In the last four years, and since starting our blog, we have traveled extensively in Mexico and South America. However, since the end of the pandemic, we have left the U.S. for short two-week trips rather than spending months traveling between countries. And, we totally skipped Central America. Until now. Our last adventure (almost a year ago) was to Puebla, Mexico. Since the end of 2022, we have had several setbacks that prevented us from traveling. Kathy’s mother died and…
For 32 years the Ringling Bros. circus troupe wintered near Sarasota, Florida. They chose this location for its sunny, warm winters and because it was close to a rail line. The circus performers — including the elephants — traveled by train to Florida every winter. Although the circus has moved on, its essence is here every day, with acrobatic shows and historical remnants. Sarasota has streets, buildings, theaters, museums, parks, and events named after the Ringling Brothers Circus. Saturday, April…
We have been writing about our travel adventures for over four years. For the last two years, the Covid-19 pandemic has grounded us in the United States. Only recently have we been slowly returning to our travel adventures. We are currently living in a rental home in Venice, Florida (a small town one hour south of Tampa). No doubt, you are aware of the devastating hurricane that swept through southwest Florida on September 28. It was an experience or ‘adventure’…
We have visited a few of Mexico’s magical towns (pueblos mágicos). The Mexican government highlights and promotes these small towns for their special tourist or “magical” qualities of beauty, history, culture, or nature. The designation of pueblos mágicos is like that of a UNESCO World Heritage Site; however, pueblos mágicos are only found in Mexico. It is a great honor for a town to be a pueblo mágico. There are 132 pueblos mágicos in Mexico. We have visited eight and…
We loved the wonderful food of Puebla, Mexico, but this city had more to offer than just food. We walked a few blocks from our Airbnb to the Zocalo (a historic square in the center of the city) for a walking tour. Usually, a walking tour is the first thing we do in each new city as a way to familiarize ourselves with the historic sites. Then, in the next few days, we return to the museums and churches to…
Exactly four years ago, we retired, celebrated our 40th wedding anniversary, and launched ourselves into our nomadic lifestyle. But after two years of travel, we found ourselves quarantined in Argentina as the Coronavirus pandemic swept the world. After two months of confinement in our Argentinian apartment, we flew back to the U.S. on an American Embassy-sponsored flight and our South American travel abruptly stopped. We landed in Minneapolis, then went to Chicago for a year to live close to our…
Do you remember us? Now that we are no longer traveling and writing weekly blog posts did you forget about us? Don’t worry, we aren’t mad. We are doing well. Quite well. One year ago, on May 19th, 2020 we ended our adventures abroad. We arrived in Minneapolis after a long 2-day trip from Mendoza, Argentina. We were sad to end our travels and felt that the pandemic had interrupted our fun. Of course, it had interrupted everyone’s fun. But…
In our last blog we discussed our reasons for leaving Argentina. The overarching message from the U.S. Embassy was “if you are visiting Argentina you should go home now. Your best support system is in America, and you should leave sooner rather than later because repatriation flights are limited. And contact Eastern Airlines to reserve a seat because we cannot evacuate you or cover your health expenses if you get sick in Argentina.” Have a nice day. We are not…
It’s been over a month since our last blog titled “Early Fall in Argentina”. At that time, when the quarantine was first imposed, we planned to stay in Argentina until travel was permitted again. Quarantine Well, Argentina is still under strict quarantine. The government acted early, closing its borders and restricting travel within the country. Currently, Argentina has had 353 deaths and 7,134 coronavirus cases. With a population of 45 million, there are 8 deaths per million and 159 coronavirus…
It is early fall here in Argentina. The grape harvest is over, and the days are starting to get shorter and cooler. Although today it is 75 degrees Fahrenheit and sunny, this week has been cool, cloudy and rainy. We will stay in Mendoza (a city of one million in western Argentina) until the quarantine lifts (maybe on April 12th although it may be extended). We are documenting our life while we and the rest of the world are in…