Anyhoo, these girls do not exhibit such behavior and are polite on the field. It is some good exercise and am happy she is involved. Went last night and she scored her first 'try'...there is a season ending tournament tomorrow and will take the big camera out, but grabbed a couple of shots of the action last night.
Home stretch...it feels like I am rushing through this travelogue, but want to get it done by today as I am heading to SF on Sunday to visit Mom. Seems that the recommendations of the care givers think she would be better in the Assisted Living area of her place rather than the Independent part. Was a really tough decision cause you move apartments for good. Mom doesn't want to admit that she needs the extra help and really, no one does. We were talking it through this weekend and Betty thought wisely that it'd be good for me to be there to lend some moral support and help with the transition. As a serial organizer, can also use my obsession to help her sort through stuff that needs to go or can be donated.
Betty likes my mom's clothes (mom obviously got her good fashion sense from me) and said that she wouldn't be upset if I brought home some tasteful outfits. I told Betty that she should be ashamed to be picking through the bones and she said, "I don't want the bones, I want the meat."
Likely that I will skip posting for a week, but there is enough meat from the last few days to keep you occupied.
January 3rd - 2017 San Sebastian (Donostia) - Pamplona (Iruna)
Promised the kids that once we were done in Porto that our trip would slow down a lot. No tours...just eat. I let them all sleep in late and took the opportunity for another AM stroll. This morning, took the walk around the Kursall (two laps) and it was hypnotic again.
We took all of our allotted time in the apartment and checked out at noon, loaded up the car and walked to one more pintxo joint that Bourdain recommended. We didn't order any of the recommendations from the article, but had some amazing mushroom risotto, Spanish tortilla and ham/tomato sandwiches.
One thing of note about San Sebastian before we leave...it is one of the most handicapped friendly cities I have ever seen. Not only is it flat and the streets are well paved/maintained, but all the buildings, even the old ones, have been retrofitted to accommodate wheelchairs. The first thing I noticed when pulling into town was the amount of people using walkers and wheelchairs and it was a constant theme throughout our time there.
With our Bilbao retirement talk, had to note this cane-friendly town as another entrant to consider. As it is only an hour and a half from Bilbao, had visions of driving over from our apartment in Bilbao and spending a weekend eating our brains out here. And we discussed if on those visits I would get one or two cheesecakes to go. We decided on two...eat one in the car on the drive home and have one to eat once we got there.
As we are pulling out of town, Babydoll was confused as we had been (drunk) talking the night before about grabbing a piece of cheesecake this morning AND taking a whole one with us on the road. We later realized that it was far too glutinous and decided against it, but she wasn't part of that second discussion and the look of on her face when we didn't stop for a slice was priceless. "No cheesecake :("
We drove straight through to Pamplona (just over an hour) and hit it right at siesta time. They must take their siestas very seriously there cause as we walked around, not a single store was open or person was out.
It was far livelier at night with a Christmas market in the main square (complete with camel rides for the little ones)
They had pintxos in town but they were not highlighted as being the thing to consume and knowing we had the experience of a lifetime with them last night, we sat down for a proper meal instead. It was good but overpriced...I had crab lasagna which shoulda been spectacular but was simply fine.
The game of the night, and for the rest of the trip was conceived this evening. Remember Babydoll's outfit above? That specific style of jacket (green canvas with faux sherling lining and faux fur hood) was the hot fashion item of the season. As soon as we stepped out the lobby for our walk this night, every other lady had that jacket. Much like PunchBucks, we started in on punching each other when we saw the jacket. It didn't take long for all of our arms to go numb, so we narrowed the criteria down to people having the exact same outfit on as B-doll...green jacket, jeans and white sneakers. Even with this narrowing down of the criteria, there had to be a couple dozen more punches given in the next hour or so. Wonder what the locals thought of the weird foreign family beating the crap out of each other.
January 4th, 2018 - Pamplona
Research indicated there wasn't a ton of sights to see here, and we had a big day tomorrow, so took a morning stroll, siesta-d, and then an evening stroll.
Thought our hotel was nice until I learned they allowed pets.
"The" church to see in town cost money that we weren't willing to spend, so crisis averted.
Christmas in Spain goes till the 6th of January and I guess the kids get their presents then to coincide with the Wise Men's arrival in Bethlehem. Instead of Santa, kids tell these blue elves what they want for presents.
And of course, we take the goofy staged family photos whenever offered. These were goofier than some...the kids are getting older and resist these embarrassing things more, so it took a good 10 minutes to coerce them to agree. I finally said that if it was cheap enough, they had to do it and asked them what would be cheap enough. Boy said 1 euro and B-doll hedged and said two. It ended up being only 2 euros and the Boy got pissed. Classic.
Betty cannot resist mugging for the camera.
Nice dinner that was exactly half the price and better than the night before. We all got the exact same thing...stuffed milanesas. Mmmmmm. We liked Pamplona...not sure if I'd say it is a must unless your going for the running of the bulls, but certainly mellow and quaint.
Called it an early night as I wanted to hit the road as soon as possible in the morning. I told the kids "8AM in the lobby" and B-doll countered with, "There is an 8 AM?"
January 5th, 2018 - Pamplona to Madrid
Originally, wanted to make this drive slowly and tool around La Rioja wine country but decided against it for the same reasons we bagged on Port wine country. Plus, Betty had a private agenda in Madrid and thought that if we cooked it on the road, could get there in time to also see a few things.
Left town as the sun was rising (Babydoll quote..."there is a sun rise?") and put the Seat Leon to the test. MapQuest said 4 and a half hours and did it in 3 hr 45 mins. It's a good thing that I never learned how to convert kilometers into miles...had it pegged at 140 (87mph) most of the time and hit 170 (= 106) during nap time in the back seat.
Let me tell you up front that we kicked the shit out of Madrid. Did some planning the night before and was ready for action. We rolled in a little before noon and checked into the Marriott by the airport (our flights out were early the next day). 20 minutes later we are downtown at the Rimowa store so Betty could buy her luggage.
She is a junkie for luggage and since she travels over 200 days of the year, deserves a nice set. She has been eyeing this new Rimowa style that has GPS and all kinds of other gadgets for a year now. I know it is expensive and don't really want to know just how much they are, but she justifies it by saying with getting back the VAT, "it's almost free" and that she only wants two pieces. Park the car in a loading zone and in she goes. About 20 minutes later, out she comes with three pieces. The look of joy on her face made it all worthwhile.
7 minutes (and two violent PunchBucks) later, we are in front of the Latin American pastry shop that sells Havana brand alfajores. If you don't know them, they are Argentine shortbread cookies filled with dulce de leche and are fabulous. We pick up three boxes (one for the Boy to take back to school).
Another 10 minute drive away is the Reina Sofia museum that is the home of Picasso's Guernika painting and seeing it was on my not so hidden agenda. Parked the car underneath the museum (perfect spot...superpower still intact) and spent an hour or so seeing the highlights. A bunch of Picasso's for sure, but they had a bunch of stuff by Spanish masters like Juan Gris and Savador Dali. Not my faves, but better than that dark renaissance religious stuff that bums me out.
But the best was the room devoted to the work of Robert Capa. Didn't know his name going in, but he was a Hungarian photojournalist that is considered the best war photographer. Many of the photos were instantly recognizable and were very powerful. A book of his stuff would be a nice present for me.
And seeing Guenika was great. First...it's massive...11 1/2 feet tall and 25 1/2 feet wide. Again...not really the genre of art that inspires me, but knowing its history and impact (go listen to that podcast) made seeing it special.
It's now early afternoon and we're ready to chow down. Madrid is a world class city and we knew that it had all the food one could want. We figured (correctly) that it would have great Argentine food and found a place that was highly rated.
A lot of countries have Argentine restaurants but don't serve Argentine meat as there are bans due to hoof and mouth disease. Spain is not one of those countries so this was the real deal. As honorary Argentines, we know the difference. Betty loves her Argentine steaks and she and the Boy shared a mixed meat platter that was decadent. Babydoll and I like us some milanesa so we both ordered it napolitana style...she got chicken and I got beef. We all shared some perfect chorizos (the best sausages in the world in my opinion). Great.
By 4:30pm, we had just killed Madrid. Why so early you ask? Betty throws out in the car ride from Pamplona the following: "You know there's a Costco in Madrid?" We are total Costco hounds and this becomes a must do, so we had to take care of all the above family business efficiently to save time to hit it before closing time.
Glad we did...was able to fill up the rental on gas.
Lobster tank
We ended up walking out with a giant jar of dulce de leche, two 3-packs of pate and a new rain jacket for yours truly. Fantastique.
January 6th, 2018
The Boy's flight was early, so I took him to the airport in driving rain and this was the one and only time our GPS let us down. Took us way off the mark and I missed a couple of exits. Not good, but after 10 days in the car and well over 1000 kms, felt pretty good about our pilot and crew. I miss the Boy now that he is at school, not as much as mom, but hanging with him these two weeks was a joy. He has turned into a fella that I not only love, but genuinely like as a person and it is no surprise that he has made friends easily and adapted so well now that he is out there on his own.
The girls and my flight was out late afternoon and we had considered another dash into town to see what we could see. We decided against it for a few reasons. One, January 6th is a big holiday (King's Day or something or other) and a ton of stuff was closed. Secondly, it was cold...really the first nasty rainy cold day of our trip. And finally, with all of Betty's travel, she is considered royalty at the Marriott. We had access to the executive lounge, which had tasty snacks and an espresso machine, all day, and she gets upgraded to the suite. We just sat around in fluffy bathrobes and ate till it was time to head home.
Briefly about that. We were to fly from Madrid to Istanbul to Taipei. We must have been in the shitty terminal in Madrid cause it was old and roasting hot. Plane was delayed and knowing that I wasn't gonna have a pintxo again until...who knows, was starting to get grumpy. We make our connection in Istanbul and my eye is on my phone as the first day of Wild Card NFL games are about to start. Get into our seats and check out the movie menu. Live TV? A sports channel? No way they have the games on? They do! That just happily took up 6 hours of a 13 hour flight.
Good times.
Before signing out, have some overall musings about the trip.
First, the lemon water follows me everywhere. 'Enough" I say
Last year in Naples, we observed a town that was infatuated with penis. On this years trip, not so overt, but it's there to be found.
Shower doors on this trip were almost non-existent. They had partitions but one side of them was always exposed to the rest of the bathroom. We were in 7 different places and only one had a door that enclosed the entire shower. Inevitably, our showering skills were not tuned to this style and the floor puddled up. Must be a good reason for it and am sure there must be a correct style of showering to avoid a mess but we never figured it out.
Speaking of hotels, many have that system where you have to put a room key in the slot to activate the power in the room. A tip is to always carry a key from a previous hotel to insert so that you can carry the keys for the door as you walk around without losing power to the room (and your phones don't charge) They all work interchangeably and suggest you have one from a hotel you liked before so that you have a memento from a previous fun time.
What happened to nylons? Saw quite a few ladies wearing them on this trip. Unless you are working a job that requires them as part of the uniform, they are not worn anymore. Growing up, was weird to see women not wear them.
UNESCO is an abbreviation of United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization.
You know I am always on the hunt for a new way to say how hot I am. Heard a good one that was relevant on this trip. I'm as hot as Magellan...the sweat is circumnavigating my globes. Get ready to hear it this summer.
This is gonna be controversial but I made a note of it several times. Americans have fat asses. Of course the men are fat and I am not giving them a pass in any way, but it really hits you in the face as to how fat American women's butts are. Not yours of course. I had it in the back of my mind that when women give birth, especially white chicks, that their pelvic bones spread and that is a cause. But as one travels through Europe with the same genetic white chicks, I did not see a single lady...not even one, that had a huge spread ass. Watch Family Feud and if you see a single person without a giant derriere, you're watching a rerun from the 70's. Sorry about that, but it needed to be said.
Finally, and this is mainly for the PNW's but think his name in the travel industry is worldwide at this point, but do you like Rick Steves? I've watched his shows and found them OK at best, and his travel books are not very user friendly. On this trip a Facebook acquaintance, a foreign born US citizen (we're watching you by the way) posted a link to an article he wrote and is on his website called The Ugly Tourist and How Not To Be One. I copied and pasted it below...see you on the other side.
I'm going to be brutally frank: Many Americans' overseas trips suffer because they're treated like "ugly tourists." But those who are treated like ugly tourists are treated that way because they are ugly tourists. They aren't bad people, just ethnocentric (and there are plenty of tourists from other countries who also qualify as "ugly").
Even if you believe American ways are superior, your trip will go better if you don't compare. Enjoy doing things the local way during your trip, and you'll experience a more welcoming culture.
Europe sees two kinds of American travelers: Those who view Europe through air-conditioned bus windows, socializing with their noisy American friends, and those who are taking a vacation from the US, immersing themselves in different cultures, experiencing different people and lifestyles, and broadening their perspectives.
I see plenty of ugly tourists slogging through a sour Europe, mired in a swamp of complaints. Ugly tourism is a disease, but fortunately there is a cure: a change in attitude. The best over-the-counter medicine is a mirror. Here are some symptoms.
The ugly tourist invades a country while making no effort to communicate with the "natives." I see them a lot when I go to Tangier. They take a big bus tour from Spain to enjoy the one day in their life in Africa, and they have lunch there in the obvious "tourist-friendly" restaurant with a bunch of people from New Jersey. They're worried about not getting ripped off — and not getting diarrhea — and all they want to do is buy a carpet and get back onto their ferry safely. They go through the town with their day bags on their stomachs, looking like a bunch of nervous kangaroos. I see them and just shake my head. All I can think is "self-imposed hostage crisis."
The ugly tourist measures other countries with an American yardstick. They throw a fit if the hotel air-conditioning breaks down. In Europe, they insist on orange juice and eggs (sunny-side up) for breakfast, long beds, English menus, punctuality in Italy, and cold beer in England.
The ugly tourist travels around with a lot of unnecessary gear. Why do they need so much stuff? Good travelers don't bring everything from home. They're ready to walk. They stay in the action rather than next to the train station. In Europe, where so many city centers have been pedestrianized, you often can't take taxis into the very center of town. To be open to new experiences you need to be mobile, so just get serious about packing light.
The ugly tourist lets a camera rather than people become the focus. Many travelers tramp through Europe like they're visiting a cultural zoo: "Ooh, that guy in lederhosen yodeled! Excuse me, could you do that again in the sunshine so I can get a good picture?" The worst ones have selfie sticks. Let's officially rename these crazy things "narcissi-sticks." Watching people take selfies all over Europe — all day long, day after day — actually starts to seem a bit sad. It's important to stow your camera, roll up your sleeves, and enjoy the real thing. If you're hunting cultural peacocks, remember they fan out their tails best for people…not cameras. When you take a culture out of your viewfinder, you're more likely to find it in your lap.
The ugly tourist lets shopping trump nonmaterial experiences. Sure, shopping is an important part of many people's trips. But all too often, slick marketing and romantic displays succeed in shifting your vacation's entire focus toward things in the tourist shops. Even thoughtful shoppers go overboard. I have several large boxes labeled "great souvenirs" in my attic.
The ugly tourist is obsessive — burdened with needless complexity. Some people complicate their trips with inflatable hangers, instant coffee, special tickets for free entry to all the sights they won't see, and 65 Handi Wipes. They ask for a toilet in 17 words and use their smartphone to convert currencies to the third digit. Travel more like Gandhi — with simple clothes, open eyes, and an uncluttered mind.
By developing a knack for connecting with people and their culture, we become temporary locals — approaching a new country on its level, accepting and enjoying its unique ways of life. When I'm in Europe, I strive to become what I call a "cultural chameleon" — a temporary European. I consume wine in France, beer in Germany — and when I get the urge for a good old-fashioned American breakfast, I beat it to death with a hard roll.
Find ways to really be in the place you came to see. If you can think positively, travel smartly, adapt well, and connect with the culture, you'll banish the ugly and have a truly beautiful trip.
Am curious as to your thoughts but will share a couple of mine. What a fucking douchebag. Literally every gripe he has pissed me off something fierce. Hey, if carrying too much crap along makes me happy, why does it bother you. You know what else the guy that tells the lederhosen wearing yodeler to move into the sun does? Buys shit in his shithole (I'm bringing it back) town. A "you're welcome or danke shoen" would be appropriate. I got a selfie stick for you Rick. One of my favorite lines..."I consume wine in France, beer in Germany - and when I get the urge for a good old-fashioned American breakfast, I beat it to death with a hard roll." First of all, of course he "consumes"...most people drink wine. I prefer to swill or guzzle it. And when I want a hamburger or "good old-fashioned breakfast", I want it. If I want it every gawdamn day, I'm gonna eat it and laugh while you swallow you zoo animal stew and will look on indifferently as you choke on your stale roll. Most people that travel often figure all this stuff out...travel light, absorb local culture, etc. and these caricatures he describes are the ones where this is their first time out and about. They are nervous about getting diarrhea or getting ripped off when buying a carpet, but they took that first step and have made the effort to get out of their comfort zone. Celebrate that instead of looking down your baby boomer self satisfied nose at them.
Now if you want to talk about some awful tourists, the Chinese...
