Let’s go viral!

/ aginggracefullymyass

corona

We got back from our adventure on the French Riveria last Tuesday and life has been nonstop.

Into the fire…

Of course Hubs and I both came home with a cold (one of us always gets sick when we travel), and now we think we are infecting the entire Atlanta metro area with the latest designer contagion, the Coronavirus.

AGMA initially wanted to get tested, but quickly found out that, due to the stunning foresight of der Führer Twitler wanting to give all his billionaires BFF’s a tax break, public health funding has been slashed at every level of government and many positions in the public health sector are unfilled.  Currently, there are no tests available unless you are on your deathbed.

A little late methinks.

The US is 6 weeks behind most countries in preparing to deal with the Coronavirus.

Shrewd…

So we’re sending up thoughts and prayers (Mother and Coronavirus Tsar VP Pen-is would approve!) that we really do have a run of the mill cold and nothing more exotic.

In the meantime, AGMA thinks I’ll have a beer.

Our trip was really great!  Unseasonably mild temps and sunny days were pretty much the rule rather than the exception.

Favorite moments:

  • Carnival in Nice!  The Flower Parade during the day one day and the Night Parade one evening that was TOTALLY over the top!
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The Flower Parade

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The Night Parade

  • The Menton Citrus Festival and parade!  Floats made up of oranges and limes, beautiful women in feathers and sequins, people in butterfly outfits on stilts, Italian bands and lemon tarts (the kind you eat that is…)
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A little bit of Australia in France!

  • The Carmargue National Park where flamingos and Carmarge ponies frolic along with Camargue bulls (they get to live in the bull fight ring) and Spanish bulls (not so lucky in the ring). The main products are rice and speciality salt.  It was an area unlike any other I’ve been in in France.
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Flamingos!!

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A beautiful Carmague pony gets up close and personal!

  • Gorges du Verden.  One of the Grand Canyons of France.  It’s a beautiful area in the Var.  In the summer, it’s packed with tourists.  The day we went (and it’s a full day trip from Nice), it was virtually deserted.
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The drive to get up to this view was interesting!

  • The Casino in Monte Carlo.  Proves that AGMA can lose money with the best of them!
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The name is Bond…James Bond

  • The view from our apartment in Marseilles.
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Stunning!

  • Great art!
Picasso Museum in Antibes
Chagall Museum in Nice
Picasso Museum in Antibes
Chagall Museum in Nice
  • And of course great food and wine!!

Next week I’m supposed to leave for Turkey.

Maybe.

Right now they are COVID-19 free (“right now” being the operative words.).  But of course they share a border with Iran that is Coronavirus central behind China and Italy.  And Iran is still pissed off at Twitler for assassinating  that general a couple of months ago and has vowed revenge against Americans.

And over the weekend, Turkey declared war against Syria.

AGMA’s not really feeling too warm and fuzzy about this trip.

On the bright side, I bet there will be a lot of empty seats on the plane…

 

 

25 thoughts on “Let’s go viral!”

  1. Wow. Just wow. Those are fantastic photos. How long were you away? Seems like you packed a whole lot in!

    I’m glad to hear that the weather was unseasonably warm. We expect (expect being the operative word) to hit the road for Paris and parts of Morocco in a few weeks.

    Lots of hand washing and vitamin C consumption!

    Sent from my iPhone

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    • Lots and lots of hand washing and hand sanitizer and vit C! Zinc too! I bought a seat cover for my airplane seat and plan to sanitize the crap out of my tray table and little TV monitor and anything else my that could be harboring germs! Plus, I normally sit on the aisle, but I read that you come in contact with too many people that way, so I’m going to move to window seats! And we were gone for 2 weeks with a rental car. Spent 2 nights in Marseille, 4 nights in Arles and a whole week in Nice. I don’t think I would have liked it in high season, but it was wonderful off season!

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    • We really liked Nice Dookes, but I think it was because it was off season and not packed. But there were a fair few people there for Carnaval so it wasn’t totally dead. We drove over Col de Vence and took the long way to Gorges du Verdon. BEAUTIFUL drive! The Paris-Nice cyclists are going up there Friday I think. I like the Var region and would like to come back and explore that. And parts of Provence that are off the “tourist track” but looked lovely as well. When is your next trip?

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    • It was our first time and we really liked it (the Riviera that is). I am not a crowd person, so probably wouldn’t like it outside of the off season, but it that coast is stunning!! And we were totally taken aback by the heavy Italian influence there. We expected some, but most of the people we heard in Menton were speaking Italian! So the picture I posted of the Citrus Festival was the stationary exhibits. There were floats in the parade as well but not as large. If you ever decide to go, buy your tickets ahead of time. The line was CRAZY when we got there (took the train which is sooooo easy – even with hubs mobility scooter!).

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  6. I loved your pictures, and AGMA sure gets around. Did you visit the Picasso and Chagall museums? I would love to go to the Picasso museum. Be safe travelling in Turkey, I really liked my one trip there and would like to go back. So much to see and people there were nice that I knew. I think I found the Cappadocia area and the city of Konya. I took a tour and that helped immensely.

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    • We’re on a tour and I’m kind of a nervous wreck checking everyday if the tour will go off or not. t minus 1 day before I leave so I think it’s a go! Now I’ve been reading articles that are saying that Turkey does have the CV, but has been hiding it and not being transparent with the WHO. Knowing what a strongman their president is, I think I believe it. But who knows….?? I’m going to Turkey tomorrow any way!

      We did visit the Picasso and Chagall museums! They were our only museums on the trip we visited. I’ve been to the Picasso museum in Malaga and Barcelona, but strangely not Paris. Not sure why…. That needs to go on my list for my next trip to Paris! Anyway, the one in Antibes is in a fabulous old building – part of the Grimalidi dynasty, but their collection was relatively small compared to the other two. But still awesome!

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    • You are so sweet Margaret! Thanks! I have a friend who says I should start my own YouTube Travel vlog because I am “so funny” (as he puts it). He said it would be so much better than what’s out there. I highly doubt that but it was a nice compliment. I did do a few videos on our trip that I was planning to put together, but haven’t had time yet. Maybe during my 2 week quarantine when I get back from Turkey… Ha!

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  8. The photos are wonderful! The pony and the stunning view of Marseilles are my faves. I love that as you age gracefully, traveling is such a big part of your lives. And I’m impressed that you aren’t letting the spread of the Coronavirus slow you down (right now). Good on ya!

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    • “Right now”…. I really didn’t think about it too much, but we were dangerously close to northern Italy on our trip – Menton is just before the boarder with Italy. And there were LOTS of Italians there for the Citrus Festival. But the CV was just starting to invade France, but we got out okay.

      Thanks for loving the pony picture! It’s one of my favorites. These ponies looked very French – their manes looked like they had been styled to be messy casual. Ha! We had our first bouillabaisse at a restaurant down in that little harbor you see in the picture. It was a magical night until hubs tossed his cookies like 3 times after we got home. I ate from his plate and he ate from mine so it wasn’t food poisoning because I was fine. He’s weird like that… It was a shame on multiple levels – it was an expensive meal!

      The trip to Turkey is a go for tomorrow. This could either be the most awesome trip I’ve ever been on or the worst decision of my life. Time will tell…

      Stay healthy Kat!

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    • Thanks Ilona! The trip is still a go – I leave tomorrow. But I do have to say it’s not without some reservations (get the pun??? I crack myself up!). Seriously, I am concerned that Turkey has been hiding their CV info – they claim they have not cases, but rumors are circulating about isolation wards for CV people at hospitals – hmmmm. So who knows – they could be worse than Italy! And then the concern about possibly being quarantined after I get back. If this administration wasn’t full of a bunch of tRump sycophants, I would say that I would probably be quarantined. But they are such a bumbling idiots who have no idea how to deal with a health crisis like this to keep the American people safe, I probably won’t have to worry about being quarantined. They’ll just ask if I’ve been to China, Iran, Italy or Korea and let me right in when I say no…

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      • Try to relax and enjoy it, practice good hygiene and take advantage of less tourists and more local flavor. As far as what happens on your return, it’s anybody’s guess. You should probably self quarantine, or at least avoid contact with elderly or vulnerable populations, and of course, hope for the best. God Speed and have a wonderful adventure. As Jackson Browne wrote in my favorite song ever :Don’t let the uncertainty turn you around, Go out and make a joyful sound!

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