European Adventure Cruise

Barcelona grocery store

An artist sketches in Barcelona

Norita on Las Ramblas Blvd.

A cool building

Dave samples a fruit drink

Orange slices dipped in chocolate

The wool of Spain

Church cave
Dave in a cave

Ape head Dave

Ape head Nora

The rock of Gibraltar

To the left is Spain, to the right is Africa

A fence in Vigo Spain

Dave in Vigo

Fresh Spanish Olives - oooooh!

The churro man~

squeeze that Churro dough

Beans for sale

If you know what this is, please tell me. Farmers market in Spain.

Casablanca with bell ringers

2 euros for this shot







Pastry in France

which one to pick?










Biking in Le Havre France


The happy sailor barber - Le Havre France


Ahhhh … well, well, well - It has been too long, I might say, since I have had my fingers on this keyboard updating my travel journal – time goes so quickly and the days seem all too short. Since I was last here, David and I have taken a cruise called the “European Adventure” … kind of a silly name, but nonetheless, a fantastic voyage and I am here to tell you about it. But first a word about leaving a comment - I think I have set it up so that you must enter a small string of letters to prove you are not a computer generating junk mail – no preregistration is necessary, just type in the letters and you should be good to go to leave a comment. Okay – our E.A. Cruise took us to: Barcelona Spain, Gibraltar, Casablanca, Cadiz and Vigo Spain, Lisbon Portugal, and Le Havre France.
I will start with Barcelona – Not what I expected … this is a huge city. The main entryway to the city is called “Las Ramblas,” a boulevard lined with shops on each side, the center of the blvd. is filled with open air merchants and aspiring artists – many copying the style of Picasso. There were places to eat local food and people dressed in costume ready to pose for a photo … for a price of course. They stand still like a statue – a little eerie, but really cool at the same time. These people have honed the art of posing for hours, until you drop money into their basket – then they come to life and strike a pose. The side streets were really magical, trendy shops alongside of hippie shops – we ventured into many of them. I bought a green T-shirt with a Vespa scooter on it and also some special Spanish wool for my daughter Lyndsey to knit with. There were many street musicians – I love to listen to the varied music I am hearing from around the world … and I must always tip the musicians – even if I don’t like them – it is a gutsy move to put yourself out there for strangers to judge you as they listen to your music. We did go to the Picasso museum, but it was too crowded – we will be back again in a few months and will go there first.
Gibraltar: Riddle me this, Batman? “Where in the world can you walk through a cave and then have an ape sit on your shoulder?" If you answered Gibraltar – then you have been there, or you are an incredibly brilliant guesser. And that my friends, is what we did – we took a van up to the top of the “Rock of Gibraltar.” Once on the top, we walked into a cave that is made into a church – dark, damp, and superbly magnificent. I thought I would feel claustrophobic, but that was not the case – It was magical and amazing – a church in a cave – come on – wouldn’t you want to belong to that church? Our van driver took us to the very top of the rock – the day was bright and sunny, and the views were breathtaking – we could see Spain and Africa … can you do this on just any day at home? No! My God, this is astonishing. Our guide told us not to approach the apes (medium-size monkeys) unless he “helped” us – so I said “I’m game for a photo with an ape.” He coaxed the ape onto my shoulder and head with a bit of chocolate between his fingers … don’t worry – I took precautions – I zipped up my jacket and wore David’s baseball cap! For sure I would be free of ape germs and bugs … or would I? No fleas, ticks, or other vermin were found on me, but I did shower and shampoo upon arriving back at the ship. During the photo taking, I was excited and nervous - I didn’t travel this far to not have a photo but at the same time I was apprehensive. We were the only people I saw having a photo taken. These apes were intimidating to say the least – as vans were driving away, the apes were on the roofs hitting the tops with their little ape fists and some were climbing into the open windows for food. Just so you know, the government feeds the apes - carrots, onions, potatoes, and celery. There are large bricked areas where the ape food is placed for them. They are not endangered or mistreated – although I doubt if chocolate is a dietary staple. The apes are cute, but you must be careful. A woman who was there with a small child was given a riding whip – in case an ape started to maul her child. They might have mistaken the child for a predator – there was a nursing mum ape that was very protective, and the father ape did swat at people who came to close to his mate and baby. Don’t fool with animal instinct. But the apes looked cute, and I wanted to pick one up and cuddle it in my arms … but oh no, Beware Nora – not a thing you should do at all.
Cadiz and Vigo Spain: Olé ! ~ Cadiz rocked me – narrow streets – Flamenco dresses adorning the shop windows – a totally different culture. The grocery store is always a way for me to get a pulse on the culture – I spied canned spicy tripe, El Diablo (the devil) hot bread sticks, spicy olives, lots of fresh seafood, clams, scallops and fresh vegetables. A country thriving on fresh spicy food and seafood – I was digging it totally. We wandered into one of our favorite places to be – an open air farmers market – I didn’t know what some of the items for sale were and I had a language barrier which prevented me from asking. Bananas, fresh fruits, vegetables, and dried sardines filled the stalls. There were small melons I had never seen before and a large bowl filled with what looked like orange Crisco lard – what was it? I have literally no idea at all, but when I asked, the woman wanted to sell me a pint of it – I declined graciously. Outside of the market was a man selling churros. He filled a cylinder full of the dough, squeezed it into hot oil, cooled it for a few moments, then placed it on paper and it was sold as quickly as he could make it. Oddly, he did not add any cinnamon or sugar to the hot doughnut mixture when it was finished frying – the line was long and we were not able to purchase any. Really truly a unique experience, he posed for me to take photos of his churro business and it was thriving. We walked into a fantastic smelling bakery - there inside was a scale – not to weigh the baked goods, but a scale where you could weigh yourself! Why? Is this how you determine if you should buy less baked items? I just found it strangely fascinating and oddly curious all at the same time. Bizarre – we would never have that in the USA. We wandered along the sea, went into an old fort, walked into an art gallery and then went for a bite to eat. I wanted to try sherry from Spain – Dave took a photo of me before taking a sip – he said “I want to capture your first and last taste of sherry.” He was right – eewweee … about three sips and I was finished – just not the taste I prefer in my mouth. We had a skillet of rice with vegetables – paella – and a green salad. Very expensive but the ambience was worth it. At home I do not drink sherry or eat rice, but when in Spain … well you get it.
Vigo Spain: It was a chilly windy day – so what the heck else would we do? We went to the grocery store - yippee – we bought our typical – coffee, water and wine … I wanted some Spanish olives and I bought canned olives that had a sweet little bird on it. (What I really wanted was Italian olives) That damn bird lured me and tempted me – once I opened them, they were filled with mooshie anchovies – ewwee – that bird lied! Or I can’t read the cans in a foreign country – I prefer to blame the bird! Okay, on with Vigo – we hiked a rather high hill to reach a castle with garden, it took a lot of energy – good, now I can work off the food I have been culinarily exploring! We huffed and puffed and made it up the hill – my arthritic knee was hurting, but I made it. The view was vast and spectacular, the gardens were lush, and it was nice – not overwhelming fabulous, but it was a fabulous view. Vigo was very clean and we had a fantastic time.
Casablanca: We have been here before, and we did not do too much – if you haven’t read about it, see my previous entry. This trip we just took a bus to the center of town. It was a Sunday, and almost everything was closed – so we took a walk. There were some men dressed as traditional bell ringers. We took photos with them for a small fee – afterwards I wondered why on earth I shared a dirty hat with a man who’s grooming standards were unknown to me. I amaze myself when I act so stupidly.

Le Havre France: Bon Jour! What an excellent day we had in France. We rented bicycles! Two red bikes, s’il vous plaît? We played follow the leader – Dave led… I got mad, and then I led. No, it wasn’t that bad – I am exaggerating somewhat. I wanted to go into antique shops, and Mr. Adventure wanted to explore – what to do? Both! Thus the game of follow the leader. In the morning, it was chilly so we stopped for a double espresso – exquisite and wonderful tasting – a delight on a cool morning – hot and caffeinated. Dave took us up hills, over bridges, to a quaint place for lunch, and past many churches. In France they sell antiques on the street corners at small flea markets, and there are stands overflowing with fresh flowers – there are fountains and bridges - During lunch a woman walked by with a black French bulldog – I asked if I could take a photo – such a great dog – I took the photo for my daughter Jennifer – After lunch I led, we cruised along the seashore, and I somehow (don’t ask me how) found a French bakery – “boulangerie.” Can I please have one of everything? Gorgeous pastries, breads, and chocolates lined every shelf – what should we do? Some for now and some for later would be the only sensible answer – right? Across the street was the world’s most bizarre barber shop either of us has ever seen in our life. There was an elderly man clad in an old-time sailor suit. Tight white bellbottom pants, a white long sleeve sailor shirt with the blue and white inset V neck, the long sailor collar trimmed in gold, complete with a little white hat that had a blue brim embellished with gold writing. He was the barber, a flamboyant coiffur-ist, to say the least. He had a thin mustache and a smile that literally reached from ear to ear – as his client sat receiving a haircut, I asked if I could snap a photo – the barber was so flattered to be noticed in this way, he posed and beamed as I took a snapshot. His shop had so much sailor / nautical bric-a-brac inside that the sheer weight of it all could topple the walls to rubble. If we had more time on our rented bikes, Dave would have had his hair cut there, but we had to return our rentals. The salon was named “Salon de Navigators” (if you’re ever in the area). We may be back in La Harve and Dave said he would go in for a trim – keep your fingers crossed – they would be great photos.
Well, we’re off for a month in England – looking forward it to. See you there!
Havin a total ball seeing the world and being a guest in so many countries - Love ya!

San Benedetto

We spent the day at the beach in San benedetto Italy - here are a few photos. After a day at the sea - we went for a good meal at a restaurant high on a hill over looking the valley.

Visiting my nephew Ervin in Ascoli Piceno

Exterior organ pipes at the church in Ascoli Piceno, Italy
David & Ervin
Edda Koka

Ready for a little walk
The Koka's - Ervin, Aurora and Edda
Edda knocks on the church organ pipes
Edda and Ervin

I have a nephew named Ervin and he lives in Ascoli Piceno with his wife Aurora (her parents) and their daughter Edda. David and I drove from Rome to Ascoli Piceno to spend two nights with them in their home. This would be my first time to meet his wife and daughter. We were greeted at their doorway by Aurora, her mother and Edda. I was excited and nervous – Edda is a precious little girl and it took no time at all to warm up to her. Aurora is beautiful with a generous smile that warms me; she is an intelligent gentle woman with a sweet personality (and a great cook). Aurora prepared a wonderful meal for us – many delicious salads, fresh grilled vegetables, bread with caviar, and baked fish with potatoes and my favorite … red wine. Today happened to be my daughter Jennifer’s 25th birthday and we celebrated with a delicious birthday cake in her honor with a “J” decoration adorning the top – I don’t know what kind of cake it was, but it was like a huge Neapolitan with custard filling that had mini chocolate chips in it – those Italians have a way with sweets I’ll tell you. After dinner we went to downtown Ascoli Piceno and walked around the Piazza’s – Ervin seems to know almost everyone in the town, he has lived there for seventeen years; he was interacting and joking with so many people. The town is like a storybook that has come to life – there are towers, churches and fountains all over the place. One of the coolest things was an old church that has its organ pipes exposed to the exterior of the building – people come to the pipes and knock on them to hear the different tones – they are worn down from the touch of people doing this. In the old part of town everything looks aged – Ervin told us it is older than Rome. There are balconies that hover above the street overflowing with laundry and flowers – I love love love it – I took so many photos I am a little embarrassed. People walk to this old downtown area – no cars are allowed – they come to meet friends, have a drink, and to be seen. The fashion sense of the Italian’s amazes’ me – maybe because I am from California and we are ultra casual – but I arrived in what I thought was fashionable … only to be really outdone by a baby wearing an Armani outfit with matching shoes. (Damn baby) - There are statues, buildings, fountains, churches all with plaques and I have absolutely no idea what they said – all I know is that I am in Italy with my family and I am in love with the whole place. We stopped for a café then continued to walk until well after the sun has set. Tomorrow we are going to the beach!
Ciao for now~ Nora (who feels oh so Italian right now)

Driving from Rome to Ascoli Piceno

We took a three hour drive across the Italian countryside from Rome to Ascoli Piceno to visit my nephew Ervin his wife Aurora and their daughter Edda. Making the drive was difficult because I wanted to keep stopping to take photos! My nephew suggested that we take this country drive instead of the autostrada - we are so happy we took this scenic route. Did you enjoy it also?

Ciao~ nora

Our Stay In Rome

A door at the Pantheon
The hole in the roof for light
The Pantheon interior
Trevi fountian - "make a wish"
The Trevi fountian
The wooden toy store
Where is Gepetto?

Ancient Rome
The Colloso
I relax and admire the Colloso

The HUGE building
Young Italian guys

Italian men

A Government building
A cool church
A Neptune Fountian

pillars at the Vatican
okay - lets get the postmark allright?
David and the Castle of St. Anthony
This is a shot for Jennys friend Chris
Beep - Beep - Ciao!

The Spanish Steps
They made us a great lunch!
Vatican City in the rain Postcards in the rain

Overlooking Rome
Overlooking Rome

What can I tell you about Rome? Well, first of all – for me - it is just way too big to even think about rushing through – it must be taken is stages and in days. You will run out of time before you run out of things to see. When in Rome you cannot hurry - the food is even meant to be savored slowly over a lingering conversation and the statues are meant to be critically examined – this is a slow pace and not one that should be rushed. I didn't want to dive head first into Rome, I wanted to ease into Rome slowly, like gently walking into a swimming pool … one step at a time … little by little, gradually getting deeper.
Before we actually went into Rome we spent a relaxing Sunday afternoon at a park with local families, then we drove to a high hill that overlooked the city – the view was absolutely breathtaking – we could see everything from up there. (I will add those photos)
We visited most of the ‘high points’ while in Rome. The Vatican and St. Peters Basilica were one of our first stops – Thankfully we had been inside of the museum before because the line long would take three hours just to get inside. The weather was raining and I sat on some steps under my umbrella writing postcards - just to ensure the “Vatican City” postmark. We'll see how that works out.
Perhaps the most popular meeting place in Rome is the Piazza di Spagna. Home of the famous Spanish Steps, which lead from the piazza to the church Trinità dei Monte. It is a tradition for visitors to be photographed on the Steps and we were no exception. Dave sat on a step and we played a "where's Waldo" type of photo game. I love the Spanish Steps – they are filled with people eating, kissing, reading books, photographing each other and some are just sitting watching the world go by. At the base of the steps are “high end” shops – it was fun to window shop and make some wishes there.
We headed out for the Coliseum but got sidetracked at a large building that was having some sort of Military ceremony – in Rome when you say “The building was big” it does not convey just how big the buildings really are – the columns alone are bigger around than large cars – and they are sculpted in marble. This building had at least fifty steps just to get to the entrance. There was a flurry of men in different uniforms, some had swords and some looked like they belonged in a movie with their hats adorned with a plumage of feathers that were red and blue – a real sight to see and on their shoulders were tasseled epilates. There were a group of young men dressed in what looked like sailor uniforms – I snapped a few photos of them eating from a vending truck – too cute and too young. The building had winged statues twice the size of people – I still have no idea what we were looking at, but we sat there eating a bag of olives and a small loaf of bread for at least thirty minutes.
We strolled down the street towards the Coliseum while looking at ancient Rome – Ahhh – we’re here looking at ancient ROME! (My God, what would we be doing at home right now?) There it was in our sight – The Colloso – The Coliseum – round, aged, giant, tall and proud. Her columns standing through time for all to come and to see – I took her photo and she graced my camera lens – walking closer you could see how time had treated her, the walls had small holes in them, I placed my hand on the wall and took a photo – I patted her and said “be good to yourself ol’ girl – until we meet again”.
Our next stop was the “Trevi Fountian” - As legend has it, if you toss a coin into its waters over your shoulder while facing away from the fountain, you will be guaranteed to return to Rome. ~ so guess what we did? ~
Later that afternoon we went to the Villa Borghese park and had a picnic lunch and rambled around the grounds snapping photos, feeding the birds, people watching and looking at art.
The bus line in Rome has to be mentioned -some times you are packed in like sardines in a can. Just when you think "no way will they let anyone else on this bus" - the doors open and more people step in. They warn you about pickpockets, but let me tell you - at one point by purse was squeezed between Dave and myself and my rear was pushing against some old Italian mommas tummy and even if I was being pick pocketed I would never have known it at all - you stand it is bumpy,hot, stuffy and crammed with people - I just wanted off.
We spent quite some time at the Pantheon – one of the true glories of ancient Rome and it was very well preserved. The Pantheon is the final resting place of Raphael, known for his paintings made during the Renaissance. There were many alters, statues – but the most interesting aspect is that the domed roof has a round opening in the center where natural light fills the room. You are not allowed to stand in the center, it was taped off – possibly because we had intermittent rain and the floor could become slippery,but I was fascinated by this opening in the roof - it was so cool.
The days in Rome were so fun – we would start out in the morning by going to a Farmers market to buy some snacks to eat during the day. Cherry tomatoes, nuts, dried apricots, olives and bread. When we got hungry we would take a break on a bench, open the tomatoes, tear off a piece of bread and just soak in the Roman ambiance – it constantly amazed me that here I was so far from California. We always stayed out during the day for longer than we thought - but we found so much to see – a little toy store that sold wooden toys looked like Gepetto’s workshop – I mean how can you pass that up? You have to go in and have a look around – wooden clocks, pencils with darling toppers, wooden key chains, wine toppers and all handmade, charming and painted in bright lovely colors.
Rome can be very overwhelming – if you let it. But we tried to take it slow, soaking in the atmosphere day after day – my feet ached from walking so much, but when your see something and your mind says “oooh look at that – what’s over there? … let’s go have a look” your feet don't listen - you hear only your heart and you must follow it.

I loved Rome and I will come back again. Ciao~ Nora