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Showing posts from 2013

A Road Traveled Over...And Over...And Over Again in Spain

I think this series of stories needs a disclaimer of sorts.  Here it is:  Mom and I had a plan once we left Barcelona and managed to navigate our way out of the city limits of Barcelona.  Even getting the car out of the parking garage was an event.  Who knew that there was a huge parking garage underneath the Plaza de Cathedral which, mind you, was right outside of the Hotel Colon where we stayed. Never knew that until the car rental representative was kind enough to park it there, conveniently, one would think. But there is the paying for the parking at the automated machine, having the correct amount of euros, and then trying to figure out which exit will point us in the right direction...oh, heck, any sign that translates to Exit will do us just fine.  We will figure it out when we surface to street level which opens right into the far end of the Plaza de Cathedral with more pedestrians that I care to interact with during my first foray driving a stick-shift car in Spain.  I want to

The Great Connecticut Chicken Coop Caper

“Just remember to close the door to the chicken coop behind you so the chickens don’t get out when you do not want them to do so”, our friend Matthew instructs us as he gives Mom and I our tending-to-the-chickens-and-rooster tutorial. I silently think to myself, “Come on, of course, I would close the door behind me. Don’t be silly, Matthew. I know I am a city gal but even I can figure that out.” More sage and fortuitous words have never been spoken but I did not know this at the time. Heavy sigh. Our story starts out innocently enough. Mom and I (okay, actually Mom…I just wormed my way into an invitation) are invited to house-sit for our friends John and Matthew for one week in Connecticut. Their house is a quintessential New England white house with lovely dark green shutters. The gardens are a bloom with flowers from azaleas to zinnias…and grapevines and lilies and phlox. There are birdbaths with birds actually bathing. Gold finch, cardinals, woodpeckers and b

20 Things I Did Not Know...Or Know Better Now Having Been to Panama

  1. A short story:  “I used to love to just pick those and eat them right from the tree”, our friend Miselle says as we are driving by a tree with beautiful orange fruit with a slight protrusion hanging from them.    "What is that fruit?”, Mom and I ask practically in unison.   "Cashew fruit”. “Turn around. Go back. You are kidding…that fruit is what cashew comes from? Who knew?”. Standing under the cashew tree, I suppose us three are making quite a spectacle of ourselves along the side of a country road somewhere 90 miles west of Panama City.. We are on our way to El Valle and a botanical garden called El Nispero but who can resist the lure of the cashew tree? I love cashews but I never knew that it is the seed of a larger fruit that is brilliantly orange when ripe…and looks a bit like a sweet bell pepper….and the fruit is edible too. Such is the joy of travel….the finds along the way and the education to be had long before one reaches their destin

"Swinging" in Yap - Part III- Until Our Next Visit....

“Hi Baby Estelle….Hi Mama Estelle. Good morning…” Terencia says from one of the decks of the South Seas Schooner that sits right across from our room terrace. The schooner is a restaurant now and Terencia is one of the servers there…but she is also one of the reasons I love Yap so much…the spirit of the people. “Good morning Terencia,” Mom and I chime in unison as we are sitting on the terrace having our morning coffee as we overlook the harbor and revel in the beauty of sunny skies meeting crystal clear waters. Mornings are not usually my favorite time of day but if they could start with sipping coffee overlooking idyllic scenery …well, maybe I would become a morning person…but since the closest thing I have to a terrace in Brooklyn is a fire escape …. “What are you going to do today?” Terencia asks us. “We are going to tour the island with Richard and Helen … “, we tell her. Mom is determined that before we leave Yap we must also see one of the outer islands ca

"It's just a small leak in the boat"....The Yap Chronicles - Part II

It's Canoe Festival Weekend in Yap. Who knew? Mom and I decide we definitely have to check out the festivities because all roads seems to lead to the festivities...actually, there is only one road in Yap so let me rephrase that prior statement.   One road leads to the festivities. “Everyone seems to really be enjoying this.   Everybody is so…happy.”   Even with a light midst of rain in the air, it does not dampen the collective spirit of everyone in attendance.   Old people, youngsters, everyone in between are out in full force cheering for their teams that are running canoe relay races and obstacle course racing…I can see that there are two distinct teams…ones wearing red shirts, the other wearing blue…I think one is called Tamil but please do not quote me.   I notice a lot of cheering for both teams so the team loyalty seems to extend to everyone who is canoeing. “Hello.   Welcome.   How are you?”, a local gentlemen says to Mom and I.   He smiles and it is then that I a

"Welcome to Where?" - The Yap Chronicles - Part I

It is well after midnight, closer to 1a.m., as our plane is on its final approach to land at Yap International Airport. I can not remember the last time I landed some place where everything I see out of the window is pitch-black...no exaggeration... no lights in the distance, no full moon showing glistening sea below us...nothing...just darkness. Finally, some airport employee must have remembered to trip a switch and at the very least, there are now runway lights. Everyone did not go home after all. “Welcome to Yap”, a lovely bare breasted woman with gorgeous hand-woven leis draped over her shoulders and breasts wearing a beautiful tiara of flowers on her head and a multi-colored grass skirt said to me as she places one of the hand-woven floral and palm leaf leis around me.... “Oh, wow..thank you. This is beautiful. You are beautiful. Thank you”...I guess everyone did not go home. It feels like the entire town of Colonia (the main town in Yap) has turned out for this flight