Covid era travel

[ursus arctos]

The race is around the gridiron stadium, so US1 shouldn't be that bad

The airport may be another matter (the race is late Sunday afternoon)

[San Bernardhinault]

That's actually worse than I feared for tomorrow, because we're driving from Fort Lauderdale. Good news is that we're flying out on Monday evening, not Sunday.

[ursus arctos]

Yeah, you are fucked for tomorrow because of qualifying and the usual circus

There is always the seaplane option

[San Bernardhinault]

Yeah, you are fucked for tomorrow because of qualifying and the usual circus

There is always the seaplane option

I don't know if there's a scheduled seaplane...

And anyway, most of the fun for me is the drive along the causeway, particularly as I'm reading about Flagler's train line down the Keys at the moment.

[Sam]

Not a good idea to read while driving anyway SB, if that's any consolation.

[ad hoc]

If any European residents (and as far as I can tell that means European not just EU) are interested, interrail tickets are half price this weekend. For adults over 27 that means €335 for a month's travel - starting any time in the next 11 months. I reckon it's an absolute bargain and me and mine are going to take advantage

https://www.interrail.eu/en/50th-ann...adventure-sale

[Sporting]

Our son will be travelling via this method, before he starts uni.

[ursus arctos]

Another source of regret at having returned, alas

[Capybara]

If any European residents (and as far as I can tell that means European not just EU) are interested, interrail tickets are half price this weekend. For adults over 27 that means €335 for a month's travel - starting any time in the next 11 months. I reckon it's an absolute bargain and me and mine are going to take advantage

https://www.interrail.eu/en/50th-ann...adventure-sale

Yes it covers all Europe and not just EU. The Tories briefly pulled the UK out at Brexit time but quickly reversed the decision when they were told not to be such utter wankers.

I've used Interrail extensively over the past decade or so and I'd be in on this deal if I had any idea about my plans for the next few months. It's such good value it might even be worthwhile
getting a first class pass. The only thing to look out for is that you can only use it for one return journey to/from the country of your residence.

[ad hoc]

Yes it covers all Europe and not just EU. The Tories briefly pulled the UK out at Brexit time but quickly reversed the decision when they were told not to be such utter wankers.

I've used Interrail extensively over the past decade or so and I'd be in on this deal if I had any idea about my plans for the next few months. It's such good value it might even be worthwhile
getting a first class pass. The only thing to look out for is that you can only use it for one return journey to/from the country of your residence.

My understanding is that you don't have to plan exactly when you'll use it yet. You buy it now and you have a month from when you first activate it.

[Capybara]

My understanding is that you don't have to plan exactly when you'll use it yet. You buy it now and you have a month from when you first activate it.

I just looked at that and you are absolutely right so big thanks for pointing it out. I'd just assumed you'd need to specify a starting date like you normally do. Seems too good to miss out on really. £250 for a month's travel for an oldie. £273 for two months.

[Capybara]

So I tried booking and, despite what it says, they require a start date for a paper pass. But I realised the killer before I'd even got that far. They need your passport number and mine is due to expire later this tear. Bollox.

[San Bernardhinault]

This week’s travel has brought us to Florida, mentioned briefly elsewhere. I find it remarkable that, while there’s an unremarkable lack of masks anywhere, lots of places still have hand sanitizer everywhere. I suppose once it’s installed in all the lifts and all the supermarket entrances and so on, the cost of refilling rather than putting in dispensers is relatively low. I can’t imagine anyone still believes hands but not mouths disease-control-theatre any more, even here. Maybe these are now permanent fixtures and the US - which has long been germ-averse and over-hygiened (to the point where a lot of people wonder if that is the reason for way more kids being diagnosed with allergies than in the past) - is going to be even cleaner than before. I think it fits a pattern.

[San Bernardhinault]

Meanwhile, on Florida itself… we left Key West early. It just wasn’t for us. The entire ethos seemed to be about drinking, drinking and more drinking. Most places we went people were priding themselves on how many ounces of liquour in their cocktails, or their boats having open bars, or how the bartender could get you most drunk. Weirdly, the actual drunkenness was relatively limited - although not non-existent. But the deal seemed to be about highlighting getting drunk. Without that, and without the people it draws, it would be very charming. A proper end-of-the-road kind of place. With it, I’m not sure who I’d recommend it to unless you really like sunsets.

The drive back to Fort Lauderdale was also a reminder of the worst of US driving conditions, once off the keys. South Florida is an absolute tangle of freeways and highways, with all kinds of naming conventions and all kinds of poorly signposted exits on both left and right, and changes that happen so frequently that google maps and other sat nav just can’t keep up. Every 200 yards there’s a “keep left” or “keep right”. Chaos.

One more very tired observations is this place all seems to be built on swamp. The amount of water, of lakes and canals all around, and the fact that the horizon goes on forever - that there’s not a mound in sight for a hundred miles, makes me think that all the predictions of how Florida won’t be able to cope with a few inches of sea level rise are almost certainly true. If the gulf stream actually weakens and therefore stops pulling water northwards away from these shores, the increased sea heights will totally inundate these shores.

[Uncle Ethan]

Work colleague just got back from New York. Qantas lost her luggage for a week and managed to get her to miss her connecting flight so it became a 40 hour ordeal. We've booked Singapore Airlines which adds two/three hours to trip duration, but going premium economy for the two longest legs for half the price of Qantas non-stop. Been a bit stunned by how much car hire has gone up in UK though.

[Wouter D]

After a glorious 1 hours and 58 minutes in a phone queue, the lady on the other side of the line managed to make the system return our bags to our home, so my socks are back underway to me. Rejoice!

Today, two weeks after departure, our luggage finally arrived home.

[ursus arctos]

Woo hoo!

I was afraid of further delays following PSV's disappointment at the weekend.

[WOM]

With it, I’m not sure who I’d recommend it to unless you really like sunsets.

I've been four times over the past 30 years and I really love[d] the place. When it was very difficult to get to (ie, drive) it was quiet and quite lovely. Since the cruise ships started making KW the first port of call, it's gone to shit. We'll probably not be back. You're right...it's geared to day-visitors now, walking up and down Duval street getting smashed like it's New Orleans.

[ad hoc]

So I tried booking and, despite what it says, they require a start date for a paper pass. But I realised the killer before I'd even got that far. They need your passport number and mine is due to expire later this tear. Bollox.

Hmmm. I wonder if that's a Brexit benefit. Because I've just bought ours and at no point was I asked for a passport (or indeed any other id number). But of course I ticked the box marked Romania under country of residence

[ad hoc]

SB's post about Key West inspired me to relisten to that recent Dylan song about it. Then I started wondering what it meant (since it seems way more pro key west than SB) and it was at that point I discovered it has its own very extensive Wikipedia page. Do all Dylan songs have a Wikipedia page?

Anyway

the song has been interpreted by many critics as having a spiritual aspect, with the word "liminal" frequently being invoked to describe the sense that its narrator is transitioning from one place to another.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Key_We...osopher_Pirate)

[San Bernardhinault]

The amount of coughing on this flight and at the gate before boarding is unreal. Particularly from the row right behind me. If I and twwspuwm survive uninfected it will be a miracle. Only one of the at least 10 coughers I’ve observed is wearing a mask.

[Capybara]

Hmmm. I wonder if that's a Brexit benefit. Because I've just bought ours and at no point was I asked for a passport (or indeed any other id number). But of course I ticked the box marked Romania under country of residence

Yes, I've just booked a mobile pass and it doesn't require passport details.

[ad hoc]

I thought living in a city with an airport would stop me having to wake up at stupid o'clock to get to the airport for a morning flight. But tomorrow's plane leaves at 3.40am.

[ursus arctos]

That's bizarre.

No noise regulations at all?

[Sporting]

Interesting (and annoying for you).

How common are night flights in major airports?