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Two Jims' European Adventure

abril - julho 2022
We're off to Spain, Italy, Switzerland, Germany, Amsterdam, Paris, and Ireland as a retirement celebration trip. Leia mais
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  • ViajanteTwo Jims' European Adventure
    Dia 11

    Cinque Fotografies-Barcelona Day 6

    24 de abril de 2022, Espanha ⋅ ⛅ 12 °C

    We ventured about an hour out of the city to visit the Monistrol de Montserrat. We departed by train from the Plaza Espanya which is adjacent to the Barcelona FC Stadium.

    It was nice to see a different area of Spain, and we were thinking that it resembles parts of the Western U.S. We were joined by a new acquaintance from Texas who we met at Park Güell a few days earlier. In another small-world phenomenon we know people in common in Portland.

    Those who know me are aware that I'm very afraid of heights. There are two ways to the Monastery: aerial tram or cog railroad. At my urging we opted for the lesser of two terrors and we took the train. The views were quite spectacular, and I was only troubled by some sheer drops a few times.

    When we arrived at the Monastery, we wandered up the pathway to the Basilica. I purchased a candle and lit it in memory of my father, aunt and both grandmothers. This brought back many memories of my youth where either my mother or grandmother would take me to light votive candles to remember departed loved ones.

    When we arrived at the plaza outside the Basilica, Sunday Mass was taking place. We had wanted to enter the Basilica to hear the Boys' Choir, but no new visitors were allowed in until after the service and the performance of a few songs by the choir. Luckily, the service was broadcast and the sound was quite lovely.

    I was moved by the church bells. They were jubilant and beautiful. We were able to then enter the Basilica to see the magnificent church and several side chapels. One highlight was the display of the Black Madonna. It was beautiful and moving and she gazes out through a window to the church.

    Jim and I decided to take the heights challenge to an additional level by purchasing a ride up the funicular to the top of the mountain. I prayed to Our Lady of Acrophobia, and I managed to make it to the top unscathed despite an elevated heart rate. The view really was worth the extra elevation.

    After our return, we were welcomed by a couple from Barcelona who we met on a Facebook group page. They were lovely and hospitable, and we met for a drink at a bar across from the hotel It was fun practicing Spanish while they practiced English.

    We concluded the night with our new friend from Texas and we enjoyed a late-night Chinese meal. We really had a wonderful day. Barcelona is the best!    Leia mais

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    Dia 12

    Cinque Fotografies-Barcelona Day 7

    25 de abril de 2022, Espanha ⋅ 🌙 17 °C

    There is something to be said about the luxury of an unplanned day. We celebrated Jim's 58th birthday with a long walk through Las Ramblas and a wonderful tapas meal for a long lunch.

    I was initially a bit paranoid about wandering through this part of the city as we heard many tales of pickpockets in the Plaza de Catalunya.
    We have learned to be vigilant, particularly in crowds, and that has been fine.

    This was the best weather day; it was an absolutely gorgeous sunny day with comfortable temperatures in the upper 60's. We enjoyed people watching, sitting at a Cafe, and a very long walk through the old part of town. It really is mind-blowing to see churches from the 15th century and the ancient narrow streets.

    Of course, there are many modern stores and brands that we see in the U.S., but we wandered off the main thoroughfare to enjoy the quieter streets.

    We did get a glimpse of the exterior of Casa Batila, one of Gaudi's brilliant architectural designs. We opted not to take any of those tours. We were very grateful for an unscheduled day, to celebrate my husband's birthday and the wonderful city siights. The city and people of Barcelona are lovely. We have been grateful for our launch here. Next stop: Madrid. Cuidáte.    Leia mais

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    Dia 13

    Cinco Fotografías-Madrid Day 1

    26 de abril de 2022, Espanha ⋅ ☁️ 13 °C

    After a leisurely final morning in Barcelona, we boarded the AVE (fast train) to Madrid. It really is remarkable to experience such a smooth train ride while traveling at 300 km/hour.

    The near scenery was a bit of a blur (see photo) as we whisked by vineyards and arid lands that reminded us of Southern Wyoming. The notion of arriving in less time than Amtrak takes from Portland to Seattle when the distance is doubled reminds us that the U.S. really lags in rail transportation.

    We noticed that the train and the metro experience was considerably more crowded and intense. I was really put off by a man who pushed me as we were getting off the train. I did notice that it triggered a jolt of testosterone, and I was searching my Spanish vocabulary for every curse I could think of to express. After a few deep breaths, my better self prevailed. I do know the words though. Similarly, the metro was very crowded, and I was worried that I would floor an elderly woman with my backback as I tried not to bump her as the crowd surged in at every stop. I did feel calmer and amused watching and listening to a young boy sing to his father in the midst of the chaos. In retrospect, the noticeable crowding certainly makes sense in our initial transit experience here. Madrid is about 6 million people- three times the population of Barcelona.

    We made our way to our rented apartment which is in a lovely spot overlooking the Pedro Zerolo Plaza. Shortly after we arrived and settled in, there was a brief thunderstorm, and we wandered a few blocks to a nearby paella restaurant. It is remarkable how inexpensive and tasty the wine is. We had a really great mixed paella.

    After dinner we wandered the neighborhood and sampled the gelato.Gelato. Jim C had coffee/hazelnut mix and I enjoyed lime/pistachio.

    We are staying in the Chueca neighborhood which is known to be the gay neighborhood. At the end of the evening we dropped by a local bar and we met the owner. He was very welcoming and he recommended some restaurants in the neighborhood. When we heard his accent, we asked if he was from Ireland. Sure enough, he hails from Dublin. When he heard that we were spending our last month in Ireland, he also gave us several tips for our upcoming travels there.

    We are excited about checking out Madrid, and we're grateful for an easy travel day.    Leia mais

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    Dia 14

    Cinco Fotografías- Day 2 Madrid

    27 de abril de 2022, Espanha ⋅ ☁️ 12 °C

    We thought that today would be a great day to get a little sense of the city by wandering without a specific agenda.

    We appreciate having the opportunity to stay in Chuecas, a gay neighborhood in Madrid. Back home, we have been startled by the events in Florida that strive to make queer people invisible. When I first came out, I wanted to move to an urban area and live in a gay ghetto. It's not that I wanted to be segregated, but I wanted to be in space where I didn't always have to self-censor to just make others comfortable. I want to be clear that I'm so very grateful for straight allies, but when we wander in the streets of Chueca, I was reminded how exhausting it can be to be in space where you're on alert about whether you will be harmed for just being who you are. I don't want to get lost on this tangent; I just want to express my gratitude at how Spain has strived to create safe space despite a tradition deeply routed in Catholicism. More on that later...

    After a lovely light breakfast and cafe con leche, we headed to the Royal Palace of Madrid. It's massive and we enjoyed walking adjacent to the grounds and witnessing the changing of the guard. There is a beautiful Cathedral adjacent to the palace, but we wondered instead to the Crypta de la Almudena. This was the burial grounds of the wealthy and powerful people of Madrid. When I pondered the donations that a family must have contributed to be buried in this magnificent space, I also thought of "los pobres " and their very different experience. Nevertheless, I was moved by the stunning artwork, stained glass, mosaics and gold where the wealthy have left their loved ones to rest over the last hundred plus years.

    As we walked back home, I noticed several Progress Pride flags. This evoked a bit of home town pride as the designer is a non-binary artist who lives in Portland.

    After resting in the afternoon, we went to a Flamenco performance that was recommended by a former colleague in Washington. We loved the brilliant costumes, singing, the amazing guitarists, and the dancers. I have to admit that my knees ached vicariously watching the energetic footwork.

    It was a really lovely first day. The Portland rainy season is chasing us a bit; however that has not dampened our joy in exploring this amazing city.    Leia mais

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    Dia 16

    Cinco Fotagrafías-Madrid Day 3

    29 de abril de 2022, Espanha ⋅ ⛅ 11 °C

    Today we traveled to two museums: The Prado and Reina Sofia.

    After a light breakfast, we walked about 15 minutes to arrive at the Prado first. Today's first lesson was that to get the right answer you must ask the right question. I inquired about the line we should be in if we had pre-purchased tickets. The museum worker asked if I had "the code". I replied, "yes"and he directed us to a line behind the museum. After about a half-hour wait to get to the front of the line, we learned that we needed a QR code and not the bar code. So we started over again to get that exchange, and returned to the first line to get in.

    Once inside the Prado, we learned that taking photos is not allowed. I'm trying to think what the job title is for most of the employees at the Prado. I'm thinking that Scolding Agent will suffice.

    Initial sarcasm aside, the Prado certainly does have a vast collection of paintings. While I recognized some of the great pieces, most I knew very little about. I particularly liked the El Greco and Goya works. So many of the works portray Biblical stories. I did wonder about some of the portrayals of Jesus, particularly where the newborn Christ looked old enough for kindergarten. Most who know me well are aware of my default to playful irreverence. I kept conjuring up my own inappropriate titles for pieces as we moved through the exhibits.

    The numbering system of the salas were a bit strange to us, but we did manage to come up with a plan to tour and see some of the more famous works. Admittedly, we were a bit worn out after the Prado. While we appreciated, the antiquity of the works, our art illiteracy didn't necessarily create the most fulfilling experience.

    After the Prado we took a gelato break. The restroom had a little rocking horse in it. I wondered if this was an intentional children's distraction accesory while parents relieved themselves.

    Later in the afternoon we ventured to the Museo de Reina Sofia. This collection has more modern artworks, featuring many pieces by Picasso, Dali and other artists of that time period. We really wanted to see Guernica. It's a massive Picasso piece, and it was interesting to see Picasso's stages of development to create it. Guernica shows the tragedies of war and makes the case for peace. With the current Russian invasion in Ukraine and the growing involvement of other countries taking sides, I wonder if old men will behave once again with an absence of memory and repeat the mistakes of the past or choose peace instead. I pray for the latter. I wonder what the art creations will be that reflect our times.

    One of the interesting, yet bizarre features of this museum were some films from the time period. We were trying to make sense of the clips. I will spare you details, but the violence in some of the films was quite graphic and disturbing.

    Part of the museum experience was the green spaces adjacent to the museums. Frankly, I enjoyed much of those spaces nearly as much as the museums themselves.

    When we returned from the museum and rested at the apartment we shared a same thought: we don't have to do all of the things. The best part of our first two weeks on the road is to slow down and just notice the differences and similarities of the culture we are experiencing. It's also giving us time to reflect on this next chapter of our life together post-retirement. Tomorrow is my last regular paycheck after working for 42 years.

    We finished the night with a drink at a local bar. We struck up a very pleasant conversation with an Italian couple. They knew very little English and we knew very little Italian, yet we were able to find out many commonalities between us and to gain insights about our upcoming weeks in Italy.

    Prior to leaving for this trip, many friends asked what attraction we were most looking forward to seeing. Today's experience reinforced for me that the good fortune of being able to see places I've only heard or read about is pretty amazing. Yet, the treasure will be always centered in the people who we meet and the time we have together. This was best summed up by a sign in the bathroom of the gelateria: "Collect moments-not things."    Leia mais

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    Dia 16

    Cinco Fotografías-Madrid Day 4

    29 de abril de 2022, Espanha ⋅ ⛅ 13 °C

    We slowed the day down quite a bit today, and it felt quite a bit more like living locally rather than simply existing here as tourists.

    Our first task of the day was to locate a post office. Despite using Google maps and asking for directions from local officials who gave contradicting advice. The search felt a bit like a location clues game resembling "Where in the World is Carmen SanDiego?".

    This meandering search was fortuitous as we noticed a crowd gathering along the street of two fenced buildings. We wondered why military police were guarding these two structures as well as a cordoned off area on the public sidewalk adjacent to the area. Festive nationalistic songs were broadcast loudly through speakers.

    I listened to the chatter of the crowd, and I was able to learn that it was a relief of the guard ceremony that happens only on the last Friday of each month at Buena Vista Palace and the Spanish army headquarters. There was considerable pomp and circumstance, and the exercises were fun to watch.

    We returned to our search for the post office, and after another clue from a startled security guard who wondered why we were entering the premises, we were led to the right location. The post office was quite massive with several workers at counters. I approached a post office worker and learned that we needed to secure a ticket, much like one would experience at the DMV. Shortly after, our number appeared on a huge screen and we went to that station.

    During the next few minutes we were able to answer several questions about sending the package, level of coverage, speed of delivery as well as purchasing postage for a postcard for a friend's birthday.

    I know the lengthy description of the mundane task of going to the post office might in itself be a bit overly descriptive. For us, it was fun to feel part of the daily living of the average citizen as we noticed the similarities and differences of the processes and only speaking and listening to Spanish to figure out what to do.

    After the post office, we decided to plan for a picnic in the park. A new acquaintance, José, who I met on social media gave us recommendations for a park and nearby attractions. He was quite kind and helpful with detailed recommendations, and we decided to follow his sage advice.

    After picking up lunch items at one of the local Supermercados, we took the bus route to our first destination. This was our first bus trip in Madrid and the video displays were quite helpful about stops while contemporaneously displaying bits of random trivia information.

    Our first stop was at Templo de Debod. According to the website this temple was built in the 2nd century BC ,and it was donated to Spain by the Egyptian government to save it from floods caused by the construction of the Aswan Dam. The temple was restored stone by stone and place in the midst of a beautiful park.

    After this stop, we headed to the Madrid Teleférico, a magnificent aerial tram that our friend recommended that we take to get to our park destination for lunch: La Casa de Campo.

    La Casa de Campo (Country House) is the largest park in Madrid, and this space was first acquired by King Phillip II when he moved his court to Madrid in the mid 15th century. The park belongs to royal families until it was acquired by the government and made open to the public in 1932.

    We really savored walking the trails in the park, and sitting on a park bench to enjoy our lunch. We could hear the exhilarated screams of children at an adjacent amusement park, as we took in the first warm sunny day of our trip.

    We concluded our day with wine on the Plaza and we invited José to join us for dinner as gratitude for his guidance. José is from Paraguay originally and he told us about the culture of his country and his life in Madrid. He traveled extensively as a cruise guide until the pandemic hit.

    We finished the day with beers at a nearby bar. It was packed and festive as we are approaching a holiday weekend, Madrid's Festival of Comunidad on May 2nd.    Leia mais

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    Dia 17

    Cinco Fotografías-Madrid Day 5

    30 de abril de 2022, Espanha ⋅ ⛅ 22 °C

    "It's our last dance, last dance in Spain... "🎶 (apologies to Donna). This was a relatively quiet day where we read and lounged during the day. Madrid feels quite festive and energetic this weekend given that Madrid is celebrating its Festival of Communidad holiday on Monday.

    Madrid definitely "loves the night life..." 🎶 (Apparently, I have disco on my brain today. ) I'm writing this post a little earlier today as we are venturing to a dance tonight that starts at midnight. So long naps have definitely been in order for us because "somos viejos" 👴 👴

    Earlier this afternoon we took about a three-hour stroll in Retiro Park. Birdwalk Alert: Given that this is the first day after my final regular work paycheck, retiro (withdrawal, retreat) seems like the perfect word. Fun fact: the Spanish word for retirement is jubilación.

    We loved this park for many reasons. First, one on my favorite trees in the U.S. is the chestnut. This park has an abundance of a chestnut variation and the blossoms are stunning.

    There were many vendors selling their wares throughout the park. We were amused by the many costumed characters seeking to attract visitors who might want a photo for a free. We first noticed cuddly bears for the kids followed by the not so cuddly creatures from the films Predator and Alien. Micky and Minnie Mouse were also in attendance. Jim dubbed an emaciated replica of one of Jim Henson's Muppets as "Sad Kermit" who definitely reinforced that "It's Not Easy Being Green".

    During our walk, a thunderstorm rolled in and we sought shelter at the Palacio de Cristal which is made almost entirely of glass. Once the storm passed we made our way back to our apartment to rest and prepare for a late dance.

    We are very grateful for our inaugural trip to Spain. The people and culture are lovely. Hasta mañana, amigos y familia. 💞    Leia mais

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    Dia 18

    Cinque Fotagrafie-Catania Day 1

    1 de maio de 2022, Itália ⋅ ⛅ 17 °C

    Today we bid hasta luego to Spain and headed to our first stop in Italy: Catania, Sicily. Our transport and check-in to Adolfo Suárez Madrid-Barajas Airport was quite simple. We made it though check-in and security in about fifteen minutes with plenty of time to relax in the airport lounge.

    Jim C found a direct flight to Cantania via Ryan Airlines. It's a no-frills flight, and everything is extra ( ex. bottle of water- 3 Euros). One interesting experience on the flight was when flight attendants were selling lottery tickets for a youth fundraiser. The flight was smooth and we landed in the Catania Airport a little early.

    Catania is the second largest city in Sicily. It sits at the base of Mt. Etna. At 11,000 feet it's the highest volcano in Europe and one of the most active ones in the world.

    We picked up our luggage and secured a rental car. That's when the transportation adventure was kicked up several notches. I have two images that come to mind when reliving the drive to our B&B. The more benign one was my 1975 high school recollection of being in a driver's education simulation car where just about every obstacle is put in your way. I remember trying to make a right in a busy urban street and I wound up running into an imaginary motorcyclist. I can still hear my Driver's Ed teacher calling out "You got him #9!"
    I think my second image is the opening scenes of one of the Indiana Jones sequels. The streets really are chaotic. The merging seems to be driven by relative testosterone levels, stop signs mean nothing and scooters and pedestrians alike seem to have an inherent death wish.

    When we were close to our B&B, I called the innkeeper because it appeared that the street was limited to pedestrians. He replied, "Oh, yes, it is but it's the only way that you can get to the courtyard. Ignore the restriction signs and proceed through the crowd. Call me when you arrive and I will open the gate." Jim C finally mustered the courage, we found the address, I called the proprietor and the slowest garage door opener ever opened the gates while we tried to drive in without a manslaughter charge.

    Once in the courtyard, we followed the instructions to get to our room and settled in. While the rooms are modest, the term "location, location, location" definitely fits. We are about 100 meters from the fish market and the Duomo. The streets were festive in celebration of International Workers Day and we had a wonderful time wandering the neighborhood.

    We are looking forward to sampling Sicilian food. This evening we stopped at a little Cafe and Jim C tried the caponata, a flavorful eggplant/vegetable dish and I had the octopus salad. We shared an order of Arancini de Rici (fried rice balls). They were very flavorful, and one incorporated black squid ink.

    After getting this light dinner we wandered some more in the adjacent neighborhood and we stopped for dessert and cappuccino. Jim has chocolate and pistachio gelato, and I had the most amazing cannolo that I have ever tasted. The ricotta was sweet and creamy, it was garnished with pistachios and the shell was crisp. I learned that the Sicilian secret is that they don't fill the shell until just before serving.

    We are very excited about our visit here, and we look forward to exploring this beautiful island.
    Ciao, Buona notte!    Leia mais

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    Dia 19

    Cinque Fotografie-Catania Day 2

    2 de maio de 2022, Itália ⋅ ⛅ 16 °C

    When we were first planning the destinations for our European trip, Sicily was not on the list. I had been wanting to travel to Greece to see the ruins, and Jim C was concerned about the economic and political instability there. When we talking about possible destinations with friends, our friend Jerry recommended that we consider traveling to Sicily. He shared with us that Sicily was home to one of the most significant intact ancient architecture, and we decided to follow his advice. We are so grateful that we did.

    We launched the day by going out for a cappuccino and a croissant stuffed with pistachio cream. It was really very decadent, and tasty.

    Once we returned to the courtyard of the B&B, we had to navigate getting cars moved around so that we can exit on the street. The game of "musical cars" finally resulted in success when we located the driver who had boxed us in.

    As we headed out of Catania, we got our first glimpse of the snow-capped Mount Etna which dominated the landscape about the beautiful fields of green that were dotted with a multitude of red poppies.

    We had two planned visits to ancient ruins on our day trip today. Our first stop was to see the Villa Roma del Casale, just outside of the town of Piazza Armerina. This site houses one of the largest collections of intact Roman mosaics inlaid in the excavated flooring and walls. The superb preservation of these artifacts is attributed to flooding and landslides that covered the palace grounds. The detail and colors were really quite remarkable given that this dates back to about 400 A.D.

    After leaving this site, we headed to our next stop: Valle dei Templi outside the city of Aggrigento. This archeological park is estimated to date back to between 51O and 430 B.C. The structures were quite colossal as well as the location on top of a cliff as opposed to the misnomer valley.

    It was also quite remarkable to see the modern city of Aggrigento on a rise about the ruins and bearing witness to its past.

    As we were walking back to the car, I sampled my first granita, an ice slush drink with pomegranate juice. It was quite refreshing and tasty after all of our walking on the grounds of the Templi.

    While we were in the ridge, we were allured by the views of the Mediterranean Sea and the town below. We ventured down for a drink and Sicilian pizza. I had the margherita pizza and Jim C. chose spinach. This pizza was characteric of Sicili, as it is quite spongy compared to the thin crust associated with Napoli. I think I'll be likely to prefer the latter.

    In choosing the route home, we opted for the slower, but scenic roads that traversed along the coastline before heading inland.

    I really want to give kudos to Jim C who did all of the diving. Sicilian drivers are very aggressive, and Jim responded in kind today. He attributes his time driving in New Jersey when he was younger as great preparation for the trip.

    We concluded the evening went our first late- night Sicilian dinner. It was really quite fabulous. We particularly enjoyed an appetizer of grilled abalone and an interesting blood orange, anchovy and onion salad. The pasta and fish were fresh and delicious. We wrapped up with a spice cake with ricotta cheese. So good!

    It's time for bed. I believe that we're going to check out the fish market and ancient ruins of Siracusa tomorrow. Ciao! 💞    Leia mais

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    Dia 20

    Cinque Fotagrafie-Catania Day 3

    3 de maio de 2022, Itália ⋅ ⛅ 17 °C

    After stopping at a nearby café for a light breakfast and a cappuccino, we walked over to the fish market which is only two blocks away from our B&B. I had watched a few videos about this market and it really is remarkable to see it in person. When we lived in Seattle, we frequently brought guests to see Pike Place Market and the one area where the workers famously toss fish back and forth and are quite boisterous.

    In this space all of the vendors are trying to catch your attention. They call out in singing voices about their catch of the day. I don't think I've ever seen so many fish varieties in one place. At times, it was a little unnerving to see snails trying to move out of their bins and shrimp that were still moving around. It was a little reminiscent of the "Les Poissons" song from "The Little Mermaid" when Sebastian, the Jamaican-accented crab is trying to avoid being an ingredient in the chef's meal.

    On the perimeter of the fish booths many other vendors offered beautiful fresh produce, spices and nuts. Pistachios are grown here and they are a popular ingredient in croissants, cannoli and gelato. The produce vendors were much more sedate in comparison to the fishmongers. It really was fun to watch the interaction of the vendors and customers.

    After we returned to our hotel, we prepared for a trip to Siracusa, a coastal town located about 40 minutes south of Catania. The first part of our trip was to visit another ancient Greek ruins site: Parco Archeologico della Neapolis.

    This archeological site is a sprawling natural park featuring an ancient Greek theater, church, caves & other Roman relics. In addition to the ruins, it was also inspiring to walk through tranquil green spaces filled with the sweet scents of nearby blooms. The birds were quite vocal, and it really did add to the multi-sensory experience.

    We walked into a deep cavern where the acoustics were incredible. When we reached the theater, the song "Everything Old is New Again" came to mind as we watched the integration of the ancient Greek Theater with contemporary seating, sound, lighting and staging. It must be quite remarkable to see a performance here on an ancient theater with the Mediterranean Sea as a not very distant backdrop for those in the "balcony" seats.

    We enjoyed the walk around the amphitheater and admired the arches and tunnels in the last part of our walk on the grounds. After a short gelato break, we ventured to the lovely Isola dei Ortigia, a bifurcated section separated only by a narrow channel of water from the rest of Siracusa. One could see why this would have been the desired port of other nations and how central Siciliy is in the Mediterranean.

    An online acquaintance recommended Ortigia as a romantic area for a walk. Initially, I tried to find suggested walking guides online, but I kept getting directed to paid tours. We decided instead to just "get lost in this area without an agenda.

    It really was a very rewarding lesson that you don't always need a destination to benefit from the journey. Our wandering took us through very narrow alleys where we were the sole pedestrians. We walked past decaying buildings that evoked memories of what must have been, yet still demonstrated a great deal of grace in their aging. It's a good model for my own aging process.

    We had a tasty lunch adjacent to a massive cruise ship preparing to leave port. And there were feral cats everywhere. We saw evidence that the local townspeople cared for these beings and it was really quite touching to see a local woman call out to them as they scurried to greet her in anticipation of her care.

    We made it back to our B&B in the early evening. I do report with some pride and appreciation, that our daily adventures have increased my walking endurance, We walked about 7 miles today, and it really felt easy. I'm grateful for that benefit and to share it with the man I love at my side. He's a remarkable travel companion, and thank God he's willing to be the confident driver to get us places. My only contribution to the drive has been to use my internal voice when I want to shout "Holy Shit! Watch Out!" It was another lovely day in the island that has been conquered by many nations and yet internalized all of those cultures that we are able to relish in our experience here. Ciao!    Leia mais

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