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About to join a cruise-tour in Greece, on Oct. 1, 2019, I had lunch at a taverna on Adrianou Street in the Monastiraki area of Athens. The restaurant was in a row of similar tavernas located nearly opposite the entrance to the Ancient Agora.
Europe cruise and city stay, solo
A month before my 83rd birthday, I left for a 3-week solo trip in Europe. It began with a 2-week river cruise out of Budapest (Aug. 8-22, 2019) and ended with a week’s stay in Amsterdam, the terminus of the cruise.
Obtaining an India e-Visa
My wife and I took a tour of India in November-December 2019, and I thought I would share what I learned about obtaining a tourist visa.
Super-senior’s travel adaptations
The article “Travel Tips for the Less Able,” by Paula Prindle (Jan. ’20, pg. 40), was good. I will be 80 this year. I’m blind in one eye, my hearing isn’t perfect, and my knees now balk at stairs. But I still love to travel, even though I’ve lost my travel buddies!
‘Wonderful’ guide in Nicaragua
My husband and I were able to access Granada, Nicaragua, for a lovely excursion during a “Portraits of Panama” canal cruise with Oceania Cruises. On the Sirena, the cruise started in Miami and ended in Los Angeles (but did not have an actual stop in Panama), and our excursion was on Nov.
NZeTA app
After seeing the new requirements for a New Zealand Electronic Travel Authority pass (NZeTA), I decided to just get it over with and apply for one, since I’m going there next year.
Arranging travel around home exchanges
After our 3-week home exchange in Nimes, France, in June 2019, Joan Anderson, my companion of many years, and I were reminiscing about how we got into this wonderful way of traveling.
Restricted websites in China
Prior to embarking on a 7-country cruise in late October 2019, my wife, Patti, and I spent four days in China, and while in Shanghai, Patti discovered that she was blocked from accessing her Gmail account.
Georgia hotel’s mountain view
On a wonderful group tour that my wife, Sandy, and I took through the South Caucasus mountains with MIR Corp. (Seattle, WA; 800/424-7289, www.mircorp.com), Sept. 16-30, 2019, the hotels were superior.
Disinfecting where possible
Among the readers’ letters on the subject “Staying Healthy Abroad” (Dec. ’19, pg. 36), none mentioned disinfecting airplane seat areas as the first step to staying healthy while traveling.
Guide in Kolkata
My wife, Susan, and I had a 22-hour overnight layover in Kolkata (Calcutta), India, in April 2019. Through the former Viator Private Tours website,* we found Deepjyoti (Deep) Biswas (www.deepjyotibiswas.com), the best guide we have ever had in the world.
Visit to North Sumatra
My mother and I booked a trip to Bangkok, Thailand, that included a 5-day hotel stay, after which we intended to take a couple of weeks to fly around visiting “new” countries.
Switched to smartphone
I enjoyed reading the letters from people who travel with a minimum of high-tech equipment (Sept. ’19, pg. 29). My husband and I have been using “dumb” flip phones.
Visiting Aix-en-Provence
Aix-en-Provence is not one of France’s more sought-after destinations by international travelers, but the city is pleasant, very walkable and affluent.
Biking the Danube on the cheap
I biked the Danube cycle path from Donaueschingen, Germany, to Budapest, Hungary, approximately 1,260 kilometers (793 miles), in June 2018. I did this because most older people do not give themselves physical challenges, and I wanted to give myself a challenge and a reward for staying in shape.
Azerbaijan guide follow-up
Editor’s note: In the letter “Couple’s Experience with Azerbaijan Guide” (Dec. ’19, pg.