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  • Lansers on the Loose ...

Western European Adventures

And so it begins ... 45 days of new horizons to fill our hearts and souls! We are going to try to highlight our joys and delights and probably even our snags and snaffues ... right here on this little blog! Leggi altro
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  • Lansers on the Loose ...Western European AdventuresLansers on the Loose ...
    2

    Paris ... by Metro And Big Bus

    13 settembre 2018, Francia ⋅ ☁️ 15 °C

    Gosh ... we had a good sleep ... except for the frequent rumbling because we are right over the Metro!! We tend to look for locations near the Metro but we've never stayed over one before! 🙃

    So ... we had a fairly lazy morning. I googled places nearby for breakfast and off we went. We strode past some beautiful patisseries on our way ... but resisted the temptation and stayed on course. I was hoping for something more brunch like and substantial so my blood sugar didn't get triggered by sweets first thing.

    GROANS: And then, much to our surprise ... we ended up at a very tiny, unassuming spot that claimed to have good coffee and offered bread with jam for breakfast.. Yep. That was it. John gave me that look like ... "we walked past so many nice places for this?" And all I could do was apologize. ☹

    GAHS: And as I was piling on the butter ... John was teasing me about being like "oma" ... who loved her butter thick. And I was poking fun at him for being like my "dad" because he was complaining about our 'breakfast' costing $15 Euros! That is well over $20 CAD ... argh! Tomorrow we are going to the patisserie! 😋

    GASPS OF GRANDEUR: We took the Metro to the Opera House ... Palais Garnier. As Doug mentioned, it was the setting for The Phantom of the Opera! It's hard to describe it's magnificence and ornate grandeur. 

    GASPS OF SURPRISE: They were also showing a special exhibition of art .... by none other than .... Picasso!! I am embarrassed to admit we had no idea whose work we were looking at until later when I saw a sign! DUH.

    GRINS: And then we boarded the "The Big Bus" and took a tour of the city! It is hard to imagine ... but there is so much to see and John was taking so many pictures ... he got tired of clicking the camera!! 

    We'll be touring a few of the main monuments over the next couple of days, but we learned that Des Champs-Elysées has been described as the most beautiful avenue in the world. It is loaded with shops highlighting high end designers and posh restaurants. Apparently they didn't want H&M to get a storefront there but after a couple years in battle .. H&M won a spot ... much to the chagrin of the locals.

    We also learned that at the Arc de Triomphe, there is an elevator in the columns and then you can walk 42 more steps to the top. I guess the Tour de France ends here on des Champs-Elysées.

    We drove past the Eiffel Tower. Apparently it has 7 million visitors per year. It is the 'most visited paid monument' in the world and has been nicknamed "la dame de fer"by the locals. That is: the iron lady.

    GRATEFULS: At the suggestion of Marian ... we found our way to "Galeries Lafayette" and ended up on the Gourmet food floor ... a huge floor dedicated to exceptional food preparation and consumption ... either to take away or to order and eat right there! It was a smorgasboard of gastric delights. We opted to gobble up a 'Parma Pizza' but were really tempted by so many more!! John bought himself some aged goat leg ... and we shared a coffee flavoured macaron. And ... we brought home a raspberry creation of some kind. The cakes and desserts are works of art in and of themselves!!

    We also wandered up to the 7th floor and had s look over the city! And then ... we found our way to Printemps ... thank you Doug! Wow. What an experience. They also have a rooftop bar and restaurant that offers magnificent views of the city! Both department stores had spectacular ceilings with stained glass designs that were beyond belief!

    GRATITUDES: And ... with our hearts filled with awe we stepped under ground and came back to our room to rest a bit before supper. 

    It's been a full day! A good day! John got lots of pictures and a few videos! We are limited to 10 in total. Perhaps I will post more in an 'aside'. But for now ... some supper. I wonder where we will end up! 😀    Leggi altro

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    4

    More from the City of Light and Love!

    15 settembre 2018, Francia ⋅ 🌙 11 °C

    Oh my gosh ... we had such a full day yesterday ... and got home just before midnight ... so I didn't have the energy to post before bed! I have so much to tell ... but before I can do that... I need to catch you up on a couple of other things I forgot to share!

    GRIMACES: I was quite astounded and dare I say a bit disappointed to discover that the coffee here in our room in Paris (the highest-end room we have taken yet in our travels!) serves instant coffee. I was even getting a little judgy ... but ... wait! Given my adoration and addiction for coffee first thing in the morning... it became necessary for me to try it! And it is DELICIOUS! So much so that I wanted to buy some at the grocery store to pack along to Spain and Portugal!! When, on earth, did instant coffee get so GOOD?? 😍

    GAFFAHS: Ha ha ... so the day before yesterday we had traipsed quite a distance in search of a breakfast that might offer us an egg ... but as you might recall ... we just ended up with bread and jam. Well ... guess where we had breakfast yesterday morning??  Our hotel. Yep.

    GRINS: The place with the instant coffee also serves a lovely continental breakfast with croissants and fruits and juices and cereal and yogurt and cheeses and ham ... and ... hard boiled eggs! All for $10€! They will even bring it to your room for no extra charge! 🤗

    Aside from the exceptional location, we had begun to second-guess why we had chosen to splurge on this particular room. Somehow, with all our comings and goings and reservations, we forgot about the extras this place offers! We will be sure to take full advantage of these ammenities ... now that we remember!

    GIFTS: I wore my rain coat all day on our fisrst day here for nothing! It was cloudy and cool, but there was never a need for an umbrella. And yesterday it was 21°and sunny! I was hoping to finally get out of pants and into a skirt or capris ... and ... my wish was granted! And today and tomorrow ... our last two days here ... it is supposed to be even warmer!

    GAHS: The metro system is enourmous! And I have this wee little map that fits nicely in my purse ... but ... trying to read it with my old eyes is a feat of it's own! We were planning to see the Louvre at 2pm and the Eiffel Tower last night at 9:15pm and I was hoping I could find our way to the 'meeting spots' effortlessly and easily! 

    GRATITUDES: And ... we made our way quite nicely! Once we figured out where we had to be for our tours later in the day, we took the Blue Line of the Bug Bus to acquaint ourselves with the area of Montmartre, Sacre-Coeur and Moulin Rouge. We are planning to spend the day Sunday exploring these beautiful parts of the city on foot!

    GASPS: On route, as we were passing through the red light district of Paris, we noticed you could get a burger and a movie! You might have to squint to see what show is playing ... XXX rated!

    GRATITUDES:Afterwards, we stopped at "Le Carrousel: Bar & Brasserie" for a crepe ... to nourish our hard 'walking' bodies before our tour of the Louvre. We've been averaging about 10 km per day ... and yesterday it turned out to be almost 13km! And, as much as we wanted to try the French crepes ... we ended up with wine and escargots and the special of the day: "paupiette de veau et son jus petits légumes"! Veal meatballs and sauteed veggies! Fabulous French Cuisine!

    GIFT: We enjoyed our time ar the Louvre. It was not terribly busy ... and so we got to meet Mona ... right up, front and center! It is of interest to note that the Mona Lisa gained its popularity when it was stolen in 1911. Prior to that, it was relatively unknown. Now that I have seen it, I can't say I am surprised. To me ... the painting seems fairly unassuming. I know art is a very personal thing, but she didn't evoke a whole lot from me emotioinally. It seemed to us that many of the other paintings were far more remarkable than she ... but ... it truly is a gift to have been able to meet her with our own eyes and hearts.

    FUN FACT: When I think of "The Latin Quarter" in cities, my mind goes to spanish speaking areas where lively music can be heard and light-hearted Latinos abide. This is not the case in France. The Latin Quarter is named so because it is near the Sorbonne University ... and ... it was likely that Latin language is what was spoken back in the day when the University came into being!

    GRIMACES: Once again ...after hours wandering the Louvre ... we required nourishment before our trip up the Eiffel Tower! So, as is common in Paris, you sit at tables squeezed closely together on the streetside. And, you sit side by side facing the street. And so, we settled in at one near The Iron Lady. But we were chastised very abruptly by the server! John had moved his chair and now we were sitting 'out of line'. The server became so annoyed with us that John suggested we leave. I recommended we just "get ourselves in line" and enjoy the moment. And so we DID! And the server thanked us ... and ... we made up nicely!

    GRINS: John enjoyed the 'large' French beer that came in a GIGANTIC tankard! He said you had to be able to press 100lbs in order to get it safely to your lips. We shared the beef bourguignonne with spaghetti... followed up with a meringue with English sauce!! Not French sauce. No. It was an English sauce. And ... oh my gosh ... it was beyond stellar!!

    We still had some time before our tour ... so we wandered the area for a bit and then stopped again for some refreshments! This particular server was not at all impressed that all we wanted was two of the smallest glasses of wine. And .. he made it clear we were not worth his time. He simply ignored our requests ... and instead ... worked the tourists walking by in hopes they would come and eat and leave him a big tip. Which we didn't. Our tip for him ... value all your customers.

    GRIPES: I ordered a bottle of water at the same restaurant. I could have died of dehydration by the time he brought it! And ...... when the bill arrived ... I was shocked to see it cost $6 Euros!!! That is @ $10CAD! When we got to the tour meetiing place 15 minutes later ... we could get a bigger bottle of water for $2 Euros out of the dispensing machine. Okay. Enough of my griping about money. I am starting to sound like my father.

    GASPS OF WONDER: The Eiffel Tower by night ...was ... unbelievable and entirely exceptional! Our guide stated that it had some special Japanese lighting. John took a little video ... but ... it really doesn't do it justice (and it starts our a bit blurry). He also took one at the top ... also ... doesn't reflect the spectacular sights. It was an unrivaled and breathtakiing experience!

    I will post more pics in an aside to this blog so you can hopefully get a better sense of our day of sightseeing yesterday and the magnificence of the experience!

    GRATITUDES: It was a great day! And, today we are going to see Notre Dame Cathedral ... and then ... have a lovely dinner cruise on the River Seine. Hope you are all doing well!! Talk to you later ... bye for now ... k&j    Leggi altro

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    Some Sights We Saw!

    15 settembre 2018, Francia ⋅ 🌙 11 °C

    I's so hard to capture in a picture all the things the eyes see and the heart feels when you experience such exceptional moments. Here is a wee smattering of some of our scenic views yesterday! We are limited to 10. But ... here are a few!
    "A Bientot"!    Leggi altro

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    More sights to see in Gay Pair-ee!!

    15 settembre 2018, Francia ⋅ ⛅ 20 °C

    After our late night visiting the 'Iron Lady' we enjoyed a very leisurely start to our day. We took breakfast in our room and finally took the metro towards Notre Dame Cathedral around noon. We mosied down a little cobblestone lane and had some crepes! And one of the stores had little buns soaking in rum in jars! Has anyone ever tasted these things called 'babas'? Iwas entirely entrigued! And after our window shopping ... we stopped for a glass of wine. 

    GAHS: The server brought me a carafe instead!! An intentional mistake I am sure ... because he turned his back and walked away before I could say a word. He also plopped the bill on the table so I couldn't even correct the mistake because it was already charged. I wonder just how many tourists he has snagged with that mistaken 'misunderstanding'? Mis-taken ...or ... just taken ... or both? It's all part of the experience. 😏 

    GRINS: In Holland we had to watch out for the bicycles! In Paris ... it's the servers!! Clearly we must become more savvy in our touristing!! It turned out to be a blessing in disguise because we dumped the remnants of the carafe into our go-cup and sipped on the wine inconspicuously at our pleasure throughout the day! 🥂

    GRATITIDES: Our tour through the Notre Dame Cathedral was also exceptional. I wish I could have jotted down all we were learning. The facade of the cathedral tells many stories of deep meaning in terms of religious significance and historical relevance. "Notre Dame" = Our Lady. The cathedral is dedicated to the Virgin Mary
    It took 200 years to construct and it is not symmetrical. It was started in the 12th century ... and then ... had to be restored in the 19th century after it was severely damaged during the French Revolution. 

    FUN FACT: On the Big Bus they spoke about the difference in philosophy between those who live on the left bank of the river and the more conservative who inhabit the right side. I wondered how they decided which was left and right. Seemed to make more sense to describe it as north and south .. but ... apparently the direction was determined by those exiting the Notre Dame Cathedral. They turned left or right! Voila! I guess I would have been joining those who turned to the left!! 😊

    After hiking all the way up the 400 stairs to enjoy some incredible panoramic views of the city in the sunshine ... it goes without saying ... we stopped for a refreshment! John also enjoyed more oysters! He said they were the best tasting oysters he has had. I think he's said that before ... right?? 🤔 I enjoyed the bread that came with it! I made it look so delicious he wanted the rest! 😁

    GIFTS: And then we mosied along the banks of the river to find our departure point for our dinner cruise. And ... the food was lovely! It was a great way to end our day ...almost!

    We still had to find the subway ... and ... navigate the changes in the lines to get home!! And ...with the kind help if some passers-by ... they headed us in the right direction. And, we arrived here promptly and in good order!

    So ... we are tucking in shortly ... see you all tomorrow! 😊    Leggi altro

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    1The view from our table ...The upstairs view and the restaurant downstairs!1Checking the map again ... !

    Sunday Meanderings ... Our Last Full Day

    16 settembre 2018, Francia ⋅ ⛅ 15 °C

    We started off the day on foot ... walking from our hotel to the area of Montmartre. We stopped for a nice breakfast at Republique du Coffee and enjoyed eggs with pancakes. They butter and syrup the pancakes for you and put two eggs ... sunnyside up ... on top. It seemed very French. I prefer my egg whites cooked through however ... so ... I was a bit more careful with my bites! 😊

    GRACE: Most of the shops were still closed and traffic was light ... so we enjoyed the stillness on the streets. We stopped for coffee at a place called Bouquet du Nord. We noticed that it costs more to sip coffee in the afternoon after 3:00pm than in the morning ... and so ... we felt like timed it right.

    GRIMACES: But then, we decided to venture on when the server ignored us. I'm wondering if we should be taking these service trends personally??😉

    GIFTS: Once again though ... it turned out to be a blessing in disguise because we found a glorious little place called "33cl de Montmarte" which gave us another opportunity to sit straight in a row on the street side comfortably in the cool shade with our warm cappuccinos tickling our spirits as we enjoyed the view! We gazed right up the hill to the Sacre-Coeur. Simply sublime! 💥

    GRATITUDES: We wandered up the hillside and explored the grounds ... and then, we did as our good neighbor Doug recommended! We ambled down the narrow, winding streets to the left of the basilica and ended up at the Moulin Rouge. 

    GRINS: It was such an enchanting walk ... all the little pâtisseries and boulangeries and brasseries and cafes and fruit stands and fish markets and florists and créperies and ice cream shops and fine clothing retailers and shoe stores and sex shops too. A feast for the eyes for sure!

    GRATEFULS: We walked past one restaurant where a patron had a large serving of what looked like scalloped potatoes! We weren't hungry yet so we kept on going .... but ... the thought of those potatoes just wouldn't let me be. So, we circled back to have some!! John tried the frog's legs. It was all so decidedly and delectably delicious!! Sadly, however, we never did find any more of those babas though! They shall remain on the "I wish I had ..." list! 

    One of the things that struck us is that the Fench take great pride in beauty and artistry and quality and elegance and style.You see it in their architecture... their food ... their apparel ... their footwear ... and ... their decor.

    GASPS &GRATITUDES: And so ... for our last day in Paris ... we logged 15.91 kms (22,083 steps). It was a lovely finish to a warm and wonderful time here in France. We are ever grateful for the mobility to be able to log all those steps and
    we could not have enjoyed better weather here!

    Tomorrow morning we must find our way to the train ... after one more croissant ... and then ... see what Barcelona holds for us! They are forcasting 10 - 20mm of rain (100% chance) on our first day ... so ... we shall see how it all turns out!

    Sending warmest smiles from our hearts to yours ... k&j    Leggi altro

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    Farewell France and Bring on Barcelona!

    17 settembre 2018, Spagna ⋅ ⛅ 27 °C

    GAFFAHS, GRIMACES and GARGANTUAN GROANS: And so ... we thought we'd treat ourselves and take a taxi this morning to the train station instead of stressing to squeeze into the metro ... during morning rush hour ... with our backpacks on both front and back. We asked our Hotel Concierge the night before to book us a taxi for the next morning. He assured us ... " no need to book ahead ... we call ... they are here in 5 minutes". Okay. "C'est si bon!"

    NO. Not okay .. and ... not good! When we checked out we requested a taxi ... only to be told quite a few minutes later ... all the lines were busy. He could NOT get us a taxi. What??? How can that even be possible?

    He recommended we take to the street to see if we could hail down one of the ones passing by. After three unsuccessful attempts ... we headed underground to the metro ... and ... sandwiched ourselves between the aghast Parisians on there way to work. 😖

    GASPS: John lost his balance upon take-off for a moment and looked like a Ospray torpedo headed in my direction! Thank goodness he recovered before he took several of us down! 😱

    GAHS: After walking up and down stairs ... changing lines and needing several escalators ... going both up and then down ... we logged 1.6km before we even got to the train station! 👣

    GRATITUDES & GRIMACES: We arrived in good time to make our train ... only to discover that our first class tickets were not facing forward and were without a table. There was an empty table with forward facing seats directly behind us, so we crossed our fingers they would remain empty and we could sit there ... until someone official asked us to move ... or ... until someone unofficial claimed the space with their ticket.  And so ... we held our breath with every stop all the way to Barcelona. And we stayed in those seats until ........ Barcelona!! Woohoo!

    And we enjoyed the scenic views along the way. It was hard to capture with the camera because at the high speed of the train .... by the time I tried to catch the scene, we had passed it. But, we offer a few of the beautiful sights that we did manage to capture!

    GASPS: We had no idea we were putting our life in our driver's hands by getting into a taxi in Baracelona!! Sheesh!!!!! He wove in and out of traffic ... made his own lane ... I was absolutely terrified!!! At one point there was not more than two inches between us and the BUS beside us! But we made it!! We dropped our bags and headed out in search of food and drink.

    GREAT BIG GRATITUDES: We walked just around the corner from our AirBnB and realized we were in the local district ... nothing at all touristy about our neighborhood! There were no tables available outside ... so ... the server took one from inside and moved it out for us. Now that is service!!

    John was oooohing and ahhhhing about his seafood tapas (anchovies tartare and cuttle fish sauteed in garlic butter along with monkfish & shrimp croquettes!) while I awaited my chicken and beef paella! In all honesty, my paella was good ... but ... not as good as the one my son-in-law Daniel makes.

    GRINS: And ... the grocery store was just across the street! So ... guess what we got for $18.85Euros?? We got 4 bottles of Spanish wine (2 red and 2 white - the least expensive was $1.95 and the most expensive one was $3.95). Yes. I am serious!We'll have to let you know how they taste! Remember the 750ml bottleI got in France for $6.00? Well, we also got a a 1.5 litre bottle of water for .35 cents!! If we did the math right ... we could have got almost 35 - 750ml bottles of water for $6.00!! And ... we got some olies and some fancy fruit that we have no idea what it is ... and 1/2 dozen eggs and cream for our coffee. Anyway ... the total bill was $18.85 Euros. Even with the conversion, it's unbelievably inexpensive here.

    And so ... we are back in our room ...getting settled in for the night. We are going to get our bearings tomorrow. And ... the weather forecast has improved ... so only a 40% chance of rain before 3pm now.

    Good night for now ... k&j

    :    Leggi altro

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    A smidgeon of Gaudi's work!
    Oodles of flags .....!!Landmarks ... apparently this lights up at night with millions of lights!More goat leg!Our afternoon tapas in the Gothic Quarter!

    Barcelona Surprised Us!

    18 settembre 2018, Spagna ⋅ ⛅ 24 °C

    GRINS: We were looking for the blankets when we were ready to tuck into bed last night ... for our first sleep-over in Spain. Only to discover ... there were none.  Just a thin sheet. We surmised that it must be because it is hot here!! Its Barcelona! ☀️🌡
    GAFFAHS: But ... we have air conditioning in our room and wanted to use it so we would sleep better.  So ... although I thought I was finally going to be able to pack my polar fleece jacket at the bottom of my backpack ... I wore it to bed instead. Ha ha ... you must adapt to whatever your travels toss in your path, right?

    GRIMACES: And guess what we woke up to?  Rain. I was a bit surprised because they had changed the forecast to less rain.  It appeared from the revised forecast that we would have 90% chance of rain all day ... 10 -15 mms! 

    GAHS: Its interesting to think we made it through 5 really rainy countries without getting too wet ... some rain on the morning we left Scotland and Amsterdam was went for 1.5 days ... but now ... Barcelona was expected to offer us the most precipitation!  ⛈

    I had no idea how to dress for the day though. Too hot for my raincoat but too wet for no protection.  Bare legs dry more quickly than wet pants ... so ... on with the skort ... and John finally unpacked his shorts!  And we were off to acquaint ourselves with the beauty of Barcelona.

    Plan A: Find a Tourist Information office so we could get maps and multiday tickets for transport ... and tickets for the Hop On Hop Off bus. Google led us easily to a train station. Yeah!  That was not open.  GAH!!

    Plan B. Google the Hop On Hop Off Office to see if it was nearby.  Nope. No such luck.

    Plan C. Google the nearest metro and hope we could get a metro map at least. This was fruitful.  We found our way to the city centre and got maps and our seats on the Hop On Hop Off ... we took the Green line!

    The city seemed very different than our harried introduction last evening during rush hour!  It struck us as a very well ordered city ... taxis and buses share a lane ... vehicle lanes ... tram lanes ... bicycle lane and of course  pedestrian paths.It was interesting to see that some of the Tram lines were edged with grass.  We wondered who mows the grass ... and ... when.  It looked very nice! And the bicycle paths have protective bumpers that allow bikes out but no other vehicles in.  Brilliant!

    GRACE: Barcelona has such a wide open feel to it!  Even many of the intersections have large squares in them ... some decorated with elaborate statues and some are just left empty and roomy!

    The architecture is visually so compelling!  Most buildings have balconies ... many with iron railings. And ... people display their patriotism through flags that they hang from their windows or balconies! John took lots of photos ... and Google made a little movie of the snaps. We have included it here.

    GIFTS: Gaudi's masterpieces of architecture are really worth seeing!! So unusual and so artistic! John isn't sure he's a fan. He thinks "Gaudi is gawdy" and "should have worked for Disney". Gaudi's style reminds John of Dr. Suess in some way. I happen to really like it.

    We saw some places where we'd love to stop and spend some time. I'm almost afraid we will run out of days before we get bored here!  We hopped off in the Gothic Quarter because we really wanted to explore it ... but ... then the rain came.  We opted to have some tapas and wine ... hoping it would blow over.  But no. And so ... like scared gophers we descended into the metro and headed home to do laundry! By the time we popped up at our stop the rain was over. We still did our laundry ... but to improve the moment ... we dipped into the $1.95 white wine while laundered.  And, it was great!

    We grabbed some sandwiches for supper and plan to tuck in early. They are calling for more rain tomorrow ... humidity is 100%! So ... who knows what tomorrow will bring.  We are mapped and ready for whatever greets us!

    Warmest smiles from our hearts to yours ... k&j    Leggi altro

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    This is the little lane nearby where we are staying! Love the trees!
    The wavy La Rambla!The wine before dinner was poured into this carafe and was passed around for everyone to share! No easy task!!The sangria!Very simple ingredients ... chicken, beans, rice, tomatoes, smoked paprika, some saffron for color and rosemarI'm all fired up!

    Things Heat Up in Barcelona!

    19 settembre 2018, Spagna ⋅ ☀️ 27 °C

    GRATITUDES: I need to start by offering a huge "thank you" to Cindy for reminding me that I had downloaded Rick Steves Europe ... and then ... I completely forgot about it. And "thank you" Barb for reminding me I had downloaded all the City Guides ... and ... I had also forgotten about them!! GAH!! Apparently I was more savvy and organized BEFORE we hit the roads!! 

    And so ... we hopped on the red line today and got to enjoy more fabulous views of Barcelona. It is such a sensational mix of water and green spaces/trees and architecture! We both marvel at the way they have stategically lined the roads with trees in front of the buildings ... to distract from the feeling of being between city buildings! And ... the water and mountain areas ... and artistic impressions with the way the city has been planned it so appealing to us! It just feels so spacious here!!

    GRINS: John said today that he thinks Barcelona is one of the most beautiful cities he has ever visited. I would have to agree! We even had a short conversation about whether Spain/Barcelona bumps Ireland/Dublin as our favorite place in our travels this trip. We decided they are neck and neck ...so far ... but, we still have two more days here in Barcelona. So ... we'll let you know the verdict on Saturday. We leave for a small town north of here to take a little rest and sit by the water. We were inspired by John and Marie's time in Roses, so we are going to go there on Saturday for three days. But ... we have even been talking about coming back here for a few more days before we go to Portugal.

    We got a few pictures on our bus ride today ... and ... we spent a bit of time walking along "LaRambla". It's a gorgeous tree lined pededstrian walkway that is one of the busiest and most lively streets in Barcelona. It is paved in the most interesting way. The walkway looks like it is uneven ... in waves! It felt so odd for me ... I kept feeling like I was walking up and down the waves in the pavement! I took a picture ... not sure if you can see what I mean ... but it was strange.

    GIFTS: We followed this walkway right down to the ocean and then, were going to find the subway so we could get to our cooking class. It turned out to be further than we thought, so we hired one of the bicycle 'tuk-tuks' to ride us there! He was lovely and provided such a nice commentary to highlight some of the sights we were passing by. He even reminded us to watch out for the pickpockets! Apparently, they are quite bad at this particular subway!

    GRIMACES & GRATITUDES: And ... we were literally "cooking in Barcelona today ... both in the kitchen and the out of doors! We attended a Paella Maestro Class and learned how to cook a traditional paella, make a sangria and also crafted a creme brulee ... they call it "crema catalana." It threatened to rain here again today, but it did not. The sun was blazing hot all day and its supposed to be even hotter tomorrow. As I write this, it is after 9:00pm and it is still 27 degrees ... but the Weather Network says it feels like 34 degrees. We would agree!

    GRATITUDES: All in all it was a great day ... and ... we got some really good ideas for things we'd like to do tomorrow from our bus ride today. And so ... good night for now! See you again tomorrow!    Leggi altro

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    2Yes! Those are hams hanging behind him!42

    Oh - What a Wonderful Day in Barcelona!

    20 settembre 2018, Spagna ⋅ ☀️ 30 °C

    We started our day by taking the subway back to La Rambla so we could enjoy the big local market. We also needed to find a place that served an "American" or "English" breakfast because we ran out of eggs so could not cook at home. The last few days John would go to the corner bakery and get fresh croissants (dare I say better than we had in France!) and a freshly squeezed orange juice and bring it all back to our place. I would cook eggs while I enjoyed my instant coffee that we smuggled in from France! I am sad to say I am down to my last 3 cups. I wish we had brought more with us! ☕☕☕

    GOODNESS: "Mercat St. Josep La Bouqueria" was SO spectacular!! Its hard to imagine that Barcelonians can do their daily shopping like this ... from this vast selection ... and we have Safeway! We took oodles pf pictures of all it had to offer until we saw a sign in one of the stalls saying "We are not a tourist attraction." John was going to take a picture of the sign but got very firmly chastised by the vendor adjacent. He shook his finger with disgust and sternly reprimanded "NO!" I know for certain that I could hear him thinking "Damn toursistas"! 

    In our defense, we did purchase some specialty nuts ... and ... a cone full of cheese and iberian ham and crackers! i will post the pictures that we took at the market in an 'aside' to this post to give you a sense of just how spectacular it was!

    GOOD GRIEF: We barely got past the market and John was inspired by a sign! And so ... he ended up having "the best mojito in Barcelona" even before noon! It was accompanied by a plate of anchovies! They also had the most enchanting skewers of baguette and meat and cheese and pickles and olives! Everything is an artistic masterpiece!! For me, it was a fantastic feast for the eyes only ... at that moment. I was still full from breakfast!

    GRATITUDES: It struck me as I was getting dressed for the heat that I did not pack 'lightly' enough for the hot temperatures in Spain. And so, we did a little shopping. I was in the fitting room and John kept bringing me lovely things to try on. I ended up getting two nice light tops! Yahoo!!

    GIFTS: So cool ... during our stroll we passed an esthetic salon. We paused our sauntering so I could get my toes re-painted. After 31 days ...I needed a refresh!! And ... it was a bonus to relax in the lazy boy for a moment. 

    GAFFAHS: We were tickled to pass by a boutique in France named 'Tiana' ... and then when we came upon a Forneria and Patisseria named 'Tiana' here in Barcelona ... I was reminded that I had forgotten to mention this in my prior posts! It was so cool to see our daughter's name on things!! 💜💜

    GASPS OF GRATEFULNESS: The street performers are truly magnificent! We passed something that looked like a statue ... that actually turned out to be a real guy!! He must have been so hot!! And then there was another! His makeup was Oscar winning. 

    GRATITUDES: But... nothing beat the performers that entertained us while we had the most delicious lunch. While we dined, we enjoyed a performer who was incredibly skilled with hula hoops.  And better yet ... there was a little two piece band with an acoustic guitar and a cello.  We took some footage but it forsnt really do it justice!

    It was so touching to watch the hostess of the adjacent restaurant who seemed mesmerized with their talent.  They invoked tears with the emotion they put into their performance.

    GASPS of AWE: And THEN ... a woman started singing ... unobtrusively by the cathedral near by.  She was completely unpretentious in her attire ... carrying a plastic cup ...  limping past us and blowing our hearts to smitherines.  We were both embarrassed by the tears that flowed spontaneously in that moment. Gosh ... the talent that lies within us is absolutely staggering!  And then ... there was a violinist who dazzled us with his exceptional talent.  It was so very moving for both of us.

    GLEE: We had stopped for a quick bite and stayed for almost two hours ... caught up in the exceptional moments we were enjoying! John said it was the very best CALAMARI that he has EVER tasted. And ... after one taste, I even went back for more!! And the, he saw someone with a plate of mussels and ordered a plate.  They, too, were scrumptious... and ... I dont even like mussels.
     
    GIFTS: And, we met Christine from Germany ... when she sat right next to us at lunch. She offered to show us to a place in front of the Gothic Cathedral where you can take tours with volunteers.  It was so kind of her and we saw so much enroute! If we can carve out enough time, we might even have to go back take a tour later!!  Afterwards, we enjoyed a fabulous SHOT of coffee at Dibar Cafe!  It was so remarkably good!!!!

    GLORIOUSNESS: And then ...  while we were walking to catch the cable car when we walked past a place with one of those little baguettes with sticks in them ("pinxos"). The place is called Sagardi and we learned that it is self serve ... and ... the  price is determined by how many sticks you devour!  You help yourself and then they count your sticks at the end of the meal!  And so, we stopped for a few sticks!!  I think they make mucho $$ on the patron's curiosity ... all of them look so good! 😁 We could not be complete without trying the chessecake ones too ...which were exceptionally declicious ... but ... we did leave without finding out what the apple tart ones tasted like! 😋

    And then ...although we were going to go on the gondola, we ended up wandering down to the ocean instead ... and simply spent some time time enjoying the beauty and splendor of mother nature! It was such a phenomenal day!! Our hearts are very full!! It was a lovely way to conclude a most wonderful day.

    Maybe we'll get to the gondola tomorrow! However, who knows what the day will bring because we learned that Barcelona's main annual festival ... Festes de la Mercè is on the 24th of September ... but apparently the activities begin here tomorrow.

    So maybe we will get a taste of it before we leave. I guess there are many events such as which group of 'castellers' can form the highest human tower, live music events, firework displays and processions involving wooden giants. All of this is accompanied by a heavy consumption of Cava, the national drink of Catalonia.

    Whatever it will be ... we are looking forward to another day enjoying this exceptional city tomorrow! 😊    Leggi altro

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  • Lansers on the Loose ...Western European AdventuresLansers on the Loose ...

    Enjoying the Market and the Ocean!

    20 settembre 2018, Spagna ⋅ ☀️ 30 °C

    The market was absolutely magnificent! We found ourselves wondering what it would be like to do our daily shopping in a place like this ... rather than just a big box grocery store!

    GRATITUDES:And then ... we were wowed by the ocean! The port is filled with impressive yachts and boats and other vessels that are amazing!One of them even had a storage in the back end for their motor boat to slide out and into the water!! 🛥⛴🚢🚤🛳⛵

    GIFTS: There are kilometers of very wide long beaches ... lined in places with sand volleyball courts! I think the beaches might be more beautiful than any we saw in Hawaii! And ... even though there are many people enjoying the sand and water ... it didn't feel crowded. It was such a peaceful place to be! 🏄‍♀️ 🤽‍♂️ 🏊‍♀️    Leggi altro

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    Our last Day Here in Barcelona!

    21 settembre 2018, Spagna ⋅ ☀️ 28 °C

    GRIMACES: I forgot to mention that yesterday we logged the most kilometers on foot yet! We walked well over 20,000 steps (@15 kilometers) and then ... just as we were nearing one of the beaches ... my trusty Crocs broke! Yep. Broken shoe ... and ... we were no where near home.

    GRINS: And so ... I was delighted that my hubby used his ingenuity to provide a temporary fix! He took the money clip he had bought earlier in the day and used it to hold me together until we could get to the Beach Store so I could get a pair of high-priced touristy 'Barcelona' flip flops to get around in for the rest of the evening! Never a dull moment when travelling ... 😃

    GROANS: And ... the mayhem continued into the morning when I accidentally dumped an entire bottle of coarsely ground pepper all over my eggs and my croissant ... and ... the table!!!! I really like pepper ... but not the whole jar ... and certainly not with my cream cheese and jam! ☹

    GASPS OF WONDER: Our first activity of the day was to take the gondola from the ocean to the mountain side of Montjuic! 

    It was incredibly hot already so they had misting fans blowing into the lineups at 11:00am. I'm sure it was to make it more comfortable for patrons to wait in line ... otherwise they might lose business! 

    And then we hiked up a ways so we continue to take another one right up to the top where the Castle is! It was lovely to see but the heat hurried our descent!

    It's been exceedingly hot today! It was 33° when we came down from the gondola ... and ... it felt like 38° to me!! I was waving my sparkling multicolored fan very vigorously today!!

    However ... the sights were just so darn beautiful on Castell de Montjuic! We took lots of pictures and have picked a few to share with you! And then ... after a nice lunch of tapas ... we thought we'd head out to Park Guell this afternoon.... but then ... something really special happened!!

    GIFTS OF GARGANTUAN PROPORTIONS: I discovered through a post on Facebook that our very good friends ... Bart and Trudy (we stood up for each other at our weddings ... ours was over 40 years ago!) were also here in Barcelona!! We had not seen them for over 5 years!! And so ... we got to meet for a drink! And ... almost 4 hours later we were still laughing and reminiscing. It was hard to say goodbye. 

    GRATITUDES: There is something so special about being with folks you have history with! There is an ease and an acceptance and a comfort that is so hard to describe!! We are so grateful for our chance to reconnect ... across the globe ... in this magical place!! 💛💛💛

    And so ... our sightseeing here in Barcelona is done for now. And .. we may or may not get back here before we venture off to Portugal. But ... we are smitten with this place for sure!! And so ... the verdict is in! We are unanimously agreed that Barcelona takes #1 spot for our favorite city on this trip! 

    And ... before we say goodnight... some trivia!

    FUN FACTS: 
    #1. Appently the locals frown upon people wearing beach type clothing on the streets in Barcelona. So ... you will not see such things. Even in this crippling heat, people are not scantily clad.👙

    #2. We learned that motorcycles are the most popular form of transportation here in Barcelona! 

    #3. We have not been awake after dark but we are hearing there are many great things to enjoy with the nightlife!

    Unfortunately ... our nightlife involves doing laundry and getting packed up!! We hate to leave already ... but we will talk to you from Roses tomorrow. 

    Sending love and hugs ... k&j    Leggi altro

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  • Lansers on the Loose ...Western European AdventuresLansers on the Loose ...
    WIt said our next stop was Flaça but it was actually Figueres ... which is where we needed to disembark!24

    Adios to Beautiful Barcelona!

    22 settembre 2018, Spagna ⋅ ⛅ 24 °C

    We wanted to confirm we knew the shortest path to get the train station ... so we took a trial run without the load of our backpacks.  We were assessing the situation when a lovely Muslim woman offered to help us!  The depth of people's kindness never ceases to amaze me. 

    Once we had our ducks in a row (or should we say gopher like metro holes in a role) ... we enjoyed our last cup of cappuccino at our neighborhood cafe/bakery! ☕☕

    We really hated to say goodbye to Barcelona but were looking very much forward to arriving in Roses ... with no where to go and nothing we needed to see ... just a chance to rest and relax and recharge after 33 days of being on the go! 

    It's TRUE that we could have taken a break at any one of our stops ... but neither one of us wanted to miss the opportunities that each city offered us. As it was ... we only scratched the surface of the joys to be embraced in these wonderful countries.  And ... we regret to say that we have certainly left many sights unseen here in Barcelona!!

    GASPS OF DELIGHT: This exceptional city really surprised us in the most favorable way!! We expected it to be more like Mexico.  But ... it is such an exquisite blend of old and new ... of history and progression ... of intellect and artistry.  It offers such nourishment for the spirit in so many ways! And well ... as I have previously shared ... it has nourished our bodies really well too!! 😉

    GOODNESS: But for today ... we head to a quieter space. We are going almost two hours north to a seaside town where we will land for three nights.  After that ... we have three more nights that we have not booked ... so ... if we love it ... we have the option to stay longer.

    GRIPES: The regional train that we boarded to take us to Roses was announcing the wrong stations on its monitor.  It was announcing that our next stop wa the one we we had just left behind! It took us a while to recognize the error! Thank goodness John was befuddled because we most certainly would have missed our stop had we not twigged onto the mistake.  Since when does the destination the message board for the passengers not match the station!!🤯🤯

    GAHS and GRATITUDES: Anyway ... crisis averted! And ... after a $47 € taxi ride (after the train) we arrived in this Spanish oasis!. Our hotel overlooks the bay ... and the beach is just steps away.  And ... if it stays really hot... we even have a pool to cool ourselves in.

    GOODNESS: And so ... we had a most delicious paella with lobster and mussels and clams and scallops and chicken!! Man ... it was beyond good!!!

    And then we wandered a bit to get grounded in our area and then dug our swimwear from the bottom of our backpacks ... and as I write this ... we are currently resting by the pool.

    GRINS: We are excited to simply spend some idle time ... in the stillness of 'being' ... rather than the flurry of 'doing'.

    And so ... good night for now.  We hope the sun is also shining on you all!

    Luv and hugs ....k&j    Leggi altro

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    The Sunset on our first day in Roses!

    23 settembre 2018, Spagna ⋅ ⛅ 20 °C

    Just had to add a couple more pictures of the beautiful sunset we got to enjoy from our hotel! 🌄
    My intuition is telling me that we might have to have another photo competition here in this place!! 😉

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    4
    And the progression ... into the water!!2And ... there are fish swimming around him ... that are ... THIS big!!!And he finally dips right in!My view to the left ...and ...my view to the right!2And from our deck ... we send our love and wish you a good day! We are off to bed!

    Roses' Riches!

    23 settembre 2018, Spagna ⋅ 🌙 25 °C

    After pressing our weary souls to stay up at least until sunset last night, we were tucked in bed by 8:30pm.  And so ... even though we slept in ... we were up and ready for the day by 7:30am. John headed out in search of coffee for his decaffeinated damsel ... only to arrive back empty handed.  There was no coffee to be found before 8:00am ...and ... he was told he could not bring it to the room!!

    GAHS: Okay.  THIS is a first.  A hotel that won't LET you take coffee to your room?!? And so, we waited until 8:00am.  I was a fairly good sport ... considering the the gravity of the situation!! 😉

    GRATITUDES: We finally got our coffee and were seated for our champagne breakfast  ... overlooking the ocean as the sun shone brightly on the water.  It's  stunningly gorgeous here!!  And ... there were so many bright white boats on the clear blue Mediterranean that that looked like a flock of seagulls had landed on a lake!  This prairie girl can't ever remember seeing so many boats in one place before! ⛵🚤⛴🛥⛵🚤⛴🛥

    And then, we settled in on two chaise- lounge chairs under an umbrella right at the edge of the lapping sea.   And before I went for a wonderful relaxation massage, I set the old boy up with water, sunscreen, salted cashews ... and ... a full go-cup (if you know what I mean!). 😉

    GRINS: So, my hubby enjoyed the sand and surf ... carefully  averting his gaze to all the shapes and sizes of topless European women on the beach.

    GIFTS: It's actually so liberating and empowering to notice the lack of self-consciousness in Europeans ... that is, on the contrary, to what is so deeply socialized into North Americans.  We noticed a young boy of about 10 years of age ... happily making sandcastles with his mom on the beach.  Her attire (or should I say lack of it) was completely irrelevant to him ... as it should be!! 

    It really struck us ... in such a meaningful way ... that our sexualized North American socialization is NOT the standard here.  We could only hope to find our way to this humble place of acculturation where who you are on the inside is much more important than how you look on the outside.

    GASPS OF DELIGHT: John spent more time in the water watching the fish!  He spotted several swimming around him ... some were upwards of a foot long!! He loved that they were circling around him like little wee sharks!! 

    GRINS: No! I'm just kidding .  He's terrified of sharks ... but ... the fish were definitely circling around him until it got too busy with people in the water. He's determined to get a snorkel for tomorrow!! 😉

    GOODNESS: And so ... we lazed away the afternoon recharging by the water!  And it was entirely sublime. 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

    GASPS: John got a beer ... and ... for some reason, I took a sup!  And... gasp ... I actually enjoyed it!!   What the heck???? I dont like beer. Period.  Unless maybe a dark beer on a really hot day ... but ... the Moritz was delicious!   So much so ... that I ordered one myself when we had a sandwich at "The Sloop" on the beach!! 

    GRINS: I almost can't recognize myself!   Clams and mussels in my paella yesterday .. and now ... beer today??? Inconceivable! I am losing myself in Spain!

    GAHS: We knew we were tired but didn't realize just how physically depleted we had become with our 34 days of non-stop sightseeing.  Altough our spirits were so deeply filled with all we had seen and done ... our aging bodies were having trouble keeping up the pace!

    GRATITUDES: And so ... we are deeply leaning into the opportunity to rest in this splendid space.  Yes ...  today was a real gift that is not lost on our spirits. And at one point ... the sun was glistening off the water like diamonds in the sea!! 💛💛

    GAFFAH: And then ... he dozed off. Into one of those deep sleeps! I had a walk along the beach ... returned ... grabbed his hand... and he was still snoozing! 😴😴😴

    And so ... we packed up ... and headed back to the room to shower and get cleaned up for supper. And well ... we were all dressed up ... with no desire to go. 🙄

    So ... we didn't. We stayed in our room and nibbled on our Pringles ... and then ... we decided to post this blog and then go to bed. No photos of the sunset. No fancy expensive meal. Just a very comfortable bed for two very relaxed and lazy tourists!

    Good night! 💛    Leggi altro

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    22625

    The Road to Roses

    24 settembre 2018, Spagna ⋅ 🌬 20 °C

    We are staying at a resort a few kilometers east of Roses and so we opted to do little sightseeing today! We enjoyed some incredible views ... without waiting  in queues or buying any fast track tickets to avoid the line ups.  We simply ambled into town today via the most scenic path on the edge of the Mediterranean Sea. And ... the picture taking competition was ON again! We snapped some gorgeous shots along the path.  It's going to be a photo finish ... pun intended! 😁

    GRATITUDES: We found our way to the little lanes of shops ...however most of them are closed for the season already. You can see it would be a bustling resort in the summer!! But now, many things were priced at close out prices.  And so I got a pair of walking sandals to replace my broken Crocs ... so I don't have to wear my expensive but cheap Barcelona  flip flops  everywhere we go!

    It sure seems that a lot of French is spoken here!  I'm not sure why ... but we have heard it a lot.  Many of the menus are in English, German, Dutch, French, Spanish and Catalan.  The tour operators and servers and hoteliers have their work cut out for them in terms of speaking enough of all these languages. They do a great job ... in our experience!

    GRIMACES: Nonetheless ... we found a thorn in our Roses!  We had our most disappointing meal thus far in our European adventures!  We stopped for lunch at "Croak" ... just across from the lovely long horseshoe shaped beaches that line the entire cove.  They forgot my white wine ... and when it arrived ... it was warm. John got his food well ahead of mine ... and then ... my burger was still very rare in the center.  They did re-cook it for me ... but it was still too pink for my anxious mind.  So ... much of it went uneaten.  We thought we could end on a more positive note with a nice cappuccino. However ... theirs tasted like an instant coffee (not good like my smuggled French stuff) and it was served with whipped cream!   Not our favorite either. ☹

    GRINS:  We did, however, learn what a "flute" is. We'd seen it on the menus but had no clue that they are long skinny baguettes filled with all kinds of stuff.  John enjoyed one with anchovies. He's getting a good fill of seafood here for sure!

    GOODNESS: We also got tickets for a 25 km coastal cruise on a glass bottom catamaran!  But before we did so, I needed a bit more food in my belly (Cruz I didnt eat all my lunch!). So,  we stopped for a drink and for some tapas!

    GASPS:  And guess what??  John had the BEST mussels he has ever had in his life!!!  Isn't this the 4th or 5th time we have heard this?? 🤔

    GIFTS: I was a bit worried about getting cold once we were on the water because it was very windy today (Lethbridge like windy!) ... but the nice fellow selling the tickets for the cruise offered to let me wear his coat for the trip!  Now THAT is customer service! Thank you Nacho (yes ... like the chips!)

    GASPS: And ... it was quite the trip!! I was so glad to have Nacho's jacket because the sea was rough in some places ... and ... we were riding some pretty good waves.  I was holding the rail for dear life at one point!!  Most of the patrons went downstairs so they could be inside... but ... we stayed out!  It was exhilarating and adrenaline producing and gorgeous and we are so glad we went!  We're even grateful it was windy because it certainly made for a more spectacular ride!

    And ... then we mosied home to compare pictures!  It's going to be a tough one.  We've both got some great shots of the sights we saw in Roses today!  Don't forget to cast your votes!  I'll probably have to add an aside with another 10 pics too!!

    Sending warm smiles from us to all of you ... k&j    Leggi altro

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    22

    More Sights Worth Seeing in Roses

    24 settembre 2018, Spagna ⋅ 🌬 20 °C

    Just a few more pics to enjoy from our sightseeing excursion today into Roses ... and ... to choose from if you are participating in our little competition by voting for your favorites! 😊

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    Aimlessly Ambling Around Roses ...

    25 settembre 2018, Spagna ⋅ ⛅ 21 °C

    GOODNESS: The bacon.  How on earth could I have forgotten to mention the bacon???  We opted to take the room with breakfast included and are so glad we did! We have no idea what they have done to/with that bacon.  It looks quite average. But ... OH ... it tastes anything but run of the mill.  Perhaps Spanish pigs are more delicious?? Not at all sure but the taste is beyond scrumptious!! 😍

    GRINS: Oh ... and I also forgot to mention that at the corner store by our resort you can get wine out of a dispenser!! Yes. You can fill your own  container with whatever kind ot wine suits your fancy!  Oh ... and I'm not an expensive date anymore ... now that we are in Spain. Wine is often cheaper than beer here!  🥂

    GALLAVANTS: It was a bit windy this morning for the beach so we decided to take a walk along the beach trail ... in the other direction.  We had no idea where it would lead us ... but ... off we went! 👣

    GRATITUDES: And after 40 minutes of stunningly gorgeous views ... we found ourselves at the next beach.  We had passed by it on our cruise yesterday ... and so ... we stopped for a little recharge!  Some white wine and bruschetta for me ... and ...  some fried sardines and my new favorite beer (Moritz) for the old boy. I should have had the beer! 🍻

    GIFTS: And then ... with a little bit more bounce in our step, we returned to our beach and languished away the afternoon!  I ordered the beer on the beach!  And .... to add even more blessings to the moment, I opted to take a foot massage from one of the three masseuses we had seen pedaling their services on the beach previously. 

    GROANS and GRATITUDES: It hurt. He had such strong hands and found every tender point possible!! He had studied in Thailand ... and so ... it was more therapeutic than relaxing for sure!! However, in the end, I was glad I had done it. I tried to convince John to try it, but he was reluctant.🙄

    GASPS: And then ... when the lady masseuse wandered by ... he decided to try it!  She was exceptional  ... and ... he really enjoyed it. She worked on his knees and legs too!  I watched with a bit of envy.  The old boy wasn't in pain.  She seemed to be more intuitive than my guy had been. 😊

    GIFTS: And so, when she was finished with John and looked in my direction  ... I nodded my head with enthusiasm! It seemed ridiculously indulgent ... but ... I made a good choice.  She was excellent! And, I could feel her working her magic, because she was more attuned to my reactions and responses.

    GRINS: Yep.  Great day today! And then, we went home ... cleaned up and headed out for dinner! We were intending on having another one if those amazing seafood paellas we had when we first arrived❣

    Oh ......... and before we say goodnight... we must declare the winner of the photo contest!! It was ME! Photo # 9 earned the most applause ... with photo #2 running a close second. Either way... they were both mine. Although... my hubby says it's not fair because I used auto correct. Hmmm. I'm not sure I'm convinced ... but ... it could be true! Thanks again for making our photo competition so much fun. Without you ... it would be meaningless!!

    Sending hugs ... k&j    Leggi altro

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    More Pics from Around Roses!

    25 settembre 2018, Spagna ⋅ ⛅ 20 °C

    The sightseeing was incredible along the path today! Just had to add these as well❣

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    With Rave Regards for Roses!

    26 settembre 2018, Spagna ⋅ ⛅ 19 °C

    GAHS: Our last day in this little paradise left us befuddled.  We couldn't decide between lounging and lazing ... or ... exploring some more of the area!  We wanted BOTH.  So we opted for another walk into Roses  ... and then ... planned to come back early enough to catch some more time on the beach.  And well .... what do they say about the best laid plans.  Yep.  Meant to be broken.

    We were fascinated by how active the Sea had become since we first arrived.  It went from entirely placid ... lapping so gently that the movement was almost invisible ... to rolling in with considerable force and creating big, beautiful, loud and completely mesmerizing white caps that slapped up against the rocks and the shore without apology.  We tried to catch this action on camera, but by the time you snap ... the best moment has often passed. 😕

    GRATITUDES: And then we decided to hop on the 'Roses Expres' and take a 30km two hour tour around the area and then up the mountain.  The ticket lady recommended we bring a jacket because it can get chilly and windy up the mountain side.  But ... all our jackets were a 45 minute walk away.

    So ... we  decided to improvise. We bought a big, bright  pink polka dot beach scarf ... lined with something that would wrap around us nicely! We might have to leave it behind 'cuz our back packs are over stuffed already ... but ... it was on sale for $9€. Still cheaper than taking a taxi both forth and back to our hotel to get our jackets.

    GRIMACES: But then ... we got worried that if we were cold we wouldn't enjoy the tour ... and ... two hours is a long time to be cold.  So, we took a taxi anyway ... just to be safe! And so it cost us $40€ for the two hour tour and $30 to make sure we were warm enough! Argh.

    GOODNESS: And then, we had just enough time to head back to "El Trull" so John could have the "best' mussels EVER ... again.  And the proprietor recommended some toast strips with garlic mayonnaise... which he said is typical food for Spain ... and ... they were delicious!!

    GRINS: And so John asked what was in the aoilli ... he said oil and garlic and eggs ... all whipped up (he made the sound effects!)!  He was not, however, so forthcoming in divulging the secret to his fabulous mussels sauce.  He shared that it is made with "many, many too much lub" (love). 😁

    And well ... it was loved right back!! Even the second time around ... the old boy was thrilled with his mussels.  His only regret was that his buddy Hutch wasn't here to enjoy them too!

    GRATEFUL: And then ... off we went!  The trip in our little train surprised me.  I thought it would take us up the mountain roads ... but ... no! We actually ended up going on some dirt paths that made me nervous! We ended up on the summit of one of the mountains ... and ... we got out to take some pics and they served boxed wine and cookies.  The train driver was quite a card and livened it up with his great energy! 😁

    We never got back until after 6:00pm.  We stopped at the market... got two croissants, some gouda cheese and some ham ... along with a little can of olives.  We poured some wine into our trust go-cup and went out to watch the sunset!  we settled into a couple of concrete chaise lounges that were surprisingly comfortable! It was a great way to cap off our evening and to finish our time here in Roses.

    GIFTS: We are entirely smitten with Spain ... and although we have spent twice as much time in Spain as any other of our stops ... we are really sad to say goodbye already.  It's truly been such a great experience! 

    But ... a new adventure awaits us in Portugal! And so ... we are back to Barcelona tomorrow so we can catch our flight to Porto ... via Lisbon ... on Friday!

    And for now ... good night from us ... k&j    Leggi altro

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  • Lansers on the Loose ...Western European AdventuresLansers on the Loose ...
    I was in the second row ... the old boy was in the 19th row!
    The room is lovely!!Lobster Paella ... on the streetside.The metro station had a cafe on it!A gorgeous monument at our subway station!The bull ring ... although it no longer operates.

    Barcelona ... We're Back!!

    27 settembre 2018, Spagna ⋅ ⛅ 22 °C

    GOODNESS GRACIOUS: We took our time getting packed up to leave.  We even questioned if we should have stayed one more night and then our travels from Roses to Barcelona would be on the same day as our flight from Barcelona to Portugal.  But ... we figured it would mean more stress tomorrow so, instead, we trade another day on the beach for an afternoon, evening and morning in Barcelona.  We are intent on making our travel days fun! 😁

    GASPS & GRATITUDES: We were shocked when we arrived to take the 11:40am train to Barcelona and could not ... because it was full!  And, most luckily... there were only 2 seats left on the next train.  We couldn't sit together but at least we got on it! 👌

    GIFTS: We arrived at our hotel!  It's a convention center.  We are on the 12th floor.  They give you slippers and robes ... and ... I have my own sink! We couldn't find the 'down' button from our floor.  Its hidden in a central panel that looks like an alter that is not very obvious. The elevators are glass.  It smells like fresh flowers ... all over.  We didn't get the breakfast included because it was $24.95€ PER person for the Buffett.  I think we can get a coffee, though, and bring it into our room anytime after 7:00am.  They have a shuttle to the airport and are close to the metro! Bam!  We are happy here! 😍

    And ... we have arrived back in Barcelona in time for the "Radical Market".  So we took the metro to the market but decided to eat before entering.  We found our way to "Potonovo Silvestre" ... a white linen streetside restaurant.  We ordered the Lobster Paella on the recommendation of the server. It seemed like a happening place... so ... we crossed our fingers it would be good!  🤞

    GOODNESS: John got his beer served in a big wine glass.  I'm wondering how come my wine wasn't the same size??? And ... the paella was good. It was filled with seafood that needed fancy tools to be set free from its shells! John particularly liked the razor clams. I liked the lobster! 🦐🦀🐌🐙🐚🦑

    GAHS: And ... we wandered through the market ... but nothing struck our fancy. So ... we just came back to our fancy shmancy hotel. We'll be tucked in early for sure.

    Although we've thoroughly enjoyed our multi-destination adventure ... we are both looking forward to being back at home. We are eager to reconnect with family and friends and get back to our normal routine❣

    Missing you all ... k&j    Leggi altro

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  • Lansers on the Loose ...Western European AdventuresLansers on the Loose ...

    On the Move Again ...

    28 settembre 2018, Portogallo ⋅ 🌙 16 °C

    GRATITUDES: And so we couldn't believe our good fortune to get such a good deal on a room in a fabulous hotel for our stop over in Barcelona last night ... we paid just $98€.  We had paid over twice that for our wee little place in Amsterdam! Remember ... the 52 skinny steps up ... so tiny ... not even a chair. This one was described as "Plush, stylish rooms in a modernist high-rise hotel with dining, a health club & an upscale spa." Yep. That it was.

    GROANS:  And not unlike the elevators which you pre-program at the alter before you even get in ... the drapes in our room were controlled electrically by one of the buttons in the panel of switchs beside the bed.   Which we did not discover until this morning! Argh. So we slept with the bright lights of Barcelona casting enough glow into our room that it never did get very dark! 😏

    GAHS: For people who have been travelling for almost 6 weeks ... you'd think we'd be a bit more savvy.  Which brings me back to this hotel choice.  It truly is very luxurious.  But when we booked the room we opted NOT to have our breakfast included because it was another $24.90€ PER person.  With the exchange ... it's about $38 CAD. This seemed a bit steep ...

    GRIMACES: We thought for sure we could eat cheaper than that ... somewhere.  And we were correct!  We could have one coffee, one orange juice and one croissant for $9.90€ in our hotel. Well ... THAT seemed even less desirable ... so ... we blew the wad and had the whole buffet!!!  And it was delicious.  We helped justify the expense by reminding ourselves that the hotel provided a complimentary shuttle to the airport. 

    GRIMACES: Airports. Period. They  can be such interesting places but ... the flurry, the hurry, the scurry and then the wait ... it just feels so stressful compared to train travel.  We have really loved the trains ... seems so effortless and easy. 🚄🚉🚅

    In the UK and Europe it seems they won't announce the gate until 20 minutes before you fly.  So you must watch the board... and watch the board ... and then as soon as they post the number they instruct "go to your gate".  And sometimes the gate is a long ways away!! 

    And then they check your ticket and determine which line is right for you to queue.   Today ... one line for me and a different for my husband(?) Even though we are seated beside each other. 🤔

    GAHS: And then we stand in the line up.  Only to have Google alert me that the plane is delayed by 15 minutes ... which ends up being 30 minutes.  But we are still standing. No announcement at the gate that we are departing late.  🙄

    GIFTS: But ... it's a nice bright airport! And we have a very lovely flight with TAP Air Portugal from Barcelona to Lisbon. The announcements are only in Portguese and English.  No Spanish nor Catalan nor French. And I am reminded of how much less stress I experience when I can easily understand the announcement system.

    GRATITUDES: And they served complimentary sandwiches and drinks (including wine!) ... which was absolutely appreciated.  And we made up most of the delay in the air... so ... no worries about our connection to Porto! ✈

    And then ... on our short flight from Lisbon to Porto ... they served us chocolate caramel nut frozen ice cream bars!! I don't even much enjoy ice cream ... but ... that snack sure beats the pretzels we usually get on a short flight! 🍦

    And ... our Airbnb host picked us up at the airport so no issues with finding transport or location!  BUT we had another WILD ride ... including going the wrong way up a one way single lane path!! 😱

    On the plus side ... our host had a wealth of suggestions and recommendations for us. He really went out of his way to ensure we got a good sense of the possibilities for us to enjoy here! We are very grateful.

    And now ... we are settled into our 8th floor room. The view from our balcony is beautiful and we are looking forward to getting more acquainted with this lovely little city in the morning!  😊

    Sending warm hugs .... k&j    Leggi altro

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  • Lansers on the Loose ...Western European AdventuresLansers on the Loose ...
    2
    2The charring of the peppers at the taverna!2The sunset tonight. They say it means fog for tomorrow!The view from our dinner.

    Well "Hi There" Portugal!

    29 settembre 2018, Portogallo ⋅ 🌙 16 °C

    GOSH: As we head into our last few days abroad, we're keenly aware that this opportunity to travel for 45 days has been such an extrardinary adventure for sure. But as I commented to a friend recently ... I'm looking forward to revisiting our trip through our blog when I will have more time to reflect on it! Right now we are just so busy living it! 😊

    GAHS: And so ... to start off our first day in Portugal, we headed out in search of breakfast this morning.  We were trying to get our bearings because by the time we arrived last night it was dark ... which made it more challenging.  And so, we got lost. 😟

    GROANS, GRIPES AND GRIMACES: We asked a little old lady for direction but ... unlike most Portuguese  ... her English was not great.  Along came a young boy ... who spoke great English ... but she commanded the space telling him where she thought we needed to go. We were honestly not even sure if she really understood where we were headed ... or ... why she didn't just allow us to talk to him in English, but the young fellow was so respectful with her. I, however, was not as inclined to be patient. The whole encounter would have been hilarious if I wasn't both starving AND lost.  And so ... we were off to a rough start! GRRRR. 🤨

    GRATITUDES: The lovely lady ... who was so intent on helping us... was convinced we had to take a bus.  Fortunately another older gentleman came along who directed us to a lovely narrow foot path down to the water! Yahooo!!

    GAHS: And ... as we arrived by the river ... I was really looking forward to breakfast, but we could only find bakeries.  And I needed more protein than sweets for breakfast! 

    GRATITUDES: And, another patron ... who worked for ReMax started to give us directions to a better option, but instead took us personally to a very busy little place where were had the most fabulous croissants. And they even heated them up!!   One with crispy chicken and one with ham and cheese ... and ...we followed it up with some very light and fluffy dark yellow cake!! Also ... delicious! 😍

    GRACE: We sat outside in the warm sun and embraced this entirely authentic cultural moment. Just us ..  and all these kind wonderful Portuguese people. And ... we opted to re-start our day with each other on a more positive note!

    GOODNESS GRACIOUS: And right across the street at the tavern ... the coals were hot on the outdoor homemade grill ... and a fellow was charring green peppers!  So fascinating to see this custom of outdoor grilling on the street. The open barbeques have wood briquettes in them rather than charcoal briquettes ... and ... the aroma around the town is lovely as a result!

    GRATITUDES: And with our bellies full and our tempers cooled, we headed off along the rivers edge ... in search of the Hop On Hop Off bus.
    We enjoyed the tour ... and became more infatuated with Porto with every turn. 

    We decided to get off at the beach ... and ... it's a gigantic beach! There were lots of people surfing! Then we got back on the bus  ... took it a couple more stops  and caught the river taxi to cross over to our side of the river.

    We wandered the neighborhood for a bit and then took supper at one of the restaurants our Airbnb host recommended. John enjoyed the best turbot he had ever had ... and I had a remarkable salmon ( for just $10€ each!).  They also served octopus ... as an appy ... with olives and cheese.  And ... it was so scrumptious that even I enjoyed it!!! 🦑

    GRINS: We sat by the window and watched the sunset ... and then ... took an Uber back to our room.  We had been told not to taxi because they might 'take us for a ride' ... both literally and financially! John had never Ubered before and was very impressed. It only cost us $3.75€ plus a well deserved tip.  😊

    And so ... all in all  ... it was a great day!! Move over Ireland ... look out Spain ... we are falling in love with Portugal!! ❤❤❤    Leggi altro

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  • Lansers on the Loose ...Western European AdventuresLansers on the Loose ...
    2A sampling of the beautiful buildings lining the river's edge ...
    the facades on the old buildings are so ornate ...From the stately and luxurious library ...1Hogwarts Periphernalia ...2Enjoying a cool one on the street side ...

    The Pleasures of Porto Continue ...

    30 settembre 2018, Portogallo ⋅ ⛅ 17 °C

    FUN FACTS: We were told that Potugal has been named one of the three safest countries in the world! It is nice not to feel a sense of wariness all the time when out and about! And ... it has also been declared as of the most popular tourist destinations! We can see why! 

    GORGEOUS: With all its little lanes lined with shopping and cafes and patisseries ... it is so charming and magnetic! You are drawn in by the sights and smells and sounds that envelope you as you stroll through the narrow little streets steeped in history ... or wander down the river walks ... or stare out into the ocean!

    GASPS OF AWE: We were ambling along the very popular pedestrian mall here ... in search of a Christmas ornament from Portugal when we decided to find a little place for lunch. We stumbled upon "Delta Q" which had their bakery along the windows so you could watch them making croissants and custard tarts etc! We watched with rapt fascination as the complex croissant process unfolded before us! It was so intriguing we got a hankering to have one ... but guess what ... they RAN out of croissants!! 😔

    GOOD GOLLY: And so we took that as a sign that the Universe had a different plan for our lunch. So ... we carried on. We ended up at a very famous high end restaurant called Cafe Guarany. They had fancy linens and fancy waiters and fancy olives and tuna paté and all kinds of fried toasts and soft buns that they brought you ... just for starters!! John ordered the daily special ... Cod Loin ... and I had the Prawn Linguine. It was good ... but none of that was particularly remarkable ....

    GASPS OF SHEER DELIGHT: But THEN ... we ordered the almond pie with pistachio ice cream ... which was served with a Port that was older than our server (by his own admission!). 😁

    GIFTS: And ... hands down ... it was the VERY BEST dessert either one of us has EVER had! Yes. The best. Not at all sweet ... and ... the pistachio ice cream was such a great compliment (even for me!) And ... John so enjoyed the 30 year old Port alongside. He absolutely loved it.

    And then he and our server discussed the pros and cons of age of Port. So ... John had to try the 20year old too! Just to compare ......! He preferred the younger one. Let's hope he doesn't think he should do that with wives!

    GOODNESS: And Porto continues to impress us! It is just so enchanting. So many of the store fronts display such intricate tile work on the age old buildings. And the way the buildings line the slopes of the Douro River is truly a masterpiece of architecture. 

    GASPS OF AWE: And after our lunch we took a tour of the "Livaria Lello". This was the library where J.K. Rowling spent time writing her infamous "Harry Potter" series of books!! It was simply indescribable!! The wood ... the stairs ... the stained glass!!! Spectacular! I'm hoping the pictures do it justice. 

    GRATITUDES: And then we finished up our day by going for a cruise on the Douro River. And then hiked home ... took us an hour on foot to get back but we're happy to have our own little happy hour and tuck into bed early.

    GROANS: We have not slept well here in Porto. Our room has been so darn hot (forgot to make sure our booking had a/c). We can open the patio doors but then we get all the traffic noise, the light ... and ... just enough mosquitoes to make it miserable. 

    GRIMACES: So, I'm going to have to slather up with bug spray before bed tonight so we can keep the windows open. We are here for two more sleeps ... and ... we need some good sleep!! 😬

    Keep your fingers crossed for us okay ... k&j    Leggi altro

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  • Lansers on the Loose ...Western European AdventuresLansers on the Loose ...
    3
    3The views from the Tower were amazing!4

    A Glitch of a Day in Porto!

    1 ottobre 2018, Portogallo ⋅ ☀️ 24 °C

    GRATITUDES: And so ... the fog rolled in early last night and cooled things down considerably!! We washed underwear by hand and draped them all over our balcony to dry ... opened the patio doors ... and, very thankfully, had a fabulous sleep!!

    We awoke nicely rested with renewed energy and were ready to hit the marble and stone roads! Have I mentioned how hard they are to walk on?? Thank goodness I got those new walking sandals in Roses! My expensive but cheap Barcelona flip flops would not have cut the mustard on these historic roads and little lanes! 

    GLITCH #1: Foggy undies. Our freshly washed underwear was not even a wee bit dry. 😯 First lesson learned for this prairie girl. Things don't dry in the fog.

    GOODNESS: We wandered down one of the narrow stone paths to our favorite little breakfast place ... Café Christina. It was opened 214 years ago ... in 1804!! Its such a busy little place. John captured some video to give you a felt sense of why we enjoy it so much!

    GIFTS: We took the river taxi to where we could hop back on the bus and then hopped off so we could walk over one of the six bridges here in Porto. And then ... we took the Funicular up the riverbank hillside so we could, once again, wander through the old historic parts of the city.

    GASPS OF GREATNESS: We scaled the tower of the Church of the Clerics (aka:Torres does Clérigos) which was designed by Nicolau Nasoni (1691 - 1773). If I understand correctly, the Church and it's Tower were started in 1725 ... and not completed until 1795.

    GRANDEUR: It was 111 steps up from the 4th floor and then another 33 up to the very top. John even scraped up his elbows because it got so dang narrow the higher we went!  But ... it was worth t! The views were absolutely stunning. And ... they also had brass plaques all around the turret with interesting information. For example, comparisons of heights of tall structures around the world. It was a fascinating experience!!

    GLITCH#2: Afterwards, we stopped for lunch in the touristy area ... where the placemat had a sudoku puzzle on it. This got me wondering if we were in for a long wait?? But no. The food arrived quickly ... but ... it was the most disappointing cuisine we have had in Porto!! I couldn't drink my red wine and my lasagna was soggy. 😥 And so, I tried some of John's fries ... but they tasted fishy (must have been fried in old oil) and his appy tasted off to me. So ... I left ... still hungry ... in search of a second shot at lunch!

    GLITCH #3: And then ... we arrived at Pimms (I had seen it from the bus!). And ... I was tickled to see I could get a 
    "francesinha" ... which I had heard was a MUST HAVE in Porto. 

    And before I knew it ... I was being ushered to a table ... in the back ... by the most authentic and quite aged but very determined little Portuguese lady. She seated us and then we watched as she bustled and snagged customers who were looking at the menu on the side of the building ... just as we had. It wasn't until I went to the menu board to get the correct spelling for my sandwich that I realized things were not as they seemed!!

    The proprietor of the restaurant approached me and wanted to know my purpose ... and ... what I was writing in my phone. I told him I was checking the spelling on the sandwich we were having in his restaurant. He grabbed my phone suspiciously and typed it in ... reading what I had written ... and informing me that I was not seated in his restaurant. 

    Yep. The ambitious little lady had stolen his patron and ushered us to her restaurant... right behind his. And, even funnier than that ... she was making me a francesinha... even though that item was on HIS menu but NOT on hers!! 😏

    GLITCH #4: It might have been hilarious at the time, but they were doing renovations or restorations or demolitions on the adjacent building. So ... they were jack-hammering tile and tossing it down towards us. My amygdala was on fire with the crashing down of things beside us! 

    GLITCH #5: My francesinha was way too salty to eat. So much for lunch attempt number two. Argh! The wine, however, was lovely. And I was enjoying it until this fiesty little lady actually pulled the table away from me ... so she could seat two other prospective patrons that she had snagged at the streetside. 

    GAFFAHS: No. I'm not kidding. The two potential patrons looked at me ... looked again at her ... and backed away ... suggesting I should just enjoy my wine. 😉

    GAHS: The little lady would have none of that ... no need to lose a new customer the one who should drink up and leave!. She plopped the hand written bill on the table and nicely shooed me away! It was actually so bizarre it was funny ... and ... the patrons at the other tables were chuckling along with me at the hilarity of it all. John was in the bathroom... so he missed most of these shenanigans! And ... so ... I drank up and we left ... with another unforgetttable experience of this fabulous city!

    GIFTS: We ambled up and down a few more lanes (it's very hilly on the banks of the Douro) ... not knowing where we would end up. Fortunately, we found some comfy chairs at a bar right along the riverside ... in the SHADE ... and had another exceptional experience! Green wine!! We had never heard of it ... but ... the server said it was made rom grapes that were not yet ripe ... so it was quite dry and fresh and grassy! Perfect for a hot, hot, hot day on Porto. So ... we ordered one glass ... and then another ... and ... I think we even had a third! If/when you come to Porto, be sure to please your palate with the green wine!!  And ... we languished and lounged on the shores for a good while. It was sublime.

    GRATITUDES: We capped off the evening with a dinner at a local restaurant that grills the fresh catches of the day ... outside ... over white hot wood coals. The old boy was ecstatic! He had grilled sardines and dorado ... and ... I enjoyed the sole. The oohing and awing from my hubby went on and on and on and on! It was fun to see him enjoying the experience so fully!

    GOODNESS: We understand that Lisbon is also an exceptional choice, but we are just loving the pace of Porto! It has been such a gift to enjoy all the moments thatis special space has to offer without the congestion of a bigger city. For example ... the sunset on the walk back to our AirBnB was exceptional tonight!!! I couldn't get enough pictures of it!

    And so ... despite the glitches ... we say "obrigado" Porto. It's been another wonder day annd we end it with grateful hearts!    Leggi altro

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  • Lansers on the Loose ...Western European AdventuresLansers on the Loose ...

    The Douro Valley ...

    2 ottobre 2018, Portogallo ⋅ ☀️ 29 °C

    GRATITUDES: For our last day in Portugal we had booked an all day river cruise up the Douro Valley. The excursion included breakfast and lunch on the boat and then Port Wine Tasting at one of the many vineyards lining the Douro Valley. It was a long day though ... we had to be at the boat by 8:30am and didn't return until 9:15pm! 😴

    GAFFAHS: Due to traffic, we were running behind ... and then ... as I was hurrying to get out of the taxi ... one of the metal rings on my theft-proof purse got attached to my seat belt somehow!! Seriously!! I am not making this up! And so... I couldn't get out of the cab until I freed my purse because my purse was slung over my body ... so there I was ... late for the boat and stuck in the cab!! 😟

    GAH!! How do oddball things like this happen?? After wrestling with it ... I finally freed myself ... but ... I really didn't need the extra panic!!! 🤯

    GRATEFULS AND GROANS: We got to the boat and got on in time ... but ...my fear about breakfast was realized. A real European breakfast. Buns and jam. No protein. 😥

    GRATEFULS: Fortunately I had some protein bars in our bag ... thanks to my daughter! And we ended up with some lovely table mates who were also Canadian and had done part of the Camino trail last week! We enjoyed our conversation with them very much!

    GROANS: It was darn cold on that boat. We had certainly expected it to be a bit chilly in the morning .... but the howling wind was adding a very unfavorable element to the cruising. 🌬🌬🌬

    GRATITUDES: One of our new table mate friends offered me an extra jacket to cover my bare legs ... which was deeply appreciated!

    GRINS: The sights were stunning along the river ... with the endless vineyards lining both sides of the valley with layered terraces of grape vines and oodles of olive trees! And the lunch made up for the breakfast ... it was excellent! And it warmed up eventually too!! ☀️

    We also went through three locks which the old boy found very interesting. One of them took us up 85 feet!! Amazing if you think about how mankind has found ingenious ways to manipulate mother nature!

    And then on our way home ... we stopped at one of the vineyards for some Port tasting! I declined but John tried the Rosé Port. He thought it was good ... not as strong as the tawny.

    FUN FACTS: We learned that they are not permitted to irrigate by their governance board. They believe if they do, then the plants get lazy ... they want the roots to search deeply for the moisture. They will go down 20 feet to find a drink! They often plant sage between the vines as a way of determining whether they need to spray for bugs. If they can see them on the sage ... they spray the vines. 

    Oh ... they plant the vines vertically as long as the slope is not more than 45°. If it is steeper than that ... they build terraces ... which are all picked by hand ... AND ... the grapes are still stomped by feet. They still stomp with feet because feet won't break the seeds in the grapes. Oh ... and the terraces are made of shale to keep the moisture in and the heat more constant. It was so fascinating!

    The grapes are teeny tiny ... like pearls! About the size of blueberries. And the grape vines that produce the Vintage Port are 100 years old. Vintage Port will keep for eternity ... it just keeps getting better with age. Other varieties need to be consumed within 10 years for optimal taste and color.🍇🍇🍇

    It was a long day ... but a good day. And now ... we are hoping for a good sleep. We are travelling for the next three days. Porto to Paris tomorrow. Paris to Calgary the next day. And taking the Red Arrow home the day after that!

    Looking forward to seeing you soon ... k&j

    P.S. I keep forgetting to share some pics with you of the authentic lifestyle of the locals in this neighborhood. They do their laundry in a large open pit ... and ... cook on the wood coals on the streetside!    Leggi altro

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