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October 19, 2018

Spain, Part 2: Barcelona

Barcelona is Spain’s second largest city, the capital of the province of Catalonia, one of the most visited cities in Europe, and it is glorious.

It’s easy to see why the Spanish government would put separatist leaders in jail rather than be parted from this gem. Bob and I both fell in love, and added it to our bucket list of places to live when we get to Europe. Located in one of Spain’s wealthiest regions in the Pyrenees, Barcelona, a city of 1.6 million people, is right on the Mediterranean Sea, and is quite hilly.

The beach in Barcelona

The city has a lovely platja (Catalan for beach), and Port Vell, the old port is busy, cosmopolitan and scenic. One of our favorite places to explore was the Gothic Quarter, a meander of alleys and tiny shops off the popular Ramblas pedestrian promenade that attracts visitors worldwide with its shopping and outdoor restaurants.

The Gothic Quarter at night

We ate tapas, of course, which are small plates unique to the region. We took a Hop On Hop Off bus tour, which turned out to be a fantastic way to get an overview of the city. We saw the Olympic Village where the Summer Olympics were held in 1992.

We visited Casa Mila/La Padrera, a masterpiece home on a grand boulevard designed by the visionary Spanish architect Antonin Gaudi, whose modernist influences can be found all over the city (and in fact the region.)

Casa Mila/ La Padrera

The rooftop of Casa Mila/ La Padrera

A door in La Padrera inspired by butterfly wings

We saw the famous Sagrada Familia Cathedral (designed by Gaudi and still unfinished), passed popular FC Barcelona’s football (soccer) stadium. We even ate at a retro-themed American hamburger diner/restaurant called Peggy Sue’s when Lexie expressed the desire for a little “normal” food.

Sagrada Familia

View of Sagrada Familia from the bus

We only had two days in Barcelona, so we will definitely be back to visit Park Guell (more Gaudi), see a flamenco show, spend an evening at Casa Battlo (more Gaudi), eat more tapas, and so much more!

This was a tapa of a visit, just a small taste.

Next … Part 3: Reus

October 17, 2018

Spain, Part 1: Or is it Catalonia?

Next destination: Spain!

We spent several days in Barcelona on our way to Reus to visit the family of our exchange student, Laia.

Well … I know I said we were in Spain, but Laia’s family would tell you we were in Catalonia.
They are separatists, like many in this province in the northeast corner of the country who are seeking independence from Spain. Since I’m not a historian, I will refer you to a nice article from the BBC explaining this political crisis “in 300 words.” (We are of course on the CatalanTeam.)

Source: BBC News

We saw signs of this conflict everywhere.

There are two official languages in Catalonia: Catalan and Spanish. More fiercely loyal Catalan enterprises would have signs and menus only in Catalan, which seems to be a mish-mash of Spanish, French and Italian. Most people in the city speak some English, although this was more of a challenge further afield.

Spanish National Day celebrants near Placa de Catalunya

We were in Barcelona on Oct. 12 for National Day or Fiesta Nacional de Espana in Spain. It was a national holiday and people celebrated with huge rallies in the central square in Barcelona, Placa de Catalunya. But separatists rebuffed the event, working as usual and displaying their version of the Spanish flag, which has yellow stripes, from their balconies.

Anyway, back to sightseeing …

The weather

The weather, mid-60s to mid-70s in mid-October, was balmy compared to frigid Iceland, though we did need to keep jackets on hand for the occasional rain showers.

We will share a few tidbits about our days in Barcelona and Reus in the next couple of blogs.

Next … Part 2: Barcelona

October 10, 2018

Germany

Our five days in Germany were mostly about being with family, but we mixed some tourism in, visiting the city of Hamburg a couple of days.

Pinneberg

My brother Patrick, his German wife Ines, and their two children live in Pinneberg, a suburb of Hamburg, Germany’s second largest city. We stayed in an Airbnb house a couple miles from their home and it was truly amazing – large, clean, pretty, and only 61 euros a night. The local forest was only a block and a half away and we had a lovely run there. The nearby Hotel Cap Polonio served up some of the best French fries I have ever tasted – crispy on the outside, most inside, not oily, perfectly salted. They were accompanied by mayonnaise and ketchup, the German way.

Pinneberg has a beautiful Rosengarten, which was a nice destination for a short walk with small children. The roses were in bloom and a group of old men were playing bocce.

We ate a lot of bratwurst, currywurst and other kids of wurst. (It was the best!) Also a lot of potatoes, a huge staple in Germany. And lots of brochen (bread). The breakfast pastries were to die for.

Hamburg

Hamburg, located on the Elbe River, is Germany’s largest port and commercial center. It boasts a lot of energy, style, music and culture. Its many waterways and canals make it feel a little like Venice.

The Harbor area is huge. We took a harbor boat ride up the Elbe and saw marvels of German nautical engineering, including a humongous dry dock and several Navy ships under construction. We also saw Hamburg’s theater area, reachable by ferryboats decorated to match the shows. Currently playing: The Lion King and Mary Poppins, among others.

We walked through the Old Elbe Tunnel, under the Elbe River, which used to transport port and shipyard workers but is now an interesting stroll to get a fabulous view of Hamburg from across the Harbor (Hafen). Watching cyclists and rollerbladers navigating through the crowds of families and tourists out for a stroll is very entertaining. The elevators in this structure were massive.

We went up to the observation deck of the brand-new opera house, the ElbPhilharmonie, known by the nickname Elphy, for glorious river views.

We rode the elevator to the top of St. Michaelis Church for awesome 360-degree views of the city of Hamburg.

We visited the St. Nikolai Memorial (Nikolaikirche), which was bombed out during WWII and never rebuilt. The front façade remains but the interior is an open shell, left as a tribute to all affected by war. The website calls it “Hamburg’s central place of remembrance for the victims of war and tyranny of the years 1933-1945.”

German Food

For Bob, who lived in Germany for 4 ½ years in the 1980s, being back in Germany was like coming home. And a lot of it revolved about food and drink. He wanted to have a German pilsner and pommes (French fries) in every outdoor restaurant in the city of Hamburg! He wanted to eat all his favorite German pastries – apfelstruedel, pretzels, franzbrochen – as well as currywurst and spezi (Coke and German Fanta) from an imbiss (casual, quick restaurant).

That’s it for Germany. On to Barcelona!

October 5, 2018

The Retirement Itinerary: Europe First

LISA

People are asking, “Why are you in Europe? We thought you were moving to Mexico!”

Well, we are … but not yet. We are not going to Mexico till January 2019.

First, Le Tour de Europe

First, we are launching our adventures with five weeks in Europe — Iceland, Germany, Spain, England, Italy and Greece.

We are visiting family — our oldest child Aryk at Keele U. in Newcastle Under Lyme, England, and then London because why not? (Also got tickets to Hamilton and the Harry Potter Studio Tour.)

We’re visiting Lisa’s brother Pat and his wife Ines and their family in Pinneberg, Germany, outside Hamburg.

First we gotta visit Aryk at uni!

We are spending a few days with the family of our awesome foreign exchange student, Laia, around Barcelona and Reus.

We are joining Troisi (Lisa’s mother’s side) cousins in Italy as part of a family genealogy trip. So we’ll be in Rome, Naples and Solofra.

Then we’re wrapping it all up with a few days in Athens before flying home Nov. 7.

Then, New England

Then, we gotta hang out in Vermont!

We’ll be spending about a month at our vacation home in Ludlow, VT – hopefully taking a couple grandmas and Bob’s sister, Beth.

Next, Holidays with Family
We’ll spend the winter holidays in PA with Bob’s Mom and Lisa’s stepmom, sister Julie and any family we can see.

Finally, Mexico
After Aryk goes back to Uni after Winter Break, the first week of January, we’ll begin the next road trip, taking the cats and Lexie on the road from Pennsylvania to Tlaquepaque, Mexico. The trip is about 37 hours, so we will stop in Nashville and spend a couple of nights in New Orleans on the way.

Stay with us — it’s going to be a blast!

October 4, 2018

Iceland, last day: Reykjavik!

Despite cold weather and biting winds (Iceland is a COOOOLD place), we explored the waterfront of the capital city, Reykjavik.

We also visited the Harpa Concert Hall and saw an amazing 3D film called Iceland in a Box …

and the Hallgrímskirkja Lutheran Church.

We also walked through the old city.

Finally we attended attend a film called Phoenix at the Reykjavik Film Festival.

October 3, 2018

Iceland, again: Hot Springs, a Geyser and Spectacular Waterfalls

Part 2: GOLDEN CIRCLE

Day 3 – Wed., Oct. 3 Golden Circle

This is what we did today:

Bathed in the Secret Lagoon, the oldest hot spring in Iceland – est. 1891.

Visited the incredible Gullfoss Waterfall.

Watched the Stokkur Geyser blow.

Drove through Thingvellir National Park, at the point where the North Atlantic and European tectonic plates collide, creating this land of fire and water that is Iceland.

Celebrated my 59th birthday with fish and chips, Icelandic beer and chocolate cake.

October 2, 2018

Iceland, Brutal and Beautiful

Part 1: SOUTH ICELAND

Day 1 – Mon., Oct. 1

Arrival

Iceland is a COLD place. It’s as far north as Alaska! Who knew? It is also full of unpronounceable places, most of which start with the letter “S,” and many of which are waterfalls and glaciers.

On Arrival Day, we stepped off the Icelandair jet at 6:20 AM into a brutal monsoon – pouring rain, 50 mph wind, and cold! Why did no one warn us that Iceland is so effing cold? After the extreme discomfort of getting to the shuttle and getting our rental car – fortunately a lovely Forrester with much-needed heated seats — we drove through wild weather for 2 ½ hours to get to our lodging, a sheep farm called Skálatjörn Guesthouse. There, we hunkered down and napped for three hours.

Then, somewhat refreshed, Lexie relaxed while Bob and I went to Selfoss, 18 km away, for a few groceries, and to soak in a thermal pool.

The weather the WHOLE day

Day 2 – Tue., Oct. 2

The Ring Road

The day dawned still cold, but thankfully sunny. We let Lexie sleep late (she is a teenager, after all) and set off around 11 AM for a south coast expedition on Rte. 1, the Ring Road, to the town of Vik. We stopped at several waterfalls along the way. If we were going to do it again, we would definitely bring hiking boots. But thankfully, we had parkas, hats and gloves, because the temperatures were in the 30s all day, and the occasional bursts of wind cut through your bones.

Here are the waterfalls we visited:

Urridafoss Waterfall – This low, wide waterfall was ten minutes from our guesthouse. No one was there and it had a Niagara Falls feel. The hike was short and the view was spectacular.

Urridafoss Waterfall

Seljalandsfoss Waterfall – You can actually walk on a path behind this incredibly high (65 meters tall), loud, dramatic waterfall. Bob did. Check out the pics he got! (He was soaked afterward)

Seljalandsfoss Waterfall

View from the belly of the beast, by Bob

Soaked afterward

Gliufradbui, the hidden waterfall, was a quarter-mile hike away. Unfortunately, the cave you used to be able to use to access it was now closed for safety reasons.

Look deep to see the hidden waterfall

Skogafoss Waterfall had a rainbow to its left that seems to be its permanent partner. It also has a challenging trail you can hike to the mountaintop to get views of the falls from above. Also, lots of sheep neighbors!

Skogafoss Waterfall

View from above

Finally, we discovered the Dryholaey Nature Reserve, with its iconic rock formations in the ocean (The Needles), famous arch and end-of-the-world feel.

Dryholaey Nature Reserve

We stayed up late and saw a subtle display of the Northen Lights before going to bed. A very satisfying day!

Next stop … The Golden Circle. Watch for updates!

October 2, 2018

Ellie Smoit, the Adventure Cat, Part 7: Aunt Julie’s House

and the Monster

ELLIE SMOIT

Our humans put us back in the cages again today, and back in the big gray box on wheels. We weren’t happy. Kaylee was just getting comfortable at Grandma’s house, and Noxy had started hanging out with Grandma on the couch!

I explored while they put all the food and all the cat toys and all the litter and litter boxes in a couple of boxes and a bag. And before I knew it, we had been shoved into our cages and were back in the car.

Mine seemed a little softer now – I feel like there might be something new and soft in here – but I complained a lot anyway. The road was very windy, and Noxy threw up bigtime. (Now we’ve had the trifecta in the car: Poop, pee and throw-up. And Mommy’s purple quilt and the seat cover have protected the car seat every time.)

We weren’t in the car very long this time, thank goodness. Suddenly we were out, and in a very loud, crowded kitchen full of people.

Mow Mow. OK, she was cute. But she pulled my tail! Kaylee found a good hiding corner upstairs, so I stole it from her.

All us cats and the stuff that came with us to Aunt Julie and Uncle Mark’s

At Aunt Julie’s there was a baby! The little terrorist was chasing me around and flailing her arms and saying

When they took the baby off for a nap at her house across the street, I came out to explore. I like it! I inspected Uncle Mark’s office and deemed it acceptable. I like the couch, too. There’s also a tall box that say’s “Audrey’s House” with a doorway in it. I might take it over and hide in there

Aunt Julie and Uncle Mark are nice and quiet. I think I’ll try to sleep with her; she looks like she might be allergic to cats. My favorite kind of human. He grew up with cats, so I think I’ll ignore him.

We were greeted by a cute little terrorist.
Her name was Audrey.

Noxy refused to come out of his cage, and when Grammy (Lisa) lured him out with wet food, he scarfed it up and the bolted into the deepest corner of the closet under the stairs, where I think he might stay for the next two days.

Kaylee came out after the baby left, too, but then she went back upstairs.

Then Mommy and Daddy and Grandma left! Cousin Catherine promised she would send Lexie a picture every day. I hope she shows me pictures of Mommy, too. I have the feeling it will be a long time before I see her again.

Ellie Smoit, the Adventure Cat, is chronicling her journey from her house in Colorado across the United States and to Mexico, with a little help from her owner, Lexie Greenawalt.

Noxy was even starting to like Grandma before we suddenly left.
But Daddy Bob says we’ll see her again in November

I found a basket I really liked.

Even Kaylee found a favorite step,
after she spent two days hiding under the sofabed

Kaylee liked exploring Aunt Julie’s house at first … until the terrorist

This is her. Audrey. She’s safe in this picture because
she’s in her own house across the street.

Noxy went into hiding

I hugged my mommy

Kaylee went to the top of the stairs

October 1, 2018

The European Trip

BOB

(Sept. 30)

After spending a few days with my mother in Mechanicsburg, PA, and then visiting family in Northern Virginia, we’re set to fly out to Iceland tonight.

(One interesting thing about our visit in Mechanicsburg is that we woke up one morning and there were two other cars with Colorado license plates parked next to ours. Quite the coincidence.)

Anyway, we’re about set to fly out and we still do not have several intra-European flights reserved yet or lodging in Rome. At this point, we’ll probably do that once we get to Hamburg next week.

What Will We Do in Iceland?
We also don’t have a list of things we want to see and do in Iceland, where we land tomorrow morning, We’ve just been so busy getting out of our house, driving across the country and settling the cats that we haven’t had time to even focus on that. Like most Iceland tourists, we wanted to go to the Blue Lagoon, but there weren’t any tickets available when I attempted to make reservations several days ago. Therefore, we’re going to visit a smaller and cheaper, geothermal pool, the Secret Lagoon, as a substitute.

We did decide to focus on South Iceland because it’s the most accessible part of the country when you only have a couple days to explore. It’s also supposed to have better weather this time of year than the north. It also features the famous Golden Circle, a popular tourist driving destination.

South Iceland

We’re hoping to see these guys in Vik

This morning I’ve identified several things we want to see in south Iceland and along the Ring Road, so I think we’re good for the first few days. They include a drive along a southern road to the fishing village of Vik, which has a famous black sand beach with some amazing rock formations out in the water, as well as puffins and other seabirds. Also several waterfalls with unpronounceable names that begin with the letter “s”.

Reykjavik
After that, we’re going to spend a few days in Reykjavik. The Reykjavik International Film Festival is going on while we’re there, so we will definitely see several films with Lexie, who plans to study Film at Champlain College next year. That should be interesting. I’m going to attempt to get Lexie to make some selections and get tickets before our flight.

It finally feels like our adventure is beginning. I’m looking forward to it!

September 26, 2018

Driving Cross Country (Day 3)

Driving cross country from Lakewood, CO, to Mechanicsburg, PA

DAY 3 – Monday, Sept. 24

Effingham, IL to Mechanicsburg, PA

One word described the day: Hard rain.

We were lashed by Hurricane Florence and it wasn’t pretty. And the winding highways, with no breakdown lanes and often concrete barriers on both sides (or construction) seemed to be covered with trucks. Huge trucks. But we only had to travel 10 hours and had no kitty accidents. Fortunately, despite the challenging weather, we ran into minimal delays and made it to Grandma’s in Mechanicsburg, PA (outside Harrisburg) by 10:45 PM.

Welcome to Ohio

Columbus

Welcome to West Virginia

Wheeling, W. Va.

Lunch at Panera

Welcome to Pennsylvania

Dark and rainy

More dark and rainy

Almost there! Treating ourselves at Ruby Tuesdays with Lexie’s favorite maple glazed salmon. She is such an awesome traveler!

1,660 miles. We are here!

Homeless now

We are now officially homeless, and calling Grandma’s house home for the next three months as we make our forays to Europe and then Vermont. The cats will be calling Rebersburg home for the first five weeks as they are cared for by Lisa’s sister Julie and niece Catherine, while bro-in-law Mark enjoys the furry companionship.