THE FLIGHTS FROM HELL!

We've just returned from the flights from Hell! Except for the return flight from Kansas City which is

reminiscent of my golf game--just as I am ready to smash every club in my bag, I finish the last hole nicely and decide I have enough potential to come back. Here’s my story; everything I put forth here is absolutely true.

Rob and I were booked on JetBlue out of Newark for Cancun. TSA pre√, so no long security lines. Not the most convenient flight possible, a one-stop and relatively lengthy layover, but ok.

If you've ever been to Cancun airport, you know it's an offshoot of Britain's Bedlam prison, but no problem. It’s busy because this is the resort crowd landing and everyone and everything is heading for the sun--including Rob's luggage.  Only one problem; we arrived in Cancun; Rob’s luggage went to Montego Bay, Jamaica!

An hour and a half later, after locating the proper airport personnel since JetBlue has no representative in

Cancun airport, we’ve filled out the forms and are promised that the runaway luggage will be on the first flight

to New York’s Kennedy Airport in the morning and then on to Cancun. ETA: Tomorrow afternoon.

By the time we make it out of customs, our driver has left and we are stranded at the airport. Amid pre-trip

warnings from every travel source available including our resort to not take unregistered airport transportation, we are a bit bewildered. Then an angel from Marriott approaches us. He sees our transportation voucher, recognizes it and knows our driver who coincidentally lives in his neighborhood. He phones him and our guy is back in a few minutes. Whew.  He’s actually stationed at the airport and calls for our car and we are whisked off to Temptation Spa and Resort.

Thank goodness for those light-weight zip-off travel pants that Rob is wearing. Unzip the legs and he’s in light-weight shorts which he will have to wear until the next day.  Zip on the legs and he is all right for dinner. 

Meanwhile I unpack and discover my luggage is severely damaged. A zipper is ripped and shredded, but in all the tumult at the airport, I did not notice the protruding twisted wires and did not report it.  Not to worry,

JetBlue’s disclaimer clearly exonerates the company from all responsibility, and I will have to find a repair shop when I get home.  But mishaps occur.  We can roll with the punches, but now is the time for a welcome drink and a little relaxation and enjoyment. 

Rob’s luggage arrives late the next afternoon, and as always, our stay at Temptation is lovely…

Until it was time to check in online for our return flights.  Rob checks in with no problem, but I am not allowed. I am told I have to report to the JetBlue counter at the airport.  ???????????????  Remember, I am TSA pre√.

We leave the hotel in plenty of time, and the driver drops us at the terminal and leaves--the wrong terminal. This one appears to cater to flights within the Spanish speaking world, and we need to get to the flights heading elsewhere.  I am able to converse in Spanish a bit, but my hearing is not good enough to understand the responses, and Rob doesn't speak Spanish at all.  It’s like a Laurel and Hardy movie as we try to decide on the next step. 

Looking obviously bewildered, we are approached by several men offering taxi services, but we remember those travel warnings.  There’s a sign for a shuttle to other terminals, so we get on line and wait and wait and wait.  Then another angel appears (remember the Marriott guy?).  He’s a van driver from Hertz, and he offers us a ride in his van.  This we gratefully accept, and within ten minutes or so I am in front of the JetBlue check-in counter trying to find out what the problem is.

She checks me in promptly, but when I ask why I, a TSA pre √, flier had to check in at the counter, she shows me a series of SSSSS on my ticket.  She says I was “chosen at random.”  So much for Homeland Security.  Prior to flying they check me out, decide I’m safe enough to fly without taking off my shoes, etc., and now they are going to check me out again while who-knows-who gets on the flight with who-knows-what.  What a waste!!!  What inefficiency.

But I had no idea of how I would now be checked.  Rob sails through quickly, and I am throroughly wanded and x-rayed.  My hands are swiped.  My tablet is swiped.  They go through my carry on literally piece by piece.  I finally made it to the gate, but while Rob is allowed to board, I am again pulled aside and totally wanded and my hands are again swiped—now in front of all my fellow passengers who must wonder what kind of suspicious criminal is flying with them!  But, hey, I’ve never felt any governmental agency runs efficiently, so why should the hapless TSA be any different.

Eventually we are settled on the plane, but bad weather in New Jersey delays our departure.  We finally taxi to the runway when the Captain tells us there is a computer problem in the left engine and we have to return to the gate so it can be repaired—maybe.  We sit on board, and more than an hour later the computer is fixed and we taxi out and take off. 

We arrive in Newark at 2:30AM, two hours late!  We first begin luggage and customs.

We have reservations to stay at Wyndham Gardens Hotel where our car is parked, the trunk full of winter

clothes because we have an 11AM flight out to Kansas City, Missouri for our daughter-in-law’s graduation from Command and General Staff College and also for her Master’s Degree. 

We check in, go to out to bring in the clothing so we can switch suitcases, and then we head to the Business

Center to check in our United flight.

We finally connect with United only to learn that our non-stop, three-hour flight has been CANCELLED, and we are rebooked on a one-stop, seven hour flight that leaves later in the day and will get us to Kansas City in the evening.  BUT we have the option of finding another flight, which we do—a one-stop (in Chicago), five-hour flight that requires our taking the 7:30 AM hotel shuttle back to Newark Airport.  Total sleep time = 1.25 hours.

When we get to the airport we make sure to arrange for ground transportation for us in Chicago’s bustling, huge airport.  Rob’s knee will just not make the long walk to our second flight.  No problem says the woman at the desk as she puts through our request.

We arrive in Chicago, get on the golf cart, and the driver tells us he doesn’t have us on his list and we have to get off.  No way, we tell him, and although he threatens calling security, when we tell him to go right ahead, he calls, instead, for another golf cart; we switch, and we are driven to the second gate, a long ride plus an elevator ride. 

We board this plane, fall asleep, and wake up in Kansas City, in a wonderful, compact, easily negotiable airport, find our rental car, find our hotel is only minutes away and no more than ten minutes from Jen’s apartment. 

On the ground, this second leg of our Cancun/Kansas City trip begins, and it is totally delightful.  TOTALLY!  BTW, our trip home was very nice.  We had our non-stop to from KC to Newark, and took a taxi to the Wyndham, tossed our luggage in the car, and it wasn’t long before we were sitting in that familiar diner on Rt. 17 eating Chef Salads.

Flying has become a torture.  I rather drive an entire day than go through the trouble of a flight.  How do you

feel about this?

A STRANGE THING HAPPENED OUT IN PALM DESERT

Stranger things have happened during our travels than our conversion to something totally new.  Here’s something I will not be fully able to explain to you.  But believe me, it’s worth a read.

In Palm Desert, California we always get to the College of the Desert Fair held each weekend on the college grounds.  It is an upscale market of sorts featuring vendors from near and far.  You can buy gas powered fire pits that sell for thousands of dollars, Baggalini bags, and exotic cars. You can meet craftsmen/women selling items ranging from the ridiculous to the sublime.  For a joke gift, I bought two balls that you throw against a hard surface and watch them splat and then come back to their original shapes.  One is like an egg and one resembles a pink pig.  The College of the Desert fair offers some pretty interesting items.  There’s unique hand-crafted jewelry.  And foodies, there are rows of food vendors.  You want it; they’ve got it.

As we walk the aisles, we pause at one vendor, Superior Magnetics, where Shu and Cricket Avilla have an intriguing line of magnetic therapy products.  They do weekend events and have a mail order business as well.  The idea of magnetic therapy to relieve pain is not new to us, but we are skeptics by nature and just listen for a while as Shu speaks to others who stop by his display.

 Shu is a warm individual and approaches his subject with enthusiasm.  He explains the theories behind magnetic therapy and some of its possibilities as it applies to the person questioning him.  As he speaks to potential customers, Rob becomes interested in the conversation and asks Shu a few specific questions about how magnetic therapy works and what research exists on its efficacy.  It is a pretty involved conversation.

 Rob’s knee had been “acting up,” and he’d been taking half tablets of the painkiller ultram for several days, something he truly prefers to avoid.  Shu convinces Mr. Skeptic to wear a magnetic ankle bracelet for a few minutes and to walk down the row of stalls.  Within minutes, NO KIDDING, Rob’s knee pain calms down enough to make it no more than a slight bother.  It does not eliminate the pain entirely, but the pain subsides sufficiently so Rob skips the next scheduled painkiller and does not ever use the knee brace he carries with him when we travel.

When Rob described the chronic back pain he experiences caused by seven herniated and bulging discs, Shu uses a Piezoelectric Stimulator he says helps restore electrical flow.  Immediately the pain disappears. 

Is Rob convinced of the magnets' efficacy?  Rob left the fair with the magnetic ankle bracelet and a Piezoelectric Stimulator.  

Just to bring you up to date, this occurred on January 18^th.  Today is March 4th, and Rob has not taken a pain killer yet. Yesterday, after a strenuous treadmill workout, he used the Piezolelectric Stimulator on his knee, and again, the results were dramatic!

Back to California.  An older man in a wheelchair stopped by Superior Magnetics.  He had some sort of boot on his foot and complained of gout pain.  Shu told him that with gout he might not feel any results for at least a week, but the man wanted to try an ankle bracelet.  Shu put one on him, and they continued talking.  In a few minutes, the man said that his foot felt a little better.

That evening back at Marriot’s Desert Springs Villas, I tried the ankle bracelet on to see if it affected my ankle stiffness.  The stiffness disappeared, and on January 19^th, we went back and I acquired a bracelet for each ankle.  They’ve rarely been off, and the stiffness is virtually gone. 

We did some internet research to learn about measuring strength in magnets—called gauss.  We also checked out other dealers for comparison.  Our bracelets use 5200 gauss magnets.  That strength is not readily available by other dealers, and, of course, the stronger the magnets, the more expensive they are.  

If you suffer from pain, you might want to investigate magnetic therapy.  You might well get your answers by visiting Shu’s website, and don’t hesitate to call him.  I think you’ll get clear answers to your questions.  Speak to Shu about magnet strength too.

Shu has many very attractive styles of magnetic jewelry.  Rob chose the Scottsdale, and I have the Wimbledon model in the ankle bracelet.  But you wear the jewelry close to where you experience discomfort, so you might choose a bracelet or a necklace.

There is a lot of information on Shu’s website www.superiormagnetics.com. You will see bracelets, ankle bracelets, necklaces, and items aimed at hitting close to the area where you are bothered. There are articles to read about magnetic health, and you might even sign up for Shu’s newsletter as an additional learning tool.  There is contact information; don’t be hesitant to call him.  We found him very responsive to our questions.

The truth about magnetic therapy is that there is no definitive study about why it works on some people or how it works.  What I do know definitively is that it works for us, and I am passing it on to you.  We are definitely converts to this way of treating chronic pain.

We feel so strongly about Shu's integrity and product, that I am putting a permanent link to Superior Magnetics on Third Age Traveler.  Should you want him in the future, he will be there via this link.

AMSTERDAM TIDBITS--I LOVED THIS CITY!

Amsterdam is a city inviting you to walk and marvel.  But it is also a big city, and getting to know public transport is important.  The trams and busses are easy to use.

Check this website: http://www.iamsterdam.com/en-GB/experience/plan-your-trip/getting-around/public-transport

At this site, you will receive a good education about public transportation in Amsterdam.  One important thing to remember is that you swipe your fare card getting off as well as getting on the tram.  If you do not swipe the card getting off, you nullify the card. 

The relevant prices for 2013 for unlimited travel beginning with the first swipe of your card:

 

24 hours (1 day) € 7.50

48 hours (2 days) € 12.00

In Amsterdam as in other European cities, there is a big, central station—a transportation hub.  In Amsterdam it is actually named the Central Station. We picked up, for free, an excellent map of Amsterdam and the public transportation system at the Central Station that we used for walking as well as for transportation between sites.

It’s also a good place to exchange money.  The rates are good and the fees probably less than in your hotel.

One thing about Amsterdam is that you have to be alert. So many people travel by bicycles in Amsterdam.  Watch out when you cross a street because the cyclists don’t seem to have any intention of stopping for you.  With a population somewhere around 800,000, there are an estimated 880,000 bicycles in Amsterdam!  It's pretty fantastic.

On our 2.5 hour walking tour, our guide pointed out that many are older model bicyles and many are rusted.

“Is there much bicycle theft?” asked a tourist on our tour.

“Yes, it happens,” answered Marieke, “but then the idea is to steal another bike.  That’s why we don’t keep getting new ones!” 

We laughed at the exchange but could only guess if she were kidding.  Suffice it to say that outside of flat, flat, flat Amsterdam where basically a gearless bike would be power enough, we saw newer, more sophisticated bikes in other cities as soon as the terrain included inclines.  It would not be a laughing matter if one of those bicycles were stolen.

By the way, should there be a car/bicycle accident in Amsterdam, the bicycle is always right.  The car is bigger.  Watch out for those cyclists.  They ride fast, and they are very adept at maneuvering through people and traffic.  Don’t get in their way!

Ingenuously I thought that renting a bicycle in Amsterdam would be a great experience.  A friend from home warned me that I would be killed.  I think she would have been correct.

The carpeted walk of Art.
Each patch represents a different country.
On the wall is a legend so you can find
your own country's contribution.

I have a feeling that Marieke pulled our naïve tourist legs on more than one occasion, but when the tour ended, we had a good grasp of the Netherlands’ history, the history of the dikes, and the history of  the city of Amsterdam.  We had seen ancient buildings, learned why buildings are tall and narrow and built as they are.  We learned about the bicycle culture, the way Amsterdam embraces diversity with its population representing 178 different nationalities.  We heard about the different museums we might wish to visit and walked through the lobby of the Amsterdam Museum where the floor where we walk is also a work of art.

The invitation at the entrance to
The Amsterdam Museum

 










We walked along the canals and over bridges discussing their unique qualities, and we saw ultra-modern buildings that offer a totally different view of ancient Amsterdam.   We saw one of the three remaining wood buildings in Amsterdam, this one built in 1528.  That is before Shakespeare was born!

Yes, this house was built in 1528

 


We learned about customs surrounding Christmas and the history of St. Nicholas—far different from what many of us experience.

It was a wonderful tour, and as it ended in one of the big shopping areas, we headed to some very important spots she talked about—particularly the lavatories in the upscale department store!  For us, it also meant some time to pleasantly pause before heading out again to do some more exploring.  I am only highlighting some of the sites we visited in this most intriguing city.

This ordinary office building held
Anne Frank's Secret Annexe.

Our premier stop was the Anne Frank Haus.  We had tickets for a 3:00 tour on the day we arrived.  Tickets are available on line, and you should buy them there or through your own tour company.  Of all the sights in Amsterdam, this one seemed the most important to all of us.  It is highly unlikely with The Diary of Anne Frank published in more than 60 languages, made into a film, a play, and an orchestral piece that too many people are unaware of this famous young girl who may be thought of as the face of the Holocaust. 

Indeed, the Anne Frank Haus apparently heads the lists of many visitors.  When we arrived, the line for tickets extended beyond the end of the block. People with tickets, however, enter through a separate door and simply follow the self-guided tour.  There was no line at that separate entrance on the day we went.  We actually had to look for that door which is to the left of the ticket line.

The building is non-descript.  It is an ordinary Amsterdam building indistinguishable from those around it as, of course, it is just another building—except to those hiding there.

Being inside that building, though, is a stunning and humbling experience because for the first time I was physically conscious of the cramped, close, small size of the quarters where these people had to be totally silent during the day and where they could not even touch a curtain to look out the window.  It seems impossible that they remained as long as they did.

There is no furniture in the building as the Nazis removed it all soon after the arrest, but on the walls are excerpts from the diary as well as family photos and other photographs of the time.  There is information about who lived in each room.  In the display cases are diary pages and other artifacts. 

Visitors must see the building as hallowed ground for it is very quiet inside as we silently walk through the door leading up the stairs to the Secret Annex and then from room to room.  As we climb up the narrow staircase, we try to accept where we are. 

People from all over the world are in that building with us.  We hear other languages spoken in hushed tones.  The flow of visitors through the building is constant, and when we exit, there is still a long line waiting to enter.

For the address, hours, and other relevant information concerning the Anne Frank Haus, visit www.annefrank.org.  There you will also be able to download a phone app and to see if there is a special exhibit during your stay.  You can order your tickets directly online from the museum.

The Anne Frank House is at Prinsengracht 263-267.  If you wish, it takes about 20 minutes to walk from the Central Station.  Trams 13, 14, and 17 and buses 170, 172, and 174 stop nearby at the “Westermarkt” stop.

The Anne Frank Haus is located in a busy and central part of Amsterdam.  On that street and in the nearby areas are enough places to occupy a good part of your day. 

Before we went to the Anne Frank Haus, we wanted lunch.  We wanted to sample “Dutch” food.  Because of Amsterdam’s history of trade and because of how the land was reclaimed, the “Dutch” people came from all over the world; we quickly learned that one does not find Dutch cuisine in the way one finds Italian cuisine.

Looks like Sue and Marty are enjoying that thick syrup!

But the Dutch pancake has a certain flair we’d read about, and we headed to The Pancake Bakery located at Prinsengracht 191, just around the corner from the Anne Frank House.  Visit their website at http://www.pancake.nl/indexeng.php to see the extent of their menu. 

This was filled with bacon and tomatoes and cheese.
Absolutely delicious

This is not your Ihop!  The pancakes are dinner-plate sized.  There are sweet pancakes and savory pancakes.  The pancakes are filled with all kinds of goodies.  On the table is a big bowl of syrup and a wooden spoon—more like a ladle!  The menu offers more than 75 different kinds of pancakes and includes other items, of course.  Marty ordered a beautiful and delicious omelet.  The coffee was great, and the atmosphere just perfect.  The cost was reasonable.

The restaurant is narrow and long.  We didn’t realize until our walking tour that all the insides of buildings would be narrow.  That is the way things are in Amsterdam.  With land understandably precious, buildings were taxed on their width.  So buildings are tall and narrow.  Instead of a wide storefront, the building is deep. 

Notice how narrow the restaurant is.
But it is very deep.

As we leave The Pancake Bakery, there is a sign in Dutch.  In translation: thank you and come back soon. 

At Prinsengracht 112 is The Cheese Museum.  Once again, a narrow building where the main floor is a cheese shop and the lower floor, down winding stairs, is the Cheese Museum.   

Cheese has a 600 year old history in the Netherlands, and it’s hard to imagine that any cheese eater has missed edam, gouda, or leerdammer.  This shop is attractive with different cheeses arrayed for tasting and wrapped in clear plastic to display the colors and variety.  It is very arty and very beautiful.

How could we resist entering such an
inviting establishment?

Downstairs are some of the implements used in making cheese over the years as well as photographs and a history of the process.  It is well worth the stop.  If you’re on Facebook, visit their page.  You’ll see just what I am talking about.  

Prinsengracht hosts several places where we could book canal tours, and we took advantage of that possibility as well.  What would a trip to Amsterdam be without a boat ride on the canals?

The company we used, See Amsterdam at www.seeamsterdam.nl  was located just steps away from the Anne Frank House at Leiliegracht 51, at the intersection of Leiliegracht and Prinsengracht.  We chose it purely for its proximity to the Anne Frank Haus, but we were not disappointed although we would have preferred an open top boat.  They offer hour tours as well as hop-on-hop-off with tours spanning 24 or 48 hours. 

Our tour, lasting about an hour, gave us Amsterdam from a different vantage point.  We traveled along the canals as the captain of our ship gave a running narration of the history of the canals and the backgrounds of some of the neighborhoods along the streets and the houseboats lining the canal.

Go to my previous post (http://www.thirdagetraveler.blogspot.com/2013/11/in-amsterdam-its-water-water-everywhere.html) to see what we saw.

The three crosses of St. Andrew represent the
three dangers to ancient Amsterdam: fire, water, and plague.
They are part of the coat of arms and the flag
of Amsterdam.

At Prinsengracht 116 is the Tulip Museum.  Once again an unpretentious building, but tulip and Holland seem synonymous.  Unfortunately we were out of season, but we did look around to see the bulbs for sale and to enjoy some of the colors. Visit the Tulip Museum to see some lovely examples of Holland's finest.

Of course WALK.  It is the best way to see Amsterdam.  It’s the only way to stop and enjoy the architecture and the shops.

Amsterdam has over 50 museums.  Can’t do them all, so this is a tough choice.  We only were in the city for a three incomplete days.  We chose to visit one but to spend enough time to savor its art.  That was The Van Gogh Museum.  Vincent van Gogh is one of the most famous Dutch artists although he left the Netherlands and spent most of his short ten year productive life in France where he committed suicide and is buried.  The Van Gogh Museum is located at Paulus Potterstraat 7 with a website at www.vangoghmuseum.com.  Don’t neglect the Facebook page.

If you’re thinking of this museum, once again the tickets have a timed entry.  You can order them online.  On the day we went, the line was not long, and we spent a long while admiring the original paintings we’ve only seen as notecards at New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art. 

If you’re more into the other important Dutch and Flemish masters, especially Rembrandt, you might try the recently re-opened Rijksmuseum located at Museumstraat 1.  Its website is www.rijksmuseum.nl/en.  Would that we had another day….

My best advice is to google “museums in Amsterdam.”  You’ll have a choice, get an address, and you will not waste time trying to decide.

Yes, we headed to another famous Amsterdam location—The Red Light District.  How could we resist?  I won’t describe anything here.  I’m not a spoiler.

Here’s some sage advice.  If you go past a café with a sign that says coffee “house,” the only stimulant you’ll be able to purchase is coffee.  If the sign says coffee “shop,” you’ll be able to buy marijuana.  You can even sit outside at a table in front of the coffee shop and smoke marijuana. The air was thick with it.

But be forewarned.  If you want to smoke tobacco, you MUST go outside.  Cigarettes and other tobacco-based products are not allowed in restaurants in Amsterdam.  Go figure!

This has gotten to be a long post, but I keep saying Amsterdam is big.  My lesson—find an excuse to go back.

WHEN THE UNEXPECTED HAPPENS

photo courtesy of stock images and
freedigitalphotos.net

As I begin to write on July 23, 2013, we’re waiting to hear from our friends—the couple traveling with us—who will call from the hospital where she is admitted and where he stayed overnight and where they will be again tonight and perhaps for several more.  It’s highly likely we will leave for home without them.

The circumstances, unfortunately, remind me that I haven’t written any travel tips in a while.  What happens when someone suddenly gets sick?  What should we carry with us when we travel?  How do we protect ourselves?

Here are my suggestions, and I hope if you have others, you will add them in the comment section following this post. 

Make sure you travel with your insurance cards.  If you’re over 65, carry your Medicare card as well.  BUT know that your insurance may not be accepted at all and neither will your personal check.  In Aruba, for instance, the welcoming booklets clearly indicate the location of the hospital in Oranjestad but immediately make it crystal clear that you will need cash or a credit card.  No U.S. insurance is accepted.

In our friend’s case, a call to the insurance company took care of hospitalization as she was admitted through the Emergency Room.  Become familiar with your insurance company’s protocol, and if a phone call is necessary, make sure you don’t delay.

In addition to insurance preparation, be aware of nearby medical facilities in case you need them.  Many hotels and resorts list them, but if you are traveling when the emergency strikes as we were, use your smart phone to locate the nearest facility.  We went first to an Urgent Care and then were directed to the ER.

Do you have a Health Care Proxy and a Living Will?  While these may not be accepted at every medical facility, you should travel with them and you might even carry the Proxy on you.  I know this sounds gruesome, but just tuck it away as a regular part of your packing; you don’t have to think about it, but it is there if you need it.

Carry a copy of any medications and dosages.  It will make a big difference to the doctors you see.  You’ll be asked for this information.  If you have a chronic problem, a brief medical history might be appropriate.  Check with your physician.

If you are traveling out of the country, you might consider joining IAMAT (International Association for Medical Assistance to Travellers), a Canadian-based organization through which, among other services, you will receive a booklet listing doctors, their credentials, and their ability to speak English.  Not only do you want your physician to understand exactly what you say but also you want to understand exactly what he/she is saying to you.  You don’t want the doctor to misunderstand your explanations nor do you want to misunderstand instructions pertaining to your health.

I might add, as well, that those of you who buy travel insurance might check the provisions providing transport to medical facilities. Does it provide local service or in case of something dire, will you be brought back to the United States? 

On our tour of Ireland and Scotland a few years ago, an American woman traveling alone had a stroke on the first night.  She was still in hospital in Dublin when the tour ended in Edinburgh almost three weeks later.  The tour company arranged for her daughter to fly over, but I never learned more about this event.

On a 2003 February cruise leaving Ft. Lauderdale, a bit more than midway to our first stop in Puerto Rico after a day at sea, a teenager developed appendicitis.  She had to be helicoptered from the ship to the hospital.  A parent accompanied her.  It was an extraordinarily exciting event to watch as the helicopter lowered the stretcher and the ship turned into the wind to steady it and the water poured out of the pools and we were aware of the huge number of passengers by virtue of the crowds gathering to watch what could have been a scene out of M.A.S.H.  But someone had to pay for the “taxi” service.

bringing the stretcher back to the helicopter

only the staff was allowed at that end of the ship while
the evacuation proceeded

I bring up these two examples because the unexpected does happen, and it is not necessarily a matter of age.  Our friend’s problem was diagnosed as Lyme Disease that attacked quickly in all its virulent fury.  Her heart block was a result of Lyme and entirely reversible after a three week course of intravenously introduced antibiotics.  She began the treatment in Virginia, and was able to drive home to have the next day’s dose in her local hospital.  She was not released from the hospital in Virginia, however, until the EKG made release acceptable.  She was hospitalized for six days.  Not a picnic but totally curable.  Not age related and not something seen in the Shenandoah Valley.  Good doctors.  Good hospital. But, when the unexpected happens, someone might end up with a whopping bill.  You don’t want it to be you.

TOURING WITH JUSTIN FERATE TO CLERMONT AND MONTGOMERY PLACE--TWO JEWELS OF NEW YORK'S HUDSON VALLEY



Clermont's main entrance faces the Hudson River.
Visitors arrived by boat and came up to the grand home.

 If New York City based Justin Ferate has not been your tour guide, you’ve missed out!   I’ve just taken my fifth tour with Justin, and it was Rob’s second.  The encyclopedic knowledge of the man who wrote the NYC Tour Guide Licensing Exam should be sufficient reference, but that is only part of my recommendation.  His mesmerizing and enthusiastic presentation makes even the most basic fact part of a spectacular whole, and I always come away from his tours entertained, educated, enthralled by the subject, and thoroughly determined to take another tour with Justin.

Our bus left Garnerville, New York at 7:15 AM on a tour to explore the “Livingston Lifestyle.”  While the title might appear mundane, by the time we retuned to Garnerville at approximately 7:00 PM, the Livingston family had become old friends.  I do mean OLD.  We’d learned their history from the 1600s when Robert Livingston arrived from Scotland until the mid 1900s when the second of the two homes we visited was no longer inhabited by descendents of the family. 



Can you imagine owning both sides of the Hudson River
farther than the eye can see?

 The Livingstons were preeminent residents in the Hudson Valley.  Frankly, through grants and rewards the family basically owned a good part of the Valley if you can imagine controlling more than half a million acres on both sides of the Hudson River.  The amount of holdings is difficult for me to imagine.

The two homes we visited, Clermont, a State of New York Historic Site, and Montgomery Place, managed by Historic Hudson Valley sit in quiet grandeur overlooking the Hudson River.  The views are spectacular.  At one time the views must have been even more open as the trees are ancient with tall, thick trunks.  Black locusts that stand in stately order in front of Montgomery Place sometimes block the view, and our local house guide ruefully admitted that it is just too expensive to keep the view entirely open to recreate what the inhabitants might have enjoyed seeing.  Visitors do not have to stretch their imaginations to any degree to see the beauty of the Hudson.

In a separate building on the grounds is a
museum and gift shop
(and lavatories)

The Clermont Estate was established by Robert Livingston, Jr. who inherited it from his father.  The first Robert Livingston was Lord of Livingston Manor.  He was the second largest landholder of colonial America.  He graduated from what is now Columbia University, was politically active concerning the Stamp Tax Act, probably was involved in the Sons of Liberty, was a delegate to the Continental Congress, was appointed Chancellor of New York and in that position swore in George Washington as our first President at Federal Hall in New York City.  President Jefferson appointed him to the Court of Napoleon, and he negotiated the Louisiana Purchase.  Not enough?  He was a sponsor and mentor for Robert Fulton who invented the steamboat.

Because of Livingston’s activities, his home, Clermont, was burned during the Revolution but Clermont was rebuilt.  Seven generations of Livingstons lived in the house until the 1920s.  Clermont was named a National Historic Landmark in 1973.

We visited the house and toured most of it and three of the gardens.  Impressive.  Most impressive.  I cannot begin to write everything I learned about the man and his family.  Justin just filled us up. 

The Walled Garden

In the South Spring Garden



Toward the Children's Playhouse and Garden
This is the cut flower garden so there would always be
flowers in the house.



While the flowers were not in full bloom yet, the beautiful and peaceful solitude of these gardens is already evident.

When our bus pulled into the Clermont parking lot, a couple was unloading their horse van.  The grounds, riding and hiking trails are open to the public.  The riders were just back from their ride several hours later when we were about to leave.  Sweet.

Montgomery Place was occupied well into the 20th century.
Unfortunately they were doing some tree pruning while we were there.
Notice the "porch" on the side.

The second home we visited was built by Livingston’s daughter, Janet Livingston Montgomery in 1804.  She was the widow of Richard Montgomery who was killed in the Battle of Quebec, one of the first battles of the Revolutionary War.  She named the home Chateau de Montgomery.  As she had no direct heirs, the house passed from relative to relative.  It was added to the National Registry of Historic Places in 1975 and given by the Delafield family, the last of the descendants to live in the house, to what is now Historic Hudson Valley in 1986.  The home was opened to the public in 1988.

Why did the Delafields give up on the house?  It was too rough despite the indoor plumbing, telephone, etc.  Getting water to the house was a challenge.  The house simply could not be truly brought up to the times. 

There is what I’ll call a porch, though that’s an understatement.  It's beautiful and a work of art in itself.  This type of outdoor seating area was unique in its day, and it is thought  that it might be America's first outdoor area designed specifically for seating.   The woodwork is magnificent. 

Both Clermont and Montgomery place have portraits of President Andrew Jackson hanging on the walls, gifts in commemoration of the work the Livingston family did for his administration.

The views of the river and the Catskills are breathtaking.  The gardens were not in full bloom yet, but there were flowers.  This is where I also met the cicadas and heard their beating wings filling the air with their thrum.

From the back of Montgomery Place toward the Hudson



This is the rest of that view!



One garden at Montgomery House

Imagine this walkway when all is in bloom.

Whether you visit to tour the homes or the gardens or to walk the trails and take in the views, you will thoroughly enjoy your visit to Clermont and Montgomery Place.  Historic Hudson is attempting to revive Montgomery Place as a working farm, and in the fall, produce and apples are available for sale.  Trust me in this.  These are two places worth visiting.  Come here on your own.

Photography is not allowed inside the homes, but you will be awed by the interesting painting and antiques as well as the knowledgeable guides who take you through the family's quarters.

This tour was sponsored by the Haverstraw King’s Daughters Public Library in Garnerville, New York.  Karen Romaner who arranges programs is a dynamo, and each tour I’ve taken through that library has been excellent. 

Trust me also.  Get on Justin’s email list and try to take a tour with him.  You will be richer for it.

Every Friday Justin presents a free tour of Grand Central Station sponsored by the Grand Central Partnership.   Meet in the sculpture court at 120 Park Avenue (south east corner of East 42nd Street) across the street from Grand Central at 12:30 on Friday afternoon. For more information call 212-697-1245.

ARUBA'S DIVI PHOENIX--CHARM IN A TIMESHARE



The Divi Phoenix from out on the jetty

 Aruba’s charm is irresistible.  For many tourists, the introduction is simply a day stop on a Southern Caribbean cruise—a day of shore excursions to the beaches or a tour around the island, a walk  around historic Oranjestad where homes are painted in soothing pastels, a visit to the vibrant, colorful markets, or a meal in one of the excellent dining establishments the island has to offer.  Almost inevitably, the seed is planted to return to this sliver of paradise tucked warmly in the Caribbean.  And so you do.  So we did.

Rob and I stayed at the Divi Aruba Phoenix Beach Resort, a condominium type hotel and timeshare (I surmise the new term is “vacation ownership”) in the high-rise section of hotels.  More on Aruba’s hotel areas in a later post.

There are five Divi hotels in Aruba: Divi Aruba Phoenix Beach Resort, Divi Village Golf and Beach Resort, Divi Dutch Village Resort, and two all inclusives, Divi and Tamarijn Aruba.  Vacation ownership is available in all, and full ownership is available at the Residences at Divi Village Golf and Beach Resort.  This is just one company.  Think of any major hotel chain, and it is represented in Aruba in a big way.

We also saw building going on for permanent residences intended for foreign retirees.  Perhaps that is the next step for this country.

Terrafuse

You know Rob and I are fans of timeshares, and the Divi Phoenix is a pleasure.  Our suite is big and comfortable and very nicely appointed.  In the living room there hangs a glass sculpture reminiscent of Chihuly, but made in Aruba and called Terrafuse.  The Terrafuse studio, by the way, offers classes and tours if one is here long enough, and the work is quite marvelous.  We met a man who had taken classes there and loved it.

Our one bedroom suite is lovely and painted in the relaxing, happy shades of teals and beige with the same colors incorporated in the artwork on the walls.  It is nicely decorated with comfortable furniture, a sofa, wicker chairs, and a coffee table in the living room, more than ample dresser and closet space in the bedroom and hallway in addition to the comfortable king size bed, a fully stocked kitchen, and two complete bathrooms, one with a whirlpool bath and a separate glass shower, and the other with a glass shower.   A louvered utility closet houses a washer/dryer.  There are televisions in the living room and bedroom.  The living room couch is a convertible should there be up to four in a party. There is a small dining area with room for four, and a kitchen island with bar seating for four. 

What a beautiful way to start an evening.

The balcony overlooks the central part of the resort, the pools toward one side, over palm trees to the ocean in the center, and to the beach and ocean on the other side.  Just sitting on the balcony, cocktail in hand, watching the sun set over the ocean is one of the most wonderful parts of the day.  The sun set around 6:15 PM during our visit, and we make sure to be on the balcony or in some picturesque location each evening so we can savor the beauty. 

from our balcony

At night colored lights fill the pools gently changing hues and creating a delectably romantic atmosphere.

The first night we arrive, we enjoy dinner in the hotel at the Pure Beach restaurant.  It was the finest Mahi Mahi I’d ever eaten, but more specifics on Pure Beach in a later post.

The Divi Phoenix has two freshwater pools, one with a swim up bar (need you ask if we swam up?), but we were not here for swimming pools.  There’s a smaller pool in another section for water games.  Each morning I join a terrific water aerobics class that actually has men attending as well as women!  Most unusual.  I like these and participate each morning while Rob walks.  He’s not into water aerobics.

No problem relaxing here--and plenty of shade. 
Make sure you use a strong sunscreen.

The beach is fantastic.  There are ample palm trees and palapas to provide shade, and though there are the usual idiots who bring some item down before sunrise to “reserve” their space under a palapa, there are ample lounges and space in the shade for everyone.  Hammocks stretch between trees, but Rob and I have no problem snoozing on our lounges.

The sand is cool under foot, the trade winds belie the heat, and the water is a perfect temperature with an easy slope and sand bottom.  People float around on Swimways Spring Floats or rented floats.   It’s heavenly!

One important word of warning.  You need a good sunscreen.  The trade winds may make you feel cool, but you are very close to the equator.  The sun’s rays are very direct here, and I saw several people resembling lobsters.  Don’t be one of them.

If there is one negative aspect to spending a week in this kind of setting is that it has spoiled us for hotels which usually lack enough comfortable seating, and unless it’s a suite hotel, you have only one room. These days, I feel cramped!  I think I am spoiled.

Some people complain that there is the hard sell when you stay at a timeshare.  Sometimes that is true, and you just say no to invitations to tour.  In Aruba it was very different.  It was so low-key even we were surprised.

I think it all fits in with the Happy Island idea.  It works. 

We flew United, and when we boarded the plane, we were handed a big, Oprah-style magazine called Destination Aruba.  It was filled with history, information about transportation, money, post offices, medical facilities, prominent people, restaurants, festivals, duty-free shopping etc.  There were lots of advertisements for just about everything imaginable.  I read it cover to cover on the trip down, learned a lot, and altered some of the plans I already had in my head.  We hit the Aruban ground running.

As we headed to pick up our luggage at the airport, we passed a big Divi table, and people were handing out free Divi bags (similar to but bigger than the recyclable grocery bags) to everyone regardless of their hotel destination.  Inside was a slim brochure on the different Divi resorts, but outside was stamped the Divi logo.  Each tourist became a walking advertisement, but there was no attempt to do anything more.  I saw these bags all over the island.  They were light, folded, and big enough to carry many things.

At the Divi Phoenix we never received the usual “breakfast or lunch invitation plus tour,” but we were invited to meet a hotel concierge.  We did that, and he simply checked that everything in our accommodations were all right, helped us with suggestions for restaurants serving authentic Aruban cuisine, and answered our questions about the supermarket shopping and festivals.  Not once did he suggest a tour of Divi property or anything vaguely resembling a sales pitch.  If we were interested, apparently it was up to us to ask.  We weren’t, so we didn’t.




The welcome party with music, drinks, hors d'oeuvres, and
a lot of friendly folk.



A friendly staff is always
welcomed

  On Monday evening there is a welcome party—drinks, hors d’oeuvres, music.  No sales pitch, but a lot of information about resort activities, getting around the hotel strip, etc.  I had already become acquainted with Balashi Beer, the island brew, so I was quite content and enjoyed meeting some of the other guests.

No pressure—just relaxation, beach, and water.  Aruba is One Happy Island.