Karl and Kara NOT in Antarctica

Cuba road trip. Oh yeah! Claro que si! Our Geely car, there's nothing like a Geely. Like a Merc, only better. Having missed out on anything of Cuba beyond La Habana last time 'round we were determined to see the whole island this time. Karl, in particular was convinced of the necessity to get to both the most eastern and most western points (due to a combination of engineeringness, pilotness and German-(name)-ness) so the gauntlet was thrown! Had planned to hire a car so went to rental desk at a hotel (that's how it's done here) and asked the girl if there was a car available for the next day. She sighed, made sad gesture and said slowly “may....be”. And that was all. Further prompting enouraged her to tell us it was high season and there were few cars. Then she told us, slightly incredulously and apologetically, how incredibly expensive it would be. Not the world's greatest salesperson. While queueing at another rental office the hotel security man fixed...

Hired a car and drove up a snowy Massachussetts, New Hampshire and Vermont to Quebec. Long Vermont roads.   Despite all pre-existing knowledge and evidence I was still very surprised that suddenly everything was in French. I know, duh. But it really is a Francophone community up here. We almost never heard English spoken on the street in Montreal. Vieux Montreal with the new town in the background. Arrived after the “Polar Vortex” disaster so the streets were still a wee snowy/icy (actually arrived after the thaw and freezing rain that followed the cold snap, perfect conditions to turn everything into an ice-rink).   Walked/slid very cautiously down slidey footpaths (Montreal has some hills, just to make Winter interesting) fully laden with backpacks. This was the beginning of our practice with the “Quebec Shuffle” which we gradually came to grips with....an upright gait, short steps, looking two foot ahead. Missed most of Montreal's architectural hi...

Soooo...... not going to Antarctica. Sniffle, whimper. Cruise was cancelled. Sea ice... blah blah blah. Whatever. Going next year instead (fingers firmly crossed). Instead: Boston, Quebec, Cuba, Easter Island, New Zealand. First stop: Boston. Finally, a chance to revisit my youth and the Summer of '97!   Mammy and Daddy Forde crossing the bridge from Cambridge to Boston. Flew to Boston with Mammy and Daddy Forde (and Karl Forde). As soon as we got on the T (underground) I was transported back in time – it smells like (probably) only the Boston T smells!!! And off to Harvard Square – where the T station smells (as it always did) of Dunkin Donuts. Harvard Square in the Winter. A bit colder than I remember (when Harvard Sq. was the hottest place on earth after Death Valley) and quieter, with everyone sheltering indoors, but mostly still recognisable (apart from the big, generic-looking, fast food “Tasty Burger” where the Tasty used to be). Harvard...