Paris

Do you need to say more……. Have family and friends so I feel at home.

Went to visit the louvre and the Orsay Museum and then took a ride on the Seine all in very bad weather with rain every few minutes.

But who cares it is Paris so life goes on you live you have fun.

This is a great way to feel the City, I was staying at CDG at a Ibis Hotel next to the Airport and took the RER to Chatelet Les Halle.A return ticket which includes all transport for the day cost 20USD

From Chatelet took a Metro Line 1 to the Louvre.

From the Louvre it is a short walk across a bridge to the Orsay Museum.I then picked up a Batobus across the street from the Museum.This ship makes 9 stops in Paris and makes it a great way to get a feel for the City.The Batobus is less then 20 USD.

You can book on Viator and when you are a new customer you can save 10 percent.This is true on any activity regardless where in the world you book.

Will add Photos

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Which road is America taking ?

The initial theme of my Blog was to talk about travel and to have beautiful pictures so that people can enjoy the experience of traveling to parts of the world that perhaps they have never seen.

I decided to change the name of my Blog to Milky Way Traveler because we all are Travelers we all are on this Planet and we’re hurdling through the Milky Way galaxy and we’re basically going to parts unknown and we’re sharing it all together.

Watching the current news regarding Trump and the Immigration policy of the United States makes me want to acknowledge to everyone that we are at an important point now in our History.

This siren song of hate has happened very often not only in American history but across the Planet.There are now populist movements either it be in the Philippines under Duerte or in Hungary under Orban or in Brazil or in so many parts of the world where the Immigrant is looked at as the other as the enemy as creatures that are not human that should be looked down upon and hated.

Is this any different then previous eras like for example the 1930s which led to the de-humanization of Jewish people ? The Germans called them Communists the Russians called them Counter-Revolutionaries they were called parasites they were called dangerous they were called criminals and how did that work out ?

Now if you’re poor and you’re desperate and you’re escaping the horrors of Guatemala or El Salvador or Honduras or any other area in Central America or South America where people are dreaming of a better life,you are not looked at as creatures that deserve the empathy of Trump and his supporters. Now Trump and his enablers look at these people as not human but as simply creatures that are bringing disease that are bringing the worst that the world offers to the shores of the United States. While the Statue of Liberty cries in New York Harbor……… Trump is capable of doing anything to try to satisfy his political base.

Now is the time that we can’t simply be silent what will people ask in the future ? What will your children or your grandchildren say ? What did you do during this period ? How did you conduct your life when the de-humanization of human beings was being done by the President of the United States and those who enable him ? We as decent human beings regardless of our political parties regardless of our religious beliefs cannot tolerate this type of behavior from the President of the United States and the present Administration, we now must do something.

That involves being politically active being involved in Organizations that don’t accept this type of behavior that means we can not afford to do nothing.

History has proven that those who just sit back and watch end up being a party to those who helped create the environment of not only hatred but eventually people being killed.

Our country is also guilty for the Holocaust we didn’t allow people into our country because of fears and because Politicians and ordinary people said the Jews were Spies the Jews were dangerous that they should not be let into the United States.

And what was the result of that ? Even Ships that came with people who were desperate to leave the ancient hatreds of Europe were not allowed into the United States because of the same type of ugliness and hatred and prejudice that we are singing right now. The one difference is that FDR did not voice the same amount of ugliness and vitriol and hate as Donald Trump.But the results were that so many people could have been saved if the voices of fear had not dominated American discourse.That stain of blood is on America’s hands.

The question we have to ask ourselves is this ? How many people are now not being allowed into the United States who may be killed in their home Countries. Maybe their fears are justified ? Is it proper to treat these people with such a lack of sensitivity ?

History is looking at us now not only as a Country but as a people as to who we really are what are our morals ? What are our ethics ? Are we simply going to turn away while people are begging for help and assistance ? Are we going to allow the haters and the ugliness of Trump and those who support him to dictate our moral and ethical standards ?

We need to act now even before the 2020 Presidential election because there’s going to be a lot of pain and a lot of ugliness before November 2020 regardless of how the election concludes. I suggest that if you believe what Trump is doing now is totally counter to American values then you must act now because the legacy of America is now in your hands.

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Staying healthy when you Travel

The most important factor when you Travel is to stay healthy there is nothing worse then having an ailment or catching a bad cold when you are on a trip.

It is amazing but the trays at security at airports is a haven for viruses and bacteria, so after leaving security you should wash your hands or use a wipe.

When you get on the plane the same deal,wipe your seat and the tray table.When you go to the bathroom never never drink the water.

I have found speaking to Airline crew that flying in the long term can be hazardous to your Health I cited the BBC story regarding the air quality in all Boeing planes prior to the 787 in previous posts.

https://www.bbc.com/news/health-32786537

The radiation exposure over time has caused a variety of health conditions in airline crew and Astronauts as well since Ionized radiation causes long term damage to the immune system.A majority of Astronauts who have worked in space have been victims of this exposure since they are not protected by the Earths atmosphere.

On an aircraft for every 5 hours of flying you are receiving about the same level of Rems as a chest x-ray.

As a result I take antioxidents like Resveratrol and Pomegranate extracts since they have been found to have anti-radiation effects.

I combine that with a higher then normal level of fruits and vegetables including Cauliflower and Broccoli.These vegetables have been found to not only have anti cancer effects but also boast the immune system.That is why berries should be on your menu the more the better.

You need to maintain your normal hours of sleep regardless of the time change and you need to buy fresh fruit and vegetables to have in your Hotel room.I have had problems with clean food in many parts of the world so if I can find a local market I will buy fresh and wash it in my room.That is the only way to protect yourself from fruit and vegetables that have not been cleaned properly.

I even bring a small amount of fruit and vegetables with me that lasts from 1-2 days.I also bring small cans of Salmon from Alaska so I have protein as well.

I never traveled this way but have found that sometimes because of bad weather or delays on my trip I never get a chance to eat something healthy.Well either for your destination or on the plane bring your own food.I recently flew Business class on Iberia to Madrid from Miami and ended up eating my food that I picked up rather then what they served.

OK thats my wise tidbits for today.

Thanks for your kind words.

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Falkland Islands

If you really want to visit the UK head to the Falkland Islands an area of the world that is more English then England.If you want to get close and personal with Penguins well this is the place as well.After taking a short boat ride from my ship was taken in a 4 wheel drive car that gave a ride that was as much fun as the destination.The trip involved a great deal of driving on rough unpaved roads to the beach area the Tuxedo guys have their community.

And what a group it is watching all the action is really mesmerizing the only problem is the area does not smell like a Perfume factory.

Its cold and rainy just like jolly old England but you really could not care less.

Antarctica

Recently on a Cruise Ship to Antarctica these trips can only occur during the summer in the southern hemisphere.So made the journey in Feb.

After Leaving Buenos Aires we traveled to the most southern city in the world Ushuaia Argentina,

Interesting enough this area has a very high level of Cataracts in the population which most likely relates to the higher level of dangerous Ultra Violet rays which exist in this part of the world because of Climate change.

We then left for the Falkland Islands which the Argentines call The Malvinas a conflict that still exists and may relate to the possible existence of large oil exploration possibilities.

We then crossed the Drake Passage after briefly stopping near Cape Horn to give respect to so many sailors who in pre-iron ships could not survive the famous rough seas in this area which I was worried about.At 5 AM the entire ship was alerted as the passengers were told of the area we were in.

The weather was superb after the sunrise the Sun was out every day we traveled across Antarctica.

After a day of cruising we stopped at Paradise Bay a favorite spot for Cruise ships because the area is teeming with wildlife.Will continue on my next post.

The Bernina Express

Recently Starting in Tirano Italy got a real buzz riding The Bernina Express to Chur in Switzerland.

Swiss Trains are expensive so I purchased the same Ticket with a stop in Singen in Germany through Deutsche Bahn…… the same Ticket purchased through Swiss Rail is about 135USD my Ticket was less then 33 USD.

The trick is to make your last stop in Germany and getting off early if you are going to in my instance Zurich.

The Train leaves this sweet and relaxing town around 2:30 PM so rather then connect from Milan or another town I arrived the night before and stayed at a Hotel that is a few feet from the Train station.

The Hotel is called Binario Zero and was very modern and clean the only problem is you must check in at another Hotel a short distance away.

I booked the Panoramic car which cost an additional 15USD but it was more then worth it.

After leaving exactly on time in Swiss style we started to travel around a nearby lake before beginning our ascent.The Train offers you an App to download so you can have a Narrator in the language of your choice give you a minute by minute explanation of this wonderful ride.

The Photos will give you a better idea then anything I can tell you.

The main point is Go…………. this is a great 6 hour ride that you will remember for the rest of your life.

Use it or lose it.

The best way to accumulate Rewards quickly are with sign up bonuses for various credit cards with the main Banks and American Express.

The problem is the Reward programs are being devalued more often and with a greater impact to members of the programs.

My opinion outlined in a previous post is you need to model your Rewards portfolio in the same manner as an Investment portfolio.In that sense no matter where you travel and whatever Airline you use you will have a strategy to Travel at low cost just by using your Rewards.

The issue is the Big Guys either Marriott or IHG or Hyatt or Delta or United or British Airways or American keep raising the bar on the use of their currency then why bother at all in this Rewards Jamboree.

At this point the only logical answer is plan a trip and either use the Rewards you have now or plan a trip sign up for the bonus from the program or programs you think will work best and use them in a short time because they are losing value as I am writing this post.

All the major Hotel programs are watching each other lower the value of their programs where it stops no one knows.

So the mantra is Use it or lose it.

IWM Duxford

After leaving Alesund I flew with Norwegian Air to Oslo and then flew to Gatwick.

From London you take the Train from Kings Cross to Cambridge and from there to Duxford for the Museum.I decided to go on Sunday since a Shuttle picks you up near the Train station and takes you to the main entrance of the Museum.

The Bus is about 3 USD and runs about 3 times a day it is No. 132

It is a lot of fun to be close to the Aircraft that fought all through World War 2 and even watching them in action if any are being flown that day.

Make some time when you are in London and you can experience the Museum and Cambridge.

The Bus from Cambridge is about 30-40 minutes.

Here are some Pics.

A quick trip to Alesund

It is strange but often I find that the colder the climate the warmer are the people.This is certainly true in Norway.

After flying on Norwegian air from Geneva to Oslo I then took a short flight to Alesund.The Weather was typical really awful with

rain and high wind with cold temperture as well.

Alesund is made up of many islands so if you go any type of distance on Public transportation you will enter a major adventure.It will involve Buses,Ferries then Buses that drive on Ferries and more Buses.That was my trip from Alesund to the Geirangerfjord.This is a trip that is in my view even more interesting then the destination.

You can arrange your trip to stay in the city of Geiranger for a few hours which has nice places to eat and friendly local people.

Here are a few Pics

On the Ferry to
Geirangerfjord

The front of the Bus on the front of the Ferry.

Getting close to another Ferry or another Bus.

Did you know there is a Canyon in New York ?

You heard it right the largest Canyon on the East coast it is called

Ausable Chasm and it is a fun visit.

I came from Burlington Vermont with a local Ferry which takes about 1 hour.

You call the great people at the Park and they send a free Shuttle to pick you up about 10-15 minutes later.

After you arrive you decide what route you want to take and if you want to include the raft tour.Yup a raft tour which in my view is the best part of the adventure.

The various trips through the park take an average of 2-3 hours so you can arrange to take the Shuttle back if you are coming from Burlington.

As usual the Pics are the best way to get a feel for the experience.

So if you are in the area check it out.