Brit food is great, or not

One of the great treats of Britain is the Sunday Pub Roast. Many pubs on Sunday afternoons put on a special meal with all the trimmings just like your mother used to (or maybe still does) make it. Roast beef is the most traditional but there can also be lamb, pork or turkey. One meal I had included beef, turkey and small sausage and bacon rolls. You'll get at least a couple of roast potatoes, a medley of delicious vegetables - think turnips, carrots, broccoli and/or mashed sweet potatoes - and giant Yorkshire pudding of which it seems pubs compete who can make the biggest. There's nothing quite like it anywhere else though I've noticed a few places in Toronto starting to offer. But let's leave the traditions to Britain or your mom/mum. Maybe I should take that statement back when it comes to fish and chips. It's blasphemous but I just can't find the quality fish and chips I can get back home. Yes, they may be fried fresh but usually what you get is one long flat slab not the meaty bulbous filets of Canada. And the storied chips? Big tick for cholesterol. I know fries (never call them French Fries here!) are starch-plus but their thickness makes you want to stop eating calorie overload. Then there's the trad English breakfast or "Full English." Okay, a couple of fried eggs and some flavourful back bacon and bangers. The half cut fried tomatoes fine. But I draw the line on the baked beans and mushrooms. In fact, when it comes to breakfasts - and this applies not only to the UK but Europe in general - if there's anything I miss about food back home, it's the typical North American breakfast, with bacon, eggs, hash browns, pancakes and various combinations thereof. Meanwhile for fast food in the UK there's always Greggs, the Tim Hortons equivalent of Canada. For an island nation of high prices Greggs is relatively cheap, their regular coffee excellent and besides doughnuts they have a UK favourite of mine, sausage rolls. One dismaying aspect of the decline of traditional British life is the lack of English beer. Basically everybody here drinks foreign. Even pub beer on tap is laden with logos for any country but the UK. "Estrella?" (Spanish) I was automatically asked yesterday as if it's the common serve. One time I asked for "something English" and the server looked at me puzzled. Indicative was a story last week in The Daily Telegraph. Old Speckled Hen (not named for an animal) has just been sold to that same Barcelona brewer. And its the latest of a long line: "Boddington’s, Bass and Camden Town have bought by AB Inbev, Belgian owner of Budweiser; London Pride by Japan’s Asahi. But there are thank goodness still traditional pubs. In which to cry into your suds. 

- Ron Stang, Windsor Ontario Canada, a frequent traveller

London's voluminous parks suffer symptoms of parks everywhere

There are many - should I say myriad and almost infinite - things to love about London. It's the city I visit most. But there are aspects of it, while great, that are a little perplexing, and in certain ways not that much different from cities anywhere. The most obvious is parks. This city is teeming with them, and they are voluminous and often sprinkled with delightful gardens (photo below left). I'm staying in West London and parks nearby include Gunnersbury (celebrating its 100th birthday this month and opened by Neville Chamberlain!), Ealing Green, Boston Manor, Syon, Walpole and Dukes Meadows. Some of them take on the character of heaths (there are also many official Heaths) with uncultivated foliage. Many were owned privately and include mansions turned

into museums. They are all quite lovely and impressive. But like parks in Canada and pretty much everywhere else they lack certain essentials - park benches and public toilets  - and feature oodles of wasted space. For all the efforts governments put into encouraging healthy living and "green" over concrete and asphalt they make natural settings rather unattractive to use. The photo above shows Ealing Green with a humongous open field bereft of people or activity when I traversed last week. And hardly a bench to sit on. Walking along the River Thames in the elongated Dukes Meadows Park (10 miles long; I walked two), the pathway juts in and out of foliage

sometimes obstructing river views. And it was partly gravel. An occasional bench had a 1970s chunky design not conducive to relaxing. Restrooms - "Toilets" or "WCs" - were non-existent.

I have been coming to London for years, even decades, and one thing that keeps disappearing is the Britain of old. Forget the bowler hats and Bobby helmets - they went out decades ago. But even the legendary English eccentrics are in decline. I saw one in a tube station on the weekend dressed in a colourful suit and straw hat. And I thought "yes, that's the look and attitude." Meanwhile the manner of street dress is the same as everywhere - elephant or mom pants on young women, hoodies galore and trainers (running shoes) omnipresent. There seems no sense of expressing a British attitude given the country's rich history and physical references (buildings, monuments) everywhere.

The best way to explore London is by simply wandering or hopping on a bus and see where it will lead. The bus routes are long and convoluted (that's a good thing) and take you through the most amazing neighbourhoods, overflowing with retail "high streets" and contrasting and often extremely old residential areas of varying social classes. 

There are also some Brit phrases that are twists on the North American. "Take Away" instead of "Take Out" of course. But "Eat All You Can" instead of "All You Can Eat." And some funny ones like the photo at left -  beware not of dogs but humans. 

- Ron Stang, Windsor Ontario Canada, a frequent traveller

How to talk to a tourist

After having walked 10 km along the beach between Elviria and Marbella Spain, on one of the sunniest and warmest days this winter, I wasn't only thirsty (yes I had water but) and hungry. All I wanted, for some reason, was a hamburger (or hamburguesa) and beer (cerveza). I got to a point where I didn't care where I got it - from a shack on the beach or a fancy sit-down. The first that came up, upon entering Marbella, was a beachside resto. But I entered from the wrong entrance. "Tienes hamburguesas? (you have hamburgers?) I said as a waiter approached me. "Yes," he immediately switched to English. But, he said, I had entered from the wrong entrance. I had to go around and enter from the main door. "That is how we do things here." A little annoyed by his attitude, I responded, "Oh, the main entrance!" in an exaggerated tone. I considered doing exactly that but then thought "screw it." First, I was put off by the waiter's immediate conversion to English when I asked him something in Spanish. Sure, it happens all the time on the Costa but perhaps his slightly aggressive tone made it annoying. So I continued walking and turned up a block to the main drag, Avenida Ricardo Soriano, named after the main developer who brought post-war tourism - and a lot of foreign money (including infamous Russian oligarchs) - to this destination mecca in southwestern Spain. I walked a couple of blocks and spotted a small cafe across the street. A waiter, as typical, was standing outside. I asked "Tienes hamburguesas?" "Si." No switching to English, he just asked what I'd like on it. I got the "completo" and said "si." I doubt he even knew a word in English. Same with the young waitress. And everyone around me - on the patio and inside - was a local and some were regulars. Ah, I sighed, perfect. No one attempting to speak English to me and taking me literarily at my word, as much Spanish as I had. 

Unfortunately, as beautiful and elegant as downtown Marbella is, I fear the city centre might be hollowing out. The first sign was spotting what used to be a delightful local bakery (photo above), pastry and sandwich shop, undergoing renos when I was here last year. And now I know the reason: it has been turned into - aghast! - a Five Guys hamburger joint. Then, walking further along the street I noticed two storefronts completely empty. I may be jumping to conclusions but indicators like this don't portend well, even for an otherwise exquisite city.

Last week (March 10) I booked a "multi city" air fare from Windsor to London, and returning more than a month later from Berlin to Windsor. I was going to wait on booking it but the Iran War and warnings of gas price hikes made me decide to book early. I paid $1194.26. Just for the heck of it, I decided to check last Friday if the price had skyrocketed. Just the opposite. It had gone down to $1083.25 for the exact same flights. And today I checked again, the price now up to $1383.52 but that included one checked bag!

- Ron Stang, Windsor Ontario Canada, a frequent traveller

A shitshow at Customs, and this was in Spain

I love arriving in Malaga, southwestern Spain's biggest city and international airport hub - gateway to sun-splashed and cultural bliss (Picasso's home town)  So it was disappointing to have to go through the shitshow us passengers from Manchester on a Ryanair flight had to experience Sunday at Málaga-Costa del Sol Airport. We were confronted by the brand new EU Entry-Exit system's fingerprint and photo recognition machines (photo), half of which didn't seem to work. You place your passport over a scanner - that worked. Then it adjusted to take your photo, similar to what you have at Canada Customs at Toronto's Pearson. Then the fingerprint capture. You place four right fingers (not the thumb) over a glass pad and the fingerprints register on a screen. Except they didn't. I tried five or six times and still they didn't take. Finally a notice on a bigger screen popped up saying, "proceed to a manned kiosk." Except...the electronic gates didn't open. I wasn't the only one caught in this bind. About a dozen of us couldn't get through. The Spanish Customs officers were only about 10 m away but seemed oblivious to our plight. Passengers shouted and waved at them but they paid no heed. After a few minutes one finally strolled over and looking at us like we were slightly idiots, said to simply walk round to the booths. The problem? The other lanes were cordoned off with official tape (known as stanchions), usually making passage verboten. A couple of us "risked" it anyway, ducking under the stanchion and making our way to a booth. The officers simply took our passports and stamped them as if nothing had happened. And I don't imagine they got our fingerprints.

Walking out of Malaga airport towards the suburban train station and my train/bus combo journey to Elviria, about 50 km west, I noticed a brand new and spacious Pret A Manger. Pret of course is usually found only in the biggest or swankiest urban and tourist capitals. And I thought: "Malaga has arrived."

I flew Ryanair between Manchester UK and Malaga. It was my second time flying the Irish-based discount carrier, perhaps best known of Europe's budget airlines and notorious for owner Michael O'Leary's sometimes outrageous suggestions for making travel even cheaper - i.e., having passengers stand. The Boeing 737s have a tacky interior with safety instructions stuck on to the back of seats and no seat pockets. The airline's new policy is that you must use a digital boarding pass or risk a £55 ($100.17 Cad) penalty. Since I had paid for my carry-on when booking  ($35.56 Cad for a total one way flight of $94.05) I was deemed "Priority" and could board from the tarmac by the front door. The airline has a nifty app and you can use this to order in-flight meals. I tried but it didn't work. A fellow passenger told me you had to do this before the flight left the ground. Otherwise you have to wait for the food cart to come down the aisle, which took awhile when I was famished not having had breakfast after an overnight flight from Canada. 

At my resort or "apartment-hotel" - where I stay every year - I notice a few subtle changes. There's one paper cup in the bathroom compared to two last year and one dish cloth in the kitchenette instead of two. But since I am on the third floor instead of my normally second floor apartment, perhaps the offerings diminish as one rises higher? Otherwise, this is a great place (pic above) - reasonably priced, efficiently managed and choice location - one of the best finds on the Costa. 

- Ron Stang, Windsor Ontario Canada, a frequent traveller

I never thought I'd sing the praises of Super 8

I never thought I’d be touting the wonders of the Super 8 motel chain. But on my recent trip going-and-coming from Florida it was my new go-to place for overnight stays., The initial reason? Price. Okay, I've stayed in cheap motels before and wasn't expecting much – worn down furniture and stained carpets with a modicum of cleanliness. But upon checking in to the chain at my usual overnight stop en route to Fla – Macon, Georgia – I was delighted by what I got for 66.54 US (93.46 CAD). The motel has just undergone a renovation, and the spic and span room featured laminated wood flooring, a midcentury style upholstered chair, a separate desk and chair, and king size bed with ample pillows. There was also a fridge and a microwave. And plenty of space. The chain also has a coffee shop and offers continental breakfast. The entire suite had a contemporary upscale feel. I’ve stayed in hotels three times the price (I’m looking at you, Hilton Garden Inn, Dorval QC, Sept 2024) where more than $300 didn't even get us breakfast. Or the faded Chrome Hotel in downtown Montreal last October where there was a fridge but no microwave. We had to warm-up food in the laundry where there was a small microwave on a corner table, necessitating elevator rides and a lot of walking). And on my return trip from Florida this past weekend I stayed at the Super 8 in Farragut (west side Knoxville) TN.  An older building so not quite to the fresh standards of the Macon motel but nonetheless a spacious suite and all the amenities. 

I had to laugh at the news WestJet decided to cancel installing new rows of seats in its 737 jets after a backlash that the “pitch” or room between them was ridiculously close. WestJet is following the road of many wannabe discount airlines by trying to maximize profits from every square inch of space and service. But this time it backfired. And this airline, a onetime bright spot in the Canadian industry as a respectable alternative to Air Canada, suffered a major black eye. Increasingly I find discount airlines the bane of travel. Flying from Prague to London UK last fall we were booked on Wizz, the Hungarian discounter. I’d never seen an airline so obviously trying to squeeze as much revenue out of its operation as possible. For example, I’d never boarded a flight at the same time as the passengers on the previous flight were still getting off! And between flights the cabin crew donned hi-vis vests and turned into janitors as they went about cleaning up garbage from the previous flight. And beware if you don’t follow booking requirements to a T. For example, you’ll be charged for not checking–in electronically for your flight beforehand. In our case we deliberately didn't because we wanted seats together because one of us is disabled and there was no 1-800 number to call to reserve, as there is with mainstream airlines. No pity; we got charged.

Everyone talks about how wonderful Costa Rica is, the Central American country offering bucolic jungle landscapes with myriad waterfalls and white rafting rivers, not to mention great ocean vistas. So last month I decided to book one month in a rural but relatively touristy area on the Atlantic side. The hotel featured self-contained cottages on a hill with an ocean view. Self-contained meaning cooking for yourself. Okay, so where was the nearest grocery? According to Google Maps, just down the hilly road a few hundred feet. Then I decided to go on Google Street View and look at what that road looked like as well as the “mini mart.” Strictly "Third World," shall we say, with the mart looking nothing at all like a grocery but a tumbled down shack. The adjacent highway had the odd cafe along it but, again, rather dilapidated.  What about the beach? The beach road was strewn with cars parked haphazardly on and off it. This hardly looked inviting and scenic. I quickly cancelled the hotel within half an hour of booking it – the fastest vacay rental turnaround I've ever done. 

- Ron Stang, Windsor Ontario Canada, a frequent traveller

Despite the "cold" it's good to be back in St. Pete

After being away six years it's good to be back in St. Petersburg, Fla (not the other one!). I have been coming to what Snowbirds call "Paradise" (though locals may demur somewhat) for well over a decade. I've stayed on the beach strip and then downtown (top photo) close to the restos, clubs and galleries scene in a very pedestrian-friendly core (so unlike the concrete canyons of Tampa across the Bay) until the family that ran the small group of vintage 1920s cottages sold out to a developer and the block is now one of St. Petersburg's latest new condos (photo below). In fact St. Pete is booming like I've never seen it. Post-Covid it's like half of America has discovered this sun-drenched, warm (well, not over the past week) and bucolic urban oasis with its mixture of amenities, parks, historic neighborhoods and of course miles upon miles of beaches. A recent Saturday was so clogged with traffic that I simply decided to stay in my car than trying to find a parking space, and then

crawled in bumper to bumper traffic all along the Central Ave. spine, the city's entertainment district that has now expanded by blocks upon blocks of new restaurants, cafes and pubs. Driving back to the beach strip, where I'm staying this trip, was like a reprieve. I used to stay on the beach but got fed up that it was too touristy and that my rental had the world's worst internet, so moved DT to feel like a regular. But back on the beach - actually across the street - is really pretty good and I've booked a similar place a few blocks away for next winter. There are some restos and cafes - even a nature preserve - and of course you can just cross the street to the sand, as opposed to having to drive miles and compete for parking on hot beach days. I got bumped to this place after a similar suite a few miles south got sold. Prior to that a suburban house I'd booked also got sold and the alternative was less than adequate. It seems real estate is the top industry here. A neighbor in this complex, from Colorado, owns six vacation rentals. Signs abound for properties for sale or rent. Realty offices are everywhere. My current complex was severely damaged by Hurricane Milton in 2024. My apartment was apparently among the least damaged and other properties are still in a state of repair. But prices aren't cheap. I used to love shopping at grocery chain Publix but not anymore, when so many items - dollar for dollar - are just as expensive as back home or amazingly even more so, and then add the exchange rate. Wal-Mart cuts the cost by about a third. And restaurant prices are insane. A hole-in-the-wall Grouper joint up the street charged $35.41 US ($47.85 CAD) for an otherwise bland sandwich and a beer. Forget about dining out! And did I tell you about the cold? The past two weeks have been weather-crazy, with overnight lows in the high 30s - snowflurries were spotted inland this weekend - and daytimes getting into the 50s. There have been beach days of 70-plus but just a few. Still, sunshine almost universally abounds, the pristine white sand beach is wide and stretches forever, and despite the "cold" it's a hell of a lot better than sifting through the drifts back home.  

- Ron Stang, Windsor Ontario Canada, a frequent traveller

Stereotypes aide this US community is pedestrian-friendly

A Canadian stereotype is that the United States must be worse in almost every way, from health care to guns to crime and, oh, urban car-centric wastelands. A lot of that is true but a lot isn't. I've always been impressed by how SE Michigan is much more advanced than say Windsor-Essex or really anywhere in Canada with its longtime metro parks, huge green spaces featuring trails, picnics, swimming and canoeing - sometimes camping - within Detroit's sprawling suburbs. Or the conversion of rails to trails, light years ahead of home. Or the use of cemeteries as area for people to walk for exercise. And in Florida, pedestrian-centric neighborhoods go the extra mile, so to speak. Here in Indian Rocks Beach on the barrier

island between the Gulf and mainland in the greater Tampa Bay area, pedestrians might not necessarily rule but there are still lots in the way of protecting or giving them courtesy and priority, to an extent I've never seen in Ontario. Start with the pedestrian crossings (photo), which have long been a feature of life here and just emerging now at home, where all a pedestrian has to do is press a button and the lights starts flashing and motorists grind to a halt. Where I am on the beach strip these crossings are spaced every few hundred feet. As well, pedestrians and motorists are told to respect the residents in nearby communities: "Please Keep Noise to a Minimum" with "Quiet Hours" designated overnight. At intervals signs stating "State Law" advises motorists to "Stop for Pedestrians In Crosswalks." Finally, unlike at home where bereaved families of those in fatal accidents build their own roadway memorials, in Florida the state provides signs with the names of those who have died: "Drive Safely - in Memory of ...." 

- Ron Stang, Windsor Ontario Canada, a frequent traveller

Only nine Canuck cars spotted on the drive to Florida

I spotted nine Canadian vehicles on the road (I-75) - 1939 km or 1,205 miles -  last week driving from Detroit to Indian Rocks Beach (St. Pete) Florida. Okay, I saw two or three after arriving too. But the dearth of Canadian cars was quite noticeable as I've done this trip many times and Ontario license plates are sometimes as numerous as their counterparts across the river in Michigan, also a major tourist draw for the Tampa Bay area. So I guess the boycott is working. I stop overnight in Macon GA and the hotel clerk is puzzled he hasn't seen more Canucks. I explain. "The 51st state?" he laughs. "And don't you think the Canadians would have to approve that first?" ..... Prior to departure and to indicate I was staying more than 30 days I had to fill out a G-325R form (free) online at the US Immigration website (there's also the I-94 form for which you have to pay $30; I'm not sure the diff), which was approved almost immediately but which I had to get the Canadian Snowbirds Assoc (an organization really on top of all the current complexities about travelling to the US, questions which abound on Facebook travel sites) to interpret, so loaded was it with bureaucratize. Upon crossing over the Ambassador Bridge last Monday the officers in both the primary booth and secondary office (yes, I got pulled over), hardly looked at it. They just wanted to know how long I was going for (46 nights in Fla) proof of my domicile here and how I supported myself. ..... When I've done this trip in the past I've just "winged it" and haven't reserved a motel room in advance for the one overnight stay between Windsor and Florida. But this year, just to make sure I had all my T's crossed, I booked a motel in Macon, my usual stopping point. Customs never asked. But I'm glad I did. Because the Super 8 was the cheapest. Had I just opted for the first or second motel I came across - as in past years - I may have paid substantially more. And surprisingly this "low end" chain had refurbished suites, a king size bed, fridge, microwave, modern wingchair and a nice clean cafe for continental breakfast. Not just that, but the night manager, Michael, was a delight. We ended up talking about this that and the other thing for a good 40 minutes. I usually stay at a motel on Riverside Dr. adjacent to I-75 and just down the road from Rose Hill Cemetery, where several of the Allman Brothers band members are buried, Macon being the iconic home to the band and where exists a museum devoted to them. ..... The worst part of the drive? Atlanta at night, with multiple lanes buzzing bumper to bumper at 70 mph and lunatics changing lanes without signaling, so bad I saw one car pushed on to the shoulder when another edged into their lane. ..... Yes, I guess I'm a "snowbird" though I hate the term. Interestingly a few weeks ago I read a FB post asking what Floridians hated most about their state. Other than hot and humid summers "snowbirds" was right up there though there wasn't much explanation why. So, Welcome to the Sunshine State - it's warm, the beaches are great, and everyone you pass on the sidewalk says hello.

- Ron Stang, Windsor Ontario Canada, a frequent traveller

Airline seat encroachment, and the joy of checked carry-ons

 

What happens when an oversized passenger takes up more than their allotted seat? Well, in my case, flying to London this month, that individual encroached on my seat for the entire seven-hour journey. I had been assigned to a middle group of seats – four abreast – with mine being second from the right facing the front of the aircraft. The individual seated to my right was not a problem as she had a “normal” body size. The passenger to my left was the problem. She wasn’t necessarily obese but was tall, large-boned and heavy set, certainly big enough that she required extra space beyond the 17 in. wide economy class seat on this Boeing 777-300ER (photo). Resultingly, this made for an uncomfortable journey as I could only maneuver in two-thirds of my seat and was almost comical when it came to eating dinner, with really only my right arm free to use my utensils and my left arm and hand acting more as stabilizing elements to hold the tray or even my right hand! There must be a way for airlines to handle this problem. Obviously being of normal size (5’ 6” and 170 lbs.) I’m not at fault yet I paid for full use of an economy class seat, not partial use. My larger fellow passenger took up more space than she paid for. So, should she have paid for two seats? Should airlines demand body sizes and weights like they do luggage and charge for one or two seats accordingly? Is this fat-shaming? Should I ask for a partial refund? I couldn’t find any Air Canada policy regarding this matter only one on “oversized luggage.” But I did see a website which suggested the five best airlines for overweight passengers, Air Canada being number three. “It’s a mixed bag for overweight passengers flying with Air Canada with seats ranging from 17-18 inches in width.” it said. “However, when it comes to Premium Economy, all this changes, with the airline delivering one of the best offerings for overweight passengers. You can enjoy a seat width of 24 inches, with 20 inches being the most common.”

And speaking of luggage, oversized or not. Passengers love their carry-ons and don’t want to part with them. That’s why they bring them on board in the first place - even for a charge - and on international flights such as mine it's free. But often at flight check-ins – just before boarding the aircraft – an airline clerk will make an announcement that the flight is full and there isn't enough space to accommodate all carry-ons. And so, for free, the airline will check the carry-on and the passenger reclaim at the luggage carousel upon arrival.  Such was the case with my flight from Toronto to London. The announcement was made but at first no one volunteered. The clerk, having a sense of humor, said “Seems no one wants to take me up on my request. I know why you want to hold on to your carry-on; you are afraid it will be lost, but I assure you it will be checked on the very same airplane you’re flying on.” I was reluctant too and then, after another passenger, decided to walk up to the gate and have the bag checked. What the hell, even if I must wait to reclaim my bag, I had time to kill before my hotel check-in. But after doing so I felt a sense of freedom from not having a bag to tote and compete with other passengers for storage space; I simply walked on without care. Now, I wouldn’t want it any other way. Returning home, the first thing I did when getting to the gate was ask the clerk if I could check it. She seemed more than pleased a passenger would offer to do this.

- Ron Stang, Windsor Ontario Canada, a frequent traveller

Toronto, the bane of all travel

 

I’ve never been a particular fan of Toronto – too sprawling, congested and simply dull, from nondescript neighborhoods, flat topography and few standout attractions (I’ll skip Casa Loma and the CN Tower). Add to that my vote for world’s worst airport, or at least of the airports I’ve been to. Correction: Toronto used to be worse, it’s now London’s Stansted (Nov. 3/23 post). Dating from the early 2000s Toronto’s rebuilt Pearson airport was supposed to revolutionize the old Malton Airport with its (then) innovative round terminal and added rectangular box. Well, design wise, it was (somewhat) innovative and awesome with its shell-like canopies and serpentine halls. But that’s part of the problem. It takes forever to walk from one part of the airport to another. Inevitably I arrive from Windsor in the grounded tarmac short flight domestic northeast D-gates end of Terminal 1. Then up the escalator and where the hike to my international flight begins. Years ago, I would get lost trying to find the right hallway to take, the signage is so bad a couple of times I ended up in the parking garage. But now I’ve (kind of) learned the route, with a slog through seemingly endless hallways (three concourses) all the way to the high number E gates at the end of the south “Hammerhead” pier. Which are inevitably overcrowded with easy to mistake departure lines. One time I got in the wrong line for a flight to Santiago when I was heading to London. I’m thankfully not alone in my view. The Consumer Choice Center ranked Pearson among worst in the world. Criteria included location, number of airlines, connections, restaurants and shops. I could quibble with some of the data. Air Canada dominates with 52% of all flights. But the world’s largest airport, Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson, is controlled by Delta Air Lines with 75%. As for not being downtown – big deal! – as numerous airports are much further away from city centres. Try London’s Gatwick or even Heathrow, Europe’s busiest airport. And it takes almost an hour to get to Athens’ Eleftherios Venizelos airport. It used to be worse: there was no UP Union Pearson Express train to downtown prior to 2015. But it is what it is and this week I’ll be flying out again. The long – and only slightly easier to find expedition – awaits.

Meanwhile driving to Toronto Pearson from Windsor is a nightmare. Sure, Toronto traffic especially on Hwy 401 has always been bad – in Toronto. But now tie-ups begin as far as Cambridge, 75 km away. This past year I drove four round trips to catch flights out of Pearson based on cheaper fares. But I think never again. Even with a surcharge for flying from Windsor it’s worth it. No four-hour drive to begin with, and no aggravation from accidents and construction which can add on another hour. Especially when the flight from Windsor takes a scant hour and you can look down on the 401 and smugly smirk at those having to drive it.

- Ron Stang, Windsor Ontario Canada, a frequent traveller

My travel ban over but there are still hiccups

I thought I’d have no problem crossing the US border after my – disputed - five-year travel visa ban expired August 6. (see Aug 12/25 post). Sure, I can now cross but there are still hiccups. It’s not just like I can be waived through like any typical motorist after showing my passport and answering a few basic questions. My name still pops up on the primary inspection booth officer’s computer, and the same question is always asked: “have you ever had problems entering the US?” To which I refer to the five-year travel ban. The officer nods and sometimes will ask details and I run through a summary, always indicating I “dispute” it. On one occasion the officer wanted to engage me in a long conversation – verging on argument - of why I was banned (“Michigan auto insurance rules (law) don’t apply to federal crossings”). Frankly, this is all beside the point. The ban was over August 6 and I was given the understanding I would be able to cross hassle free back into the US. But because my name for some unknown reason remains in the system, more likely than not the primary officer will slap an orange sticker on my windshield and I’ll have to report to secondary, which means the office. Out of the car I get as two or three officers officiously direct where I must park and tell me to place my phone and car keys on the dashboard, and “take what documents you need” into secondary. There I must wait my turn as there are usually several people ahead that need to be processed for various reasons (most of us have gone to secondary one time or another, and it happens on Canadian side too). So, there I will sit anywhere from 10 minutes to half an hour. I’m then called to the counter, hand over my passport and sometimes restate the reasons for the ban, then told to sit down and recalled, given back my passport and am free to go. There have been a few occasions where the primary officer just picks up the phone and calls a supervisor and then releases me on the spot; those are always gratifying. But my name should have been expunged when the ban was over. One officer even cursed when he saw my name was "still” there. I suggested it makes more work for his staff and he agreed. Further, no one can tell me when my name will be dropped – “could be six weeks, could be six months.” Meanwhile one officer gave me a card with a US government website to apply to expunge my name. I did so on Oct. 30. A resolution could take two or three months.

Meanwhile, the US government now requires travelers planning to spend more than 30 days stateside to fill out special documents – which might include fingerprinting at a Customs facility. I filled out the G-325R form Nov. 5 - which asks basic questions about residency and criminal record – and bizarrely requests a US address. (The Canadian Snowbird Association had answers at their fingertips and said just give an address of a friend, relative or business associate.) I still haven t heard back as I’m planning to spend Dec. 31 – Feb. 15 in the Sunshine State. What a contrast to applying to the UK’s new ETA two-year e-visa which I was issued almost immediately after applying online and is simply integrated into your passport. In the US everything is so officious and bureaucratic.

Whoever thought crossing the US border would ever be so hard. The G-325R (or alternative I-94) application apparently has always been on the books, but the Trump Administration is now enforcing it after a major border crackdown.

And as for all those stories about Canucks boycotting travel to the US it doesn’t appear so at the Windsor-Detroit border. I realize this border is not “discretionary” as many people commute to jobs. But even in non-commuting hours backups can easily last half an hour, not much different than "pre boycott” times. Last night, coming home from Detroit, I could see vehicles backed up almost on to the bridge deck itself. And the lines can be slower than molasses, making a trip to secondary inspection seem almost a breeze by comparison. (Photo shows back-up at Canadian border so you get an idea how many are still crossing the border, Canadians and Americans.)

- Ron Stang, Windsor Ontario Canada, a frequent traveller

I wanted to take a w--- on Wizz

This Hungarian discount airline’s name is somehow appropriate. Especially given our experience. And further reinforced the idea of never fly discount airlines. We flew Wizz from Prague to London Luton airport last month and the experience was underwhelming to say the least. The issue was my partner’s disability. Airlines send check-ins online 24 hours before departure. When travelling with her I never check in online as we’ve already booked seats by phone weeks ahead through accessibility assistance and I don’t want to screw it up since online bookings also ask for seats. Arriving at Prague’s Václav Havel Airport we were told that we’d be charged an extra $167.91 because of that. What?! The check in clerk was sympathetic but even a call to head office resulted in a no-go – discount airlines want/need to make money, so they have absolutely zero latitude. Then the fact her suitcase was about 20 lbs. overweight resulted in another $127.30 charge. We never chose Wizz as a discounter but only because it fit our schedule when booking through a third-party site……Another things about Wizz is that, as previously stated, this airline squeezes every last cent to make its bottom line. I’d never experienced entering an aircraft (by the rear right door from our accessible elevated bus) while passengers from the previous flight were still getting off the plane! That means extreme turnaround, folks. Get that aircraft in the air as much as possible to keep the revenue churning! Moreover, no need to spend money on terminal cleaning staff but use your own flight attendants – in hi-vis vests – to clean out the seat pockets and pickup floor trash before the flight. At least they still cross the seat belts.

It’s true you can fight the airlines! Most people find it difficult to get refunds from even the most mainstream airlines. I’ve had a couple of good experiences through. One when an Air Canada flight was cancelled back in 2022 as people began mass travelling again post-Covid and threw airline schedules into disarray; it paid for our Cape Breton hotel room for another night. And Colombioan airline Avianca recently credited me $638.94 for a missed flight to Bogota this summer. It initially was my fault (July 27 post), my mind playing tricks thinking an early morning flight was related to the previous night. But the airline had promised to reschedule my flight – despite my error – and sent me back to Toronto (a long return road trip from Windsor two days in a row) the next night to buy the ticket before departure. The clerk at check-in shook his head and said no go. He asked the name of the online agent who’d told me that and I gave it to him; guess she got a talk-to. Nevertheless, I appealed to the airline, and months later (through Booking.com) I receive the refund…..This on top of the refund I got from Big Bus Athens (Sept. 23 post) - $102.06 – for not having suitable/broken wheelchair facilities on board their double-deckers despite advertising they do.

- Ron Stang, Windsor Ontario Canada, a frequent traveller

The impracticality of hotel rooms

What is it about hotel rooms that they have to be so impractical? From time immemorial I’ve complained about the lack of shelf space and hooks in bathrooms to put toiletries on and hang towels. Baths and showers have limited corner shelves for soap bars and shampoo bottles. That’s bathrooms; there’s other irritable quirks that almost inevitably come with a hotel booking....Here’s my assessment of four hotel rooms on a recent trip on both sides of the pond. First in Liberec, Czechia, our Hotel Fabrica supplied a nice handicapped accessible bathroom (one of us is disabled) with proper toilet height, grab bars and a no-lip walk-in shower. Europeans tend to have better accessible washrooms than their North American counterparts. But there was limited desk or shelf space to place suitcases and absolutely no night tables – what’s with that?! Moreover, there was no heat despite early October temperatures seeming like early November. Complaints to the management brought nothing. And it was only because a friend in this town of 100,000 near the Poland and German borders (the heart of Sudetenland, the Nazi Czech stronghold during World War II) offered a space heater that we kept warm for five nights…..Second was the InterCity Hotel in Erfurt Germany (pop. 200,000). A great location next to the Hauptbanhof (central train station) but the rooms were surprisingly cramped for such a major hotel (though it is Europe where small-scale suites often rule the day). We’d booked a handicapped accessible room and had been informed online this would be accommodated but when showing were up told flatly “there are no accessible rooms” - period. And two light weight hand and shower towels required regular refreshing for the four night stay…..Next: The Ibis chain hotel in Blackfriars, South Bank, London. This is a modern and “very cutesy” hotel with rock and roll themes for hip gen guests – I guess that means Baby Boomers on down. Signs throughout play on musical titles - Staying Alive, Wake Me Up, Don’t Stop the Music, Everybody’s Gone Surfin'. And there were even body soap and shampoo dispensers labelled Rock Your Body and Put You Hands Up In Your Hair. The only problem? Absolutely no shelving but a small coat rack and some wall hooks (photo). However, the accessible bathroom was great (Britain leads the way).....Finally, Montreal’s Hotel Chrome is a 1980s-era property that has never been refreshed. On the one hand this is good: the rooms were large and yes there was “shelf space” because, alas, of the old heavy wooden furniture. But the “accessible” bathroom was typically North American – a grab bar or two in the wrong places and a low toilet. Why or why are toilets so low when people with disabilities would normally want a higher toilet? 

- Ron Stang, Windsor Ontario Canada, a frequent traveller