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  • Lansers on the Loose ...Salutations from Spain - 2024
    24222244
    Dag 15

    On The Road Again!

    6. mai, Spania ⋅ ☁️ 19 °C

    Today was our day to pick up our rental car and hit the highway to Alicante! We were both a little nervous about finding our way, but fortunately our car had a GPS machine. We had to stop one of the Europcar staff members to help us get it going, but once we had it up and running ... we did quite well! Okay ... there was that one little mistake that took us to the airport in Malaga instead of the highway that could have been avoided ... but ... the man on our GPS rerouted us successfully!!

    The drive was absolutely beautiful. The scenery and topography changes in some amazing ways over and over again along the way. Orchards and flat barren areas that looked more like Phoenix ... and then ... the "Fields of Plastic" emerged into view!! These are greenhouses that are erected for miles and miles and miles and miles along the Costa del Sol! The tonnage of produce they put out must be staggering!!

    In fact, we passed many a trucker whom we assume was hauling beautiful fruits and vegetables! We were thoroughly enjoying our 5.5. hour drive until we decided to stop about after about three hours of driving to grab a little snack. We didn't want to get caught up in big city traffic, so we were looking for a little town ... highway side.

    We decided to pull into "Librilla". It has a population of 5729. We figured we couldn't get too lost in a small town so we travelled down 'main street' until we came upon a place that had tables set out in front of it!

    We wandered in and had to point at what we wanted in the little coolers ... no one spoke a word of English ... and well ... our Spanish leaves a lot to be desired. We ended up with a torte (potato and egg ... I think). And, of course, the old boy added some anchovies and pickled artichoke hearts to his plate! They even had a great white wine for us! The total bill was $11.00 EUR!!

    There was a mercado across the street from it, so we thought we'd grab our groceries there. We realized during the car ride that we had forgotten our Pringles in Malaga. That was not the worst of it. We also forgot the three bags of Inez Rosales tortas that we made a special trip to get before we left Seville!! We were broken hearted to think we would not have them for our time in Alicante ... but ... miracles exist!!

    We were wandering through this tiny grocery store in Librilla and the old boy spotted 3 packages of them high on the shelf! They were only $2.20EUR each. We paid $7.00 each in Seville!! Hmmmm. The wine was also priced accordingly. We picked up a couple of bottles ... one for less than $2 and one for less than $3. So, our bellies were full and our pocket book was not robbed!!

    We got back in the car ,,,, but ... the next hour was hellish!! It was rush hour in the city of Murcia and Alicante and the highway was hard on my nervous system. The speed limit is 120km/hour and the truckers (hauling all that fabulous produce) are in the right hand lane going too slow. The commuters in the left hand lane are going too fast. And THEN, there are the ones who insist on darting in between each!! Arghhhhhh.
    It was a rough ride for me for about an hour ... and hence ... I felt bad for the old boy trying to navigate the scenario with me doing the brakes and silently screeching in terror beside him.

    The good news is that was only for about an hour of our five hour ride. The rest of the trip was quite lovely. And, we feel a bit of freedom having a car at our disposal. I'm not sure what we will do with it ... because our place is amazing!! I am on the deck right now ... overlooking the Mediterranean Sea and watching the sun set behind the mountains to the west of us. ❤️

    The sun is setting behind the mountains, but casting a gorgeous glow over the sea!! The colors are so soft and muted ... they almost look unreal. And, the sunset is casting light on the differing parts of the city across town. It is truly magnificent to watch!

    Neither of us were particularly hungry ... but ... we thought we should head out for a bit to eat. The old boy searched it out and found a restaurant nearby. The walls were completely glass so I could see all the colors on the water and cotton candy pinks in the sky as the sun descended.

    I ordered the salmon with veggies and the old boy ordered the veal gizzards along with some kind of sausages. He took one bit of the gizzards and boldly declared something I have not heard him say yet this trip: "14/10".
    He was so excited about those dang gizzards. He liked the sausages too ... but ... I may not hear the end of his infatuation with the gizzards. I really enjoyed my salmon and the veggies were 10/10 for me! We also enjoyed an Argentinian crepe that was exceptionally good for dessert.

    So, all I can say is this: L'Albir is making a fabulous first impression. Tomorrow we will have a chance to check it some more! It's far past our bedtime, so I will sign off for now.

    See you tomorrow ... k&j ❤️    Les mer

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  • Lansers on the Loose ...Salutations from Spain - 2024
    42
    Dag 14

    Our Final Footsteps in Malaga!

    5. mai, Spania ⋅ ☁️ 24 °C

    Our five days here has come and gone quickly! I wish I could say the same about the nights. These beds might be amongst the most uncomfortable beds we have endeavored to sleep on in all of our travels. They are so narrow, short and HARD as cement. The pillows are also those spongy hard ones. They even have a long body pillow on the spare bed ... they are using it for the head pillows. I can honestly say that I really don't want to do another night on these mattresses ... but ... we have one night left!

    Aside from the beds ... our accommodation has been 13/10!! The location is absolutely superb. We are tucked right in between the sea and the harbor. We have a lovely 10 minute walk to the Old Town. And, speaking of walking, I should share that they have orchestrated their pedestrian lights in a really interesting way. They give the amount of time to wait ... and ... the amount of time to walk! Although, when the light turns green, the little man looks like he is running not walking!! 😂🤣

    Our day started off slow ... I was a bit homesick this morning. I have been missing my family, friends and solitude a bit. I have also found myself missing my deck and the peace and quiet of its stillness. However, there is so much to be grateful for here as well!

    We enjoyed another delicious croissant egg sandwich. The old boy is already lamenting that he will be missing the fresh squeezed orange juice that we get at the grocery store here! We have been loving the warm sunny weather. It feels like we are getting a jump start on summer!

    That said, it was 11:00am when we finally headed out for a cappuccino! And this morning, the old boy decided to have a coffee with cognac in it!! Blechhhhhh! His taste buds and mine are so different! He loved it.

    And then, we meandered our way down the harbor we saw that they had set up an whole pop up artisan market. It was lovely to see the unique and creative jewellery, clothing and even silicone eyeglass covers that people have crafted and are selling. Due to carry-on limitations, I never bought anything ,,, but ... I was sure tempted!

    We then stopped at the "Amigos" for lunch! This restaurant offered Indian, Mexican, Greek and American cuisine. At first, I could tell that the old boy was not sharing my enthusiasm for the menu items ... but ... he ordered the calamari!! I opted for the Chicken Curry with some coconut rice. The mix of the spicy curry and the sweet rice was absolutely DIVINE (13/10)! And ... wait ... the old boy's calamari was so good that I even had two pieces of it. It was so tender (not at all rubbery!). It sliced like butter ... with your fork!! And, there was no fishy smell or taste and it was breaded in something really light and delicious. He declared it was the very best calamari he has ever tasted (13/10).

    Even though it had been a mix of sun and cloud today, it is really warm ... so ... we decided we would head back to the room to get the beach chairs and spend the rest of our afternoon by the sea. The old boy had to get an ice cream on our way back though. Cherry. And, guess what? It was the best he has ever had (13/10). And ... even though I don't like ice cream ... I had several spoonfuls because it really was that delicious!!

    We took the 5 minute walk to the beach and plunked our chairs into the sand and got comfortable. The sand actually looks more like dirt than sand, but it is deep and gets very heated by the sun. I wandered into the Mediterranean Sea to cool down a bit. We ended up staying for two hours. It was absolutely lovely ... except for the three younger girls that were on a blanket nearby. They had their music blaring and their voices had to go even higher so they could hear themselves above the music.

    We probably could have stayed longer, but we wanted to get back to the same restaurant to try out the tacos that we saw being served earlier today ... and ... we also wanted to have our very first game of Clever since we have been on vacation. I scored horribly. Once I am finished with this post ... I will see if I can redeem myself before we head to bed.🤞

    When we got back to Amigos, we ordered one chicken and one beef tacos ... but sadly ... they were a bit of a disappointment! Sheesh. I had been dreaming about them all day. It's a good thing we went and had them ... otherwise I would have gone to my grave wondering how good they actually were!!

    Interestingly, our server spoke English. This is not common here. Most of the servers only speak Spanish and wee bit of English. We learned that she was originally from Italy but went to work in England for six years. She found it too dreary and depressing though ... so now ... she has been in Malaga for one month. She is not quite sure how she will handle the summer heat of 40 degrees Celcius, but she says there is no work in Italy except during the summer. Malaga has warm enough weather year round that she can make a living here. She was a real sweetheart!

    This is the latest we have been out and about since arriving here! I even got a couple of pics of the sun setting behind the massive yachts in the harbor. BTW ... this harbor is so very, very, very, quiet. There is very little movement in or out of it! The fishing boats must come in very early!

    And now, I am hoping to enjoy a stellar game of Clever before we head off to our hard beds with hard pillows. I am really hoping that our next AirBnB has comfy beds!! I'll catch up with you tomorrow ... if its not too late ... once we arrive in L'Albir!

    Love and hugs, k&j    Les mer

    Se oversettelse
  • Lansers on the Loose ...Salutations from Spain - 2024
    4
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    Dag 13

    Picasso and the Beach!

    4. mai, Spania ⋅ ☀️ 22 °C

    I had a much better sleep in the spare room last night ... and ... I might be seeing the last of my head cold!! Thank goodness! We enjoyed a nice egg and cheese croissant in our room before we headed out to the Picasso Museum. We thought about getting tickets online but then determined it might be just as easy to get them at the door ... because ... even those of us with tickets to the Lighthouse Hill had to stand in line behind those that didn't.

    We were mistaken. We were required to have tickets to even enter the line. So, we downloaded them while we waited. Thank goodness the old boy remembered his CVC code!!

    The Picasso Museum was really interesting! As we wandered through the exhibits, one could begin to see a pattern in his artistry. He seems to layer different views of things upon one another ... and ... the beholder is left to notice what we notice. I was grateful for the names of some of the pieces, because they gave me a hint of what to look for within the frame.

    We also learned that he sculpted as well. I had no idea. He passed away in 1973. Some of his last works were on display in the exhibit. It was fascinating to see the world through his eyes! As Picasso was quoted as saying :

    "We all know that art is not truth. Art is a lie that makes us realize the truth."

    It is so interesting to think of it that way. We also learned that this understanding enabled him to explore the artifice of all artistic practices by uniting the apparently opposing styles of cubism and classicism.

    After our time with Picasso, we thought we would head down to the Old Market for lunch. We keyed in the directions into Google Maps and it took us to a nice little mercado instead! Ha ha. Our second attempt was more successful ... but ... oh my gosh ... it was so incredibly busy!! My nervous system was not at all interested in staying more than a minute in the hustle and bustle of it all.

    Instead, we wandered all the way back to the Picasso Museum and took a seat in the beautiful little restaurant we had noticed on our way to the market! It was perfect ... because ... we were both seated in the shade but the sun shone brightly upon our table. It made the cutlery too hot to touch, but created the most lovely ambiance.

    Guess what the old boy ordered??? Yes. The anchovies. And ... they were good, but only 8/10! He also ordered the salted cod ... also 8/10. Oh ... and the old boy ordered a beer. Beer is served in wine glasses here!!

    I ordered the scrambled eggs with mushrooms, ham, chives and shrimp. I had no idea what it would be like ... but ... I was so pleasantly surprised!!! It was visually so beautiful ... and ... 9/10 for taste. We also enjoyed the orange dessert along with a nice espresso. All in all, it was a wonderful lunch!!
    There were many locals enjoying this restaurant ... which is a good sign. We also noticed that very few people are on their phones. Instead, they are chatting and laughing while they enjoy their meals.

    And, since it was such a nice day, we opted to head home for the beach chairs and spend a little time enjoying the sunshine by the sea. But, once again, we got distracted.

    We thought we best take a look and book our train travel from Madrid to San Sebastian. Imagine our distress when it appeared that there were no trains available. We spent the next couple of hours arranging our next destinations as well. The flexibility of not having plans is lovely ... until you need to take yourself out of the place you are in and try to arrange transportation, excursions and accommodations for the places you are headed.

    It's six of one and a half a dozen of the other. We hate to lock ourselves into a schedule before we leave because we always get such great ideas from the locals. However ... this lack of trains put a bit of a scare into us. It's getting to be tourist season here and we didn't want to be stuck buying a $660 flight from Madrid to San Sebastian. As it stands now, in 10 days we are taking a 6 hour bus ride instead of the train to Madrid. It will be another kind of experience, right??

    After we got some things arranged, it was too late to pack up the chairs and umbrella for the beach, so we filled our green go-cup with some chilled white wine and headed down to the beach to finish walking along the part of the Malecon we had not yet visited.

    And, for supper ... we picked up some nice curried chicken empanadas at the grocery store! We had such a big lunch, we will be just fine with less for dinner.

    All in all, its been a good day. Tomorrow ... all we have planned is going to the beach ... and then ... packing up to check out and make our way to our next destination.

    Sending warmest smiles from our hearts to yours, k&j ❤️    Les mer

    Se oversettelse
  • Lansers on the Loose ...Salutations from Spain - 2024
    2
    12424262
    Dag 12

    A Bit of a Shit Show Today ... 😏

    3. mai, Spania ⋅ ☀️ 20 °C

    We slept in separate rooms last night ... and ... it was such a delight to discover that the bed in the extra bedroom has a softer mattress! The old boy had a wonderful sleep last night and so, I'll be taking my turn in that room tonight!

    We enjoyed a nice slow start to the day ... just the way I like it!! The shower was hot for both of us ... the eggs were flipped (although the old boy said, and I quote, that the egg flipper "didn't work worth a shit!". And, we savored and sipped our espresso blend Nescafe and did not overflow the cup with water! The day was off to a grand start!

    Just as we noticed in Seville, everything is so clean here! No litter ... and no bird poop in the squares ... actually ... very few birds at all! As we headed out the door, we came across the reason why! The public works people hose down the streets everyday!!

    We found our way to the stop for the 'Hop On Hop Off' bus and the coach was already there waiting for us. It was so full we had to sit inside for the half the route but by the time we got to the Gibralfaro Castle (aka Lighthouse Hill) that we hiked up to yesterday ... the front seats had opened up for us upstairs.

    I LOVE the front seats ... windbreak but sunshine on your shoulders and you can see both sides of the vehicle!! Eeeek ... that was spoken like a savvy senior citizen who knows her tourist travel coach lines, wasn't it??? 🤷‍♀️

    We got off to wander the main shopping area and have a bite of lunch. The sun is warm today but the air is still cool so we wanted to sit outside in the sunshine. Fortunately ... it is not too crowded with tourists yet, so it wasn't difficult to find a nice sunny spot.

    Of course, the old boy ordered the anchovies AGAIN (8/10) and I ordered the chicken tenders tapa which were seasoned and battered with something delightful!!(10/10) I also got the spicy potatoes brava again. These were deep fried ...so not quite as good as the boiled baby potatoes yesterday ... still (8/10)! We also tried a tapa of chickpeas with spinach (11/10). Sorry ... I forgot to take photos ... because ... I got distracted!

    As we were sitting so nicely sipping our wine ... I got splattered with bird shit! I thought it was only on my skirt, my shirt and purse. I wiped it best I could and reminded myself of that old wives' tale that says it is good luck! I'm hoping it will bring good luck, but it certainly wasn't a good look!!! And, it wasn't until much later that I realized that the worst of it was down my entire back!

    So, a mid-day change of plans was promptly executed. We skedaddled home to put all the shitty clothes in the washer and then headed out to stroll the Malecon along the beach!

    The Malagueta beach is long and wide and filled with oodles of things to enjoy!! There is playground equipment for the children, sand volleyball, little oases of grass under palm trees, exercise equipment, restaurants and cafes, benches, sidewalks, chaise lounges, tiki huts and towels on the sand! And, the energy of relaxation and fun and joy. People were reading, resting, playing, chatting, imbibing, eating and all the nurturing things we do when we are by the water.

    It was really not very busy on the beach ... and curiously ... we did not see any vendors walking up and down the beach trying to sell their wares. Maybe it is because we are 'off' season for the beach? We are not sure, but it was interesting to notice. We added about 6000 steps to our total of almost 14,000 and we didn't even walk all the way down Malecon yet!

    We opted to go to the harbor for dinner because they have lots of options for types of foods. I ordered the lasagna and the old boy tried the monk fish. Sadly, we could only give them a solid 5/10.

    We are home now ... cherishing the memories we've tucked into our hearts! We are also happy to be tucking our bodies into bed ... just as many of the restuarants are opening for dinner!! I am not sure what happened to our inner time clock, but we seem to be back to waking a bit earlier and eating earlier and going to be earlier. I guess we will see if it sticks or if we are just not resting so well in these beds.

    Tomorrow it's supposed to be 25 degrees Celsius and 28 on Sunday ... so ... we might have to haul out the beach chairs and plant ourselves in the sand for a bit. On the other hand, there are museums calling our names. You never know what gifts tomorrow will bring ... ❤️    Les mer

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  • Lansers on the Loose ...Salutations from Spain - 2024
    84222324
    Dag 11

    The Marvels of Malaga!

    2. mai, Spania ⋅ ☁️ 18 °C

    The day got off to a bit of a rocky start! We were not particularly well rested because our bed and pillows in this new AirBnB here are very hard and the bed is very small! Fortunately, we have two bedrooms because ... we might need both!!

    One of the challenges of travelling is learning how to use all the things in the house. We had no trouble figuring out how to use the Nespresso machine in Seville, but ... the Nescafe contraption here in Malaga is like nothing we have ever seen and it had us scratching our heads!

    I was so darned tickled to see that there were pods for Cafe Leche but my joy was short-lived, because once the machine was turned on ... it just kept running!! It took us a bit to realize that we had to manually turn it OFF. Good grief!! We have never experienced THAT before. I guess it makes sense because you can make your java as weak or strong as you prefer ... but ... it's certainly a crap shoot to figure this all out! 🥴

    And then, there was the shower! It has both a rain head and a hand held ... but ... the hand held was pointed to the opening when the old boy turned it on. He accidentally showered the bathroom! And then, little did we know, but the hot water tank is small. By the time he was complete with his shower and I stepped in ... well ... it cold water for me! Tomorrow I am showering first! And, I will make it quick so the old boy has some hot water.

    While I was showering, the old boy was trying to make our eggs! It took him forever to figure out how to turn the burners on .. and then ... he couldn't find the egg flipper. When the host came to fix the air-conditioner ... I asked her if there was an egg flipper. She pointed to a slotted device that neither of us would ever have imagined would be it! I will add a picture of it! See what you think!

    And then, to top it all off, the old boy ended up choking on something in his breakfast! It was certainly unnerving. He had tears running down his cheeks as he gasped for breath. Thank goodness it didn't take too long for him to clear the obstruction!! All in all ... lots of adrenalin in our morning wake up today!!

    We started our day outside by wandering the harbor again and the old boy enjoyed a churro (without chocolate!) with his morning cafe leche. The sun was shining as we made our way along the Malecon ... taking in all the beautiful vistas that the the sea provides.

    I noticed a little hairdressing shop along the harbor and thought they might have a strong hold hair spray for me ... my travel one was running out. They did ... but ... it was $33 Euros!! That would be in the neighborhood of $45 CAD. I was NOT about to pay that even though the sales clerk defended that it was 'salon quality'. I found a little shop down the way and paid $5.49. I certainly hope this will not be one of those moments where you get what you pay for!!

    Malaga in located on the Mediterranean Sea. Fortunately for me, the food seems to have broad influences from Italy, Greece, India, Mexico and other cultures! The menus are diverse! We had a lovely lunch on the harbour ... where I opted to try Paella #3. I played it safe and ordered the Pork and Vegetable version rather than the seafood option. I will give it 7/10. It looked delicious and was better than the other two, but still not the best!

    The old boy ordered the fried anchovies and emphatically stated that these were "the best ever". I reminded him that he said that in Seville. He reassured me that the last 'best ever' were just a 8/10, but these were a 12/10. With every bite he took, he exclaimed his appreciation in another way: "I could have these for breakfast!" ... " These are to die for" ... "Wow!" ... "Did I tell you how good these are?" ... and finally ... "You better bump these up to 13/10." His boyish delight is just a joy to behold. I'm looking forward to a paella that I can get that excited about!!

    After our lunch, we meandered through the old town until we came upon the Roman Theatre and the Alcazaba and the Castillo de Gibralfaro. These historical sites were mammoth in size and hold more history than I have room or inclination to share! Suffice to say that we logged just shy of 18,000 steps winding our way up the hillsides to conquer the castles and enjoy some incredibly magical and delightfully majestic views.

    Oh .... by the way ... we might have changed our minds!! We previously declared that Seville might be our favorite city in all our travels. However, we may be in error. It just might be Malaga. We have a couple days to nail it down, but our first impressions have been nothing short of stellar!! Malaga is overflowing with magic and majesty!

    We stopped at a local restaurant for some tapas on our way home. It was good. We were good. The day was good. And ... we hope our sleep will also be good.

    Wishing you all a good day! Good night from us ... k&j ❤️    Les mer

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  • Lansers on the Loose ...Salutations from Spain - 2024
    4
    22264
    Dag 10

    Taking the Train to Malaga!

    1. mai, Spania ⋅ ☀️ 19 °C

    It's a travel day today!! We were up and at it by 8:30AM this morning ... tidying up the Airbnb and making some sandwiches to enjoy enroute! We had a two hour train ride at roughly 300km/hour in order to get from Seville to Malaga!

    Our tickets were nicely on our phone and we just had to get to the train station!
    We were going to reserve with "Cabify" (which is the Spain equivalent to Uber) but they only took reservations ... which meant we'd be waiting on the street for 30 minutes. That didn't seem right with our souls.

    So, we opted to go with the Uber instead. Our driver found us without too much trouble ... but then ... started to drive away before the old boy got fully into the car!! He was trying to fall into the back seat as the car picked away from the curb!! It was horrifying ... and I yelled at the driver!! He felt terrible!!

    We are guessing that he assumed the old boy had landed in the car when he heard the "thud" on the back seat. However ... that thud was the old boy's day pack!! It has his computer in it ... amongst a lot of other things that add weight! I am not sure how he even lugs that thing around ... but ... he never complains! He didn't even complain about being semi-dragged for a couple of feet whilst trying to land his butt in the back seat of the Uber! Fortunately, no harm and no foul! The old boy's 'cougar instincts' kicked in and made it hard to take him down😉... thankfully!!! 🙌

    Our train ride was entirely uneventful aside from the fact that some 'others' were seated beside some privileged white folks in the seat in front of us. The 'other' put his feet up on the empty seat across from him and it was hard not to hear the English woman's disdain for this behaviour!! It was written all over her face. Not that the man cared one iota about her preferences for his good manners. People watching is always so enjoyable, isn't it? BTW ... I almost took a picture because he had the WIDEST feet I think I have ever seen!!

    We arrived in Malaga and decided to book a car for the next leg of our journey! We will be heading to a more remote area in the Alicante region after our four nights here in Malaga. The rental is a bit pricey ... but ... hopefully the freedom to come and go will make the price tag worth it!!

    We arrived at our place ... only to discover that the A/C isn't working in the living room area. I trust they will get it fixed. As long as we can cool things down to a necessary 18 degrees for sleeping ... all will be well. I'm still doing battle with this head cold ... it hasn't gotten any worse ... which is a miracle! Here's hoping it gives up and leaves soon! 🤞

    Our room is quite lovely and nicely situated between the old town and the beach!! We are eager to get familiar with our surroundings but felt too tuckered out to spend much time exploring tonight!

    Instead ... we opted to go out for dinner after we bought some groceries! It's such a gift that the mercado is right across the street from us ... eggs, mayo, cheese, bread and wine. These are staples we must have on hand!

    Once we had these purchased, we headed out to a local spot for dinner ... only to learn that they were not serving food because it is "Labor Day" in Spain today. So ... we wandered closer to the harbor and discovered a 'Hard Rock Cafe"!

    I am almost embarrassed to tell you how excited I was at the possibility of having 'American' food! We always scratch our heads when people travel overseas and then head to McDonalds for dinner ... but today ... I was THAT traveller!!

    The old boy humored me! We had a platter of greasy fried wings and spring rolls and onion rings and all kinds of other things that no good Spaniard would even consider! It was delightful!! I am just hoping my system doesn't kick back on the greasy food like it usually does. Once again, finger crossed!

    And now ... we are headed to bed!! It's only 8:45pm ... but ... we are tuckered right out! And, new adventures await us tomorrow!! Talk to you again then!

    Love and hugs, k&j ❤️    Les mer

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  • Lansers on the Loose ...Salutations from Spain - 2024
    2
    141642234
    Dag 9

    Farewell to Seville!

    30. april, Spania ⋅ ☁️ 19 °C

    It's hard to believe that today is our last day in Seville! It is truly one of our very favorite cities that we have had the good fortune to visit! We had no big plans today except to buy some more of those amazingly delicious tortas made by Ines Rosalez that I talked about many days ago! We bought two more of the anise variety and also bought one of the rosemary and thyme flavored ones! I'll have to let you know what we think!!

    We enjoyed breakfast in our room and meandered the streets ... spending a bit more time looking in the shops! I took a picture of the window of the shop next door to us! It is filled ONLY with earrings. If you see a pair you like ... let me know! If they are open this evening or open in the morning when we check out, I will pick them up for you!!

    And then ... there were all the shoe shops! Such brightly colored and stylish shoes! I captured a pic or two of some of them too!

    We found those shoe stores as we moseyed down the main shopping street towards the "Setas de Sevilla" aka the "Metropol Parasol" and/or more colloquially known here as the "Mushroom". This mammoth structure was erected 2011 and is the largest wooden structure in the world! It is constructed out of 3500 pieces of micro-plated Finnish pine wood (1, 300,000 kilos!). The pieces are joined together by roughly 3,000 knots and 16 million screws.

    There are pathways that lead you through a number of different viewing platforms that circle the mushroom ... so you might observe a 360 degree view of the city! Apparently it is extra stunning at night because it lights up in an array of colors! We opted to go in the afternoon because we are hoping to catch a sunset on a rooftop patio to cap off our experience of Seville! The tour also provides a 3D panoramic immersive screen experience entitled "Feeling Sevilla". Honestly, it was the perfect way to revisit the highlights of our time here.

    And then, we visited the market under the mushroom! It was phenomenal. We got there just in time though, because by 3:00pm they were all closing up for siesta time. I have no idea if they open again this evening or not, but we were grateful for the tapas we purchased from one of the wine and delicatessen kiosks.

    We ordered a couple of empanadas (one blood sausage/apple and one ham and cheese). I don't have to tell you who ordered which one, do I?? And, remember I was saying yesterday how I wish I could find something with a little more spice to it? Well ....... my prayers were answered. They had little skewers with anchovies and olives and spicy peppers!! We paired all of that with some delicious Manchego cheese cubes and some dry white wine!! Absolutely stellar!! ✨These culinary options tickled both our fancies quite nicely. 😋

    And, from there, we wandered back home ... only had to use the Google maps once to orient ourselves! We opted to clean up, pack and organize for our train trip to Malaga tomorrow before we headed out in search of the sunset tonight.

    It we find a nice roof top and get some sunset photos, I will add them later, but for now ... I will add the photos I have taken so far from today and will say good-bye for now!

    It's been such a wonder-filled time here in this city! It has so much character, history and ... as I have said before ... it reveals hidden delights and precious gems to tickle all the senses around every corner!

    Warmest hugs from us to you ... k&j ❤️    Les mer

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  • Lansers on the Loose ...Salutations from Spain - 2024
    7
    1222222
    Dag 8

    Home of the Flamenco! 💃

    29. april, Spania ⋅ 🌙 17 °C

    Ola!

    My travel mountain today might be that I am coming down with something 'cold like'. I noticed my palate was itchy yesterday on the ride home and during the night I was congested and my throat was tickly. I am committed to fending it off because no one wants to be sick while on vacation!! Perhaps I need to envision myself as a matador in the bull ring and the bull is the pesky virus! Eeeek ... that might not be the most pleasant vision? Forget I said that ... 🥴

    Neither of us had much energy to spare this morning so we opted to eat breakfast at home again ... get some groceries ... do some more laundry ... run the dishwasher and then head out for a cafe leche! We have a great little Nespresso machine in our room, but we can't add cream to it, so we stopped at a little bakery down our street on our way to the Flamenco Museum.

    We purchased tickets to see a Flamenco show tonight, but would never have thought to go to the museum first were it not for the suggestion of our AirBnB host. She indicated we would appreciate the show much more if we actually understood what we were watching. She was so right!!

    It was absolutely fascinating to learn about the origins of Flamenco and all the different emotional elements that go into each of the different dances:

    SOLEA - solitude and nostalgia
    GUIARIA - grace and sensuality
    FARUCCA - elegance and power
    BULERIAS - game and seduction
    ALEGRIAS - joy and happiness
    SEGUIRIYA - pain and death
    TANGOS - passion and sex

    We learned that Flamenco has it origins in 711AD with the conquest of the peninsula by the Arabs! We also learned that it started in coffee shops as singing and then added very a precise, mathematical and technically specific combination of body movements (arms, legs, torso, feet, turns) expertly combined to express/illicit intense connection to emotions. Just like music, the most magnificent Flamenco maestros are the ones that effectively convey and spark a rich tapestry of emotion within the beholder!

    It is a gorgeous sunny day here in Seville, so after enjoying the museum we toddled off to find a patio for some tapas and a vino blanco. My second attempt at paella LOOKED better but was ... entirely tasteless. I will give it a 4 out of 10 ... only because it had some peas and peppers and a few bits of seafood in it. I think I only gave the first 'Krill' one a 1/10 ... and ... that might have been generous given my experience of it. 😣

    So ............. my search continues for a delicious paella like we had in Roses, Spain a few years ago. It was an easy 12/10!! I hope we don't have to venture all the way back there to find one that rivals the one in my memories before we fly home from Barcelona!

    I forgot to mention that they do not put salt and pepper on the tables anywhere here. I have only asked for it once because I don't want to insult the cooks, but I might have to get braver if I am going to survive a month eating bland tapas!! They also eat dry bread. No butter!

    The old boy just loves all the possibilities of tapas, but I find the food to be very fishy, very fried and very bland. As much as I love this country ... I am just not as fond of its culinary delights! I find myself craving some Ichiban ... some lasagna ... or better yet ... something spicy! I spied a little Mexican Cantina down the way from here ... maybe I'll convince the old boy to try it!?!

    After a brief siesta at home, we headed off to the Flamenco show! And ... it was incredibly moving! The timing of the dancers impeccable foot work had to be spot on for it to to resonate within us so deeply. Our emotions were so touched by the intensity of the performance that the old boy even had some tears trickling down his cheeks! And ... the singers and guitar player were incredible. They worked in unison in such a remarkable way. We were seated in the second row and dead center stage! I am so glad we attended both the museum and the show.

    We stopped for a quick tapa on our way back to our place and, I quote, the old boy had "the best" pork cheeks he has ever had. It's always a treat when your meal feels like the 'best ever'!!

    All in all, we didn't do much today, but the things that we experienced filled our heart spaces in such a meaningful way! And once I add the pictures to this post ... I am going to skiddaddle right off to bed! I'm hoping some extra good rest will help me beat whatever is trying to take me down!

    Good night from Seville, k&j ❤️    Les mer

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  • Lansers on the Loose ...Salutations from Spain - 2024
    426422223
    Dag 7

    Road Trip Today ... Jerez and Cadiz!

    28. april, Spania ⋅ ⛅ 18 °C

    We were up and out early this morning to enjoy our road trip to Jerez and Cadiz. They are only about 75 minutes away and during our journey, we learned that 80% of Spain's olive oil comes from the trees in this region. We also learned that there are sweet orange trees and almond trees. Apparently, in a couple of months, the fields will be filled with sunflowers! Wouldn't that be a sight to behold!!! 🌻🌻🌻🌻🌻

    We were interested in seeing Cadiz because it is the oldest city in Europe. This little island has 3100 years of history behind it! It also has Muslim roots and was conquered by the Christians somewhere along the way. I forget the dates though. I could never remember them in high school social classes either! 🥴

    It was so interesting because as we were gathering for the tour, I looked over and thought I recognized the woman standing beside me. There were 45 or 50 people on our coach ... and because I'm not great with faces ... I was delighted when she finally said ... I know you!!

    We had sat beside one another on the Hop On Hop Off bus on our first day here in Seville! Her name is Lynn and she lives in Scotland. She was travelling alone because her husband went back to work after he retired and was not able to take the time off. She had a great sense of humor and we shared our table at lunch with her. We also thought it must have been meant to be that our paths crossed ... because ... TWICE in the midst of all these people and options for tours!?! It could not have been a mere coincidence!

    It was great fun because she and the old boy enjoyed a plate of mussels. Some of you will laugh, when I say that he touts these mussels as the best and freshest he has ever had! I know he has said this before, but this time ... Lynn agreed. The mussels were simply served in salt water and the two of them raved about them. The jumbo shrimp gave the old boy a run for his money getting them out of their shells! Lynn and I agreed that we don't enjoy working that hard for our meals. 😉

    After lunch we took a one hour guided walking tour around Cadiz and learned that the old town was built entirely with "oyster rock"! They look kind of like pumice stone but are filled with shells and rocks. These blocks stand up to the intense humidity and 40-45 degree Celsius summers in Andalusia. The rock pavement is the original too! It was made with Mississippi stones that the boats from the Americas carried on them to as ballast while they were sailing into ports to deliver goods. Once the goods were emptied, they didn't need to balance the weight anymore and left the rocks in Cadiz ... and ... were used to build the roadways!

    Although we didn't have a whole lot of time we wandered down a couple of the lanes! Fortunately it was not as easy to get lost as it is here in Seville! In fact, the large plaza in front of the town hall reminded me of Havana, Cuba. We also took a little walk to the ocean. The sea is such a gorgeous turquoise color!!

    On our way to Cadiz, we first stopped in Jerez at a vineyard that makes sherry! This is very popular in this area. We learned that the dry white sherry has only 15% alcohol and will turn brown if 18% alcohol is added. Apparently the alcohol stops the fermentation and oxygen gets into the wine. So, even though they are both considered 'white' ... one is definitely brown.

    I could not drink either of them. They both tasted to me like wine that was turning bad. I don't think I was alone in this ... many of the glasses were not fully consumed until we tried the sweeter varieties. Still ... a hard NO from me. The old boy eagerly consumed both Lynn and mine for a couple of rounds!! But then again ... he likes the turpentine taste of scotch and port and bourbon and all those other unpalatable aperitifs.

    We headed home at 5:30 and should have arrived by 6:45pm ... but guess what! The motorcycle 'Grand Prix" was happening in Jerez today and so traffic on the highway was backed right up to a standstill. At 7:30pm, the tour guide announced that we were only 20 minutes out of Seville. Our enthusiasm was short lived when only moments later we slowed to a snail's pace again. She then shared that there was an accident on the highway and we were diverted through Dos Hermanus. We finally arrived at 8:30pm!

    We weren't sure what to do for supper. We had planned to head out for tapas after we got home tonight, but with it being so late, I just wanted to get home and make a sandwich for supper. The 'travel mountain' for today (aside from being two hours longer than we anticipated) was that we needed buns ... and ... it's Sunday. All the grocery stores are closed on Sundays. We were a bit befuddled about what to do ......

    And then, as we were making our way down the 15 minute walk home through the maze of lanes ... we came upon a little store that was OPEN!! They happened to have buns ... tomatoes ... and ... eggs. It was SUCH a gift. They had no egg cartons, but the proprietor simply folded a newspaper into a cone and filled it with a dozen eggs for us! 🙌

    And ... more good news!! For the first time EVER since our arrival ... we navigated our way through those maze of lanes without pulling out Google Maps. It was a high-five moment for us!! 👏👏👏

    So, supper tonight will be sandwiches which is absolutely perfect in my humble opinion. It will still be a late dinner (we are definitely taking on the Spanish custom of late dinner!) because it's already 10:05pm and we haven't even moved into the kitchen!

    More good news! We don't have to set the alarm for tomorrow either! So, we are feeling relaxed about the next couple of days before we head to Malaga.

    Sending hugs to one and all, k&j ❤️
    P.S. I'll post this and then add pictures ... if you don't see the photos, pop back later!

    P.P.S. I forgot to mention that Cadiz is the starting point for one of the many roads known as the Camino Santigo!!    Les mer

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  • Lansers on the Loose ...Salutations from Spain - 2024
    2
    2234
    Dag 6

    👣 A Nice Walkabout Seville! 👣

    27. april, Spania ⋅ ☀️ 19 °C

    After our siesta yesterday, we meandered down the our street a little ways and enjoyed some more tapas. It was 9:00pm! We must be aclimating to the Spanish culture of resting in the afternoon and then eating later at night and then sleeping in until 9:00 or 10:00am!! I ordered the salmon and it was so beautifully prepared! The old boy is in heaven with all the fish and seafood options ... so he ordered the anchovies on avocado toast ... and then ... followed it up with a plate of bull's tail. He didn't want to miss the opportunity to chow down on a little bull. I should share that he absolutely loved every bite of it.

    Speaking of bull ... I have an update! The old boy is no longer planning to see a bull fight. He was investigating it a bit more and watched a little of one on UTube. He ended up having a terrible dream afterwards and decided that he best not go.

    At any rate ... we were awakened this morning by the ringing of the church bells. They typically ring on every hour and every half hour, but this morning they were ringing every 10 minutes. I had to Google it to see if today was some special holiday?? I learned that it is customary for church bells to be rung after a marriage in church and to mark national thanksgivings. It is also common to announce festivals, to warn of invasions or national emergencies ... and/or ... for the bell ringer to practice his skill set! It never occurred to me that one might need to hone one's craft if one was a bell ringer. It makes me wonder how many youngsters dream of being bell ringers when they grow up? It's so fascinating, isn't it?

    We had another breakfast at home and then headed off to find the pick-up spot for our day trip to Jerez and Cadiz tomorrow. It took us to the Macarena district, which appeared to be far more filled with locals than the Centro district where we are staying. We hope that our practice run today will minimize any stress of getting lost in the morning ... while trying to navigate the maze of cobblestone lanes that are shared by pedestrians and vehicles alike. It would be literally impossible to find our way without Google Maps! The roads are so narrow that at one intersection, a whole bunch of people had to stop and wait for an Uber driver to make the corner. There were mere inches between him and the buildings. The onlookers offered him a round of applause as he completed the task without losing his side mirrors! It is honestly like nothing we have ever seen before.

    We stopped for little cafe leche and some locals helped us get our bearings so we could wander over to the Santa Cruz area. This was the Jewish Quarter. It is now filled with multitudes of little artisan shops and cafes and bars. We had such a good time taking it all in.

    We then found ourselves at a outdoor cafe and the tomato soup looked scrumptious. So, we ordered a couple bowls and then had the pleasure of watching a very young man do some break dancing! He was sooooo talented!

    After that, we walked a fair way and stopped to have a little rest at the base of a monument. We sipped a little wine out of our green Starbucks cup and made our way on foot to the Plaza Espana ... the location where the 1929 World Fair/Exposition was held. Apparently the people of Seville started preparing for it in 1910 ... 19 years earlier!

    People raved about how beautiful it was and said it was a "must see." I guess one might compare it to Central Park in New York. It is 170 acres and was quite lovely with gardens and gorgeous buildings but we opted not to spend much time there. We decided, rather, to have a little pizza and a glass of wine at a restaurant in the Maria Luisa park instead. Thank goodness that we did, because the clouds burst open shortly after we arrived! Fortunately, our cute little server rushed over imploring us to "come, come, come" before we even knew it was raining. He grabbed my food and drink and very quickly relocated us under an awning! It was really so very kind of him!

    There was a "pop Up" Market from Portugal that we browsed, but with all our wandering, we missed siesta time. We naively thought we could just buy a sandwich to take home for supper. Well, finding a sandwich at 6:00pm proved to be a formidable task ... so ... we went to the grocery store and bought the fixings to make our own.

    We are home now ... it's 8:18pm ... and are hoping to get to bed early. We still need to eat, but the old boy is fast asleep on the chair. We logged 13, 819 steps on our walkabout today so we are both feeling tuckered out!!

    It was such a nice day though. And, tomorrow we will be galavanting to other interesting places in Spain. I guess we will have to set the alarm again. 😉

    I hope you all had a great day as well! Hugs from Seville ... k&j ❤️    Les mer

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