lovely home just outside Rome.  Although it is just the beginning of spring, their garden was just beginning to burst with bloom and we really enjoyed the few hours we spent with them.20190322_175935_HDR

It was a pretty Saturday when we left Rome and Cary was able to drive with us as far as Chiusi, a lovely little hill town, where we stopped to have lunch.

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After dropping Cary at the train,  we drove on to Siena where we would spend the night. I have found it extremely helpful in unfamiliar towns to search Google Maps for parking near our destination. That seems to help us get our bearings when we enter into new congested locations. We found the parking lot in Siena easily enough but trying to figure out how to pay was another story.  The ubiquitous parking machines we’d seen throughout Europe were nowhere to be found. We finally just gave up and walked to our hotel, a few blocks away, passing through an interesting street market along the way. We later found out that the lot was free! That never occurred to us!20190323_173538_HDR

Our plan when I made the reservation in Siena was to use that as a base to go to Florence, a city I really love. But instead we fell in love with Siena and decided to spend our day extra there.   Siena is a town of gorgeous medieval (read 5th – 15th century) buildings. 

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 For the energetic, you can climb 400 steps to the top which I’m sure had great views. We passed! The piazza is home of the Palio, a horse race run twice a year. The jockeys ride bareback and although it’s a short race with the horses running just 3 times around the piazza, because of the treacherous turns, I understand it’s not uncommon to see riderless horses finish the race.

From Siena, we continued up the coast to Savona, our last stop in Italy. We continue to be amazed by the size of so many of the cities we encounter which we’ve never heard of. Savona, for instance, has a population of more than 280,000. We arrived just at dusk a lovely time for a walk along the marina.20190325_185153

20190320_133859_HDRThe next morning we crossed into France following the coast lined with more tunnels than we could count.  Bob has the habit of calling out“Tunnnnneeeellll” in the same manner as a soccer coach announces a “Gooaalll!” but when he began to lose his voice because of the limitless number of tunnels, he gave it up! It’s only a couple hours drive from Savona to Antibes. We are staying in the old city which is closed off to cars. Our host had directed us to a parking garage close to our apartment.  He had also arranged for a friend to meet us at the apartment who graciously helped us lug our suitcases up to the second floor. (Americans, read that as third!) It’s a pretty spartan, well-worn abode, with a few details left out of the Airbnb description, but the location is perfect. And there’s a cute little restaurant just below us that’s a great stop for a cappucinno!20190426_135722_HDR Antibes is a good base for us.  It’s close to Provence and day trips. It’s also just a half hour away by train to Nice.  It’s not crowded this time of year and we’re finding many interesting places to walk. Of course, we first had to check out the local market. 20190328_110059_HDR In many ways they’re all very similar but we never tire of the fresh vegetables, spices, cheeses and fresh flowers.

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This one was a bit different because it was covered and had a more permanent feel than many we have visited And the windows of the bakeries were filled with unbelievably beautiful pastries.  The meringues had to be six inches long. 20190329_141957_HDR It’s easy to get turned around in the windy old streets of Antibes and we found ourselves at the Ramparts just along the water after we left the market.  The backdrop of the snow-capped mountains in the distance against the blue water with the multimillion dollar yachts in the foreground was like something out of a movie.

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I’m sure we’ve been on ferries that were smaller than some of these yachts! Also, along the harbor we love to sit and watch people play boules, a lawn game similar to bocce in Italy.

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We took a day trip to Nice.  The Chagall Museum is particularly interesting as the artist helped design the building.  It is a small museum and my favorite part was the huge mosaic glass in the auditorium. 20190405_152322We learned early on in our travels to take advantage of audio guides in an art museum whenever they are available.  They were particularly helpful here as Chagall’s work is highly religious and without the additional explanation I would have found it very difficult to understand.

Later in the month I returned to Nice with my friend Rita and we visited the Matisse Museum.  I had read in other reviews that this museum was disappointing because most of his works are located elsewhere. I’m certainly a novice when it comes to art, but I enjoyed the paintings, drawings and found the details of his life particularly interesting.  Again, the size made it doable in a couple of hours.  We really enjoyed it!20190519_134211

We also enjoyed the walk through Nice’s huge market and then wandered over to the Promenade des Anglais with its great views and the opportunity to just sit and people watch.  It’s amazing the number of different languages people spoke, each with a joyful lilt in their voice.

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Of course, since this is France, the food is scrumptuous.  Wherever we go throughout Europe, it seems that everyone takes an afternoon break and enjoys a glass of wine, a stein of beer or the most recent craze, a spritz.  The spritz is a bit on the expensive side costing about the same as two glasses of wine, but it has lots of takers.  It’s a combination of aperol, prosecco and club soda.  And as folks often comment, it does look like a bright orange sunset! 20190407_145619_HDRAnother advantage of being right on the sea is the seafood!  I particularly like the mussels.  And wow!  The portions are huge! Sitting at a table in a busy square just makes everything taste better!

20190427_142608Public transport here is great and easy to figure out.  In Nice, in addition to the bus system, there’s an efficient tram that gets you to many of the more popular destinations within the city. But as we boarded it to return to the train station, a voice over the speaker told us that this tram was not going further and everyone should get off. It made no sense. No one around us spoke English. Finally a gentleman explained that there was some sort of strike.  Ok, it was about 2 kilometers back to the main station and it would be easy to find our way; we could just follow the tram tracks.  Not far after we set out, we began to hear singing.  Then we figured it out!  This was a yellow vest protest; the marchers are protesting throughout France the inequity of wages.  We were fascinated as we watched the paraders chant, sing, and throw an effigy of French President Macron up in the air.  It was all very peaceful and we never felt anything but safe.

 

As we passed a McDonalds we stopped to watch the procession.  At this point I realized my phone was nearly dead so I asked Bob how much battery he had left.  I watched as he reached in one pocket and then another but no phone.  He had put it in his zipped front jacket pocket but it was definitely not there now.  It finally dawned on us; he had been the victim of a pick pocket! As he began to recall earlier events of the day, he thinks it happened on the short trip we made on the tram when we first arrived.  In any event, it was gone.  What a pain.  On the other hand we were very lucky.  As hard as it is to lose his phone, in his other front jacket pocket, also zipped, was his wallet, with all his identification and credit cards.  That would have been a much bigger hassle.  I immediately cleared the data from his phone and then notified T Mobile that the phone had been stolen and to block any further use. Most of his apps and pictures are synced to his computer which made life a bit easier. And so far, no other repurcussions.  Keeping our fingers crossed.

We thought we had been cautious.  I even turned my daypack around and wore it in front of me on the tram, but it appears we can never anticipate all events. We were determined not to dwell on it.  After notifying our kids that Dad would not have a phone until we returned to the States, we just moved on.

We still had lots to do and see!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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