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Category: Travels in the Corona Age

Second Covid-19 Vaccination

Second Covid-19 Vaccination

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Sofia, Bulgaria After arriving in Sofia, Bulgaria, I spent some time trying to find out where I could get my second covid-19 vaccination. Even after translation, the results of my internet searches were not particularly helpful. Most advised that I should attend one of the vaccination points, without providing any information about where these points actually were. So I had the same plan as for my first vaccination in Varna (see First Covid-19 Vaccination): just turn up at somewhere medical…

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First Covid-19 Vaccination

First Covid-19 Vaccination

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I heard that the Bulgarians were willing to vaccinate tourists against Corona, so the day after I arrived in Varna I set off to find out if it was true. I found the location of a local medical centre, and after a short walk arrived at the address. There was a chemist adjoining the clinic, so I thought I would ask there first. Using a translation app on my phone, I explained that I was a visitor from Australia and…

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Air Travel in the Covid Age II

Air Travel in the Covid Age II

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When I left New Zealand to fly to Turkey last year, the whole Covid-19 circus was a bit confronting (see Air Travel in the Covid Age). We were told to wear both a mask and a perspex face shield when boarding and disembarking the plane, and the shield had to stay in place for the duration of the flight. The airline staff who greeted us at the plane door were dressed top to toe in surgical ward safety gear. Now,…

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Leaving Spain, Second Attempt

Leaving Spain, Second Attempt

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In the morning I headed down to the hotel lobby and checked out for the second time in the past two days (see Leaving Spain, First Attempt ). I had spent the previous afternoon booking flights I hoped I could board, and hotels I hoped I could reach. I was tempted to joke to the bloke on the desk that I would see him later in the day, but decided not to jinx myself. With a unpleasant sense of deja-vu…

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Leaving Spain, first attempt

Leaving Spain, first attempt

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The catamaran had been my home for the past five months, and I’d been very fortunate to have some great adventures aboard. However with the good ship parked up at the marina in La Linea for repairs and upgrades, it was time for me to be leaving Spain. With inter-regional travel in Spain still limited, and Portugal locked down tighter than a chastity belt, it was time to move a little further afield. Well, at least across the Straits of…

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Not welcome in Malaga

Not welcome in Malaga

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Our three and a half day passage from Mallorca to the city of Malaga on Spain’s south coast was our easiest yet. We figured we were due for some good sailing conditions after getting bashed pillar to post on our last voyage from Sardinia. We had a following wind for the entire passage, which gave us good speed and made for comfortable trip. As we sailed along the south coast of Spain, we got some great views of the mountain…

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Leaving Italy

Leaving Italy

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A suitable weather window has opened for us so it’s time to leave Italy and strike out for Spain’s Balearic Islands. This time of year, the gap between Sardinia and Corsica is a bit of a wind tunnel, so when it quietens down you have to make the most of it. Considering the big winds we’ve experienced in La Maddalena for the last few days, we expect to cop some swell on our trip to Mallorca. It’ll be a bumpy…

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Sardinian heavy weather

Sardinian heavy weather

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Mountains, Wind and Waves After an 18 hour sail from Tunisia we arrived in Sardinia, Italy, and anchored off Cagliari breakwater in the early morning light. The Guardia Di Finanza didn’t turn up til the next day, and we appreciated the chance to have a breather. The Guardia are responsible for fighting financial crime and smuggling, and in our experience are the first officials to show up when you arrive in Italian waters. We were unsure as to the reception…

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Arriving in Bizerte

Arriving in Bizerte

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It had been a bit of a stressful night. As we neared the north African coast the amount of heavy shipping increased, and frequent wind changes meant ongoing sail and course adjustments. It was with relief that I watched the sun rise, and terror an hour later when I glanced up to see a long line of floats across our path. I switched off the auto pilot and wrenched on the helm, dragging the boat to port and bringing us…

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Arriving in Greece

Arriving in Greece

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None of us knew what to expect as we left Turkish waters. Would the Greek coastguard be on us as soon as we entered their territory? The Turkish Coasties definitely had been when we were on their turf, and we suspected their Greek counterparts would be similarly conscientious. The Greek government had banned private sailing vessels arriving from Turkey due to Covid-19, so we knew we risked being turned away, detained, fined, or a combination of the three. We were…

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