Friends have sometimes said they’re not quite sure where I’m roaming, as some of the places are unfamiliar. I’ve finally got a map plug-in working here, so I can offer a visualization of my first year of being “happily homeless.” I’m exceedingly pleased with all my travels; I’ve done as I hoped to: spent time with a lot of dear friends, gotten to some wonderful concerts and theatre, and checked out a lot of towns I’d thought might make for a future home. Many have been crossed off my list, but no matter, there’s much more to explore, and a few places survived the first cut. I am itchy to hit the road again, and I will soon – in just one week, I’m on my way to Paris. Yayyyyyy!
I’ve used three types of markers: the typical map marker, in red, marks the places I’ve stayed in. The woman, rather gray (oh dear, appropriate?) shows day trips. And the comedy masks mark performances I attended. It has been glorious.
NB: the list below the map is in chronological order starting with the end of December, working backwards to January.
December 9 – January 5
Used my free IHG anniversary night with Laura, to have a couple afternoons and a night in the Central West End.
December 11, 2022
December 2 – 5, 2022
Delightful Schubert lieder recital in a private setting, with Christian Pappas, baritone, and Ricardo Corona, piano, followed by a wine and appetizer social hour in the garden.
November 25, 2022
November 15 – $84.64
November 20 – $101.76
November 26 – December 2 $73.05
December 2 paid for Dec 5-6 $33.83
total $293.28 for 19 nights, average $15.44/night
private visit
November 9 – 15, 2022
private visit
November 3 – 9, 2022
with Breeder’s Cup races watched at Golden Gate Park on Fri & Sat, a visit to the Museum of Modern Art on Sun, and a day trip to Napa & Sonoma on Tuesday
private visit
Stayed with a classmate who hosted a few of us for JBS Reunion weekend.
October 6-9, 2022
September 28 – October 6
and October 9 – November 3
private visit
September 25 – 28, 2022
“Jasper” – chosen from clubfreetime.com and attended with Florence and Peter.
September 24, 2022
Alan Cumming’s “Burn” – attended with Florence and Peter
September 23, 2022
Masters at Work: Balanchine & Robbins” – attended with Florence and Peter
September 22, 2022
Tom Stoppard’s “Leopoldstadt”
September 21, 2022
The Claremont Trio presenting a mixed program. Free concert, attended with Peter
September 19, 2022
private visit
September 14 – 25, 2022
Beach afternoon with Kristian by bus connections from Montpellier.
Beach afternoon with Kristian, easy bus ride from downtown.
Day trip with Kristian by train from Narbonne. Seemed an expensive ride for the short distance.
AirBnB, most minimal lodgings, with Kristian, to have a few days in Narbonne while leaving our suitcases in St-Georges-d’Orques.
September 5 – 8, 2022
$138.10
private visit
Whole apartment, with Kristian.
August 31 – September 14
Kristian (from Stockholm) and I (from Luton) flew into Beziers airport and stayed one night in Agde.
August 30, 2022
A lovely day outing with Diana and Bryan to meet up with Bryan’s son and grandson.
about August 28, 2022
private visit
August 22 – 30, 2022
BBC Proms concert, Handel’s “Solomon”
August 19, 2022
Donizetti’s one-act “Rita” – delightfully performed.
August 18, 2022
“The Seagull”
August 17, 2022
August 15 – 19, 2022
Booking.com estimate of what would be paid directly was $162.
First hostel experience in London. Extended my stay directly with the hostel. (Think it was too-oily fish and chips that did me in for some days, but wasn’t sure and didn’t want to pass anything contagious to Diana and Bryan.) Rates changed, cheaper after weekend. Left on the 22nd.
Charged directly by Clink261:
8/16 $15.23
8/19 109.47 and 1.79
8/20 29.56
8/21 30.46
total $186.51 on Chase U, don’t find anything else. If this is total, average $26.64/night
August 12-15, 2022
Booked directly with phone help from a taxi driver after getting to Side, using hotels.com listing price to bargain with. So, had to find ATM to pay cash after dropping my bags.
1700 TL for 3 nights with breakfast and dinner included.
August 9-12, 2022
$151.44
hotels.com
Had to argue and reach out to hotels.com, as once there they wanted to apply extra charges for a few things that hotels.com listed as included, such as internet.
Kont Pansiyon, Kandiller gecidi no:12, Antalya, Antalya 07100
August 4-8, 2022
1650 TL
Attended 3 performances during Istanbul’s Opera Festival in July 2022. Outdoor stage beside the Golden Horn – thrilling!
Seven Tenors – opening concert of the festival, July 16, 2022
Tosca – July 20, 2022 (indoors, because wind was too strong)
Carmen – July 27, 2022
Women’s dorm, available in summer when students are gone. A fraudulent airbnb listing with a happy ending – just paid cash on the spot and got refunded from airbnb. Extended stay (not up to travel for my birthday as intended).
July 19 booked 9 nts 2700 TL. Kept extending till Aug 4 when I flew to Antalya.
300 TL / night
Was supposed to be a 4-night stay, but they were overbooked, and moved me to an impossibly shabby and noisy hotel for the first night. I left and found another on my own. So 3 nights at Newaz. While I was packing up the last morning, the wardrobe fell: would have collapsed completely, possibly on me, but the open doors propped it up. Ridiculous hotel that should have half its rating points on Expedia.
158.40 euros
An evening outing with my friends in Burhaniye. Lively harborside scene, boardwalk atmosphere, arcades, restos.
June 13 or 14, 2022
Friends I was with in Burhaniye took me to friends of theirs in Çanakkale for a wonderful homemade holiday meal, and to see a miniature representation of the Gallipoli battle (which took place across the strait).
about July 12, 2022
My friends in Burhaniye indulged me with a stop at the fascinating site of Troy.
about July 12, 2022
private visit, near the beach
July 10-15, 2022
Pleasant stop between ferry from Istanbul and bus to Burhaniye. Went for a good lunch and then another spot for a beer.
July 10, 2022
July 9-10, 2022. One night because ferries to Bandirma were fully booked.
$39.46
Expedia
One-night stay after flying back to Istanbul, intending to be on ferries to Bandirma the next day.
July 8-9, 2022
Gospel concert,, for a change of pace; with my friend from Vallebo.
July 6, 2022
As on my previous visit, Arne took me for a day tour and treated me to lunch in the lovely setting of Præstø.
about July 4, 2022
private visit
July 1-8, 2022
Direct arrangement with owner – now a good new friend – when my last-minute reservation at another property was double-booked. (after I’d missed my flight)
June 27 – July 1
45 euros/night as a special concession
AirBnB. Entire apartment.
June 22-27, 2022
$281.00
Solo day trip from Beziers. Disappointing.
Solo trip on market day (Saturday), by train from Beziers. Lively town that day, friendly vendors and shopkeepers.
AirBnB. Entire apartment, alone. Very helpful host and very disappointing apartment. Smelly furniture, took a few days to get a working router, one small fan to carry between rooms on 2 floors – not a comfortable place and neighborhood unappealing.
June 16 – 22, 2022
$386.30
With Margaret, afternoon/eve visit to meet artist friends of Robert’s.
June 15, 2022
Visited with Kristian while exploring by bus one day; we went rather far into the suburbs. Returned with Margaret and visited cloister gardens and found a nice gourmet shop with a friendly owner.
Sightseeing trip from Montpellier with Margaret, taken there by Robert.
June 15, 2022
Day trip with Margaret, just a bit of tourism.
June 3, 2022
Handel’s “Giulio Cesare,” or as here, Jules César. Conducted by Ph Jaroussky, Franco Fagioli in the cast. Attended with Margaret, and both of us well pleased.
June 9, 2022
Returned with Kristian for the “Concert de rentrée,” a mixed program, excellent conducting and performance.
September 10, 2022
AirBnB. Entire apartment, with Margaret.
June 9-16
$600.74
AirBnB, entire apartment. June 1-6, 2002, with Margaret, who rather hated it though she had the back bedroom. Smokers filled the tables of the cafes below our windows from morn till late night, so I tried to keep the windows closed.
$326.51
Still, we extended, as it was very convenient and we weren’t ready to move on. Cash direct to our very likable host.
4 more nights I think @ 45 euros/nt
Michael Stoddart offering an organ concert “Bach et ses amis”
Attended with Margaret
June 3, 2022
Tchaikovsky’s “Dame de Pique” – attended with Kristian and Margaret. View blocked by security rail: very disappointed with the house.
May 27, 2022
AirBnB. Entire apartment, beautiful, good host. With Kristian first night only and Margaret for the entire stay. Flori came to brunch on Sunday.
May 26 – June 1, 2022
$511.82
May 23-26, 2022 with Kristian
Day trip with Kristian, enjoyed walking the town and had an elegant lunch. Returned later with Margaret, taking a cruise on the Rhone from Avignon.
May 25, 2022
June 5, 2022
Day trip with Kristian by train from Nîmes. Disappointed that you need a car to get to a nice stretch of beach. What’s near the marina is pretty muddy.
May 19, 2022
Brief visit with Kristian, by train, on a day’s outing from Nîmes. This was our first stop. We walked extensively to try to find things of interest, but it was a quiet, and to us sad, place.
May 19, 2022
Very brief visit, with Kristian, on a day’s outing from Nîmes, after a first stop across the Rhone in Tarascon. The area of docks on the inlet is nice, but almost nothing was open at lunchtime around town. K wisely suggested we go on to Avignon, to get something nice out of the day.
May 18, 2022
Day trip from Nîmes with Kristian. Sidewalk cafes were full, lunch specials selling out early afternoon, but the town didn’t charm me.
AirBnB. Entire apartment, around the corner from Zenitude
May 16-23, 2022, with Kristian
$497.39
May 12-17, 2022. Kristian arrived May 14.
$321.71
May 9-12, 2022
$324.72
booking.com – like an airbnb – terrible management
May 7-9, 2022
private visit
May 3-7, 2022
$218.54
booking.com
April 29 – May 3, 2022
$162.65
Booking.com
April 25-29, 2022
$165.79
Booking.com
Friend took me to a Schubert concert given by a small ensemble of his friends. Very enjoyable!
April 19, 2022
Galata Palace Hotel, Karaköy Beyoglu, Beyoglu, Istanbul 34425, Türkiye
April 18-25, 2022
$428.24
Booking.com
Attended two performances:
Easter with Mascagni: Messa di Gloria / Cavalleria Rusticana – April 16, 2022 (superb!)
Parsifal – April 17, 2022
St. Matthew Passion – April 15, 2022
(I was thrilled. ‘Erbarme dich’ was the most beautiful I’ve heard.)
April 14-18, 2022
$518.76
Carmen – Vittorio Grigolo as Don José
April 12, 2022
April 11-14, 2022.
$518.33.
Booked on hotels.com from United hotels.
private visit
April 9-10.
Flew into LGA, out JFK next day.
April 6 – 9, 2022
private visit
March 15 – April 6
March 10? – 15, 2022
Laura came into town to meet me when I first drove in from Virginia, and Ann hosted our get-together.
March 8 – 10?
private visit, January 28 – March 6
Last weeks in the house that became my home in January 2003.
Left January 27, 2022