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.  

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

When accessible buses aren't, and about "woke" Communauto

I hate anything touristy although sometimes things can’t be avoided. Obviously just being in central London or at the Eiffel Tower, Times Square or the Roman Colosseum makes – de facto – anyone including locals a tourist. (Locals tend to avoid them.) And one of the most touristy things is the ubiquitous hop on hop off buses that now populate virtually any major tourist locale, from New York to London, Berlin to Athens. Did I say Athens? Earlier this month my partner, who is disabled and uses a wheelchair, and I tried to access the Big Bus version of the hop-on-hop-offs. There are three companies in Athens offering the service. Big Bus is a brand ubiquitous around the world. The only reason we chose to use this very “touristy” service is because of my partner’s disability. She cannot travel far in a wheelchair and the streets in a city like Athens are deplorable, with cracked, decayed and uneven sidewalks, varying surfaces, narrow and often blocked by trees or grates, so bad even many locals walk on the street. Moreover, we use hop on services in cities where it simply is impractical for a disabled person to otherwise move around. They after all do offer visitors exposure to the city’s iconic sites. My partner wouldn’t have been able to see them, or get a feel for the city, otherwise. So, buy a three-day ticket (one of three routes each day) I did at a price of 64 euros ($104.45 CAD at today’s exchange). My complaint is about the buses’ so-called accessibility. They are supposed to be wheelchair friendly. The first bus on the first route we took was indeed that, with a door ramp and an open area for a wheelchair with a functioning strap which stretched across the wheelchair occupant though there were no floor tie downs. That’s okay – I stood and braced her for the hour-long trip around central Athens though technically I

shouldn’t have had to do that. The next day we tried for the second route along the so-called Athens Riviera, a long stretch of beaches along the Med coast south of the Classic City. Besides the fact the bus was 20 minutes late for the 3 pm departure (afternoon traffic we were told) the bus did indeed have a ramp but, alas, the belt strap was broken. BUZZ! So, we had to get off. Since the next bus on that route was an hour away, we thought we’d take the alternative bus route to Piraeus, the city’s port and largest on the Med. The bus arrives; the ramp came down but this time there was an interior “platform” for the wheelchair (pic). How on earth could a wheelchair possibly go up a platform; it defied logic. We didn’t even board and gave up taking a bus that day. The next day we tried once again. This time we just tried to get on the first accessible bus regardless of route and managed to get on one to Piraeus – a big yay! But again, I had to stand and brace my companion. We did complain fully, yet politely and in good humor, to Big Bus staff at the stop, who apologized and said these were “older” buses with only a couple in the fleet (we counted three). Upon arriving home in Canada after our two-week sojourn in Athens (a city that I love and seems like a second or third home), I contacted the company. They apologized and offered a credit for a Big Bus tour in another city. No dice: I wanted a full refund. They quickly sent a form to fill out and I’m awaiting credit to my Mastercard.

I’m a frequent visitor to Montreal and have always admired that city’s shared vehicle company Communauto (logo left), also available in some other cities. Sometimes I drive to Montreal and other times fly like I plan to do next month, leaving me without a car.  I thought I’d join Communauto since it provides a convenient way to get around without dealing with taxis. So, I applied. The very first question was how I wanted to be identified: he/him, she/her, they/them. I’ve never encountered such a “woke” gender identity question from a major company before but maybe I shouldn’t be surprised since the company has “commun” in the name (insert smile face). I called the company and asked if there was a way of getting around this since I couldn't join without answering it and told unfortunately, there isn’t but they would review it. I will not capitulate to woke nomenclature and besides even if I agreed why would I want anyone to know my identity? Ridiculous but they’re not getting my business.

- Ron Stang, Windsor Ontario Canada, a frequent traveller

Athens, agapi mou (my love), a challenge for anyone not able-bodied

I love Athens and have been there three times, once for almost two months, almost making me feel like a regular citizen! I returned recently with my partner, who is disabled and uses a wheelchair. We knew that Athens is old (well, surprise!). And I thought I'd known the infrastructure better than it is. We also surveyed, online, our exquisite neighborhood immediately south of the Acropolis, thinking the sidewalks were in better shape than they actually are. Well, in reality, in many respects they are deplorable - uneven, crumbling, narrow and often obstructed by trees or drains, with no curb cuts on certain blocks and those that do exist often corroded with gaps between sidewalk and streets.  I'm not really complaining about this though there's no question the situation should be improved. We tried the best we could to handle the streetscapes. This included travelling on the streets themselves including our busy street, trying to walk against traffic and squeeze to the side of the road or ducking between cars to avoid large vehicles. We weren't unique; many Athenians routinely walk on the streets rather than the haphazard, decayed and uneven sidewalks. Moreover, because of the lack of curb cuts on our block we often relied on the kindness of strangers to help my partner get from the sidewalk on to the street and into her wheelchair. That aside, we were surprised, even shocked, by one glaring inaccessible tourist site. This of course was the iconic historical Parthenon atop the 2500 year old built Acropolis, considered, of course, the cradle of Western civilization. I'd been up there previously. My partner wanted to visit for the first time. We'd also read that the site had installed a spiffy new elevator on the hill's north side, courtesy in part of the,

yes, Onassis Foundation. Says one website, the elevator makes "one of Athens' most iconic landmarks accessible to visitors with limited mobility, people with disabilities, elderly tourists, and parents with small children." The only problem is that it doesn't. Sure, the elevator itself whisks people - room for two wheelchairs and two attendants - to the top in 32 seconds, offering a glassed-in panoramic view of the city as it rises. The problem is you have to get to it. I'd originally though the lift would be built from street level to the top. But it isn't. It's base is partly up the premonitory. Getting there is the nut to crack. One must traverse cobblestoned or uneven large stone walkways winding around the Acropolis rising continually until you get to the western side ticket office. Only then, and again slightly uphill, are there the turnstiles and a small fleet of golf carts to take the disabled person further on to the lift's base. I posted on an Athens facebook page about this and while most comments were supportive I was surprised by some who thought we wanted to visit something akin to "Disneyworld" or the site be like a "McDonald's drive-thru." It would be interesting what these people would say if they were in my partner's position, with almost no core strength and not able to walk one step without two canes and few steps beyond. My solution: there should be vehicles (golf carts, if you will, or the sturdier kind of three-row assist carts found in airports) taking the disabled from all the ground ticket offices - regardless of their location -  right up the hill to the elevator itself. 

- Ron Stang, Windsor Ontario Canada, a frequent traveller

Gatineau Quebec: there is no there, there

It was my first time staying in Gatineau Quebec. This is a city of almost 300,000 directly across from Canada’s nation’s capital, Ottawa, population now more than one million. While I lived in Ottawa for a few years back in the 1970s, and have been a frequent visitor since, I have never really spent any time in what used to be known as Hull, a rather dreary name, identified back in the day with a smelly and unsightly pulp and paper mill. The region is predominantly French as it is obviously located in Quebec. But one of the things that struck me most is just how overwhelmingly French the area is, given the fact it is immediately across from Ottawa in predominantly English-speaking Ontario and that the entire region has numerous government workers in Canada’s officially bilingual civil service. Wikipedia, however, says Gatineau is the "most bilingual city in Canada.” Could have fooled me. I’d give that award to Ottawa, which I always say is Canada’s long hoped bilingual model and which doesn’t exist anywhere else on such a scale. I was expecting to find a more interesting and diverse city, in the sense of varying neighbourhoods. For example, a traditional downtown shopping district or a bars and restaurants niche. No such luck. An Ottawa friend suggested there isn’t any such area. Ottawa, by contrast, is choked full of vibrant neighbourhoods, teeming with restaurants, bars, coffee houses and boutiques. On a balmy Saturday night this month it seemed the entire city was out, filling patios and walking along the streets enjoying a fantastic summer evening. Gatineau not so much. Upon first entering Gatineau on the main thoroughfare, the Portage Bridge over the Ottawa River connecting Ontario and Quebec, you encounter a massive cluster of 1970s-era high rise buildings. They were put there on the directive of former prime minister Pierre Elliot Trudeau, who wanted to provide the French side of the Ottawa River an economic boost which also accorded with his official bilingualism policy of more equality between the French and the English. That wasn’t a bad idea. But physically it resulted in a concrete urban wasteland. Looming government office towers created an empty street canyon, only peopled on a Saturday night with a few waiting at bus stops along the tunnel-like Boulevard Maisonneuve. These brutalist masses of concrete, so last century, would hardly be built that way today. Mind you, I didn’t drive around a lot of the city. But what I did see was endless boulevards and sprawl, and I did take a drive through Gatineau’s east side and out on to the highway to Montreal. But to be fair, the city did seem to have a nice park system in and around the Ottawa and conjoining Gatineau rivers. However, overall, I was left thinking of the famous quote by US writer Gertrude Stein about her hometown Oakland, California. “There is no there, there.”

- Ron Stang, Windsor Ontario Canada, a frequent traveller

After five years, I can finally reenter the US

I waited more than five years, but last Thursday I crossed into the United States for the first time since August 6, 2020. That was the day I not only was turned around by US Customs at the Ambassador Bridge (photo) connecting Windsor and Detroit. But I was officially banned for five years from entering the country. The reason? Violation of employment visa rules. I was stunned by the decision and virtually everyone I tell the story to has been as well. And there are many ironies. Admittedly in August 2020 the border was closed because of Covid. However, “essential workers” were allowed through. And in Windsor-Detroit there are literally thousand of health care workers (i.e., nurses) who are Canadian and work in Detroit hospitals, a little known fact to the outside world. So, people like nurses, construction workers and truck drivers – even conveyors like taxis – were allowed to cross. My "significant other" lives in suburban Detroit and I live in Amherstburg Ontario, roughly an hour drive away in decent traffic. She was injured in a catastrophic auto accident in 2013. Under Michigan’s no-fault auto insurance benefits – some of the most generous in the US (though now modified) - not only could she obtain paid caregivers to look after her at home but family members and friends could also be compensated for the role. I was approved by Metropolitan Life for just this purpose. I’d emphasized to Met Life that I was Canadian and after some checking they assured this would be no problem. I was paid regardless of where I took care of her – in the US, Canada or abroad, and for those hours when I was actually with her (i.e., a day, weekend or week while travelling). On that fateful day of August 6, 2020, I ventured over the Ambassador Bridge, the first time since the border had been closed due to Covid. When I showed up at the “primary inspection” booth I explained that I was an “essential caregiver” and used a pay stub from Met Life to prove it. That is what got me into trouble. I was directed to “secondary inspection” and subjected to fingerprinting and a lengthy interrogation, leading to a five-year ban from travel to the US. The reason? I was working “illegally." How could this be? I wasn't taking "a job" from a factory or office worker. I was being paid by an insurance company no matter where I "worked" - in the US, Canada or abroad. However, after announcing the ban the Customs officer told me I could apply for a waiver. But this was the time of Covid, much of the US bureaucracy was closed down and there was already a lengthy backup in applications. Moreover, it would have cost me upwards of $2000 to hire a lawyer. I could have done it myself but the  application was lengthy, technical and a few errors could have deep-sixed it. Moreover, my girlfriend was able to cross into Canada either by taxi or with a friend though the red tape during Covid was cumbersome including using the faulty and scandal-plagued ArriveCAN border app. So, I decided to wait the five years out and crossed for the first time last Thursday, Aug. 7 …… As for the crossing itself it was exactly the same as in pre-Covid days! Despite all the talk of Canadians boycotting travel to the US due to President's Trump’s tariffs I waited 45 minutes in traffic before getting to US Customs. Vehicles were backed up perhaps 30 cars in a row in each of the five lanes that were open. When I finally arrived at primary inspection the officer, to my mind, seemed a bit surprised that I had been banned for five years; he directed me to secondary. Another officer also seemed surprised. Finally, the examining officer who reviewed my case was nonplussed but I inferred also seemed puzzled by the decision. Each of these officers automatically asked, “Why didn’t you apply for a waiver?”  After 15 minutes I was released, free and clear to enter the United States once again.

- Ron Stang, Windsor Ontario Canada, a frequent traveller

Misreading a reservation - that's a first!

I am supposed to be in Bogota, Colombia. But, for the first time ever, I misread my ticket reservation! Yes, it said Friday July 25. And I showed up at the airport more than three hours ahead of departure at 1.55 am. I’d printed out the boarding pass a couple of days earlier, thinking this airline, Avianca, gives a lot of time to do so! When I got to Security the officer couldn’t read the QR Code. She was puzzled and called a colleague. Then it dawned. The ticket was the correct time, just the previous day! How could this have happened? I really can’t explain it except that since the departure was at 1.55 am I associated it with July 25 – as in arriving at the airport for that overnight flight. Rather than arriving at the airport on July 24 for the 1.55 departure on July 25. Get it? A cluster mind f--- admittedly. Then again, I’ve never left at such an ungodly hour. I immediately walked over to the Avianca (Colombia’s national airline) desk. Chuckling, the clerk couldn’t believe it either. But he eventually offered me a free one-way replacement ticket. That was generous. But as tonight’s other flight was full, he could only offer it for the next night’s flight. I started to walk away then turned and asked, “what about the return ticket?” He seemed to suggest I should “deal with that with the airline” as in phoning the call center. Mind you, I had just driven four hours from Windsor to Toronto and now had to drive all the way home, after two massive Hwy. 401 traffic snarls, arriving 4 am. I got four hours sleep. Waking, I wondered if it was still worth making the trip to Colombia since it would mean having to drive back to Toronto, a grueling task at the best of times. Then I thought: what the hell am I going to do the next five days at home – time I’d booked off anyway. So, I phoned the Avianca call center to try to claim the full ticket. After more than a half hour the agent said she couldn’t do it, saying the airport had made a mistake, and to return to the airport for the ticket. I got in the car and drove up the 401 once again. I parked, took the airport shuttle, arriving 8 pm, four hours before departure. Only to discover a massive line waiting for the desk to open. (Do all Colombians travel with checked baggage?) After more than an hour my turn came, I walked to the desk, explained my situation. The same dude who’d given me the free ticket the night before – the “supervisor” – was there and the desk clerk spoke to him. But they said the agent at the call center was wrong and a free return ticket couldn't be issued under any circumstances. But I could purchase one - for $791! That was more expensive than my original two way ticket - $785. I declined and walked away; I didn't want to go to Colombia that badly. Later it occurred to me that that “free” first ticket was nothing more than a coupon. The airline pretended it was being generous only to try to hook me into buying a needed return ticket. In other words, a way for the airline to make more money. 

Park 'N Fly: I tried Park 'N Fly for the first time. It’s a massive airport shuttle service from several neighboring Pearson airport lots. But when waiting for it at the terminal, the bus pulled up but the driver didn’t open the door. I waited and waited while he fiddled with his cell phone. What was he waiting for! After 10 minutes I finally caught his eye. I raised my voice and asked why he hadn’t opened the door? “Oh, you should have knocked on it,” he said, because some people mistake his bus for another shuttle and just walk on. He later apologized. But at least the gate attendant didn’t charge me for the five days I’d pre-booked. A small mercy.

- Ron Stang, Windsor Ontario Canada, a frequent traveller