trinacriabob

I know a Greek guy in New York and he was just telling me that he used to take Olympic Airways to and from Greece. He said that it was Aristotle Onassis's airline ... I didn't know that. He told me they had a 747 named Olympus and another one named Zeus. Olympic never put out much of a reach to North America ... just NY and Toronto, I believe. They bankrupted sometime post-9/11. Now, Greece only has much smaller Aegean, but they stick mostly to Europe, the Middle East, etc. Here's one of their 747s approaching Athens Airport next to the sea at Ellinikon. In looking up this airline and jet, they had a write-up on Olympic Airways Flight 411 which was using the 747 Zeus in 1978, so this was a fairly new unit. Fairly shocking for a veteran crew - 418 people on board - close call ...

Most TV shows and sitcoms that take place in the same 1 to 3 rooms test my patience. Maybe that's why I might watch documentaries and police shows, and very rarely at that, or watch movies I've read about in advance and want to see.

Several of my friends have asked me, "What, you never saw that Seinfeld episode?!?" I'm seeing it for the first time. It's funny. I thought "Seinfeld" was boring ... too slow. The only episode I've watched was the "Assman" episode. Kramer, in my mind, was the only funny character on the show.

Today marks yet another anniversary of the sinking of the "Andrea Doria," just the night before she was due in to New York. My parents knew young couples, some of them with toddlers, who were moving to the U.S. on tranquil completed crossings, but also one couple who did not yet have children but were on the ship on the crossing on which the collision with the "Stockholm" occurred. I am in the New York City area right now. Life is weird ... that's for sure.

It's about how things were pronounced, as if in a sitcom. Someone told them to me. (Coming into New York harbor, Staten Island would definitely be on the left.) I literally just walked across the bridge along Broadway - and over the dividing Harlem River - from The Bronx into Manhattan ... after taking the subway up to The Bronx.

ESL-isms as jokes Q: How did Staten Island get its name? A: On sailing into the Narrows into uncharted territory, one Dutch explorer pointed to the left and asked, "Ees dat an island?" Q: How did Van Nuys of the San Fernando Valley get its name? A: A realtor was accompanying an Italian immigrant who farmed to look for land to purchase. Standing on a ridge overlooking a mostly vacant San Fernando Valley, the Italian man pointed to roughly the middle of the valley and said, "Dat area down dere ... veh nice, veh nice!"

BONUS PHOTO For sassy Sicily, sassier music is in synch with the overall experience

MECHANICAL PHOTOS An overall look at the engine bay, with most things looking familiar and most things within reach Counting manifolds yields a number of 3 - this is a turbocharged 3 cylinder turbocharged gasoline engine There is plumbing and tubing indicating the presence of a turbocharger and, with the number of cylinders and displacement, it comes in handy and brings the T-Cross up to the task

INTERIOR PHOTOS The layout and placement of controls on the instrument cluster, dashboard, and console area were sensible and also visually balanced This shows the layout of the center stack from top to bottom: infotainment, vents, key buttons for key functions, and climate control panel above cubby area and ahead of the shift lever ... the parking brake is a conventional one x The cupholders are easy to reach, the armrest is padded, and the console box is squarish but big enough The above point to Germanic/European appointments that are in synch with the price point, but do the job More of the overall look continues in the rear of the cabin and seating comfort and room may depend on the size of the occupants There is limited functionality here at the back of the console and the only USB connections available are the small ones ... I found it easier to put a USB charger into the 12 V lighter and supply juice to my USB cables through that Possibly because of how its angled, visibility around the rearmost pillar was not too much of a hassle With the cover up, this shows the amount of luggage that fits in the back with the seats up. A few more small items could be inserted above the luggage and at the sides. Pushing down the rear seat makes for a lot more room, but, at that point, one's belongings are not hidden from view

EXTERIOR PHOTOS Side view of the VW T-Cross in Southern Sicily ... yes, the "Trinacria" Angled front view in Marina di Ragusa, Sicily Angled rear view in Marina di Ragusa, Sicily

Another rental of a smaller sedan with an automatic transmission brought on an upgrade. The vehicle offered was the VW T-Cross SUV. I took a quick look at the phone and went with it. VW makes 2 smaller SUVs with the T in their names, meaning the T-Cross and the T-Roc. It quickly came across that the T-Cross was going to be easy to live with. The proportions would be more workable for Southern Italy. The interior has that spartan but fleshed out enough with comforts and accessories currently found in many VW products. Not only that, the layout of the dashboard and controls allows for quick driver familiarization. Driving out of the rental lot showed more definition as to the angles and boundaries of the vehicle, especially looking out over the hood. (This was going to be much simpler than doing the same with the preceding rented Citroen C5.) Steering is nimble and there is a resemblance in handling characteristics with other vehicles under the VW umbrella from VW, Seat, and Skoda. The vehicle quickly inspires confidence in communicating with the road while keeping the cabin isolated enough. Power comes from a turbocharged 3-cylinder engine, which is starting to be very normal and has even come to North America. The gears shifted through the VW group’s automatic 7 speed DSG transmission. Power seems sufficient in almost all situations and the automatic shifts of the DSG are very fluid – minimally felt, but also hushed in moving upward through the gears. This is a refined automatic transaxle. The ride is both smooth and quiet, albeit more smooth than quiet. When pushing down on the accelerator, there is a slight hum of the engine and/or turbocharger and gear shifts are more pronounced, which is normal. The T-Cross has a dashboard and driver interfaces that score points. The dashboard is logically laid out, the infotainment system cleanly stays under the cowl of the dashboard, the appliques in plastic and/or brushed metal manage to look nicely finished, and ergonomics between the driver and the controls are commendable. The ignition uses a key and the parking brake is a traditional one located on the console. Currently, the main instrument pod can be tailored to the driver’s wants and needs. I prefer the digital speed readout and set it to that, though analog displays are also options. Other functions such as fuel and temperature are now displayed in horizontal bars that light up to the applicable extent. This takes a little bit of getting used to. Controls on the steering wheel are fairly logical and there are less of them than on some vehicles where they are downright cluttered. In the center stack, the infotainment sits above the climate control panel and, in between the two, are the two central air vents. Also there are critical switches such as emergency flashers, auto stop-start, and the like. So, one gets slightly less optimal climate control vent placement, but, boy, does the dash look better for it! The top of the armrest is padded and the storage area beneath it is more of a deep box. However, when it comes to USB ports, I could not find the old school ones most people seem to use, but only the smaller (micro) ones. The fabric seats feature tough materials that are functional more so than plush or soft to the touch. However, they make sense … and they are supportive. There aren’t many soft touch features on the car and the door panels and handles, among other items, make for an instant preview of that. For most average-sized adults, the front legroom is comfortable and the rear seat legroom seems acceptable. Since the vehicle’s SUV shape resembles a small wagon, the not particularly long silhouette makes for a smaller cargo area. It fit two large suitcases with the rear seat up. Some skinnier items could fit under the pull-over cover and around the sides of the luggage. That said, the cargo area with the rear seat in place is not generous. Fuel economy with the turbocharged engine and DSG is good, probably in the mid 30 mpg range (converted from kilometers and liters) for mixed driving. It came in slightly lower than the big Citroen SUV with a diesel engine. The T-Cross is fairly fun to drive with its higher seating position, user-friendly and appealing dashboard, and planted feel. It handles the open road well without being too isolated and it’s small enough to work its way through tighter areas in small towns and rural locales. Again, there are all the bits and pieces that say Volkswagen. The T-Cross doesn’t drive as serenely and quietly as does something like the Skoda Scala. Perhaps it drives more like a VW Jetta with a higher center of gravity. But that’s not a bad thing: having a rented Jetta in Houston for a week several years ago got me to take a fresh new look at VW and there are a lot of similarities with the T-Cross in finishes, feel, and even smell. There’s a lot more here to like - than dislike - if a smaller and competent European SUV is what a consumer is seeking. - - - - - PHOTOS FORTHCOMING

It seems like you can't wipe your behind these days without getting a survey sent to you. Then, when you get around to responding to it, it has stale dated.

You're right ... it would also have to be trimmed out. I don't think wheel well skirts were the way to go since Pontiac tried to purvey the image of being the sportiest among the full-sized GM boulevardiers and the skirts don't work well with their trademark rally wheels. Also, as I got closer to that Bonneville coupe in Yosemite, I believe the fabric seats had this cool tweed-like look - in that apple green I mentioned - instead of the over the top velour pillowed seats you might see in the upline Grandville Brougham. I would have loved to have driven one of these cars at some point just to see what they feel like. I'm sure they're fine on the freeway, but it would be interesting to know how they behave on the 2-lane mountain roads into Yosemite and other mountain destinations.

So, I had Google Maps on Android Auto as I drove around the Montreal area. My default is (American) English and the verbal instructions are given by an English speaker who also Anglicizes the names of the streets. This will sound sexist, but the pronunciations in other languages reflecting where I've driven reminds me of the 2.7-ish dumb blonde you've had in language classes in high school or college. I say this because some girls got all exasperated much like Chrissie on "Three's Company" would and whine "this is sooo haaaard" as they mispronounce things while reciting. The 2.7-ish dumb jock would also say them like he wasn't the brightest bulb and act yuk-yuk-yuk while reciting. Well, I hope they at least mastered "dos cervezas, por favor" for any cruise they might take to the Mexican Riviera. So, in French speaking Montreal, Google Maps lady calls out: 1. Boulevard Lakkady That would be Boulevard de l'Acadie, with reference to Acadia National Park and the general area of Acadia, so she bastardized a beautiful place in Maine 2. Kristoff Column That would be Christophe Colomb, as in Christopher Columbus There were many other "dumb blonde" mispronunciations during those days ... she fares a little bit better in Spanish and Portuguese. Just a little bit. * end of rant *

What I was really randomly thinking: reminiscing ... something I saw in Yosemite National Park when I went with my parents on a cool overcast November day and was smitten ... with both the national park and this ... ... except that it was dark metallic forest green with an apple green landau and interior. Look at the stupid things on this one: manual windows, a vanilla looking bench seat, and black seat belts. These looked good with either the rear wheel skirt or without ... but I prefer them without it. It looks like they can easily be removed. The fully exposed rear rally wheel makes it look less chunky and more sporty. - - - - - I was looking at where this car and the other GM stablemates went with the 1977 downsizing. Except for the Cadillac, I didn't like most of them, since they went too slab-like and lost most rounded elements. The full-size Pontiac floundered from the late '70s to the mid '80s, right down to occasionally oddly proportioned styling and a weird assortment of engines that they came with ... and that came and went.

Wow. Interesting dashboard. Rectilinear and curved ... but more rectilinear! Definitely Lincoln styling vocabulary and not much GM seen here. I know what driving a Ford SOHC 4.6L V8 felt like ... as in very good. However, I am not remembering its sound. For some reason, low displacement V8s, especially when newer and have intact exhaust systems, tend to purr beautifully.

Good morning! When you do see this IRL, it is definitely funny.

Surprisingly, one of the most scenic drives for me was not coastal, but mountainous: the Great Dolomites Road (Grande Strada dei Dolomiti). It takes almost 3 hours to travel 60 miles. I've done this twice ... about 10 years apart ... not my photos above, but I took at least 100 each time. Highly recommended!

That you even drove in Salerno and on the Amalfi Coast, presumably with a manual, is sort of amazing to me. I have some major issues with the region of Campania in general ... blame it on Naples. Autogrill is okay for tide over food. More people seem to go in for stand-up coffee (not me) or clean enough restrooms (me). There are at least 2 in the north where the Autogrill sits in one big building that is placed over the autostrada and can be reached from the pullouts on both sides of it. Right. The PacNW thickens one's blood. I remember. But perfect coffee weather. I'd go down to California at about March to visit and they'd comment on how pale I had become. So, it's also a great place for good skin and you know this when you walk outside on a cool morning. That 30C can brush 40C in July and August in Sicily's interior. I'm in the north right now and the felt heat index today has hit the equivalent of 99F.

I had to comment on this, which I saw a few days ago. Boeing 787 Dreamliner operators have been using 3-3-3 seating in economy. That's 9 across. Japan Air Lines has bucked that convention. They've gone to 2-4-2 regular economy seating, so that's 8 across. They've widened the seats a little, which realistically means a lot. https://simpleflying.com/japan-airlines-boeing-787-seat-configuration-guide/ I really like the Dreamliner, and its ambiance and ambient features are great, but it does look like a 1.5x wide 737 in the back of the plane. JAL's move probably works out to a loss of 30 seats, unless they now have fewer business class rows. But customers will think about the seating and it might cause them to pick JAL, which might mean fuller flights. That part of the world isn't my cup of tea. I want to understand what people are saying and respond. It would be great for European - and North American - carriers to go 2-4-2, so you would get the great Boeing plane and a more comfortable cabin. I'm more on board with the latest Airbus 330 Neo, which is still 2-4-2 and I've enjoyed flights on it. Look at this obviously more comfortable layout and nicer seating that Japan Air Lines is offering.

Very random thought: I wonder what people's dogs and cats think, if anything, when seeing their owners having sex ...

Korean is mostly Boeing, and they do have some A380s. While the article was about (yet another) Boeing 737 Max issue, it featured a photo of their nicely painted up 747-8 of which they are one of the few carriers who ordered them in pax form. I can't do much with my phone camera. But kudos to a photographer who can capture this plane on the tarmac at NY-JFK and capture the Freedom Tower all the way across the miles of city that is Brooklyn-Queens in between the two. It's fairly far away.

BONUS PHOTOS Look for a Greek temple ... that's not in Greece. This is as close as I could get to Valle dei Templi without paying, as I've already seen it up close once before In most roadside fuel stops on the autostrada, there is always an Autogrill (sort of like Denny's, but not really since the table service part is minimal) where you can pick up sandwiches, pizza slices, drinks, use the restrooms, and, of course, see people standing up at a counter and drinking small cups of coffee that taste like kerosene. The usual ... nothing changes ... Andrea True singing implied smut to me on the autostrada across the middle of Sicily 30 degrees C in Sicily's interior and, since it's not ventilated by the sea, it can get really toasty in July and August, albeit dry, but it's still uncomfortably hot - - - - - END OF PHOTOS

MECHANICAL PHOTOS View of turbocharged inline 4-cylinder diesel engine for which a prop rod was needed to keep the hood up Longitudinal view of engine which provides some insight as to the location and appearance of the turbocharger

INTERIOR PHOTOS This is the view upon getting into the car - very comfortable seating, slightly high console deck, clamshell console box, and tasteful dash finishes As seen from the passenger side, the console's different command functions (gear selector, parking brake, drive mode, and push button start) are really nicely put together and easy to use - possibly the best I've seen so far in a European vehicle Full view of instrument panel - toggles on steering wheel not too fussy, nice assembly of A/C vents, touch screen appearance not to my liking although operation was fairly easy, and it looks like that USB port, if I recall, is the one that best "talks" to Android Auto They did the last "opera window," or window in the last pillar, just right for visibility Rear seat room is appropriate, not to mention that it features pleasing assembly Rear seat ducts and USB port Rear storage are (covered) and I rarely see 3 split seats like there is here Luggage now stowed in rear storage area, with some room left for more items