2022 Abu Dhabi to Dubai Cruise

 

“What’s the worst that can happen?” This was my answer to Lady Adventurer’s complaint that we should upgrade our air to Abu Dhabi. I strongly prefer not to spend large sums of money on only a short period (some number of hours) of relative comfort. We can start with having the middle seat for a twelve and half hour flight to Abu Dhabi from New York / JFK. And then add the crying babies. Did you know that a baby is capable of crying for over half a day without stopping? I believe this only happens when they’re in an airplane, and perhaps when multiple other babies are doing the same thing. These babies were, of course, all within a few feet of us.

Our itin

“T’was built using slave labor, you know.” That’s Lady A.’s telling anyone who would listen about opulent Abu Dhabi, Dubai, and Qatar (a stop that was canceled shortly before the cruise began). It’s funny, but no one, including some on board, did seem to want to listen. Not so funnily, we’d heard more and more about this in the weeks leading up to the sailing date. It seems that South Asians, mostly Indians came to these places to work, only to find themselves in terrible living and working conditions, cheated out of some pay, and with their passports confiscated. We know that this is a sensitive subject, but we land squarely on the side of the cheated workers, and not the oil-rich people who take advantage of them. We therefore feel terrible about supporting these inhumane regimes by traveling there. But on the other hand, we had long ago decided that we wanted to see as many corners of the globe as possible, and this part of the Middle East is certainly one of them. We didn’t plan to spend any additional money in these parts, but we do recognize that just by coming here, we’re supporting some atrocities. We’re mostly sorry that there doesn’t seem to be much that we can do to help. Keep in mind that this is no different (in my mind) from visiting a Southern U.S. Plantation that was built by slave labor. All that said, it may be sort of interesting to see and experience some of these new (to us) places.

“We have money we can’t spend, and wine we can’t drink. Two things that never happen at home.” Lady A. got me laughing out loud with this one. Regarding the money, we had already purchased our shore excursions when we learned we had a little more onboard credit for this cruise aboard the Oceania Nautica. Don’t worry; we’ll figure something out. Regarding the wine, we find ourselves with three gifted bottles this time, rather than the usual two. We already get all the wine we want with lunch and dinner. So how to handle those extra three bottles? Check in with me later.

Oceania Nautica docked in Khasab

Nice digs. Too bad they're so tiny

Evening on the Oceania Nautica

  

The ship is decorated for the holidays

“It’s just a bunch of buildings.” Yeah, they’re sparkling and new, but they’re still just buildings. Abu Dhabi is the largest and richest of the United Arab Emirates. We believe that nearby Dubai, where we wind up in ten days, will be more of the same, but even more in-your-face. I’ll let you know. We opt for the Hop-on, Hop-off bus around Abu Dhabi. As anticipated, see a whole bunch of opulent new buildings and palaces. Please excuse my high level of excitement here. Our most enjoyable time in Abu Dhabi is the walk we did along the city’s Corniche.

A walk along the Corniche

Opulent palaces

Ultra-modern architecture

“If you’re the captain of a Dhow, does that make you a Dowager?” I ask this as we board the Dhow in Khasab, Oman. Khasab is disconnected from the rest of Oman; you'd have to cross parts of the UAE to get from one part to the other. Or go by boat. You know the Strait of Hormuz that separates the Persian Gulf from the Arabian Sea? The tip of the Southern point is Khasab, Oman. The coast here is steep and craggy, the perfect location for a Dhow ride. The locals call the cliff area fjords, but that’s incorrect; fjords are, by definition, formed by glaciers, and there ain't a whole lot of them around here. These cliffs were formed by plate tectonic activity. Our dhow holds about 100 people but there are only about 80 of us today. We have to sit down – way down – on pillows on the floor. It’s fun, unless you happen to be old. Like 95% of us. We enjoy the truly stunning scenery on a relatively cool, 95F day. Due to the extreme heat, there’s little wildlife (in or out of the water), but we spot some dolphins and sharks.

Debbie does dhows

Oman's "fjords"

More fjords

“You can’t walk around the port area, and the shuttle bus only goes to the shopping mall, where there’s nothing else to see.” Such is the information we receive upon arrival to Fujairah, UAE. Since the port area is terribly polluted, busy (with oil tankers), and stiflingly hot, we decline to get off the ship at a port for the very first time ever.

"Oman, what a great place Muscat is." Muscat is the capital and largest city in Oman, and we really do like it. It's built around and in between the dry, rocky hills, adjacent to the Gulf of Oman. Although it's hot once again, the air seems relatively clean and clear. There's actually a smattering of (enjoyable) green areas. It's surprising how much one can miss a color. And as far as we can tell, the natives seem to be friendly. We're doing the Hop-on Hop-off bus once again, and once again, we get off to take a walk along the local Corniche. Altogether, it's a good way to see the city.

The Marina in Muscat

Along the Corniche. The tower is a rather large incense burner replica

The Portuguese Fort and the shoreline part of Muscat

"What do you call a smart person in this country? Bahrainy." I know. I'm probably not the first person to think of this joke. But hey, it's the best I can do here. We visit the Bahrain National Museum, some historical and cultural houses, and we see the modern skyline. For our second day in Bahrain, we spend some time walking around the Manama souq. It's pretty decent, as far as souqs go. Bahrain is yet another oil-rich country. It's a group of islands, connected to each other and to Saudi Arabia by bridges. It's kind've okay.

On a boat in the harbor

By the World Trade Center

Bahrain sunset

"To Sir, with Bani. Yas?" We're in Sir Bani Yas, an island that's part of Abu Dhabi of the UAE. It's quite the beachy kind of place,  but there are also bunches of wild animals roaming around. There are oryxes, other antelopes, cheetahs, and hyenas, to name a few. They were brought in, and now the place is a wildlife refuge. Just a beachy one. We walk along the shore in one direction, then the other. We actually spot an Arabian Sand Gazelle on the beach ahead of us. Wildlife. It exists.

Sir Bani Yas Beach

Arabian Sand Gazelle

Sir Bani Yas Beach

"This place is a little bit over the top, wouldn't you say?" I say this to Lady A. as we cruise through Wafi, an Egyptian-themed shopping and entertainment complex here in Dubai. With its statues and hieroglyphics galore, it's more Egyptian than Egypt. The thing is, Wafi is just one minor area within hard-to-believe Dubai. Dubai is indeed more in your face than Abu Dhabi. It's more Vegas than Vegas. Much more. And like Vegas, I don't think I'll feel the need to visit this Emirate (or any of the others) again. Yet it definitely is interesting to see. The Hop-on Hop-off bus is just about all we can take in, but wait, there's more. We take a Dhow cruise along Dubai Creek. It's hot but there are nice sights along the way.

 

Sailing into Dubai early in the morning

About to board the dhow

"Second prize is TWO days in Dubai." For our second day in Dubai, we get another tour, courtesy of Oceania Cruises. Since our flight isn't till the middle of the night, they've provided this tour, along with some time in a hotel room as part of their transfer package. We're pleased with it.

And we're pleased with the entire trip. But not quite so much that we'd like to come this way again.

Atlantis on the Pointe - the Dubai Palm Island

Burj Khalifa - the world's tallest

Dubai at night

Our last dinner on board

2022 Gateway Arch, Hot Springs, and Vicksburg

Keen observers will note that our planned road trip to Colorado and Utah did not occur. This is because one of us (and it wasn't me this time) managed to fall and sustain an ankle injury. After our recent aborted attempt to reach Isle Royale National Park, not to mention our 2021 non-trip to Alaska, one might think that we are lost causes, at least in regard to our National Parks Quest. Au contraire!

Now, with the passing of a few weeks, Debbie has been recovering. So much so, that we're going to try again: we are ready for another try at a road trip. The problem is that now, we don't have nearly the amount of time we would need for a trip like the one we'd planned. What to do with the week we do have? Well, we can manage to visit a couple of closer National Parks, and possibly even swing into the deep South to see a Civil War Battlefield.

Please don't get me started on why the Gateway Arch in St. Louis is a National Park. It could easily be considered a National Monument, National Historic Site, or National Cultural Site. But no, it's been granted full National Park status, and that, of course, necessitates a visit by Debbie and Dan. It's number 46 on our list. 

Unfortunately, the weather isn't cooperating. We visit the museum and then take the tram/elevator/pod up to the top. But we can't see a darn thing out of the little tiny windows, due to the fog and rain. We do, however, witness a betrothal as a guy asked a young lady to marry him (she said yes). It would have been nice to walk around the grounds that border the Mississippi River, but it was just too rainy.

Rainy day below the Arch

At the top (it was rainy up here too)

It is pouring harder as we drive South out of St. Louis. Eventually, though, the weather clears and we enjoy the ride through Southern Missouri. It's a corner of Ozark country, and it's pretty neat. The scenery deteriorates as we continue through Arkansas, but then it's nice again as we approach Hot Springs.

Hot Springs National Park is the second smallest, after the Gateway Arch. It's also another unique one, since it is also adjacent to a small city. The park itself consists of Bathhouse Row (which is, you guessed it, a row of historic bathhouses), and some wooded areas in the surrounding hills. 

We take the scenic drives around West Mountain and North Mountain, stopping for short walks along the way. We also take the elevator to the top of Hot Springs Mountain Tower. 

View of Bathhouse Row from the tower (notice the shadow)

At the Gazebo just below the Tower

Back to the Row. The N.P. Visitor Center is located in one of the bathhouses. We begin walking around inside, but we don't last long. There's a ranger talk beginning on the front porch. This turns out to be a highlight of the trip, as Ranger Lissa takes us for an informative walk and talk along the Grand Promenade that runs in back of the Row.

Bathhouse Row

We top that off with beer, a pretzel, and buffalo cauliflower at Superior Bathhouse Brewery, where they make the beer directly from the hot springs' water. It ain't bad.

Superior Bathhouse Brewery

The drive from Hot Springs to Vicksburg takes us through Louisiana and into Mississippi, states number 49 and 50 for us. We head directly into Vicksburg National Military Park. There's a lot to see and take in here. A whole lot.

The battle of Vicksburg went on for months but ultimately ended with victory for the forces of the Union Army, under Ulysses S. Grant. This came within a day or two of the Battle of Gettysburg, and it was at least as important. We make the drive through the extensive park area, stopping at all of the important points. It's all very beautiful, peaceful (now), quiet (now), stunning, and goose-pimpling. 

On the bluffs above the Mississippi

Union Cemetary within the Park

We follow the park up with a drive through the historic city of Vicksburg. Too bad we don't have more time for the walking tours and historic home tours.

Only one final question: why were all these Civil War Battles fought in National Parks?

2022 U.P.

We've made our way to the U.P. once again, this time it's Isle Royale National Park or bust. But on the way to our IRNP, we stop in Munising to do something we've also never done before: visit Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore by boat. In order to do that, we stay in Munising. We also stop to view Grand Island from the mainland (all part of Grand Island National Recreation Area). 

Dinner in Munising

Grand Island National Recreation Area

Sunrise over Lake Superior from our Munising Hotel

The views of Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore are splendid by boat. We enjoy the ride a great deal. And although it is cloudy at times, the rock colors come alive during the brief periods of sunshine.

About to board

One of the many arches

After disembarking, we drive another two and a half hours to Houghton, and it begins to rain. This is bad, because it looks like it will continue. For days.

The thing is, we received notice a week ago that our Isle Royale day trip by boat from Copper Harbor was canceled. I'd hurriedly tried to find other means to get to the island, but the other boats weren't going to work for us, either. Most were closing down for the season. Our only practical option was Isle Royale Seaplanes. I booked an expensive day trip with them.

We are now concerned about the bad weather, and possibly getting stranded if we make it there but can't get back. Of course, they themselves won't cancel until the last minute. From our Houghton hotel, we show up, only to learn that our trip is indeed canceled and we'll receive a refund. We're relieved to not have to further worry about the whole thing.

But now we have to come back next year or later. Maybe not so far off-season next time.

2022 Washington DC with Debbie and the Boys of Summer

It was just a quick summer trip to D.C. with the Grandkids. We saw and did a lot in a few days. 

We visited the Lincoln Memorial and the Jefferson Memorial. We also walked around the George Washington and George Mason Memorials, not to mention the National Mall. And new for Debbie and I, we managed to get a tour of the Capitol and Mt. Vernon.

It was all pretty cool. Oops, I mean hot. Like 95 degrees hot. Yet I think it was a good experience for Malcolm and Vincent. 

View from the Lincoln Memorial

Jefferson Memorial

Washington Monument

Capitol Rotunda

Outside the Capitol

Mt. Vernon

2022 Scandinavia

Scenic Scandinavia and its Fjords, with Trafalgar Tours

Copenhagen, Denmark

We arrive without incident. This is remarkable because it's so rare. We have a full day to ourselves, so we walk all around town, take a much-needed nap, and then walk some more. 

On the second walkabout, we wind up at Tivoli Gardens. Tivoli is an amusement park (which normally wouldn't interest us), but it also includes flowers and gardens galore. The rides are sort of old-fashioned, but all the kids and families seem to be having a ball. Lady Adventurer and me? We have a ball as well. The flowers are spectacular.

Tivoli Gardens

Tivoli Gardens

We enjoy our day in this neat, clean city with its great blend of architecture and excellent quality of life. In the evening, we meet our Tour Director, Amanda Flint, and some of our travel companions.

We get a better dose of Danish culture (and even some Danish pastry) the next day. We visit The Amalienborg Palace Quarter, the famous Little Mermaid statue, and other local sights. Then we drive up to North Zealand where we visit the summer Royal Palace and magnificent Fredriksborg Castle. Turns out that if you want to be King of Denmark, you need to have the name, Christian or Fredrik. Then have at it with a castle or two.

Fredriksborg Castle

In the evening, we go to "Copenhagen Mountain" (where they burn trash to make power) and to the fairy-tale village of Dragor, with its thatched cottages and picturesque harbor where we have dinner.

"Copenhagen Mountain"

Odense and Randers, Denmark

Odense is the home of Hans Christian Anderson. We walk around and explore during this stop on the way to Randers.

Randers is our home for a night. It's a quaint small town, with historic hotels and at least one great restaurant.

Denmark is wonderful. Lady Adventurer states that she could live here. She doesn't say that about too many places.

Stavanger, Norway

There's a lot to be said about the similarities between Denmark and Norway, and probably Sweden as well. After all, they're all Scandinavia. And in the past, they all seem to have taken turns ruling one another. But at least one major difference is the landscape. Denmark is pancake flat, but there isn't a horizontal square meter in Norway. Another thing is the price of everything. Whereas Denmark is super expensive, Norway is super-duper expensive. I don't like that aspect, but Lady Adventurer keeps telling me to just suck it up. I guess she's right. But then who would do all this bitching?

The 3 1/2-hour ferry ride to Kristiansand, Norway is comfortable, but when we arrive, it's pouring, the currency has changed, the landscape has drastically changed, and the price of everything has doubled. There are 1,242 tunnels (really!) in Norway, and we drive through 2,000 of them on the way up along the coast.

Stavanger is a quaint little town. The nearby fjords are everywhere. Unfortunately, there's no time to do anything here, except eat and sleep.

Bergen, Norway

It takes only three underwater tunnels (and several other ones as well), and two ferry rides to get to Bergen. Norway, which according to a former U.S. President is not a sh!thole country (one of the few things I agree with him on and something Norwegians have joked about), has gobs of oil money from North Sea drilling as well as hydro-electric projects. They are spending some of it on replacing all these ferries with more underwater tunnels. It's quite the infrastructure. Just getting around here is fairly amazing, even now; it's hard to imagine how much it will improve from here.

Bergen is Norway's second-largest city. It's also the Gateway to the Fjords. There is plenty to see and do here. And we see and do it.

We visit Composer Edvard Grieg's home and museum. Although it's close to Bergen, the setting is serene. But silly me. I thought they'd be blasting his music (which I love) everywhere throughout the house, museum, and grounds to enhance everyone's appreciation of him. But no; it's pretty silent.

The funicular takes us to the top of Mount Floyen, where we enjoy panoramic views of the city and surrounding area. If you like to take scenic photos, this is the place.

Bergen from Mt. Floyen

Trafalgar tours always feature a Be My Guest experience. It's usually a highlight, and this one does not disappoint. Arold, runs a local small farm, and he gives us a brief talk about it. Everyone loves the animals. He and his folks then serve dinner as well as a small amount of entertainment. The best part is Arold's dry wit and humor. It's all very Norwegian.

Arold and family in traditional dress

Also from Bergen, we visit the Village of Televag, which was totally destroyed by the Nazis during World War 2 as an example and reprisal after the townsfolk assassinated two Gestapo Officers. Most of the men and children were killed and the women were sent to concentration camps, all while each of the homes was burned. Later, German prisoners of war were made to rebuild the town, mostly as it had been. The area is stupendously serene, and the nearby museum is heart-wrenching.

Rebuilt Village of Televag

Speaking of refugees and hardships, Trafalgar had changed hotels to make room for refugees at the original one, presumably Ukrainian refugees. Problems arose when they failed to secure two consecutive nights at the same place in Bergen. Consequently, we have to move to a Thon Hotel near the airport for our second night (the first one was in town). We manage to survive the ordeal, but we choose to remain unhappy campers. Life is so hard. (Please note: Okay, okay. Life is probably hard for the refugees as well. But lookyahere: we're Americans and shouldn't have to put up with such discomfort.)

Also, speaking of hotels, it had to happen. The shower thing, once again. I turn on the water, engage the shower control, and now I suddenly have a crazy, wild snake, swinging all over the place, spraying water everywhere. By the time I get it under control, there's a centimeter of water everywhere in the bathroom, with extra on the toilet seat. Even when this wild snake thing doesn't happen, the bathroom floors are still often wet because the shower doors are stupid. I've said this before and I'll say it again. I love Europe, but why can't they make a shower that works? (On the plus side, the heated bathroom floors are nice.)

Sognefjord, Norway

Sognefjord is the name of Norway's, and therefore the world's largest and most extensive fjord. It's also the name of the hamlet and hotel where we'll stay tonight. But we are taking the scenic route to get there.

First, there's the drive around and through (via tunnels galore) the fjords, then there are the two train rides - Voss to Myrdal, which is very scenic, and then Myrdal to Flam, which is beautiful to ungodly proportions. Then, a short drive later, we're on a boat, cruising the Sognefjord Fjord. That ride just couldn't have been better. Finally, there was the last drive from Voss to the Village of Sognefjord. I think I even forgot to mention the ferry and the world's longest road tunnel. But wait: there's more. Just before checking in, we even stop for a visit to another Norwegian farmlet where the farmer tells us about his work and gives us samples of hard apple cider and lefsa.

Myrdal train station, on the way to Flam

Sognefjord Cruise

Geiranger, Norway

Geiranger is yet another hamlet on the side of a fjord of the same name. We travel over a mountain range to get here, and when we reach the snowy pass (the road only opened for the season this very morning), Tour Director Amanda announces that we will stop for a snowball fight. We all think she is kidding, but then we get out and had a dead-serious fracas. The height of the snow is amazing.

Snowball fight

Once we arrive in Geiranger, we take (another) fjord cruise. This one is similar to the one at Sognefjord, but here the fjord is narrower and the mountain walls are steeper.

Geiranger Fjord Cruise

Geiranger couldn't be more of a paradise. It's far from everything, mostly by itself at the start of the fjord of the same name. The view from our hotel is outstanding. And we get to spend two nights here.

Geiranger area during my morning run

It seems as though everyone on the bus has some form of a cold or other upper-respiratory infection. Some think it may be allergies. One fellow traveler, a man in his 80s, is taken to a hospital ICU. That's a two-hour ambulance ride from Geiranger. Turns out he has Covid and other issues. Later, we are relieved to hear that he is recovering and will be released. But meanwhile, I whisper to Lady A. that it seems strange that everyone is sick, and now one person is diagnosed with Covid. In the privacy of our room, I test myself, and I'm NEGATIVE. Whew!

Since we have some time here, we explore the area. Just a little hour or so drive gets us up, out of the fjord, and over to the next one or two. More driving takes us through some narrow, winding tunnels to a dam as well as up close and personal with some scenic waterfalls. Back in Geiranger proper (population ~200), we walk the stairs and trails along a high and busy waterfall right in town. Lady A. announces that she has now seen enough waterfalls, this being number ten thousand or so.

Geiranger Fjord from above

Waterfall in Geiranger

Lillehammer, Norway

On the way up and out of Geiranger, we stop at the site of the snowball fight and then head up further from there to a lookout. It's pretty spectacular. 

Above Geiranger

Looking down at Geiranger

Upon getting into Lillehammer, we stop at two stave (wood) churches that are 800 and 900 years old. We also visit an old-timey-type farm, and the site of the 1994 Winter Olympic Games.

We lose even more of our passengers to Covid. One more is hospitalized (our Trafalgar Wellness Representative!), but we later learn that both hospitalized patients were released. The dropout count is now 11, out of the original 39. Once a person tests positive, they are OFF the tour. They are supposed to stay where they are and make their way back home when they're well enough to fly. I'm becoming scared once again.

Oslo, Norway

It rained all the way from Lillehammer to Oslo, but now that we're here, the rain has ended. We visit two parks: the King's Garden and Vigeland Sculpture Park. The King's Garden had nicely manicured flowers, and Gustav Vigeland's sculptures are incredible.

Vigeland Sculpture Park

Stockholm, Sweden

Ikea's former CEO has recently been elected Prime Minister of Sweden. He is now assembling his cabinet.

The traffic is snarled all throughout the city, causing hours of delays and detours. We later learn that this is due to a U.N. Climate Summit. Sweden doesn't have fjords, so the scenery has not been as great as Norway's. It's a little hard to tell however because it's pouring. Stockholm is built on 14 islands in the Baltic Sea. There is a lot going on besides the climate thing: the Stockholm Marathon is this weekend and there's a huge U.S. Warship in the harbor. On queue, the rain stops, and the clouds part when we get out to walk around Stockholm's Old Town area. What's for dinner? Swedish Meatballs.

We visit Stockholm's City Hall (not your average city hall - the 'Gold Room' is really gold) and a museum dedicated to the Vasa, a massive 17th-century warship that sank within minutes of its initial launch. We also take a nice harbor cruise around one of the islands. Stockholm is crowded due to all the activities, but we manage to get around in spite of that.

Stockholm

Stockholm City Hall Gold Room

Stockholm Harbor Cruise

Kudos once again to our fantastic tour director, Amanda Flint, who did a wonderful job. Our local guide in Stockholm, Adi Cohen, took over for Amanda and was also a great help to everyone. Why was his help so important? Read on.

Stockholm, Sweden: Still Stuck!

Besides packing up, there's one other small task that needs to be done before tomorrow's flight home: obtain a (hopefully negative) Covid-19 test. Lady Adventurer and I do a self-test before walking across the street to get an official one. The result for each of us is... POSITIVE! Later, the official version is the same. Now what??

First of all, we're both feeling nearly 100% fine. My cold symptoms are done, but Lady A. still has some minor congestion that's more like a sinus infection. Consider that testing positive with few symptoms is not the worst that could have happened. Testing positive and then dying a slow, painful death would have been worse. I know. The ordeal isn't over yet. The bottom line is that we need to stay in Stockholm for five days or until we test negative. Luckily, Sweden is lax about quarantining (in fact - it's the best place on the planet to have covid, other than your own home), so we can and do get outside. Adi and Trafalgar are helping us a lot with the logistics of all this.

We're not the only travelers in this predicament. Here are the numbers, so far as I can tell. Of the original 42 people (including Valeri the driver, Amanda the tour director, and Cassie the Wellness Coordinator), 2 were hospitalized, and 9 others also had to leave the tour before we arrived in Stockholm. Once here, 15 Americans needed to be tested in order to fly home. Of this group, 11 tested positive. That's 22 confirmed cases out of the 42 people, and 22 positive results from 26 tests. The 16  not required to be tested were Australians, Canadians, and Americans not going directly home. 

Days pass. The initial shock is gone. Same for the Climate Conference and the U.S. Warship. Boredom and frustration set in. But now we have graduation festivities. No matter where you go in this city, truckloads of kids are partying like crazy. It's kind of fun. Kind of.

After a week in Stockholm, I've finally gotten a NEGATIVE self-test. Our traveling companions are also, one by one, beginning to test negative and traveling home. Lady Adventurer, however, is a different story. She is still as positive as ever. There are still a couple others like her, but this is getting really, really old. We have been walking all over the place, and we know our neighborhood really well. Today we even go somewhere real: the National Museum. They have some great European Paintings and also some nifty Early Ikea furniture.

Just outside Sweden's National Museum

Lady A. and I walk to the 'back-alley testing center' where we both test NEGATIVE! Queue Ode to Joy. Now it's just a matter of getting on a plane and heading home. Trafalgar, so helpful to us a week earlier, now drops the ball when it comes to assisting us in our efforts to get home. We book the trip ourselves. We're hoping our travel insurance covers all these expenses.

One final bit of irony occurs just as we're arranging our long-awaited travel. The United States drops COVID testing requirement for international flyers beginning the VERY NEXT DAY. Had this been done even a few days earlier, it would have saved us a ton of trouble. As the French say, c'est la vie