Ready for Home After Two Months 6/10/2013

The End and Au Revoir

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                                The Farm Stay with the Petterson's


We arrived in France to find some blustery weather, far different from what we had been experiencing in the last few weeks. Toni and Steve were excited to finally see and experience the farm and so set out on a physical inspection of Petit Clos.

Since we were last there, Hank and Cindy have sold off a small, unattached parcel of their land to a neighbor in order to raise a bit of cash and make their acreage a bit more manageable. The property and farm itself are coming along quite well as they make constant improvements to their holdings. In the past year, they have removed the crepe (exterior stucco) from their house to expose the beautiful stone underneath and have added new and weatherized windows. The house had undergone a "remodel" some years ago when the craze was to give the farm houses an updated look by ruining the historical look. Today resident after resident is in the process of this restoration. New construction reflects in some cases a return to the past while others construct with the aid of stucco.

The interior of the house has also undergone several improvements with the addition of a boiler operated heating system with radiators that Hank installed in all of the rooms to add a bit of heat to those cold winter months as well as the chilly spring days we are now experiencing. In order to upgrade their rating with "The Gites de France" Hank was forced to reconfigure one of the upstairs bathrooms so that it was included within the room which necessitated the construction of an additional wall/door/and electrical. Now they can list themselves as offering two rooms, each "onsuite". The downstairs master bathroom is almost complete once Hank sets and hooks up the claw-foot tub that we brought down from upstairs.

Shortly after Toni and Steve left, Petit Clos was visited by a representative of the rating board to inspect the premises and awarding them "Three Eppes" which is basically three stars. A step up from their previously held "Two Eppes" (pictured as bushels of something). In addition to inspecting the overall cleanliness and visual presence of Petit Clos, they also made sure that all the linens on the beds were ironed. To save time Cindy irons them once they are on the bed (and who said the French couldn't take a joke?) Cindy also had to provide a mock up of a typical breakfast that would be served. Susan and I were once again enlisted to act the role of vistors, enjoying a breakfast of fresh baked breads with jam and cheese, simply lovely as we were photographed for inclusion in her report which then would be included on the web site.

Their real concern at the moment is their difficulties with their newly installed pool. Because the summer are so warm, its almost imperative to offer your guests a swimming pool. The norm in France seems to be to install a fiberglass shell in the ground, surrounded by decking of some sort. The pool was installed last summer by a less than reputable English speaking contractor who on the surface seemed to be more than qualified. He was initially hired to help with their heating system but indicated he also did pools.

The pool was improperly installed for last summer's guests and proved to be a headache from the very beginning. In addition to the shell being incorrectly installed, their were various issues with the pool equipment itself.

While we were there, they had to contract with a new pool man to reinstall and correct all of the existing problems since the original company has been of no help at all. In talking to various people, they have discovered that this particular contractor has made it a common practice of ripping off clients and doing shoddy work. Residents have banded together and are going after him by any means possible. The don't hold out much hope, but would just like to see that others as well as the licensing boards are made aware of his antics and make is life a bit more miserable.  Today the pool is fine and operating properly, only the weather remains an obstacle to enjoying the newly renovated pool.

As the Carmans had but one week to spend, we felt the need to see a little something different every day. We spent some time in Eymet, the local English speaking town, then an afternoon and lunch in Duras before visiting the local Chateau. And then it was on to the local chocolate factory for some sampling. The small retail shop was quite generous in their sampling policy as we were made to feel we could try some of everything, even the chocolate covered prunes.

A few days later, we took a day trip to the towns of Sarlat for the local market and Dome for its scenic beauty and views of the Dordogne. Because Cindy is working from home almost everyday for a company in Amsterdam, she was unable to go with us which forced me to act as tour guide with the aid of "Kate" our trusty GPS device. With just a few re-calculating comments, we found our way to the market in Sarlat then up to the hill top town of Dome where Steve and I were parked at a local bar so the girls could go shopping.   Scarves and more scarves were purchased to the delight of Susan and Toni (because they are sooooooo easy to pack and take up little or no room). Then it was time to head home and so we called it a day and headed for the barn.

Toni and Steve have been great to travel with as they are probably the two most energetic travelers you could be with. Their desire to see and experience everything is at times exhausting but act as a reminder that every day is unique and should be enjoyed to the fullest. After taking pictures of Petit Clos from every imaginable angle it was time for Toni and Steve to begin their long trip home with several lengthy layovers. As we have all found out, that in order to purchase the least expensive tickets, you've got to be content to enjoy various airports along the way. The Carmans were forced to enjoy Iceland's major airport on their way home in addition to an overnite stay in Denver ,so close to home, yet so very far away.

We dropped the Carmans off in Bordeaux on the 14^th of May and drove back to Petit Clos to see what chores the Pettersons had in store for us. Since I couldn’t be trusted with a paint brush or any of the farm equipment (to include the weed wacker) I got off rather easy, reading and listening to Susan and Cindy as they painted their way down the hallway in anticipation of the previously mentioned inspection. I was able to give Hank a bit of help with hanging the new door in the newly configured bathroom but that was a small contribution to his daily routine, which at best is exhausting completing "Honey Do list for  both inside and out. In addition to his many construction projects he mows the acreage around the house as well as tending to his vines which requires infinite hours and patience. Susan and Cindy have spent countless hours in the garden area along side the house planting, weeding and in general just sprucing up this beautiful site.

As the time for the inspection grew near everyone was forced to deal with the construction dust in final preparation for the inspector's walk-thru visit. Everything looked to big in good shape and all was in readiness My role in this process was to make sure the cleaners were not interrupted having to pick Caleigh up from school in Saint Foie (sp) a delightful little town about ½ hour's drive.

Caleigh goes to school five days a week and continues to excel in all of her subjects. She has one more year at this school then hopes to go to a business school in Breighton just outside of London. Her days sometime begin a 7:30am and finishes at 5:30pm........long days. The trip is a bit too long to ride her scooter to so someone has to drive her. It was fun driving her and catching up on a bit of what's going on in her life. She comes to stay with us in CA a few days after we get back which everyone is looking forward to.

The next bit of preparation in store for us was the arrival of Matt and Natalie, the Grand Kids and Natalie's Mom who would arrive on the 30^th for a few days prior to traveling on to Venice then on to London for a few more days. Needless to say we were more than anxious to see them all after almost two months away.
  We were all looking forward to seeing the kids and finding out how Aiden and Isabella did on their flight over. They were scheduled to arrive at 9pm in Bordeaux but when we arrived at the airport, we found out that they were delayed in London and wouldn't be arriving until closer to 11pm. And after the 2 hour drive back to Petit Clos they would all be in rather ragged shape.

Once off the plane, with Aiden a bundle of fire, Isabella not so, we piled the luggage into the two cars and set of for the ride to the farm. I'm sorry to say that Aiden was more excited to see his grand mer than his grand per and Isabella didn't know where she was or who we were.

Aiden bunked in with Susan and I and the others were in the newly completed onsuite bedroom. It was a leisurely next few days attempting to get everyone back on some kind of schedule. The grandkids took right to life on the farm chasing the chickens about and gawking at the horses and the donkey that graze in the fields. Aiden is very fond of the cats but more so of his Ipad. Isabella is at the brunt of Aidens pinching and teasing when all she wants to do is give Aiden a hug or two and watch her new pink Ipad in peace.

Matt and Company did bring some great weather with them from CA. As I mentioned, we hadn't seen the sun thru the clouds and rain since Portugal so the warm weather was a welcome relief. As I'm getting pretty good navigating the countryside, we did some of the same tours we did with the Carmans. We did venture out and found a new castle overlooking the Dordogne which the kids seemed to really enjoy and my knees hated.

We managed a new find this trip and that was a Chinese all you can eat restaurant that we frequented a few times. Wonderful buffet and stir fry available for a mere 15euros. The downside being that it was a forty minute drive from Cindy's. I computed one nite on the way to Chinese, that back home we would have passed literally hundreds of Asian restaurants rather than driving the forty minutes to find just this one lone eatery.

The time went by quickly amid the chaos of all the family. Hank took ill (hopefully not because of us) just prior to our departure. Matt's crew was off to Venice (bet the strollers did well in there) and Susan and I headed for Antibes near Nice for our flight home. We dropped them off at the Bordeaux airport, bid everyone farewell (we'll see Caleigh shortly and Hank and Cindy and Christmas) to everyone.

Cindy had arranged for us to stay with friends in Antibes which was a bit too far a drive so we stopped off for the nite in Carcassone after leaving Bordeaux. There always seems to be this learning curve we have to get on when arriving in these Castle Cities and Carcassone proved to be no exception. A rather large town located at the base of the Castle just filled with oneway streets and other various surprises; When we finally located our hotel, Cote Cite, we found no one home. As luck would have it, another guest was just leaving the enclosed parking structure and let us drive in where we waited for the owners. The hotel was old but newly restored with a proprietress that spoke no English but did understand each others hand signs. She directed us to the Castle were we had dinner and would return for our visit to the castle the next am.

Great dinner complete with Spanish music and delicious food. As we were on a time crunch getting to Antibes before 6pm (the owners were headed out) we got up early for the Castle's opening and were on the road by noon to the South of France and our final destination of Antibes

Arriving in Antibes proved to be another treasure hunt to find our elusive hotel. First we had the wrong street name plugged in, then once that was corrected we couldn't even find the place on foot. The only saving grace in this entire fiasco is that we parked in one of the few free long stay parking spots in Antibes  Our hosts were more than a bit surprised to see where we had parked as they helped us back to the apartment with our luggage.

Antibes is a bustling weekend, tourist spot that was filled to capacity when we arrived. A bit noisy but lively not quite to our liking but the weather was clear and the sun was shining. Lots of sidewalk cafes and local markets everyday to browse and buy your goodies also, as I found out, the perfect spot for pick-pockets to congregate and look for the unsuspecting tourist.  Well they found me yesterday and managed to relieve me of +/- 70euros and my long held, favorite money clip. To say that I was sick was an understatement, not for the money lost but for the money clip Susan had given me many years ago. We'll chock one more up to rookie trave lmistakes and one additional travel mishap encountered.

All and All, Susan and I traveled well, no accidents, sickness or injuries so if this was our major mishap so be it. We logged another wonderful travel experience and even added a new country (No. Africa) to our ongoing list of countries visited. The best was traveling together, and with friends, while seeing our family abroad and experiencing a brief bit of travel with Matt's kids and family........and Natalie, don't let the spiders loose on Aiden until I get back! We travel to Nice for a nites stay before flying home on the 12^th.

The traveling has been eventful, but it will certainly feel good to be home again.

Again, thanks for reading and none of this will be on the final exam. See some of you very soon and others in the near future.

Love to all,

Porugal.......Spain.........Tangier.........2013

Road to Morocco  2013

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                 On the Road to Morocco Sans Hope and Crosby

Our arrival into Lisbon on the morning of April 23^rd proceeded without a hitch once we located Steve's missing bag. We proceeded to the Taxi cue whereupon we were introduced to our new and soon to be "very best" friend, John. Fortunately, John had an oversized taxi and was able to accommodate our small group of travelers with our vast array of costume changes suitable for any possible outing.

John found the Hotel which Toni had selected on the internet some months ago. The Lisbon Short Stay Apartments was ideally located in the center of old town, right in the middle of the action within easy access to the main square and transportation hub. John, had  "offered" to be our driver while we were in Lisboa but we told him we would get back to him.

 

 After checking into our wonderful three bedroom apartment, complete with kitchen, living room and top floor deck, we set out to explore the city. As with most major cities, we located "The Big Red Bus" for our orientation ride about the city. We decided that we would take John up on his offer to show us his country for a mere 180 euros for an 8 hour drive to the north thru the Palaces and the many Cathedrals that still existed.

 

 As we had a two day bus pass on the line we headed up the hill and to the Castle that overlooks the city. After a quick look, we decided to ride the much touted Trolley #28E that had been hyped by Rick Steves and all of the guide books. We boarded the #28 Trolley and with our exact change out and ready for the operator perhaps we should have purchased the 2013 Portugal edition and we would have found out that the trolley fare had doubled. Steve tried unsuccessfully to argue the fare change with the operator as he was forced to pull out his larger currency to pay his way. She immediately jumped all over him for showing his money to strangers and running the risk of attracting the ever present pickpockets. Once the high finance of trolley travel was taken care of, we carried on with the #28 trolley car's version of Mr. Toad's Wild ride, and a ride it was.

 

Unfortunately for us, as we had boarded the trolley half way thru the journey and we were thrown off just a few short minutes later.   We could continue to ride for another five Euros. Having no idea where we were, so we stumbled along until we located the town center and some familiar surroundings.

A ride up the famed elevator in the town center could not be overlooked as how often do you have the chance to pay $6 for a thirty second ride. We ended up in new territory, seated at an outdoor café drinking beer as the women took advantage of the limited shopping. We all ended up back together for a lovely little dinner of Bob Gaughran's default Bolognese dinner. He insists and rightly so, that you just can't go wrong with spaghetti Bolognese regardless of what country you are dinning in.

 

 After dinner, the rest decided on a short walk down the hill while I opted to use the other half of my roundtrip elevator ticket. Trust me when I say that it was just as exciting going down as it was going up.

 

 The next morning found us on the curb waiting patiently for our driver and compatriot, John. As we had contracted for the day I wasn't too concerned when I jumped in and saw his meter running. I figured it was for our benefit so we could see what a great deal he was giving us. We headed out for the Versailles of Portugal and as we approached this faded pink monstrosity I couldn't help but feel that somehow this 180euro day was headed in the wrong direction so very early on.

 

 John was very helpful with the ticket lady as he assisted us as we spent another 54euros for the "3 Castle Package".  I will be the first to admit that once you got beyond the shabby looks of the exterior, the interior proved to be quite wonderful. The interior of the Palace is very much in its original state with its furnishings and design touches quite lovely...........or as Toni is so very fond of saying "Charming" If I had a nickel for every time Toni has used the word charming, half my trip would have been paid for.

 

 The exterior grounds and garden areas proved to be equally "charming" as well as massive in scale. The National Palace of Queluz was our first introduction to Portuguese culture and all of us were duly impressed. With one additional Castle stop in between, we arrived at the Pena Palace which proved to be the Disneyland of this area of Portugal as evidenced by the busloads of tourists and over-anxious merchants. John proved to be a very patient driver and allowed as much time as we needed to stroll about. (Wouldn't you with your meter running?)

We opted against going to the most eastern point of Europe in favor of heading directly to Cascais (John's Hometown) and our lunch stop.

 

 Back at the previous Castle John had asked if we wanted him to call ahead for lunch reservations (and for How Many?).   Looks as tho we'll be supping with John.

As we pulled into our lunch spot on the rocks overlooking the ocean, I noticed and over abundance of high priced cars and overly dressed people gracing the parking lot. As we approached the restaurant with its stunning views, I couldn't help but notice the far too numerous glasses and utensils adorning the linen covered tables..................................oops, we were definitely in over our heads for our little luncheon outing.

 

 We were shown to our table and seated after John had his meet and greet with all of the waiters including what looked to be the owner. You know how when you take a tour and the guide takes you to..... his friends rug factory, his friends jewelry store..........gift store......etc, etc......It appears we were getting the bums rush but good and it just continued to get worse.

 

 When we were seated, we found the table set with baskets of bread, plates of cheese, anchovies, olives and my favorite, a plate of barnacles. (One doesn't eat barnacles, one scrapes them off the bottom of one's boat and lets them sink to the bottom of the ocean) After asking John, we found the snacks at the table to be priced at roughly 18euros per plate so after sending back to the kitchen approximately 90euros worth of munchies we tried to find something on the menu that wouldn't break the bank. We all settled on the Monk Fish and Shrimp brochette (same price as the barnacles) and allowed John to order the wine (big mistake, actually not bad and under $20/bottle) We had to bring things to a halt when our driver asked if we wanted another bottle of wine We declined and he proceeded to order a beer..then a coffee....but we had to cut him off at dessert and said it was to time to hit the road and get back in that taxi.  With the ongoing meter, now at about 130euros and counting we set our sites on our hotel in Lisbon.

After a few view stops we began our return trip to Lisbon but not before being given the option of stopping at a "World" famous gelato joint. We pulled up to the front of the shop and were greeted by +/- 200 people waiting for this world famous chilled, bill of fare. We politely declined saying nothing was worth that kind of a wait. While disappointed, he accepted our decision and we headed for the barn. As it was a holiday, we joined the other half of Lisbon's population in their return to the city after witnessing two awful auto/motorcycle accidents.

As we approached the outskirts of the city, the taxi meter was approaching the 180euro mark. He certainly wasn't going to charges us overtime, lunchtime, and waiting time as that certainly wasn't the deal we made.........or was it?

 

 We arrived in front of the Hotel and we all jumped out and spent a few awkward moments with him looking at the meter now approaching 190euros. Steve and I pulled out our 90euros each, gave him the 180 and told him since we bought lunch he only owed us 10euros. He didn't find that humorous, but did take the 180euros and we called it a day, but did ask him if he wanted to take us to the car rental agency in the morning.

 

 After arriving at the downtown Europcar location to pickup our 5passenger/5baggage car we were given a 4 passenger barely two bag runt of a car that was not going to work.   So it was off to the airport in search of a larger vehicle.........which we did find and headed north for our stay in Obido, pronounced O Bee Dooooche. As this was my Hotel selection I was anxious to see how well I had done.

 

 As in past trips, we have had good luck staying one or two bookings ahead of our travels. We are using booking.com and it has proved to be quite reliable and have yet to be terribly disappointed. The hotel was a mid-evil manor house situated outside of the Castle walls and proved to be quite delightful with underground parking, which is always a plus as parking can sometimes up to 20euros a nite.

 

 We stayed two days in Obidos with day trips outside the town to Nazare (the place where the guy surfed the 100ft wave) and then on to Fatima to see if the Virgin Mary was still hanging out. No hundred foot waves and the Virgin Mary was not at home on that particular day. Fatima proved to be quite an experience and surpassed my low expectations of the city.

 

 Not knowing quite what to expect when we reached Fatima, we began to see various numbers of pilgrims on their way by foot, many dressed in fluorescent crossing guard outfits. This garb seemed to be the costume of choice for these wondering hordes. We parked and walked onto the site and were totally amazed at what we had stumbled upon.

 

The first building we visited was a modernistic chapel with comfortable seating for at least 5000-7000 worshippers. As we hiked out of this house of worship (that surely Robert Schuller had been consulted on) we reached a knoll that overlooked a square that equaled Vatican Square in size and scope with a grand ornate Cathedral at the far end and another ultra modern house of worship in the middle of this plaza. A service was going on that re-created the children's original sitting of Mary back in the early 1900's

 

 Approaching this smaller church were numerous pilgrims on their knees making their way towards the Cathedral. Since I have been looking into possible knee replacement I considered for a moment joining the group and avoiding the surgery down the line, but the pavement looked too hard and the pathway far to distant and that most assuredly would have guaranteed my forthcoming surgery.

 

 And so with no virgin sightings to our credit, we returned to our manor home to pack up so as to continue our journey the next morning. So with reservations in hand we continued a bit south and to the east to the historic town of Evora with its much too narrow streets and ill marked signage. We located our Best Western Hotel in the heart of this tiny medieval city with its Roman Temple and Gothic Cathedral and then set out to find the Chapel of Bones.

We did finally locate the Chapel of Bones. This macabre chapel was built by three monks utilizing bones from some of the near-by church yards. Admission was 1euro and an additional euro if you wanted to take pictures.

 

 Inside the Chapel the inscription on the wall tells it all We bones in here await for yours to join us.  And so with those happy thoughts in mind and realizing that were are next on deck, We left Evora for the White Hill Town of Arcos with even skinnier roads.

 

 Just when we thought that the roads couldn't get any more narrow, we folded in our side mirrors and entered the town of Arcos. Aside from being narrow and more than a bit difficult to navigate all roads leading thru Arcos are one-way so that if you miss your street there is no coming back. Our GPS system has proved her worth time and time again with only the occasional re-calculating comment and once again helped us arrive at our destination even with numerous cries of "oh shit.....o'jesus .and we're not going to make it thru.. from both pilot, navigator, and passengers.

 

 We learned later that the roads were designed for donkeys with nerves of steel (without side view mirrors) pulling skinny carts. After arriving at La Casa Bavelos #9 we unloaded and were directed by our host "to just park down the way". Steve and I proceeded on and on and eventually found ourselves lost in the middle of town with no sense of where we were or how we were to get back.

 

 At this point, walking back was not an option so we parked and looked at our GPS to see where we had been and what the address was as to where we were staying. A young girl working in the mini-Mercado directed us to a bus stop and told us to take the poqueno (small) bus. Following her instructions, we boarded the poqueno bus and headed back up the hill after a brief run out of town that included a change of drivers and numerous stops. As we proceeded up the side of the White Hill Town, buildings and landmarks began to look familiar until we were sitting in front of our Hotel and the bus driver was telling us we were home. How the hell he got his mini bus thru streets that I was barely able drive the car thru remains a mystery to this day.

 

 Getting outta Dodge the next day was no easy matter either. A  taxi was called and arrived promptly but in fact was not large enough. As we were attempting to load up, our mini bus pulled in behind us to save the day. I loaded back into the bus with a few bags and followed the taxi down the hill.

 

Now where the hell was the car? The taxi ahead with Steve and the Girls went one way and my bus went the other. We eventually got back together just a few paces from the car, loaded up for our final assault on Morocco.

 

Our decision to drive to Tarifa, the jumping off point for Tanger (Tangiers) proved to be a wise move. We were booked into a Hostal just a few blocks from the ferry which we would board the next day for our 35 minute crossing to Tangiers (No reservations necessary). A great Cheeseburger in town for lunch lead to cocktails on the patio after a short quick shop at the local Mercado for ice and tonic.

 

 Next morning the Hostal Manager took us down for the 10am boat that was sold out. We did get on the 12pm boat but needed to let our host in Tangiers  know of our delay as he was picking us up at the dock for the short walk back to the hotel.

 

 We made contact and told not to worry and that he would meet us at the docks to show us our way back. The 35 minute ferry ride turned into a 90 minute boat ride with 1 or 2 time changes, I never did figure out what time it was. A lot going on for crossing of such a short duration.

 

I was not looking forward to our visit to Tangiers. I felt the same way Barbara Gaughran did about our overnite train ride and family stay in Vietnam. Andrew meet us at docks and somehow managed to recognize the four lost, looking gringos. We had re-packed into one small bag each and proceeded with our march up the hill to the Jan Darâ, a quaint looking B&B that had been well hidden amongst the winding alley ways of Morocco. Even with a good sense of direction, not only could I not find my way there, but once there couldn't find my way back out and then back in again.

 

After meeting his wife Jan who single handedly purchased and rebuilt the structure while Andrew remained in the States confronting the financial meltdown of ˜08, we began to settle in just a bit. In lieu of the Big Red Bus orientation ride, Andrew took us on an orientation walk of Old Town. Rather than dropping breadcrumbs so as to find our way back home, Andrew had developed a system of recognizable road markers.....right at the old door.......straight, then right at the telebotique.      if you encounter stairs, turn back as you are headed for the Kasbah always wanted to meet someone at the Kasbah. Turns out the Kasbah is just the fortified section of the old town and is not the entertainment center promoted by Hollywood.

 

 Believe me when I say, the city center is just like in the movies. The hordes of people, all presumed to be pick pockets and thieves in the night, The stores and stalls all selling products that I didn't need and really did want to buy. Initially I was a tad concerned about Alibaba and the Forty Thieves extracting all of our worldly possessions, but my concerns proved unwarranted as the people seemed warn and friendly with the exception of the occasional glue sniffers who populated the local square and in some of the darker recesses of the alley ways.

Steve and I sprang for a traditional lunch of soup, vegies, fries, and bread . $9 for the six of us. I could get used to this pricing but am not quite ready to retire here. Andrew was constantly testing us as we walked back to our hotel to see if we could find our way home........probably not as we received grades of "C" for our navigational skill and "C" did not stand for confident.

 

 Andrew and Janet had arranged an even more extensive walking tour with a local. Scheduled for four hours (I've never walked four hours in my life since getting out of the Army) Abdulah met us in the central plaza and we began our exploratory jaunt. After about ten steps I knew I was in trouble as Abdulah's strides were twice what my normal step was.....so as Abdulah cruised along, I trotted after him as best I could. As we began to head out of the town center I began questioning the route he had selected for us........stark residential areas with little or nothing to see.......but we marched on (I was still trotting along behind and missing most of the commentary, which I understand was not all that interesting.

About 90 minutes later, just as I was about to hoist the white flag of surrender, this forced march came to an abrupt end as we sat down for tea at a restaurant overlooking the water. Being in a Muslim country, an ice cold beer was totally out of the question so I set about consuming the local drink that was set in front of me. The mint, green tea that was served resembled a small aquarium that hadn't been cleaned in quite sometime. The mint leaves and green residue of the tea made my thirst for a beer all that much greater as I perused my drink for any signs of sea life.

 

 As we looked down at the view, I was startled to see just how far we had come on our sojourn but equally disturbing was how far back we had to travel to reach our domicile.  At about the two hour mark we agreed to forego the last hour (even tho we were paying for four hours of torture) and head for the barn and a much deserved rest. The decision to head back early was laid directly on me and my bad knees........¦..truth be known, everyone's knees were aching and screaming for rest.

As we have learned, Andrew is quite the talker and very  proud of his adopted city. He has learned a modicum of Arabic and is fluent with his sign language of customary greetings. He and Janet are making our brief stay all the more enjoyable as they share their wealth of knowledge with us. They seem to have somewhat of a routine going in that each shares and expounds upon his or her area of expertise. Occasionally, one will step on the other's line which totally disrupts the patter of the dialog and brings about hostile looks between the two. However, as we all readily admit our stay in Tangiers has been enhanced by their gift of gab and their willingness to go the extra mile on our behalf.

 

 Arriving back at our home away from home we found that Andrew had made arrangements at a (in his words) local café. Not having noticed any signage for cafes we were quite taken aback when we entered this lovely restaurant, ala Hollywood slick after being welcomed my its owner.

 

 Two steps in off the alleyway, we were totally blown away by the décor and ambiance of their "local café". It had all the trappings of a 4-5 Star restaurant with what we hoped would be cuisine to match.

 

 We were not to be disappointed as we ordered our selections and the accustomed  bottle of wine. Being in the Medina section of Tangiers ordering our wine took on the feeling of committing a criminal act. In practice the restaurant can be shut down by the local religious police, but given the appropriate payoffs, this rarely happens. But as Andrew points out these businessmen run the constant risk of being shut down at the whim of this band of enforcers.

So after our lovely dining experience, Susan and I headed back for the 10pm Call to Prayer while Toni and Steve, not being the religious sorts, headed out for a bit more shopping. Toni had located a shop that she felt comfortable in and made a beeline back before the close. It was during her shopping frenzy that Toni got an invite from the owner to attend a wedding celebration that was currently in progress.

 

 As Toni was led away down the street, Steve was left along having tea with himself wondering if he'd ever see her again. Wedding celebratiions are traditionally 3 part affairs.........one day for the bride and her friends..the next day for groom's benefit, and the final day for the ceremony. As this was part one, Toni didn't quite know what to expext as she was lead away down the maze of alleyways to the ladies nite out. Toni admitted to being a bit concerned as to what was ahead and what the other guests would feel about her intrusion. Not being all that fluent in Arabic, Toni entered the party with a big smile..a lot ofchest thumping.and other symbolic gestures, wondering if she would be understood and somewhat accepted to the festivities.

 

Toni was probably more confused than the rest of the guests as they made her feel more than welcome and a part of the ceremonies in progress. As Toni has been on the wagon since Puerto Rico, the lack of alcohol at this gala event was a welcome relief and fit well into her program and her vow of sobriety. After viewing some of the rituals taking place, the hand painting and dressing of the bride, Toni bid her best wishes and fond farewells to all of her new lady friends. Fortunately, her "guide" was waiting outside (no men allowed at this function) to show her the road home back to the shop. Steve was waiting patiently for Toni's return. wondering whether or not he would ever see her again.

 

 They managed their way thru the maze and made it back just in time for the final call to prayer. At this particular B&B we had a local Mosque right below us and so when the prayers started up it sounded as though they were in the next room. This was especially true for the first call to prayer at 4:40am as it echoed thru our room in multi-plex stereo............a pleasant way to wake up and start the day.

 

Our second day in Tangier found us back shopping again and wondering the streets with Andrew. What a find he has been, in familiarizing us with his city. That afternoon, we had arranged for a local driver to take us to a beach /restaurant resort for dinner and sunset cocktails. To say it was a wild ride out of the city would be drastic understatement. After terrorizing the locals on the street as well as providing us with a white knuckle experience we found ourselves several kilometers out side of the central city and making our way thru the first of many bottles of wine. Dinner was hand selected (by me) from a variety of fresh fish and vegetables that were prepared to perfection. Our ride home was not quite as terrifying as they bottles of wine had significantly quieted our nerves and we accepted his erratic driving as a matter of course.

 

And so the next day we depart Tangier with my Rolex  still on my wrist and my money clip still in my pocket. We headed for the  docks and our 35 minute boat ride back to Tarifa that would take a mere 90 minutes.

 

Once back in Tarifa where we had left our excess luggage in the hotel we spent  the nite before heading out to Salema and back into Portugal. The drive to the coast took us a few hours but our arrival in Salema was well worth the effort. Bob and Debbie Marquis had recommended this spot after their visit a few years back. Rick Steves was also a fan of this town and gave it high marks for its quaint, small town feel.

 

This small town is located in Portugal's southern most region and reminds visitors how Portugal once was prior to the arrival of condominiums and golf resorts that dot much of the coastline. As luck would have it, our search for a place to spend our three nites lead us to a wonderful second floor, two bedroom ocean view apartment just a few steps from the water and the rest of this quaint town.

 

 We arrived, unpacked, and crashed after our rather lengthy drive and proceeded with drinks on our patio balcony and watched as the sun went down. Toni and Steve ventured out for the obligatory Bolognese as Susan and I munched on offerings from the local market and tried to get the 12" television set working. Even though the satelite reception was good, the damn screen was just too small to recognize anything. Did manage to hear that the stock market was on a terror which is always good news when spending money at our current rate.

The next day found us ready to explore the surrounding beach areas and seaside towns. While the water remains a bit cool, the temperatures outside are Catalina like. After three rather lazy days we were rejuvenated for our final push back to Lisbon and our flight to France to stay with Cindy, Hank and Caleigh.

 

 Portugal is a lovely country and we were treated well by her people.  Aside from being nickel and dimed to death for every condiment, olive, peanut, piece of bread, and pat of butter we had a wonderful stay there. While the food. especially the seafood was touted as being wonderful, that was not our experience. The people on the other hand were extremely warm and friendly but seemed a bit underemployed and overly reliant on tourists for their income. As we drove thru the various towns along the way, it was evident that the country is suffering economically as evidenced by the boarded up buildings and severe lack of industrial activity. Lisbon, on the other hand seemed alive and well. Traffic in the city is brisk and the city center seemed to be bustling with commerce.

 

 Our arrival back in Lisbon after a rather lengthy drive on some of the lesser traveled roads was a bit disjointed as I managed to piss of more than one commuter on his way home from work. We chose our hotel in the northern part of the city for its proximity to the airport. Unfortunately while we could see it from the various traffic circles we just couldn't manage to get there due to the construction, the one way streets, and the rude drivers blocking my every attempt at making illegal moves on their roadways.

 

After finally arriving at our hotel after a side trip to the local, well hidden gas station we settled into the bar downstairs for a well deserved few cocktails and FREE peanuts. It just couldn't get any better and it didn't. After a few drinks, we split a hamburger and fries, sans bun and tried to figure out how the hell we had spent 66euros (almost a $100). Oh well thats life on the Euro and just proves what a good value traveling in the US of A really is.

 As I end this second phase of our on-going saga, the four of us find ourselves settled into Petit Clos. We arrived in time for wine and snacks last nite and ready to do battle with the French hinderlands. The Carman's leave for home on the 12^th and Matthew, Natalie, Natalie's Mom and the Kids arrive on 30^th .

 

Bye for Now.......................gb

Portugal, Spain, Tangier and France 2013

Portugal, Spain 2013

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                    Rookie Travel Mistakes and Other Missteps
 
Captains Log: Star Date April 22, 2013, several hours (to be exact) South of Lisbon and very close to leaving the "Food Trough"  that has been our home for the past ten days.
 

Ever the one for a good travel deal, we decided to book another trans Atlantic voyage as our means of travel to visit the Kids and their fast evolving abode in the French Countryside. This year Toni and Steve Carman decided to join us on the crossing and spend some time with us traveling about Portugal and Morocco prior to our arrival on The Farm.

 

Susan and I have done quite a bit of traveling and consider ourselves reasonably seasoned and smart travelers. When Susan first found our cruise back in January, we booked our Jr. Stateroom at what we thought to be a wonderful bargain. And as it turned out, it proved to be a great room with easy access to the rest of the ship. We were able to get a balcony suite that adjoined the Carman's, which made for easy maneuvering at cocktail hour.
 

Once the Cruise was booked, we began to look for air travel back to Puerto Rico, a favorite departure point for cruise ship departures but an awkward departure place for those of us on the West Coast. We managed to find the perfect flight via American Airlines from Orange County but the price was close to $500 one way as it was only January we decided to wait and watch the airfares begin to tumble, which eventually they did.

 

We ended up flying out of LAX to Fort Lauderdale via Virgin America (the top rated airline in the US) then transferring to TransAir (the 3^rd rated airline in the US). All looked well until we began our adventure. Johnny Boy dropped us off at the Airport for our "Red Eye" to San Juan late in the evening on April 11^th. With our Income taxes paid and property taxes in the mail, we set off on our next adventure.

 

Our first indication as to what might be ahead was when we checked into Virgin America and were informed that our flight was due to depart at 10:50 (fifty minutes late) but then he corrected himself as to the departure time. Apparently he knew something we didn't and let slip that the flight was delayed.....not good, as we had a very tight connection in Fort Lauderdale and as it turned out way too tight. After paying our $25/bag service charge we made our way to the gate and confirmed the fact that our flight was indeed delayed which meant that we would miss our connection by a mere 5 minutes.

 

Actually it got worse after we learned that Virgin America and Trans Air did not have a baggage agreement which meant that we would have to claim our bags then re-check our bags in Fort Lauderdale. So even with a 2 hour connection we would not have made the flight................................Read the fine print on the next ticket.

 

We arrived just in time to see our plane to San Juan pulling away from the gate. Just great!!!!!! Fortunately, the gate attendants were still there and helped us book their next flight to San Juan, a mere 7 hours later in the day. We were also informed that since we had technically missed our flight they really did not have to honor our tickets but as the flight had plenty of room it would not be a problem.

 

We claimed our baggage only to find out we had to wait until noon to re-check our bags, which, (surprise.....surprise) would cost us an additional $25/bag. Let me summarize: Hour wise, we are further away from San Juan than when we left LA and we are down $100 in baggage fees plus exorbitant food costs for items purchased in the terminal. Needless to say, the hours between 7am and 3pm just flew by as we twiddled our thumbs and read in the National Rental Car lounge (the only place with couches and soft chairs).

 

Finally we boarded our half full aircraft and made our way on the final leg into San Juan Puerto Rico just a tad under 12 hours late. We did manage to contact the Carmans and sent them out to dinner and said we would meet up when we got there. The cab ride from the airport was rather uneventful with the exception of the last two hundred yards. The cabbie could not find the Hotel. As we were staying in "old town" where the street numbering uses both the old and the new numbers (rather silly) or no numbers at all which was the case of our hotel. After knocking a few doors the cabbie located the Pop Art Hotel, a Carman Selection. We were shown to our room, two bunk beds and a queen, to wait for Toni and Steve's return. The rooms were actually quite nice with a courtyard just outside our room.

 

We were having a drink on the patio when the Carmans returned after sampling 2 for 1 Margaritas. Fortunately for Toni, Steve was along to show Toni the road home. To put it delicately, Toni was "shit faced" but as she kept reminding us "only had two drinks"

 

We put Toni to bed, first in our bunk bed then later tackled the job of getting her upstairs. But not without visually sampling first hand the contents of Toni's stomach with its colorful mix of 2 for 1 Margaritas.

Morning came to San Juan, for some of us, a cool and glorious day in Old Town. As we set out to explore the town we hopped aboard the tram about town to give the Carmans a bit of an orientation to the city. We ended up with a walk along the promenade up to the family home of Ponce de Leon. He didn't find the fountain of youth but did manage to snag an elegant piece of property at the top, overlooking the bay and the future city of San Juan.  The family built the home shortly after his death so he really never got to enjoy his home or the views. Lunch in town was followed by cocktails in our Piazza and a light supper in a hotel down the way.

The next day we were set to sail at 8pm so there was no real rush to the ship, but with nothing to do we grabbed a taxi for the short ride to the docks. On our arrival, the skies opened up and a down pour quickly followed. This is always a tense time in the boarding process as we wait to see if we have out-foxed the alcohol police. This being the Carman's first cruise they (Toni especially) were particularly anxious over the possibilities of having their stash of liquor discovered and then being physically removed from the ship for transporting their illicit cargo onboard. The economies of the ship are such that alcohol is the chief source of revenue for the cruise line and as such they go to great lengths to discourage you from bringing any booze on board. The cruise did allow us 2 bottles of wine per stateroom which we had purchased at an inflated price in San Juan.

 

You never really know how successful you smuggling operation has been until you receive your bags or you receive notice that you are to report to the "naughty room" to claim your luggage. Toni and Steve had gone to great lengths to protect their booty by purchasing "rum runner" bags to insure that their liquor was not detected as the bags were scanned prior to being delivered to their room. These bags reminded me of Bob Marquis' bladder bags but with a bit more elegance and not quite as repulsive.

 

Susan and I, being the veteran cruisers, never even gave it a second thought as over the years we had passed through some of the most sophisticated scanners that the cruise industry had at their disposal and had yet to be detected (one close call, but no confiscated liquor on our record). Well, this cruise quickly put our previous booze smuggling record in jeopardy as we were instructed by Nina, our suite attendant, that we needed to report to the naughty room as there were some irregularities with items in our luggage.

 

Susan was petrified and I was a tad concerned as we made our way for the inspection process. I was up first and was asked if I had any alcohol in my bags. After dancing around the question a few times I admitted that "Yes I had sinned and had smuggled some alcohol onboard" He asked if I would take it out so he wouldn't have to go thru my luggage. Overjoyed, I pulled out one bottle and handed it to him, trusting that it would satisfy him. It did, and that left me with one bottle of rum and some rationing in my future. Susan was in another room being shaken down (the always separate the perps) but as it turns out they were looking at her scissors that she had brought on board to give me a haircut at some point over the next two months. The net result was one confiscated bottle of rum out of 4 bottles total, to be returned at the end of the trip. So once again I have been able to severely impact the financial bottom line of The Royal Caribbean Line....even tho I was not totally comfortable in the naughty room.

 

Even tho this is a diesel/turbine powered vessel, we set sail at 8pm sharp and headed to St. Martin just down the way a bit and arrived early am the next day

 

We had opted for anytime dining on deck five and took potluck each nite with who we would be seated with. On a ship of 1700 (500 shy of a full ship) you can well imagine there might be a few folks who you might not want to dine with. After two nites of anytime dining we opted for a 6pm seating in the main dining room. It was at my insistence that we be moved primarily because I could touch the ceiling in the dining room (a bit claustrophobic) and both dinner services had been marginal at best and I wanted to sit downstairs in the "grand dining" area. I think all would admit that it was a good move as we ended up with two other couples who proved to be delightful dinner company. A well-traveled couple from Nova Scotia and a younger couple both in computers and amateur wine makers and both on sabbatical. As we are customarily late to dinner those four take the initiative of moving about the table so that they have equal time with all of us.

 

And I digress. St Martin was pretty much of a repeat of last year's stop. A boat ride into town after which I headed down the beach for recliners and umbrellas while the other three did a cursory bit of shopping and joined me later. They stocked up on tonic water and limes (did you know that I had a bout with Malaria in Vietnam and require sufficient quantities of tonic to make it through the day...........a little rum makes the medicine so much more drinkable). A lovely day on the beach in 80 degree + water made this a great way to spend our last day on land before heading out to sea for seven days.

 

For those of you whom I cruised with before, know me to be somewhat of a recluse aboard ship, secreted inside my cabin with a current novel and re-appearing for meals and the occasional walk about the decks. This cruise, however, I decided to change my ways and open up myself that all the ship had to offer. A typical day for me now included the following:

 

Rise and Shine for an early breakfast

Catholic Mass

Early Bird Trivia Session

Coffee/Chat and meet the Captain's Staff

Attend Fruit Carving Demonstration in the Cafe

Ice Carving Demonstration Poolside

Card Making (In German)

Towel Folding Demonstration in the Centrum

Fruit Carving (My Favorite)

Nintendo Wii Bowling (In German)

Bollywood Dance Class (for Beginners)

Cup Cake Demonstration (Beginners and Advanced)

Salsa Dance Class (Susan Insisted)

Adult Scrapbooking in the Odyssey Room

Advanced Napkin Folding and Origami for Seniors

Well, as you can imagine, what with the above and finishing four novels I have been quite active this trip.

Susan and I both agree that the food on this cruise has been the best yet as our wardrobes will testify. The crossing has been delightful with only the occasional moderate swells and the weather has been clear and warm. You really couldn't ask for a smoother ride. As we moved our watches ahead one hour every day at sea it did cause us some sleepless nites that I don't remember from last year's cruise

 

Yesterday we came ashore on Tenerife in the Canary Islands. Did the City Tour on the Big Red Bus and hung out at Sunday Market in Town then moved on to Sangria on our way back to the ship. While in town today, Steve learned his lesson as to the importance of notifying your bank and credit card companies that you are traveling out of the country. He finally got his ATM card to dispense a little cash. We think it was just a problem with the machine.

 

Then this AM he visited the business desk and they hooked him up by phone to his other credit card where he was able to resolve things. I thought it rather generous for the ship to pick up his phone bill to the bank but they gladly did saving Steve $6.95/minute for phone service.......................ouch!

 

Today finds us at sea again in route to Lisbon. Our last nite at sea then we have scheduled three days in Lisbon before picking up the car and traveling a bit north then south to Morocco stopping along the way as we please. I'll leave you here for now and will e-mail this once we arrive in Lisbon.

 

Actually as I am hitting the send button we have arrived in Lisbon to clear, bright skies and are nestled into centrally located "short stay apartments"

 

Love and Regards to All........................................ gary

 

  

The Arrival and Overland Trek to Petit Clos, France

 

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                                 Malaga, France 2012

As you may well remember we arrived in Malaga,28^th April Made It......and not a single iceberg was encountered along the way. But one helluva rainstorm greeted us in Malaga when we got to Spain. We disembarked the vessel with our 2092 new best friends and from what we could tell, with the exception of the boys who call Malaga home, the rest of us were looking for taxis, buses or rental cars.

We had made arrangements to have both cars delivered to the cruise port by 9am.  After locating a cell phone we could use, we made contact with the Sixt agency who said they would be there in the next 20 or so minutes.True to their word, they arrived and we piled into two brand new rental cars. We had a Peugot (sp) that was just perfect. Took all our bags with a bit of room to spare.....plugged the GPS into the cigarette lighter (thanks John) and we were on our way to Nerja.

Had a bit of a hectic start as we tried to get out of town a few minutes later, with a frustrated Marquis family following behind.  We made it onto the A7 and we were on our way to Nerja where we had booked a Hostal with partial ocean views. 

It seems when we come out of a tunnel our GPS takes a major dump and we lose all info and have to re-boot the system. That was exactly our situation as we approached Nerja. A few failed attempts at getting to the center of town resulted in a bit more frustration but eventually we did find the hotel with no help from the local police as they kept diverting us away from the hotel due to construction near the hotel.

We finally arrived on foot, as parking turned out to be a major problem Underground parking came at 29 Euros a day. Did find some free parking after checking into the hotel and then we all set out for an inspection of the town and a bit of lunch. Great lunch, but in the wrong section of town. 

Our first impression of Nerja was not a favorable one since we turned left out of the hotel instead of right. Had we ventured right, we would have ended up in a most scenic section of town. After circling Nerja we did manage to get our bearings and had to agree with Rick Steves, that this was well worth the visit to the seaside town.

        We had a coffee in the plaza that afternoon and watched a continuous flow
          of people heading to the churck to what we assumed to be a wedding.  They
         continued to come and go for the entire time we were seated.  We later figured
         out that they were in fact all headed to the same church but for different weddings
         all conducted by the same priest.  One party would leave and the next group followed
         up to the alter in quite the assembly line fashion.

After finishing our coffee and watching a pigeon being run over by a car, Bob felt it was time to move on. A walk about the town proved to be delightful; the rain left and the sun arrived to end the day. The plaza we ended up in was just above the Balcony of Europe quite the overview of this section of the Costa del Sol 

Its now cocktail hour on the veranda, and soon we are headed out for a late bite since the evening hours do start later than we ole folks would prefer hopefully we'll get used to it. That evening we had our first introduction to Tapas, not quite the ambiance that Bob would have preferred but this traditional meal of snacks proved delightful. Just like one long and continuous hors de oeuvres party. In the case of this Tapas bar, a waitress followed behind you as you made your selection and then you were served at your table. We found as we traveled on that the system of tapas service varied from restaurant to restaurant. 

As it was raining the next morning we set off for the caves of Nerja, which are said to be some of the finest and largest in all the world. We would learn later that the central cathedral in the cave is said to have the largest stalactite known to exist. When we arrived at the entrance to the caves we concluded many others had the same idea about visiting the caves in the midst of a downpour.

We took turns standing in line, in the rain, to purchase tickets and we were not to be disappointed. They were truly enormous and the most spectacular caves I had ever visited. The Orrs had other plans for the day as Barbara is not a big fan of caves as those of you have traveled with Barbara will attest. .Barbara, you missed out. 

 The brothers who discovered the caves share one other must see spot in Nerja and that being their famous "all you can eat"  6 euro Paella feast at Ayo's on Burriana Beach just up the way from the town center.

The Paella is cooked in enormous cast iron pans that serve between 100-200 dishes all cooked over blazing hot fires of pallets and assorted hardwoods.
The service is quick and casual, and the meals are served under lattice work on small tables on the sandy beach. While menus are available it appears that all anyone ever orders is the Paella which translates to rice, chicken and seafood to include shrimp, longostinos, clams all spiced and cooked to perfection. 

On our way out of the restaurant, I lined up a shot of the Paella being cooked with the owner in the back ground. Bob went over and asked him to turn towards the camera when he promptly got up from his table and came to pose with the group  Quite a character, who has vowed to stay and serve his famous dish until he dies. While his caves were wonderful his paella was the best. 

The next day the group was due to part ways. We were headed up to Barcelona with the Orrs; and the Marquis were going to hang out in Nerja and wait for the sun to shine. Feeling a bit guilty that the Orrs had missed the paella, we decided to drop by for an encore meal and performance on our way out of town.  

Needless to say the meal was thoroughly enjoyed by all. Prior to leaving, we all tried to get up to speed on the new app called VOXER so we could stay verbally in touch throughout the rest of the trip. 

The Marquis were eventually headed to Gibraltar while we journeyed north to Granada and Sitges just south of Barcelona. We decided on Granada so as to view the ancient structure of the Alhambra Fortress that sits atop the city that was once the grandest city in all of Spain. The Alhambra fortress was the last stronghold of the Moorish kingdom in Spain and requires reservations months in advance in order to insure a visit on the day of your choosing.

We had decided to visit the Alhambra on April first and wee had been warned that driving in certain parts of Granada were restricted to private autos without prior consent of the police. This proved to be fact as we noticed after our arrival in the Old Town part of the city that we were in fact the only private car on the road in addition to the buses and taxis.   Traffic tickets and citations to follow. 

After a frustrating hour or so of one way streets and gated entry ways, I was forced to play the "Amazing Race" trump card. I parked behind a cab and had Don instruct the taxi driver to take him to the Casa del Pilar. 

Brilliant move.if I might say so myself.   He took us to within a block of our hotel after passing thru restricted barricades that could only be accessed with special passes, that lifted serious barricades. 

At our Hotel, parking came back into play but only after a few glasses of wine and a few deep breaths while all the time toasting the TV show, The Amazing Race. The directions to the parking structure were so convoluted that the hotel assistant felt it best to show us himself how best to get there and back again on foot to the hotel.

Our location was indeed perfect as we were situated on the Plaza Nueva at the foot of the Alhambra. We had our reservation for 9am the next morning and we're warned not to be late. The walk out of the hotel to the taxi stand proved immediately how poorly we had packed and how ill prepared we were for the cold weather. We had noted the snow capped peaks driving into the city, but assumed they were far enough away so as not to affect our stay in Granada.
The time and temp sign on the way to the taxi stand said otherwise.  It was 4 degrees Celsius +/- 39 degrees Fahrenheit and  me, dressed in my Tommy Bahama (not known for his winter wear) pullover found me underdressed for the assault on the Alhambra.

The Moorish Fortress was all that was promised and we were more than grateful for our prior reservations as we were greeted by hundreds of people standing in line waiting for cancellations. We were free to roam the grounds until our appointment at 9am to view the castle. The tour itself was self guided with the aid of an electronic tour guide. The tour took about two hours and we then went back to see some of the areas that we had originally overlooked. 

The walkers in the group, felt it was an easy walk back down the hill to the Plaza Nueva just as I was about to get into a taxi. While the map was clear and the route looked to be direct, the steepness of the cobblestone walk way was not accurately depicted. While I had the right shoes on, I brought the wrong set of knees for the hike down I'mvisiting Barbara Orr's knee doctor as soon as I get off the plane. Our downward trek finished in a most scenic plaza. We all collapsed for a beer and a light lunch before heading back to the hotel and a bit of a nap.  

The next day found us up and at um early as we had to keep moving so as to be in Sitges for a few days prior to the Orr's flight home from Barcelona. We decided to break up the drive from Granada to Sitges with a stopover somewhere.  

That stopover turned out to be a place called Alicante right on the coast.
Susan and Don did a grocery store fun for wine and stuff for breakfast. They scored 5 bottles of wine and breakfast goodies for 12 euros. Lesson learned, always let Don book your cruise and buy your wine as he's bound to snag some sort of a deal. 

We enjoyed our wine poolside, then headed across the street to a well hidden Tapas bar in the middle of a little shopping plaza. We were finally enjoying a true tapas experience thanks in part to a local and the lady owner who helped us navigate our way thru the meal.I bought my helpful, new friend a beer and he repaid me with a glass of wine on his way out   What a "Lovely" evening! 

There was a bit a rebellion the next day in that some in the group wanted to spend the nite in Valencia. A drive down the main thorough fare showed Valencia to be just another big city and since I had the steering wheel on my side of the car, we continued on to Sitges. A bit longer of a day on the road than I planned, but I am real glad we pushed on to Sitges. 

Even though we had reservations at a sea side hotel in Siges we couldn't find the damn place. Barbara finally took charge of the Garman and located the hotel. Marginal but comfortable and a block from the beach. The weather began to change in our favor and we had almost beach days for the next couple of days. The girls laid on the beach one day while Don and I rented bicycles for a ride along the promenade. 

We thought we would do Barcelona the next day by taking the train into the city in the morning and returning that evening. Found a great tapas bar thanks to the owner of the Hotel and then settled down for the evening prior to our venture into the big city of Barcelona. 

The train station was just a short distance from our hotel. Bob and Debbie had first discovered Sitges a few years ago after riding the train south and getting off by chance at this lovely seaside town. Sitges is just a 30 minute drive to Barcelona International Airport so its an ideal place to stay prior to flying.
We purchased our tickets and waited for the next train to Barcelona. Quite a convenient commute as the trains left every fifteen minutes for the trip up the coast and into Barcelona. Its quite a scenic trip and reminiscent of the ride up the coast and into Santa Barbara with the tracks hugging the surf line. 

With Rick Steves Snapshot book of Barcelona firmly in hand we ascended the stairs out of the train station and into the bustling city to begin our stroll along the world famous Ramblas, the pedestrian walkway that dissects the city. The Ramblas is home to street entertainers, coffee and food stations and seems to be the major artery of the city. This beautiful tree-lined walkway while lovely to stroll is indeed the tourist mecca of the city. 

We were warned to mind our purses and wallets as this street is said to be a pickpocket's paradise. We were also advised that a oneway trip down the Ramblas was all that was required and that we should explore the labyrinth of streets and alleyways of old town and then return by taxi to the train station. As promised, old town proved to be collection of winding streets, small hotels and a variety of shops.

Lunch and a beer revived our tired legs that were not yet used to the undulating cobblestone walkways that lead you thru this part of town. We discovered a most interesting underground museum which featured the early beginnings of Barcelona. Cathedrals were everywhere many of which required a rather steep admission for entry. While we missed many of the the must see sites of the city and the weather did cooperate, we found Barcelona to be just another large European City, complete with the masses, the traffic and the ever present McDonalds. Next trip we hit the Gawdy Cathederal. 

Susan and I have long ago realized that we do much better in the smaller cities, as the larger ones tend to look all alike and are far less easy to navigate and feel comfortable in. I was in Barcelona in ˜63 and we stayed for several days and thoroughly enjoyed the city. Today, however, Barcelona takes on the look and feel of any major metropolis which in a way is rather disappointing. Your sense of adventure and exploration are diminished as you set out to explore the unknown only to find that the masses have beaten you to it. I feel bad for our kids and grand kids who have yet to travel and experience these cities that at one time seemed so exciting and full of new surprises. While I enjoyed the visual of my few hours spent in Barcelona, I don't need to go back again. The Barcelona that I visited in "63 staying in a youth hostal with a paella joint across the street doesn't exist today......sounds like I'm getting old and jaded and spending a bit too much time looking to the past 

.
Enough of the philosophical.  We somehow managed to find the train station and after a few anxious moments we boarded a train that we hoped would take us back to our Sitges. While not totally confident of our decision to board the train on the number two track, we were assured by our fellow travelers that we were indeed on the right train. Between the four of us we know just enough Spanish to keep us out of serious trouble. 

Back in Sitges and another Tapas dinner at our new favorite restaurant and we were forced to call it a day. As the Orrs had to fly home on the 6^th we spent our last day with the girls laying on the beach as Don and I on rented bikes to give Sitges one last look A rather expensive Mexican dinner that actually translated fairly well got us geared up to part ways with Don and Barbara. 

We got to Barcelona Int'l Airport in short order from Sitges and dropped the Orrs off for their flight home and then Susan and I headed north to Salvadore Dali's original home in Cadaques where he lived and painted with his wife Gala for many of his later years, We have had good luck booking our stays in advance thru Bookings.com and our stay in Cadaques was no exception. Our hotel located on a quiet bay in a town similar to the one we just left immediately put us at ease and comfortable in our new surroundings. 

We headed out of town a short way to Dali's home. Dali was born just up the road in a town called Figueres. Showing early promise as an artist and after a successful showing in Barcelona, he moved to Paris to paint with the likes of Picasso and Muro and became the chief spokesman for the Surrealists movement. After marrying Gala, he returned to Cadaques and began painting in earnest in a collection of lovely buildings he wove together to create his home. 

The house stands today exactly as it did when Dali left after the death of his wife. All of his personal items are still in place along with some of his original art that was in progress at the time. After Gala's death he moved back up the road to his birthplace in Figueres. On our way out of town we tried to visit the museum there that houses many of his works, only to find it closed for the day. Our intentions are to visit it again when we return from Hank and Cindy's on our way back to Barcelona for our flight home. 

After our visit with Salvadore, we had a pleasant walk from our Hotel to the town center for dinner. The town is much smaller than Sitges, about the size of Avalon, and made us feel right at home. 

The next day found us on our way to the farm in France. It was going to be a long day on the road but we are both looking forward to seeing the kids again and the progress they have made. After encountering only a few toll roads in Spain, we crossed the French border and were greeted by the sign with the French Soldier's hand out collecting toll charges. I admit that while the roads are lovely and high speed they are expensive as I found myself wearing my pant's pockets out once again searching for euros. 

We arrived at the kids place early afternoon and were greeted by their collection of cats and dogs and most importantly our new bathroom en suite. Since I was last there, Hank has completed both upstairs bathrooms as well as various other improvements to their home and on their grounds.  

Many of Hank's efforts go unseen, as they pertain to the mechanicals and plumbing of the house. A new gate welcomes visitors to Petit Clos and onto the new crushed stone driveway that leads to the house.  

Their home in Topanga Canyon while it is still being leased is now in escrow and will be sold to the present tenants in the months ahead feeing ups some sorely needed cash. They will have two rooms ready to let, just in time for the 2012 tourist season that begins in a few weeks. Cindy continues her battles with the French bureaucracy trying to secure their driver's licenses and selling off a parcel of land all the while trying to establish their legal residency and smoothing over the issues of establishing their own business. 

It seems insurmountable what they chosen to confront on a daily basis. They have secured the services of an accountant to help with the legal forms required to make all this happen as well as coordinate the tax issues they are forced to deal with both here in France and in the United States. They must be very careful with their farming as they are functioning under centuries old laws and regulations that at times can be quite onerous to foreign nationals. If not followed to the letter of the law, they are in danger of losing rights to their property and in some cases it could be taken from them. 

As I write, Hank is continuing his love affair with his vineyard. They have decided to manage their own vineyard this year to include all of the maintenance and sale of the grapes that will be harvested. A few days ago he attacked the vineyard with a vengeance as he weeded with a lawnmower and weed wacker. Previously he had staked and tied up the vines and as they begin to flourish so also do the weeds. The results he achieved with all the wrong equipment is quite a testimony to his hard work and perseverance. The vineyard looks marvelous and if the grape gods are willing they can make a few bucks out of their 2½ acres they have under cultivation.

A lot of their land is what is called prairies and is cared for by an outside tenant who maintains the land in exchange for the hay that is harvested. As they must maintain their acreage (50+/- acres) to certain standards, this arrangement seems to work out quite well. 

Caleigh continues to amaze everyone with her mastery of the French language and her overall achievements in school. She is at the top her class in all subjects, including French where she consistently outscores and out performs the locals even though she has only been in the system for a year and a half.
Currently she is choosing a school for her next 3 years. If the kids test well, they are forced to choose a direction for high school that will eventually determine what they will be doing with the rest of their academic life. School is essentially free, but she will be forced to live away from home and so the cost of boarding will fall on Hank and Cindy. She will probably end up in Bergerac about a half hour away; boarding their, Sunday thru Thursday. 

All and all, life goes well for the Petterson Family. We have taken some leisurely outings to some of the surrounding areas for Market Day. Susan and Cindy are making items for these markets that she will sell in the months ahead, and Hank is back in the vineyards doing what vintners do. Yesterday Hank and I laid out the area for the new pool which will installed shortly after we leave. The pool is an in ground prefab pool which seems to be all the rage and the kids consider it an absolute must in attracting their future clientele. 

The days are long with sunrise around 6-7am and the sun setting at 10pm Cocktail hour begins a bit later here on the farm usually after 7pm and dinner follows around 9pm so for the most part we are in bed when the sun goes down. I guess thats what farmers do. 

Had dinner at a wonderful little restaurant just down the way and have chosen to visit it again for our bon voyage dinner next Monday nite. 

A day trip on Saturday, will take us to the wine district of Saint Emilion for lunch and a walk about of the town. Hank swears by a truck stop that he has heard about as a possible lunch venue????????  Really,Hank? I didn't fly 5000 miles to the gourmet capital of the world to eat at a truck stop we'll see. 

As I mentioned, Susan and I begin our trip home Tuesday 22^nd for our flight home from Barcelona on the 24^th . We'll stop for an overnite stay back in Figueres and try to catch the Dali museum open this time and then on to Sitges for a final Tapas dinner in preparation for our flight the next day to the states. If ever you have the occasion to fly from Barcelona, Sitges is the perfect place to stay prior to your flight. An easy 20 min drive to the airport while avoiding the chaos that is Barcelona.

Its been an interesting and varied seven weeks and we are both anxious to head home and see the rest of the family and re-acquaint ourselves with Isabella, the newest member. We had Mother's day with  Matt and Natalie. on the phone. It was a relief to me that Aiden remembered us and seemed anxious to talk to us in this new format. It took him a few moments to get the hang of what was going on, but in the end seemed reluctant to say good bye. 

Well, I'll say good bye for now.and thanks for reading and being a part of the journey. I'm already looking forward to the next journey and I hope you'll tag along again.......................................gb
 

Ps. We did eat at theTruck Stop that today after a rainy day visit St. Emilion and the lunch was wonderful. Apologies to Hank.