Traveling in the age of COVID
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den2k88 wrote:
roman drivers and roads are something indescribable
Rather a mild summary ... :laugh: I remember the first time I drove from Switzerland into Italy and came to the first traffic light: normal Green, normal Amber, :elephant:ing HUGE Red - which was ignored by everyone else. Then a pack of cyclists racing the wrong way down a one-way street, then the overtaking on the mountain roads seemed to involve everybody assuming that all other traffic would give way in deference to your driving skill, ... and then you get to Rome itself and all the rule books go out the window! I don't drive in Italy any more. :-D
"I have no idea what I did, but I'm taking full credit for it." - ThisOldTony "Common sense is so rare these days, it should be classified as a super power" - Random T-shirt AntiTwitter: @DalekDave is now a follower!
OriginalGriff wrote:
Then a pack of cyclists racing the wrong way down a one-way street
I can vouch for them: up until I was in Middle School (early 2000s) we were taught to ride bicycles on the opposite way "to be aware of the incoming traffic". Then in 2003 (IIRC) the Road Laws changed and it became strictly forbidden, but by now most people of my age and above have the wrong way stuck in mind. A long time ago roundabouts were stupidly to be taken clockwise, there still are accidents when elderly people who don't drive much take them in the effing wrong way.
GCS/GE d--(d) s-/+ a C+++ U+++ P-- L+@ E-- W+++ N+ o+ K- w+++ O? M-- V? PS+ PE Y+ PGP t+ 5? X R+++ tv-- b+(+++) DI+++ D++ G e++ h--- r+++ y+++* Weapons extension: ma- k++ F+2 X
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Nice area, especially Lucca and Siena. Good idea to get a car since in those areas transportation is lacking, especially now with COVID - also a large part of the beauty is in the countryside, far from major trasport hubs. Just be aware that the Tuscany countryside can be a bit difficult to drive in, as many roads are narrow, bad, winding and steep so you need to pay extra attention. In Rome I'd advise you to park in a exchange hub and move with public transportation because roman drivers and roads are something indescribable (if you ever drove in India you'll find many similarities). Also the centre of Rome is "easily" walkable. Have a nice stay!
GCS/GE d--(d) s-/+ a C+++ U+++ P-- L+@ E-- W+++ N+ o+ K- w+++ O? M-- V? PS+ PE Y+ PGP t+ 5? X R+++ tv-- b+(+++) DI+++ D++ G e++ h--- r+++ y+++* Weapons extension: ma- k++ F+2 X
We're renting the car to escape Rome as soon as we have the car; I don't intend to drive there. My friend will be the copilot with the GPS in her hand to help me navigate out of the city as quickly as possible.
CI/CD = Continuous Impediment/Continuous Despair
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We're renting the car to escape Rome as soon as we have the car; I don't intend to drive there. My friend will be the copilot with the GPS in her hand to help me navigate out of the city as quickly as possible.
CI/CD = Continuous Impediment/Continuous Despair
Good idea. Then I will offer a couple of tips more regarding renting: do not rent overly large or uncommon cars and check that the plate is the standard EU one. Possibly choose an EU car brand with common models (in Italy any FCA car is ok, most Renaults and VW). That is because there are a lot of specialized thieves that specifically target rental cars - a couple that has a Youtube vlog and moved here had 2 rental cars stolen in a week. Here's a link to their video on that specific issue https://youtu.be/MveWqUncXUQ
GCS/GE d--(d) s-/+ a C+++ U+++ P-- L+@ E-- W+++ N+ o+ K- w+++ O? M-- V? PS+ PE Y+ PGP t+ 5? X R+++ tv-- b+(+++) DI+++ D++ G e++ h--- r+++ y+++* Weapons extension: ma- k++ F+2 X
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Nice area, especially Lucca and Siena. Good idea to get a car since in those areas transportation is lacking, especially now with COVID - also a large part of the beauty is in the countryside, far from major trasport hubs. Just be aware that the Tuscany countryside can be a bit difficult to drive in, as many roads are narrow, bad, winding and steep so you need to pay extra attention. In Rome I'd advise you to park in a exchange hub and move with public transportation because roman drivers and roads are something indescribable (if you ever drove in India you'll find many similarities). Also the centre of Rome is "easily" walkable. Have a nice stay!
GCS/GE d--(d) s-/+ a C+++ U+++ P-- L+@ E-- W+++ N+ o+ K- w+++ O? M-- V? PS+ PE Y+ PGP t+ 5? X R+++ tv-- b+(+++) DI+++ D++ G e++ h--- r+++ y+++* Weapons extension: ma- k++ F+2 X
Funny, I don't find Italy especially bad to drive in. Southern France is worse IMHO. Maybe it is because I've grown up on the Swedish countryside, where the dirt roads might not be winding and steep, but they are indeed narrow and bad. And you might meet an occasional rally driver wannabe. :-) We're going to Italy as well this summer, we rented a house outside Assisi. Been to Tuscany several times already, time to check out Umbria.
Wrong is evil and must be defeated. - Jeff Ello
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2 weeks in total, Rome for a couple of days, 2 days near Castelnuovo Berardenga (near Sienna), couple of days in Lucca (easter week-end) and back in Rome for a few days. We have a car (maybe not the best thing moneywise) and will do day trips and get lost in the country side.
CI/CD = Continuous Impediment/Continuous Despair
On the way between Castelnuovo Berardenga and Lucca you have San Gimignano. It's a tourist trap, but still worth a visit.
Wrong is evil and must be defeated. - Jeff Ello
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I'm a well seasoned traveler, I know my shit around bookings and airports and planes. I just hate traveling these days; there's a sense of covid anxiety that is hard to ignore; Everyone a little bit more on edge. I had a business trip to Portugal last week, got tested before (negative), filled all the forms needed to enter Portugal (and Switzerland for transit) and back to Canada via Munich after. Spent the week in a meeting room fully masked; got tested before coming back (negative). I've been self-quarantining and really limiting my human contacts all week before traveling again to Italy for vacations (booked a long time ago, even before Omicron!) I'm gonna get tested this afternoon, no symptoms, I should be OK (2x vax, 1x booster) Now trying to understand the passenger locator form (which is different than the one I filled 2 weeks ago) The mask is a non issue for me, I don't mind it that much, obviously no mask will be better, but it's the least of my problem. Anyway, no motivation today at work.
CI/CD = Continuous Impediment/Continuous Despair
I'm also an experienced (pre-COVID) air traveler. The wife and I recently flew domestically (US) for the first time in 3 years. Total PITA... * Airports were super busy. * United Airlines' X| "new" pre-check baggage drop-off system is seriously broken. * Aforementioned airline's employees are inefficient and often rude. * TSA is even more screwed up and inconsistent than they used to be. * Due to the ridiculous baggage charges most people try to only "carry-on". If airlines merely enforced their own written rules 1/2 of the carry-on bags would be checked and boarding could proceed easily. * Idiot passengers need to keep their mouths shut when flight attendants are dealing with other idiot passengers who don't wear their masks correctly. * The drink service onboard seems even slower than I recall... ;) Thankfully my ANC ear buds worked very well!
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I'm a well seasoned traveler, I know my shit around bookings and airports and planes. I just hate traveling these days; there's a sense of covid anxiety that is hard to ignore; Everyone a little bit more on edge. I had a business trip to Portugal last week, got tested before (negative), filled all the forms needed to enter Portugal (and Switzerland for transit) and back to Canada via Munich after. Spent the week in a meeting room fully masked; got tested before coming back (negative). I've been self-quarantining and really limiting my human contacts all week before traveling again to Italy for vacations (booked a long time ago, even before Omicron!) I'm gonna get tested this afternoon, no symptoms, I should be OK (2x vax, 1x booster) Now trying to understand the passenger locator form (which is different than the one I filled 2 weeks ago) The mask is a non issue for me, I don't mind it that much, obviously no mask will be better, but it's the least of my problem. Anyway, no motivation today at work.
CI/CD = Continuous Impediment/Continuous Despair
What you need is a little traveling music The Traveling Wilburys - Handle With Care (Official Video) - YouTube[^]
The less you need, the more you have. Even a blind squirrel gets a nut...occasionally. JaxCoder.com
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I'm a well seasoned traveler, I know my shit around bookings and airports and planes. I just hate traveling these days; there's a sense of covid anxiety that is hard to ignore; Everyone a little bit more on edge. I had a business trip to Portugal last week, got tested before (negative), filled all the forms needed to enter Portugal (and Switzerland for transit) and back to Canada via Munich after. Spent the week in a meeting room fully masked; got tested before coming back (negative). I've been self-quarantining and really limiting my human contacts all week before traveling again to Italy for vacations (booked a long time ago, even before Omicron!) I'm gonna get tested this afternoon, no symptoms, I should be OK (2x vax, 1x booster) Now trying to understand the passenger locator form (which is different than the one I filled 2 weeks ago) The mask is a non issue for me, I don't mind it that much, obviously no mask will be better, but it's the least of my problem. Anyway, no motivation today at work.
CI/CD = Continuous Impediment/Continuous Despair
Travel - what be this travel thing you talk about. Got back from Singapore a year before COVID and have not left Queensland since. Not sure I would do an OS trip these days, I dread getting stuck in an obscure part of the world.
Never underestimate the power of human stupidity - RAH I'm old. I know stuff - JSOP
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den2k88 wrote:
roman drivers and roads are something indescribable
Rather a mild summary ... :laugh: I remember the first time I drove from Switzerland into Italy and came to the first traffic light: normal Green, normal Amber, :elephant:ing HUGE Red - which was ignored by everyone else. Then a pack of cyclists racing the wrong way down a one-way street, then the overtaking on the mountain roads seemed to involve everybody assuming that all other traffic would give way in deference to your driving skill, ... and then you get to Rome itself and all the rule books go out the window! I don't drive in Italy any more. :-D
"I have no idea what I did, but I'm taking full credit for it." - ThisOldTony "Common sense is so rare these days, it should be classified as a super power" - Random T-shirt AntiTwitter: @DalekDave is now a follower!
I don't know about Rome but I have done some driving in the north of Italy and I thought that it was worse than here in Belgium. Were it was really crazy was Torino. The guys I needed to visit there told me it is because there is a really high percentage of people from the south of Italy ( Napoli and thereabouts ) living there to work in the local FIAT factories so maybe it is true that the further south in Italy traffic gets worse. :)
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Funny, I don't find Italy especially bad to drive in. Southern France is worse IMHO. Maybe it is because I've grown up on the Swedish countryside, where the dirt roads might not be winding and steep, but they are indeed narrow and bad. And you might meet an occasional rally driver wannabe. :-) We're going to Italy as well this summer, we rented a house outside Assisi. Been to Tuscany several times already, time to check out Umbria.
Wrong is evil and must be defeated. - Jeff Ello
Rome has terrible roads and drivers. Also I'm used to Northern Italy roads :D But yes it's not that bad, yet I heard many people from abroad being caught by surprise.
GCS/GE d--(d) s-/+ a C+++ U+++ P-- L+@ E-- W+++ N+ o+ K- w+++ O? M-- V? PS+ PE Y+ PGP t+ 5? X R+++ tv-- b+(+++) DI+++ D++ G e++ h--- r+++ y+++* Weapons extension: ma- k++ F+2 X
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Rome has terrible roads and drivers. Also I'm used to Northern Italy roads :D But yes it's not that bad, yet I heard many people from abroad being caught by surprise.
GCS/GE d--(d) s-/+ a C+++ U+++ P-- L+@ E-- W+++ N+ o+ K- w+++ O? M-- V? PS+ PE Y+ PGP t+ 5? X R+++ tv-- b+(+++) DI+++ D++ G e++ h--- r+++ y+++* Weapons extension: ma- k++ F+2 X
Haven't been to Rome, but we might do that this time. But we'll be taking the train just in case. :-)
Wrong is evil and must be defeated. - Jeff Ello
-
I'm a well seasoned traveler, I know my shit around bookings and airports and planes. I just hate traveling these days; there's a sense of covid anxiety that is hard to ignore; Everyone a little bit more on edge. I had a business trip to Portugal last week, got tested before (negative), filled all the forms needed to enter Portugal (and Switzerland for transit) and back to Canada via Munich after. Spent the week in a meeting room fully masked; got tested before coming back (negative). I've been self-quarantining and really limiting my human contacts all week before traveling again to Italy for vacations (booked a long time ago, even before Omicron!) I'm gonna get tested this afternoon, no symptoms, I should be OK (2x vax, 1x booster) Now trying to understand the passenger locator form (which is different than the one I filled 2 weeks ago) The mask is a non issue for me, I don't mind it that much, obviously no mask will be better, but it's the least of my problem. Anyway, no motivation today at work.
CI/CD = Continuous Impediment/Continuous Despair
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On the way between Castelnuovo Berardenga and Lucca you have San Gimignano. It's a tourist trap, but still worth a visit.
Wrong is evil and must be defeated. - Jeff Ello
It's a nice tourist "trap", been there twice. we also stopped for lunch at San Miniato.
CI/CD = Continuous Impediment/Continuous Despair
