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Salutations from Spain - 2024
  • Lansers on the Loose ...
4月 – 5月 2024

Salutations from Spain - 2024

Our first visit to Spain wet our whistle for more. We had a short stay in Barcelona and then ventured north by train to taste the marvels of the little oceanside town of Roses. We knew we wanted to see more of Spain. So, we are heading there again! もっと詳しく
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  • 旅行の開始
    2024年4月22日
    Lansers on the Loose ...Salutations from Spain - 2024Lansers on the Loose ...
    We will need to embrace this philosophy as we embark on this adventure!!

    The Andalusian Adventure Begins ...

    2024年4月23日, カナダ ⋅ ☀️ 18 °C

    Hi!!
    Just a quick note to let you know that we have arrived in Seville! The trip looked a whole lot different than we planned ... and after all was said and done ... we have travelled for 29 hours!

    It's 11:30pm as I write this ... and ... we just got to our AirBnB. We are nearly 12 hours later arriving than we expected ... but ... we are HERE!! Safe and sound. A bit smelly though. I really need to brush my teeth, take a shower and have a glass of wine before I tell ya all about it! So, I'll save all the juicy details for another time.

    I'll just leave you with this: getting to Spain presented a bit of a 'mountain', but we endeavored to meet the challenges with grace and good will. I was feeling a whole lot anxious about our travels and wanted to be proud of who I had become on the other side of this trip ... so ... I was grateful for the nudge of this inspiring message.

    Talk to you soon,
    k&j ❤️    もっと詳しく

    翻訳をご覧ください
  • Lansers on the Loose ...Salutations from Spain - 2024Lansers on the Loose ...
    2Check out the price of this sandwich from the Toronto Airport!
    EVERY one of our flights was delayed ... it was almost laughable, until it wasn't!2Nice sunset from the train!7Tired but grateful travellers!7Up and out to explore Seville!4Breakfast!! So many buzzers going it was like being on a construction sight with equipment in revers4Fresh squeezed juice from the grocery store!5Gorgeous architecture everywhere!!!2A common sight along the cobblestone lanes!4Kronuts ... like you have never seen before!

    Shit, Shit, Shit, Shit, Shit ....

    2024年4月24日, スペイン ⋅ ☁️ 25 °C

    Well, I just spent a couple of hours updating all of the events of the last three days ... and well ... I tried to add a couple of pictures from my phone and I lost it all! Argghhhhhhhhhhhh.

    Maybe I will retry again ... another time. For now, I will just put a couple of pictures for you to enjoy.

    Eeek. The 'mountain' (for today) might be an accidentally deleted 'Find Penguins' post. The question is ... who do I want to be on the other side of this very unfortunate event?

    I shall bow my head in grace ... and ... head out to enjoy the evening! 😘    もっと詳しく

    翻訳をご覧ください
  • Lansers on the Loose ...Salutations from Spain - 2024Lansers on the Loose ...
    2Our 3am faces .... 😒
    6Our 11:00am faces along the river!2Some typical sights along the cobblestone paths6Along the bus routeThe Bull RingThe next bull fight here in Seville43A nice snack during siesta time!!

    Simply Smitten with Seville!!

    2024年4月25日, スペイン ⋅ ☁️ 25 °C

    We slept so well on our first night here in Seville that I thought maybe we had sidestepped jet lag with our 29 hours of travel, but we were both wide awake from 2:00am to 5:00am! Don't ask me why, but we were both unable to sleep. Fingers crossed that we sleep through tonight!!

    Our second day in Seville only served to deepen our instant LOVE for this city. It's an absolute gem! I don't know why tourists are not flocking here in droves! Maybe they will in the summer, but I know that if we had not met a woman in Lisbon who raved about her hometown, we would never have considered coming here. It doesn't come up in conversation as a 'must see' destination.

    Although it is a city of 701,000 people, it really has a small town feel to it. The people are so kind and helpful and full of personality! Yesterday, we wandered the maze (and I mean MAZE) of cobblestone streets lined with shops and restaurants and tapas bars with outdoor seating! It is so incredibly clean ... and ... somehow it feels light and happy here. I know that might sound hokey ... but many of the other cities that have wonderful little "old towns" with oodles of character also seem to have heavier energy as a result of being through world wars. Spain has certainly had its fair share of civil wars and has been conquered a number of times, but somehow it feels different.

    None of that darker world war energy seems to be visible here. The architecture is simply stunning and all the buildings are so well kept. We wondered how come all the streets were so clean and then we saw a woman washing (with sudsy water!) the cobblestones in front of her shop. You won't find garbage anywhere either. It is so pristine! It is a feast for the eyes. We are simply smitten!

    We hopped aboard the "Hop on Hop Off" bus today to get a larger perspective on the city! The sun shone on us so nicely as we took in the sights. There was no where in particular we felt compelled to 'hop off' and see, so we just made the loop and got off where we go on. There were people sitting along the edge of the river sipping beer and wine and eating some white colored things that we later learned were peanuts. We opted to join them! 😉

    The "Bull Ring" was nearby so we opted to take a tour. It has a small museum and we learned so much about this seemingly barbaric cultural practice. The ring here seats 12,000 people and one of the employees stated that it is sold out EVERY time. She explained that bull fighting is considered an art ... "it is a dance" she said. Spain is one of the few countries in which this 'art' has not been outlawed. We learned that each event has three matadors and six bulls. The matadors get points and the last matador and bull are the winners!!

    However, we also learned that the bulls never really 'win'. They are all killed and the meat is sold to restaurants. One would think that the meat would be tough with all the adrenalin and cortisol flowing through the bulls, but she said they make soup out of it!

    After that, the old boy was excited to see a bull fight. The next one in Seville is not until May 6th and we will not be here. He found one in Madrid during the time we will be there! I am undecided about whether or not I will join him. I guess it would be a 'cultural experience' to witness one ... but ... I am not sure I have the constitution for it. I guess I will have to decide soon ... but ... the old boy is SO excited. I hope he can get tickets for Madrid.

    After our time in the 'ring' ... we knew we best head out for tapas so we could eat some tapas before they close. It's so different here than at home where 'happy hour' typically starts at 4pm. Not the case here. We got caught by surprise yesterday when we tried to stop for 'happy hour' only to realize they all close down for about 4 hours between 4pm and 8pm.

    It's actually kind of nice for us tourists to head back to the room before a later supper. We are now doing some laundry, booking our Flamenco show for Monday. I am taking a moment to catch up with you and we are about to have some wine, olives and a special soft but slightly crispy bread that is also a cultural specialty! Apparently Ines Rosales invented this anise flavored bread by using olive oil ... which allowed it to keep for much longer. It was such a hit that she eventually started a factory and only hired women ... widows and mothers. This 'torta' is SO good! Makes a perfect compliment to a nice rioja! And, we are eating Andalusian ham ... well ... the old boy is. I can't get the image of the pigs hooves out of my mind when I look at it. He insists it is DELICIOUS!

    I have no idea what the evening will bring but our Airbnb owner sent us oodles of suggestions for all kinds of things to do and see. The old boy is scouting out some of the options she suggested for rooftop dining during the sunset!

    It can't be a late night though because we booked a day trip to Ronda and the White Villages for tomorrow! We are heading out for a pick up at 7:50AM! Yikes. We'll have to set the alarm!! And ... because we are leaving so early and nothing is open at that hour, I'll be cooking breakfast for the first time in our room. I've got some eggs and cheese and gorgeous croissants (the BREAD in Europe is so good)!! Oh, and a nice mango! We've got a Nespresso machine so that will be good for our coffee!

    Oh ... and guess what ... no travel 'mountain' yet today! Fingers crossed it stays that way. Talk to you all tomorrow if we get back early enough!

    Hugs, k&j    もっと詳しく

    翻訳をご覧ください
  • Lansers on the Loose ...Salutations from Spain - 2024Lansers on the Loose ...
    2Home made breakfast!
    22Coffee is served in little glasses.51422TapasRonda528Our meal with the krill versus what it SHOULD be like!

    Collecting Experiences! ✨

    2024年4月26日, スペイン ⋅ ☁️ 19 °C

    Ola! ❤️

    We had such a great sleep and thoroughly enjoyed a delicious homemade breaky (eggs, Iberian ham, cheese on a fabulous croissant) along with some lovely Nespresso Coffee in our room before we headed out to join our Tour Guide for our day trip to the White Villages and Ronda!

    No travel 'mountains' to report, but we encountered a small molehill when we couldn't find the pick up spot for our tour ... despite using our trusty Google Maps. Somehow, it directed us the wrong spot initially!

    I have to admit that I am still on the fence about whether or not I can forgive her and trust her in the future ... because it was just a wee bit stressful to feel like the minutes were counting down and we were NOT where we were supposed to be! Thank goodness for the locals! They won't lead you astray and they know their local geography!! We remain forever grateful for a couple of guys that crossed our paths while wandering to work this morning.😊

    Anyway ... it was a day filled with optical delights! Our first stop was in Zahara! This is a small retirement village of about 1500 people which has been named one of the two most beautiful villages in Spain. The domiciles and businesses are set into caves carved out the mountains to protect from the typical 40 degrees Celsius heat in the summers here. These caves are called "Cuevas del SOL" (Caves of the Sun).

    On the contrary ... the caves on the other side of the cavern, are called "Cuevas de la SOMBRA" (Caves of the Shade/Shadow) ... which require heaters to ensure they aren't too cold!! The pictures just do not do these experiences justice, but suffice to say all of us on the tour were fascinated with the rich and beautiful architecture.

    Oooops ... if this is all that is posted here ... please come back! I accidentally hit post too soon. I am not near done.

    Our next stop was another of the 17 white villages in Spain. This one is called "Setenil" and was named this because the Christians tried to invade the Muslim communities who had inhabited the region for 900 years. They were unsuccessful ... seven times. It now has a population of 3000! It was stunning to behold! The manner in which they created their community on the sides of rock ledges is just a sight to behold!!

    Our third stop of the day was in the city of Ronda. A wonderful little local tapas bar was recommended by our tour guide! We were ever so grateful that we arrived before the long line ups outside collected! It was a unique experience, in and of itself. You get a little paper with boxes to check for the tapas you would enjoy. And then, you go up to the bar and order your drinks when you give your paper to the bartender. The tapas are generally about $1.50 per plate.

    In all, we ordered 7 plates ... including the daily special which was a name I can't recall, but included tripe, blood sausage and many chick peas. It looked like a wee little stew served with bread when it arrived! I was not interested in trying it until I saw the old boy's eyes light up like it was Christmas!! He insisted that I taste it. I ensured that no bits of of innards were on my spoon ... and ... it really was delicious! If I had not known what it was, I would have gobbled it up. The old boy loved it so much that he ordered another dish of it.

    I should share that we were seated at the bar and a local fellow was standing next to us having a couple of brews. He witnessed the old boy deconstructing his tapas (i.e. taking the blood sausage off the bread and generally not mixing things as per 'ideal'). He must have been watching for a bit until he finally had to use hand motions ( he didn't speak English) to tell the old boy how to best enjoy these succulent morsels!

    You may be wondering if the old boy heeded his suggestions. I will let you guess!! 😀 There may be prizes for those of you who guess correctly! 😘

    He was STILL talking about how good it was three hours later. In fact, he says it might go on his 'all time favorite list! 😉 I'm not sure we should trust his judgment though ... because ... he also really enjoyed the paella that we had last night! We ordered the seafood option because the server said it had two kinds of white fish and shrimp in it.

    He was mistaken. It arrived with oodles of little fish eyes staring up at me and tasted terribly fishy in my opinion. It looked nothing like the paella we have come to know and love. The little fish on the top are called krill. Apparently blue whales like them too ... somewhere in the six tons per day range. 😣

    Anyway, I was not a fan. The old boy discovered that he brought supplements with him on this trip that have krill in them! He clearly got a double dose last night because every time I found one of those little buggers on my plate, I tossed it back!!

    And then ... after all that good food ... we wandered out to take a look at the magnificent gorge that Rhonda is known for. Once again, the pictures do not do it justice. I should have posted a video, but did not think of it. We all agreed that it was one of the most majestic and sublime sights we have ever seen. I can't even put it into words. But then again ... some experiences render us speechless. This was one of them.

    Okay! Suffice to say it was an exceptional day! We collected so many nuggets to tuck into our hearts! We hope your day was filled with meaningful experiences too!!

    See you next time ... love k&j    もっと詳しく

    翻訳をご覧ください
  • Lansers on the Loose ...Salutations from Spain - 2024Lansers on the Loose ...
    2
    22All the tables have garbage cans under them for the seafood shells etc!3There is a beautiful surprise around every bend in the road!4

    👣 A Nice Walkabout Seville! 👣

    2024年4月27日, スペイン ⋅ ☀️ 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 ❤️    もっと詳しく

    翻訳をご覧ください
  • Lansers on the Loose ...Salutations from Spain - 2024Lansers on the Loose ...
    4I wish that button for cocktail service worked on the bus!The wine cellars in Jerez ...Another winery in Jerez.2Jerez6Lunch with Lynn!4In Cadiz ...22The little lanes!2The ocean!2The egg cone!30 km on the Camino from Cadiz to Santigo!!

    Road Trip Today ... Jerez and Cadiz!

    2024年4月28日, スペイン ⋅ ⛅ 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!!    もっと詳しく

    翻訳をご覧ください
  • Lansers on the Loose ...Salutations from Spain - 2024Lansers on the Loose ...
    7
    1The storefronts!2Fans are sm important part of Flamenco!Fabrics from which to create Flamenco dresses!Our morning coffee!22Just a quick pic of tge cars going down the little lanes!2Second attempt at paella!22The cast of tge Flamenco show! We were not allowed to take photos or videos!

    Home of the Flamenco! 💃

    2024年4月29日, スペイン ⋅ 🌙 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 ❤️    もっと詳しく

    翻訳をご覧ください
  • Lansers on the Loose ...Salutations from Spain - 2024Lansers on the Loose ...
    2
    1Earrings anyone?41Look at how they place the chairs!6More gorgeous architecture!4Notice the coverings they place between the buildings to block the sun!223Views from the mushroom!4A delicious lunch at the Market!

    Farewell to Seville!

    2024年4月30日, スペイン ⋅ ☁️ 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 ❤️    もっと詳しく

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  • Lansers on the Loose ...Salutations from Spain - 2024Lansers on the Loose ...
    4
    22Look how pretty this is!! Gift wrapped towels!2We can hang our laundry out to dry in this Arbnb!6The American food!!4Our first view of the harbor!

    Taking the Train to Malaga!

    2024年5月1日, スペイン ⋅ ☀️ 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 ❤️    もっと詳しく

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  • Lansers on the Loose ...Salutations from Spain - 2024Lansers on the Loose ...
    8The egg flipper!42The view from up the hillside!22The walking path!The BEST anchovies EVER!3Snacks and refreshments between one monument and the next!24A rest and a beverage after a long day on foot!Octopus salad and more anchovies!A tasty little dessert ... teensy weensy little ice cream treats!

    The Marvels of Malaga!

    2024年5月2日, スペイン ⋅ ☁️ 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 ❤️    もっと詳しく

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  • Lansers on the Loose ...Salutations from Spain - 2024Lansers on the Loose ...
    2The view from our room! Notice the buildings are on stilts.
    Power washing the streets!1The Bakery in the grocery store across the street!2The 'Hop On - Hop Off' Adventure begins!Picasso was born near this square!4The main shopping district!2One of the many lighthouses in Malaga.4The shit show ...The shit show ... continued!2Some of the sights by the sea!62The 5/5 dinner!

    A Bit of a Shit Show Today ... 😏

    2024年5月3日, スペイン ⋅ ☀️ 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 ... ❤️    もっと詳しく

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  • Lansers on the Loose ...Salutations from Spain - 2024Lansers on the Loose ...
    4Eggie sandwiches on croissants for breakfast today!! Scrumptious!
    Picasso ... the first painting in the museum!22There was something about this painting that caught my heart!3This seems like the quintessential Picasso ... faces/images layered upon each other6This is a painting of Picasso's wife Olga.2One of the sculptures ... entitled Woman leaning on her elbow2The description of the previous sculpture ... interesting.2Another sculpture made of wood, clay, cardboard! Fascinating to notice what you notice, right?2The roof in the museum between the exhibit halls. They paid so much attention to roofs!!1This stunning work was part of the final exposition of his works shortly before he died in 1973.2A slower shop ... on the street ... on our way to the market!2Google Maps ... took us here when we were trying to get to the Old Town Market! Ooooops.2The actual Old Town Market ... outside is lined with tables and people eating!Just another picture of the lanes between the buildings in the old town,7Our exceptional family owned restaurant for exceptional lunch today!!2A smattering of the culinary delights we enjoyed at Restaurant Tormes!!4My scrambled eggs ... close up! They were in a perfect circle.8Resting a bit on the Malecon this evening.

    Picasso and the Beach!

    2024年5月4日, スペイン ⋅ ☀️ 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 ❤️    もっと詳しく

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  • Lansers on the Loose ...Salutations from Spain - 2024Lansers on the Loose ...
    4A little live band playing Abba music while we shopped along the Artisan marketSo many options ... I was over the moon excited!!Our lunch!Ice cream churning.Cooking up the fish in the boats!!View to the left, to the front, and to the right!We are on Malagueta Beach ... we are staying in the Malagueta area.Saying good-bye to our last day here!2

    Our Final Footsteps in Malaga!

    2024年5月5日, スペイン ⋅ ☁️ 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    もっと詳しく

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  • Lansers on the Loose ...Salutations from Spain - 2024Lansers on the Loose ...
    Our ride!
    I have never before seen the distance required between vehicles posted on the road!2Differing landscapes along the way!The little town we stopped in for lunch!4Our table!2The cafeCheck out the Iberian Ham covered with a tea towel over the old boy's shoulder.22I was looking for the elevator! It was hidden behind the red door!2Caryl!! Look at how our AirBnB host greeted us ... the angles are a bit sharp but it is SEALED!!! 🤓4Our deck!!The view from our deck over the water ... one way.The view from our deck ... another way!The views of the sea as the sun set over the mountains and reflected upon the water! 😍Our dinner!4Our dessert!

    On The Road Again!

    2024年5月6日, スペイン ⋅ ☁️ 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 ❤️    もっと詳しく

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  • Lansers on the Loose ...Salutations from Spain - 2024Lansers on the Loose ...
    Good Morning!! ✨My apologies for the blur ... I was half asleep and clearly my camera was too!
    6Nothing like a morning coffee while listening to the ocean tides.5This is our little coffee maker! It is the same Nescafe brand as the one we had in Malaga!2I have never before seen a fridge with a wine rack!! Such a great idea!7This is the view from our front room when we pull the draperies open!This is a little garden in the courtyard of our AirBnB! It's so peaceful.4We went out for breakfast by the sea this morning!3This is an enormous lifeguard station on the beach!The polished rocks of "Pebble Beach:.2The end of the beach in Altea.2The cuttlefish!The sea view from our table!5The scene of the crime.2I need to be a little more "clever" if I'm going to pull off a win.Our Mexican Pizza tonight! The tortilla chips were actually good on it!

    Lovely L'Albir ... 😍

    2024年5月7日, スペイン ⋅ ☀️ 19 °C

    We had a much better sleep last night ... but ... we (and I use the term loosely!) didn't figure out the air conditioning until this morning so it was a tad bit hot in our room. The mattress and pillows are soooo comfy though ... we are expecting to have a really great sleep tonight.

    I awoke about 7:00am ... the sunlight was coming through the window. I popped out of bed to see if I had missed the sunrise. Lucky for me ... there was still a trace of it rising over the water. It was so windy though!

    The Weather Network says it is only gusting from the East at 16 - 23kms. 🤥
    I must humbly beg to differ!! As a Southern Albertan ... who is somewhat seasoned in terms of windy days ... I would say it is easily upwards of 40kms.

    However, and as much as I usually gripe about windy days ... I am not complaining now. It's 22 degrees Celsius and sunny! People are laying on cots on the beach ... one fellow is wind surfing ... a sailboat just passed by as well. People are enjoying all that this quaint little resort-like town has to offer,

    By the way ... I am not sure if I mentioned it or not, but ending up here was a mistake. I was looking on Airbnb for places in the TOWN of Alicante, not the province of Alicante. When I realized my mistake, I almost cancelled this place ... but then ... some little voice inside me suggested it might provide a nice quiet reprieve in a sea of busy sightseeing and moving about.

    I'm so grateful that I heeded that little internal nudge to keep this place. L'Albir itself is a little town in the province of Alicante. The actual population here is 9,482 residents (2020). The houses you can see from our our deck are actually in the township next to us. It is called Altea. It's population is about 22, 000. They actually run right into each other.

    L'Albir boasts 600 metres of crystal clear turquoise blue water and it is loaded with shops and restaurants and bars and stunning views. The beach is comprised of little smooth, polished stones and rocks so it has been named "Pebble Beach". There is also a long promenade alongside it. It is entirely marble ... and ... has stars with names in it just like they do in Los Angeles. We are not sure who has been honored here in the marble and for what ... but ... they are stars in L'Albir!

    We took a walk down it after we had breakfast at "Coco Loco" overlooking the water. We actually walked into Altea and found one of the restaurants that was recommended to us by our Airbnb host. We made a reservation to eat there on Thursday.

    We stopped for a snack and some refreshments on our way back at a cute little place on the beachfront! I opted for the spring rolls but the old boy had the cuttlefish. I feel the need to clear my conscience here. There was a nice bowl of condiments in little wee packages on the table. We pilfered several of the mayonnaise. We had bought a jar in Seville and used it up. We bought a second jar in Malaga but ended up throwing much of it away. We didn't want to waste more, so we opted to pilfer instead. Judge us if you will ....😉

    It was such a nice relaxing day and we were both feeling lazy so we decided to head back to the room and settle onto our lovely deck! We played a round of Clever. I collected my third loss in a row now! After I post this, we will have one more game. Wish me LUCK!!

    We opted to just get something light for supper and eat it on our lovely deck as well. So, we will get some baguettes or pizza from the down the street and bring it home. We'd love to tuck in early tonight. As I shared, the old boy got the air conditioner working so we expect to sleep even better tonight.

    And, maybe ... if I can stay awake late enough, I can catch the sunset from our deck as well. Hope you are all having a great day! Warmest smiles and warm hugs from Spain, k&j ❤️    もっと詳しく

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  • Lansers on the Loose ...Salutations from Spain - 2024Lansers on the Loose ...
    3The lights on the promenade looks so beautiful against the sunrise!
    52The old boy listening to his book and working on evening out his tan! 😉Breakfast on our deck this morning!! 😍4A woman was doing her yoga practice ... she held this pose for about 5 minutes!!!😮The Thai Massage Parlor4The options for massage ...4The set up .... 🤔1The cute little streetside bar/cafe ... our entire bill for the wine and cheeseboard was $11.2Such a nice little place for a snack.32M.Godoy restuarant! It was on a very quiet street. We never would have found it with the internet4Such a dry but smooth red!4We got the seafood and chicken mix!3Our first ever cortados! I'll be sure to order again!12The oranges ... and .... the plane flight paths!12The pinks ... 😍

    Only One Thing 'To-Do" Today!

    2024年5月8日, スペイン ⋅ ☀️ 18 °C

    Oh my ... we had the very best sleep last night! We were tucked in bed by 9:30pm (after finally breaking my losing streak with 'Clever') and didn't get up for the day until 8:30am. I was up to tinkle at 6:30am and caught the sun just beginning to cast a glow over the sea. I popped up again to check and see how it looked at 7:00am ... but then ... I snuggled back into bed for another 90 minutes.

    We have absolutely nothing to do on the agenda today ... except ONE thing that I am really excited about! When I was searching Trip Advisor for things "to do" in L'Albir, I noticed a Thai Massage Place that had fabulous reviews! I haven't had a great Thai massage for years ... so ... this sounded like a MUST do.

    We decided to scope it out yesterday so I could book an appointment. We followed Google Maps and came upon a Massage Place but it had a different name. I was assuming the place had changed hands ... literally. I booked a 90 minute Traditional Thai massage, but then the lady behind the desk suggested that I would be better to have the Thai Massage with oil. I left there hoping the new hands are as worthy of great reviews as the old ones were.

    We enjoyed our breakfast on the deck and played some 'Clever' and got some groceries and empanadas (for a light meal or snack at some point). After that, I was on my way to my massage!

    There was little English spoken so I wasn't quite sure what to do when I was left behind the curtain with a teensy little black paper thong. She told me to put it on for the massage ... but ... then what? Usually you climb on the massage table and get under a sheet. There was nothing like that. Was I expected to disrobe ... put on the skimpy paper thong and just stand there bare-breasted waiting??

    I was about to wrap the decorative blanket around myself when my tiny little Thai masseuse walked in. She motioned for me lay down face forward on the bed. So I did as I was told. She asked in very broken English if I wanted medium relaxation or strong. I opted for medium relaxation.

    Am I ever glad I didn't say strong. My gawd ... for a little thing she had strong hands. And, she even kicked off her flip flops and climbed up the table to get all her weight behind her.

    I moaned that it was a bit too hard ... a couple of times. It seemed she had her rhythm ... which was not slow, methodical and relaxing ... but rather ... like she had a job to do and needed to be as efficient as possible.

    I adjusted my expectations of what relaxation meant to me versus her. She worked intensely and found all the tight spots. She gave it her best shot but my knots were tighter. She rolled me over ... face up. After she was done with my legs and feet (which was magnificent!) ... she whipped down the decorative cloth I was lying under. Well ... okay then.

    Then, she proceeded to work on my belly. I thought ... reasonable. She is tending to my digestion. I had no idea she was also going to tend to the girls. But, yep. She did so ... and with the same energy and gusto she offered to rest of my body.

    Afterwards, I didn't know what to expect. It turned out that she did an amazing head massage ... rubbing in circles at my temples (one at time) for several minutes each. Then she moved to the rest of my head.

    And after all that ... I expected I was done ... but no. She had me sit up and she went after those knots in my shoulder region again. She got on the table again too. 😂

    The old boy was having a beer at the little bar/cafe next door when I emerged 90 minutes later. He asked how it was and all I could think to say was "I am not really sure!"

    I am glad I had the experience ... but ... it was nothing like I remember the Thai massages being in Thailand. And yet ... I thought maybe all the vigorous rubbing might make my body feel really good later. And, actually ... it does feel pretty good right now. So, I still don't know what to say except that it was anything but relaxing!! 😂 I might have to check for bruising later! 🤣

    We stayed for a glass of wine and a cheese board! It was delicious and just the right snack for my post massage workout! After that, we thought we'd head to the beach for a bit but opted to have another round of Clever instead. I was the winner this time!!

    While I was having my massage, the old boy searched out the best places to have paella here! As you recall, I am still on the hunt for a really good one. He discovered one online called M.Godoy that was awarded "Best Paella 2023" in El Albir by Restaurant Guru.

    And, all we can say is that it was absolutely fabulous ... 14/10 delicious. When we complimented the server, he indicated that Paella originates in Alicante and Valencia provinces so other areas make their own versions. Yes. Yes, they do. And, they don't compare.

    We also had some of the best red wine we have tasted. I asked to take a picture of the bottle but the server indicated that it is not likely sold in the stores. He believes it is just available to restaurants.

    We also had our very first "cortados" and a flan. He called it caramel pudding, so we were expecting something different, but it was good too. He then offered us a house liqueur ... but we declined. It actually seems as though meals are lovely events in Europe ... meant to linger over and enjoy ... rather than just to gulp down and hurry off to the next thing. We have really enjoyed that energy of celebration around food here!

    All in all, our dinner tonight was so good ... and now ... we are ready for another great sleep. Tomorrow will be our last day here in L'Albir. Then we are off to Madrid.

    We are already half done our vacation and were talking over dinner about what stood out for us so far? The list was endless. It was good to reflect upon all the joys we have experienced already! It's easy, when you are on the go, to forget to savor those moments for a while.

    Good night dear family and friends ... we miss you! It would have been so delightful to have had you gathered around our table tonight with us!!
    Love and hugs, k&j ❤️

    P.S. the sun was already hiding behind the mountains by the time we got home from dinner ... but ... the view was still gorgeous! And, the cotton candy reflection on water was pretty!

    .    もっと詳しく

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  • Lansers on the Loose ...Salutations from Spain - 2024Lansers on the Loose ...
    8
    We noticed an exercise class was happening on the beach while we were having our breakfast!242This fellow was swimming along the edge with flippers and this lime green floatation device!4I took a little walk along the water. So beautiful.232461Where the magic was happening in this restaurant!!1A wee little lighthouse in Altea ... near the marina.2

    A Day of Indulgence ... ❤️

    2024年5月9日, スペイン ⋅ ⛅ 21 °C

    We slept so well that I missed the sunrise this morning. It was pure heaven, however, sitting in the sunshine on our deck whilst sipping my coffee. There was almost no wind and the heat of the sun warmed me clear through to my soul. It was so calm and peaceful ... I just wanted to savor every moment of this little haven we landed in ... because ... it is our last day here.

    We enjoyed our breakfast on the deck as well and then headed down to the beach to allow the sun and water to nourish us as only sun and water can do. We found a wee patch of sandier pebbles and set down the comfy beach chairs from our Airbnb. It was so heavenly that we stayed out there for almost three hours. The absence of wind was an extra bonus for our last day here. And, we were both listening to our books.

    After that, we cleaned up, grabbed some groceries and hung the laundry out to dry. Then, we headed down the promenade for our 2:45pm reservation at 'De Lab'! This restaurant was recommended by our Airbnb host. And, my goodness ... it did not disappoint in the least. They offer Menu of the Day ... so ... you pick one of the three appetizers, you pick one of the three entrees and you also get the dessert of the day.

    We ordered a red wine that was something we had never had before ... a "petit verdot". At first, we weren't going to have it because it was quite pricey ... but then ... we decided to give ourselves the permission to enjoy the experience of this unfamiliar grape. So we indulged ourselves and it was amazing. Dry but smooth. Given the price of it ... we savored every sip as though it was gold.

    For appetizers, I ordered an "Asian Salad with a mix of fish and glass noodles, vegetables, Thai dressing, crispy shrimp and fresh herbs". The old boy ordered the "crispy smoked eggplant in tomato and olive sauce, burrata Stracciatella, fresh basil and lime zest."

    I could not figure out why he was ordering the eggplant when there was a shredded beef option, but am I ever glad he did. I have only somewhat enjoyed eggplant in the past ... BUT ... I had never before had it done like this!! The flavors and texture were unbelievable. The Asian salad was so fresh and flavorful. We kept saying how good it was after every single bite.

    And, then came the main course. I opted to take the "grilled chicken tenderloin with green coconut curry, vegetables on jasmine rice". The old boy ordered the "grilled salmon with honey and mustard velouté, quinoa salad and roasted bimis". We had planned to share but when it arrived, his quinoa had an avocado dressing so I thought I would just skip tasting it. The server showed up with a bowl of that salad just for me ... without the avocado! It was completely unexpected and so thoughtful.

    The flavors were something extra special. My curried chicken tasted like we were in Thailand. The old boy's salmon fell apart when his fork touched it. The old boy exclaimed with extra enthusiasm that this is the best meal he has ever had. I know he get excited about his meals, but he might just be right about this! I am wondering if we are forgetting something better?? It was absolutely scrumptious!!

    The dessert was an Italian dessert ... "a pina coloda panacotta, coconut mousse, roasted pineapple and white chocolate." Oh my .............. ❤️

    After this culinary indulgence, we wandered all the way down to the town of Altea. The fishing boats were coming in and the old boy was curious. We couldn't get close, but found ourselves in the middle of the marina.

    It was an exceptional way to spend our last day here. We will pack up tonight and hit the road tomorrow. We need to return our rental ... wish us luck with finding the place and then we will hop a train to Madrid.

    I'll catch up with you all tomorrow after we get settled! Sending warm hugs ... hope you are all drying up. We heard it was very rainy!!

    Love, k&j ❤️    もっと詳しく

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  • Lansers on the Loose ...Salutations from Spain - 2024Lansers on the Loose ...
    8The morning sunrise!! Could it get more lovely ... ???
    6Hello Sun!!2The promenade is being powerwashed! I can hear the commotion from the deck!The street sweeper in a bit noisy too!! 😉Someone is also sweeping the sidewalks beneath us!! 😊6Cheers!!! We made it to Alicante and dropped off the car!! Whew!2The bathrooms in the train station are spotless ... and ... birds are chirping as you tinkle!!2Look!! A 'Tim Hortons' in the train station. I noticed they served wine too!😊6We made it to the train ... nothing to do but read and relax for the next couple of hours!!It's busy in the square!!!4The pizza joint!The crust was delicious ... it just needed more toppings.

    Good-bye L'Albir - Hello Madrid!

    2024年5月10日, スペイン ⋅ ☀️ 28 °C

    I awoke early because I wanted to savor my morning solitude in this amazing little oasis for one last time before we vacated the premises. I can honestly say that we didn't want to leave. There is an element of stress in travel that cannot be denied if you are moving from place to place. It seems that just about the time you feel comfortable in your surroundings, it is time to head off to new and unfamiliar spaces! It is one of the joys of travel, but it is also stressful.

    We have thoroughly enjoyed this remarkable respite from the busyness of cities. Although we thoroughly enjoyed the two cities we have visited, we fell in instantly in love with this warm, quiet and inviting seaside community ... just as soon as we arrived. We loved sitting on the 6th floor deck ... eating our breakfasts ... watching the sea lap up onto the shore ... and ... witnessing both the sunrises and the sunsets.

    My morning quiet was somewhat disrupted today though ... Friday must be cleaning day. Someone was washing down the promenade. Someone else was driving the street sweeper ... and ... someone from our place was sweeping all the sidewalks! I was not used to all this activity so early in the morning! The cleanliness is one of the added bonuses that we have enjoyed about Spain in general.

    We drove back to Alicante in hopes of finding the car rental return at the Train Station without too much hoopla. We actually did really well until we made a right hand turn and ended up blocking traffic for a while. The symphony of horns tooting at us tourists was NOT music to our ears. Eeeek. It was our only real serious blunder in our car rental experience. But, we made our way to our drop spot ... and then ... felt a huge sigh of relief that we had enjoyed our travels and returned the car ... unscathed!!

    We arrived at the train station early because we allowed extra time to get lost ... but we didn't ... so ... we played a couple games of Clever and sipped a celebratory glass of wine!

    Train travel is so much less stressful than airplane travel!! We really love it! In 2.5 hours, we found ourselves in Madrid. It's always interesting to see what you next accommodation is going to be like. The prices for something with an excellent location were very high ... but ... we were supposed to have a patio, a balcony, a swimming pool, a sauna, bathrobes etc.

    Imagine our surprise to find that the pool was closed, no bathrobes in the room, the balconies are not for sitting and the patio is an enclosure between the front desk and the elevator. There are two coffee pods for the Nespresso and neither of them are decaffeinated. There is one teensy bottle of water that we were told would not be replaced. And ... to top it off ... we are paying almost double as much as we paid in L'Albir for the same amount of time there.😣

    I had read the reviews and they were stellar!! My disappointment in this room is clearly my travel 'mountain' for today. So, I will need to reframe my thoughts and find a way to make the best of this 'opportunity'. I am 100% committed to finding the gold in the dark here ... even though it's really tempting to decide that I don't like Madrid ... already.

    So, we went out for groceries. We do have a very nice kitchen! We will head out for dinner soon ... and ... tomorrow is whole new day, right?? It's 29 degrees Celsius and supposed to be equally warm for the next couple of days. So, that is good as well.

    We ended up getting a pizza to take to our room. The crust was great! The toppings were scanty. We rechecked the reviews to see what I had missed about the room and discovered that folks had been giving it 8, 9 and 10 but still complaining about many of the things we were frustrated with. Hmmmm. Makes me shake my head ... but ... we shall see how things unfold tomorrow!

    Warmest hugs, k&j ❤️    もっと詳しく

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  • Lansers on the Loose ...Salutations from Spain - 2024Lansers on the Loose ...
    2
    6The old boy was determined to enjoy the balcony ... in his housecoat ... on principle!2We thought Seville was a beautiful city! Oh my, Madrid is majestic in its architechture!!2"Julia" is a 12 metre sculpture by Jaume Plensa - intended to inspire reflection in hectic public!24Some of the buildings and monuments we noticed from the bus.2It's a Cabify motor bike ... Cabify is Spain's Uber!At the market ... a stall with just potatoes!6Our view from Rooftop 360.2The burger was just a bit too raw for me ... the old boy "loved" it!!We were tempted to pilfer the condiments and bring them home! 😂4Churros with a liquid chocolate moat for dessert!82Just a few shots from the rooftop!!Here is the market we went to in Plaza Espana ... from the rooftop!It's a busy, busy, busy city!!They were setting up for some kind of a concert in this large square!

    Sometimes you just have to laugh ...

    2024年5月11日, スペイン ⋅ ⛅ 28 °C

    I woke up this morning feeling just as grumbly about our hotel as I did last night. When we first arrived, the kitchen seemed so lovely. Then I realized it did not have salt nor pepper nor a dishcloth to dry dishes nor a dish drying rack. One might say, just use the dishwasher, but then we will run out of coffee cups. There are only two that fit under the Nespresso machine.

    There were no paper towels nor napkins so we had to use toilet paper as our serviettes with our breakfast. The old boy also put on the bathrobe and stood out on the balcony ... just on principle. We were promised robes and a balcony. At some point, it just becomes laughable.

    There is no shelving at all in the bathroom ... so ... we have nowhere to put toiletries. I have to put mine in the closet outside the bathroom. We turned the a/c on to cool down the room for nighttime ... it stayed at 23 degrees all night long. We will make do. I just have to forget how much we are paying for this dismal lack of service.

    So, over breakfast, we chatted about how we can't change the things we can't control, but we could ask for what we need. I left a note asking for salt and pepper, extra coffee pods and a dish towel.

    After breakfast we went online to order Hop-On Hop -Off Bus tickets. It proved to be no easy task ... for some reason we could not add the tickets to the "basket". We had to pay with Google Pay. We did that. They recommended that we screen shot the tickets. I tried three times and it would not work. And then ... they disappeared off the phone. They were not delivered to our email either.

    Another little travel mountain here in Madrid! So, we spent one half hour on their support 'chat' trying to get them emailed to us. It was hard not get cranky again. However, in the end, we ended up with an email with our tickets.

    The good news was that the #10 stop was nearby so we hopped on and enjoyed a wonderful scenic orientation to Madrid. We thought Seville had some incredible architecture, but Madrid blew us away! Building after building ... marble and carvings. It was gorgeous and invited me to appreciate the wonders this city holds.

    The traffic was intense so it took a a full hour to get half way around the route, so we opted to hop off at the Plaza Espana. They had a lovely little market filled with food and artisan stalls from all over Latin America. There was a party happening ... music playing. People enjoying the weather!

    The old boy was interested in getting a bite to eat there and then just sitting on the ledges of the flower beds. I was more interested in having a table in the shade with actual servers and stemware. I suggested we try the Rui Hotel restaurant across the street.

    We had no idea this hotel was infamous for it's 360 degree roof top terrace and restaurant. We enjoyed a wonderful lunch up there and got to see the entire city from the 27th floor. With 6.7+ million inhabitants, the city stretched as far as our eyes could see in all directions.

    This restaurant was a lovely dot of light that helped shift my malaise about Madrid. We then hopped back on the bus. The weather network said it was 29 degrees here today but a sign post said 32 ... it felt even hotter so we opted to get off and head back to the hotel to rest and cool down.

    We were delighted to see that all those things we had asked for had been delivered to our room. I just wish I had remembered to ask for napkins or paper towels. Dare I leave another note tomorrow?? I mean ... the toilet paper worked just fine. 🤔

    After recharging a bit, we decided to see if we could walk over and find the 'pick up point' for our excursion tomorrow. It will be far less stressful if we know where we are going first thing in the morning! So, we did just that! Hopefully we can remember our way tomorrow!

    And, we are going to head out and find a place for supper. Another little travel mountain for me is that it is so hectic and loud and all the outdoor cafes are so busy! It's also so hot tonight. I am not sure where we will end up, but I will say goodnight for now. I expect after we eat we will want to pop into bed ... we have to set the alarm for an early start tomorrow!!

    Love and hugs, k&j ❤️    もっと詳しく

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  • Lansers on the Loose ...Salutations from Spain - 2024Lansers on the Loose ...
    1All the kings pictures are posted chronologically around this room in the Alcazar!
    1The throne room in the Alcazar!4One of the many stained glass wi dows ... notice the horse hoof on the head of someone. 😖3The edge of the ceiling in the Alcazar!2The outside of the Alcazar.3One of the organs ... there are two2The choir room in the Cathedral ... the central music book!3Gold everywhere!2Notice no eyes in the photo. There is much speculation about why?Outside the alcazar!Stained glass in the AlcazarThis was in AvilaIn the Cathedral in AvilaSegovia ... the town.2A Wall in Segovia ... it was rumored a diamond was hidden in one of the pointsThe ceilings in the Alcazar are like the Vatican ... very ornate!!In Avila!In the Basilica San Vicente de Avila

    Extra Photos of the Alcazar & Cathedral

    2024年5月12日, スペイン ⋅ ☁️ 22 °C
  • Lansers on the Loose ...Salutations from Spain - 2024Lansers on the Loose ...
    3Coffee break enroute!!
    A few pics of the wall around Avila.4The 'ways' of the camino are set into the walkways.3We hiked all the way up to the top of the aqueduct!!Just a small snapshot of it!!2Narrow doors ... front footage determined your tax rates!!2Oodles of alters like this ... everywhere!!6Cathedral in Segovia!2Can you see the fine lines of fishing wire ... they are used to deter to pigeons!4Soldiers in the first pic (16th century) were 4'7'' tall. The 2nd pic is 19th century! We've grown!The bars to separate the nobles from the peons.2Just another view of Segovia!5La Tagliatella Restaurant!!2Mother's Day Dinner ... our starter!2Our pasta dish ... goat cheese and bacon ravioli in a scrumptious sauce!4Dessert ... some kind of mascarpone ... I think??

    Day Trip to Avila and Segovia!

    2024年5月12日, スペイン ⋅ ☁️ 24 °C

    We were up extra early because we were off on an excursion to Avila and Segovia today. We had to be at the meeting point by 8:30am and the meeting point is about 20 minutes walk away. We took a practice run yesterday ... so we would not be stressed. It was a bit challenging, because for one reason or another, the signal kept cutting in and out. We made it in about 25 minutes.

    We felt confident we could get there this morning without stress. However, when we keyed our destination into Google Maps to direct us ... she had the audacity to tell us to go in a different direction!!!!!

    Well, the old boy was going to follow her NEW path but I was having none of that nonsense!! I did the practice run to avoid all of the uncertainty. I was not about it invite it into my world then. So, we went down the road we both knew we took yesterday and when we came to a junction, she told us to go right. The old boy wasn't sure, but I felt like I KNEW we went left yesterday ... so ... I courageously(?) ... cavalierly(?) ... overconfidently(?) overrode her directions. I was nervous to be so dang contentious with Google, but ... I do have a pretty good sense of direction! 😉

    Well, I am really glad I dared to take issue with her ... because ... I actually did remember the way! And, I got us there in 17 minutes. Which was good ... because there was already a crowd building! We were lucky to get 8th and 9th spot in line out of the 80 people who were taking our double decker Viator bus.

    Whilst waiting in line, we had a lovely conversation with an engineer who was originally from Brazil but has been working in Norway for the last 13 years. We picked his brain for ideas for when we should go when we get there ourselves. He was a wealth of information and also showed us how to switch to satellite mode on Google Maps. So much nicer ...... 🙌

    The countryside changed so much along the journey that it is hard to describe. The most notable thing along the way, for us, was all the boulders and rocks that litter the fields! And, interestingly, many of them are marble! Fences are made of stone, castles are made of stone, churches are made of stone ... even the roads are made of stone. And, still, there seems to be no shortage of stones from what we could see.

    Avila was our first stop. This small but impressive village is home to 40 palaces and 40 churches. It is surrounded by an incredible medieval wall that was built in the 5th century ... pre-roman times. Apparently about 2400 people still live inside the walls.

    It was super interesting to learn that there are 4 "ways of the pilgrims" leading to the "Camino de Santiago" that go through Avila. The 'ways' are marked in the concrete for pilgrims to ensure they are following the right "rutas". I can't remember which 'ways' went through it ... the French way, the Portueguese way, the English way, the Primitive path ... but it was cool to see the differing markers in the road.

    It is also the town that Orsen Wells chose to make his home. It was lovely to walk around and take it all in ... imagining days gone by ... centuries ago. It makes you really wonder what a day in the life of those folks might have been like???

    I took so many pictures, but do to space here, will only post a few. A light lunch of an egg and potato omelet was provided with our tour, but I was afraid that would never be enough to nourish our 'walking' bodies so we ordered some scrambled eggs with shrimp to top off our lunch! It was a delicious combination! the old boy also indulged himself in 4 pieces of the pork belly cracklings! Of course, they were "the best [he] has ever had!!" Good thing we added those extra calories, because we logged 16, 303 steps today!!

    Segovia was our next stop and was the capital of Spain before Madrid! They are both very ancient towns ... with oodles of castles and churches and cathedrals and palaces. The old boy suggested this tour because Segovia also has an incredible aqueduct system that was built by the Romans when they conquered Segovia.

    The source of water for this remarkable construct is 17kms away from the cities fountains. However, most unfortunately, the water it brings to the community is only for the rich/religious upper class. The peasants and commoners still had to get their water from the rivers. Apparently, the river water was like sloughs. The aqueduct has 167 arches in it and is 28.5 meters high at the tallest part of it. In total, it is 728 meters long on a 1 percent grade. It is built with entirely UNMORTERED granite blocks. Oh ... and ... the aqueduct is marked on the roads by insignias ... just like the camino ones ... but... indicating the "way of the water".

    Segovia has been conquered numerous times. First by the Muslims and then by the Arabs and then by the Christians. They initially built the Alcazar to the north to protect from the invasion of the Christians. There are 12 different districts within Segovia ... and ... 12 different churches. We learned that the area that was inhabited by the religious upper crust would not let "pretty" women into the district. It was forbidden lest they tempt the men. Guess you decided if you were pretty or not? The priest. Eeek. The roots of patriarchy run so deep don't they? Wait ... the old boy reminded me that women being held responsible for men's actions actually started with 'Eve'. Gah ... enough said about that.🥴

    We toured the largest cathedral in Segovia ... as well as ... the Alcazar. The grandeur, majesty and opulence reminded us so much of the Vatican in Rome. It was absolutely magnificent ... and ... absolutely unsettling to think of all the money that went into constructing these buildings. They even erected bars within the structures to make sure that the commoners and religious elite were separated ... but, enough said about all that too.

    Once again ... due to space limitations, I can only post a wee smattering of the pictures we took. It was such an interesting tour of these incredible places. There is so much character and history in these remarkable spaces. It is humbling and really reminds me how fleeting and miniscule we all really are in relation to all of the history of our humanity. We are but a blink, aren't we?

    We found a lovely restaurant on the walk home called La Tagliatella. We had intended to have a meal there when we were in Malaga but did not have time. It was an absolutely delightful Mothers Day Dinner!! I hope you all have a wonderful meal in honor of this special day of celebrating 'moms' too!!

    And, now, we are back home. We have one last day here in Madrid tomorrow. I am not sure what we will do with our time, but we will let our hearts lead the way.

    Once again, Happy Mother's Day to one and all!

    Much love, k&j ❤️    もっと詳しく

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  • Lansers on the Loose ...Salutations from Spain - 2024Lansers on the Loose ...
    Street musicians were playing beautiful music with a variety of instruments along our walk today!
    We came upon a store window with an stellar selection of cutting tools ... toe nail clippers too!There are numerous fountains positioned all around Madrid!Selfie time ... in front of the Retiro Park.A large pond in Retiro park. I am not sure what the building is behind it.The Crystal Palace in Retiro Park!5The turtles were enjoying the sunshine. Look at the little one with his feet straight upwards.The water feature in front of the Crystal Palace.2Look at the way these trees are shaped!! Not sure if it is natural or groomed??A smattering of the flowers in the Botanical Gardens.This fellow was making some beautiful music playing the stemware!1We received a complimentary appy ... weren't sure if we'd be on the hook for the 23 EUROS ...but no!The old boy ordered the 'pigs ears' for dinner!! 🥴 He enjoyed them. 🤔I ordered the veggie paella. It was quite good too ... 7/10.

    It was a Great Day for a Walk!

    2024年5月13日, スペイン ⋅ ☁️ 26 °C

    Well, my frustrations continued with our hotel this morning. The shower drained really slowly ... and ... it one of those half wall ones where it opens to the whole bathroom. We evaded flooding the bathroom until this morning when I had to wash my hair. I don't dawdle in the shower, but I have thick hair ... and so ... by the time I had it rinsed ... the bathroom was absolutely flooded.

    This created concern because the floors are marble and very, very slippery when wet. I found the mop in the closet but couldn't even mop it towards the shower stall because it was draining so slowly. I ended up tossing all the towels onto the floor so that I had some traction and didn't slip and fall.

    The towels were soaking wet. By the time I had my hair dried and my makeup on ... my feet were waterlogged! Arghhhhh. Fortunately ... or unfortunately ... I had to go to the dining room to use the curling iron because there is no where in the bathroom except the sink to set it down. Suffice to say, it was not the most pleasant start to the day.

    Travel mountains. Some are bigger than others. I needed to course correct and turn my attitude around for our last day here in Madrid. The old boy recommended we walk to Parque de el Retiro. It had been recommended by our friend, Ceaser who lives in Norway, that we met in line yesterday.

    Enroute, we came upon the Botanical Gardens. We opted to take a look at that as well. It was okay. I was expecting something like Butchart Gardens or like the one we visited in Pittsburg with Rod and Barb. It was nothing like either of those. It seemed to be more of an expo of all the different kinds of plants, flowers, bushes and shrubs. I came across a few pretty ones, but we didn't stay long.

    We found ourselves at La Taperia del Prado for lunch. I opted the salmon because with all our walking, I wanted to make sure I consumed sufficient protein. The old boy ordered something and was surprised to find out it was a soup! It was a cold tomato soup. Both were absolutely delicious!

    And then, we wandered over to the Retiro Park. We were absolutely blown away by its beauty! It is so well manicured ... with fountains and hedges and ponds and trees. Paths go in several directions ... one led to the Crystal Palace. Nothing was in it ... but ... the pond in front of it had the cutest turtles sunning themselves.

    We were tempted to follow more of the paths, but I was tuckered out. It was 28 degrees and we had logged quite a few steps already. So, we found a nice little cafe and the old boy had a cold beer! We recharged in the shade and talked about how this was the best way to spend our last day here in Madrid.

    In all, we logged just under 15,000 steps today. Oh .... I have been meaning to share something that has become so commonplace that I am guessing it is a cultural thing. When we are walking the busy streets, it seems to be that the locals do not move aside to accommodate passersby. They claim the sidewalk and even if there are three or four walking side by side, not one moves to allow room for oncoming walkers. I kept finding myself having to be the one to take a step sideways ... to move aside ... and/or ... to turn sideways to avoid collision.

    We first noticed it in Seville. And then, again in Malaga. We also experienced it in L'Albir. It has seemed so consistent, it got me curious. Am I just being the over polite Canadian?? So, I experimented. I decided to claim my space and see what happened. Well ... I just about lost a shoulder. I thought I'd try it again with someone a little smaller. No. Same thing. We bumped right into each other.

    I am just not sure what to make of this pattern? I always say that everything makes sense if you have enough information ... so ... if anyone has any insights, I'd be grateful for a deeper understanding of this seemingly Spanish phenomenon.

    We are packing up tonight and heading out to the train station tomorrow. We have a five hour train ride ... leaving here at 2:45pm and arriving at 7:52pm. I am also a bit nervous because I got an email from our lodging giving us virtual access instead of a key. It is also supposed to rain for the next five days ... so ... I am already envisioning myself standing outside in the rain at 8:30pm trying to get the door unlocked with the old boy's phone. Wish us luck ... k?? 😉

    For tonight ... we slipped out to the restaurant next door to get some dinner. They offered us an appy with our wine ... it was cod. It was phenomenal!!! And then, the old boy ordered the pigs ears!! Blechhhh. I opted for a very wise veggie paella. It was pretty good. We'll head there for breakfast in the morning as well because we are completely out of groceries! We will also pack up in the morning and look forward to catching up with you all when we arrive in San Sebastian!

    With warmest hugs ... k&j ❤️    もっと詳しく

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  • Lansers on the Loose ...Salutations from Spain - 2024Lansers on the Loose ...
    Breakfast at the cafe next door! It was delicious. 🙌
    2Eggs, bacon and toast! The bread was not even too hard!The contraband. They gave us salt packages with our breakfast. I am grateful. There are none here.Awaiting our ride to the train station!2The pea-less paella. It still cost $15.50 Euros ... about $22 CAD for this little lunch.5The culprit is behind the old boy's shoulder. 🤣2The sign with 'the rules' on HER table ... and ... every other table.4Happily seated on the train.2Not so happily trying to walk to our accommodation in the rain!2After all the stress of trying to get into the place ... we finally found the towels!!2Our dinner tonight after all the stress of trying to navigate the "Always Easy" accommodation!

    On the Rails Again ...

    2024年5月14日, スペイン ⋅ ⛅ 16 °C

    Today was a travel day ... five hours on the train from Madrid to San Sebastian. We 'reserved' our Cabify ride (like Uber only the Spanish version!) yesterday. A lovely driver named Alberto picked us up in his Tesla! It was a wild ride to the airport ... 6kms of high stress for me as he darted in and out of the traffic. I was leaving finger marks in the old boy's thighs as he was chuckling and having fun with the driver!!! Eeeeek. At one point, the driver spotted some open road and put the pedal to the metal. Both the boys in the car were delighted with his Mario Andretti moves!! Me ... not so much. 🥴

    The good news is that we arrived safe and sound! We found our way to the cafeteria in the train station. I ordered a paella ... then asked if I could have some of the scrumptious looking veggies added on top. I was very firmly and undeniably curtly informed "no". So ... no extra peas or carrots for me today.

    I did find 3 ... count them 1, 2, 3 ... peas in my paella. Imagine my shock when the old boy accidentally consumed TWO of them. It was a 5/10 paella ... so ... it was not the end of the world but ... close. 🤣

    What was far more interesting, was the lone fancy French lady who was holding seats for her "colleagues" at the two tables adjacent to us. Collectively, they had six big pieces of luggage ... and ... she was busy on her laptop the whole time. She hadn't purchased anything from the establishment, not even a coffee!!

    It was super busy in the cafeteria and several customers asked if they could sit at one of the four empty chairs. Over a 30 minute period, she insisted, "No. My colleagues are in the line." She even refused to move when the staff member pointed to the sign (right on the table) saying that between 12:30pm and 4:00pm that the tables were reserved for people consuming food. She did not budge.

    Then, they sent the manager over to coax her to move. She refused ... indignantly and quite frustratedly contending that her colleagues were "in the line" for food.

    She was bold-faced lying ... her colleagues were not in the line. They went to Burger King. How did I know?? They finally arrived with a whole bag full of food with the Burger King emblem on it! And, she reamed them out royally for being so long while she was defending their seats!!

    It was certainly interesting to witness her defying all attempts to move her out. I would never have been so bold as to defy the restaurant rules. I'm not sure if I admire her or think her lack of concern for the people who really were eating and needed a table was just downright arrogant???

    Her colleagues finally arrived and they purchases a salad and a couple of drinks ... perhaps out of guilt?? At any rate, all this drama helped us pass the time while we waited for our train.

    The train ride was completely uneventful ... except for our BET! I had been watching the Weather Network and noticed that it is supposed to rain for the entire four days were are here in San Sebastian. The old boy hates it when I look at the weather forecast. He contends that we always have good weather when we travel.

    So ........... we placed a bet on it. He would win if there was no rain while we were here. I would win if there was any rain. It seemed like a really safe bet to me ... but ... we have also been surprised when rain was forecast in the past ... and ... it never happened.

    I really, really, really, really, really wanted to lose this bet. I would much rather be enjoying the ACTUAL veranda that we DO have here in San Sebastian than be right about the forecast for rain.

    However, it didn't take but 30 seconds after pulling into the train station for me to win the bet. We had to pull our raincoats out of the bag in order to walk the 7 minutes Google said it would take to arrive at our new home for the next four nights.

    Once we arrived at our destination ... we had to do something new. We had to use a virtual locking system. Well, despite my best efforts, I could not make it work. There we were, outside in the rain ... and couldn't get into our place. I tried and tried ... and finally .. it occurred to me that I must be missing something. I eventually noticed that the "Accept cookies" button was on top of the "Next" button that led us to the subsequent screen that let us into the building.

    It's ironic, because we are renting a place called "Always Easy" ... but ... I beg to differ. It actually took us nearly an hour to get into the building and into our accommodation. Once we go into the space, the old boy even had to go out and practice coming and going from our room to alleviate the fear of struggling to get in again (if/when we left)!!!

    Good grief! THIS is exactly why I do not want to be the 'tour guide' anymore. It is simply too stressful for this old bird. I really don't ever want to have to stand in the rain outside my accommodation and not know how to gain access ... ever again.

    The good news, however, is that we eventually figured it out ... and ... we are here. I am too nervous to go out in the dark in search of supper ... so... the old boy used a couple of the eggs we bought for breakfast, to make us a nice snack before we head to bed.

    Once again, I am grateful to my hyper-vigilant self who nudged me to pick up eggs and croissants and cheese and salami before we left Madrid. It has been a blessing to have some food to fill our tummies before breakfast tomorrow.

    Here's hoping we get some nice breaks from the rain tomorrow!! We have a really lovely large terrace to enjoy while we are here!! I hope we get to use it ...and ... may our travel 'mountain' tomorrow be a whole lot smaller! 🤞

    Warmest hugs, k&j ❤️    もっと詳しく

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  • Lansers on the Loose ...Salutations from Spain - 2024Lansers on the Loose ...
    4The dastardly door to our flat! Have you ever seen a knob like this??
    2The unshakeable outside door!! Couldn't tell it was green in the rain and in the dark!4The menu block at our breakfast place!! Interesting way to present the menu, right?The bridge we crossed to get to our place from the train station.42Apparently, San Sebastian is a renowned place for surfers.272The crab stuffed peppers.2The Turbot and the Cod.2The caramelized French toast dessert4The photo our friends (Kristi and Mark) from Texas took of us.28144

    Donostia - San Sebastian!

    2024年5月15日, スペイン ⋅ ☁️ 15 °C

    We slept fairly well ... just not long enough ... in our little loft bed. It was cozy and comfy. We awoke to cloudy skies but no rain in sight. I'll not go anywhere without my rain coat here though. I'm extra glad I brought the coffee pods that I bought in Madrid ... they work with the Nespresso machine here!!

    We opted to go out for breakfast this morning ... taking advantage of the dry weather. Here is where we encountered our first travel mountain. The cafes that were open at 10:00am did not serve things we would consider breakfast. They served lots of baked goods and deli sandwiches, but no eggs. After not having a real supper last night, I was in need of some real sustenance.

    And, it didn't help that we had no clue where we were in the grand scheme of things because we didn't have a map yet. And, Google Maps seemed to be messing with the old boy as he tried to navigate to a spot that he thought served breakfast. In fact, at many points along our path today we had no service at all!

    By the time we finally arrived at a place that served "heuvos" ... I was beginning to have blood sugar issues and was feeling gaunt. The menus were inscribed upon towering wooden blocks on the table. The problem was that there were no empty tables. There were some seats at the bar, but we quickly learned that those were only for folks ordering pinchos. So, we had to wait until a table cleared so we could order.

    The old boy chose two things ... and he had no idea what they were. I admire his courage to go out on a limb like that. I ordered the bacon and eggs with french fries. It actually worked out really well, because one of his pinchos was filled with grilled veggies. We split up the contents between us and enjoyed a very nourishing meal.

    Then, we needed to get groceries and get ourselves more familiar with our surroundings. We wandered down to the tourist information booth. We got a map and determined the pick up spot for the Hop On Hop Off bus. After an hour on the bus, we had a pretty good idea of the lay of the land.

    We also learned that San Sebastian burned down four times. And has been rebuilt each time ... so ... it looks quite young at heart. It also has no buildings with corners on them. They are all angled for better aesthetics. And, fortunately, the streets are all at right angles. It sure makes it easier to find your way around.

    By the time we wandered down to the Old Town, we were hungry again! We stopped at a really nice white linen place for a late lunch. We had to wait 30 minutes for a table, but it was worth the wait. It was stated right on the menu that table service required the purchase of at least one starter to share ... and... one entree per person! Interesting, eh? Makes me wonder what the French gal who broke the table rules at the train station would do?

    We shared some crab stuffed peppers for a starter and they were exceptionally delicious. The old boy ordered the Turbot and I ordered the Cod. We had a red Tempranillo Rioja in honor of my mother. It was called "Muriel". It was delicious. And, the server said her favorite dessert was the caramelized French toast with ice cream. So, of course we had to try it! I wasn't fussy about the texture, but the taste was really nice.

    After that, we wandered towards the beach. We bumped into a nice couple from Texas who offered take our picture for us. We ended up chatting with them for almost an hour. They gave us some great suggestions for places to travel to ... including a place they stayed in the Maldives. They had also taken a food and wine tour here last night. So, we might do the same tomorrow.

    We walked along the beach on the way home and discovered that since the tide was out, an artistic fellow had etched an incredible design into the beach!! I'm not sure if it had special meaning or significance, but he had a square positioned below it for people to throw coins in appreciation.

    We wanted to call it a day early so we could get to bed early. We had a little trouble with the outside door ... again ... but, it didn't take too long before we got in. Hopefully, we are getting the hang of it now. 🤞🤞

    And ... although the day started off with some food and direction mountains ... the good news is that we didn't get soaking wet. It has started raining now, but we spent the day outdoors (except for our 2 hour lunch) and it was chilly but dry. Here's hoping we will be blessed well by the weather gods tomorrow too!!

    We'd like to hike up Urgull hill and get a view of the city from up there. There is a huge statue of Jesus up on the hill. It is truly a gorgeous city! I can see why people come from far and wide to spend time here.

    And, given that it is known for its gastronomy, the food options have been remarkable! We are hoping to make a reservation at a really nice place for tomorrow! I'm not sure if we will go to a Michelin Star place or not ... but ... the old boy is checking it out now. It would be something to experience wouldn't it?

    Here's hoping that we'll have fewer travel mountains to scale tomorrow ... and ... that we will make it up that Urgull hill!! I hope you all are having a lovely day ... just 9 more sleeps and we will be home! Looking forward to seeing all of you again.

    Love k&j ❤️    もっと詳しく

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  • Lansers on the Loose ...Salutations from Spain - 2024Lansers on the Loose ...
    Ha ha ... we were both looking into the sun ... I wondered if his head was cut off. Yep. 🥴
    Just another beautiful view of the ocean!1This guy was on the promenade by the ocean this morning!Our ascent begins.The paved part of the path upward!42And old graveyard!I just loved all the teensy flowers growing out of the rock walls!The Christ.8Our view from above.426The sand artist was beginning his project for today!

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

    2024年5月16日, スペイン ⋅ ⛅ 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    もっと詳しく

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