bennybear

We love renting an Alfa Romeo, when in Rome 🤷‍♀️😂.

Thanks for taking us along, although DH is sure missing the .Alaskan Amber

This is a special day for our family, DH was a first responder who went to NYC to help debrief the NYPD after. We are forever changed. We also have good friend who lost a daughter/sister in the tower, and we have visited the family memorial before the official one was built, crying buckets. NYC will always be in our hearts. DH spoke at the dedication of a piece of one of the steel girders at our military museum. Like Roy, Come from away has forever touched us as well. The colours of the sky

We have found very reasonable very good wine in the Italian grocery stores. One of our favourites is only 8 euros, So you can find it for less. I think the towns often sell it a bit more of a markup for the tourists. In Italy, most wineries are more low key and not set up for visits like North America. Although I did score an invitation for lunch at one of them, at a wine tasting locally in Canada. In Chianti there are a few larger ones open and we enjoyed a visit to Castelnuova Berardenga Just be prepared for a long climb up to the castle.

We usually rent a car through a broker, we have had good success with autoeurope. They lay out the options clearly. Then you have someone in your court if things go awry. Italy I believe has mandatory insurance, some credit cards will also not cover Italy. So it is wise to check ahead. Also it is mandatory to have an international drivers permit in Italy. You can get these at AAA or CAA. Some will say they are unnecessary but it is Italian law, and the carabinieri do not joke around if you don’t have one. We find driving in rural Italy easy, but have not driven in Sicily.

I would recommend a visit to the town of Montalcino, home of the wonderful Brunello wines. The town is lovely and there are wine bars where you can sample different Brunellos and drive through the vineyards on the way. We’ve stayed in this area often and prefer these reds. Montepulciano is home the Vin Noble di montepulciano and Orvieto sweeter white wines.

Good morning and thanks all! @marshhawk happy anniversary! Feeling strangely bereft, Her majesty the queen was the only monarch in my life, truly I think she is the end of an era. Found a lovely little clip. Crete is one of our favourite places, we’ve spent about two months on this lovely island. Aghios Nikolas is a lovely spot on a small lake near where we’ve stayed twice. Highly recommend!

Sorry for the loss of a truly gracious queen and the end of an era.

Interesting! In Canada the Moderna is bivalent against the original and BA1 Health Canada authorizes first bivalent COVID-19 booster for adults 18 years and older From: Health Canada Statement September 1, 2022 | Ottawa, ON | Health Canada Today, Health Canada authorized an adapted version of the Moderna Spikevax COVID-19 vaccine. This vaccine (known as a "bivalent" vaccine) targets the original SARS-CoV-2 virus from 2019 and the Omicron (BA.1) variant, and is authorized for use as a booster dose in individuals 18 years of age or older. This is the first bivalent COVID-19 vaccine authorized in Canada and marks a milestone in Canada's response to COVID-19. After a thorough and independent scientific review of the evidence, Health Canada has determined that the bivalent Moderna Spikevax booster is safe and effective. Clinical trial results showed that a booster dose of the bivalent Moderna Spikevax vaccine triggers a strong immune response against both Omicron (BA.1) and the original SARS-CoV-2 virus strain. It was also found to generate a good immune response against the Omicron BA.4 and BA.5 subvariants, and is expected to extend the durability of protection.

Taormina is lovely but we also totally enjoyed Ortygia and Noto

thankful to hear they just arrested the Saskatchewan perpetrator! good day! Love the quote, also read at our wedding and dinner looks great! interesting discussion of new boosters, my understanding is that the Moderna is bivalent combining the original Covid with the first omicrom BA1 variant. It has been approved in Canada and up next will be the Pfizer shot for Omicron BA 4 and BA 5 which is the current surging variant. So not sure which we will be offered next. Good luck on the new bed! I’m thankful Roomba fits under our bed, lol! the smoke makes for interesting photos

Good morning and thanks all! Dinner looks wonderful! I will gladly celebrate books and yikes procrastinating, lol! Sounds like we need a book club with all the readers here. @StLouisCruisers happy 53 anniversary! I’m thinking cruising must be good for marriages! Thanks all for the great photos of Skye, it’s been many years since we visited this beautiful place. @RedneckBob twice👀👀yikes!

We try to sleep on the plane I find if I can get a few hours I can survive the first day. I will use some melatonin. We try really hard not to nap, but just get outside in the sunshine and walk around. Then we usually go to bed after an earlier dinner and the next day we're good to go. If possible we will choose a flight that leaves later so there is more chance of sleeping.

Prayers for all the Saskatchewan Victims. We got an alert on our phone as we are near as the crow flies. Scary times. on a happier note will look for Aurora tonight as we are up further north. Never have been so lucky in one night as last night. Also apparently captured SAR which the experts tell me is stable Aurora red. Aka the blob. I am learning as we have some serious Aurora watchers here.

Prayers for Allen. Glad he got such immediate help

We were lucky to see the aurora last night and the phenomenon called Steve. Discovered and named by a friends son and NASA. It was like a giant spotlight. Plus one of the best shooting stars. Thankfully the smoke had cleared. Jasper national park has a large tire.

Good morning and thanks all. It’s going to be 36 C Today. Rare in summer Unheard of in September. This is hotter than we were in Istanbul the same time. some photos from a skyscraper in Osaka where you can see a BHB

Good morning and thank all! Happy anniversary to @marshhawk and @Quartzsite Cruiser! 🥂💕 Santiago de Compestela is a very beautiful place. E22E2E3F-F5A3-4754-AA8F-13156B22D40E.MOV

Rabbit rabbit white rabbit, I need all the help I can get! love Sangioveses and Tofu, had miso soup with it yesterday, but my favourite is how they prepare it in Japan with a spicy ginger sauce. @mamaofami agree with you about the quote @0106 cabbage looks great! @Cruzin Terri happy birthday! Hope you get to enjoy today! wondering how @AncientWandereris doing? @kazu glad you made it safely to the grief group. Two of the toughest decisions, new glasses and a new mattress! Good luck, I also just picked up new glasses, never sure.

A bus to Montserrat, tours leave from Plaza Catalunya, Then if you do nap on the bus but walk around at Montserrat to keep active.

So lovely! I think Kona has some of the best sunsets on the planet!

I love caves and these are really good ones, well rated by Michelin. Ostuni was nice but Alberobello is more unusual. Noci is also a cute town on the way. Have fun!

I have found they do this, I think it’s trying to be polite without being too formal. Even in Japan DH was called Mr. first name.

Further to our discussion of lead contamination in Ginger and turmeric. Several people were hospitalized in Ontario after ingesting monkshood which contains Aconite, in a restaurant. It has also been found in Ginger in BC. https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/sand-ginger-powder-poisonous-1.6378846

Good morning and thanks all! The quote unfortunately seems so true. Have enjoyed visiting Barbados. Grief has certainly Touched my life, I send gentle hugs to all those here who are grieving. @smitty34877 sorry to hear you are still struggling, I’m still thinking of your near miss driving yesterday, sending good thoughts and gentle hugs! we’ve had very good luck with the big box, and they’ve gone to bat for us on more than one occasion when things weren’t right and have gotten things resolved. Nice to have them in your corner if you do need them. Terri, hope you feel better soon, love your plaque, I think Hawaii owes us one, lol! absolutely adore beaches