I’m hopeful airline prices will return to normal by September 2026. With midterms coming, the idiot President can’t afford high fuel costs motivating voters to campaign against the ReTrumplican party.

Blame Trump.

When Trump’s unnecessary war suddenly cancelled my international flight, I scrambled to find another way home to Canada.

Happily, I grabbed this sweet deal Rome ➙ Calgary direct on Westjet.

CAD $426.35 = USD $306 = 266 Euro

Here’s the price in April for Rome ➙ Calgary including direct, one, or two stops.

A.I.

Primary Drivers of Rising Costs

• Soaring Fuel Prices: Following the start of the conflict in Iran on February 28, 2026, crude oil prices reached nearly $120 a barrel before stabilizing around $90. Jet fuel costs spiked by over 58% in early March, leading airlines like Flight Centre Canada to warn of new fuel surcharges.
• Aircraft Tariffs: President Trump has threatened a 50% tariff on aircraft manufactured in Canada. Experts note that tariffs on aircraft and parts often result in higher long-term airfares as airlines pass these capital costs to consumers.
• Regulatory Rollbacks: The administration has eliminated several consumer protection rules, including a mandate that required airlines to compensate passengers for significant flight delays or cancellations. Critics argue this prioritizes corporate interests over traveler affordability.
• New Fees and Taxes: Policy changes have introduced or increased various travel-related costs, such as new identity-check fees and potential increases in TSA-related costs due to budget shifts. 

Global airlines hike ticket prices as Iran war sends costs soaring

The war has sent oil prices surging, upending global travel and pushing airline ticket costs on some routes sky-high.

Update ➙ Westjet is already returning to low prices Calgary – Lisbon. A good sign.

I have vivid memories of Rome from age-17. Four friends driving into the city in a rented orange Volkswagen Van early Sunday morning to avoid traffic.

Returning 50 year later, a few of the famed tourist attractions looked familiar.

Of course, the Colosseum is unforgettable. This time I stayed at the nearby Ostello Bello Roma Colosseo.

Under renovation for years, there’s no scaffolding in 2026.

The Colosseum is PACKED, even in winter.

Check out the cop car helping with security.

Surprisingly, I couldn’t recall the massive Victor Emmanuel II Monument. Considered modern (1885 to 1935) / tacky by some, I was impressed.

Trevi Fountain looked familiar. Of course I’d seen it in movies and documentaries over the years.

Similarly, the Spanish Steps looked exactly as I remembered.

Not like that postcard, of course. Like this. 😀

The Pantheon? … It looked vaguely familiar.

One of the best-preserved of all Ancient Roman buildings, in large part because it has been in continuous use throughout its history.

Similarly, Castel Sant’Angelo (Mausoleum of Hadrian) looked impressive, ancient, … and vaguely familar.

There are huge line-ups to get into many of the attractions. Even if you’ve purchased tickets in advance online.

BUT St. Peter’s Square is open to the public.

Huge. But not as massive as I recalled from 1976.

In those days of lax security, we teenagers snuck into the Vatican City gardens. Great fun.

Happily, I never found any of the attractions too crowded in low season. Traffic was not terrible, either.

I purchased not one ticket. Instead doing 4 different long walking tours on the (flawed) GPSmyCity app.

Addio Roma.  It's doubtful I'll get back again, so not arrivederci

I only had a week.

End of March. Surprisingly cool and rainy.

My single highlight was hiking Mount Etna.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

Favourite city was, surprisingly, Catania.

Best hostel Ostello Bello Palermo.

There are plenty more reasons to plan a holiday to Sicily.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

Cefalù is about an hour by train from Palermo.

The town, with its population of just under 14,000, is one of the major tourist attractions in the region. Despite its size, every year it attracts millions of tourists.

The Cathedral of Cefalù is impressive. Service was in progress when I stopped in. Well attended.

The highlight for me was climbing La Rocca.

Great views.

Plenty of ancient stonework from different historical eras. This was easy to defend.

In the afternoon I hung out at the beach for a bit. Then wandered the narrow streets. Evocative.

Ryan stayed for a few days.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

After 5 days enjoying my stay at Follow the Sun, I hated to leave.

This might be the best hostel deal in Europe.

For less than 21 Euro / night — including a terrific breakfast — you get a fantastic facility in a perfect sun / fun location. You can’t beat this value in expensive Malta.

Here’s the vista from my balcony. Though it’s a hostel, my room is called the penthouse. 😀

Excellent Malta hostel day trip with leader Paty.

Here’s our group in Mdina: U.K., USA, France, Spain, Colombia, Sweden, Canada.

Mdina and Rabat are two historic, neighboring towns in central Malta that effectively function as a single destination. 

Mdina, the “Silent City,” is a fortified medieval citadel that served as Malta’s capital until the 16th century. 

I’m surprised it’s only on the tentative list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites. This place is amazing.

Rabat, which translates to “suburb” in Arabic, grew outside Mdina’s walls and is renowned for its deep religious roots and Roman heritage.

The biggest highlight ➙ Basilica of St Paul.

For us, Rabat had the best inexpensive restaurants we’d found in the nation.

We loved the savoury Pastizz (Pastizzi) snacks and traditional Maltese savoury pastry parcels called Qassatat.

But the highlight of the trip for us all were the Dingli Cliffs.

We took an Uber van to get there for sunset.