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Karla Lalim

Karla Lalim

retired teacher, active in our church, attend Bible Study Fellowship, a grandma, enjoy playing golf, like to play cards, married for 46 years. En savoir plus🇺🇸Rio Verde
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    • Norway and Iceland 2025

      Minneapolis to Reykjavik to Oslo

      14 mai, Norvège ⋅ ☁️ 8 °C

      We took a six-hour flight on Icelandair from Humphrey International Airport in Minneapolis to Reykjavik, Iceland. After a four-hour layover in Reykjavik, we continued on to our first destination—Oslo, Norway.En savoir plus

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    • Karla LalimVoyageurEight Countries in 41 days

      Toronto, Canada

      9–10 oct. 2023, États Unis ⋅ ☀️ 31 °C

      To avoid a long flight back. we decided to do a layover in Toronto. We had hoped to stay two nights, but unfortunately, we were only able to stay one.
      Early on Tuesday, October 10th, we flew Air Canada 🇨🇦 direct to Phoenix, Arizona. Eight countries now in 41 days, what memories we will hold forever in our 💕.En savoir plus

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    • Karla LalimVoyageurEight Countries in 41 days
      landed in Toronto
      Our hotel...Sheraton Toronto Airportthe lobby

      Toronto, Canada

      9–10 oct. 2023, Canada ⋅ ☁️ 11 °C

      We decided to do a layover in Toronto to avoid a long flight home. We originally planned to spend a couple of nights there, so we could see the sights of Toronto. As it turned out, we were only able to spend one night. Early the next morning, on Tuesday, October 10th, we boarded our flight on Air Canada for our flight home. We arrived at Sky Harbor Airport in Phoenix at 10:45 a.m., full of memories to last a lifetime.En savoir plus

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    • Karla LalimVoyageurEight Countries in 41 days
      Pastel de nata
      Yum!the name of this traditional Portuguese restaurant is on the plateso fun to be with good friendsdelicious Italian restaurant... we all loved pizzainside that yummy trendy Italian restaurantJim was pretty excited about his seafood stew at Pinoquiocute Mexican restaurantel Santowalking around LisbonTime OutScott had Oriental foodMy new favorite Italian chefJamie Oliver's restaurant

      Lunches, Dinners, & More

      8 octobre 2023, Portugal ⋅ ☀️ 31 °C

      We were very excited to meet our friends from Arizona, the Collins, when we got to Lisbon. They had booked a cruise leaving from Lisbon, so they decided to come a few days early to meet up with us. Grace and Jim had already made dinner reservations at a place our concierge always took his father to when he came to town. After quickly changing clothes, we were off in an Uber to a fun Portuguese restaurant. We enjoyed lots of delicious traditional foods and drinks, lots of seafood, some Italian food and even had some drinks in a Mexican restaurant. One of the highlights we ate a lot while in Portugal was a Portuguese egg custard tart pastry. We had them in Porto, too, but the tarts that melted in your mouth were from Pastéis de Belém. The monks from the Mosteiro dos Jerónimos sold pastries in the sugar refinery next door to raise money in the 16th century. Over time, the owner of the sugar refinery bought the recipe, and the refinery became Pastéis de Belém, a café that still sells the original custard tart recipe.
      We said goodbye to our friends on Sunday, October 8th. After Jim and Grace left, Scott and I went to a famous foodie place called Time Out and for our last dinner in Lisbon we enjoyed my favorite food, Italian, down the street from our hotel, Jamie Oliver's.
      The next morning, Monday, October 9th, we took an Uber to the airport and flew Air Canada to Toronto, where we would spend the night before heading back to Arizona. It was an end to a whirlwind tour of seven countries in 41 days. Even though we were glad to get home, we have lots of memories to treasure for years to come.      En savoir plus

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    • Karla LalimVoyageurEight Countries in 41 days
      1grounds of Fatima
      Fatimathe tree the three shepherd children played under when the Virgin Mary appearedinside the Cathedral in Fatima are buried two of the shepherd children who died at a young ageThe third shepherd child became a nun. She lived well into her 90s and died in early 2000.inside the Cathedralon a pillar on the religious groundsNazareNazaretown of Nazare where we had lunchentrance to the walled city of Obidosjust inside the gateway to Obidosa street in Obidos... People were just leaving a weddingObidosoutside the shop where we tried ginjaChocolate cups filled with ginja! We even brought some home.

      Fatima, Nazare, & Obidos

      7 octobre 2023, Portugal ⋅ ☀️ 31 °C

      Today, we took a small group tour to Fatima and the towns of Nazare and Obidos.
      Next to Jerusalem, the area of Fatima is the next most holy place for Catholics. It was a huge place with both an older cathedral and a huge modern cathedral. According to the Catholic religion, this area was where Mary appeared to three shepherd children. The story is that the Virgin Mary first appeared on May 13, 1917, to three shepherd children playing under a tree. She shared three secrets with them. The first secret was a vision of hell and the suffering of sinners, the second a prediction of the end of the Great War and the beginning of another, and the third a vision of the death of the Pope and other religious figures. She told them they needed to pray and she would return again on the 13th of each month for the next six months. The religious area of Fatima consists of a group of   religious buildings and structures with the main building, Our Lady of the Rosary.
      Nazare was a cute little beachy town. My friend Grace learned how to fillet the sardines she had for lunch. She was kind enough to share her sardines with all of us. I think we were glad we didn't order them...so many tiny bones, although I guess it's OK to eat them.
      Obidos was a cute little historic town. After we got through the city walls, we enjoyed ginja, This cherry liqueur is a famous local drink and is often served in a chocolate cup. It originated with 17th-century monks from the region, who combined Morello cherries and brandy, and drank it as an aperitif or after dinner drink.      En savoir plus

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    • Karla LalimVoyageurEight Countries in 41 days

      Touring Lisbon by Tuk Tuk

      6 octobre 2023, Portugal ⋅ ☀️ 29 °C

      A little bumpy but a cool way to get around town was taking a Tuk Tuk. The Tuk Tuk driver became our tour guide, too. He had a wealth of knowledge about Lisbon. Throughout the city, artists created murals out of trash. Often, these murals depicted animals. They were quite amazing. Out towards the Atlantic Ocean, there were several impressive monuments. One of those monuments built on the banks of the Tagus River was the Belem Tower. This Tower, officially, the Tower of Saint Vincent, is a 16th-century fortification located in Lisbon that served as a point of embarkation and and disembarkation for Portuguese explorers and as a ceremonial gateway to Lisbon. The Monument of the Discoveries is a monument on the northern bank of the Tagus River. It's located along the river where ships departed to explore and trade with India and the Orient. The monument celebrates the Portuguese Age of Discovery during the 15th and 16th centuries. At 170 feet tall, Lisbon's Monument to the Discoveries commemorates the five hundredth anniversary of the death of Henry the Navigator, who discovered the Azores, Medeira and Cape Verde. The building of the Monument started in the 1940s but found its final resting place in 1960. My friend Grace and I are standing outside the Lisbon Cathedral, which celebrated an anniversary this year and is the oldest and most important church in the city. Its construction dates back to the 12th century and is predominantly Romanesque in style.En savoir plus

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    • Karla LalimVoyageurEight Countries in 41 days
      Our hotel, Casa do Principe greeted us with a port wine.

      Our arrival in Lisbon

      5–9 oct. 2023, Portugal ⋅ ☁️ 28 °C

      From our hotel in Porto, we took an Uber to the train station. The train station was small but lots of trains coming and going. While Scott watched our eight bags, I tried to figure out where we were to go to board the train to Lisbon. The Portuguese people were very friendly and helpful, and I found a young gentleman who pointed out where we needed to go to board our train. It was a little walk, but with an elevator, we got to our spot in plenty of time. We were a bit concerned with all our luggage.
      After three and half hours, we arrived in Lisbon. We were thinking someone from our hotel would be there to greet us. But when that didn't happen, a taxi was close by.
      When we arrived at our hotel we were offered two glasses of port wine. A nice way to start our stay!
      Our hotel room was huge with a great view of the city. It worked out great to have our friends staying at the same hotel with us for several nights, and our room had plenty of space for us to sprawl out at the end of a day touring the city.      En savoir plus

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    • Karla LalimVoyageurEight Countries in 41 days
      new sculpture outside the church we attended
      church we attendedmagnificent cathedral in Toledoinside the Cathedrallobby of our hotelthe bar area of our hotelfamous bookstore that J.K. Rowling visited when she taught at the nearby universitySycamore tree...common in Portoleaf from a sycamore treeold medieval wall in Guimaraesthe ancient historic city of Bragawinery we visited in the Douro Valleygrape leaves changing colora macaron typically is on top..Scott ate it so he could get to his ice-cream.sunset near our hotelDouro River cruise...can you find me?an antique funicular...Built in 1882 entirely powered by waterthe Dom Jesus do Monte area...people stay in this area as a respiteDom Jesus do Montethe famous sandwich...Francesinha

      Porto, Portugal

      2–6 oct. 2023, Portugal ⋅ ☀️ 24 °C

      On a Sunday October 1st our private driver/guide took us to Toledo, Spain for a church service and a tour of the historic old city before we had to go to the airport for our one hour and 15 minute flight to Porto on Iberian Airlines. Toledo is the former Spanish capital of Spain. Today, the rich cultural legacy of Muslims, Jews, and Christians is reflected in Toledo's historic buildings (including its stunning cathedral) and museums. I bought a beautiful pendant souvenir that symbolized the once positive relationships between Muslims, Jews, and Christians. It worked out well to have our driver take us to the airport.
      We arrived at the most amazing hotel in Porto late in the afternoon. Actually, it wasn't Porto where our hotel was located, but Gaia just across the river. I'd stay at Vincci Porto Hotel again in a heartbeat! While in Porto, we were looking forward to sampling some port wine. While Scott talked with our concierge about plans for the next few days, I was mesmerizing by the surroundings of this beautiful hotel and its location, as well as learning a little Portuguese from some of the help behind the desk. We had taken a free tour in Madrid of the city, and we thought we'd try that again in Porto. Our guide did an amazing job and was very knowledgeable about the area. For our last two days, we booked a Portuguese driver/guide "Roy" to take us the Douro Valley for some port tastings and other important sites within two hours of Porto. It was about a two drive to the Douro Valley from our hotel. We visited one winery in the Douro Valley and had a relaxing boat ride on the Douro River. The wine was tasty, but we were a little disappointed as we only had one port to try. We loved the small town, Guimaraes. It's where Portugal was born in the 12th century. Very beautiful medieval area in which you could just imagine what life might have been like . We were thankful they were restoring this important part of history for Portugal. We took advantage of a short 3D video of what life was like during the 12th century at this site. We had lunch at Braga, a nearby town. Again, it's a cute old historic town. Portugal is noted for its filigree jewelry. Filigree is an art form with roots in jewelry design dating back 5,000 years. Found in Mesopotamian and Egyptian cultures, the craft became popular during Roman times. In its truest form, filigree is composed of gold or silver wires interwoven to create a delicate, lace-like structure. History tells us that  this magnificent jewel, which is shaped like a heart, was created at the end of the 18th century, when Queen D. Maria I (1734-1816), who, grateful for the birth of her male child, asked that a gold heart be made in honor of the Sacred Heart of Jesus . Our guide introduced me to this art form, and I couldn't pass up the opportunity to purchase a small gold filigree pendant as a souvenir from Braga. Later, I would buy a silver filigree heart pendant in Lisbon as I had heard perhaps my original gold one had been made from a mold. Overlooking the city of Braga in the north of Portugal, located on the slopes of Mount Espinho, this cultural landscape, called Dom Jesus do Monte, evokes Christian Jerusalem, recreating a sacred mount crowned with a church. The buildings on this site were built in the 14th century as a pilgrimage for believers to demonstrate their faith.
      There were many highlights in Porto. We loved the city. From the way they made your gelato ice cream into a flower shape, putting a macaron on top to the city's famous bookstore that brought Harry Potter to life. And you can't leave Porto without trying their famous sandwich known as the Francesinha. After the bookstore, we found a small little cafe to try this yummy filling sandwich. I had to try it again while in Lisbon... no comparison, hands-down Porto's was much better. After a wonderful four nights in Porto, we were eager to take the train to Lisbon, where we would meet our friends from Arizona for a few days before heading home.      En savoir plus

    • Karla LalimVoyageurEight Countries in 41 days
      famous churro restaurantChurro restaurantinside the cutest French restaurant with yummy foodthe French onion soup was delish...don't mind my expression 😋cute hole-in-wall little bar with amazing drinksowner of the Botin restaurantoutside the palaceclose up of outside the palaceinside the palaceearly stage of the bull fightIf you look closely, you'll see the bull has been pierced by several dartsout comes the matador to make the final slaying of the bullthe bull is dead and pulled off the bull ring

      Madrid and the Bull Fight

      29 sept.–2 oct. 2023, Espagne ⋅ ☀️ 28 °C

      Churros dipped in hot chocolate was not to be missed while in Madrid. It was late and the last night in Madrid, and we were determined to find these churros at the famous churro shop that has been opened since the 1800s. French onion soup in the afternoon for lunch was amazing at this cute French restaurant. Of course, the Botin restaurant on Friday night was a highlight. It's the oldest restaurant in the world that has continuously been open since the 1700s. It's a must do while in Madrid, but the food wasn't spectacular. We made reservations back in May of 2023, just to get a table. It was packed. We heard after 11:30 pm at night, you don't need a reservation. A favorite dinner time in Spain is after 9:00 pm. The Palace of the King and Queen of Spain was a highlight, too. But one of the most interesting events was the bull fight. The stadium was packed on a Saturday night. Many of the women dressed in very fancy clothes with high stilettos heels and bolero hats. In the bull fight itself, there are six different bulls that different matadors face with their red capes and swords. At the beginning of each bull fight, six or seven men or women come out with pink capes to do what's called capework to test the temperament of each bull. Then, two horses with riders, called picadors on opposite sides of the ring come out with swords to pierce the bull. This was quite exciting as the bull was strong enough to knock the horse and his rider over, which happened once. After the bull has been punctured, three different guys or banderillas come out, each with two darts to throw at the bull to puncture him some more. They had to get quite close for them to hit the bull and then run very fast to get away from the bull that chased them. It was surprising how much energy the bulls still had left in them. Then, the final stage when the matador comes out with his red cape for the kill.En savoir plus

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    • Karla LalimVoyageurEight Countries in 41 days
      view from our hotelstory of Jesus live in the Seville Cathedralinside the CathedralChristopher Columbus remains in the Seville CathedralThere are 24 bells at the top of this bell tower.Royal Palacearchway to get into the Palaceinside the PalaceA little cute bar we stopped into before the flamingo showfountain at the Plazathe Plazatraditional tapasbest pizza ever

      Seville *7861298#

      27–30 sept. 2023, Espagne ⋅ ☀️ 28 °C

      We took a train from Malaga to Seville. After getting our eight bags, a board the train, we settled into a two and a half hour train ride to Seville. We took a taxi to a lovely, spacious hotel, Apartamentos Abreu Suites, where we spent three nights. That number on the title of this footprint was our key to enter the building as well as our room each day. It was easy to memorize after a few entries. 😊 We enjoyed a walking tour of the city. The highlights included the Seville Cathedral, the famous bell tower, and the adjacent Alcazar Palace. In terms of surface area, Seville Cathedral is the largest Gothic cathedral in the world. However, the floor plan is not in the shape of the Latin cross that’s customary in this type of church – it’s square. This is because it was built on the site of the city’s great mosque and adapted to the already existing structure. Thus, the Arab minaret became the bell tower, La Giralda, which at a height of almost 330 feet was the tallest tower in the world at that time. Today, there are 35 ramps to climb to the top and I made the climb. The top was modified in the 13th century to resemble a Christian bell tower. Cathedral itself had a total of 15 doors, which some are only used during special holidays or special times during the year. For our guided tour, we entered through the Door of the Lizard, which had a huge stuffed crocodile hanging from the ceiling. Our guide shared that the crocodile was a live gift along with an elephant tusk from the Sultan of Egypt sent to King Alfonso X asking for his daughter's hand in marriage. Although the King rejected the offer, he kept the presents, which included a live crocodile and an elephant's tusk. The Royal Alcázar of Seville, as it's called, is the oldest royal palace in Europe that is still in use today. It dates back to the 11th century, when the Muslim authorities decided to build a fortress in a strategic location to protect the city. There were lots of advertised flamingo dance/shows. We happened to select one that was recommended to us in a small, intimate venue. We enjoyed chatting with the performers after the show. Another day, we visited the Plaza de España which is one of the prettiest areas of Seville. The buildings are mesmerizing with their Spanish architecture. Scott got to row me around the Plaza in a small rowboat. The day was warm, and the paddles were hard to use and get the boat to go where you wanted it to go. After we were about a quarter of the way around, Scott decided that was enough, and it was time to row back. After days of walking around this historic city and taking a boat ride around the Plaza, we decided to take an afternoon carriage ride around a beautiful park in the middle of the city. During our stay in Seville, we enjoyed unique foods to the area, but our favorite restaurant and food was at an Italian cafe. It was one of the best pizzas we've ever eaten.En savoir plus

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