Barcelona

July 24, 2019

Coming into Barcelona, we noticed the humidity went up quite a bit. Being that it is next to the ocean would cause that.

Our time in Barcelona, we tried the tour bus where you sit on the top of the bus and listen to the audio guide tell you about the buildings and the various areas.

Gaudi is very well known in the area as he built several buildings. The most noted building is the Sagrada La Famillia church. It is a church like no other. And it’s actually still in construction until 2026. That is the deadline they have to finish it. The one side of the church represents the birth of Jesus while the other side represents the death and the rising of Jesus. The details of the church are just amazing that you really need to see with your own eyes. The gentleman that put the stained glass in, studied the light of the church for one year before putting the glass in. And he captured the light perfect through color. It truly is something to see while here.

The ocean in Barcelona reminds us of the oceans of America. However, the beaches are a little different. There was a section of beach that if you didn’t bring a bathing suit, no problem, Just wear your birthday suit! 🙂 Several men and women were completely butt naked sitting in the sand, showering, and running into the ocean. Not something you see while in America.

The other thing while here is to try the food. Paella is great here. Sausages are different but wonderful. Salami’s have a little different spin to them but delectable.

Although it was nice to see the church, coming here wasn’t anything special. And being that we are not into architecture that much, we probably won’t be back.

Our time in Paris

July 24, 2019

It’s amazing how cool it is to see icon buildings in person. Or see things up close and personal that you’ve only seen in movies, pictures, etc. That was the case as we visited and walked around Paris. Being that it’s a bigger city, we only scratched the surface while we were there. But we manged to see all the main things there in the city.

The Eiffel Tower both during the day to climb the stairs and then take the elevator to the top. And in the evening when it sparkles in the night. It only does the light shows at 10pm and 11pm. However, it’s still a little light out at 10pm, so we chose to go see it at 11pm when it was dark. Totally worth it both times.

The Louvre with the glass pyramid in the middle surrounded by old art. And of course, seeing the famous Mona Lisa. It’s smaller than you think it might be but big enough to see from a little farther away. It was very crowded in this room. And not too many people moved out of the way so you could get close.

The “lock bridge” was neat to see. It’s been featured in movies and such. So we walked across the bridge to view all the locks.

The Arc de Triumph. A building in which drivers, circle around to get into the city. We chose not to go up into it. But instead, take pictures and move on.

Montamarte area where you pass by shops then head uphill toward the church to view Paris from a different point of view. We encountered beer salesman and musicans while on the trek.

Paris is definitely a city worth seeing. But know that it is expensive so save up before coming here. 🙂

First time in Paris…

July 8, 2019

We arrived in Paris and got to our hotel, just in time to refresh ourselves and be ready for our 7pm local guide tour.

Silva was waiting when we walked downstairs to the hotel lobby. This was a 3 hour walking tour and we were ready to hit the streets and see some sights.

She walked us to the Saint Michel area which also has the Notre Dame. Due to the fire we could not get too close but close enough for pictures. Notre Dame is situated on an “island” but with all the streets, bridges, etc, you can’t tell.

We tried a crepe from a more local place both savory and sweet.

Next we walked to the Pompidou area which is more of a contempary art place. We had cheeses, meats, and wine.

Then she took us to the Trocadero area which is a area directly across from the Eiffel Tower. We missed the light show but since we now knew where to go, we planned on seeing it the next night.

She walked us back to our hotel and we we soon crashed out from traveling.

Last day in Roma

July 8, 2019

On our last day we just walked around and took in the sites ourselves.

A gelato here, a pizza there. We got away from the touristy areas and noticed again that it was very dirty.

Toward the end of the day, we headed to the Ice Club. It was a tourist trap but we went anyway. You had to put on a coat so you wouldn’t freeze. It was -5 degrees Celsius and very small. Being that we were quite warm from walking around in the sun, being in here felt quite good. The glasses were completely made of ice and there was a small cup to hold it up. The decor was full of ice sculptures and seating made of ice. We only started becoming cold after being there awhile.

After that we started the trek back to the hotel. And ready to say goodbye to Rome.

Do as the Romans Do

July 6, 2019

On our first full day in Rome, we did a full tour of the city with a guide.

We went to the Colosseum and saw how the area developed into what we know it become of.

Then we were off to various areas of the city. Piazza’s, the Pantheon, the Vatacan, Sistine Chapel, and Bastillica.

The architecture of the times is quite amazing and beautiful.

When in Rome

July 5, 2019

Coming to Rome takes quite a bit of time. And you end up losing a day. But definitely well worth it.

Our hotel was pretty close to the metro station. Which was quite large. Not only was it the main hub for metro traveling it also had quite a bit of shops, eateries, etc.

The one thing we noticed was it was a lot dirtier in non touristy areas than the touristy ones.

On our first night there we walked the area around us. We decided on a small restaurant off the beaten path thinking it was more local. The food was just okay and to our amazement they charged a 20% tax! We didn’t see it on the menu but we didn’t look for it either as we were not aware of it. Even though the food looked good it was just okay, except for the pizza.

Pipi with cheese and pepper. Reminds me of Mac and cheese in a way.
Sausage pizza

After the disappointing meal we walked around a little more before heading back to the hotel.

Thailand – Appreciative Souls

March 10, 2019
Surin Beach, Phuket, Thailand

Thailand is said to be the Land of Many Smiles. But our time in this land was not all smiles. Most of the time we ran into long tired faces until we smiled at them. Then the corners of their mouths would turn to their eyes and shine.

We came to Thailand, prepared with knowing just a few Thai words in order to get by with what we thought we would need. Most Thai people would see us and expected us to try to talk to them in English but then we would speak not so well Thai, the Thai people would light up with joy that we even tried. 80% of the time, the Thai’s would speak to us in English. We even had majority of Uber drivers speak to us in English because they wanted to learn more English. But we still would try our hand at the local language. And each time, it was very much appreciated.

To learn what to expect, we did our research. The main concern overall from all resources we found was to watch out for pickpocketers. However, when we arrived, we experienced the exact opposite. The Thai people believe in karma. BIG Time! Yes, there might be some of those that don’t. But majority of the people believe what they do, comes back to them. Ladies, one way to make sure that no one is tempted, is to not use a purse. Get something that is like a fanny pack but that it fits under your clothes. The one we used could hold our passports, money, phone, and lip balm quite easily. Both my boyfriend and I used them.

The other thing is feel free to tip. Thai people are very appreciative when you do. They don’t expect it in most locations. However, the more touristy places are getting accustomed to customers tipping them.

Try to go to less known places. You’ll find the most authentic people. People that are happier. They have a simpler life. Food is just as good and cheaper. In the less known areas of the city is definitely when knowing Thai comes in handy. Even just knowing basics will get you by.

And everyone we ran into was friendly and welcoming. So go venture beyond the touristy areas. You will not regret it.

Coming to Thailand

February 9, 2018

So our journey began with a 4 hr drive to LAX, 1 hr of waiting to check in and drop off our checked bag, 30 min of going through security, 45 of waiting to get on the plane, 15 hour flight, 1 hour of going through security again in China, 40 min wait for 2 overpriced iced mochas (which they didn’t quite get right), 3 hour wait for the next flight, 2 hr and 40 min flight, 20 min going through customs, 5 min to get our bag, and last another 5 min for the Thai TSA to scan our checked bag on more time before finally setting foot on official Thai soil.

Totally worth it . Even though we were up for about 33 hrs only getting a few hours sleep on the plane would do again in a heartbeat but maybe next time take business or first class.

My second cousins picked us up and showed us a nice overview of the area. Had a good iced mocha at a local coffee shop then an excellent dinner at an organic farm place where they grow a lot of veggies right there on the premise.

A great start to the visit.

It’s been awhile….

February 4, 2018

It’s been awhile since my last post.  We have traveled short trips here and there.  Went to Laughlin for the first time in December.  Quaint town that is like a mini-Vegas next to a river.

Now we are headed to Thailand for a month!  Should be a good time and very interesting.

Until next time.

Ellensburg, WA

April 26, 2017

Starting back on our journey, we headed about 4 hours into Washington to end up in Ellensburg.  This historical town once put their name into the hat to become the capitol of Washington but didn’t make it.  Now it seems it is mostly just a college town that stays small around 20K people.  Reminds us of the San Luis Obispo town.

We ended up staying at a hotel next to a lake.  So we hung out at the lake and talked about possible next moves and what we wanted to do next.