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weathering the
​storm with

​the wandering puffin


​Weathering the Storm with the WP#130

7/31/2023

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Well, I guess you are tired of the heat and humidity wherever you are and so am I, but being here in Rome is, when all is said and done, is where I want to be. I can get around, mostly by public transport, although Rosa keeps asking me if I want to drive here. Not really!!! Sometimes, one of the two bus lines that are literally on the street in which the apartment is on does not run regularly and so I sometimes must wait, but that is what I have noticed about this society, a lot of waiting and one must have patience here. I like to call it the Heat of the Roment!!! Thank you Asia and I know a very bad play on words.
I have time and time again, said that the pace of life here is much slower in general and sometimes I forget that. Sometimes New York thoughts do come out in me, yet, I am sitting here writing this piece, relaxed in the air conditioned, yes, air-conditioned comfort of the apartment Rosa and I have. And, yes, Rosa is at the library as I am writing this, or she would say it is frozen. For me, it is perfect, so I can focus and not feel like I am in a sauna and, this need to remove the humidity and cool at least one room in the apartment down for a while so I can work, is a good thing. My computer likes it also. Even momma prefers a lower temperature as many others do. ​
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Weathering the Storm with the WP#129

7/24/2023

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The topic is heat and have we got it here in Roma. I know it is everywhere and you would think I would have gotten used to it. I know it here and all-over southern Europe and this week, well, it got to me. It is not so much the heat as it is the humidity to boot and thankfully, there is air conditioning in this apartment to remove most of it. AC here in Europe, especially the box air conditioning is not powerful, and I expect when the bill comes, it will be costly, but the comfort is worth it in the short term. The short amount of time it is used, when I am here I my computer doing my work is relatively short. My computer likes it cooler and so do I. Also, have a fan going to keep what cool air moving, moving. ​
However, Rosa does not and so it is on very infrequently and usually when she is off guiding or at the library working. I suspect they have air conditioning there to keep books, art and artifacts safe from the effects of humidity, but I really don’t know. What I do know is that this week, while your average ordinary week setting up house and getting in a routine, she and I went out on the one day she did not do either, guiding or go to the library (actually she had to guide in the later afternoon, so we took advantage of the time), and went to some markets nearby to buy some produce and other good things. Unfortunately, it was the hottest day to date for this summer, and we did a lot of walking. In the end, the places we went were not so impressive and we ended up going to an old haunt, back in the neighborhood we lived in last year and found lots of good things. ​
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​Weathering the Storm with the WP#128

7/17/2023

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It has been a week since I arrived here in Rome, and it has had much to do with housekeeping. I am glad to be back and finally settled into our apartment here in Rome with Rosa, of course and the reason I am truly here. The apartment was not ready until the 15th, so the first 5 days were hotel bouncing, which for me, is nothing new. Rosa, of course, was able to come back to Momma’s house and we are simply getting back into a routine together. She does not want to simply be a boring couple, but I have come to truly love the simple things in life as I have more and more uncluttered my own. I know we will have exciting things together this summer beyond the usual day to day life, but it is truly appreciated. ​
The apartment we have this time around is not big by any stretch, but it is also not 2500 Euros per month as we paid last year, or should I say, I did, but I did not want her to feel obligated except what she could afford or wanted to contribute. We are definitely a couple, and we share things together. Of course, what I have brought are essentially the clothes I own and the other essentials and the “office”, but really that is just the new laptop and phone as really nothing else is needed except a few additional things. As you all know, I have totally downsized and unburdened myself of many things when I was in Minnesota, selling, giving and throwing things away. It was truly a feeling of relief to unburden myself of the things, but that job is still not done. ​
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​Weathering the Storm with the WP#127

7/10/2023

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I am back in the Eternal City, which has been my goal the whole time and here I shall stay for the summer and early fall and Rosa and work on our future. Before arriving here very early this morning with her, I spent a couple of days in Guernsey and visited several museums, of course, with a focus on the occupation of the islands during WWII. There are other museums, to be sure and a castle or two which I experienced, one called Castle Cornet, but and the town of St. Peter Port, the capital. The ferry ride was easy from Jersey, about an hour, and uneventful. I also explored the island by bus system and while it is good, if you just miss a bus, you will be waiting for a while. ​
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This island also includes its sister islands including Herm Sark and Alderney, but you need more time to explore and if you are a fan of Les Miserables, then coming to Guernsey is a must, as Victor Hugo lived in Guernsey and that is where he wrote this amazing story. Guernsey, as Jersey, also celebrate their liberation day, the 9th of May, each year and it too, is a very big deal. Remember, the Allies, while they landed on the beaches of Normandy on June 6th, 1944, bypassed the Channel Islands and they were not liberated until almost a year later, even though their location was about 23 miles away from the closest landing beaches. There was not strategic value to the islands, so in the end, when Germany capitulated, then the islanders were free, and they truly experience the day each year. ​

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Weathering the Storm with the WP #126

7/3/2023

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It has been quite the week with the first three days in meetings with some amazing tour operators, hoteliers, destination management companies and others associated with the travel industry. As with the week before, when I was attending the Latin America Travel Association conference, this past week was dedicated to Africa. The rest of the week was here in Jersey, not New jersey, but in the past two weeks, I have been to the original York and the original Jersey. I also attended the Africa conference with wonderful new connections to the continent, so keep me in mind when it comes to travel to Africa and to Latin America. It really is who you know and not always what you know, but leaving today, I have clients leaving for Tanzania, so I know you can trust that I will be about to assist beyond Europe. ​
Is has been a highlight this week to come here to Jersey where I had a chance to experience the first of the Channel Islands, of which I will experience two of them. There are 4 of them including Herm and Sark and Alderney​ later today, I am off to Guernsey. Jersey is also, as the other islands closer to France than to the UK, but it is eerily British, but also very French. The roads are like the hedgerows of Normandy and many of the place names and streets are in French, but everyone speaks English and Jersey has an amazing history all the way through to the 20th century. There are a few wonderful castles including Elizabeth Castle, perhaps named for Queen Elizabeth, not the one who recently passed, but the Queen Elizabeth, but could have also been named for Sir Walter Raleigh’s girlfriend, who also was named Elizabeth. He was trying to get off the island and get supplies for the island, so perhaps, both are true. ​
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The number one highlight of Jersey is the War Tunnels built during the 5-year occupation by the Nazis during WWII. While the UK stood alone against the Nazis in the early stages of WWII, the let the Germans occupy the Channel Islands, as they had no military value, but the Germans built them up always thinking that the Allies would invade. The tunnels are very extensive, and it takes a good 2 hours to explore the underground and get a feel for the history. Even after D-Day, when the Allies invaded France, they bypassed the Channel Islands, even though the islanders heard the invasion and thought they were next to be liberated. In fact, they endured 5 years of occupation and were not liberated until May 9, 1945, so only when the war in Europe was over. The islanders endured starvation and other horrible events during the occupation and had to figure out how to survive, and many did not, being shipped to labor and concentration camps. Many left when they knew that they would be occupied and many tried to escape, but in the end, most of the people stayed and endured. The Nazis even changed the time zone to central European time zone, when they took over to match the time zones in France and Germany etc. 

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