The Unvaccinated Guide to Travel - part I.
And the winner is...
I find it amazing, but it seems that My Covid Story is slowly but surely coming to the end. We have acquired The USA Covid Report as well as The Censorship Report.
If my original thesis was right (and I think it was) that this whole mess was just because of Brexit and MAGA in USA, then inauguration of Trump in White House
(And MAHA, Elon and others) will preserve the balance for some time.
As the investigation and whole story seems to be complete, I would like to switch to more optimistic mindset, what to do after New Year and in 2025 and share my experience during last 4 years with traveling and mark countries, which I liked or felt welcomed as unvaccinated during the COVID action.
I will start with country, which I liked most during Covid. And please keep in mind, that each country needs to be divided into regions and it very much differs between each other.
For me the Winner and most welcoming country to Unvaccinated was:
**drum rolls please**
1st place - Italia
Now, I will list places and regions where I really been or visited with short description of each.
For me best region for Unvaccinated (which I mean, healthy, people-friendly, happy and smiling) was Puglia.
Puglia Region
I namely liked Lecce, Brindisi and Taranto. The Bari city is very rushed - a lot of stress but they have airport there. I highly recommend rent a car and then travel to other regions little bit away from the airport city.
For the sightseeing or just resting, best places are:
Santa Maria di Leuca
Marina San Gregorio
Porte Cesaro
Otranto
Torre del Orso
Brindisi
Ostuni
Monopoly
This region as it wasn’t so much touristic and overcrowded kept it’s Italian spirit and it’s really best place to rest or enjoy vacation. Very friendly and happy place. Highly recommend!
Also during covid, I never had problem as unvaccinated to go to restaurant or coffee or something, they simply didn’t controlled it so much. Only problem I had was on the Bari area or Airport. But still, we were able to communicate and even when I didn’t had QR code they let me pass for 20 € and make test on place. We were able to negotiate and they are always able to find a way.
The service was perfect and they are very grateful to have tourist there. Restaurants, coffee, ice-cream shops, sea side, churches and food is just delicious. Very fresh, very tasty. We also had house where you had outside Orange Tree so you could just take the Fresh Orange everyday.
Below are few my pictures from Instagram - they are not so representative, as it was already in 2023 - 2024 when they were getting after me. So I was trying to stay secret and not attract much attention to my self.
I think Italy now with Melanie and Elon is again very welcoming place for the unvaccinated in general.
Another region which I liked was also Abruzzo - it’s region across Rome.
Abruzzo
The main city there is Pescara and this region is mostly for nature and mountain lovers. We had good experience with Lorreto Apprutino, Grand Saso (Beautiful Mountains and Castles) and also with Penne and other cities.
I liked also Rome - I have been there before USA elections and yes, the atmosphere was tense but I do think they calmed down with Gaza and everything. Rome I think it’s again safe place to be and enjoy Cathedrals and local spirit.
For me it was good place and I liked it there - mostly not as tourist but as local. Guys at least are willing to play and do some action.
We been also to Bibibione during the Covid crisis and that’s I think very touristic oriented. During covid it was there for sure very hard and connection to Germany and Austria borders is very much felt there.
Anyway, if you like crowded places and hotels or tourists everywhere, it’s good place to be.
As it’s getting longer than I expected, I will just shortly describe, which places I also do recommend.
Malta - Italia but British, very touristic but nice.
Turkey: Ankara - very nice, even Istanbul is fine.
Gruzia - Kutaisi - Las Vegas of East
Spain: Valencia, Madrid, Lyon - nice places and I was able to survive and even enjoy it there during covid.
Poland - Krakow was also fine but little bit windy.
Bulagaria - Varna - very nice place and even with sea side (Eastern sea).
Eastern Germany - Rostock or Rügen Island was fine and it’s nice there. (Avoid Berlin and West Germany).
France - I don’t recommend to go there but if you have to, Marseille was fine but other France places very strange. The people are somehow crazy and dark, they absorbed something from Germany I think.
Netherlands could be good but I am not sure, how it went after covid. I was there once and probably they have also problem with the Woke and attacks.
In essence, I think the countries welcoming to unvaccinated were more chill regions or not so modernized or not technocratic regions.
I strongly advise you to avoid - Prague (Czech Republic in general), Berlin, Strasbourg, France (except the Marseille) and the hard Woke regions.
In Czech Republic if you have to, I do recommend mountains - Krkonoše National Park or Pravcicka Brana.
In General I do recommend as tourist to avoid Western Europe. The places are incredibly unfriendly and people are crazy or very bad.
I am neutral on Austria (even though some Wiena people are also crazy) but they have good Airport - that’s probably best and fastest Airport I have seen.
If I have to make conclusion, my worst covid experience was in Prague (specially Airport, avoid it at all costs) and then in Strasbourg. The France or West Germany / EU capital is so dark and people are really crazy. And also Berlin it’s not for me understandable, how they could so much change from 2014. They have the monuments of nazism and still didn’t learned much.
I recommend to stay as much as possible from those regions. I am not surprised, that they have there mass-shootings and terrorists attacks. The cities or places due to people around completely lost soul. Probably the same can be said about New York or other USA cities.
Anyway, for me the winner is clear and I hope to return there this summer. Spain was also good and second part I want to make around Valencia and Madrid.
Keep the optimism spirit and look forward for better future! It is coming!
