Western European Adventures

It's been such an extraordinary adventure ... with days filled with sight-seeing and exploring and activities we never could have anticipated! And now, where ever our journeys take us ... I like to use a liberal smattering of these questions to help us enrich our experience by sparking the marvelous stories in our recollections!

WHAT WAS:

1.YOUR MOST INSPIRING MOMENT?
*Karen – We had arrived in Porto Portugal and it was early in the morning and we were looking for somewhere to have something more substantial than just a pastry for breakfast. A local actually walked us to another café himself. The inate goodness of people is always so inspiring!
*John – We stopped at a tavern for a drink in Utrecht and the proprietor and one customer were the only people in the place. We sat at the bar with them, and chatted about all kinds of things. We enjoyed a couple of drinks with them and then … upon our leaving … the proprietor would not accept any money for our beverages! It was so generous!

2. YOUR MOST HOURS AWAKE IN A ROW?
*Karen – Our plane ride home. About 21 hours. But ... I had a sleepless night in Porto.
*John – John had a sleepless night in Barcelona. He was too tall and wide for the bed.

3. YOUR BEST BUY?
*Karen – We got a bottle of white wine in Spain for $1.97ish. And, it was delicious wine!
*John – John decided that his best buy was the 20 years old Port he tried after the 30 year old Port that came with our most favorite dessert of all time … the almond pie with pistachio ice cream.

4. YOUR MOST OVERPRICED PURCHASE?
*Karen – We had a very poshy restaurant in our hotel in Roses, Spain and we decided to go our for dinner one night. We had the worst paella and the crappiest service and it cost us well over $65 Euros … which is over $100 CAD.
*John – The wine in Scotland, Ireland, England.

5. YOUR BEST ACCOMODATION?
*Karen – Soho Stables in London, England! A great location with awesome ammentities!
*John – John really liked the Utrecht City Apartments in the Netherlands but, his all time favorite room was the room we had at Hotel Canyelles Platja in Roses, Spain.

6. YOUR WORST ACCOMODATION?
*Karen & John - Amsterdam. The room was 52 narrow steps up … no chairs, no hand towels, no cup for teeth brushing. This is also where our clothes got locked in washer/dryer for 12 hours!

7. YOUR FAVORITE ENTERTAINMENT?
*Karen – The street performers in the various cities were incredibly talented! We were mesmerized on more than one occasion by their artistic offerings.
*John – We attended three theatre shows in London … but for John, he really liked the energy and the story and the humor and the music in the one called “Strictly Ballroom.”

8. YOUR MOST BREATH-TAKING VIEW?
*Karen – Looking over the Cliffs of Moher in Ireland! The jagged edges and huge cliffs are indescribable!
*John – The Eiffel Tower at night. It really was spectacular!

9. YOUR SCARIEST MOMENT?
*Karen – being a passenger with the wild and crazy drivers on the narrow roads or busy city streets! I was literally terrified on many occasion.
*John – I was surprised by John's answer! For him was being on the bus coming back from our cruise to the Douro Valley and the bus driver was taking the corners on the little roads at quite a speed. He was really scared that with the wind, the bus might actually tip over turning some of the corners. I'm so grateful I was oblivious to all that!!

10. YOUR BEST TASTE EXPERIENCE?
*Karen – The Seafood Paella we had on the day of our arrival to Roses, Spain STILL makes my mouth water! It had a huge lobster on the top of it … and ...when drizzled with lemon and splattered with coarse salt .... it was sheer ecstasy on a fork! Oh my gosh though … I am forgetting about the croissants in Spain, liberally topped with thick chunks of brie cheese and tart jams! I was surprised, but the croissants we had in Spain were even better than the ones in France.
*John – At first John couldn’t narrow it down to one. So, he was landing on the haggis and black pudding in Glasgow, Scotland; the croquettes in Amsterdam, Holland; the mussels in Roses, Spain and the octopus, turbot and grilled sardines in Porto, Portugal! But then … he remembered … and I concur … our very best meal was the TAPAS we had in Utrecht on the edge of the canal in the Netherlands.

11. YOUR WORST TASTE EXPERIENCE?
*Karen – I wanted to be brave and try all the cultural specialties, but … I could not stomach the black pudding that I tried somewhere in the UK. I actually had to spit it out. I also did not enjoy the Scotch in Glasgow.
*John – John is having trouble remembering anything that he really didn’t like. The food service in the UK and Europe puts North American cuisine to shame. I do recall that he left something on his plate somewhere …from a buffet somewhere … but … can’t recall where.

12. YOUR BEST MOMENT, IN GENERAL?
*Karen – It was truly a gift to meet up with our old friends, Bart and Trudy, in Barcelona! Neither of us knew the other was going but we were able to meet for drinks! It was sheer delight to laugh and chat and catch up with them!
*John – John really, really enjoyed the train travel … as did I! We thoroughly enjoyed careening through the country sides on high-speed trains without any of the stresses of flying!

13. YOUR WORST MOMENT, IN GENERAL?
*Karen – Discovering our flight home from Paris was two hours sooner than we thought! And, actually, it sucked having to fly back to Paris from Porto in order to fly home.
* John – John really dislikes airports and all the stress they generate when trying to get through the security without stripping naked and sounding all the alarms. He always forgets something in his pockets that sounds the alarm.

14. SOMETHING THAT EXCEEDED YOUR EXPECTATIONS?
*Karen – The weather completely exceeded all my expectations. I was expecting far more rainy days. In total, of our 45 days of travelling, I think we experienced only about 2 cumulative days of rainy weather.
*John – Barcelona was a very pleasant surprise. John said he expected it to be more like Mexico … but … it was more like an affluent Cuba! It was fabulous. He was also very impressed with Porto and Portugal in general. We both were! It is such an amazing place!

15. YOUR BIGGEST LAUGH?
*Karen – We had our biggest belly laughs with Bart and Trudy in Barcelona. I also laughed out loud when John showed up at the Porto Airport with two MAXXIMO cappuccinos. They were like soup terrines … handles on both sides … and you needed them!
*John – It wasn’t funny at the time, but it was hilarious after I got my purse freed from the seat belt! It was uncanny how that could even happen!! Totally hilarious once it was over and done!

16. YOUR WORST SLEEP?
*Karen – I came down with a head cold and it hit me the hardest in London one night. A close second was in Porto for me. It was so incredibly hot in our room … but … if we opened the patio doors then the mosquitos came in and bit me into itchy misery.
*John – We had a really small bed in Amsterdam. John thinks that was his worst sleep.

17. SOMETHING YOU WOULD DO AGAIN IN A HEARTBEAT?
*Karen – Travel by train throughout Europe. And ... use the Find Penguins App ... its going to build a book for us from all the pictures!
*John – John would like to go back to Portugal.

18. SOMETHING THAT WAS OVER-RATED?
*Karen – I can’t really say it was over-rated … but … I did get to the point where I lost interest in seeing any more churches or castles. After a while, they lost their sense of majesty for me. Too much of a good thing ... ??
*John – The cost of the food in France! It was entirely ridiculous!

19. YOUR FAVORITE TIME OF DAY?
*Karen – I’d have to say that happy hour was my favorite time of day! I looked forward to slowing the pace and sipping a glass of wine … wherever we happened to be! It was always a delight for my spirit to chat about our day and reflect on our experiences.
*John – It was the same for John. Resting a bit after a day of walking or sightseeing and sitting back and sipping on the local drink. For example, Scotch in Scotland, Guinness in Ireland, Ales in England, Heineken in Amsterdam, red wine in France, Estella and Moritz in Spain, and Port in Portugal ….AND…limoncello wherever we could find it!

20. THE NICEST PERSON YOU MET?
*Karen – We met so very many incredible souls along our journey! The proprietor and his lone customer in a pub in Utrecht stick out in my mind as incredibly nice people. All the people who generously offered to help us find our way. All the smiles and shared looks of awe as we were collectively enjoying the sights!
*John – The host of our AirBnB in Porto was incredibly hospitable and extended himself in so many ways. He sticks out in John’s mind as one of the nicest folks who we crossed paths with.

21. THE NASTIEST PERSON YOU ENCOUNTERED?
*Karen – We went to buy train tickets in Utrecht, and the ticket vendor at the train station was incredibly condescending and was clearly mocking me for not wanting to take an 8:30am train. She was insinuating I was lazy. I reminded her, nicely, that I was, in fact, on vacation and wanted to create a schedule that I would enjoy rather than have to endure. Let's just say her service was less than welcoming.
*John – There was a cyclist who yelled at John in utter disgust … “Get off the road!” in Utrecht. But … in John’s defence, it’s really hard to tell the difference between the bicycle path and the pedestrian path. However, he wants to give the little French ladies a nod for being very pushy and rude. One of them dashed under his raised arm to get in front of us!

22. YOUR LAZIEST MOMENT?
*Karen – Resting and relaxing in Roses was lazy … in the most welcoming of ways.
*John – When we were in Utrecht … there were a few nights when we were going to bed by 8pm and sleeping in past 8am. But, Roses wins for John too. It was just the perfect place to kick back and be lazy.

23. YOUR BIGGEST REGRET FOR DOING?
*Karen – My biggest regret was booking our return flight home from Paris instead of Lisbon. It added an extra full day of travel in the wrong direction for us.
*John – John says one of his biggest regrets is spending so much money on food in France. We didn’t really get our money’s worth out of many of our meals.

24. YOUR BIGGEST REGRET FOR NOT DOING?
*Karen – I am wishing we had given ourselves 10 days in Portugal. I would have liked to have seen Lisbon too. BUT … I would not have traded any of the places we DID go. I guess I wish we had more time.
*John – John had researched so many things for us to do and see in Spain, including a little yellow train ride through the Pyrenees. We ended up staying extra days in Roses and missed out on these explorations. He also regrets that he didn’t get to see a soccer game in Spain or Portugal.

25. YOUR BEST CHOICE?
*Karen – We made some really good choices for our accomodations! We had great locations, great hosts and great beds! Oh ... and ... it was really a good idea that we filled our go-cup with chilled white wine so we could refresh ourselves ... unobtrusively on those hot travel days ... wherever we happened to be!
*John – John was really glad we decided to spend time in Porto, Portugal rather than going to San Sebastian in Spain or seeing the South of France.

26. YOUR WORST CHOICE?
*Karen – I wish I had made more of an effort to get some eggs in Porto so we could have made breakfast in our AirBnB.
*John – Coming out of the wrong exit from the subway when it was dark ... we ended up getting so disoriented and then lost! And ... we were only 400 meters from our place!

27. YOUR GREATEST HARDSHIP?
*Karen – For me, it was an ongoing challenge to keep our tickets and rooms and time frames and travels and sightseeing e-tickets all accessible and in order. As well as ensuring that the phone was charged and the portable charger was charged. Just keeping us organized was the hardest for me.
*John – For John, it was very difficult to see all the homeless people who are living on the streets without any of the luxuries we get to take for granted.

28. YOUR FAVORITE PLACE?
*Karen – It started out as Ireland for me … but we also had exceptionally good weather. If it had been rainy and dreary, we might not have been so smitten with it. But, nonetheless, now I’d have to say Spain. I think Portugal might trump Spain if I got to see more of it!
*John – Ditto for John.

29. YOUR MOST RELAXING MOMENT?
*Karen – We really enjoyed going through the country side on the trains, but my most relaxing moment was on the beach in Roses. No where to go, nothing to organize or remember … just sitting and enjoying the sun and the sea.
*John – John really, really enjoyed sitting in the front seat on the tour bus in Scotland – we had a great female bus driver. He also really relaxed on our cruise through the Douro Valley.

30. YOUR MOST STRESSFUL MOMENTS?
*Karen – At first it was being on a gigantic coach on the narrow roads in both Scotland and Ireland … but … my most stressful memory is realizing that our flight home to Calgary from Paris was two hours earlier than I had in my mind! Panic struck our hearts and minds!
*John – Always in the airports! All airports. You’d think when you travel a lot that you would become more savvy … but … each airport is different! And what works in one doesn’t work in another. And … their expectations are always different!

31. YOUR BIGGEST DISAPPOINTMENT?
*Karen – I was disappointed in Crocs footwear when my sandal broke. I have no idea why that company didn’t put rivets in my sandals like they do for the straps in their other croc styles.
*John – The Mona Lisa is so small and underwhelming. There were many other paintings that were far more stunning than she.

32. YOUR GRUMPIEST DAY?
*Karen – October 3, 2018 … all the frustrations of flying from Porto to Paris. Although ... a close second was trying to find out way in the fog on our first morning in Porto! Losing ones-self in the moment is far more desirable than getting LOST. And, we were lost. And I was major hungry and major tired ... so that didn't help.
*John – October 4, 2018 … upon learning that our flight home from Paris to Calgary was two hours earlier than we had thought!

33. YOUR BEST WEATHER?
*Karen & John – Oh my gosh! We had the most exceptional weather four our entire trip! I expected it to be wet and cloudy alot ... but ... that kind of weather was the exception!! The best weather, however, that sticks out in my mind was on our first day in Roses. We were sitting on the beach all day enjoying the turquoise sea and the bright blue skies and the warm sunshine. And ... it needs to be hot to have a beach day. And it WAS! It was a perfect day for being on the beach by the water.

34. YOUR WORST WEATHER?
*Karen – Amsterdam – upon arrival. It was pouring rain and we had to walk a fair ways with our back packs to find our accomodations. The other weather issue that comes to mind was how cold it was in the morning on the boat when went for the Douro Valley cruise in Portugal. It was really, really windy that day unfortunately.
*John – It was really windy in Porto! However, it was unseasonably warm as well! It was also really foggy in the mornings …so … it was hard to see and/or get our bearings for directions without being able to see the landmarks for reference.

35. THE MOST BEAUTIFUL WILDLIFE?
*Karen – The sheep on the green grass in Scotland and Ireland were so darn endearing! They added an artistic touch to the landscapes!
*John – John really loved the white horses in Scotland. And … with tongue in cheek … he is remembering the big rat that skittered past us while we were waiting in line to ascend the Eiffel tower. And … he also fondly recalls the umpteen hundred million pigeons that were in every square in every city! Did you know that John raised pigeons when he was a young boy??

36. THE BEST SUNSET?
*Karen & John – From where I was looking, the best sunset we saw was on our walk home in Porto. It was stunningly gorgeous in its offerings of yellows and oranges and reds! And it kept changing!

37. THE BEST SUNRISE?
*Karen – Hmmm. I don’t recall being up for the sunrises! Or, if we were, we weren't geographically positioned to enjoy them.
*John – He can’t recall one either.

38. THE MOST TEAR WORTHY MOMENT?
*Karen – We were in Barcelona, and enjoying our lunch on a patio and the street performers would come and entertain us. One of them looked like a homeless woman, who belted out a song with such emotion that I was literally crying. She was holding a clear plastic cup for donations as she walked amongst us gifting us with her voice.
*John – That was the one for John too! We also both enjoyed the violinist that played in Edinburgh outside a restaurant. She also inspired some tears to trickle down both our faces.

39. THE MOST HEART - STRETCHING MOMENT?
*Karen & John – There was a man in France, with no legs and was missing an arm … but he was playing a flute in hopes of getting some coins. We were both so touched that we donated a bill.

40. THE PLACE YOU HATED MOST TO LEAVE?
*Karen & John – We hated to leave Ireland … but … it was even harder to leave Spain and Portugal. There were so many more sights we wanted to see and things we wanted to do.

41. THE PLACE THAT IS WORTH ANOTHER TRIP?
*Karen & John – Ireland, Spain and Portugal are still on our radar!

42. YOUR BIGGEST AGGRAVATION?
*Karen – I got really frustrated when using google maps while walking in France between the buildings on the narrow streets. You don’t walk fast enough to get confirmation that you are headed in the right direction and the arrow points up rather than left or right. Like I shared before, I also got really frustrated trying to get our bearings in the fog in Porto.
*John – John’s biggest aggravation was leaving the UK with a whole pocket full of British Pounds that we could not exchange anywhere. So … we were stuck with all these coins. So … if you are headed to the UK … please come and get our pounds!

43. YOUR BIGGEST "DUH" MOMENT?
*Karen – I will go down in history for saying ‘no’ while we were in Amsterdam when I was questioned about whether I knew how a pump worked.
*John – We came back from getting breakfast … my hands were full … the whole way … and John wanted to know if Uber had confirmed our ride. I looked at him, quizzically … wondering how he thought I had any chance to check my phone yet!

44. YOUR BIGGEST "AHA" MOMENT?
*Karen – Many of our common phrases are rooted in old historical times. These were aha moments for me! For example … “getting away scot free” is rooted in the Scottish legal system where there are three verdicts: guilty, not guilty and we know you are guilty but can’t prove it. There were so many of these over our journey!! Or, when we talk about something being “earmarked” … this refers back to times when people did ‘wrong’ they nailed their ears to a piece of wood.
*John – That we could spend 46 days together …. 24/7 … and we are still smiling at one another.

45. YOUR GREATEST LESSON?
*Karen – Travelling is always a lesson in humility for me. I am always reminded of the decency of people … and the hardships they have faced … and the resilience that brings people through things they think they could never endure.
*John – No matter how hard things get … it could always be a lot worse. John has a deeper appreciation for how challenging it was for the Scots and the Irish to defend their people and their homes and their lands. The wars had to have been brutal.

46. YOUR BRAVEST MOMENT?
*Karen – I guess I was brave in terms of trying all the different foods that we encountered along the way. Other than that … I don’t know if I was brave.
*John – Riding captive in vehicles (buses, taxis etc) driven by the locals! As John said, numerous times, “they all drive like they stole the cars”

47. YOUR BEST SURPRISE?
*Karen & John – Hands down: it was learning that Bart and Trudy were just down the street from us in Barcelona ... and ... that it worked for us to get together for a visit, We haven't seen them for five years! Oh ... but I can also say I was stunned to realize that I really liked the Moritz beer in Spain! THAT was a real shocker!

48. THE MOMENT/EXPERIENCE THAT WILL STAY IN YOUR HEART FOREVER?
*Karen – There were so many beautiful moments that dotted our time abroad. I don’t think I can reduce it to one. They all had some deep meaningful resonance but in different ways.
*John – Walking the trail along the edge of the sea from our beachside resort to the town of Roses is etched in John’s soul. Also … he was so deeply moved by the opportunity to reconnect with his family in the Netherlands.

49. A MOMENT/EXPERIENCE YOU WISH YOU COULD HAVE SHARED?
*Karen – My Bestie and I like nothing more than a good walk and a talk. I think she would have cherished walking along the edge of the mountain in Howth, Ireland … as well as wandering along the Cliffs of Moher in Ireland! It would have been even more enjoyable (if that is possible?) if she had been able to be there too!
*John – John was so wishing that Hutch could have joined in the fun he had in the huge market in Barcelona!

50. SOMETHING THAT REALLY NOURISHED YOUR INTERNAL FLAME?
*Karen – All the walking we were able to do really nourished my soul. The weather was so good for us to be outdoors so much and we took advantage of it.
*John – John realized that his knees are not as bad as he supposed. He was able to walk and walk and walk and walk and walk. He did not expect he would be able to do it without too much pain.

And so ... our 2018 UK/European Adventures have come to an end. And ... the gifts of these travels have shifted us and stretched us in the most remarkable ways. It is not so much what you see and do while you are travelling ... but who we are becoming as we let all the moments reshape our perceptions of life and living.

And, the exceptional gifts of this journey are not lost on either one of us. We are deeply shifted by all the GRATITUDES, GAHS, GRINS, GROANS, GRRRS, GASPS, GIFTS and GOODNESS that we collected in our hearts with each of our days.もっと詳しく