Month: July 2017

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From Granada to the Granite State

I left you in Granada…originally I'd planned to return to Madrid via train and spend the night there before flying out (by "planned" I mean thinking about doing that maybe). My lack of planning in the traditional sense was fortunate when I decided to extend my love affair with Mallorca by a day and return to Madrid via the overnight bus instead. I did not have high hopes for the overnight bus (the sacrifices I make for Mallorca) but it ended up working out well and the airport was an easy subway ride from the bus station. Seriously, the buses in Spain are pretty incredible. Our chariot was a huge double-decker with big comfy seats, AND you had your own TV. I was recently on a flight to California without my own TV so this was a pleasant perk. And all of this for only 19 euro, plus tax!

My bus seatmate (who I later learned was a bit "eccentric") was holding a pack of cigarettes in his lap when I first sat down. I had a moment of panic (thinking that European buses are the equivalent to an airport smoking lounge on wheels) and I dug deep for my words… "Fumar en el autobus?" He didn't say anything but handed me a cigarette (which I awkwardly held for a little while before stashing in an empty water bottle).  Thankfully there was no smoking on the bus but he held the pack the entire time like a security blanket. He then tried to start a few bizarre conversations (that I will spare you the details of), so I closed my eyes and pretended to sleep. I woke up from a deep slumber five hours later… with my head on cigarette guy's shoulder and him smiling at me, creepily. I was less than thrilled but at least pretty well-rested. Can't win 'em all I guess!

I arrived at the Madrid airport and had some time in the lounge (Yay for the "Priority Pass" credit card perk!) where I showered, loaded up on snacks and charged my phone. I will say these international lounges are niiiice and I was kind of bummed when it was time for my flight. Sadly, my flight was taking me back to los Estados Unidos (you can take the girl out of Spain…), therefore ending my Euro-junket preview trip. As background, while "planning" my travels, I had to work around some previously planned domestic obligations (don't feel bad for me- obligations is a strong word). So, I maximized free-time in July with my tour de Spain and now have an international travel August recess (so DC of me) before taking my show over the pond again. If you don't care about what I'm doing in 'Merica (I wouldn't blame you at all) tune back into my blog around Labor Day.

First stop on the stateside tour: New Hampshire (no, I'm not planning on running in 2020…but don't they all say that?).  In the granite state I met up with my sister, sister-in-law, aunt and two cousins to celebrate my grandmother's 92nd birthday with a day at the Wentworth Spa. As background, Nan had never had a massage, and having taken to regular manicures after her first one earlier this year, we decided it was time (these Depression Era grandparents don't seem to understand the importance of splurging on life necessities like this!). Nan clearly had a hard time getting comfortable in the spa environment (timestamp is approx 5 minutes post-arrival):

The spa services and staff at the Wentworth could not have been better (thanks to cousin Megan for organizing!) and we culminated the celebration with a delicious lunch at their waterfront restaurant, Latitude.

The timing all worked out perfectly, even the full-circle rainbow we arranged to dazzle the sky upon her arrival  (yes, this is real and it stuck around for a good 30 min for photo opps):

All in all, WOO-HOO for 92!!! Nan is an incredible woman, as demonstrated by the fact she declared skydiving as her next birthday first (cousin Megan has recused herself from the planning of this non-spa-related activity but we'll figure it out among the cousins).

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Granada Finale!

Following an emotional it’s-a-see-you-later-not-goodbye to Mallorca, I boarded my flight to Granada (btw, I have several Spain travel tips/things I wish I’d known that I’ll share in a separate post). As I sat on the plane I realized I really didn’t know what to expect in Granada (you may be noticing a theme with my pre-trip research. I guess I just like being surprised…like going on a mystery tour!)

I checked into my hotel, the Room Mate Leo, which (for a whopping $62 a night) provided large and modern rooms, a quality breakfast (trust me, I know a good breakfast), and a perfect location. I explored the eclectic city streets that afternoon, taking in the unique qualities of the city. It’s a blend of winding medieval streets with pockets of elaborate graffiti, cobblestone walkways lined with high-end shops, the white-washed houses of the Arab district, and what seemed like an astounding number of churches (even by Spain standards).

I then stumbled upon the Granada Cathedral (you’d think it would be hard to miss but is kinda tucked away in the curvy streets). I’d been to several breathtaking cathedrals at this point in the trip was considering myself a bit of a cathedral snob. Well, the Granada Cathedral wasted no time putting me in my place! There really are no words to describe the richness and grandeur of this beautiful church. Hopefully this helps:

Following the cathedral, I took a respite at an outdoor cafe where I ordered a cold beverage. My drink of choice was Verdejo (my now fave Spanish wine that tastes like a cross between Vino Verde and Sauvignon blanc) and I was VERY pleasantly surprised when they also brought a little snack! So, apparently it’s a tradition in Granda to provide a complimentary mystery-tapa when you order a drink (soda and water included). You know me and my love of both snacks and mysteries…does it get any better than this?!? I was SO fascinated by this Granada perk, in both the price-per-calorie (PPC) value of the deal (around 2- 3 euros for the drink AND mystery snack) and in how the the tapas varied between establishments. All over the culinary map, really:

The next day I embarked on a tour of the Alhambra, the site Granada is most known for. Once again, I didn’t know exactly what Granada was known for when I booked the trip but this Alhambra thing seemed like the thing to do. I’m told you should book tickets in advance and the ticket purchasing system can be complex. But I got distracted Vespa-ing, etc. and then learned that my idea of “in-advance” is different from that of other peoples. (Doesn’t “in-advance” mean “before the day of??”)  Thankfully I found a tour group with great reviews that had space available in their afternoon tour. (btw, I would definitely recommend this over touring on your own and if you use this company ask for Gustovo- he’s a riot and knows the joint like the back of his hand). Teaser pics:

In summary (I’ll try to make Gustovo proud) the Alhambra is a huuuuge complex of  Moorish palaces and gardens that first broke ground on construction in the 10th century and was continually expanded. When the Christian re-conquest thing happened in 1492 (yup, same year Columbus sailed the ocean blue) it was repurposed for Ferdinand and Isabella and was actually where C. Columbus collected the coin to fund his voyage. Later another enormous palace was built for King Charles V,  the Holy Roman Emperor. Eventually the whole thing fell into disarray and was neglected until the 19th Century when restorations began. First we toured Generalife Gardens which were used as a summer palace waaay back in the 1300s and consists of stunning gardens, courtyards and fountains, etc. I’d totally vacation there. Three hours flew by as we continued the tour through a series of palaces, each with unique and equally majestic styles and enhanced by the spectacular views and warm late afternoon lighting. And, of course Gustavo had many fun facts and historical nuggets to share throughout the tour.

Alhambra is unbelievably beautiful and fascinating at the same time- a truly incredible place! If you do the bucket list thing, add it. (I admit I later looked up “wonders of the world” and I still can’t believe Alhambra isn’t on the list. Wtf.)

I basked in the glow of my Alhambra tour with my final meal in Granada. I returned to  El Pescaito de Carmela, where I’d enjoyed gazpacho and a mystery-snack the day before and had vowed to return. This time I feasted on grilled scallops (just as tasty as they are beautiful) and the best mussels I’ve ever had:

It was really a cherry on top of my quick trip to another magical Spanish city! Wait for my next post to hear what’s next…

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Más Mallorca por favor!

Apologies that I lapsed a bit with the blog, but I was distracted soaking in the magical city of Mallorca! I really did try, though. Last night, with the best of blogger intentions, I sat in the beautiful open-air Courtyard in my hotel (apparently a 16th century former palace) and then, Mallorca-style, this happened…

Scene: Girl sits alone in the palace-hotel Courtyard, typing on her laptop. Enter Boy (a dashing British currency trader). Boy strikes up a conversation with Girl and asks if he may sit at her table. Girl smiles and nods. Boy sits. Boy and Girl converse. Enter Hotel Butler. Hotel Butler informs Boy and Girl that it is not permissible to speak in the palace-hotel Courtyard after 10pm. Hotel Butler assures Boy and Girl that they may remain in the Courtyard, with the requirement that they must not speak. Exit Hotel Butler. Pause… Boy inquires if Girl would be interested in putting her laptop away and joining him for a drink. Girl slams laptop shut. End Scene.

THIS REALLY HAPPENED! And I wasn’t even surprised it happened. It’s is just the kind of stuff that happens in this magical place called Mallorca!

Mallorca is the only stop in my tour de Spain that I chose without any recommendations from friends. While planning the trip I came across a USA Today article naming Mallorca as one of nine places that should be on your bucket list to visit. Even though I don’t have a bucket list, it caught my attention as I hadn’t been to any of the nine places, minus a layover in Houston (um, in hindsight, interesting that Houston made this illustrious list?) Anyways, I took the article to heart….how could I be in the same country, and just a hop, skip, and a jump away, and not visit a BUCKET LIST PLACE? So, without knowing much more than the short paragraph in the article, I added Mallorca to my itinerary. Done and done. Here’s another glimpse of that Mallorca magic:

I arrived thinking I’d have a relaxing few days at the beach. I did NOT arrive thinking I would become absolutely enamored with the city and would later change my travel plans to stay an extra day! I spent most of my time in Palma, the capital and largest city (no skyscrapers but plenty of castles, cathedrals, coastline, and mountains).

The most obvious feature of Palma is the awe-inspiring Gothic Cathedral, with a stunning blue back-drop of the Mediterranean coastline that includes stunning beaches and ports packed with sailboats and yachts, as well as green mountain ranges to complete the panoramic view. While walking around I felt like I was in an open-air castle…it truly feels magical.

The first full day I took a free walking tour of Palma and then toured myself through the gorgeous beaches. I enjoyed a delicious dinner at Restaurante Pesquero (overlooking the port) and tried a white fish that was new to me. How have I not heard of the John Dory fish before?! I think I’m now president of the John Dory fan club.

Yesterday I took an old-fashioned wooden train to a coastal village, the Port of Soller. I enjoyed an out-of-this-world lunch at Kingfisher (one of the benefits of being a party of one) and spent the afternoon beaching-it and exploring the streets before the scenic trip back to Palma.

All in all, I think of Mallorca as Barcelona’s younger, smaller, and more laid-back cousin. M looks up to bigger city cousin B but doesn’t feel at all inferior, and while I love them both equally (and it wouldn’t be fair to pick favorites) I will always have a special place in my heart for lil’ Mallorca!

Next up….Granada!

 

 

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B-b-b-bar-celona (to the tune of My Sharona, obvs)

Everyone I know who’d been to Barcelona said they just KNEW I would love it. And they were not wrong! This could mean one of two things- my friends really know me and my travel tastes OR everyone who goes to Barcelona loves it. No offense my friends, but in this case I’m leaning towards the latter. What a special city and I'm so thankful you all encouraged me to go!

First of all, I can't wait to go back. You know when you leave a place and you're perfectly satisfied? You know… those times you did what you wanted and while maybe it would have been nice to stay a little longer, you're fulfilled. Let me be clear that I did NOT feel that way when leaving Barcelona this morning. I guess I didn't know what I didn't know I wanted to see and do! In short, it left me wanting more… I hear the city is stealth like that. Barcelona has the upper hand in our relationship, for sure.

So, upon arrival in Barcelona I checked into my accommodations at the Yeah hostel. I never did the whole backpacking through Europe thing (I guess it's happening now, except with a humongous, bright teal roller-board) and I haven’t stayed in many hostels, so wasn’t sure what to expect. The Yeah hostel far surpassed my expectations. It was modern, trendy, clean, and full of friendly staff and fellow adventurers.  I would highly recommend it if you’re looking for a cost efficient and fun place to stay, and it's in a fantastic location (if you don’t mind sharing a room with strangers, that is. I realize that’s not everyone’s cuppa tea).

I started my first full day with a walking tour of the Gothic district of Barcelona. The tour began at the Cathedral, which blew me away, and our guide explained the different Roman, Gothic and Neo-Gothic influences to the Cathedral and surrounding basilicas (I clearly hadn't paid attention in some class in high school as this was mostly new to me). We ended the tour in the Born district, which is extremely quaint and is known for consisting of family-owned shops and restaurants. It was one of my favorite neighborhoods. That afternoon I walked a TON around the city-it felt like 600 miles (yes, that's more than the Proclaimers). In my wandering I came across the Arc De Triomphe and many other generally awe-inspiring sites.

Then my awesome friend from the Vespa tour, Kristina, arrived in Barcelona on a post-tour trip with her Dad, John Edwards (not that one). Lucky me that we were there at the same time!! We had a great meal at Cervecería Catalana, that had been recommended by a few people and definitely did not disappoint. (Btw, I've taken my snacking to a new level here in Espana…it's hard to wait until 9-10pm for dinner! Thank goodness for those wasabi peas).

The next day our traveling trio (me, Kristina and not that John Edwards) had a fabulous Day O' Gaudi! We began with a free Gaudi walking tour run by a company called Runnerbeans. Their tours are great and I'm thankful another Vespa tour friend recommended them. I admittedly did not know much about this Gaudi dude before the tour but he's really fascinating, as are his architectural influences throughout the city. Then we jumped right into  a self-guided tour of the Basilica of the Sangara Family, which was designed by Gaudi and has been "under construction" for almost 135 years  (word on the street is that completion is in the foreseen future). Even incomplete it's almost impossible to describe the grandness of the structure (nevermind the intricate details and symbolism behind the design elements). We then took the elevator to the top of one of the monstrous bell towers (beautiful views!) and he had to walk 400 (tiiiiny, spiral) steps down. I kid you not! We all had vertigo for a lil' bit after that descent.

To top off the day we visited Park Guell, that Gaudi had designed for his biggest/richest client and good friend (named Something Guell). It's a spectacular place with three houses, gardens, and amazing and colorful Gaudi designs throughout (btw, apparently the word "gaudy" may be derived from Gaudi's name). Regardless of the Gaudi/Gaudy-ness, we all loved it! Here's Kristina and not that John Edwards:


I coordinated my outfit with the tourist attraction:

Lastly we had dinner at at a muy bien restaurante called Xativa L'Arrosseria, which was recommended by 'Francis from the Front Desk' at the Yeah hostel. It was located in the Garcia district,which is a non-touristy and authentic part of Barcelona. While the restaurant was comfortably crowded, there wasn't a wait (even at 9pm- the start of prime-time dining!) and it was clear we were among many locals. We shared two types of ridiculously delicious seafood paella (one made with black rice from squid ink) and we pretty much licked the skillets clean. My wish for delicious paella during my last night in Barcelona was more than fulfilled. Muchas gracias Barcelona! I will most definitely be back.

Next blog preview…Mallorca…I'm here!

 

 

 

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I’m a blog derelict and I love riding a Vespa

Sorrrrryyyy friends….I made a big to-do about this blog and am not very good at keeping it up so far.  I knew it was bad when my mom texted: "I saw the video of the dildo but nothing since and wanted to make sure I'm doing it right." You're doing it right, Mom. The dildo video was the last post. Now on to a new one! Phew.

In my defense, I was on an AMAZING Vespa tour through Spain for four days and we did not have much (aka zero) down-time. I discovered a tour company based in the U.K. that specializes in solo travel adventures for people in their 30's and 40's (they are called Flashpack). I have three trips planned with them and this was my first, so I was taking a risk not knowing what the experience would be like (btw, let me be clear Flashpack is not sponsoring this blog….but maybe they should?) Here's my first time on the Vespa:

Summary: I love riding a Vespa (I guess it's one of those brands that dominates, like Xerox and Kleenex? I digress.)  Our group of ten people (now friends) embarked on the journey with our fearless leader, Javier, and his hilarious sidekick, Nacho. We were in great hands! We started on the Vespas with some trepidation but soon were making our way through hairpin turns on narrow mountain roads (I swear!). I hate to toot my own horn but I thought we were the best Vespa riders ever. Later it was indicated that perhaps other groups have ridden faster, but why would you when you have such beautiful views?! We rode for miles with sunflowers everywhere:

We rode  ~ 50k a day (that's far!) and stayed at three beautiful and quaint towns, Tamajon, Sepulveda, and Pedraza. Each one had such unique and special qualities. We enjoyed a DELISH home-cooked Spanish meal the first night in Tamajon, we stayed at a castle (really) in Sepulveda, and Pedraza was especially amazing, as it's a medieval village with cobblestones everywhere and a view that looks fake. Here's the Sepulveda castle (note the real doorbell above the door, to the left):

All in all, I could not have asked for a better experience or better people to share it with (you know who you are). Today I arrived in Barcelona, and am soaking it in so far… more on that later. Please send along any Barcelona travel tips/recommendations, as this is my maiden voyage!

 

 

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Different strokes from different yolks!

Prepare yourselves…this video is a real thing.  I finally landed in Madrid today and swung by the gift shop.  This display next to the register caught my attention. At first I thought it was for candy eggs for kids. Not so much. People weren't lying about Spain being a progressive country!

P.S. I'm too tired to write more about the first day of my first 'Sometimes You Just Gotta' (SYJG) international trip (Yes, I'm in the early stages of recovery from speaking in acronyms for the past ten years). Bottom line is that I learned to ride a vespa and am looking forward to (albeit slightly nervous) about our 100km "slalom ride" over the mountains tomorrow.

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Tiny shopping cart

 

My sister, Tobi, gave me this birthday card last year. The inside says “No one travels through life quite like you.” I smiled every time I looked at it so I hung it in my office, directly behind my computer monitor.  I looked at it for almost a year before I gave the little kid a knowing nod and decided it was time to take my show on the road (my show just being me, not doing anything particularly exciting, and not even having a tiny shopping cart prop).

 

I’d been at my job for ten years when I quit last month. My colleagues, friends and family were almost overly understanding and everyone seems to want to “live vicariously” through a seemingly irresponsible person. This blog seems like the easiest and most efficient way to do this (and for my parents to know where I am) but if you’d rather just keep up through pictures, my Instagram handle is @Teha7

I realize that I’m extremely fortunate to be at a place in my life where I can do this. After 17 years of working, and it felt like a lot of working, I can just stop doing it for a period of time… and it can be okay (or at least so far it is- fingers crossed!). There are so many places I haven’t seen and I want to make a dent in that before re-entering the real world (btw, I was told I’m too young to be having a mid-life crisis so I’m going with that).

I’m writing this from the Charles de Gaulle airport- my first time in France! I’m only here for a few hours but I plan to come back at some point and see more than the Air France lounge (thanks to the Points Guy for telling me about credit cards that give access to lounges!) The free snacks are an amazing perk and I feel like an old lady on a cruise ship stashing away wasabi peas in a baggie for later). Also, I don’t know much French but I always thought it interesting that “Ca va” meant both “how are you” and “I’m fine” so I’m trying to drop that as much as I can, just for kicks.

So…welcome to my blog! I’ll try to be responsible enough to keep it up, but no guarantees. I guess the road less travelled doesn’t have many guarantees, but I’m hoping I stumble across at least one tiny shopping cart! It would come in handy to transport the wasabi peas.