#i remember when it used to cost like 2 euros per visit and now it's 7 euros 😐 goddamn

[apricote]

went swimming today!!! swam like 500m and my body hurts

[scentedmoonbear]

Turkish rugs: everything you need to know and how to bring it home

Turkey is all amazing, and along with the natural beauties, it also has a series of local products and exquisite handicrafts, such as the famous Turkish rugs, jewelry, and ceramics.

On our trip, we visited a rug factory/shop. I don't remember the store's name, but as it's local art, I believe it's not hard to find places like this to visit. The space was huge, massive like "don't leave me alone in these 53204 rooms and with zillions of colorful Turkish rugs online everywhere". Yes, the place was impressively big!

Upon arrival, we were met by the factory owner, a Turkish man (of course) who spoke excellent English, which made it much easier to understand the entire process of making Turkish rugs. He took us through the various stages of the process. We saw the women weaving the rugs, an incredible and challenging job, and we saw the extraction of the silk, coloring, and finishing.

Regarding the work of these women, do not think that they are slaves. At least in this region, they cannot spend more than 2 hours weaving the threads. Yes, it's a pretty heavy job. Some do things at home, others at the factory. In addition to being a naturally complicated job, as they spend a few hours a day on each rug, the process becomes time-consuming.

Another fascinating thing that we were taught is that what changes in the price of a Turkish rug is the number of knots per cm²: the more knots, the more intricate the piece, the more silk, and the more work.

I confess that I was never interested in these Turkish rugs. I thought it was ok, and I will never have one of those. But then my world fell apart, and I changed everything! I saw the most absurdly incredible rugs in the universe in this place. Unbelievably beautiful prints that changed shades depending on the angle you looked at, prints that cost fortunes, prints that were so crafted jewels. Pieces I thought were impossible to make with this hand weaving method. Jaw-dropping, completely.

The cool thing is that after all the explanations, we went to a private room, and they showed several rugs, explained each one of them and why this one was more amazing than that other one—all based on tea and coffee, treated with sponge cake. And really, it was the best. I didn't expect any of that on this tour. I was even a little wary of "touring a store = rough stuff they'll force me to buy."

Now let's talk about the serious stuff, what matters: how much it costs and how to bring it home.

HOW MUCH DOES A TURKISH CARPET COST?

It's not cheap, and it can't be. If it's very cheap like

Grand Bazaar

, be suspicious. It's certainly nothing like these here. You won't find anything below 100 euros, this being the most "cheap," that is, with the most straightforward design and small size. The price varies up to 80 thousand euros. Yeah, there's something for every pocket.

What I found interesting is that all values are given in Turkish lira, euros, and dollars, so you choose what is best for you, if you have money for any of these, if you want to pay in 3 currencies and mix it all up… you can do anything. It's time for real math because you'll have to do the conversions to see what's best at that moment.

The payments are in cash or card. Also, be prepared to negotiate, but don't force the bar. They get offended, especially here with a luxury product. If it's 100 euros, don't even waste your time offering 20, it won't happen. But healthy trading is super plausible.

HOW DO I BRING A TURKISH CARPET HOME?

Ahhh, here we have three options, and the company helps you in all of them. After all, the important thing is that you leave with a rug under your arm, hehe. Oh, and look, it's no use telling me that "I'm not even going to buy it, I don't have a place to put it/I don't have money" or any other excuse, because when I get there, my friends, I want to take everything. Sell the house and take a rug like that. So it's good to go prepared with money and space in your suitcase, ok?

[cristinablackthornkingson]

It’s only Tuesday and I’m having a terrible week.

Fuck me it’s only Tuesday and already I’ve had such a fucking shitty week. To start off with I’m not entitled to a medical card, which will allow me to visit my doctor for free and only pay about 2 euro per item for anything I buy on prescription. I have multiple physical and mental disabilities but because I’m 20 and young, I’m not entitled to disability, they say I can be trained because I’m young, despite the fact that I can’t be in loud crowded places because of my SPD and I can’t stand for long periods of time without being in total agony because of my scoliosis. I am entitled to free GP visits at least, but still. I didn’t get the flu shot this year because I couldn’t fucking afford it, and then I ended up catching the flu and was really sick for about a week, I had to spend 50 euro to see my doctor and then spend 25 euro on medication and I only get 112 euro a week, I’m not entitled to the full dole/unemployment because I’m under 25. So apparently 112 euro is too much for someone to have free medical care and free prescriptions. I’m late on my period for the first time in the 10 years I’ve been having them, what if something is wrong and I need treatment? I won’t be able to afford that, no way in hell. I had plans to work through my fear of surgery in therapy, so once I got my medical card I could maybe get top surgery at some stage to alleviate my dysphoria, I am so sick of not being able to look in the mirror without feeling physically ill and inherently wrong. I was hoping my doctor would refer me to a specialist and I could get a brace for my back, the medical card would have payed for that, but I absolutely cannot afford that now. 

Then to put the cherry on the cake, I’ve been having issues at work for months, since I started. I’m a volunteer and the people I work for are the biggest cunts I have ever had the misfortune to meet. They are extreme staunch Christians who expect you to pay a swear jar at work if you say ‘God’ or any variation of that (take the Lord’s name in vain, but he’s not THE Lord, he’s your Lord and you cannot force me to not say his name in vain, if you don’t want to that’s fine, but I don’t believe in God so taking his name in vain means nothing to me) they expect customers to not take the lord’s name in vain in the shop, they are extremely dismissive of customers and extremely rude to customers of color. They can be nice to white people, but if they’re talking to POC, they’re so fucking rude to them, it sickens me. It’s no wonder nothing fucking sells. 

One day a few weeks ago when I wasn’t needed out the back, I sat out the front at the cash register to try and get some experience in and see if I remembered what my co-worker had taught me. I couldn’t get the hang of it but it was not a big deal at all, nobody lost money or anything like that, I had someone else with me to help me when i couldn’t get it..

The next day I was sorting through the clothes like I always do and one of my bosses (I work for a married couple, a man and a woman)  basically told me not to go behind the tills or around the tills anymore, now this guy wasn’t there the day before, so his wife obviously squealed on me to him, imagine being a maybe 40 something year old woman, squealing to her husband on your 20 year volunteer because they couldn’t work the till perfectly the first go, pathetic.  He then also told me that he knows I need to sit down a lot (which is true, like I said because of my back I can’t stand for long periods of time) but then proceeded to tell me to ‘Go for a walk’ when I needed to instead of sitting down out the back, he told me to go to the benches at the back of the shopping center the shop is located in. This is they guy who told me he needs to know where I am at all times. I left work early at one stage because I was having awful period pains, two co-workers saw me go and so did this guy, but when I came in on Monday after that, he told me I disappeared didn’t tell him I was leaving. The only other possible explanation was that he meant I went to the toilet for 5 minutes the other day, without telling him. I’m sorry man, but I was in agony and I needed to check if I was bleeding heavily because I didn’t have any clean pads with me, so I would have needed to go home straight away if I was bleeding lots.

Then yesterday, we got two bags of clothes donated, I took it upon myself as most of us do, to take them out of the bag, check they were clean, label them and write the size on them so all that was left for the bosses to do was price them. Well there was no room to hang these clothes up so I thought ‘Okay well I’ll label them and everything anyway and then put them back in the bag, that way whenever there is space we just need to take them out, put them on hangers and hang them up’. Well when my boss (the woman, we’ll call her Boss 1 from now on) saw this, she told me I couldn’t be taking clothes out of bags and putting them back in. ???? Why??? They would have been lying there anyway, it’s not like they were taking up any room, I took initiative,I did you a favor. 

Another thing, before I get into the last part, is on my first day I was told to hang my coat and bag in the little toilet area beside the stairs leading up to the attic. I did, and I did the same the next day, but then they told me not to leave them in there because customers sometimes go in there to try stuff on and might steal from me. Right okay, so I would leave my coat and bag in the back. Well I got told not to do that today, I was told to put my coat in the toilet area, so I did. But then when I went to look for my bag when I was leaving, it wasn’t where I left it nor was it in the toilet area, I was starting to freak out because my purse was in my bag. Thankfully I found it a few seconds later, under a chair where it was more in the way than it was where I had initially put it. Those bastards had the audacity to take MY property and MY stuff and move it without telling me, to where it could easily be mistaken for a donation and sold on me. 

And what really topped it all off was what happened today.

I go into work this morning and at first everything is fine, I do my usual tidying of the clothes, and once that’s done I go out the back to see what needs to be done there. While I’m there my co-worker asks if I’ve seen the pricing gun, as it’s gone missing. I say no I haven’t, and have a look around for it myself, can’t see it.Then boss 1 comes in and asks my co-worker ‘Does Michelle know where the gun is?’ my co-worker says no, and Boss 1 asks me where I left it yesterday when I had priced clothes. I told her where I left it and she basically blamed me for loosing it, telling me that I had to put it back in the drawer where we keep other stationary (Nobody ever does that we just leave it on the work top, and I highly doubt I was the last to use it yesterday seeing as I finished at 2 and the shop shuts at 5) Boss 1 kept saying how those guns aren’t cheap and cost upward of 30 euro, i’m surprised she didn’t demand I pay for a new one. 

Then I was pricing some toys that were donated, and when Boss 1 saw me doing this, instead of just calmly and gently explaining there’s no more room for toys on the shop floor, she was very aggressive and rude about it, practically yelling at me, saying things like ‘No! No more toys I’ve no more room!’ Right okay bitch, you could have just said that like a normal person. 

And then I was looking for something to do, I’m someone who always takes initiative, that’s why I was sorting through the toys. So I was looking around me to see what I could do, when Boss 1 tells me if I’m going to be there I need to do something. Then I was practically banned from the back room because it was so packed, but my other two co-workers were allowed in there no problem. That’s where I dew the line and just gave up and went home. I give them my effort and my time, I pour my blood, sweat and tears into that work, I am physically disabled so the work is no easy feat for me, but I do it anyway because I like to be busy and I want to help those in need, but I just get it thrown right back in my face. 

I am a young, trans, gay person, I do not feel safe among these religious nut jobs, I feel forced back into the closet. I started my transition recently, I’m transitioning into a more androgynous look, I cut all my hair off and I started binding with sports bras until I can get a real binder and then surgery. Yesterday was the first day I went into work presenting agender, and man I was so, so scared, I felt sick and almost had a panic attack because I didn’t know how they would react. They didn’t say anything to my surprise, but fuck I was so, so scared, I haven’t felt that kind of anxiety in a long, long time, years. I refuse to feel afraid to be who I am. These ‘People’ are so evil and nasty and the least compassionate people I have ever met in all my life, and I hope everyone realizes exactly who and what they are, fuck them 100 times over, they are such awful, awful people and I hope they get their comeuppance. 

[bigyack-com]

Europe and the U.S. Share a Lot, Except When It Comes to Cars

The 2020 Geneva International Motor Show is over before it began. A victim of Covid-19, manufacturers have retooled to unveil new releases “digitally.” We Americans may shrug our shoulders because unlike viruses, many European cars and brands can’t cross continents.Sure, the new Kia Sorento, Volkswagen Golf GTI and Mercedes E-Class that were scheduled to debut on the Geneva show floor will be coming to America, as will the BMW i4 electric sedan that was to be shown as a concept. But the new Seat Leon hatchback and Renault Captur Hybrid will be no-shows here in the United States. There are many reasons there will be no Dacia Dusters in Delaware driveways.First off, Americans are not starved for choices. As the second-largest automotive market in the world after China, the United States has dozens of brands to browse.“As attractive as the U.S. market is, it’s saturated,” said Stephanie Brinley, principal analyst for IHS Markit. “In the States, consumers are confused with all of the choices; it can be overwhelming.”True enough. In the past 25 years or so, Suzuki, Daewoo and Daihatsu have left our shores. Scion, Geo, Saab, Eagle, Plymouth, Mercury, Saturn, Pontiac and Oldsmobile have joined Studebaker on that great off ramp.For some European brands, coming to the United States means new dealerships and parts distribution. That’s expensive. Vehicles must pass our government emissions, safety and lighting requirements. That’s very expensive. And how does a company market an expensive product to consumers who are loyal to existing brands? That’s bottomless-money-pit expensive.Even with Fiat Chrysler Automobiles’ existing network of Chrysler, Dodge and Jeep franchisees, it has struggled to get Americans to fully embrace the Fiat and Alfa Romeo brands. A newcomer to the U.S. market would need a Caddy full of euros to introduce a brand. And by Caddy, I mean the Volkswagen Caddy, which is a small van used for deliveries and family hauling. And no, we don’t get it either.People of each continent use their vehicles differently. “Americans like large vehicles and S.U.V.s that do 100 percent of everything,” Ms. Brinley of IHS said. “We plan for the most extreme-use case, while Europeans are more comfortable squeezing things into a small space.”While traveling in Slovenia recently, I met the musician and Wudisban Records executive Marko Kocjan, known as Emkej, who drives a Skoda Octavia wagon, a VW product the size of the Golf SportWagen (that just left our market because of sluggish sales). In Ljubljana, Slovenia, the Octavia is a popular, though larger, choice.“Me and my fiancée, Ajda Perme, came to the conclusion we needed a safer car and wanted extra room in the back for snowboarding and transporting music equipment to concerts. I love its space.”American musicians would probably find the Octavia wagon far too small to haul keyboards, guitars, drums and amps. But like many European buyers, Mr. Kocjan makes the Skoda work.“It is a car we can afford, plus the tax rate and fuel costs are in our range,” he said.Many European countries tax vehicles on size, weight, engine size and fuel consumption at a far higher rate than our states.So while there’s a more powerful 2-liter engine, Mr. Kocjan’s Octavia is driven by the smaller, more efficient 1.6-liter diesel with a five-speed manual transmission (rowing your own gears is much more popular in Europe).Americans would find that powertrain pokey and inconvenient. It might be more appealing to Missourians — who pay around $2 per gallon, according to AAA — if they had to pay triple the price. That’s what Italians pay when filling up. You’re more likely to see Bigfoot sipping espresso there than a thirsty Chevrolet Tahoe.And size matters to both continents, just not in the same way. No one needs to point out that America likes its trucks. Ford’s F-150 has been the best-selling vehicle (not just pickup truck) in America for over 30 years, but it is not officially sold in Europe.With low fuel prices, we’re more likely to pick something larger and more comfortable to cover that ground. “We have a lot more room to spread out,” said Ray Telang, U.S. automotive leader for PricewaterhouseCoopers. “The U.S. market is filled with buyers who value size, they want S.U.V.s. The footprint of the U.S. has more rural areas. We are not as constrained by space.“The European buyer drives narrower roads, pays a lot more for fuel and has to find a place to store the car in more crowded cities. Smaller works better there.”But Mr. Telang also said the tastes were merging a bit. “As crossovers become more fuel efficient, the demand is accelerating in Western Europe, just not to the same level as in the U.S.”Hatchbacks and wagons have always been popular choices overseas, and it can be argued those are close cousins to crossovers when it comes to usability and practicality.Generally, European S.U.V.s are smaller than three-row models such as the Chevy Traverse, Honda Pilot and Toyota Highlander that we buy in droves. Ford is a popular brand in Europe, but there are few Explorers there. And you will see far more Jeep Renegades overseas than Wranglers.The huge VW Atlas that’s built in Chattanooga, Tenn., has been rebadged the Teramont in many foreign markets. And even though VW makes the midsize pickup Amarok, it’s not sold in our truck-loving country.And then there’s design. In the home of the brave, we’re timid when it comes to styling.Our roads are crammed with Honda Accords, Toyota Camrys and Nissan Rogues that roll with safe designs.We would rather be seen in a Pontiac Aztek than the Fiat Multipla, which is best described as the only transportation device with a muffin top. A Citroën Berlingo would be roomy enough for our market, but the sheet metal would probably be ostracized.Europeans are often willing to try different things, like the old three-wheeled BMW Isetta and Reliant Robin. The elfin Smart car made a noble stab at our market, but is leaving it while remaining in Europe. The oddly cladded flanks of Citroen’s C4 Cactus crossover would probably not generate much U.S. interest.We don’t see Vauxhall or Opel cars circling cul-de-sacs, but the best of Europe’s automotive industries have influenced our cars in many ways. Volvo and Saab pioneered many safety technologies we now take for granted. BMW fundamentally changed the way cars performed with firm but comfortable suspensions.It forced Cadillac (which has a minor presence overseas) to abandon its soft floaty ride for a much crisper dynamic. Americans wouldn’t rule out Peugeots or Skodas because of the way they drive. On my last visit to Europe, I enjoyed the dynamics of a rental Renault Clio. The small four-door hatchback was comfortable on the highway and attacked curves with spunk. The small engine did not pack much punch, but I appreciated its efficiency after pulling into gas stations with fuel prices at $1.45 a liter. Yeah, remember, there are nearly four of those in a gallon.It’s human nature to desire forbidden fruit, but maybe it’s best we stick to what we have. Automakers know their markets very well.Mr. Kocjan of Slovenia said: “I wanted a Cadillac Escalade when I was a kid, but now I see how big they are and I don’t know. I would love to have a Mustang … for a few days.”Years ago, an Opel Insignia wagon cruising through Rome caught my wife’s eye. She was tempted to buy when the stylish machine ended up stateside rebadged as the Buick Regal TourX, but she did not pull the trigger. That’s what counts.After just a few years it’s been discontinued, partly because of, you guessed it, lack of sales. Read the full article

[ulimarta]

5 Days Trip in Istanbul, Turkey

(Sultan Ahmed Mosque at night. Picture was taken by me, December 2018)

Istanbul is one of my favorite place to travel, especially because Turkey's meatball is so delicious (I think it is one of the best food in the world!). Compared to Europe, this place is also not so expensive in terms of accommodation and food. Last year, I spent 5 days in Istanbul, since I just finished my exam and want to do super chilled travelling. In my normal pace, maybe 3 days will be enough to explore the city.

Visa to Turkey

You can apply for e-visa for Turkey. Everything is online, you don't need to go to any office and you can receive the visa immediately. You can access the e-visa application here.

How to Travel to Istanbul

I came from Budapest, and there are two direct airlines with route Budapest-Istanbul, Pegasus and Turkish Airlines. I chose Pegasus since it was so much cheaper (like 100 euro difference at that time) and it only 2 hours flight. The difference between Pegasus and Turkish is the airport in Istanbul. Using Pegasus, I landed in SAW Istanbul Sabiha Airport instead of Istanbul Atatürk Airport (now, they move Turkish Airlines to Istanbul Airport).

It took around 1.5 - 2 hours from the airport, longer time than from Atatürk. But don't worry, the transportation in Turkey is nice and just by asking around, they can help you. I don't use any packet data when I was there and I survived.

To use bus/tram in Turkey, there is Istanbul transportation card available outside the airport. You can buy it from machine, but they only accept cash, so make sure you bring Lyra or withdraw it from ATM inside the airport (afaik, there is no ATM outside the airport, so I need to go back to airport to withdraw my money). I top up with 30 Lyra and it can last me until the end of my trip.

Where to Stay

I stayed at a hostel in Sultanahmet area. The most popular place to stay is Sultanahmet or Taksim Square area, however I choose Sultanahmet since it is has tram stop and also walking distance to Hagia Sophia, Topkapi Palace and Sultan Ahmed Mosque.

I have 4-bed female dormitory room and it cost me around 10 euro per nights with breakfast. They served Turkish tea, eggs, bread, cheese, fruits and salads for the breakfast. With only 10 euro, I think it was really worth the money. It was in December and low season, so I shared the room only with one girl and for the last 3 days, I have the room for myself.

Where to Eat

I tried several places, but the one that I recommend is Tarini Sultanahmet Koftecisi Selim Usta, located near to Sultanahmet stop. The grilled meatball are just really delicious, and for Asian, don't worry, they have rice too.

What to See

Since in this trip I was in relaxation mode, I visited (of course) the mainstream location such as

Basilika Cistern

For you who watch Inferno, there is a scene where the villain wants to spread the disease through underground water system, and yes, that's Basilika Cistern. I am in awe of its structure and the fact that they can build it underground. There is also Medusa statues on the two of its pillar with weird position (upside down and sideways). The myth has it that Medusa turn the people who look at her into stone, those the weird position is to prevent that thing from happening. However, logically, people think that the Medusa head were placed there to support the structure.

I personally think that this place is one of my favorite in Turkey. Although it is not as big as I expected, but I rarely see this kind of structure underground, especially with water underneath. However, it is not included in Istanbul museum pass, so you need to pay it separately.

The Istanbul Museum Pass covers other placese such as Hagia Sophia, Topkapi Palace, Harem, Chora Church, Istanbul Archaeological Museums, etc. It cost around 30 euro for 5 days after first use. I bought the ticket in front of Topkapi Palace and I think it is good value since I can skip the queue to buy ticket for each place after that.

Hagia Sophia

Known also as Ayasofya or Sancta Sophia or Church of the Holy Wisdom, it displays the meeting of Islam (central mihrab, direction of Mecca) and Christian religions (Virgin Mary and Christ with John the Baptist). You can walk here from Sultanahmet stop, in my case I just need 10 minutes walk from my hostel.

Topkapi Palace

I think, Topkapi palace is the biggest place that I've visited in Istanbul. I love their "kitchen" section, and they also provide nice and (imho) complete information. I really like the fact that they can provide "complete" facts such as how many lambs they need to order for the entire kitchen, what is the food for king or for other family members.

Sultan Ahmed Mosque

Also known as Blue Mosque, because of blue tiles surrounding the walls of interior design. If you are muslim, you can pray here too. It will be closed during prayer time, so of you just want to see inside, better to not come during prayer time, especially midday Friday prayer.

Men should wear long trousers, while women should cover their hair, arms and their legs from knees up. Before go to the mosque, you should put your shoes in plastic bags (free of charge) provided at the entrance. There is also a room where you can ask more about Islam if you are interested to know more about the religion.

Galata Mevlevi House

If you want to understand and learn more about Sufi's way of life, their history and tradition, this place is right for you. I enjoyed the time I spent there, especially since I have read about Sufi especially Jalaluddin Rumi from my father's book collection. I remember when I was a child, I got confused with his concept about God-human relationship, especially through one of his poem. However, now I kinda find that he has interesting point of view.

Don‘t think that saying "I am God"

is proclaiming one‘s greatness.

It is actually total humility.

Some one who says,

"I am the servant of God"

infers two – God and himself –

whereas someone who says,

"I am God", negates himself.

He relinquishes his own existence.

"I am God" means

"I don‘t exist.

Everything is God.

Only God exists. I am nothing.

I am utter emptiness".

Market (Spice Bazaar and Grand Bazaar)

I love both of the market and although I am not buying anything except Turkish snacks, I really like spending my time there. They have lots of collection from lamp (genie lamp!), kitchen utensils, clothes, or gold. I especially love the spices section and the various tea that they have.

I also visited other places such as Chora museum, Galata Kulesi and Taksim Square but not really spent much time there. If you only have limited time in Istanbul, I would definitely recommend you to go to Hagia Sophia, Topkapi Palace and Basilica Cistern. Have extra time? Then Sultan Ahmed Mosque and the market place can also be added on your list.

I think that's all what I can share from my trip. If you have any questions, just drop me a message. Hope you have nice trip!

[vanufc]

The jet lag is gone now and so, for the most part, is the Tube cough that I picked up from the not so great air in the London Underground. It was a fast-paced, hectic, often tense ‘holiday.’ Nine days in England and Spain with my 16 year old son to see games. It’s becoming what we do but this one was pretty ambitious. I timed it so we could potentially see all four Champions League semi-finals with the potential to fill in many days with league games. We were never realistically going to see all four semi-final games but we didn’t know which, if any, we would see as we got onto the plane. That was the twist. Every other soccer trip I’ve done, I’ve left with tickets in hand for all the games we planned on seeing.

Chronologically, here’s how it went…

April 29 – Vancouver

This day actually began the night before when I tried to check in for our flight and got a strange message saying I couldn’t and would have to do so at the airport. I started wondering why that would be the case. I knew  my passport was fine and I knew my son’s expired in June but had checked and the UK allowed entry as long as you had 30 days left on it after your planned return home. I looked further. Spain did not have the same rule. You needed three months. Shhhiiiittt.

Up early and off to the passport office. “It would really be up to the airline and immigration agent to let you onto the flight or into the country when you land. Can’t guarantee it but we have the ability to do a passport today for you. Just fill out these forms and get back here asap.” Had to boot out to UBC to get my wife to sign off on the passport application and then back downtown. Super helpful woman there then went through them all and got them set up for a quickie passport. Then she asked for Tavish’s current passport and saw that he was 16. “These are the wrong forms. These are for people under 16 years of age.” We looked at each other, her already thinking of a solution, me crestfallen, Tavish fully distraught. “We can do this though. Here’s the adult form, you can be the guarantor. Give me two references we can call and we’ll do our best.”

1.5 hours later we had a passport and were making our way to the airport, arriving in plenty of time. Government offices take a fair bit of flack but I was so impressed by the professionalism and willingness to go the extra mile of the staff there. When I left the pick up window with passport in hand I went back to the people who had made it happen and thanked them individually.

Practical tip: Check your passport before you leave and don’t make assumptions about how long it needs to be valid for.

April 30 – London

Trips like this take an unusual amount of planning. Spurs v Ajax at the new Tottenham Hotspur Stadium was on the day we arrived. We then had a flight to Spain that left the next day. We had arrived at Gatwick and were leaving for Barcelona through there as well. Our trains to and from Gatwick went through Victoria Station so we stayed walking distance from there in Pimlico.

We pushed through the jet lag, dropped our bags in our room and used our Tube day pass to full effect. Tavish knew where he wanted to go. This would be stores like Palace and Supreme in SoHo which because they are so cool are closed far more days than they are open. That was the case for Palace who apparently needed a few days to put their summer stock on shelves. Supreme though was open and had a line and a security guard outside. I let him do his thing and wandered around waiting for a text to let me know he was ready. The mythology around Supreme is mind-blowing if you’re not familiar with it. Tavish now has a pair of purple nylon Supreme pants that cost more than I have ever spent on a pair of pants. His money though so good for him getting something he says he can wear for a few months and then sell for more than he paid (this is a big thing for teens these days).

Game time loomed. We went back to the hotel. We’d got a text from the person who said he might be able to help us get tickets letting us know it wouldn’t be happening. We knew that one was a stretch. We looked online at viagogo.com. Prices starting at GBP 400. We tried Craigslist. One ad for a pair of tickets. GBP 300. Texted offering 300 for the pair. He agreed. Asked us to come to his hotel in Leicester Square. Queue Benny Hill music as get over there by tube, taxi and foot as quickly as we can only to discover it was some kid having a laugh at our expense. No tickets and time wasted. Headed to the stadium to see if we would have better luck.

Spoiler: we didn’t.

Prices held at GBP 400 per ticket even once the game was 15 minutes in and Ajax had already scored. More buyers than sellers and the guys selling were pros and not worried about time ticking by. Ended up being on the same tube back as one once we gave up and talked to the guy. Showed me all the events he was going to the next few months. Must have been more than twenty and they were all over the world. Young guy with several guys in his ‘crew’ working with him. Some scouts for police, some likely security given the money he must have had on him.

So a long 30 hours with nothing but stress and disappointment ended up with us going to bed but not before I went online and made the most extravagant purchase of my life: two tickets for the Barcelona v Liverpool game at the Camp Nou the next day. No way we were going there and not seeing that game. And given our flight got in about 2.5 hours before game time there really wasn’t time to source tickets once we got there.

Practicals:

The tube in London is awesome. It’s also packed most of the time but trains come every few minutes. Get a day pass. Way more economical than individual tickets and saves you having to buy tickets all the time. Gatwick is a surprisingly good airport. Security is staffed way more than Vancouver (we waited over 30 minutes in line when we left YVR; we were through the whole process in under ten minutes both times we flew out of Gatwick on this trip).

Buying tickets on Viagogo.com is not pleasant. I found it a deceptive site that didn’t list their fees clearly and did not make it as obvious as it should what currency you were dealing with. At the end as you pay all of a sudden you are paying in Polish Zloty as they are based in Poland. You’re looking for a professional, credible site that gives you confidence in the process when you’re dropping a lot of money in tickets. In the end, I got PDF’s of the tickets right away and there were no issues with them.

If you’re going to be moving around a lot on a trip like this put a priority on location for your hotel. Your early morning commute to airports and train stations doesn’t need to be complicated by adding 30-60 minutes to the trip because your hotel is nowhere near your departure point. The hotels we stayed in were picked for convenience of location more than anything else. They are not the places I would have booked if I was travelling with my wife. Amenities were irrelevant. We barely spent any time when we were awake in any of them. Comfy bed, decent ratings online and modest prices (the money was all going into tickets) were the criteria.

  May 1 to 4: Barcelona

Flight mercifully was not delayed. Having just dropped a serious wad on tickets I was a prime candidate for ending up on the evening news if a flight delay was going to cause us to miss FCB v LFC at the Camp Nou. All good though. Picked up four day Metro passes at the airport, checked in to our hotel 400m from Camp Nou and joined the party. Tens of thousands of people all outside, on the streets, in adjacent parks. Loads of people selling cold Estrella beers on the streets for 2 Euros. Super festive. Got in soon after the gates opened an hour or so before kickoff. Front row of the top tier behind the goal (three tiers behind the goal, five on the main stand on the sideline). Fantastic view of the rest of the stadium and a great tactical view of the game.

View from our seats at Camp Nou for Barcelona vs Liverpool

By the time Messi scored his second on a stunning free kick to make it 3-0, we felt we had experienced what would be the high point of the trip. A crowd of over 98 000, two Messi goals right in front of us on a beautiful night in an iconic stadium. It was what I had talked about wanting the trip to be before we left: Exciting, meaningful games featuring the best players in the world playing in iconic stadiums in great cities. This would be hard to top.

The game was on a Wednesday night so we had two game-free days to see Barcelona before seeing Atletico Madrid playing Espanyol at the Estadi Cornellà-El Prat. That meant a return visit to Futbol Mania, an epic soccer store we’d been to five years earlier, for a needed pair of boots for Tavish and seeing some of the sights. He ended up with some newly released white Copas. If I’d had to convince him to get those instead of an eyeball searing pair of Nikes made of tinfoil and plutonium I’d have considered it a stalemate but he went with the leather Copas. So even though they’re not black that’s just good parenting plain and simple.

Futbol Mania in Barcelona (left) and Tavish with his new laceless, white adi Copas

It’s now much easier to buy tickets for La Liga games online than I remember it being in the past. They generally aren’t available until a week or two before the day the game is being played but you can buy them relatively simply. Getting the Espanyol tickets was no problem and the Metro got us to within a 15 minute walk of the stadium (Barcelona’s Metro is fantastic by the way. We never waited more than three minutes for one and they were always clean and much quieter than London’s).

Action from Espanyol v Atletico Madrid. Griezeman (left) not as popular here as he is in Madrid and France.

This game was a pleasant surprise. Well-designed stadium built ten years ago. Open concourses, great sight lines and tight to the pitch. The fans are unapologetic in their support for the city’s “other” team. We had joked that you never see people wearing Espanyol jerseys in Barcelona and it’s easier to find a Barca jersey there than a bottle of water but Espanyol fans look like they know how to have fun at games. Didn’t hurt that they ended up beating a listless Atleti side 3-0 but it was a really enjoyable game day experience for us and for everyone but the 50 or so Atleti fans who travelled to watch.

More from Espanyol v Atletico Madrid at the Estadi Cornellà-El Prat or RCDE Stadium in Barcelona

Had to race back to the hotel to pick up our bags and head to Barcelona Sants train station to get on the train to Madrid. The high speed trains in Spain are fantastic. It took three hours to get there on a very smooth train that hit 300km/h. Like the rest of Europe for the most part you leave and arrive from a central point in the city. Grabbed a cab, there must have been over fifty waiting to pick up people from our train and others outside the station, and got to our hotel around midnight.

Practicals:

Go see games where the home team is not a global brand. The supporter culture is very real and there were very few turistas like ourselves there. Same for Getafe v Girona below.

Even in May, Barcelona was packed with tourists.

  May 5 – Madrid

We had tickets for the Getafe v Girona game in the south of Madrid and planned to go straight to the Bernabeu to see about tickets for that knowing that we had a flight that night back to London.

Getting to Getafe was frustrating. I allowed two hours and we still missed close to 30 minutes of the first half mainly due to our journey being interrupted by a closed section on the Metro that forced us above ground and onto a bus to a station that we weren’t planning on going through.

Getafe FC are a great story this year. Formed in 1983 (from the ashes of previous iterations of clubs that had operated there) they had risen from the bottom division and spent all but one of the last ten or so seasons in La Liga Santander (the top division in Spain). Now for the first time they were battling for fourth place and the last berth in Champions League for next season. Their opponents were also battling. They were fourth from the bottom though and trying to stave off relegation. So not exactly a UCL semi-final but still a highly relevant game.

On a beautiful, sunny Sunday morning in the 17000 seat Coliseum Alfonso Pérez, Getafe controlled play after an early goal (that we missed) and then notched a second soon after a Girona red card. The game tailed off after that and Getafe got three points nearer to playing Champions League soccer next season.

Getafe v Girona. One trying to get into Champions League for the first time; the other trying not to get relegated. And yeah, so much for thinking seats in the second row would be a good idea…

Getting to the Bernabeu from Getafe was much simpler than getting to the Getafe stadium. We joined the surprisingly long line for the ticket windows and had a scalper swing by within seconds. Chopped his 300 euro gambit for a pair of good tickets down to 150 very quickly and he escorted me to a nearby bank machine. Tough day for scalpers. Demand for Real tickets seems to have plummeted in light of their poor season and Villareal were not a big draw. The stadium was less than half full. Factor in that Ramos, Bale and Benzema didn’t even dress and the game didn’t have much lustre. That said, it ended up being full of attacking play with those who were playing, especially Marcelo, seeming very loose and wanting to put on a show. Final score was 3-2 Real.

Once again it was a race to get out of the stadium and into a cab to go pick up our bags and get to the airport. We spent 22 hours in Madrid but managed to see two games.

Practicals

Barajas Airport in Madrid is excellent in terms of layout, staffing and getting through security quickly

Getting tickets for both games (one in advance; one at the stadium from a scalper) was easy

We flew EasyJet back to Gatwick because it was one of the few flights we could do at that time of day back to London. First time flying it. They dinged me $110 for having a back pack in addition to my one carry-on suitcase. It was buried in the terms of the ticket. The cost of the actual ticket was right around $110. Buyer beware.

  May 6 – London

Arrived at our hotel near Shoreditch, which has been in the news recently as an example of resistance to gentrification in London. Did another day walking around London sites before getting a fish n chips takeaway and getting to bed fairly early as we had an early bus to Liverpool waiting for us in the morning.

  May 7 – Liverpool

As I alluded to, trains are the way to go for inter-city travel in Europe but the only trains we could take that would comfortably get us into Liverpool from London in time for the game were 6-8 times more expensive than the bus so we went with that. It was not enjoyable. Six hours getting to Liverpool with no stops (and no wifi).

This was the game we knew we had the best chance of getting some friend of a friend free tickets for. And after shelling out for tickets in Barcelona, I really wasn’t in a position to splash out again for the return leg. Problem is we wouldn’t know until sometime the day of the game. Finally got the text fours away from game time soon after we’d checked into our Air BnB (hotel prices in Liverpool the night of the game were outrageous). Our tickets were waiting for us. Met up with friend and friend of a friend for a couple of drinks and then jumped in 12 seater van for a two quid ride to Anfield. We were on a total high. The game could have been a nil-nil drabfest and we would have been okay with it. Just seeing those two teams again and being at Anfield for the first time, down low with the Kop looming to our left was enough.

Us and the Kop

  But it would be much more than that.

No Salah, no Firmino. Down 3-0 from the first leg. There really wasn’t much reason for Liverpool to be optimistic, be it players or fans.

The combination of atmosphere and comeback in a game this big will likely be something I never experience again. To beat Barcelona 4-0 in a Champions League semi-final when you have to beat them 4-0 is extraordinary.

The Kop was not buying that narrative. Capacity is just over half of what was at Camp Nou. The noise, mainly from the Kop, was relentless. I’ve been to two World Cups, two Euros, EPL games and many other games in Europe, North America and Africa. This was the best in terms of atmosphere. And with each goal Liverpool scored it just intensified three fold. Not only were we spitting distance from the Kop, 14 rows up from the field, but we ended up being at the end where Liverpool scored their second, third and fourth goals. The combination of atmosphere and comeback in a game this big will likely be something I never experience again. To beat Barcelona 4-0 in a Champions League semi-final when you have to beat them 4-0 is extraordinary.

We soaked in some of the post-game celebrations on the way back to where we were staying but we were drained and had another bus ride back to London waiting for us in the morning. Our 18 hours in Liverpool had been well spent though.

Practicals:

Go see a game at Anfield. The bigger the game the better I’m sure but I asked guys behind us if it’s always like that and they said it’s always pretty close to what we saw and heard.

I don’t use AirBnB much but this one was almost a life saver. Great host and great location

  May 8 – London

As mentioned at the outset, I booked our dates to allow for the possibility of seeing any and all of the semi-finals but with no line on tickets for the Spurs v Ajax game in Amsterdam and the only combo of flights from Manchester to Schiphol and back to Gatwick that would allow us to catch our return flight back to Vancouver clocking in at close to $900 for the two of us by the time a final decision had to be made, it was a no go.

Unable to access my DAZN account in the UK, I had to use a VPN and pay for the game on B/R Live (Bleacher Report). It was the best $3 I’ve spent in a long time. Just as people were recovering from the drama of the Liverpool comeback, Spurs decided to take it a step further. If you know of two games in the same competition, in any sport, that pulled off the same degree of drama that these two games did, let me know. I’d like to see that because Spurs scoring three in the second half away from home with no Harry Kane and the last one coming on the stroke of the five minutes of injury time being up was one-upmanship of the highest order; pure “Hold my beer Liverpool.” It left Tavish and I half shouting, half laughing at the laptop when Spurs scored the goal that makes the Champions League Final an all EPL affair.

VPN’s come in handy, just not for DAZN

Hotwire is generally great for booking rooms when you’re not fussy about too much but since you don’t know what you’re getting until after you book (to get the best deals) it can cause a problem if you need to be highly sensitive to location. I tried to get something close to London Bridge Station but ended up a 25 minute tube ride further away than what I thought we’d be. When you’re on your fourth or fifth day of being in a different city each day and getting ready to head home. I should just have splurged a bit and got a hotel much closer to where we had to be in the morning.

Train service to Gatwick is excellent and really no longer than taking the tube to and from Heathrow. There’s no advantage to buying these tickets online ahead of time though

We flew home the next morning. I’ve done a few of these dedicated soccer trips now starting with the World Cup in 2014 but for all previous ones I had tickets for all the games we planned to see in my hands before we left. For this one, of the six games we hoped to see, I only had tickets for two (Espanyol v Atleti and Getafe v Girona). We ended up seeing five as we couldn’t get in to Spurs v Ajax in London and that was enough numbers-wise and more than enough quality-wise. Tavish is not prone to hyperbole at all but his Instagram posts after the Camp Nou and Anfield games were “best two hours of my life” and “life changing” respectively. I’d have to agree with him. The two legs of the Liverpool-Barca tie will go down as being among the most memorable in Champions League history – and we saw both of them.

Planes, Trains and Tickets – 9 days seeing games in Europe The jet lag is gone now and so, for the most part, is the Tube cough that I picked up from the not so great air in the London Underground.

[tglifestyle]

5 Cities 4 train rides 3 hotels 2 Airbnb’s 2 DMB concerts Countless pizzas, sandwiches, bowls of pasta, and glasses of prosecco and aperol spritz

…And 142,911 steps!  Guess that kind of makes up for the food and drink indulgences.

Rialto Bridge, Venice Italy

My husband and I both agree that this was one of our favorite trips yet, and we are already talking about going back.  There is just so much to see, do, and taste in Italy that 10 days wasn’t enough.  We did, however, manage to cram a lot into those days and experienced as much as we could.

I’ve broken down my Italy Travel Blog into 6 sections:  Introduction & Travel Tips, Venice, Padova, Bologna, Florence, and Rome. Hopefully you will enjoy the stories and pictures, and if you are planning a vacation to this wonderful country, the tips I’ve included are based on both what I read during my research prior to leaving as well as our actual experiences while there.

Top Tips

Do your research and plan ahead. Sure, being spontaneous is part of the fun as well, but mapping out your days will maximize your time there.  Additionally, many of the sites require tickets (that do sell out), so don’t waste your time waiting in long lines.  Plan ahead, and buy tickets in advance when you can.

Be prepared to walk! I hate to say this, but if you are mobility-challenged, you may find yourself frustrated in Italy.  The age of the cities and buildings does not make them friendly to folks with wheelchairs or strollers (although I was stunned at how many families we saw with strollers).  I can’t say this enough: Comfortable shoes are a must!

Visit more than one city. Italy has a fabulous train system so I highly recommend visiting multiple cities traveling by train.  The trains are clean and comfortable, the system is easy to navigate and relatively inexpensive.  And, they get you there fast!

Pack smart. I go into more detail below, but remember that the old, narrow walkways of Italy can be difficult to traverse with lots of big, heavy luggage.  Take no more than a good backpack, and a quality rolling suitcase that can withstand cobblestones and bricks and make sure it is a 360 spinner so you can easily get through the crowded streets.

Learn some key Italian words and phrases.You’ll be surprised at how appreciative the locals are when you can greet them and thank them in their language. Learn numbers for shopping, ordering food, and getting to specific addresses as well as the common greetings used in the day, evening, and when leaving.  And of course, please and thank you are a must!

Open your mind and explore. Eat things you’ve never eaten before.  Learn about local culture and customs.  Try an Airbnb instead of a hotel.  Don’t just rely on cabs, try the bus or subway (unfortunately, there was no Uber or Lyft when we visited).  Strike up conversations with folks who speak English, ask for recommendations, and show interest in what they have to say.

Have a plan for souvenirs. You don’t want to forget anyone, so make a quick list of people you want to buy for, and get something of local flavor (not just cheap trinkets from a vendor or I LOVE ITALY t-shirts).  Think about bringing back items actually made in Italy like wine, limoncello, leather goods, pasta, and other items.  Make sure you understand customs laws when it comes to re-entering the U.S. (or your local country).  We did not attempt to bring any meats or cheeses, but we did bring back plenty of wine and pasta!  Also, think about how to get it home.  I shipped a box from a Mailboxes Etc. store (they’re all over Italy) for $100.  We also purchased a cheap rolling suitcase from a vendor for $20 and checked it as an extra bag (which also cost $100 with United Airlines).  So we spent over $200 just getting the souvenirs home.

Speaking of money, get your currency (Euros) from an ATM once you get there. There is really no need to order currency from your bank ahead of time, and the exchange places at the airport are a rip-off.  Use your bankcard at an ATM and most likely you’ll just have to pay the out of network ATM fee charged by your bank and/or the ATM fee.  You can use a credit card at most places, including in most taxis, but you’ll need cash as well.  And, make sure you always have a few 1 Euro coins in your pocket because some bathrooms require payment.

Get an international data plan. Contact your wireless provider and choose a plan that is right for you.  Mine was a flat rate of $10 per day, plus what I normally pay.  I warned my husband about the cost of international roaming, and sure enough, during our first day in Venice he received an alert that he had already spent over $100 roaming.

Botanical Gardens, Padova Italy

Italy Vacation:  Packing Smart

I have a very hard time travelling light.  I always over pack and end up lugging around large, heavy suitcases.  I was determined not to do that this time, especially since I knew we’d be hopping on and off trains while visiting multiple cities. All I wanted to take was a good backpack, a small crossbody purse, and a 20” rolling suitcase.

The Gear

My mom bought me this awesome SwissGear backpack for my birthday.  It was perfect for this trip.  The straps are super comfortable and there are lots of pockets and compartments.  It has a special section for a laptop and a pocket for your tablet (I did not bring my laptop but I did bring my iPad). I kept my camera, all of my charging cables, plugs, and European power converters (bring more than 1!), my iPad, travel pillow, medications, snacks, glasses & sunglasses, and a small cosmetics bag in my backpack.

I normally carry large handbags, but for this trip I wanted a small crossbody that was more useful than stylish, but still looked good.  I chose this Travelon Anti-Theft Heritage Small Crossbody and it was perfect.  I fit my passport, credit cards and money, sunglasses, tissues, lip balm, Tylenol, and even a small umbrella in it.  It is slash-proof and has an RFID blocking pocket as well as a tiny little LED light so you can see what’s inside in the dark!  This is definitely the perfect travel purse.

I have a few different suitcases, but chose my London Fog 21” hardside expandable spinner since it’s smaller, but sturdy and the wheels on it glide smoothly.  Let me tell you, that baby rolled along cobblestones like a champ! I also like that it has a TSA approved lock on it, so I always felt like the contents were secure.

Now, I’ve always considered myself an ace at rolling up clothes – I can get a lot of clothes into a suitcase.  The problem is finding what I’m looking for and having to unpack half of it to find that one top, and then re-roll and re-pack everything.  When I’m travelling to just one destination for a week, I unpack and hang stuff up, so it’s not a huge deal but knowing we were going to be on the move, I realized I had to have another option.  I decided to try using packing cubes, and I am now a packing cube lover!  Why didn’t I use these bad boys sooner?  They really don’t add any weight to your suitcase and are great at helping keep everything organized.  I bought this set on Amazon for under $20.  It was awesome to have all my tops in one cube, bottoms in another, and underwear and sox in another.  They really helped me to not only stay organized, but also to maximize the space in my suitcase.  And, as I got towards the end of my trip I was able to use them to separate my dirty clothes from my clean.

The Clothes

I had been watching the weather and reading about the climate and new it would be in the high 50’s to low 70’s during the day and cooling down to the 40’s in the evening while we were there in late March/early April, which is similar to spring here in GA.  Layers were going to be essential, so in planning my outfits, I made sure I had a combination of long and short sleeve tops as well as cardigans for layering. Because I wanted to pack as little as possible, I decided to choose pieces that I could mix and match and that were in a similar color scheme (mostly black).  This also helped me to limit shoes.

Shoes– this is where I usually go wrong.  I often end up bringing 6 or 7 different pairs to go with different outfits.  That was going to be impossible for this trip so I decided to take just 3 pairs (wearing 1, packing 2).  Knowing it was going to be cool in the evenings and that we’d be walking a lot, I chose to skip out on anything open-toed and anything with a heel.  Yep.  I did not pack a single pair of heels!  I have never travelled without heels, because I wear them at least 5-6 days a week.  Instead, I chose to bring a cute pair of black flats that worked with both skinny jeans and skirts, and a pair of stylish Steve Madden leopard print sneakers (to break up the monotony of all the black!).  I also purchased a pair of Rockport waterproof ankle booties specifically for the trip (which I wore on the plane so they didn’t take up space in my suitcase).  I did a lot of research and purchased what I thought were the most comfortable walking shoes I could get that were waterproof and didn’t sacrifice style.  They looked good with skinny jeans and leggings.  My feet never hurt and I never got any blisters from any of my shoes.

Outfits– I brought the following items, which I was able to mix and match for my outfits each day. I wore most pieces twice each. The only things I did not wear at all were the skirt and the short sleeve black sweater.  It was just too cool in the evenings for skirts, and we really didn’t dine anywhere super fancy.  I only wore the dress once – the rest of our evenings out were in jeans.

Bottoms:  2 pairs denim skinny jeans, 1 black leggings, 1 black skinny jeans, 1 denim jeggings

Tops:  2 long sleeve t’s (one black, one white), 2 cardigans (one black, one gray), denim button down, black blouse, olive green blouse, black/white stripe top, 2 graphic t’s, floral tunic length blouse, and 4 camis (2 white, 2 black).

Other:  2 scarfs (one leopard, one floral to add color and mix things up), 1 black dress, 1 black floral skirt, and a short sleeve black sweater. Also, socks, underwear, bras, and 1 pair of pajama pants.

Outerwear:  I brought a black jean jacket and a black raincoat with a hood.  I wore the black jean jacket nearly every day, and the raincoat came in handy for the 2 days that it rained!

Miscellaneous Items

Don’t forget the following when packing for a trip:

Raincoat and umbrella (purse size)

Small Ziploc with Band-Aids, Tylenol, Dramamine, antacids, wet wipes or hand sanitizer

Prescription medicines

Tissues

All of your charging cables and adapters/power converters for the country you are visiting (bring more than one, otherwise you can only charge one device at a time)

Earplugs and a sleep mask

Photocopy of your passport (in case yours is lost or stolen)

Hard copies of all of your reservations and pre-paid tickets (in case you can’t access them from your phone it’s good to have paper back-ups!)

Things I brought but didn’t use:

Selfie stick – I found all the tourists with selfie sticks in hand to be obnoxious and couldn’t bring myself to use ours. I kind of wish we did take at least a couple pictures together with one, but it never came out of my backpack

My good camera -I brought it out one day in Venice and found it much easier to just use my phone.  I have the latest iPhone and it takes great pictures.  I do like using my good camera, but it was big and bulky and just seemed cumbersome to carry around all day

Travel Hair Dryer – the hotels and Airbnb’s all had dryers, and honestly I only washed my hair twice the entire trip! Dry shampoo is the greatest invention ever!!!

Overall, I’m happy with my packing choices – I feel like I didn’t overpack, but I still had plenty to wear with some variety.

Itinerary for a 10 Day Italian Vacation

Day 1:  Travel Day Days 2-3:  Venice (Venezia) Day 4:  Padua (Padova) Days 5-6:  Bologna Day 7:  Florence (Firenze) Days 8-9:  Roma (Roma) Day 10:  Travel Day

Click here for Italy Vacation Part 1:  Venice

Italy Vacation: Introduction & Travel Tips 5 Cities 4 train rides 3 hotels 2 Airbnb’s 2 DMB concerts Countless pizzas, sandwiches, bowls of pasta, and glasses of prosecco and aperol spritz…

[thechasefiles]

The Chase Files Daily Newscap 1/25/2019

Good MORNING #realdreamchasers! Here is The Chase Files Daily News Cap for Friday 25th January 2019. Remember you can read full articles for FREE via Barbados Today (BT) or Barbados Government Information Services (BGIS) OR by purchasing by purchasing a Weekend Nation Newspaper (WN).

BERT NO SURETY - Barbados could be under an International Monetary Fund (IMF) programme for the next 15 years, former Prime Minister Professor Owen Arthur has warned. Stating that the country was facing the “perfect economic and financial storm”, Arthur said the Barbados Economic Recovery and Transformation (BERT) programme was neither a quick fix nor a sure one for the economy. Arthur said while the BERT programme was designed to cut government spending and raise revenue, it would reduce economic growth as a result of its dampening effect on economic activities. “The programme itself does not contain an explicit defined set of measures to spur growth in the short or medium term,” he said. He explained that given Government’s target of a primary surplus of six per cent, this would have to be sustained for the next 15 years in order to achieve the proposed reduction of the debt to gross domestic product from 157 per cent to 60 per cent by 2033. “The core provisions of the programme will continue to be operative for the next 15 years and will be difficult to implement successfully. As such, the BERT will not be a quick fix or a sure fix. It will be a supreme test of the capacity of our people to accept the austerity the programme brings and the potential decline in the general standard of living of people that may ensue,” said Arthur. He was addressing the SALISES Policy Forum at the University of the West Indies (UWI), Cave Hill Campus on Wednesday night, where he examined the topic Barbados and the Frist Phase of the IMF/BERT Plan: of Recovery and Precarity. Stating that the BERT programme contained anti-growth provisions that should be “amended as soon as is possible”, Arthur said the debt restructuring and primary surplus policy provisions were not far-reaching enough. In fact, he said given the sheer magnitude and diversity of the number of challenges that had to be confronted, “the major error of the programme by its explicit statement, is to restrict policy interventions largely to fiscal policies”. He said there were other policies that should be employed that could “assist greatly” in restoring stability and viability to the economy without inflicting more tax burdens on residents. Arthur said while the programme insists that there must be significant structural reform, those proposed were “somewhat vague”, similar to those in IMF programmes elsewhere and were limited to measures to improve the island’s public finances. He suggested that the BERT programme should consist of measures to focus on improving the country’s credit ratings so that Barbados could have preferential access to the international market once again. Arthur, who led the country as Prime Minister for 14 years, said, a clear “pro-growth” programme should be devised outside of the IMF framework to encourage economic growth. He said given the scale of problems facing the country, the basis for that growth agenda should consist of restrictions on importation by invoking the protection clause under the relevant sections of the World Trade Organization (WTO) and the Revised Treaty of Chaguaramas, and a major reform of the renewable energy sector to complement the BERT programme. He also said there was a need for new ways of delivering social programmes, improvement in the conditions for doing business in Barbados, a larger role for the private sector in some areas, and greater focus on technology, innovation and entrepreneurship. Citing Singapore as an example, Arthur also proposed that policymakers consider pegging the Barbados currency to “a basket of currencies”. “We have in Barbados worshiped the exchange rate and said all of our economic policies must be based on protecting the exchange rate, when our economic policies should be designed to protect and enhance the standard of living of the people and everything that can contribute to the improvement of that standard,” he said. The Barbados currency is pegged BDS$2 to U$1. “I gave one to Parliament: 30 per cent to the US, 30 per cent linked to the Pound, some linked to the Euro and that would allow us to have a stable exchange rate that will boost exports,” said Arthur. The economist said the most disappointing aspect of the BERT programme for him so far was the retrenchment aspect were Government indicated that it would lay off staff and would provide training in order to rehire them to offer services. “I cannot conceive of a process by which the clerk typist in the Barbados public sector can be made responsible for the archiving of Government’s records dating back to 1956 as a serious programme. That is a work for archivist and those who have the skills,” said Arthur. In fact, he accused the Mia Mottley-led administration of witch-hunting in its retrenchment exercise, adding that government should rethink its plan to provide $30 million a year to retrain people. “It will neither, in my view, lead to cost savings nor efficiency,” said Arthur, who described the move as “a leap in the dark”. “I am not seeing rationalization. I am seeing a lot of political witch-hunting and replacement of appointees by political appointees that will lead to the same situation we have,” he said. Senior Lecturer in the Department of Management at the Cave Hill Campus Dr Akentoolove Corbin suggested that performance measurements be put in place for public sector workers to ensure increased productivity. Adding that wage increases should not be automatic and promotion should not be based on length of service, Corbin also called for a review of the last in first out policy “because it is not working”. (BT)

FOCUS ON RESTRUCTURING SOE – Government’s Senior Technical Advisor is urging the Mia Mottley-administration not to back off from restructuring its state-owned enterprises (SOEs) over the next three years. Dr Kevin Greenidge, a Barbados-born economist seconded from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to assist with the Barbados Economic Recovery and Transformation (BERT) programme, has reminded the Government it must not lose sight of meeting its targets between now and 2020. Dr Greenidge cautioned that despite the BERT programme having come in for praise by the IMF for making “an excellent start,” there was still some way to go. “Much remains to be done, particularly as it relates to the state-owned enterprises and the transformation and restructuring that must occur there. And that is what should be the main focus for the three years…[to] 2020,” he told Barbados TODAY. “So in a nutshell we have made great progress, but the road is still ahead…,” he added. The IMF economist noted that at the end of 2018, Barbados was on course to meet the targets under the BERT programme. “In terms of, for example, the net international reserves…we exceeded that target by a considerable amount so far. The debt is on the trajectory where we are heading; and indeed the fiscal performance has been on target. So yes, we are on target in terms of the targets set under the BERT programme,” Dr Greenidge said. According to Dr. Greenidge another disbursement of financing from the US$290 million IMF loan would be accessed in June this year, after the March 2019 review. “But we have an end of December [2018] target which was set under the programme. But that is not tied to any disbursement. That is basically what we refer to as indicative targets…like targets along the way. We expect the IMF team to come to Barbados sometime early this year to do an evaluation. That time and date will be announced by the Prime Minister at some time,” the technical advisor said, adding that the December target would be assessed during the IMF visit. Asked if he was optimistic the country would meet its end of March target, Dr Greenidge assured that every effort would be made to do so. “Right now, our first hurdle would be to see how we have done at the end of December. That remains to be evaluated. And indeed, we must continue to stay the line in order to meet the end of March target,” Dr Greenidge told Barbados TODAY. He is sticking to his guns that the ongoing retrenchments which form part of the restructuring was not a numbers game but a process designed to improve the way business was conducted in central Government and the SOEs. In looking back at where the country has come from since the May general election, Dr Greenidge is certain that Barbados has done “remarkably well” as a small country. “We are back in that it’s business as usual…normal business has resumed. But we still have a lot to do and a long way to go; but we can do it, if we stick to it,” the top economist assured.  (BT)

RER REVIEW NEEDED – One local economist is calling for an immediate review of the Renewable Energy Rider (RER) programme, which allows producers of electricity from renewable energy source to sell power to the Barbados Light & Power Company (BL&P). Former Prime Minister Professor Owen Arthur said if Barbados was serious about meeting its renewable energy goals and breathing life into the economy, then the Fair Trading Commission (FTC) should review and adjust the limits and rates under the programme. In July 2016, the FTC set a temporary rate for the power being sold to the national grid under the RER programme at $0.416/kWh for solar photovoltaic and $0.315/kWh for wind until a permanent rate may be established”. At the same time, the FTC said a decision was taken to increase the capacity limit to 500kW from 150 kW for individuals. Companies have a limit of 5 megawatts (MW). Last year, Minister of Energy and Water Resources Wilfred Abrahams gave notice that a permanent rate would be pursued. However, with that yet to materialize, Arthur told the SALISES Policy Forum at the University of the West Indies (UWI) on Wednesday night that the country was running out of time to improve its growth prospect. And he said he believed a lot of that growth would require a “major reform” of the renewable energy sector by “releasing it from the chains that have been imposed on it”. The noted economist argued that the country could use photovoltaic and wind energy to generate most of its energy, but suggested that the current sum being paid for the energy and the limit of how much individuals and companies could produce under the programme were simply not cutting it. “We have to move the restriction on the capacity and pricing and it can be done right away for alternative energy to become a growth area for Barbados,” said Arthur, while arguing that if this was done other sectors such as agriculture could benefit. “I believe that it is absolutely necessary that there be an immediate revision to rulings of the Fair Trading Commission that really run directly counter to the need for us to be able to generate 500 megawatts of energy from alternative sources immediately, and to do so without impoverishing the alternative energy producers and enriching the light & power. Mr Abrahams, please act,” said Arthur. The economist argued that the proposed changes would immediately enable the sector to “invigorate the Barbados economy”. (BT)

BREA PRESIDENT: 2019 A YEAR OF ACTION – President of the Barbados Renewable Energy Association (BREA) Jerry Franklin says this year must be a year of action if they are to achieve the policy target of 100 per cent renewable energy for Barbados by 2030.  Franklin who was successful in his bid to retain the position of president of the association for the year says “the Association remains cautiously optimistic recognizing that several critical policy and regulatory decisions will have to be made very early in 2019 if we are to get the sector on the right path.” He noted that some of the important issues which need to be addressed as a matter of urgency this year if the target is to be met include  the lengthy delays in the approval of the application processes, the duplication in the submission of documentation across agencies and the need to put in place an effective pricing system. Franklin was speaking at the association’ seventh annual general meeting at the 3W’s Oval. (WN)

‘LET’S TALK ABOUT THE 11-PLUS’ – Minister of Education Technology and Vocational Training Santia Bradshaw says more needs to be done to change Barbados’ rigorous educational system. Speaking on the sidelines of a scholarship presentation at Bagatelle Great House, St Thomas Tuesday, Bradshaw said that she would like the conversation to be on assessments that lead to the 11-plus examinations. “ I think over the last few years enough has not been said about those assessments or the ability of our students to understand subject areas because we have a lot of persons who are skilled across the board. But right now we only focus on two subject areas: Mathematics and English. Within the Ministry of Education, yes, we are looking at the 11-plus examination but we are also looking at assessments that lead to the 11-plus examination,” she said. Bradshaw who is also the Member of Parliament for St Michael South East said that the educational system needed to ensure that students with behavioral challenges were able to reach their full potential in school. “I believe that apart from focusing on an examination alone we should look at the continuous assessment of our young people, not just for academic qualifications, but any behavioural challenges that they may have so that we can put in place a system to deal with all types of children and the different ways they learn, instead of what has been happening which is a rigorous way of testing but also assessing our young people in the system,” Bradshaw said. She added it was vital for Barbadians to realize that schools were different and all students learn at different paces. “Take the children as you find them. Determine the best type of programme that will [assist] them in functioning after they leave school,” she said, adding that a lot of persons were leaving school with certificates but they were deficient in the subject area in which they were applying for employment. Bradshaw said that Barbados needed to have a conversation on what they accepted as professionals as a student did not have to aspire to be a doctor or lawyer once they gave of their best and did an honest day’s work. “The Ministry of Education is focusing heavily on technical and vocational skills. It is an area I believe was neglected for a while and I want us to get to a point where becoming a skilled labourer with technical skills is just as important as becoming a doctor or a lawyer,” Bradshaw said. The Minister said she has advised principals to teach students life skills as this was of vast importance in the labour market.  (BT)

CARICOM GOVERNMENTS SEEK SOLUTION FOR VENEZUELA – Heads of Government of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) including Prime Minister Mia Amor Mottley met by video-conference on Thursday on the latest developments in the situation in the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela and issued a statement. They expressed grave concern about the plight of the people of Venezuela and the increasing volatility of the situation brought about by recent developments which could lead to further violence, confrontation, breakdown of law and order and greater suffering for the people of the country. In this regard, they offered their good offices to facilitate dialogue among all parties to resolve the deepening crisis. The Heads of Government agreed that the Chairman of Conference, Dr the Honourable Timothy Harris, Prime Minister of St. Kitts and Nevis would seek an urgent meeting with the United Nations Secretary-General to request the U.N’s assistance in resolving the issue. The statement in its entirety reads as follows. “Heads of Government are following closely the current unsatisfactory situation in Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, a neighbouring Caribbean country.  They expressed grave concern about the plight of the people of Venezuela and the increasing volatility of the situation brought about by recent developments which could lead to further violence, confrontation, breakdown of law and order and greater suffering for the people of the country. Heads of Government reaffirmed their guiding principles of non-interference and non-intervention in the affairs of states, respect for sovereignty, adherence to the rule of law, and respect for human rights and democracy. Heads of Government reiterated that the long-standing political crisis, which has been exacerbated by recent events, can only be resolved peacefully through meaningful dialogue and diplomacy. In this regard, Heads of Government offered their good offices to facilitate dialogue among all parties to resolve the deepening crisis. Reaffirming their commitment to the tenets of Article 2 (4) of the United Nations Charter which calls for Members States to refrain from the threat or the use of force and Article 21 of the Charter of the Organization of American States which refers to territorial inviolability, the Heads of Government emphasized the importance of the Caribbean remaining a Zone of Peace. Heads of Government called on external forces to refrain from doing anything to destabilize the situation and underscored the need to step back from the brink and called on all actors, internal and external, to avoid actions which would escalate an already explosive situation to the detriment of the people of Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela and which could have far-reaching negative consequences for the wider region. Heads of Government agreed that the Chairman of Conference, Dr the Honourable Timothy Harris, Prime Minister of St. Kitts and Nevis would seek an urgent meeting with the United Nations Secretary-General to request the U.N’s assistance in resolving the issue.”  (WN)

NO AIR: 300 STRANDED – Almost 300 people are stranded at Grantley Adams International Airport. Nation Online has been reliably informed they are part of the air/sea exchange - passengers who arrived via cruise ship and then transfer to flights. No flight was available, however, and the cause was not immediately known. They are also unable to secure rooms as none are available because of high occupancy rates this winter season as well as the England cricket team and its supporters who are in Barbados. The majority were in the in-transit lounge and some were also seen purchasing a late meal from one of the outlets at the Airport.  (WN)

AXE TO FALL AGAIN AT NATION – Staff of the Nation Publishing Company are bracing for more job cuts. According to reports reaching Barbados TODAY, a number of positions will be made redundant in the coming months. This follows a meeting between the company’s management led by Chief Executive Officer Anthony Shaw and Group Financial Controller Noel Wood and a delegate from the Barbados Workers’ Union (BWU) which included general secretary Senator Toni Moore and consultant Sir Roy Trotman. Sources said that managerial staff is expected to be among those being sent home. In a meeting with staff this afternoon, Shaw informed them that he had met with union officials and had presented them with the financial particulars and performance of the company since 2008, to help determine a way forward for the company. He told them that while changes in staff were possibly coming, it would not be on the same scale of those from 2018. It will be the second series of layoffs for the Trinidadian-owned newspaper company in less than a year. Last April, close to 30 workers were severed, including some from the newspaper’s sister company Starcom Network. At that time, the company blamed the highly competitive and rapidly changing print media environment for the layoffs. It also claimed that the cuts were as a result of challenges posed by the various social media platforms and dwindling newspaper revenues over the past ten years. On that occasion, one advertising sales executive, two classified advisors, one typesetter, one senior writer, one traffic coodinator, one lithographer, one graphics artist, one senior accounts clerk, one sub editor and three reporters lost their jobs.  (BT)

NUPW DEMANDING TRANSPARENCY – The National Union of Public Workers (NUPW) is unhappy with the level of transparency from Government as it relates to proposed retrenchment of workers at the Barbados Government Information Service (BGIS) and the Government Printing Department. According to the union’s Deputy General Secretary Wayne Walrond, workers have been growing increasingly restless as murmurings of imminent job cuts grow louder while their bargaining agent remains in the dark. This week Walrond sent a stern warning to Government that the NUPW would not “take too kindly” to being informed of the cuts after the fact. His comments came following a meeting with workers of the National Assistance Board (NAB) at the NUPW, where those workers voiced similar concerns about being kept out of the loop as it relates to their job tenure and matters of occupational safety. “…We have been hearing unconfirmed reports circulating about the number of persons that are to be affected by the restructuring and retrenchment within those entities. This is something we are taking seriously because we have not had any consultations or negotiations with regards to those entities,” said Walrond. The senior trade unionist told Barbados TODAY that they have requested an audience with the Ministry of the Civil Service to discuss the concerns. Walrond did not go into details about the numbers being touted for the breadline, noting only that the word on the ground points to cuts being completed by the end of the financial year (end of March). “After the NUPW received further reports about numbers to be retrenched, we requested an audience with the Ministry of Civil Service to discuss the proposed retrenchment and mergers of these two entities. We expect that before anything is done that we have some preliminary discussions to ensure that all issues are well ventilated. To date, we have no information on how the cuts are to be implemented or the categories of workers that will be affected. We are very concerned to hear about these reports because the union is insisting that it must be involved in the process,” he said. Since last October GIS was earmarked in phase one of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) approved Barbados Economic Recovery and Transformation (BERT) programme. However, this afternoon Walrond told Barbados TODAY that his union has always maintained that the function of the printer and GIS were too important to be amalgamated. “The union would have expressed the view that the Government printing department should remain as it is in the interest of national security. Government needs to have its own printer for the purpose of printing legislation. We think it is strategic for Government to maintain its own printer. GIS has done an excellent job over the years. It is not a broadcasting service as some people think, it is about research and providing the public accurate information,” he argued. (BT)

GARBAGE ROW FIX  - The discord between the Sanitation Service Authority (SSA) and its workers over the issue of overtime pay for weekend work, has been settled for the time being. Minister of the Environment and National Beautification, Trevor Prescod, has revealed that Government has agreed to continue paying overtime until a permanent agreement could be reached with the workers’ bargaining agent, the National Union of Public Workers (NUPW). The minister explained that while Government was still very much determined to curtail overtime in the public service as a cost-cutting measure, they were willing to make a temporary exception for the SSA workers, because their service was critically needed on all seven days per week. “While the overtime is still an issue, we certainly cannot do without those workers being deployed to different areas on weekends. The Prime Minister is still concerned with the amount of overtime but we will continue to pay the overtime in the interim until we resolve the problem,” Prescod said in a recent interview with Barbados TODAY. Last month, as garbage continued to pile up across the island, workers threatened to stop weekend collections if the SSA management followed through with its plan to cut out overtime payments. It took a last-minute meeting of the SSA, NUPW and Minister of Labour Colin Jordan to avert a potentially messy situation. At the time workers claimed that they were being pressured into accepting new work conditions, a charge which was denied by Prescod. Under the current arrangement, a workweek is fixed from Monday to Friday and crews are paid overtime for weekend collections. The proposal was for the work week to be made up of any five days. However, Prescod maintained that negotiations were still actively continuing between the union and the SSA. He revealed that several offers are currently on the table for consideration. “We have also put on the table the concept of leasing vehicles from private persons that would be driven by the Sanitation Service Authority staff.  I thought that this idea should not be too contentious but apparently we have not been able to resolve that yet. So, the talks are going on and they are relatively warm, not contentious, but we have not made the decision that I would like to see coming,” he stressed. NUPW Acting Deputy General Secretary Wayne Walrond said he was happy with Government’s interim position. However, he is of the view that the overtime issue will work itself out in the long-term once Government eventually acquires the full complement of trucks, which would enable workers to cover the entire island between Monday to Friday. “I have not heard anything official yet, but we would really welcome this move because this has been the union’s position all along. We understand that Government has a difficult decision to make with regard to the retrenchment. However, we had always put forward the position that it was more economical to let the overtime run until Government gets the additional trucks and then the overtime would not even be an issue because workers would be able to pick up the garbage in the normal work week,” Walrond pointed out. Earlier this month, Government received the first two of seven new garbage trucks, ordered from Japan and retrofitted in the United States. Prescod has promised that once there are no further unforeseen issues, two more trucks will be arriving next month while the remainder will arrive in March. (BT)

MURDER RATE COULD HURT ECONOMY, WARNS ECONOMIST – Within the first month of 2019, Barbados has recorded a higher murder rate than that of Trinidad and Tobago and according to economist Jeremy Stephen, a continuation of this trend could be disastrous for the economic recovery efforts. To date, Barbados has recorded eight murders, which puts the murder rate at 2.8 per 100 thousand, while Trinidad, which has recorded 32 murders thus far, has a rate of 2.3 per 100 thousand. Last year, Trinidad and Tobago recorded 516 murders, which represented a rate per 100 thousand that was five times more than Barbados, which recorded 28 murders for the same period. “This is very sobering fact because the way you look at these figures, the rate for Barbados has to be rounded off to three persons per 100 000 because you can’t have a half of a person. So we are at three and they [Trinidad and Tobago] are at two. This could easily change as the year progresses but normally when the year starts, Barbados is nowhere near Trinidad’s murder rate,” Stephen said in an interview with Barbados TODAY this morning. The University of the West Indies lecturer warned that the worrying trend could derail the Government’s recent efforts at restoring investor confidence in the country. “This could really damage investor confidence in the long term. People believe that Barbados is still a safe place but if this issue persists it definitely can undermine any efforts to attract foreign direct investment in any sustainable manner,” said Stephen. He contended that the repercussions were not limited to those on the outside looking in, noting that the nocturnal entertainment sector could also suffer as result of growing fears brought on by increased gun violence. Stephen argued that because of the possibility of being caught in the crossfire, Barbadians might decide not to leave the safety of their homes to go out at night. “From a confidence point of view it could also damage what is happening on the local side. Persons would not want to go out at night because they are afraid that people will shoot up the place. A lot of people are reacting to these murders even though they don’t know the circumstances surrounding them. It seems a little more intense than the others that we had a year ago. So if this persists it could really damage the economy and affect people’s confidence to move around,” he explained. However, Stephen made it clear that while he believes that the trend is worrying, he is by no means suggesting that Barbados is at crisis stage, as it is less than a month into the year. “We need to bear in mind that the year has only just started and there is really no need to start getting carried away. However, it is important to make comparisons to bring the problem into sharp focus. Every time we hear about Trinidad the story is that they start each year very hot in terms of murders but it is really sobering when you place the start of our year in that context,” he explained, pointing out that due Barbados’ small population and a few incidents can easily taint the image of the country. “Given the size of our population we need to understand that we cannot afford for this problem to get out of control and we need to support our law enforcement in every way. I need people to understand that this is a problem for all Barbadians,” he stressed. (BT)

UPP: THE COUNTRY NEEDS TO HEAR FROM PRIME MINISTER – Below is a statement from the United Progressive Party’s Public Relations Officer Wayne Giffith The January spate of gun-play has Barbadians in absolute fear for our lives as we witness an unprecedented display of mayhem in the streets. We fear especially for the innocent ones on their way to and from school. Despite the responsibilities related directly to law and order being accurately reassigned to the portfolio of the Attorney General Dale Marshall, his subsequent visits into troubled communities served as only ineffective optics and cannot redress the matter at hand. With Barbados at the peak of the Tourist season, the nation is anxiously awaiting the arrest of those responsible not only for these executions but those involved in the importation of illegal firearms. At this stage where homicides outnumber road fatalities, the country needs to hear from Prime Minister Mia Amor Mottley who was given a complete mandate to resolve the matters of national importance and security. The United Progressive Party calls on the prime minister to use her vast influence to hopefully dissuade the criminal intentions of those who wish to commit these heinous offenses. (BT)

FORDE PROMISES GOV’T WILL RESPOND – Yet another Government Minister has joined the chorus of people demanding an end to the country’s deadly spate of murders. Hours before Barbados recorded its eighth murder for the year, Minister of Youth and Community Empowerment, Adrian Forde declared, “Government would not allow the criminal element to take over the country.” Forde was speaking yesterday to scores of young people during the launch of the Youth Achieving Results Program in the ministry’s training room at Sky Mall, Haggatt Hall, Saint Michael. His comments came amid a bizarre spate incidents, which resulted in the death of three women in less than 48 hours. His comments also come as an apparent gang war rages in the New Orleans and Chapman Lane areas, which has resulted in the death of one man and injuries to others. “It is no secret that crime and violence have raised their ugly head in this country,” said Forde, who promised that government would not sit back on its laurels, but instead, would “handcuff” it, put it before the magistrates’ court and lock it up for life, because we are not going to allow the criminal element to take over our country. It’s as simple of that,” he said. Speaking directly to the participants of the program which works on the skills of young people in the areas of dance, drama, voice training, technical theatre, as well as a personal development costume design, jewellery-making and garment construction over an eight-month period. These skills, Forde described as the “tools of empowerment,” which he pleaded with young people to view as viable alternatives to crime and violence. “At the end of the day, our young people matter the most. I am imploring you to put down all of those weapons of destruction and pick up the tools of empowerment…the tools of the creative culture, the tools of your imagination; these must go with you every step of this journey,” he told the participants. “This voice that you hear from the minister of youth is the collective voice of every single member of the Cabinet and the government of the day,” he added, while reminding them that too many meaningful opportunities exist which should be pursued as alternatives to crime. “Put down those deadly weapons because the reality is that if we lose one, we lose one too many and our country should never be reduced to a country of fear. Barbadians must be able to carry out their duties in a fair environment. “We will do everything in our power to ensure that we provide that vehicle for you to succeed and see yourself as a leader,” he promised.  (BT)

LAYNE SPOTS THE LIGHT ON THE JUDICIARY – Barbadian youth advocate Corey Layne wants to see the island’s judicial system set an example for the youth of Barbados. Layne was speaking to Barbados TODAY as the island recorded its 13th reported shooting and eighth death for the year. The youth advocate argued that the legislative system needed to “make an example of those who were perpetuating crime and fear in society”. Layne said that society needed to be alarmed when disillusioned youth in society saw a life of crime as an easy solution because felons received bail after committing heinous offences. “The young persons we need to be concerned about are the ones who are looking on and noticing that there are persons out there shooting [and] going before the law courts and in two blinks and the shake of a tail they are in front of you again. “It sends [the message] that you can participate in this type of activity with impunity when really and truly it really speaks to our judicial system – innocent until proven guilty and it takes a while to prove someone guilty,” Layne pointed out. Layne explained that the criminal subculture was becoming mainstream and the lack of justice and slow pace to trial was not helping to change people’s opinion. He stressed that Government and law enforcement especially needed to crack down on the importation of illegal firearms. “We need to look at how we can intercept a lot of these guns coming in whether it is the ports or the ports outside of the main ports. Not talk about it, not look at it, just deal with it. “Shut it off, have serious investigations, have sting operations and get rid of the persons in the system who maybe circumventing the system,” Layne contended. “We have talked a lot about night court but how much night court have we had going? There are lights in these buildings, turn on the lights and have night court!” he added. The founder and director of the National Fun Ranch also suggested that parental guidance programmes should be offered to parents from infancy to secondary level education and support programmes be offered to at-risk youth. Layne indicated that at-risk youth were often pushed into the society “ripe for the drug lords and the block leaders” and this needed to be stopped. He argued that the spike in gun violence could be “the single most destabilizing phenomenon for this country” and urged Government and civil society to unite and tackle the problem head-on. “Primary school teachers can tell you they can identify the children who will cause problems in this society. We need to pull them out and we need to put support behind programmes that will work with them, hold their hands and coach them along the way,” Layne recommended. “Put some money behind civil society, identify these children from early at primary school and secondary school and get them alongside positive mentors. We have talked about it, we have dreamed about it [and] we have romanticized about it – it is time to do something about it.”  (BT)

INTERVENTION COMING – Concerned parliamentary representative for the City of Bridgetown Lieutenant Colonel Jeffrey Bostic has offered to broker a truce between suspected warring factions in his constituency said to be responsible for a frightening upsurge in deadly violence in that area. The most recent fatal incident occurred last evening on Baxters Road, when an unknown gunman emerged from the nearby New Orleans area of the City and riddled Corey “Yabba” Parris, 47, with bullets while he sat in a car near Jordan’s Supermarket. But while Bostic, who is also Minister of Health and Wellness accepts that much of the violence involved residents of the City, he believes that outsiders have something to do with it as well. He told Barbados TODAY this evening that while on previous occasions he found it easy to determine who the perpetrators were and was able to bring the violence under control, this latest flare-up was more complex. “This particular spate of violence really is not as clear-cut in terms of trying to wrestle with exactly what is the root of the problem. But I would say upfront, I would urge all those persons who are engaged in this recent bout of violence to really, really, stop the violence and let’s come to a position where we can discuss to see exactly what the issues are from their own perspectives,” the City MP said. Minister Bostic said there were some things which he accepted could be done to address the deeper social problems peculiar to the City, and he would shortly intensify the initiatives and programmes already started. “The other thing though is that on this occasion, I am not convinced all of the action really relates to persons who actually live in the City, although perhaps, that is the case in some instances,” he told Barbados TODAY. The trained soldier said while he did not intend to cross paths with the legitimate responsibilities of law enforcement, he was preparing initiatives to deal with the situation as best he could. He explained that his approach would be to find out who the perpetrators of the lawlessness were and interact with them to have the issues resolved. “But it is a serious concern and of course it is a frightening situation for those persons who reside in the communities that are being impacted by this level of violence that we are seeing displayed before our very eyes,” the City MP added. “What I am working on right now, is a series of initiatives which would have to start with engaging those members of the various communities who are in positions of influence, whether it is through sports, through the church, any groupings that are within the communities to see exactly what we can do in terms of having a dialogue,” he declared. Bostic, who is a product of the City and still has family connections in the Chapman Lane community, said he would be moving to ease the social situation by addressing the serious unemployment in the constituency. “There has always been a level of unemployment among the City youth which is really not acceptable. So we are trying to deal with some of those issues by directing persons who are in a position to establish their own micro business, for example, through the trust loans,” he assured. Bostic told Barbados TODAY that help would also be coming for those who want to enhance their existing businesses. “That is a continuation of some work that was started before, even before the elections. The availability of the trust loans now facilitates that process. “The other area is that I am waiting for the First Job initiative to start so we can get some of the young unemployed persons engaged in some meaningful activity,” Minister Bostic promised. The ongoing gun violence in the City and elsewhere has already seen one Cabinet casualty with former Home Affairs Minister Edmund Hinkson being stripped of the responsibility for the police. Those responsibilities were handed over to Attorney General Dale Marshall. (BT)

MURDER NUMBERS NOT THE WHOLE STORY: DEPUTY POLICE COMMISSIONER –With eight murders less than a month into 2019, five involving the use of firearms, Deputy Police Commissioner Erwin Boyce is telling Barbadians the numbers, though worrying, do not paint the full picture. Boyce explained that while the numbers racked up so early in the year were indeed staggering, they must be analysed in context. “This is something from the police force’s perspective that we would not have anticipated at the beginning of the year. The level of consistency is extremely worrying. However, we must put it in context because it is only then we understand what is happening. What we are seeing in these cases is a victim-offender knowledge of each other. So, therefore, these cases could have genesis elsewhere to where the shooting actually occurred,” explained Boyce, who was speaking to reporters following the closing ceremony for the online child exploitation investigations training course at the Regional Police Training Centre, Seawell, Christ Church today. To date, Barbados has recorded eight murders, which puts the murder rate at 2.8 per 100 thousand, while Trinidad, which has recorded 32 murders thus far, has a rate of 2.3 per 100 thousand. Last year, Trinidad and Tobago recorded 516 murders, which represented a rate per 100 thousand that was five times more than Barbados, which recorded 28 murders for the same period. Responding to calls for police to take more of a big stick approach to Barbados’ gun crime situation, Boyce explained that law enforcement has always operated within the parameters of the constitution of Barbados and this current wave of violence was not about to force a deviation from that practice. “We are a law enforcement organization guided by the constitution of the land. We have boundaries, we have general standing orders, we are an accredited force and we know what direction to go and how far to go in relation to how we do our operations and how we respond to situations. So, we will always demonstrate the best way to do things. This way will ensure that John Public has the confidence in the organisation and that there is a peace of mind and less anxiety as it relates to these crimes,” the high-ranking lawman said. However, the deputy commissioner made it clear that while fear was a natural response to the spike in these types of crimes, the police were on top of the situation. “We know that there would be alarm, there would be anxieties and some peace of mind disruption. But we want to assure Barbados that operationally, the Royal Barbados Police Force and its partners are working towards ensuring that the peace of mind returns and there is less anxiety as it relates to that type of crime,” he said. Without going into detail, Boyce explained that the force has a number of strategies – short, medium and long-term on which they are working. “Once we get the full corporation of all of our partners then we are going to have a much more peaceful society,” Boyce added.  (BT)

ARMED MEN INTERCEPTED BY POLICE – Lawmen report that on Thursday, January 24, police from the Anti-gun and Tactical Response Unit intercepted a private motorcar at 2nd Avenue Harts Gap Christ Church with three male occupants, after a search of the vehicle was conducted, police discovered one firearm and a large quantity of ammunition. All three men are assisting police with their investigations. (WN)

UPDATE: POLICE IDENTIFY SHOOTING VICTIM AT GEMSWICK ST PHILLIP –Police have identified the man shot today at Gemswick, St Philip as Damien Hunte. Acting Police Public Relations Officer Sargeant Michael Blackman said the incident occurred around 9:00 am, he was transported to the Queen Elizabeth Hospital by private vehicle. Police investigations are continuing.  (BT)

MURDER ACCUSED REMANDED – Murder accused Anderson Jerome Calderon was just remanded to HMP Dodds. The 32-year-old plumber, of Block 2E North Close Wildey, St Michael, was charged with the murder of Ronald Rudder in the District "A" Magistrates' Court. The man, who is represented by attorney Neville Reid, was not required to plead to the indictable offence. He returns to court on February 21.  (WN)

MURDERER LOSES HIS APPEAL – Convicted murderer Carlton Junior Hall has had his appeal against his conviction dismissed. The Appeal Court comprised of Justices Kay Goodridge, Margaret Reifer and William Chandler, upheld the decision of a 12-member jury, who had found a then 25-year old Hall guilty of murdering Adrian Wilkinson on March 2, 2016. Wilkson died on the spot at Speightstown, St Peter on Sunday, August 14, 2011, after being gunned down. Hall was sentenced to hang by trial judge Justice Jacqueline Cornelius. But Hall, whose last address was given as 2nd Avenue, Chapman Lane, St Michael, through his attorney Queen’s Counsel Andrew Pilgrim had appealed the conviction. The appeal was in relation to identification, as per section 102 of Evidence Act in what amounts to special circumstances, due to the fact that the Crown’s case relied on identification evidence. In a 31-page judgment handed down and delivered by Reifer yesterday, the court ruled that the evidence produced by the Crown was of such a standard as to constitute special circumstances, within the meaning of Section 102 2A of the Evidence Act and was properly placed before the jury who was adequately warned. The court also ruled that the trial judge had correctly overruled a no-case submission. However, because of a ruling made by Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) that the imposition of a mandatory death penalty is unconstitutional, the court ordered that Hall be returned to the trial judge to be resentenced at the earliest opportunity. Acting Deputy Director of Prosecution Anthony Blackman and Crown Counsel Oliver Thomas appeared on behalf of the Crown.  (BT)

EXTRADITION HEARING ADJOURNED – For the third time in as many hearings a Barbadian man fighting an extradition attempt by Canada had his matter adjourned. When 64-year-old Errol Vivian Jones, of Bridgefield, St Thomas appeared before Chief Magistrate Christopher Birch in the District ‘C’ Magistrates’ Court today, the matter was adjourned until March 7, 2019. Prosecutor Station Sergeant Rudolph Burnett did not object to bail, meaning Jones will remain on $15 000 bail. Canadian authorities are seeking to have Jones extradited to finish serving the remaining 889 days of a sentence for breaching the conditions of his parole. However, Jones is contending that he was deported from Canada and is questioning how a warrant of arrest could be issued for him when at the same time he was in the custody of Immigration officers and being escorted from the country. (BT)

I APOLOGISE – With his plaited hair initially rolled up and then in flowing dreadlocks, Steve Carlton Skeete admitted to being a Rastafarian and said he did not have a problem with drugs nor did he need help. “I don’t rob, I don’t steal, I have it for my personal use,” he told Acting Magistrate Anika Jackson in the District ‘A’ Magistrates’ Court where he was facing three drug-related charges. Skeete, a 46-year-old farmer of Griffith’s Land, Black Rock, St Michael, initially pleaded guilty to unlawful  possession of cannabis and not guilty to trafficking and intending to supply, all on January 23, 2019. However, attorney-at-law Harry Husbands appeared as a friend of the court and spoke to Skeete who changed his “not guilty” pleas. According to Prosecutor, PC Kenmore Phillips, lawmen executed a search warrant at Skeete’s home and found nothing inside the house, however with the assistance of the Canine Unit, a bag containing vegetable matter suspected to be cannabis was retrieved from the cellar. Skeete admitted knowledge and ownership of the approximately 69 grams with an estimated value of $345. The acting Magistrate noted that Skeete’s conviction card started in 1996 for a similar offence. He told the court “Ma’am, I apologize for my actions. I take full responsibility.” On the first count of possession, Skeete was fined $750 in three months, or on default, spend three months in prison.  On the other two charges, he was convicted, reprimanded and discharged. (BT)

FARMER EDWARDS FINED $3,500 FOR GROWING WEED – Vowing to “go out there and work”, a 56-year-old St Michael farmer admitted to having drugs and told a Bridgetown  Magistrate today: “I will try to do better.” Julius Alexander Edwards of Chapel Gap, Spooners Hill, St Michael, pleaded guilty to four drug charges when he appeared in the District ‘A’ Magistrates’ Court before Acting Magistrate, Anika Jackson. The charges are that on January 23, 2019, he had cannabis; trafficked in it; intended to supply it and unlawfully cultivated it. According to the facts outlined by Prosecutor PC Kenmore Phillips, armed with a search warrant, lawmen went to Edwards’ home and found a number of plants suspected to be cannabis on a mattress, some on a line drying and others in two enclosed areas in the yard. He admitted ownership. When the acting magistrate examined Edwards’ conviction card, she observed that his first offence of illegal possession of cannabis was in 1985 and others that were not similar. Stating that his last offence was more than 30 years ago, she noted that the present ones were serious, adding that there were 139 plants weighing about 400 grams with an estimated street value of $2,000. For possession, Edwards was convicted, reprimanded and discharged and for trafficking and supplying he was reprimanded and discharged. However, for cultivating, he was fined $3,500 in four months or four months in prison. (BT)

WEST INDIES LEAD BY 332 AT STUMPS – West Indies, with a first innings lead of 212 runs after routing England for a paltry 77, were 127 for six in their second innings at stumps on the second day of the first Wisden Trophy cricket Test at Kensington Oval here on Thursday. Wicket-keeper Shane Dowrich was not out on 27, alongside captain Jason Holder on seven as the West Indies finished the day with an overall lead of 339 runs with four wickets in hand. Experienced fast bowler Kemar Roach rocked England with five for 17 in 11 overs while Holder and Alzarri Joseph took two wickets each for 15 and 20 runs respectively. Earlier, Shimron Hetmyer top-scored in the Windies’ first innings with a superb knock of 81, which was laced with nine fours and two sixes off 109 balls in 157 minutes. Veteran pacer James Anderson was England’s most successful bowler with five for 46 in 30 overs. All-rounder Stokes supported with four for 59 off 25.3 overs. Summarised Scores: West Indies 289 in 101.3 overs (Shimron Hetmyer 81, Shai Hope 57, Roston Chase 54, John Campbell 44, Kraigg Brathwaite 40; James Anderson 5-46, Ben Stokes 4-46) and 127-6 in 36 overs (John Campbell 33, Shimron Hetmyer 31, Shane Dowrich 27 not out, Kraigg Brathwaite 24; Moeen Ali 3-41, Ben Stokes 2-31). England 77 in 30.2 overs(Keaton Jennings 17; Kemar Roach 5-17, Jason Holder 2-15, Alzarri Joseph 2-20). (WN)

RAGING ROACH – The West Indies held the advantage at the end of the second day of the first Test against England at Kensington Oval today. They finished on 127 for six wickets, a lead of 339 runs with Shane Dowrich unbeaten on 27 and captain Jason Holder not out on 7. Batting for the second time in the day after England were blown away for 77 in their first innings, West Indies then lost wickets regularly and were 61 for five by the 22nd over with Kraigg Brathwaite, John Campbell, Darren Bravo, Roston Chase and Shai Hope dismissed and watching the game from the Garfield Sobers Pavilion. This, after a second 50-run opening partnership between Brathwaite and Campbell. The West Indies declined to enforce the follow-on perhaps unwilling to bat last on a fourth or fifth-day track at the Oval.  Shimron Hetmeyer (31) and Shane Dowrich stabilised the innings with an important partnership of 59 runs for the sixth wicket. Hetmyer was his usual aggressive self forcing England to release their attacking fields. However, minutes before the close Hetmyer mistimed a drive off Sam Curran and was caught by Jos Buttler. Once again the left-handed Guyanese looked a class act. Earlier, it was the Kemar Roach show as he wreaked havoc among England’s batsmen with a devastating spell of fast bowling in the pre-tea session to bundle out the visitors in 30.2 overs and give the West Indies a lead of 212. Roach’s destruction of the visitors began in the first over after lunch when he bowled opener Rory Burns for 2 to leave England wobbling at 35 for two. Holder had already accounted for his opening partner Keaton Jennings, caught at gully by Hope for 17. Roach’s next victim was Jonny Bairstow who had his stumps rattled for 17 with a ball that also struck his elbow. The veteran fast bowler then trapped Ben Stokes lbw for a duck to leave the visitors in a sad state at 48 for five.  The pressure continued to mount on England when the very next ball Moeen Ali pulled a short ball from Roach and was brilliantly caught at long-leg by Alzarri Joseph for a duck, leaving Roach on a hat-trick which he did not complete with his next delivery. However, Buttler would very soon succumb to Roach’s inspired spell when he induced him to edge to wicketkeeper Dowrich after he had scored four. The turn of events in the England innings sent shockwaves among the thousands of English visitors packed into the stands as their team floundered at 48 for six. At that stage, Roach had eight overs, five maidens, 13 runs and had claimed five wickets. Roach’s final figures were 11 overs, 7 maidens, 17 runs, five wickets. A brilliant performance before his home fans! Roach was supported by Holder and Joseph who took two wickets each for 15 and 20 runs respectively. Shannon Gabriel accounted for Curran with a snorter which he fended to Hope. At the start of the day, West Indies resumed on 264 for the loss of eight wickets and were bowled out just before the first hour of play for 289. Hetmeyer who was on 56 not out, was the last wicket to fall as he tried to force the pace with the last man Gabriel at the other end. He was caught at the wicket by Ben Foakes off Stokes for 81 scored in 109 minutes and including nine fours and two sixes. Joseph, the other overnight batsman, batted for fifty minutes and gave Hetmyer good support before he was caught at second slip by Buttler without scoring. Gabriel was not out on nought when the innings closed.  James Anderson finished with the remarkable figures of five wickets for 46 runs from 30 overs which included 13 maidens. Stokes chipped in with four wickets for 59 runs from 25.3 overs. (BT)

For daily or breaking news reports follow us on Instagram, Tumblr, Twitter & Facebook. That’s all for today folks. There are 340 days left in the year. Shalom! #thechasefilesdailynewscap #thechasefiles# dailynewscapsbythechasefiles

[dinafbrownil]

Moved Overseas For School, Stayed For Insulin

KHN correspondent Shefali Luthra reported this story from Germany as a 2019 Arthur F. Burns Fellow.

HAMBURG, Germany ― Every now and then, Katie West considers returning to the United States. She moved to Germany for graduate school three years ago and now works as a health systems researcher in Hamburg. Her family is an ocean away. Then she remembers why she stays.

West, 30, has had Type 1 diabetes since she was 3. Back in Seattle, where she used to live, she typically paid $70 per month for insulin and another $130 for pump supplies. That was a relative steal in the U.S., made possible by her excellent health insurance, which she got through her employer. But still, it was a financial strain.

In Germany, she pays about 10 euros, roughly $11. Every three months.

“I don’t ever have to worry,” she said. “There is not a day I ever have to worry about if I can pay for something, or manage something.”

The price of insulin has increased globally in recent years, but no high-income country has felt the impact as acutely as the U.S., where the cost has more than doubled since 2012, going from an average $344 per prescription that year to $666 in 2016, according to the Health Care Cost Institute, and continually climbing since. Like Germany, many Western nations, including England and Canada empower their governments to actively negotiate prescription drug prices, which has held consumer costs in check. (The U.S. has no such system in place.)

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Last year, over 10% of American adults with diabetes rationed their insulin, according to research by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. That doesn’t account for people who kept paying for medication but skimped on other things, like groceries.

West, like 90% of German residents, is on one of the country’s many public insurance plans, which are administered through nonprofit insurance companies. She pays for that benefit: Maybe a third of her paycheck is withheld each month for taxes, health care and other social services. But in exchange, the coverage — including that of prescription drugs — is generous.

Germany has an easier time financing prescription coverage because these drugs cost less there. When a new drug comes to the German market, an independent panel assesses its effectiveness and whether its treatment value is commensurate with the manufacturer’s proposed price. Drugs serving a similar purpose or delivering the same benefit get grouped together. The panel sets a maximum price that insurers will pay for these medications ― a practice known as “reference pricing.” Since most German residents are on public health insurance plans, and these plans are tightly regulated, there aren’t many ways for insurance providers to compete with one another. One option they do have, however, is to negotiate lower prices on prescription meds with drug manufacturers.

German law requires public plans to cap out-of-pocket health care costs and to cover all medically necessary treatment, including insulin. For people with chronic conditions — like West — the out-of-pocket limit is set at 1% of household income. For those without such a condition, out-of-pocket costs are capped at 2%. After you hit the limit, the plan pays the rest; that’s why West’s insulin costs are so low. In fact, German diabetes patients have some of the lowest out-of-pocket costs in the world for insulin, according to T1 International, an advocacy group for people with Type 1 diabetes.

Meanwhile, in the U.S., the climbing price of insulin has lit up both Capitol Hill and the 2020 presidential campaign trail, especially as voters say prescription drug prices are reaching “unreasonable” heights, and large majorities support government intervention, per October polling by the Kaiser Family Foundation. A KFF poll in February also showed that almost two-thirds of respondents supported more government regulation of drug pricing. (KHN is an editorially independent program of the foundation.)

Lawmakers in D.C. have proposed legislation to that effect, like the bipartisan “Insulin Price Reduction Act,” which specifically targets the diabetes drug, and the “Affordable Drug Manufacturing Act,” proposed by Democratic Sen. Elizabeth Warren, which includes regulating insulin pricing as one of a series of broader proposals. Legislators have also hauled in insulin manufacturers for congressional questioning, but these efforts have foundered in the face of congressional legislative inertia, partisan in-fighting over the best path forward and intense pharmaceutical industry lobbying.

Ken Inchausti, a Novo Nordisk spokesman, says a reference-pricing approach like Germany’s is incompatible with the American market. Instead of tackling drug prices, he said, policymakers should look at how insurance plans pay for insulin. A White House proposal first floated last fall to tie Medicare payments for some drugs to prices paid in European countries ― including Germany ― would do just that, at least for the public sector.

But that plan, which does align with ideas put forth by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, has elicited vocal pushback from the pharmaceutical industry and other conservative groups, which have blanketed Washington in advertisements criticizing the proposal. Powerful Senate Republicans have come out against this idea as well, including Republican Senate Finance Chair Chuck Grassley of Iowa, who argued this summer it would hamper innovation.

Germany’s system isn’t perfect. West now pays more for basic over-the-counter medicines than for insulin, she said. She asks her family to bring her ibuprofen when they visit, for example, because the price she would pay in Germany is roughly double the U.S. price.

Still, West is happier in Germany overall. “Why would I go back? It’s thousands of dollars a year I’m going to have to spend on the same [insulin] I get here for nothing.”

The peace of mind alone makes it worth it. “A third of my income may go to taxes and health care here, but honestly, that’s fine. Take it. Take it!” she said. “I don’t have to worry.”

The fellowship is an exchange program for German, American and Canadian journalists operated by the International Center for Journalists and the Internationale Journalisten-Programme.

from Updates By Dina https://khn.org/news/germany-insulin-prices-diabetes-patient-expat/

[frankpoland2019]

June 30 

We left our hotel and headed South to our friends place in Dahn, part of Rhineland Palatinate of Sudwestpfalz.  The area has impressive sandstone rock formations and what would be known as Hodads in Zion National Park. We had some really good ice cream and found a hotel one kilometer from our friend's house. We took a break and went to their house at 1800 hrs for dinner. They were very happy to see us and apologized for the heat, but there's nothing they could do about it. Stephanie said she had no time to prepare a big meal because they just got back from holiday. We didn't come for a big dinner but to see them. She asked if it was ok to have a traditional German evening meal of cold cuts, cheese, bread, butter, pickles etc with beer. That was fine with us because we have been eating big meals in the evening which is not really normal in Germany. We had a very nice visit and left somewhat early because they both have to work on Monday. Wolfgang must drive almost an hour to his work in the Mercedes factory. He and 8 other men bought a Ford van to drive back and forth to work. It's a very good arrangement and they all share the same swing shift schedule. On Monday his schedule started at 1245 hrs. Some days it starts at 0445 hrs, ugh.    The view from our hotel room is spectacular. We had to walk up to an overlook behind our hotel and there was a spectacular scene on the other side of the Rock.  We then left for a visit with Sandra and Christoph in the Frankfurt area.

July 1 

We took our time and drove to Wiesbaden to visit with one of my adopted daughter's, Sandra and her husband Christoph.  We found a hotel some 400 meters from their apartment before we met them for a visit.  They came to us about 3:30 and we drove to a restaurant about 45 minutes away. We had a good meal and drove back to the apartment to visit. We had a great time remembering the past and talking about their future.  Christoph took an early retirement from Opel factory with a large lump sum payment.  He is very financially smart and is going to invest the money into an apartment or house for income rather than spend it on things they don't need. Like many Europeans, they dream of moving to the US someday. We hope they can because the US needs immigrants who want to work and become a part of America.

July 2

We found a hotel in my old hometown for a visit with our friends Juergen and Dagmar. They picked us up at 1100 hrs and drove to a small Brewery in another town. We then meandered back to our hotel after having lunch, ice cream and coffee.  We stopped off at a castle that Juergen used to take a youth football (soccer) club for camping. We thought the restaurant would be open, but it was closed on Tuesday.  It was an interesting fortress that was built in the year 1099.   Juergen is, among other things, an excellent photographer and he got some great pictures for our blog.   We just hung out for the evening after our visit and went to my favorite Greek restaurant, the Acropolis in Beuttelborn.  The owner Nikos did not quite remember me, but I had a beard when I first met him.  He still treated us like long-lost friends and family.  He had us sit by another couple who had lived in that town for 44 years.  We spoke mostly to the wife because the husband was speaking with his contemporaries at the same table. She spoke very good English and told us they built apartment houses for the cities in their business. Their two daughters are now are taking over the business and they are semi-retired. She  knows our friend Juergen but did not know the man I bought my house from. She did know where the house was on Spessart Strasse. We watched women soccer team win the match against England.

July 3

We made it to our hotel by way of a shuttle bus from the airport after turning in the rental. Check-in time was 3 p.m. so we decided to let the desk clerk know we were there.  Faye Fan was very helpful and interested in our travel. She asked if we were traveling on business or pleasure and I said pleasure.  She said then you will have to pay a two Euros tax per person per night. I said then I’m on business. I had to fill out a form with my business name and address. I have a business card but she said that was not necessary.  Now I know why Orbitz always asked if I was on business or pleasure. I always said pleasure and ended up paying 2-3 Euros personal tax on each hotel stay. A lot of money in the end. I will always be on business in Europe in the future and carry plenty of business cards. As we were checking in, Faye informed us that we have been upgraded to an executive suite with a free drink each during our stay. She told us not to get in the normal elevator, but to turn left and proceed to the executive bank of elevators. We were not unhappy about that.  You'll understand when you see the pictures of the room.  We are not having breakfast here because breakfast costs $26 per person. We will be eating breakfast in the first class Lounge in the airport tomorrow before our flight leaves, ostensibly for free. Did I mention this hotel has air conditioning, yeah.  We just did a walkabout  past  the entrance to the executive Tower where there were some coffee machines and pastries set out. We thought it was for the executive section of the hotel so we had a cup of coffee and a pastry.  Then some people came out of a carpet room for coffee and cake.  Oops.  No one bothered so we enjoyed our coffee and went to the lounge in the main lobby to read the USA paper. We are going down to that Lounge to have a drink at the cocktail hour. We are enjoying a relaxing afternoon before our flight tomorrow morning. It's a good way   to end our 6 weeks trip.   We hope everyone has enjoyed the blog and the pictures. 

[saleggdbshoes-blog]

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[smoothshift]

3500 miles in a GT350: CA to MT & PNW. Pictures, words and field testing AMMO Frothe via /r/cars

3500 miles in a GT350: CA to MT & PNW. Pictures, words and field testing AMMO Frothe

(Originally posted to my profile which confused me to no end because interwebbing is hard. So hopefully this is not a double post on the sub)

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GT350 Summary

2017 in Shadow Black, Recaros, Sync 3

Driver assists added: Blackview DR650s front/rear dashcam, Escort Max360 radar/laser detector

Changes made: Black lugs, black valve stem caps, Steeda clutch spring (suspension brace pending install), ceramic tint, white stripes removed

3 stage detail and PPF applied - full nose, A pillars, mirrors, roof, door edges, quarter panels, trunk entry. cQuartz on all surfaces, 4 coats of cQuartz Reload applied as a topcoat

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Pics and short comments

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Trip Facts

Departure: Friday, Oct 5 at 2:22PM PT

Return: Friday, Oct 12 at 11:15PM PT

Distance: 3500.7 miles

Oil consumption: ~ 1/2 quart

Avg MPG: 20.4

Cost of 91/92 octane: $640.22

Cheapest gas: Chevron at 3.34/gal, unknown city, Idaho

Most expensive: Chevron at 4.42/gal, Boomtown, Nevada

Avg $ spent per fill up: $23.71

# of fill ups: 27

Avg distance between fill ups: 129.6 miles (range is 300 miles)

Hotel stays: 4

Cosmetic wear and tear: Minor rock strikes intercepted by the PPF, mystery scuffs on the driver side fender

Malfunctions: A/C fall down go boom. Known issue with 15-17 S550 platform.

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Gear

1 trunk organizer holding jumper cables, battery charger, tire inflator, coolant, extinguisher, first aid kit, basic tool kit, reflective parka, 2 gal water, 12 individual water bottles, 1 AMMO sprayer, 12v carvac from Amazon, 1 ammo can holding 2 quarts of 10w50 & funnel

2 stuff sacks holding 1 sleeping bag, 2 med blankets, 2 sm blankets, 2 travel pillows

1 tent and 1 inflating pad

1 bag holding coffee, french press, utensils, plastic bowl w/lid, JetBoil

1 tote bag holding misc food including the all important double choc brownies

1 camera bag holding a Nikon D800 and Nikon 24-70 f2.8. Additional images taken with iPhone

1 20L cooler holding milk, fruit, water, coke

1 bag holding detailing lotions, potions and goops

1 bag holding the world's supply of microfiber towels

1 6 gal bucket holding 2 collapsible buckets, 2 grit guards, 2 wash pads

1 small box holding dish soap, scrubbing thingamajobs, shop towels, toiletries, water heater

1 backpack holding clothing and sandals

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Destinations

Craters of The Moon National Monument (Idaho)

Yellowstone (Idaho and Montana)

Seattle

Prius Coast Highway (WA to CA)

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The words, and plenty of them

I had planned this trip since spring but hadn't gone due to work constraints. A window opened up in September, but it quickly closed due to life getting in the way. And then it happened: Early October, nothing holding me back. I was ready to go, to clear my head, to get away from work and you. Yes, you - the guy who swerves in and out of traffic at speed. And you, the lady who cannot stay off her phone. And don't think I've forgotten about you, bro - I see you hiding back there - the guy who literally ignores BSM. What better cure for driving frustration than to go.. driving. Or something.

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Tramlining and then it got cold

I left San Francisco on Friday afternoon, taking 80 east to Reno. This was well planned, nothing left to chance except for the most common sense thing: weather reports. There's an app for that, of which I have 3 and of which I used 0. This was not the smartest move as would be apparent this night and later in Montana, but for now all was well. Weather was warm, pavement dry and I'm moving at a good pace through Sacramento and into the Sierra Nevada range. The mountain section of 80, specifically the right lane is in terrible shape. I'm tramlining all over the place for too long, in too many sections, a constant jerky right, left, left, left, right, right fight on the wheel. Despite this I'm determined to stay right except to pass.

Its getting pretty cool out, and about 8PM I pull into the Truckee rest stop to discover its cold, 38 degrees. I know thats not cold to you Midwest and East Coast people. Kinda balmy. But to a coastal CA guy that's just about below freezing. I make a mental note about the Michelins not being rated for this temp, brush my teeth in the parking lot (classy is how I roll) and go to bed or rather recline the seat. I wake at 3AM and its time to move.

Leaving Truckee I discover tramlining is not done and it's another fight. And then the squeaking started from somewhere in the dash. Its a heavy grating noise and not a rattle; loud and obnoxious like my nephew. I'm pressing on the dash, the gauges, the vents - the usual places but nothing changes. Ten minutes later it's gone and does not return. Took the Boomtown exit and hit up Chevron. Go inside for coffee and pay for gas, pretty mundane but then I ran into a change scam. Some Eastern Euro guy was behind the counter. I give him 40 and he tells me he'll put 35 on the pump, and to come back for change. Not what I asked for but whatever. Returned for the change and - lets call him Uri - claims there's no change to be had. Its 3:30AM and I'm in no mood to get into this. Enjoy the $3 bro.

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Coffee, water and no rest areas. Also, LTE coverage is terrible

Back on the road and passing Reno AKA the drab copy of Vegas. Detector warns of 2 KA alerts but the signal is weak and I exit Reno without issue. Kept going east to Winnemucca, turning north on 95. The problem with 95 - other than being a long stretch through flat arid country - is the lack of rest areas combined with tidal pool-sized coffee cups and water. You know what this means and yes, I marked my territory in several places.

This stretch of nothing leads to the first of far too many LTE signal cuts and corresponding loss of Waze GPS updates. Through most of NV, and really, really long stretches of ID and MT there is no signal. Which I completely understand since ATT is a discount carrier a small mom and pop telco its really hard to relay signals over flat terrain its 1996 and cell phones are still a novelty. Signal loss in WA and OR along 101 - that I understand, and it happened frequently given the terrain. But issues in flatlands especially Idaho's more populated state routes - that I don't get.

And here's where I took the first acceptable picture of the car. Its a farming community, maybe a half mile of 25 MPH with a gas station, coffee house, cafe and sheriff's station. And one thing I found interesting, the Sahara Motel. 50s or early 60s design; sharp angles, cracked windows and peeling paint on the doors. The last paying guest was a long time ago and it makes a good backdrop.

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The Rag Company mission aborted; Shelby meets buttocks at Craters of The Moon

I'm off to Boise to find a hotel and stop by the Rag Company. Missed their store hours and tomorrow's Sunday, with Monday a holiday so.. no Rag Company visit. I chalk it up my usual level of masterful planning and stay the night at the Holiday Inn in Meridian. if you find yourself there someday stop by Beto's 24 hour Mexican place. The chicken chimichanga (fried burrito) is outstanding.

With sunrise it was time for my first destination open whenever - Craters of The Moon National Monument. Never been, never heard of it, just a random find when looking up Idaho tourist destinations. Taking 84 SE was unremarkable, but connecting to 20 was another story. Going up to 4k elevation, golden grass on the hills and plains, fall colors on the trees. Beautiful, with some fun stretches of road interrupted by people who dr.ive. ve.r.y. s.lo.w.ly.

Passed through Carey which is another livestock community with the requisite aroma d'odure. Up to this point I've mostly seen F150s, RAM 1500s and the occasional minivan. But here comes this kid in his JDM Civic, Idaho plates, red with all the toppings - wing, different colored bits here and there. Didn't check the rear but you know there were fart cans attached. Flat bill cap tied it all together. What I remember most is the look on his face as he passed, staring at my car like that guy on what show was it? The guy with the wild hair who says "I'm not saying its aliens..". Yeah. He had that look on his face. Stay strong, brosef, you're the outlier in the land of the lifted.

Keep going and the route takes you over Silver Creek which is famous for fishing, something I didn't know. Also didn't know that with fish come bugs and a lot of them. I know how to describe these because I took Entomology 101: big ole brownish-yellow, low-flying squishies with lots of guts. Stopped to carefully clean it off but there's too much bug juice, a full wash is needed later.

About 2:30PM I rolled in to Craters of The Moon. It looks like the name, kinda bleak and barren and perfect. Wide, cloudy skies from here to where the flat earth ends and vaccines aren't needed. I stop by a small hill and walk up to the crest; hidden behind is another crest. Decent pictures. Coming down I see some tourists standing around the car. Some guy is leaning his posterior on the hood and having a picture taken. This excites me a wee bit and I leg it to explain the finer points of no touchie; I know its complicated. They are French (not the Quebecois variety); explanations were offered, much hand gesturing ensued, apologies made and Trans-Atlantic relations were preserved (you're welcome, America). I keep rolling albeit with a blood pressure higher than normal; I like this place minus butt guy.

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Meeting JB from Texas, AKA Walter Mitty

Back on the road and I pull over for gas at Picabo. Station appears to be closing; their coffee is lukewarm and does not look good. Made my way to a rest stop for Operation Caffeine Overdose ala Jetboil and French Press and yes, it was great, full bodied and delicious. Fully amped I drive east toward Montana and Yellowstone but I can't quite make it. 9PM rolls around and I stop at a random rest area, writing out notes on the day. There's a silver Mercedes roadster a few spots over, I'm guessing early to mid 90s (SLK? Not familiar with Mercedes). It looks really good, sleek, fast and small. Fender flares, looks like aftermarket wheels and the driver is staring at my car. I go back to writing notes and look up a few minutes later. He's still staring. Got out to rummage for food and that's when the driver walks over: JB from Texas. 6'4" or so and has about 100 lbs on me, in a dark parking area - but that's not the problem. Problem is he's a close talker. Protip for tall guys talking to strangers in dark places: Don't be a close talker.

I ask JB about his car and he says it was his first, got it new in 99 when he was 15. That's remarkable and I asked how he pulled it off. "My parents are the most senior judges in (whatever TX town he's from)." This was said emphatically and louder than you'd expect, but I figure it's possible, and wealthy families can buy expensive cars for their kids. After this point little things were said that raised some flags but nothing major, things like European cars being cheaper to repair than domestic. But then it got weird, with JB stating he's a retired Air Force General, and his wife a retired Navy Colonel (for those unfamiliar, there are no Colonels in the US Navy). JB doesn't appear old enough to make 04 much less General, so I ask how old he is and this produces a long pause- really long (he was doing the math, 15 in 1999 now its 2018.. this minus that, carry the 1, no wait just subtract, x = y and divide the ... and he got it wrong). Finally he says "40." Amazing. A 40 YO retired General, he must be a legend I've never heard of. I decide to leave before the inevitable JSOC story. There's always a JSOC story.

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Yellowstone and KA bands

Morning rolls around and I awake at another rest stop. Get the jetboil going and its not long before 191 gets me to Yellowstone. Just before the park is the town of West Yellowstone and here the radar detector pays gives another assist. A few cars on the road and we're approaching a bend. KA alert is a sudden, strong signal and there he is, local Sheriff sitting just past the bend. He starts to follow after I pass but I'm in the clear. About a mile down I'm the only car on this stretch and just for giggles he lights me up. I get it, its a holiday weekend and no better time to get low hanging fruit like speeders and drunks, but come on, Deputy Dog. I innit stupit. Me gud drivor.

Yellowstone. Incredible driving roads but again no bueno to open it up, a fact reinforced by another Deputy exercising his radar skills (quite good, no alerts at all til I rounded a corner). If you like fly fishin' this is the place, and I made several hikes with one decent picture to show for it. That's my bad; arrival time (11AM) meant I had to wait awhile for acceptable light. Could be there's a pattern here.

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I visit Ennis and find an El Camino for sale

Leaving the park I point the car to Ennis on route 287. This is a tourist-focused town. You like huntin', maybe fishin', little bit of hikin', you want it they got it. The main drag is several hundred yards of contemporary storefronts and they appear to have been designed by the same person. Quirky, but not too quirky with just the right amount of rustic, and nicely done enough to let you know its gonna be expensive shopping there.

Exxon was out of 91 on all pumps (or 92 in MT) but I found another station. In the gravel lot next door was a bright light shining through parting clouds, and I may have heard a chorus because there she was, a 1987 Chevy El Camino, 71k miles, 10k asking down from 12. Looked in good shape, badged SS and V8. I didn't closely inspect it, and I'm no expert in verifying SuperSport models from any era. At any rate trans isn't my thing. But still, good looking history on wheels.

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Butte, where the rubber meets the road (or snow, in this case) and Georgetown Lake

And now I'm in Butte. I neither wrote nor recall much of this drive, my mind said write but my body said sleep. Made it in good time and got a room, and you know what? It's freaking cold. Like... dude. COLD, low 30s. Up to this point I still haven't checked weather reports because I'm a rocket scientist. Woke at 5AM and found a coin op car wash and yes, its cold and getting colder. I'm worried about the tire temp rating and this is compounded by a light dusting of snow. I realize my IQ has to catch up and GTFO to a warmer climate. S/SW is good but too obvious. N/NW is more my mongo style on highway 90; temp decreased to 28 degrees and snow had built up as a fine slush, but not frozen. At least there's no snowplows, that would be a bad sign. And then a few miles in there are snow plows, thankfully they appear to be pre-positioned and sitting there. This must be one of the first snows of the season, and my escape velocity is tempered by MPSS running well below threshold. Went gentle on the inputs, reduced speed and held it steady. No problems keeping it straight and thankfully stopping distance was not put to the test.

I self-flagellate for a number of miles, slowly building confidence and moving from light snow to rain. Stopped at a rest area to inspect the tires; no cracks or other issues found, nor did any appear during the trip. The air intake and grille had ice build up, good news is it was a fairly small area on either side.

I left 90 at Hensley Gulch, turning west on highway 1 AKA Pintier Veterans Memorial Scenic Highway. This was the most beautiful road of the trip, its scenic and then some. Rolling, gentle hills, mostly livestock and horses. More long sweepers with minor elevation changes, and then you get to Georgetown Lake, otherwise known as the place I'll buy when I win the lotto. Not been? Go, its worth your time. For me this was a pass-through, but I'll remember this drive for a long time, a little bit of paradise I had the privilege to observe.

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Crossing back into Idaho, and the memory of what was

Back in Idaho; a light rain and miles of yellows, browns and greens. Cruise control country like most of the route so far. And then the song played; the one that takes you back to what was or could have been. The one you do and don't want to hear, so you bury it, ignore it but can't quite hit delete. The opening guitar conjures her face and you can feel her touch. It's good and real and bittersweet and you wonder why it ended, but you know why.

some people wind up with the one that they adore

in a heart-shaped hotel room it's what a heart is for

the bubble floats so madly will it stay sky-high?

And suddenly I'm in Tel Aviv with her in that rundown motel by the beach. The faded yellow walls gave the room a golden light offset by dingy grey curtains and an ugly rug. Just her and I and this song playing on her phone. It was a long way from home, across borders, language, religious and cultural differences. It was also over but we didn't know it just then; better that way. She's married now. I put the memory back on the shelf, close the door and leave.

and it's you and me in the summertime we'll be hand in hand down in the park

with a squeeze and a sigh and that twinkle in your eye and all the sunshine banishes the dark

​

The A/C goes to the great condenser in the sky

A month before leaving I attempted to get some issues addressed: Rear panel gaps, unreliable A/C, front wheel well liner not flush and a poorly fitted passenger door. My dealership put their best guys on the job and the results were: Panel gap parts on backorder (understandable), unreliable A/C diagnosed as "normal," wheel well liner was "normal" and nothing can be done about the door. I was impressed and decided to find another dealer after the trip. But now the A/C decides its time to meet its maker. No A/C, no heat, no joy. Top men, Dr. Jones. Top. Men.

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Coeur D'Alene Lake: Flatbed hauls a totaled 911 and Camry

I arrived at Coeur D'Alene. Passed through a few times before but never stopped by the lake, and I'm glad I did. 50 square miles of water surrounded by hills with marinas interspersed along the shore. Twisty roads with some straights that reminds me of Skyline. Only here I take it easy, I don't know the roads so I run an inspection cruise along a 20 mile run: 1 cross, 7 deer in 2 groups, 2 school bus stops, 0 cyclists. Not ideal especially the school bus stops and deer, and local popo are running KA band. I drive it anyway, moderately. On the way out I see a flatbed loaded up with a wrecked white 911 (recent) and Camry (00's model). The Porsche's passenger door is off the frame and the roof looks partially caved.

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Washington State expert editorial and heroin at the rest stop

I've never lived in WA but I'm nonetheless an expert with a viewpoint that applies to every resident, because I'm smart and stuff. They don't care for Californians because too many moved here, a PNW echo chamber that goes back decades and won't end, well, ever. Which is fine because no one ever moved to CA and drove up prices, in greater numbers and with greater consequences. They have a lot of tweakers, which CA also has a lot of. They share a coastline with Oregon and Canada that is hands down the most beautiful and inspiring you'll find anywhere. And their popo are a revenue generator force, more than most places.

Pulled in to a rest stop shortly after crossing the border. Camped out in the car and got the usual restless sleep. Up at 4AM to visit the men's room, and out walks Slim Shady's cousin with a red hat, red jersey of some kind, black basketball shorts and red basketball shoes. Slim left behind a syringe, one of those rubber hose things they use to tie off, an empty brown packet about the size of rubber packaging and some random bits and bobs. I return to the car thinking how sad it is this guy has a fix at the ready while preparing the jetboil and french press, and only later does the irony become obvious. As I said, I'm smart. And stuff.

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Field testing AMMO NYC'S Frothe (hoseless wash)

I exited 90 beyond Snoqualmie Pass, fill up and decide to test AMMONYC's hoseless wash product. Disclaimer: I have no relationship with AMMO, and I paid for the product just as you would. There's a TA truck stop adjacent to the gas station and I park in between them, well out of anyone's way. The car has road grime, some bugs, the usual detritus but nothing too heavy.

I used the sprayer with water first to rinse, then added Frothe and got down to business except for one thing: Parking a Shelby by truckers is like throwing chum into a sea of dorsal fins. I'm getting my foam on when I get my first visitor, Mike, 61, trucker and retired diesel mechanic. Mike's a nice guy but his intro was, "What in the hell are you doing?" I explain the concept but he looks doubtful, then I get the car stories (this V8, and that one, and some other one). Good conversation but I gotta work on this so Mike and I part ways.

Next up was another trucker, I didn't get his name. Large guy, about Mike's age and he approaches close but doesn't say anything, just stares at the car. I break the ice and he says, "I'd give you a run against my Hellcat." I'm not down to measure manhoods or compare cornering so I don't. He inspects the car and doesn't like the PPF, doesn't like hoseless wash. He does like the shine but I get a blank stare when explaining what ceramic coating is. All this was fine until he decides to touch the paint: "Is that a rock chip?" I don't know what it is about paint but some people can't stop themselves from touching it.

Second and last visitor gone I continue with Frothe. Easy to use, lifting the dirt does take a fair number of towels (6 in my case) and that's fine, I've brought a lot. No visible scratches or swirls but I didn't go CSI on this, it's clean, it shines and I was careful to follow the lifting vs pushing method. Very happy with the results but the pictures don't do it justice. See the Seattle/Pike's Place pic for a good representation, it was taken not long after with a good amount of miles driven.

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Speed, Karma & Laser Cats Cops

Continuing on 90 its flat agricultural land that reminds me of CA's central region with more rainfall. Traffic is very light, only a few cars and this Corolla - I'm thinking early 2000s model - comes up fast behind me. Really fast. What's remarkable is the great condition of the paint, this car is cosmetically well taken care of. I know because the driver, lets put him on the younger side of 18, passed at high speed and very close, swerving to lane change. I deploy the universal sign of disapproval and hope he learns his lessons before its too late. 20 miles down the road I see flashing lights and the state patrol is keeping him company. Karma, bro. It don't mess around.

On my last WA visit the city of Pasco (further south, not far from the OR border) had an aggressive ticketing posture. This time I didn't write down the name, no time to pull over - just a city between Snoqualmie and Seattle. KA band up ahead, and another a 1/2 mile after that. But they're not done, this is a pack operation. Mr. Laser Cop is parked after the 2nd KA cruiser, and its clear they mean (big) business. This was the second laser strike in WA during this trip. Thankfully I did not contribute to the register.

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Seattle and Pike's Place

In my mind this was going to be a great picture, something to print. Low light, low angle, blazing Pike's Place sign in the background. Got there too late for that, about 10AM due to heavy traffic and the Frothe field test. No biggie. Only problem is I'm from SF where car break ins are rampant and my car is chock full of stuff. Leave it like this at home and you're coming back to broken glass so I keep the car in sight.

Lets see.. Starbucks, not my first choice and it looks like Disneyland with all the tourists. I find an indy coffee purveyor, enjoy my dose and buy some overpriced t-shirts. And then its time to leave, but I drive around and I'm reminded that Seattle is what SF used to be: Not too crowded and a little laid back. Locals will tell you otherwise and the COL is too high, and there's too many people from CA who moved here, and they're right and wrong. But its vibe is nothing like SF and I hope it stays that way. Seattle is its own thing.

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Newport, Oregon and the awkward stop light

I'm driving through Newport, another coastal town and this one has a fine dining establishment I'm keen to visit, Taco Bell. You may have heard of them, may I recommend the 20oz Mountain Dew for optimal caffeine delivery. Leaving town I stop at a light, windows down because the Top. Men. did such a great job with the aircon. A Chevy truck (older one, S10 maybe) pulls up alongside. The driver has a ball cap on backwards, dark sunglasses and a Tom Selleck mustache. "Hey man! I'm a Chevy guy but I really like your car, that back end is something! Love how you put it together!" The words form in my head and my mouth opens to speak but he's gone before I can say anything. So there I was, mentally constipated long before the physical effects of this value meal, unable to tell him with urgency and a longing for relief that no, its stock and I'm not a Ford engineer or modding genius. Frustrating.

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I ordered pizza and met our Lord and Savior

I stopped for dinner at a town close to Eugene. Its time for something healthy, like pizza. Yeah. Pepperoni and a cold one will do. Nice enough place, nothing fancy and nothing you'd remember. Except the guy who took my order was Jesus Christ Superstar. Brown shoulder length hair and a full beard, neatly done. Semi-olive complexion and I'm wondering if my Aramaic is up to speed, or whether I should be his agent for the Broadway revival. Mostly I'm wishing my long hair days hadn't ended and I briefly wallow in envy. At any rate the pizza was good and Jesus was a nice guy. Good to know.

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The end

.. just kidding. I kept driving south, down to CA, following 101 as it looped in and out of the coast. It wasn't until Eureka that I was reminded of a specific subculture. The sun was setting as I drove through, and this is it, i knew it - The Walking Dead isn't fiction, its right here, game over and all I've got is a multitool. But it was only the patchouli and herb loving drum circle crowd and there were a lot of them coming out of the shadows. Maybe Phish was playing, but I think they broke up? Doesn't matter. Welcome back to California. I'm so excited to visit my dealership and have a really long conversation about the A/C, my feelings and unmet expectations and maybe a hug at the end. Nah, forget that. Time to find a dealer who will offer solutions and options. Wish me luck.

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The real end

Don't know why you're still here. It's done. For real this time.

[travelguy4444]

7 Cheap Ways to Travel Across Europe

Updated: 6/26/18 | June 26th, 2018

Traveling around Europe can be fairly expensive. Airline tickets, high-speed trains, overnight trains, ferries – they can all eat into your limited and precious travel budget. I mean you came to spend money on delicious food and wine, not transportation!

However, there are a few recent trends that have helped travelers get around Europe cheaper: weaker currency exchange rates, the rise of the sharing economy, new bus options, and lots of new budget airlines.

The 7 Best Ways To Travel Europe Cheap

Travelling Europe by Megabus

Megabus is a cheap way to get around the United Kingdom (England, Scotland, Wales) as well as to Paris, Brussels, and Amsterdam. Tickets can cost as little as 1 GBP if you book at least a month in advance on popular routes to get these fares. However, even if you don’t scoop up these amazingly cheap deals, you can still travel for a more reasonable price than on the national bus system, as fares rarely top 20 GBP. I recently took a 5 GBP bus from London to Bristol. (The train? 45 GBP!) That ticket was only bought the day before too! Additionally, Megabus also operates trains to some destinations around the UK, starting at 10 GBP. Megabus is definitely the cheapest way to get around the UK and now is also the cheapest way to get to Paris, Brussels, or Amsterdam.

Travelling Europe by Busabout

Busabout is a hop-on/hop-off bus service primarily used by backpackers, similar to the Oz or Kiwi Experience in Australia and New Zealand, respectively. You can get on and off whenever you want along one of their set routes. You can buy tickets that let you travel their whole network with a set number of stops. For example, a nine-day flex-pass, which gives you nine stops from your starting city. The only downside to Busabout is that if you want to visit a city not on their route, you have to make your own way there at an added cost. A lot of backpackers use this method of travel to get around as well as meet other travelers. The pass also comes with a guide and sometimes include group activities. A two-week pass is $299 USD. If you figure you can visit about 6 cities in two weeks, that’s $50 a trip. When you consider the soft benefits of a guide, included trips, and meeting people, Busabout becomes price comparable to trains and flights, though still more expensive than a regular public bus! Their unlimited passes for $1,499 for 6 months of travel is the best long-term transportation deal.

Travelling Europe by Flixbus

Over the last few years, a new company has come on the market that has totally changed the bus system in Europe! German based Flixbus has routes in 20 European countries and thousands of cities with prices starting as low 5 EUR. Their buses include WiFi, electrical outlets, up to three 3 free bags, and comfy seats. It’s essentially Megabus, but less sucky and for the whole of continental Europe. Flixbus quickly became my favorite non-train way to get across Europe cheaper after it came out. It’s the best and cheapest way to get around continental Europe!

Another option is to take Eurolines. Every country in Europe has its own national bus service but for international long distance bus routes, they sort of combine into the umbrella company, Eurolines. While they serve more destinations than Flixbus, I prefer the comfort and prices of Flxibus if I have a choice between the two. Eurolines prices usually start at around 20 Euros for a 5-6 hour journey.

Travelling Europe by Budget Airline

By far one of the cheapest ways to travel long distance in Europe is by budget airline. These airlines are hugely prolific on the continent and competition leads to incredibly cheap fares. You can often find fares as cheap as 1 Euro. When I need to go somewhere and I don’t want to take a long bus or train journey, I fly budget airlines. My favorite budget airlines are:

Vueling

Ryanair

Easyjet

Aigle Azur

Wow Air

Eurowings

Flybe

Norwegian Air

Wizz Air

I use Skyscanner and Momondo to search for the best deals. They do all the legwork for ya!

It’s important to remember that these budget airlines make most of their money through fees, and the second you mess up, they whack you with a fee. They are very strict about baggage limits or forgetting to print out your boarding pass. Be sure to follow their rules to the letter. Sometimes these budget airlines cost more money because of all their fees so if you’re traveling with a lot of bags, it may be cheaper to fly with one of the larger airlines (which have also lowered their fares in the face of tough competition).

For more information, here is a complete guide to finding cheap flights around Europe.

Travelling Europe With A Eurail Pass

Getting a rail pass is a good option if you are going to be traveling across vast distances and don’t want to fly. The European rail system is one of the best and most extensive in the world. I love traveling by train. Sitting in a big seat, relaxing with a book, and watching the stunning landscape go by. It’s more comfortable than a bus and much less stressful than air travel.

If you’re going to travel by train, it’s hard to beat them on price and convenience for short city to city travel. For longer journeys (overnight journeys, between countries, or rides that require a high-speed line like Paris to Bordeaux or Berlin to Munich), trains tend to be very expensive. If you plan to travel around Europe in a grand tour, a rail pass is your best money saving travel option. Your cost per trip will be a lot lower than if you were to buy these tickets separately.

For more information, here is a complete breakdown of Eurail passes and when they should be used to save money.

Travelling Europe Using BlaBlaCar

The rise of the sharing economy has allowed people to hop a ride with locals going their way, and BlaBlaCar is the reigning king of this service. Hugely popular and widespread in Europe, I’ve used this service many times. This website lets you rideshare with people who have extra space in their car. You find a ride, they agree to take you, and off you go. You can find rides for as little as 5 Euros. It is the best, BEST paid way to get around Europe. You get to meet a local, have a friendly conversation, save tons of money over bus and train travel, and get off the highways and more the countryside.

Alternatively, there are websites where you can ask for rides so long as you pitch in for gas. Gumtree is the most popular among backpackers.

The Cheapest Way To Travel Europe: Hitchhiking

The best way to travel Europe cheap is to not pay for it. Hitching is quite common in Europe, and I’ve met a number of travelers who have done it. I myself traveled this way in Bulgaria. It’s important to use your head when hitchhiking.

***

There are a lot of ways to get around Europe on a budget. But what’s the best way for your trip? MIX AND MATCH YOUR TRANSPORTATION. The key to traveling around Europe on the cheap is to know when to use each one of the listed transportation methods. For short trips, I like trains and BlaBlaCar. For medium length trips (half a day), I’ll take a bus, BlaBlaBla car, or train. For long distances, I fly, take a high-speed train, or overnight buses. If you have no preference on how you travel – you just want the cheapest – use a website like Rome2Rio. All you have to do is enter where you are going and they will find all the ways to get there and list the prices for each method.

When you are looking for cheap ways to travel Europe, use the transportation options above that suit your needs and you’ll always get the best deal!

Next step: keep planning your trip to Europe with these articles:

Continent-Wide Europe Travel Guide

The Cost of Western Europe Travel

The Cost of Traveling Eastern Europe

Is a Eurail Pass Worth the Cost?

Photo Credits: 2, 4

The post 7 Cheap Ways to Travel Across Europe appeared first on Nomadic Matt's Travel Site.

source https://www.nomadicmatt.com/travel-blogs/cheap-ways-to-travel-across-europe-2/

[melissagarcia8]

7 Cheap Ways to Travel Across Europe

Updated: 6/26/18 | June 26th, 2018

Traveling around Europe can be fairly expensive. Airline tickets, high-speed trains, overnight trains, ferries – they can all eat into your limited and precious travel budget. I mean you came to spend money on delicious food and wine, not transportation!

However, there are a few recent trends that have helped travelers get around Europe cheaper: weaker currency exchange rates, the rise of the sharing economy, new bus options, and lots of new budget airlines.

The 7 Best Ways To Travel Europe Cheap

Travelling Europe by Megabus

Megabus is a cheap way to get around the United Kingdom (England, Scotland, Wales) as well as to Paris, Brussels, and Amsterdam. Tickets can cost as little as 1 GBP if you book at least a month in advance on popular routes to get these fares. However, even if you don’t scoop up these amazingly cheap deals, you can still travel for a more reasonable price than on the national bus system, as fares rarely top 20 GBP. I recently took a 5 GBP bus from London to Bristol. (The train? 45 GBP!) That ticket was only bought the day before too! Additionally, Megabus also operates trains to some destinations around the UK, starting at 10 GBP. Megabus is definitely the cheapest way to get around the UK and now is also the cheapest way to get to Paris, Brussels, or Amsterdam.

Travelling Europe by Busabout

Busabout is a hop-on/hop-off bus service primarily used by backpackers, similar to the Oz or Kiwi Experience in Australia and New Zealand, respectively. You can get on and off whenever you want along one of their set routes. You can buy tickets that let you travel their whole network with a set number of stops. For example, a nine-day flex-pass, which gives you nine stops from your starting city. The only downside to Busabout is that if you want to visit a city not on their route, you have to make your own way there at an added cost. A lot of backpackers use this method of travel to get around as well as meet other travelers. The pass also comes with a guide and sometimes include group activities. A two-week pass is $299 USD. If you figure you can visit about 6 cities in two weeks, that’s $50 a trip. When you consider the soft benefits of a guide, included trips, and meeting people, Busabout becomes price comparable to trains and flights, though still more expensive than a regular public bus! Their unlimited passes for $1,499 for 6 months of travel is the best long-term transportation deal.

Travelling Europe by Flixbus

Over the last few years, a new company has come on the market that has totally changed the bus system in Europe! German based Flixbus has routes in 20 European countries and thousands of cities with prices starting as low 5 EUR. Their buses include WiFi, electrical outlets, up to three 3 free bags, and comfy seats. It’s essentially Megabus, but less sucky and for the whole of continental Europe. Flixbus quickly became my favorite non-train way to get across Europe cheaper after it came out. It’s the best and cheapest way to get around continental Europe!

Another option is to take Eurolines. Every country in Europe has its own national bus service but for international long distance bus routes, they sort of combine into the umbrella company, Eurolines. While they serve more destinations than Flixbus, I prefer the comfort and prices of Flxibus if I have a choice between the two. Eurolines prices usually start at around 20 Euros for a 5-6 hour journey.

Travelling Europe by Budget Airline

By far one of the cheapest ways to travel long distance in Europe is by budget airline. These airlines are hugely prolific on the continent and competition leads to incredibly cheap fares. You can often find fares as cheap as 1 Euro. When I need to go somewhere and I don’t want to take a long bus or train journey, I fly budget airlines. My favorite budget airlines are:

Vueling

Ryanair

Easyjet

Aigle Azur

Wow Air

Eurowings

Flybe

Norwegian Air

Wizz Air

I use Skyscanner and Momondo to search for the best deals. They do all the legwork for ya!

It’s important to remember that these budget airlines make most of their money through fees, and the second you mess up, they whack you with a fee. They are very strict about baggage limits or forgetting to print out your boarding pass. Be sure to follow their rules to the letter. Sometimes these budget airlines cost more money because of all their fees so if you’re traveling with a lot of bags, it may be cheaper to fly with one of the larger airlines (which have also lowered their fares in the face of tough competition).

For more information, here is a complete guide to finding cheap flights around Europe.

Travelling Europe With A Eurail Pass

Getting a rail pass is a good option if you are going to be traveling across vast distances and don’t want to fly. The European rail system is one of the best and most extensive in the world. I love traveling by train. Sitting in a big seat, relaxing with a book, and watching the stunning landscape go by. It’s more comfortable than a bus and much less stressful than air travel.

If you’re going to travel by train, it’s hard to beat them on price and convenience for short city to city travel. For longer journeys (overnight journeys, between countries, or rides that require a high-speed line like Paris to Bordeaux or Berlin to Munich), trains tend to be very expensive. If you plan to travel around Europe in a grand tour, a rail pass is your best money saving travel option. Your cost per trip will be a lot lower than if you were to buy these tickets separately.

For more information, here is a complete breakdown of Eurail passes and when they should be used to save money.

Travelling Europe Using BlaBlaCar

The rise of the sharing economy has allowed people to hop a ride with locals going their way, and BlaBlaCar is the reigning king of this service. Hugely popular and widespread in Europe, I’ve used this service many times. This website lets you rideshare with people who have extra space in their car. You find a ride, they agree to take you, and off you go. You can find rides for as little as 5 Euros. It is the best, BEST paid way to get around Europe. You get to meet a local, have a friendly conversation, save tons of money over bus and train travel, and get off the highways and more the countryside.

Alternatively, there are websites where you can ask for rides so long as you pitch in for gas. Gumtree is the most popular among backpackers.

The Cheapest Way To Travel Europe: Hitchhiking

The best way to travel Europe cheap is to not pay for it. Hitching is quite common in Europe, and I’ve met a number of travelers who have done it. I myself traveled this way in Bulgaria. It’s important to use your head when hitchhiking.

***

There are a lot of ways to get around Europe on a budget. But what’s the best way for your trip? MIX AND MATCH YOUR TRANSPORTATION. The key to traveling around Europe on the cheap is to know when to use each one of the listed transportation methods. For short trips, I like trains and BlaBlaCar. For medium length trips (half a day), I’ll take a bus, BlaBlaBla car, or train. For long distances, I fly, take a high-speed train, or overnight buses. If you have no preference on how you travel – you just want the cheapest – use a website like Rome2Rio. All you have to do is enter where you are going and they will find all the ways to get there and list the prices for each method.

When you are looking for cheap ways to travel Europe, use the transportation options above that suit your needs and you’ll always get the best deal!

Next step: keep planning your trip to Europe with these articles:

Continent-Wide Europe Travel Guide

The Cost of Western Europe Travel

The Cost of Traveling Eastern Europe

Is a Eurail Pass Worth the Cost?

Photo Credits: 2, 4

The post 7 Cheap Ways to Travel Across Europe appeared first on Nomadic Matt's Travel Site.

from Traveling News https://www.nomadicmatt.com/travel-blogs/cheap-ways-to-travel-across-europe-2/

[cyberdelusionphilosopher-blog]

can car insurance charge more than what they quote you

"can car insurance charge more than what they quote you

can car insurance charge more than what they quote you

BEST ANSWER:  Try this site where you can compare quotes: : http://freecarinsurance.xyz/index.html?src=tumblr 

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can car insurance charge more than what they quote you

can car insurance charge more than what they quote you

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can car insurance charge more than what they quote you

can car insurance charge more than what they quote you

How much do u spend for your car insurance a year?

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I need a good a affordable health insurance plan for a family of four?

In Massachusetts, I need it ASAP""

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Do i need insurance to clean a church?

do i need insurance to clean a church?

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What sensible action can be taken to overrule discriminate car insurance rates based on age and gender?

It is and should be well known that all, or almost all, car insurance companies have outrageously higher rates for male drivers and elderly drivers. Naturally these are based upon statistics that are likely agreeable enough, but it is still highly unjust to charge more simply because a driver is a certain gender or age. Alone this is not inherently a problem, however, the government now mandates the acquirement of insurance, which changes (or should change) the business's status from that of being privately owned. Point being, if you MUST have it, then the rate must be based on the sole individual owenership of the insurance, e.g. driving experience, amount of accidents, car safety rating, etc. The same bias would be exacted in saying that African American people are more likely to have an accident than Caucasion people, but that would have a 0% chance of standing in any public eye or court of law. This action might be legal, but it is inarguably injust and should not be legal under any circumstance. Discrimination is rampant enough throughout society, and certainly should not be introduced into the corporate or political world. Unfortunately this question is leaning on the brink of a rant, which is prohibited by the guidelines, so it shall be continued only for a short while. The basic question is simple. When will something be done about it, who will do it, and how will they do it. I would undoubtedly challenge its legality myself, and still might in days to come, but unfortunately my age does not coexist well with my ambition, aptitude, or will. So it would be preferable for some other courageous folk to challenge it themselves, which raises the obvious question: How?""

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I am a 21 yr old male, and I know that I fall under the category of drivers who are not married, male, below 25 so insurance will be more expensive on me. What I want to know is what features make a car insurance less expensive? I know one big one is that it is a sedan and not a coupe. What else? (What are the big insurance savers?)""

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Okay so I just graduated boot camp and moved from Texas ( residency) to Virginia. RIght now I have my car insurance through Texas (Geico) and I called them cause I was going to switch it to Virginia and it went up $120 a month!!! I was wondering since im in the military if I can just keep it in my residency state or if I have to switch it where im stationed? Also I am thinking about getting a new car which I would buy here in Virginia so it would have Virginia plates, would I have to switch it then to Virginia insurance? Sorry this is a loaded question but I would greatly appreciate it if you can help me out here and if you have any ideas what I should do , Thanks.""

Will I be covered by my parents auto insurance for an accident if im not on the policy?

I was in a car accident last night while driving my parents insured car. I, however, am not on the policy. I am 23 and live in my parents household. I have my own seperate insurance for my vehicle, which I was not driving due mechanical issues. This is the only time I have driven my parents car. Will either my parents or my car insurance cover the accident? This is what happened: I hit a car who made a left in front of me while driving through an intersection. The light was green, I had the right of way. When the police arrived the individual whom I hit admitted he had been drinking and was a marijuana user. The police arrested him and towed his car. The officer disclosed that the individual did not show proof of insurance. Also, there was a witness (the driver in the car behind me) who pulled over to check on us. He had told the officers what happened which verified my explanation of the event. I live in California, if that helps. If anyone has any advice for this scenario, please advise me on how I should proceed as I have never been in this situation. Thank you""

What is the best health insurance and affordable in arizona?

for mom and a daughter

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Do they even except people without insurance? I was layed off my job and have no insurance.

What will the average insurance payment be for my BMW?

Ever since I was little I've always wanted a BMW. Well now since I'm turning 16 in the fall I have the option of getting a 2004 BMW 5 Series 545i for $9,000. It's in extremely good condition and I just love it. I will be making around $200-250 a month and my monthly payment will be about $106 to the bank till my senior year in college ( yes that's 84 months but it's in good condition so it's worth it) and I was just wondering if any one had a idea how much insurance would cost? I really want to get this car but I won't if I'm not able to pay a payment and insurance at the same time due to other small bills i have. Thanks""

Teenage insurance for 2001 Ford Escape? 2002 Jeep Liberty?

I'm thinking about purchasing this car used for my 18th birthday. I have to wait until i'm 18 so I can be on my own insurance. But I have taken drivers ed, and I will be buying this car full payment in cash. So I'm curious to know what the insurance could be! I have tried to get quotes online. You have to already be insured and own the car...I have tried so many. I also am a female, so my insurance will be a little lower. I just really need to find out what it would be! I was also thinking of purchasing a 2002 Jeep Liberty, any insurance guess on that? Ford Escape is a better car, but i'm just seeing what insurance could be for both. Thank you so much!""

How much is insurance for a 15 year old girl?

I live in Denton, TX and I'm going to get my permit soon and my mom said I can't drive her car until I get insurance ! I started working recently and I can pay for it but i just need to know how much it is ! So can you please tell me the how much insurance will cost in Denton, TX for a 15 year old girl ! And also I want to save up to buy my car ! Whats some cute cars for a girl ! Something like a Altima or Fusion ! Thanks (:""

At fault driver had no insurance?

Me and my Daughter was riding my custom built harley sat. and a car made an illegal u turn in front of us and we hit his car on the side. He does not have insurance but I do. Can I use my auto insurance which is a different company form my bike insurance to cover the cost of my bike and other injuries that we suffered.? Should I hold off on getting a lawyer? I really do not want them to get my money that we are due..

If Medicaid is meant to be health insurance for low-income people.... then?

why do a lot of people have difficulty getting health insurance in America? Sincere question, please. I want to learn more about the health care system in my country.""

Car insurance for a classic triumph? Rough idea?

I've just turned 17 and am well on my way to getting a license I was wondering for a 17/18 year old male how much would insurance per month/per year for a 1960-1975 triumph spitfire I am desperate to have it as a first car and I can afford one at 3000-4000 at the moment I was just wondering how much the insurance on it would be it is such a beautiful car can't wait to get one. I tried getting quotes from compare the market but it was all very complex and I didn't really understand most of it. Any info would be much appreciated THANKS!!!

Crotch rockets and payments?

i was wanting to get a crotch rocket.. are the payments and insurance pretty cheap? im 18 years old so i dont know if that would make a difference

Under the Roberts ruling why cant the gov. require everyone buy car insurance.?

Whats the difference. The only differences I see argue better for the personal mandate for car insurance more than health insurance. 1. Everyone using a vehicle on a regular bases. Even if you dont drive, you take a bus or cab or cross a street. 2. Driving is at least 10 times more dangerous than anything else most people will do on a daily basis. 3. If you have car insurance you less likely to need healthinsurance.""

can car insurance charge more than what they quote you

can car insurance charge more than what they quote you

How can I get reliable insurance ratings?

I have been with Nationwide Insurance for 21 years. Your normal every day insurance can never come close to their rates and Nationwide has always had outstanding service. As we all know, money is lean these days so there are two companies I want to check out. I'm thinking about getting quotes from USAA because I am a veteran and California Casualty Insurance because, as a teacher, I get a discount through SCEA. My fear is that even though those 2 might end up cheaper, I might get a huge downgrade in service. So I'm looking for information on both companies, especially if there is a good, unbiased source on the internet. I need to cover 5 cars (including 3 teenage drivers) and 2 boats.""

How much is car insurance for a 18 yr old?

Hi, this is probably going to sound stupid but just out of curiousity how much would car insurance be for an 18 yr old female driving an Nissan primera ( saloon) As a first car? Or any car for that matter? It's manual transmission, I have no clue about car insurance! As you probably can tell so how much would it cost on average?? Thanks!""

Would the insurance company find out if you modify ur engine?

im gettin an accord nd i wanna add performance to it bc i aint a ricer nd ma dad doesnt want me to nd i was wondering if the insurance company would find out by themselves if yu mod your engine and increase the rate. my insurance company is geico nd my dad pays for it so i dnt want him to be like why is the rate going up nd find out tht i added turbos nd air intakes nd ****

Would my car insurance pay to fix a cracked windshield?

There was a crack in windshield 6 months ago. I have no ideal how it happened. Now it has gotten bigger and bigger. Would my car insurace pay to fix it now? I have AAA car insurance.

What is the cheapest car to insure for 17/18 yr olds?

Really want to get a small car with low insurance

Are minors required to have car insurance in California?

I'm reading the drivers handbook and it doesn't mention anything about that, it only says if you are emancipated that they require it.""

Cost to insure?

04 - 06 sti used in illinois for a 16yr old male. Is it true that males pay more for insurance then females?

""Just had a car crash, but worried insurance won't pay out..?""

Just had a car crash on the 02/03/2014 at 8:20am crashing into a central reservoir fence accidentally, judging by the aftermath of the accident it's definitely an insurance write off. A week before this incident I had recently got my rear windows tinted (only light smoke) plus got alloy wheels put on but i didn't let my insurance aware of this (i planned on letting them know eventually but i didn't know i was going to crash so soon) Apart from this everything else is legit.. I am currently insured with Zurich just wondering will Zurich insurance still pay me out the value of my car or will I not get a penny ?""

Will having to file a SR-22 with that state of Illinois cost me more in insurance?

Will having to file a SR-22 with that state of Illinois cost me more in insurance?

Health insurance providers in the state of ohio?

i am trying to get health insurance quotes from as many companies as i can in the state of ohio. so far i have came up with: anthem aetna united healthcare humana anyone that i am missing? thanks

Kit car insurance at 17?

Watching an old top gear episode where they showed an mr2 (love em) converted into a ferrari, something like a 430, they said that his premium decreased. I called up an insurance company today, im 17, looking to buy a toyota starlet and transfer all the panels from a glanza v onto the starlet but nothing from the engine bay, so it would be classified as a kit car? but no where near as high risk as not having better performance parts or the turbo added. The end result was me spending ages on the phone and them saying they wouldnt insure me, even though it is a kit car and no performance parts, please please please... can someone with better knowledge clarify why they would decline me when it should make it cheaper!! Ty Jordan""

How much dwelling coverage is sufficient for a home owner's insurance.?

My current insurance covers $480,000 for the dwelling (bot house for $1 mil but i'ts probably worth 700K now). It's 1500 sq feet. I got a really affordable quote for $240K coverage, but is that too low? The salesman said anything more is probably over-insured. The home is in a nice area, has upgraded plumbing, electrical, newer roof but the structure itself is extremely old.""

How Much Would Insurance Cost For A Renault Clio 182?

How Much Would Insurance Cost For A Renault Clio 182?

What is the cheapest insurance company for 17 year olds?

im 16 but will be turning 17 in a few months. to get ahead of the game and in the know i decided to start looking at cars and insurance straight away. my car of choice would be a 1995-1999 Vauxhall corsa 1.0 0r 1.2 litre as they cheap to buy, run and supposedly insure. ive looked around for insurance qutoes for myself when i turn 17 and recieve my full ik license but all quotes so far are above 4,000 even with a pass plus. is there any companys to get it below 3,000 or anywhere close. i realise i am never going to get cheap insurance straight away but i would consider 3,000 a much more reasonable quote and would love it to be closer to 2.000. also any tips or advice on getting cheaper insurancewould be greatly appreciated thanks guys""

Help! sears auto employee insurance?

does sears auto center provide free insurance from any injuries during their work of hours for the employees such as mechanics

Safe to buy Insurance over the phone ?

I need car insurance , is it safe to give my credit card information over the phone ? What would they ask for ? Just the card number ? Will they want the expiration date and 3 digit code on the back ? Do they need my SSN number ? I know they will need an address , phone number and drivers license number. The people that answer (I have called 6 places for a quote) seem like the type you do not feel safe giving all this information too.""

""In Florida, How much (if any) will my auto insurance rate increase with 3 points on my license?

I got a ticket for improperly changing lanes and I'm electing not to go to traffic school (since I only have one more chance for traffic school based on two times/year) for such a minor offense. Would it make sense to skip 8hr school ($70.00) or would I end up paying more in the long run because of my 3 points?

How much would car insurance be for a 16-year-old in California?

If I got a car, it's like from the 90's, what's the approximate value car insurance would be? I know it depends on the insurance company, but I'm looking for insurance so what do you think is a good value? I'm 16 and a half and I could get the good student discount.""

Do motorcycle insurance claims have to be noted on car insurance?

i recently renewed my car insurance and stated ive made no claims in last 5 years but 3 years ago i made a claim on motorcycle insurance when my bike was stolen - should I have put this on my car insurance?

Will my car insurance rate go up?

so yesterday, I rear end into someone car but damage at all. His car still look new and my car still remain the same. But he said he will go check up his car, if there are some damage inside. He will claim my insurance. Suppose he claim my insurance, how much will my car insurance rate go up?""

Car Insurance coverage?

I was driving in a dirt parking lot at my school, I drove over some 3 foot tall weeds, I didn't see there was rocks underneath and as a result, damage to the under carriage occurred to my vehicle as follows: 1. Radiator crack 2. Transmission oil pan bent, 3. Exhaust damage total est cost $1,800 I am wondering whether or not this will be covered by insurance this happened yesterday I have not yet contacted my insurance company it occurred within 100 Yards of a paved road.""

Where can i get the cheapest car insurance?

Im a 16 year old male who lives in new orleans. I have a 3.8 GPA and no one in my immediate family has been in a wreck in the previous 5 years. Where can i get affordable insurance?

How can I get a fair replacement cost by the auto insurance company when my car is totoaled?

my car is being paid off by the other person's insurance company, not mine.""

Is it possible to pause a car insurance but resume it again?

I want to know that if I buy car insurance, will I be able to stop the insurance so that I don't have to pay, just temporarily as I might sell my current car and until I get a new car I don't want to be paying without even having a car yet.""

Where can I get the cheapest motorcycle insurance?

I just bought a bike and haven't ridden in years so don't know where to start and I live in Pennsylvania if that's any help. Thanks

can car insurance charge more than what they quote you

can car insurance charge more than what they quote you

https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/mcdonalds-owners-millionaires-anthony-stuart/"

[rovingretiree]

Spanish One Year Non-lucrative VISA

We opted to go to Spain for one year on a non-lucrative VISA. This means we cannot work in Spain, but enjoy the privileges of a Spanish citizen, as long as we can show we are self-sufficient. Spain does not want you to take away a job from a Spaniard, however, we were both able to keep our US jobs on a part-time basis and work remotely. Since we were not able to sell our home (we leased it), this was a good option to keep our cash flow healthy. Getting the non-lucrative VISA was not an easy task and we worked on it almost every day. From the time we started until receipt of our VISAs took 8 weeks, but I would recommend leaving yourself much more time as we paid many expediting fees and made multiple trips to our state capital. I will start with the items with the longest lead times (also note, most items must be translated into Spanish by a certified translator). The first thing we did is go to our state police headquarters to get fingerprinted for background checks and letters of good conduct. The approximate costs for this was $300. Next we had to get certificates’ of health from our physicians with specific wording. Neither of our personal physicians were willing to write the letters as the consulate wanted them worded. We were lucky that our former physician, who had retired, came back to work one day a week. I brought him our physicals from our other doctors and he was familiar with the wording and was happy to write our letters. Here the requirements and our sample letter: The certificate must be issued in the place of residence, and is valid for three months counting from the date it has been issued. • The doctor must certify that the subject does not suffer from any illness that would pose a threat to public health according to WHO IHR 2005. • The certificate must bear the official stamp of the administering center; however, the stamp will not be regarded as a substitute for the doctor’s signature. • Any amendment to the certificate or erasure may render it invalid. • Visit the World Health Organization website (http://www.who.int/ihr/health_risks/en/index.html) to find the exact information regarding the control and containment of known risks to public health. (on their letter head and stamped by the signature) This health certificate verifies that Mr./Ms. _____ is free of drug addiction, mental illness and does not suffer from any disease that could cause serious repercussions to public health according to the specifications of the international sanitary regulation of 2005. Mr./Ms. _____ is a very healthy individual in all senses and she/he is capable of traveling abroad. Signature Date The gist of the letter is you are not carrying Yellow Fever, Ebola, etc. and you are not a drug addict or suffer from mental illnesss. Both of our personal care physicians said they felt they would need to test us for the diseases even though neither of us had travelled to at risk countries and we had been in their care for years. I’ve heard other people who had success at their local urgent care clinics, especially with a doctor who either travels internationally or is originally from another country. (Cost for us was the deductible for the wasted trips to our primary care physicians and then another $150 for our semi-retired doctor to actually write the letters). The marriage certificate and letters of good conduct documents require an Apostille Stamp, only available from the Secretary of the State at our Capital. And since we are married, we also had to have our marriage certificate done as well. We also had to have all three sets of these documents translated by a certified translator. We used a translator in another state and did most of our work via email and then she sent the final documents to us via overnight mail. (Cost of Apostille - $120 or $40 per document, Translation $200 for Health Letters, Marriage Certificate and Letters of Good Conduct) We got our translator from an approved list given to us by the Spanish Consulate (we used the NY jurisdiction). Here is the link to the certified translators from the consulate: : http://www.exteriores.gob.es/Portal/es/ServiciosAlCiudadano/Documents/Listado%20enero.pdf And we used monicafuente90@gmail.com and she was fast and reasonable. These are the items with the longest lead times. But remember they all have to be done within three months of your consulate appointment. We were able to easily make our appointment a week in advance. Note, I made one appointment for both of us (and they let it slide when we arrived), but was told we each needed our own appointments even though we were applying as a married couple. Now onto the most costly item, but can be done in a day. Spain requires you to have 30,000 Euros in health coverage (which is nothing), except you cannot have a deductible or a co-pay. So we had to get two policies, one to satisfy the VISA requirement and was a total throwaway and a second one which would actually insure us. We used NOMAD for the throw away policy. You get $100,000 US in coverage, which more than meets their requirement. This cost $2,200 US (may vary based on your age and was for 2 people). For our real insurance we used Cigna International. This cost us $3,500 US for $500,000 in coverage with a $3,000 deductible. The Cigna policy took a few days, as because of our age and health history, we required underwriting. You only have to show the Nomad policy at your appointment. Cigna Global +44(0)1475 492119 or email at cignaglobal_sales@cigna.com. Nomad https://www.worldnomads.com/travel-insurance/ For proof of financial sustainability, we printed out three months of bank statements showing that we as a couple had over the required 32,490 Euros (30,000 Euros for a single applicant). This equates to approximately $39,000 US for a couple at today’s (1 Euro = $1.18) exchange rate. You will need to have a Spanish address for where you are going to live and it cannot be a hotel. We reserved an AirBnB for the first three days and started working with a realtor months before arriving. Unfortunately we were not able to get our first choices, however, our apartment meets all of our must haves, just really wanted outdoor space. We were also not able to get in right away, so had to rent a second Airbnb that was a bit larger so we could work remotely for our companies. Unfortunately at the time we submitted our VISA application we were not sure when and which apartment we would be getting, plus was not excited about signing a long term year lease sight unseen. So our 1st airbnb apartment was not available for the additional 2.5 weeks we needed, therefore we had to move again, and thankfully the second flat was a penthouse with outdoor space and an elevator (not common in our preferred neighborhood of Ruzaffa in Valencia). When we were filling out the forms on the Consulate web site, we used their translation service which said you could put your US address down until you secured your apartment. When we got to the consulate they said no, you must have a local residential address. So we got out of line and quickly rented an Airbnb for three days to satisfy the requirement. Almost there… Now you need to make your appointment with the consulate and complete the two forms, which are written in Spanish on one in English. The Los Angeles consulate had a translation pdf to use to know how to answer each question. Below are the links to the forms, but check with your local consulate as forms and fees change. We got our money orders from the Post Office on a Saturday for a Tuesday appointment and the fee went up two dollars each, which they agreed to let us pay in cash, otherwise we would have had to get another appointment. Applicants must submit originals and 1 copy of the below mentioned documents. If your documents are accepted to process the visa they will not be returned. 1. Two national visa application forms, duly filled out and signed. 2. Original passport. The passport must be valid for the intended period of stay in Spain with at least two blank pages to affix the visa. 3. Two passport size photographs in color, 2 x 2 inches (51 x 51 mm) in size, printed on matte or glossy photo quality paper, taken within the last 6 months to reflect your current appearance and in front of a plain white or off- white background. Note: We went to Costco and got 4 pictures for $5 each. I think we need extras for our residence cards and other Spanish IDs. 4. Fee, go to website for most recent fee (ours were $153 each and had to be on a US Postal Money Order) http://www.exteriores.gob.es/Consulados/NUEVAYORK/en/ServiciosConsulares/Documents/2010Solicitud%20de%20visado%20nacional%20-%20EN.pdf This form is in English http://extranjeros.empleo.gob.es/es/ModelosSolicitudes/Mod_solicitudes2/imprimibles/01-Formulario_residencia_no_lucrativa_imprimible.pdf This form is in Spanish and must be completed in Spanish where applicable http://www.exteriores.gob.es/Consulados/NUEVAYORK/es/ServiciosConsulares/Documents/Form790.pdf Also in Spanish Help documents, but note they are from the Los Angeles Consulate and we used New York, so you must have a Spanish local residential address on these forms, despite what the LA Consulate indicates: http://www.exteriores.gob.es/Consulados/LOSANGELES/es/InformacionParaExtranjeros/Documents/InfoEX01.pdf http://www.exteriores.gob.es/Consulados/LOSANGELES/es/InformacionParaExtranjeros/Documents/InfoM790C52.pdf The last thing you need to do is to write a cover letter with your statement of purpose. Here is ours: September 19, 2017 Gary R. and Michelle M. US Address US City, CT US Zip To Whom It May Concern: We would like to go to Spain to explore the country and to experience its rich and historical culture. It is also our goal to become fluent in Spanish. Enclosed you will find: • Medical statements showing we are in good health and have no contagious diseases per the International Health Regulation 2005. • Criminal background checks done in the state of Connecticut where we reside, using our fingerprints and legalized with the Apostille of the Hague Convention from the Connecticut Secretary of State. • Marriage certificate with the Apostille of the Hague Convention from the Connecticut Secretary of State. • Certified copies of the above in Spanish • Certificate of insurance for both Gary and Michelle showing a zero deductible, no co-pay and at least 30,000 Euro in coverage. • Our bank statements for three months showing over the required 32,490 Euros required for a couple (in US currency would be approximately $39,000 US). Sincerely, Gary R and Michelle M. Do not use digital signatures, sign all forms, including the copies with a wet signature. We made three copies of everything, our consulate only took our originals, but good to have extra copies as once you are there you cannot make copies. We made our arrival date one month post our initial consulate interview or once issued. Our turnaround was extremely fast. We submitted and received our approval in just over two weeks. I don’t think that is normal, but we were happy. Then you need to be ready to pick it up and travel. Stinks about plane tickets, as we weren’t able to buy them in advance, so got socked there. Now that we are here we have to register with the local police department and obtain our residence cards and NIE number. The NIE is a tax identification number in Spain, known in Spanish as the NIE, or more formally the Número de identidad de extranjero. Hopefully we won’t have a problem when we go in with an Airbnb agreement for 2.5 weeks and an 11 month lease. We’ll update how that goes next week.