Sustainable travel

The EV blog post was an interesting, but misleading, read. A 200 km maximum range is extremely low and not representative of most EVs. My vehicle is on the lower end of the max range these days, at ~364 km. Plus, it came with an adaptor to use the fastest chargers, when needed.

I just heard the other day that Chinese EVs (heavily tariffed in North America, but not in Europe, where they will be increasingly available) now have technology that charges in about 5 minutes!

PHEVs and hybrids are certainly a "best of both worlds" solution, but they are also a "worst of both worlds" solution. First of all, if they are mainly highway driven, they are going to use mainly gas. Secondly, while EVs have fewer mechanical issues, due to fewer moving parts, PHEVs don't have this advantage.

I agree that with the current technology, EVs are best for certain types of driving, especially in-city driving, which, I suspect, is what most of us do most of the time. But the technology and infrastructure are improving rapidly, and range-anxiety with EVs is diminishing just as rapidly, except for maybe those who live in fairly isolated areas and drive on rural roads and highways 90% of the time.

I love my EV, and I think this blog post, while amusing, could needlessly scare people away from them, when the FIAT this guy rented was clearly not representative of what's currently available.

I don't drive a lot these days. I am retired and in my late 70s. I will never buy an electric car.
First, they are way more expensive than a hybrid or gas car.
Second, if I want to drive 640 miles to do Thanksgiving with my Son and his family every year, I would have to recharge at least three times.

I hope Cameron's blog didn't scare anyone away from electric cars!

One of the things I really respect about Rick Steves and his organization is their commitment to sustainability:

https://www.ricksteves.com/about-us/climate-smart

Our Climate Smart Commitment

Also, they should do something to fix museum feet. That would be something.

Happy travels.

I don't think the Blog scares people away from EV cars. On the contrary, as someone who does not own an EV, it gives me a lot of things to be aware of should I want to rent one.

Cameron's blogs are usually aimed at giving tips for your travel, and to me he gave a lot of good advice. I would not have thought of needing an app to charge, etc. And while his Fiat may have. a lower range than is now usual, it's low range may have been why he got such a good deal and I appreciate the heads up to watch out for that.

Yeah, yeah. Platitudes and actions that overall mean little. 1968 I had a Austin Healy Sprite. Somehow or other I was environmentally conscious. It was the 60s after all. I went out of my way to go to the few gas stations that had unleaded at that time. Paid more per gallon. Felt good. Save the world.
Didn't matter one iota overall. More people now. More cars. Numerically we are a sinking ship. One Exxon Valdez, one Gulf of Mexico rig explosion. One War in Iraq with oil fields burning. It is all for naught.

Après moi, le déluge- Louis XV if recall right. It’s that nihilistic impulse that says it’s all going to pot anyway and ruin will follow no matter what I do. Ah, it’s stuff like that you learn on RS tours! I learned that that king was generally considered not to be one of France’s finest. Maybe not good leadership.

So the big problem of saving the planet is daunting. Right you are. Maybe too daunting. Still I am pleased Rick’s org gives a little to solving it with each tour, with each tour member.

In the meantime, let’s solve the problem of museum feet! I’m thinking a better pair of socks may help!

Any advice?

Baby steps!

Happy travels!

"So the big problem of saving the planet is daunting. Right you are.
Maybe too daunting. Still I am pleased Rick’s org gives a little to
solving it with each tour, with each tour member."

Me, too, David.

I'm doing what I can.

https://youtu.be/naj6zZakgEg?si=uhs6qmNkNMUpMsxJ

re: museum feet. My solution is to research ahead of time and identify the 5-10 (or whatever) things that are of most interest to you. Then see them first. If still interested, keep going. If not then move on, guilt-free.

Of course that only work if your travel companions agree, but at least its a plan.

Good idea Stan.

I was also thinking about this very old cartoon, the Jetsons, where one of the characters-- Rosie I think-- went around on casters. Seems like a possible solution too.

Happy travels.

re: museum feet

Or take your seat with you with one of those cane/chairs.

https://www.amazon.com/cane-chairs/s?k=cane+chairs

Awkward, but your feet will be happy.

BB, wow. I finally watched the YouTube you linked. It's lovely.

“Flight of the Hummingbird - Haida Manga by Michael Nicoll Yahgulanaas”

Transcript

here is the story of the great Forest

that caught on fire the terrible fire

raged and burned all of the animals were

afraid and fled from their homes the

elephant and the tiger the beaver and

the Bear all ran and above them the

birds flew in a

panic they huddled at the edge of the

forest and watched all of the creatures

gathered except one only duk duum the

Little Hummingbird would not abandon the forest duk duum flew quickly to the stream she picked up a single drop of water in her beak
du Dum flew back and dropped the water on fire

again she flew to the stream and brought back another

drop and so she continued back and forth

back and forth the other animals watched

duuk diam's tiny body fly against the

enormous

fire and they were frightened they

called out to the Little Hummingbird

warning her of the dangers of the smoke

and the heat what can I do sobbed the

rabbit this fire is much too hot there's

too much smoke howled the Wolf My Wings

will burn my beak is too small cried the

owl but the Little Hummingbird persisted

she flew to and fro picking up more

water and dropping it bead by bead onto

the burn in Forest finally the big bear

said little Duke Duke dim what are you

doing without stopping du duum looked

down at all of the animals she

said I'm doing what I can

My extension of Stan''s good advice is to realise guide books, etc are not meant to be a tick off list. If you don't visit everywhere in the book, then you haven't somehow failed in your holiday. Just pick the places that interest you - there's no need to visit all eight churches, four museums and three castles mentioned. Work our how long you have in a place, which bits interest you and then do the maths (and, yes, it is maths - not math).

Nick, if I add one maths to another maths, do I get back to one math? Maybe I should ask AI, huh?

Nevermind....

Good idea! Good point Nick. I like the cut of your jib!

That and casters... and a chair cane.

Happy travels.

In this report -( https://blog.ricksteves.com/cameron/2022/11/ev-europe-road-trip ) , Cameron confirms all my thoughts that making your first encounter with an EV while on vacation is a terrible idea.

I'm so new to it that I have no hope of rushing rushing and seeing it all. Or even close.

So... I "give up" and enjoy.

It's almost always pretty great.

BB, wow. I finally watched the YouTube you linked. It's lovely.
“Flight of the Hummingbird - Haida Manga by Michael Nicoll
Yahgulanaas”

It is, David. The physical book has a forward by the Dalai Lama.

I had the pleasure of dining with Michael Nicholl Yahgulanaas a number of years ago, when he was writer-in-residence at the university where I taught. He is a lovely person, and I treasure the ink sketch he gave me (he spontaneously drew one for each of the people at the dinner).

THE DUAL PATH - MUSEUM, MACHINE, MAN

Dear Sir,
After considerable deliberation as regards your query, our senior advisors have identified two possible solutions to your present predicament, which we are happy to hereby present to you for consideration. The first option entails continued usage of present human faculties to the best of your ability, subject to concomitant limitations. The second option makes use of certain technologies, only recently made available and at our disposal, which are provided our premium level clients, which allow for a greatly expanded freedom of movement.

OPTION 1:
Be well rested. Walk barefoot on beach for 10-15 min the preceding day to give feet a thoughtful kneading. Drink and bring water. Bring small folding chair. Put on quality footwear. Enter museum and sit down 5-10 min straight away, in front of Corbet painting. Go from room to room for 30 min. Sit down 5-10 min in front of Manet painting. Go from room to room for 30 min. Sit down 5-10 min in front of Caillbotte painting. Go from room to room for 30 min. Sit down 5-10 min in front of Redon painting. Go from room to room for 30 min. Revisit favourites before leaving. Drink along the way. Collapse at the hotel. You are only human after all.

ALT.

OPTION 2:
Consider transferring your mind into a T-800 Terminator. This popular Schwarzenegger model will give you that ease of access to the Firenze accademia you've always suspected could be achieved, if only someone put in the effort. Watch people quickly move aside as your powerful frame makes its way to the very best art, thereby fulfilling its main objective.
Also available for purchase: The T-1000 Terminator. This reliable best-seller, the Robert Patrick model, comes with a variety of features, allowing you to blend in with the locals, for any amount of time. Watch the wizened old lady proprietor of a Budapest tobacco store greet you as if you were family, experiencing the advantages of this unique model fully as you move closer, noting a gradual change of heart.

Our easy to use manual makes any mind transfer a breeze. Once inside simply program the model to perform the chosen task. Ride a bike Berlin-Trieste inside an hour, run Bologna-Bari in an afternoon or swim the Irish Sea Bristol-Belfast overnight. Even during the most roaring winter storm your mind will sleep comfortably inside our models, as they undertake point to point transport. Wake up refreshed at dawn, as the model ambles slowly at the edge of a new town or along a sandy foreign shore. The day is yours for the taking.

Both models delivered with personal aircraft (at no extra cost) (optional).
Life-time guarantee!
.
.
Yours sincerely
SKYNET Inc.
Your Future Friend!

If I choose the terminator model, do I get free time travel? 'cause I always wanted to see the renaissance in person. I hear that that Da Vinci fellow not only was a good artist but he also made a pasta that was to die for.

OR

OPTION 3:

Upload your mind into our Simulated Reality(patent pending) and Travel the World without those pesky other people crowding the attractions.

My concept of sustainable travel is if I can fo it again next year and for the foreseeable future, it's sustainable.

This comment is pretty flip, and I understand if it upsets some people. But my wife and I live a pretty low-impact existence, our electricity is almost entirely renewable generation, we don't eat a lot of red meat and we try to be prudent about our carbon footprint without stressing over it. Yes, we fly business class. Yes, we stay in multiple bedroom apartments in Europe. But we walk or use public transit whenever it's practical. I can live with the dichotomy.

Or take your seat with you with one of those cane/chairs

I injured myself before a recent trip, so had a noticeable limp and used a walking stick. I was pleasantly surprised when visiting the Rembrandt House in Amsterdam, that they offered a carry-along seat, it was wonderful.

As for "Museum Feet", I just always saw it as overstimulation and fatigue. Your mind can absorb only so much, just like your stomach can take only so much great food, before you have to change pace. I cringe a bit when I see people trying to do three art museums in a day. You certainly can check them off the list, but your enjoyment will fade. Same with "Church burn-out", and any of a dozen other categories, that if you overdo, you fail to appreciate as much.

Part of "Sustainable" travel is planning a variety of activities and sights, and having the fortitude to skip a museum or sight, even though technically, you have time to squeeze it in, telling yourself that it is for a future trip.

A few years back, I said to my wife "Let's have a two museum a day rule." And then she told me later that same day when we were in our third museum (that same day) how much I loved it.

She was right. I did love the third museum that day. Hoisted by own petard!

Rick Steves and the Rick Steves forum is not place to solve the world's problems. But I am quite pleased that he stretches beyond just tourism to add purpose-- purpose to travels-- in his writings and even to his organization's mission. He isn't preaching folks to become monks or scientists or philosophers. Just add some level of awareness.

And that's why I'm choosing option 3-- uploading to the cloud-- so I can travel at the speed of light to every smart phone on the planet and use it to harvest their consumer data so I can sell folks tailored products-- like a bespoke bittcoinish thingies of immense virtual value!

Happy travels.

If I choose the terminator model, do I get free time travel? 'cause I
always wanted to see the renaissance in person. I hear that that Da
Vinci fellow not only was a good artist but he also made a pasta that
was to die for.

Free time travel is always included. All our messages to you are forwarded
from your future. We pride ourselves on having 100% customer satisfaction.

SN