traveled in 20 countries Read more Lethbridge, Canada
  • Day 33

    Homeward Bound!

    May 24 in Canada ⋅ ☁️ 13 °C

    We were excited to be up and on our way home yesterday morning. We were hoping for an easy-peasy trip home ... so ... our fingers were crossed that no aviation mountains would be on our horizon. However, it appeared that the Universe wanted to give me more practice in being a gracious mountain climber!! 🥴

    We pre-ordered our Cabify because we didn't want any unexpected delays getting to the airport. And, we wanted to be sure to arrive three hours early. As we watched "Shirley" trying to navigate her way to our hotel pick-up spot, we got a bit concerned. She finally arrived, but was a bit late. Her driving was questionable at best ... and ... very distracted. She was checking her messages and farting around with the GPS. I started to suspect she might be new, because she did not inspire the least bit of confidence that we were headed in the right direction.

    We had checked on 'the Google' to see if there was more than one airport in Barcelona. We learned that there is only one airport ... but ... two different terminals - one international and one domestic. They are about 20-30 minutes apart though.

    As we passed the terminal for the domestic, I got a knot in my stomach. I was second-guessing whether we should be going to Terminal 2. I had no idea why, though, because clearly we were flying International ... so ... I chalked it up to my overly anxious mind and the anxiety provoking driving of Miss "Shirley".

    When we arrived at the airport, she asked what airline. I said "WestJet". I could tell by the quizzical look on her face that she had no idea what I was talking about. We headed straight to the departures board to see if our flight was 'on time'. Well.... there was no flight to Calgary via WestJet listed on the board. 😲

    The knot in my stomach tightened. Thank goodness the old boy suggested we go to information, because now, we were only 2.5 hours early. The lady at information initially shook her head. No. No departures for WestJet. Air Canada, yes. WestJet no.

    I showed her our boarding passes. She got on her computer and scrolled for far too long. Finally, I saw a slight nod on her face. I relaxed for a quick moment until she told us we were at the wrong terminal.

    I could read the tension in her face as she instructed us on how to get to Terminal 2. She gave me a little note with specific instructions. We needed to take the shuttle from Terminal 1 to Terminal 2. It was the fastest way to get there but would take us 20 minutes at least. The instructions to find the green "2B" shuttle were complicated, but I was trying to keep it all straight despite my panic.

    She reminded us that once we got to Terminal 2"B" ... not "A or C" we would need to go to B34 - 50 to check our bag. I think I mentioned that we decided it would be easy to expand one of our carry-ons and check it for the flight home. We had picked up a small sport bag to make things a little easier because we also had our Inez tortas and some teas etc to bring home as well. That way we did not have to be as condensed and all our liquids and tree ornaments could go home in the checked bag.

    After we got our bag checked, we would need to go through security and then through customs and then find our gate. Oh, and by the way, WestJet was closing the gate at 1:00pm and boarding at 1:25pm (a full hour before take-off!). But don't panic ... just hurry she said.

    We found our way to the last two escalators taking us down to the green 2B shuttle. We could see it was already almost full and were afraid it would take off before we got down the escalator. The old boy started running ... his 30lb backpack bouncing up and down on his back! His ball team would have been proud of his determination to get there! We had no idea how often the shuttles run, but we didn't want to miss if for fear of losing another half hour! I could not bear the thought of missing our flight home. I had no idea when the next flight to Calgary would be!!

    It was standing room only in the bus, but the good news is that we squeezed ourselves into the back door before it closed around us. I could feel it tugging me in circles as the door wrapped around me to shut. I'm sure the other passengers were not impressed with us tightly pushing them into each other.

    We are assuming this was a shuttle for passengers who landed in Terminal I but had connecting to flights out of Terminal 2. I say that because the bus dropped us right in front of security. We could not see anywhere to drop our checked bag so we just went through the security ... with a bag loaded with all things that belong in checked baggage.

    Eeeegads. How do we get ourselves into such pickles??? The hold boy and I got separated in the lines so I had no idea how it was going to fall out, but I expected we'd lose all our larger items (a large hair spray that I purchased and a big bottle of sun screen etc). I could not have been more surprised to learn that the only thing they confiscated from all the contraband items was the large aerosol hairspray. Everything else made it through!!

    We were tickled to have ascended that mountain. Our next climb was going to be how to get the 'should have been' checked bag which was expanded and did not match carry on requirements onto the plane ... along with my carry-on bag AND the extra sports bag. This made for three carry-ons instead of limit of two that were allowed.

    The old boy was going to go to the counter and explain our predicament, but my gut feel was to just wait and see what happened. If they called us out, then we would deal with it. Guess what happened??????

    Nothing. We boarded the plane with our oversized 'should have been checked' bag filled with all kinds of things and my carryon and the extra sports bag and our two backpacks and my purse. No one said a thing.

    It is absolutely unpredictable how things will go ... because ... when we came back from Cabo in January, WestJet made me check my carryon because it was too fat. And, now ... all was well.

    So, in the final analysis ... loads of stress ... not easy-peasy at all BUT ... we climbed every mountain and forded every stream ... as we ... followed every rainbow making our way to our dream of a month in Spain. Can you kind of hear Julie Andrews singing that? 😉

    We landed in Calgary and headed to the hotel. We wanted to stay awake all the way home because we wanted to be able to sleep when we arrived at 5pm MDT which was actually 3am Spanish time. I had the most amazing sleep from 7pm last night to 6:30am this morning. I think my nervous system finally relaxed completely and I slept incredibly well.

    All that was left to do was get into our car and come home. And folks, that is what we did!! And, can I share how wonderful it feels to be typing this from the comfort of my own home. It is always so wonderful to take a trip and even more wonderful to be home in familiar surroundings especially when we have been away for so long. We have confirmed that one month is just too long to be away for us at this stage of our lives.

    Thank you all for joining us along the way. It was so nice to get your responses ... making us feel a bit more connected to our people!! We will be ordering our book so that all these memories will be bound up in a way that we can revisit them as we get even older!

    Our hearts are filled with so many good memories, and now, we can begin to get ready for summer here at home. I've got a good start on my sun tan already! Let's hope it warms up a bit!! It's still pretty chilly here. The Rockies looked lovely with their caps of snow and it was so green on our drive home!

    With happy hearts, k&j ❤️
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  • Day 32

    Roaming the Streets of Barcelona!

    May 23 in Spain ⋅ ☀️ 21 °C

    So ... our last day in Spain. The old boy slept in. I woke up a bit earlier and rewrote our day from yesterday. And then, we had some breakfast in our hotel restaurant. We have no clue whether or not it is included ... I can't remember what I booked and we can't see it in our reservation.

    So, we might get a surprise at the end of our stay for our breakfast tab ... but ... who cares. They had the most wonderful coffee machine. We are really going to miss the coffee here. We are also going to miss the Inez Rosales Tortas. I was hoping we could order them on Amazon. Good news is that we CAN! Bad news is that it costs $71.19 CAD to get a package of six of them. So .... that is not going to happen.

    We are, however, eagerly anticipating butter again. All the dry bread in Spain ... throughout the whole of Spain ... is probably much healthier for you ... but ... we love our butter in the Lanser family. In fact, we have been coveting our friends ample supply of butter in it's incredibly artistic iterations on their cruise. The olive oil is magnificent here. Don't get me wrong. I am just missing butter on my bread.

    We headed out in search of two things today. Fisherman's Friends ... because I did not pack enough. I naively assumed I could pick some up here in Spain ... but ... nope. The only place we finally found the original and the mint variety was in the Tobaco shops. I am guessing that since menthol cigarettes are no longer (or I think I heard a rumor in that regard) the tobacco shops are bringing these in because if you suck on a mint or original Fisherman Friend ... you might get a sense of a menthol cigarette. Of course, I am just making this all up. However, I am ever so grateful to have found the mint ones. They are definitely NOT my favorite, but will get me through until we are home. Who knew I'd be addicted to Fisherman Friends??? I guess it could be worse. 😉

    The old boy set Google Maps for the Rambla. We thought we would take another wander down that magnificent tourist attraction. Google was sending us the long way around. When I had a look at what was going on, I realized that the old boy had it set for car travel not for walking ... so ... it was routing us according to the one way streets! Eeeeeek. 🥴

    No wonder we were having such trouble with it and I was having to argue with it over and over again. Once we got it set for foot travel and the old boy realized you could "recenter", it was remarkably accurate!🤣

    Ultimately, we found "La Rambla" and enjoyed another wander through the Market!! We picked up a really nice spicy olive selection to have with our wine during happy hour today. The elderly gentleman in Sitges taught us well! 😊

    We reorganized our bags for our trip home. We are going to expand one of them and check it so we have more room. As per tradition, we picked up Christmas ornaments in each of the places we visited so that we can reminisce on our travels as we dress the tree each year!

    And now ... we are checked in for our flight! Here's hoping WestJet doesn't pull any fast ones on us for tomorrow. I am not in the mood for any more aviation related mountains. I am feeling so darn eager to be home again. Hopefully it will be another easy-peasy day.

    Keep your fingers crossed for us ... okay? Love and Hugs, k&j ❤️
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  • Day 31

    Montserrat was Marvelous! ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

    May 22 in Spain ⋅ ☀️ 20 °C

    Well ... I just spent an hour writing all about our time in Montserrat and I accidently hit the wrong key on the keyboard and it all vanished. I am too tired to rewrite it all ... so ... I'll just say how much we enjoyed it.

    We learned so much and met some lovely people. If I have the energy, I might try and rewrite it here tomorrow. For now, I will just post the pictures.

    Suffice to day, I really LOVED one of the mountains in my day today. Montserrat was marvelous. This travel mountain ... losing my post ... not so much. 😣

    EDIT: The old boy is still sawing logs so I thought I would take these moments to write up a few things before I forget it all.😊 I'll try to be more careful where I place my fingers on the keyboard.

    Montserrat got its name because the peaks of the mountain are so "serrated". It will be celebrating it's 1000 anniversary next year. There is still a choir of 50 Benedictine Monks that live in Montserrat. There is also a boarding school for children aged 8 to 14 years of age.

    It woluld likely be a very quiet place except for all the tourists and the businesses/farmers who like to market their products to all the tourists who visit. We tried the infamous cottage cheese and honey. We also tried a cone filled with various cheeses. Oh ... and we had to try the four different kinds of liquor that is made by the monks.

    And, of course, there are many Christians visiting Montserrat in hopes of touching the Black Madonna. She is the Patron Saint of Catalonia. It is believed that she blesses those within her reach, so many people line up to walk past her and touch her. We opted for the dinner and wine tasting at a local vineyard instead.

    I took a very terrible photo of the Black Madonna from so far away and I cropped it even more. It does not do her justice. We learned that she was not black to begin with but was carved of wood and varnished. Over time, the varnish turned black. At one point, they tried to get her off the mountain but legend has it she became so heavy that they took it as a sign that she needed to remain on the mountain. So, instead of bringing her to a church, they designed a church around her.

    And, the Basilica was incredible. It has the most intricate facade of Jesus and his disciples on the front of it. Each of the disciples can be named given the details in their carving. St Peter has the keys to heaven, St James has the shell of the camino etc. Judas is on the far left (looking at the photo) and has his eyes downcast ... his hand filled with the riches he was paid to betray Jesus.

    There is a painting of Mary holding Jesus after his crucifixion inside. It is believed that she is about 46 when he was killed. The Basilica is not ornate like so many others but it holds a majesty and reverence that can be felt as you move through it. We've seen a lot of churches, cathedrals and Basilicas in our travels. I have a hard time remembering them (aside from the Vatican because it was so OVER THE TOP). But, I think I will remember this one for some reason.

    After our tour through Montserrat, we went to a local organic vineyard for lunch and then some wine tasting. The meal was so good ... and I was hungry by then ... I completely forgot to take pictures. Someone took a photo of our tour group and shared it with us.

    We've also been on a number of wine tours in our life, so I wasn't expecting to learn very much ... but ... we learned so much during this tour!! Our guide, Dani, was exceptional. He is also a school teacher and he was so entertaining and informative.

    Apparently it takes 100 days for the grapes to mature. They prefer to use French Oak barrels, but the barrels only last about 4 years. After that, they are used for whiskey. Because this vineyard is organic, they use donkeys to chew down the growth between the rows. And, they welcome bats to consume hundreds of pounds of insects during the growing season. They even erect little houses to encourage the bats to stay.

    This vineyard typically produces 150,000 bottles of wine every year but due to the drought ... they only produced 80,000 last year. Oh ... interesting fact! It is against the law for vineyards in Spain to use irrigation. Because there are so many types of grapes and differing climates, they want each region to produce the type of wine that is naturally produced without any human interventions or artificial supports.

    We enjoyed the wine tasting very much. We tried a 2023 white ganache. It was really nice. It would be excellent on a hot summer day. We also tried a red blend ... we tried the 2023 and then the 2019 of the same kind so we could see and taste the difference that maturity makes on the wine.

    The older wine was deeper in color and more orange toned around the edges. It had also grown some thin legs as we call them. In Spain, though, they call them 'tears'. I love that ... it is so poetic, no? ✨ The older wine was also much less acidic! I much preferred it. It had a bolder taste to it as well.

    All in all, it was a great day. We would highly recommend that you take this phenomenal tour with Castle Experiences if you ever get a chance. Their tour guides made the trip even more interesting and entertaining. They were hilarious.

    Okay my dear ones ... I am going to make some coffee and hopefully the old boy will wake up soon!! xo, k&j ❤️
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  • Day 30

    Our Last Destination in Spain ...

    May 21 in Spain ⋅ ☀️ 22 °C

    We awoke this morning to a bright sunny day and noticed that all the chaise lounges were removed from the pool area. It turns out they were vacuuming the astroturf. They told us at the front desk that they replaced the grass because of the drought that Valencia has been experiencing.

    We were certainly feeling a mix of emotions this morning. We were sorry to leave Sitges ... but on the other hand ... eager to be taking our last train ride within Spain. We have been travelling for 30 days. Our flight home is out of Barcelona on Friday May 24th ... and ... as much as we have enjoyed all the sights we have seen and the experiences we have collected, we are ready to be home again.

    We are looking forward to all things familiar. We are looking forward to landscaping the yard and adorning the deck with flowers. We are looking forward to all things routine and predictable.

    And so, we sat on our balcony just savoring all the joys that Sitges offered us and talked about how stressful the 'travel days' have felt in the past. We put it out to the Universe ... that today ... things might go easy and effortlessly.

    We enjoyed our breakfast and had the front desk order us a taxi to the train station. Upon our arrival there ... an employee helped us get our one way tickets and the train arrived in 4 minutes. Easy Peasy.

    I just have to share that on the train, the old boy was seated beside and I was seated across from a young couple with a very fresh new little baby. I couldn't help but notice the love and wonder and tenderness emanating from the little one's dad. When the little one squeaked a bit, the baby's Dad leaned forward and gently stroked his little hand ... speaking so softly and lovingly to his wee cherub. At one point, he leaned down and kissed his little foot. He was clearly so enamored with his precious little treasure that it almost brought me to tears. It was such a joy to witness the infinite love of a dad who was clearly connected to his emotions.

    We arrived in Barcelona and found the line of taxis. We hopped into one and found ourselves at our hotel in no time flat. Easy Peasy. We were a bit early for check-in, but our room was ready so we got settled and headed out to find some lunch.

    We only wandered a few steps down the street when we came upon a Japanese restuarant that the old boy remembered was rated a 4.7 stars on Trip Advisor. We opted to have a Yakisoba and something I can't remember the name of ... and ... it was so incredibly delicious. I say 5 stars.

    After that, we wanted to find our way to the pick up point for our excursion tomorrow to Monserrat. And, as our good luck continued, we discovered it was only one block away. I also wanted to find a breakfast place that served eggs so I could get a substantial meal before our 9 hour day trip. And we found that ... just across the street from the meeting place.

    We picked up some water, wine and snacks from the grocery store ... just steps away from our hotel. The only mis-step was that I accidently picked up the carbonated water instead of the still water. Ooooops. It was no problem slipping back to pick up the right one.

    We wandered one block further and came upon a massage place that offered foot massages. I indulged in a 30 minute foot massage as well. And, even better, it turns out the the pool is actually open in our hotel. They said it wasn't online, but it is. It is on the 7th floor. It is a tiny space, but we were able sit outdoors for a bit before bed.

    We had to set up a makeshift area to play a game. The set up in the room is not great. Plug ins are at a premium. The kettle needs to be plugged into the bathroom outlet for coffee in the morning.

    The clouds have been rolling in and are supposed to stick around for tomorrow. Maybe we are in for some rain? Actually, the forecast is for rain the entire time we are here in Barcelona. I'm hoping we didn't spend all our good luck today. It would be really nice to do our excursion without getting wet. 🤞🤞

    At any rate ... and all in all ... everything went so nicely today. No mountains. Not even any molehills, really. Is it too much to ask for a repeat of this energy tomorrow?? 😉

    I will sign off for today and catch you after our excursion tomorrow!
    Much love, k&j ❤️
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  • Day 29

    Grateful for all the Glimmers!

    May 20 in Spain ⋅ ☀️ 22 °C

    Our day has been filled with glimmers instead of mountains! ✨We had another wonderful sleep. The blackout drapes are extra nice because I have no sense of the time or if the sun is already up until I open the drapes. And, we are grateful we get to sleep in one more time here tomorrow. We will board the train to Barcelona ... but checkout here isn't until noon, so we are in no rush to vacate.

    We enjoyed the buffet again this morning. We both had omelets (with the works!) and several delicious cups of coffee. After that, we only had two things to do today.
    1) Find the tourist train that takes people around the town.
    2) Find the best paella in Sitges.

    So, we retraced our steps from yesterday ... starting at the marina and following the beach. It was so much quieter today. I realized it is Monday ... we have completely lost track of which day is what!! So, maybe it was extra busy on the beach in the cafes because it was the weekend?

    It was so nice to stroll along the quiet promenade ... taking it all in with all of our senses ... for our last time. It took a while until we found the train stop despite knowing that there are "very visible signs" marking the stops. We arrived at Stop #2 and the schedule said the next train would arrive in about 5 minutes. Perfect.

    Only ... no train came. We thought it might be running late. So, we opted to wait for 10 more minutes and if it didn't arrive, we would sit down for a drink at the Sports Bar that the stop was positioned in front of.

    Well, no train, but we enjoyed a glass of wine and a beer. While we were sitting there, a woman pushed a wheelchair up to the table next to us. Within it was an older man (I'd guess in his 80s). She got him comfortable and then left. He ordered a glass of white wine, a BIG bowl of olives and the bill.

    We were thinking how brilliant it was that he ordered the olives and earmarked it to do the same at our next happy hour. We chatted briefly with him. His English was better than our Spanish.

    He reminded me of Opa in that he didn't seem to be enjoying his day ... despite the wine and the olives. I sensed this was a man who knew his best days were behind him. I saw some longing in his eyes as he was trapped in that wheelchair.

    The staff all knew him by name. A friend of his stopped by and said hello and asked him how he was. He responded despondently "mal". I know in French that means bad. I suspect it means something similar in Spanish. My heart went out to him. I wish I knew Spanish. I would have loved to have chatted with him more and heard the stories he carries in his heart.

    I have found myself wondering, so many times along our travels through Spain ... about the stories of the people we have seen in cafes about what brings them joy? Or, those strolling arm and arm ... where did they meet ... what is their love story? And, those rolling luggage bumpily along the cobblestones ... where are they headed and where is "home"?

    I know from my work that the glimpse we get of people tells us nothing about who they really are. I would have loved to have deeper conversations with so many of them. At any rate, we wished this man a great day and he returned the well wishes. I sure do hope that the day brought him some unexpected gifts or glimmers.

    It was over an hour and no train came by so we surmised that it must not be running today. We continued our walk down the beach to find a lovely market of tents with all kinds of things for sale. It was fun to look and see what everyone was marketing. We never spent a dime, but had great fun looking.

    And then, the hunt was on for paella. I thought we had a reservation at 3:00 pm today at a place we scoped out on Trip Advisor. However, since it is so hard to keep track of what day it is ... I accidently made it for yesterday. So, we missed it. Gahhhhhhh. We decided to simply stroll past a number of options ... and ... check the rating on Trip Advisor before we went in. We were glad we adopted this strategy, or we would have ended up in a couple of 2 Star places.

    Eventually, we landed on a really nice place which was rated a 4 star! They declared that they had the best paella in Sitges. They had several different ones, but I was drawn to the meat and veggie one. The fellows at the table next to us appeared to have ordered one and it looked wonderful and smelled heavenly.

    They indicated that in Valencia (where paella orginated) it was always with meat and veggies. So, we ordered one of these traditional paellas and it did not disappoint. We also ordered tomato bread ... which was surprisingly delicious. And, we got some olives to start ... well ... you know why ... because paella takes at least 30 minutes to prepare! We finished up the meal with a couple of desserts because I was craving chocolate and the old boy wanted the puffed pastry thingy.

    All in all it was a great meal! We were delighted to waddle our way home. So, we took the same route ... the one with 127 stairs UP at the end of it. After we got home, the sun was shining brightly ... still ... and even though the forecast was for cloud and rain this afternoon. So we dawned our swim wear and went down to rest by the pool.

    It was much quieter here today too ... I think all the wedding goers headed home. And, now, the old boy is enjoying time on the balcony along with our laundry. We don't have a washer so we washed up a few things in the sink.

    I'm headed out to join him and hopefully beat him at a game of Clever. I was anything but clever yesterday!! I need to redeem myself. And, we have leftover pizza in our fridge from last night if we get hungry before bedtime!

    All in all ... as I said earlier ... no travel mountains today. Just glimmers of light that filled our souls with gratitude. And, tomorrow we are back to the train station and headed to Barcelona to enjoy our last three days in Spain.

    With deep appreciation for our experiences today, k&j ❤️
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  • Day 28

    Sunshine in Sitges!

    May 19 in Spain ⋅ ☁️ 20 °C

    We had such a lovely day today! It started by sleeping in until 8:30am. This was unexpected since we had gone to bed at 8:00pm! I guess it's a testament to just how tired we both have been feeling.

    While travel is full of amazing new sights and experiences ... our nervous systems prefer predictable and familiar things. So, given that by the time we get a feel for a place we are moving onto somewhere new ... it's no wonder our systems are feeling tired.

    This is why Sitges will be JUST what we need. After our 12.5 hours of sleep, we hopped on the elevator and arrived at the buffet! It was beyond words!! Everything you could possibly think of was available! And so, we enjoyed it to the maximum.

    When we checked in, the concierge suggested that the most lovely path to the old town was past the harbor. So, with rested and full bellies and happy hearts we found our way to the marina and commenced the most surprising beach walk we have ever taken.

    We rounded a corner and low and behold ... there were naked bodies on the first beach we came upon! We are not surprised to see women sunbathing topless, but this was the first time we saw so many penis's dangling in the sunshine! There was even a little old couple (older than us!) who were both stark naked and commenced to head up the path from the beach. I am not sure where they were going, but suffice to say this was a common practice for them because they had NO tan lines anywhere.

    We wondered if it was a nudist beach ... but maybe not ... there were many people in their swim suits. We kept walking and came upon the next beach. More bare naked men than women. We were scratching our heads. I began to wonder if Sitges is a welcome place for the LGBTQ community ... so ... I asked "the Google". Here is what I learned:

    "Sitges is a really picturesque coastal town on the Costa Brava. It's just a half-hour train ride from Barcelona and it has some of the best gay beaches in Spain. Long a haven for artists, it's now known as the gay vacation capital of Europe - along with Mykonos.

    Wandering around the old town, you'll find plenty of shops, restaurants, and a lot of gay bars (about 24!)." One of the most heartening thing about Sitges' gay scene is how open it is. The bars aren't hidden away down a back street. The take up much of the town center ... [T]he sad truth is that there are few places in the world where gay people feel comfortable showing PDA [public displays of affection]. In Sitges, you'll fee as comfortable as it's possible to be." It's so nice to be in such an accepting place that welcomes difference.

    There are 17 beaches in total! It is gorgeous and feels kind of upscale ... somewhat like Whitefish feels in comparison to Kalispell. We wandered down the beachfront and toured through the old town. Apparently, the property prices are approaching those of the most expensive in Europe.

    The marina area near our hotel has many, many fine restaurants so we popped into one of them for lunch. The old boy hadn't had any mussels yet so he ordered them for a starter. Then we ordered a rice and prawn and crayfish dish that we thought was paella. We were surprised when it showed up as a big caldron of soup.

    It was not really what I was hoping for ... I was coveting the paella at the table beside us ... but, I can't say it was terrible. I am hoping now that we are back in the districts that invented paella that we will enjoy another really good one before we head back home.

    We enjoyed the walk back home! We knew were were on the right path when we came to the beach where (as the old boy put it) "oh ... this is where the dinks hang out". Oh my ... his candor struck me so funny!

    When we got back to our hotel, we put on our swimwear and headed down to laze on the beach chairs in the sunshine. It was so relaxing. The warm sun and a little breeze. We both listened to our books and simply relaxed. It was so nourishing for both of us.

    And now, back at the room ... I will be joining the old boy on the balcony once I post this blog. We might play a game of clever and then head down to the restaurant for a bedtime snack.

    All in all, a simply wonderful day! I hope you all have a great one too.

    Warm hugs and much love and 5 more sleeps until we are flying home!!
    xo ❤️ k&j
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  • Day 27

    Travel Day!

    May 18 in Spain ⋅ ☀️ 20 °C

    Before I start with today ... I just need to share that when we were taking the garbage out at 7:30pm last night (as required), we noticed an Asian restaurant near our place called Zen Infusion. It felt like a manifestation of sorts, because while we were looking for a nice place for lunch earlier in the day yesterday ... I offhandedly commented that I'd do anything for gyoza right about now.

    Well, wouldn't you know it?? The Japanese restaurant had gyoza and so many other options that tickled my taste buds. We had a fabulous meal and I was one happy girl as we jumped into bed early ... knowing we had a long day ahead of us.

    We were up at 5:15am today to get to the train station for our 7:02am trip. Well, that is not exactly true. I was awake from 3:00am when I got up to tinkle and couldn't fall back to sleep. 🤨

    The day started off with a wee little mountain. We were supposed to take out the garbage last night after 7:30pm. We are not sure why this is ... but garbage disposal happens ONLY in the evening. The bins are there ... I am not sure why it matters when we put the contents inside, but they have had the same ruling all through our travels.

    Unfortunately, we forgot to empty to used coffee pod reservoir. And, when I tried to make a coffee at 5:15am, the pod was stuck! Then I realized that I would have to empty the reservoir into the garbage. They indicated it would cost us $30 EUROS if we didn't take out the trash. Grrr.

    We made it to the train station but without a REAL coffee ... remember that the pods in our room are decaffeinated and without cream/milk. We had a 6 hour ride, so I was looking forward to getting a good coffee when we landed in Barcelona.

    I had a bit of sleep on the train ... which was unusual but very welcome! And then, I gobbled up one of the sandwiches we had brought with us. They had some coffee service on the train. Even though it was instant coffee, it tasted pretty good.

    I was still looking forward to a really nice cortado before we boarded a train to Sitges, but we decided to get tickets before we ordered a coffee. Oh... and I needed to tinkle. You cannot buy tickets online for Sitges. It must be because it is a local commuter train and runs every 20 mintues between Barcelona and Sitges.

    The lady at the ticket booth did not speak English ... so when I asked about the times available ... she said 5 minutes. When I inquired if there was something later ... she lost it on me. I am guessing she had a bad day ... but ... we were now running for platform 11 and 12 ... with just minutes to spare ... with my full bladder.

    Good news is ... we got on the train without accident/incident. I told myself I could wait until Sitges. Well .... wouldn't you know it ... no restrooms that I could access in Sitges.

    We opted to simply get a taxi to the hotel. However, there were no taxis waiting at the taxi stand. I suggested we just wander over to the cafe across the street ... so I could get my morning coffee (at 3:00pm!). And, I would use the restroom there.

    When we crossed the street and approached the cafe ... a man got up from a table and asked if we needed a cab. He was a driver and was waiting for people who needed rides. So, we were off again ... without coffee and without toileting.

    Fortunately, it was only 10 mintues before we were checking into our hotel. We have been given wrist bands that get us into and out of everywhere ... kind of like all-inclusive resorts. We can see the ocean and pool from our balcony. YES!!! We have a balcony that we can sit on ,.. overlooking the pool.

    There was not a soul in it when we checked in ... and then ... while we were having a bite to eat, people kept coming and coming. We are suspecting there is wedding party here for the weekend. It seems they all know one another.

    I think we will be quite happy here to simply relax and recharge for a couple of days here before we head back to Barcelona. The old boy is sitting in the sun on the balcony right now. And ... the number of people enjoying the sunshine and the pool has increased astronomically!

    Okay ... I'm going to say good-bye for now. We will see you again tomorrow. OHHHHH ... we have a king-size for the first time in almost a month. Yikes. I am looking forward to our sleep tonight!!

    Oh ... and the they have a breakfast buffet! I am looking forward to enjoying breakfast OUT for our time here. They have had rain ... which is good because they are in a drought here too. Hopefully, though, we can enjoy some sun as well.

    Sending love across the pond, k&j ❤️
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  • Day 26

    Mother Nature's Magic Show!

    May 17 in Spain ⋅ ☀️ 22 °C

    It is our last day here in San Sebastian. Despite the presence of unpredictably inclement weather coming and going without warning ... we have really enjoyed this remarkable little city. We learned that it's proximity to France and it's position on the Road to Santiago drove the development of this coastal town because it was a strategic location during times of war.

    Over the centuries, it has been subjected to numerous sieges and fires but the people of San Sebastian rebuilt it each time. Apparently, Queen Isabell II suffered from skin problems and her doctors prescribed bathing in the sea. And so, in 1845, she summered here and made San Sebastian quite fashionable. The community attracted many aristocrats during the summer months. At the start of the 20th Century, San Sebastian experienced the "Belle Epoche" making it the preferred tourist destination for the European Upper classes. You can sense the regal energy of the place ... even though the buildings are not nearly as ornate as Seville or Madrid. The beach is pure sand. It is deep and wide and goes on forever around the bay. So I can see it would be a drawing card for sure.

    Although the forecast was for four days of rain when we arrived, I am happy to report that we actually enjoyed a fair bit of sunshine. I was hoping for more good weather for our last day today, but when I looked at the forecast first thing this morning, rain showers were expected for most of the day. By the time we had showered, eaten and were ready to go ... it showed sunshine for most of the day!

    I was so DELIGHTED to see this because we had decided to walk over to the funicular today. This offers a beautiful one hour walk around the whole bay . I thought it would be better in sunshine! So off we went!

    At one point we were so hot we were down to our shirts ... and then ... JUST LIKE MAGIC ... the sun was gone and the rain was making a mess of my glasses. We couldn't even see the culprit cloud that was delivering the drops ... but ... on again with the rain jackets. It didn't take long though, and the rain disappeared ... JUST LIKE MAGIC again. It would have been nice to have our umbrellas, but they were back at our flat in the lunch bag. 🥴

    As Mother Nature waved her magic weather wand, we were not to be deterred. The funicular ride up to the top of Mount Igueldo was lovely ... even though we were a bit damp. There is a huge amusement park erected on the top of it ... although we are too early in the season and none of it was open yet. It had a roller coaster and house of horror and trampolines, and carousels and oodles of fun for the family.

    We could see the sky turning dark, so we took cover inside the restaurant and enjoyed our first cortado of the day along with a couple of pintxos. The views were simply sensational! And even though it looked like it might rain for days ... the clouds moved away from us and we never even got a drop of rain while we were at the top.

    The sun was shining beautifully upon us as we descended the funicular but by the time we were half way around the beach ... our rain jackets were on again. This magic weather show continued like this for the whole day.

    We were hungry and hoping to find a place that might offer some nice options for me. Although the old boy is in his culinary heaven here in Spain .. it is really not the best for me. I much prefer a large plate full of things that I am familiar with ... something that sticks to your ribs, rather than little snacks that are fishy and made from parts of animals that I have trouble wrapping my head around.

    Once again, the old boy devoured an entire plate of anchovies and three pintxos that he gobbled up with glee. I had one that was a spicy meat and it was good. I also tried a shrimp skewer. It was okay. I can say that I will be glad to get back to American food. The lack of salt and pepper and spice is also something that is a struggle for me.

    Oh ... a fun thing happened in the restaurant. Apparently, until the 20th century, the main beverage in Donastia (the old town) was a cider made from apples. I guess back in the day, there were 100 cider houses in the Old Town alone! So, of course we had to try it. The old boy quite liked it. It was a bit too fizzy for me, but watching it been dispensed from the machine was entertaining! I caught a little video for you!

    So, now, we are in the room. We must get our bags packed and ready for an early morning train ride. The old boy packed us some breakfast 'to go' for the morning because our train departs at 7:02am. We have a six hour ride to Barcelona. And then, we will continue on the Sitges (about 40 minutes south) for three nights. After that, we are back to Barcelona. We have one excursion to Montserrat and then we are coming home.

    We are both ready to be home. A month is just too long for us at this age. However, our hearts have been filled with so many amazing sights and experiences. We have really enjoyed our time in Spain.

    Sending warm hugs across the ocean, k&j ❤️
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  • Day 25

    Dinner and the Walk Home in the Rain!

    May 16 in Spain ⋅ 🌙 17 °C

    We had made a reservation at "El Kbzon". Given the missing map, we made a stop at the Tourist information Center again to get another map on our way. Enroute, we had to walk past the part of the beach where all the surfers are having fun! It was amazing to watch how they waited to catch the waves. Many of them were amazing ... and others ... I am just giving credit to their courage and resilience in even attempting to surf!! Two of the four Canadians we had spoken to on Mount Urgull were going to take a surfing lesson today!! My hat goes off to them ... and ... I hope it went well.

    But, back to our dinner reservation. The restaurant was entirely unassuming. It was very, very simple in it's decor ... BUT ... the food was EXTRAORDINARY and very reasonably priced. The old boy could not decide between all the amazing pintxos/pinchos that were available.

    He started with the anchovies with homemade hummus (15/10). He thought he had had the best ever already, but this place proved him wrong. They even put caviar on them!! Then he had the roasted onion blood sausage with the apple compote (15/10). After that, he ordered the beef tongue which was roasted "slowly in red wine, beer with carrot puree and butter" (15/10). He then ordered the pork rind cracklings from Soria (with lentils and pickled red onions) ... which he also rated 15/10! And, for his final dish ... he opted to take the "cooked and roasted pork feet (with bones) and pumpkin puree, honey and old mustard." Can you guess what score he gave that delectable morsel? Yes. 15/10.

    I know you are thinking that he says this about all his food ... but ... he contends that THIS unassuming restaurant produced the best meal he has enjoyed in all our time in Spain. San Sebastian is known for its exceptional gastronomy ... so maybe we shouldn't be surprised, but suffice to say ... he was a happy boy!! I ordered the Pad Thai ... which seemed like a odd menu item, but it was actually very, very, very good as well.

    We also had a bottle of the region's white wine. It was a bit too effervescent for me, but it was dry ... and ... I wanted to try it.

    We walked home again ... via the oceanside. And, we took a wrong turn. I had a map but thought we could find our way to the beach without it. We wanted to check in and see if the rain showers had deterred the efforts of the sand artist.

    We were delighted to see that he had, in fact, completed the image ... even though one side of it was erased a bit by the rain. I caught a rainbow while we were lost.

    All in all, it was a great day! A few travel mountains ... and ... one real one! We managed all of them quite well. We have one last day in San Sebastian tomorrow and then we are on the train to Sitges.

    Thanks for sharing our journey ... k&j ❤️
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  • Day 25

    High Ho, High Ho ... Upwards We Go!

    May 16 in Spain ⋅ ⛅ 19 °C

    Our day started off on a better note today. We cooked our own breakfast and put a load of laundry in because it will need time to air dry before we leave on Saturday. The sun was shining so we even spent some time on our terrazzo before we headed out to explore more of this amazing city.

    And, best of all, I had the trusty map I got from the Tourist Information Center yesterday!! So, all felt right with the world. I cannot even put into words how much more relaxed and even maybe a tad bit more adventurous I feel ... when I have a map.

    We decided to ascend Mount Urgull today. It looked like the weather was going to be good, so we walked toward the old town. We stopped for a cappuccino because we only have the decaffeinated coffee pods in our room that we brought from Madrid. We both felt quite low in energy so decided a shot of caffeine might make a difference. The old boy also ordered a Spanish Omelet. I think it's made with eggs, potatoes and cheese. We had tried them before, but this one was particularly delicious!!

    Our climb was lovely! Bestie ... oh my gosh ... you would have so very much enjoyed it! And, near the summit, there was a great little outdoor cafe that you had to descend steep little rock stairs to enter. We sidestepped down into it so we could enjoy some refreshments (🍷🍺) before we scaled down the mountain. We ended up chatting with a couple who were drinking something we didn't recognize. They said it was a Basque tradition ... a cider of some sort ... 6 percent alcohol. We will keep our eyes open for it.

    And then, just as we were leaving, we ended up chatting with some Canadians that were seated behind us. We had such good conversation that we ended up talking with them for almost two hours!! It's so wonderful to meet such interesting people when you are travelling.

    The sun shone brightly the whole time we were up on Mount Urgull ... but as the clouds rolled in ... we hastened our descent, because we suspected some of the rocks would get slippery when wet. It was tricky enough to manage all the uneven rock paths as it were.

    Then, we headed straight to the beach where the sand artist had been working. He was just in the process of building a whole new image! Yes ... the one from yesterday was completely washed away with the tide!

    We both needed to tinkle ... and it started to sprinkle ... so we didn't stay to see how long it took him to complete the project. Thank goodness we decided to head back when we did ... because the rain started. It's crazy how it comes and goes here. You just never know. Fortunately, we have had more sun than showers ... in total.

    As we were heading back to our place, I realized my map was not in the pocket of my purse that I always keep it in! My heart literally skipped a beat in alarm. I don't lose things. Where on earth was my map??? How were we going to get home without it??? And, worse yet ... how would we find the restaurant we have a 6:00pm reservation at without it?? I could not begin to explain how insecure I immediately felt without my trusty map!!

    The old boy keyed in our place on Google Maps. And, although that should have reassured me ... it only made things worse. The rain was getting worse and I did not want her leading us in circles ... so ... I ended up arguing with Google once again.

    I was pretty sure I remembered the name of the street that we took home yesterday, so I overruled Google ... again. Fortunately, my route got us home. She might have done so too, but it eased my anxious mind to take a route that I felt familiar with.

    Sheesh ... I thought the only mountain we might be challenged by on this day was Urgull. Such was not the case. The good news is ... neither of us piddled in our pants. And, more good news ... as we were about to wrestle with the damn virtual key again ... another tenant/guest came along with a REAL key!! I am sure it was divine intervention. Our bladders needed quick relief. Any extra time fumbling with those darn locks would have been dangerous.

    Once we were tucked away nice and dry ... we felt so grateful for the nice hike. We were grateful for the day of mostly sunshine. We are grateful for the good conversation with fellow Canadians.

    The other little mountain we had to conquer though was this: without a map, I didn't feel comfortable walking to the restaurant because it was 2 kms away. One can get really twisted up geographically in two kms. Also, there is no such thing as Cabify, Lyft or Uber here in San Sebastian. And, we did't know how to call a cab here. To be honest, we haven't seen many cabs here.

    But then, it stopped raining. The old boy suggested we should walk. So, that is what we did. We ended up having a fabulous meal ... at very affordable prices. I have pictures to share ... but I'm out of room here... so I will add another blog about our meal and our walk home!

    It's been a really nice day here in San Sebastian. Once again, we can see why people come here ... despite the unpredictable rain showers!!

    Hugs, k&j ❤️

    However
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