Tarragona, Spain

We spent a day wandering around Tarragona without much direction when our lodging was in limbo.  We made the most of our day, walking 9 miles in total. 

Raleigh kept us quite entertained.  He wouldn't pass a shopkeeper without saying "Hello, Ciao, Jorno or Hola."  When Raleigh isn't on his dad's back he makes for slow travel.  He straddles anything resembling a horse, peeks in every window and investigates every hole.  He is an explorer of the many interesting things the average person wouldn't take the time to notice.  He acknowledges every person regardless of socioeconomic status or color and values their responses.  Perhaps I will take a lesson from my small friend.

Clips from Nice

Views from an early morning run along the coast...

cycling team?

Rat-a-tat-tat

The girls thought an early morning swim would be better, hoping the air being cooler than the sea would make the water feel warmer.  So at 56 degrees they screamed through the waves.  People were up above watching and taking photos of them, probably in disbelief.  Even more funny was Annie warning that a big wave was coming but the girls thought she was teasing...... 

When you're 13 there are big decisions to be made.....flat ironed hair or natural hair?  I can't believe they let me post this picture.  They wouldn't be caught dead outside of the house with their beautiful natural hair.

                                                                                 

Annie is a great running buddy.  She has a light spirit and chats the whole time we run.  On the way home we went through the famous Saleya flower market that sells much more than flowers.

While touring a candy factory in Nice we learned that this candied fruit sits in a sugary syrup for 45 days.  The little orange balls are mandarins and cost about 75 dollars for eighteen.  They look so beautiful but do not taste good.  The factory also makes sugared rose petals and chocolate with rose petals inside.  Now I know what I can do with all the rose petals in my yard!

Olives are grown in abundance in Italy, France and Spain.  The local farmers do not water them much to keep them small and then they retain a stronger flavor.  The different herbs they soak them in give them distinct tones.  The labels probably tell which herbs they used.  Annie just picked some and we got a little baggie to share.  We couldn't stop eating them!

This barrel reminded me of something my dad would come up with for the back yard.  Miss Fancy Hat was selling eggs like crazy.     

Dennis treated us to a three course french experience.  Our meal started off the with salad nicoise, which is named after the city of Nice.  It is a bed of lettuce with tuna salad, egg, tomato, and anchovi.  The next course was gnocchi.  They taste like a mixture of potato and pasta. They were dressed in a creamy goat cheese.  Yummy if you like that taste not so much if you don't.  The best was the chocolate mousse!

We giggled the whole meal.  We ate outside, right below our apartment.  The girls left the table to watch a man eat fire and then ran back to the table asking for money since he swallowed kerosine for them.  My answer, "No, we don't want to encourage that kind of behavior!"  When I was a kid Jason and I asked for quarters to play video games.  A man walked by our table and plopped all of his mahogany wares down and tried to coax us into buying some.  I think you  must have to say, "no" 10 times before they pack up and leave.  What ever you do, don't show one ounce of interest if you're not going to buy.  I made the mistake of mentioning how cute they were.  Next, a man came by and laid an orange, flashing pumpkin on our table and walked away doing the same to the tables behind us.  We all just stared at it in silence trying to be respectful of this person trying to earn a couple euros.  A few minutes later he came back and picked it up.  We couldn't help but burst in to laughter after he left.

Raleigh sitting next to the most wonderful windows.  We will all miss looking down on our little street and listening to the accordian play, "those were the days my friend, I thought they'd never end......"

A little boy with big decisions.

All is well in Spain

Thanks for the prayers.  We made it to our next destination that let us in 4 nights early.  It is a beautiful spanish home with a pool...brrr, that is 100 meters from the sea.  Very spacious property that is perfectly clean and a workable kitchen.  I can't wait to cook. 

We're off to get groceries in anticipation of Papa's arrival in the morning. 

More to come.

Surviving my Frugality

I apologize for the dry spell.  We have been in a bit of  limbo for a few days and I haven't been able to connect.  Nothing gets us closer to God than unforseen circumstances so for that we are thankful.

We decided to take a chance and pass on this week's lodging and try and get into the next place a few days early, which has left us a coouple days that we've had to do on the fly.
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We went to the city of Tarragona and spent the evening at a lovely hotel.  We really wanted to find something that wasn't so pricey for the following night. With a family of 6 we have to get two rooms which can add up quickly.

Yesterday, the frugality that runs deep through my veins led us to a very scary hotel.  Not quite sure what it was but it looked nothing like the pictures on the internet.  My heart shuddered as I got out of the car and walked down the steps to the abandoned reception desk.  My limbs were ready to break out in the best Chuck Norris kung fu they knew. There was a note on the door that said to go to another address for the keys.  Oh sure, no problem, we will toodle our little family right down to your unknown address to get the keys to an unmentionable place.  Sigh......We wondered what God's plan was for us.  I was now my mother jumping in and out of the car asking for rooms but these huge hotels were full.  Sleep in the car?  But where would we park?

As we drove down the road, praying, we spotted a hotel sign and again I ran in.  God continues to watch out for us.  They had the two rooms we needed at a reasonable rate.  The gentleman at the front desk was very kind to work with and when I asked him for even a better rate he knocked an extra 20 euros off each room....whew.  I was so relieved to go back to the car with good news of a very nice small hotel at a great rate.

It's amazing when a basic need of shelter is in question how stressful life can be, even if just for a day. We did have a fun day walking the town with the girls, in and out of shops and enjoying the Roman Ruins Tarragona, Spain has to offer. The weather couldn't have been more perfect. We ended up walking 9 miles by the time the day was over, usually our days are 6-8 miles. 

It really makes me think of a young man in Nice that looked to be in excellent health, probably in his early twenties, and gentle in nature.  We would see him everyday in different areas softly asking for money as he motioned with his hand to mouth.  I can understand elderly or disabled but I didn't understand why he couldn't find something to do to earn money besides beg.  But after our own miniscule experiences I can see how not having the two basic needs of food and shelter met  you wouldn't be able to put your mind to anything else.  It makes me think of my kids--if they are hungry they can't focus on or enjoy anything else until their bellies are full. It also makes me understand a little bit more the circumstances of some of our own school kids at home as told to me by teachers.  We take stability and basic needs for granted, but not everyone on this Earth is so fortunate.

Life is good and we are on an adventure...sometimes more of an adventure than we thought but that's what makes it memorable.

At our weakest moments we are closest to Him.

Getting wet in Nice

Hellooooo Dennis

I know it's time to do laundry when I'm deciding which running shirt smells less rank.  No problem, I have a clothes line four floors up! 



We walked as a family up the coast and decided it would be a good day for the beach.....boy how things change.  We gathered up our lunch and by the time we got down there it was quite chilly.

There may not be sand but we can still build.  The upside of a rock beach is no sand on your blankets, or in your hair or........yeah, you can see where I'm going with this.

Again, we are feeding the pigeons.  It was fun until someone threw a piece of bread in my lap.  My scream must have kept them from attacking me, whew! 

We hiked up the coast and climbed some stairs to the unknown.  There was a great playground and we could see all around.  There were some big boys kicking a soccer ball around and Raleigh really wanted to play.  He followed them all the way down the path.

In the evening we took the 4 steps out our front door to the pizza joint across the way.  We had eaten there a couple nights ago and knew it was good.  In addition to a couple of pizzas we ordered a calzone.  You can't go wrong with that, right?  Wrong.  A raw egg oozing out of the calzone was more than any of us could handle.  KNOW WHAT YOU'RE ORDERING!

We told the girls we'd get Gelato but then a torrential rain started in.  But of course they wanted to go any way.  We stood under an awning while they jetted across the way.

Raleigh leaned out from beneath the awning to catch some rain drops.  Next the girls asked if we could go to the beach.  "Sure, why not?" We were already soaked.  We will all remember that night for the rest of our lives.  The waves were huge.  The girls stood at the brink of the waves until the foam chased them inland. 

Waiting for the wave and then running as fast as they could towards the beach.

Brrrrrrr!

Meeting Old Town Nice

Looking down the street of our apartment.

We followed Rocky and Frank up the 90 steps from front door to apartment door.  The building is 200 years old.  The inside steps are wide and slanted like something you would see in a Harry Potter movie.  My legs still burned from the Cinque Terre.  I wondered what kind of 5 day future was beyond the triple locked door of the apartment. 

Any flaws that my critical eye might spy disappeared with my attention going straight to the tall windows that opened to the narrow street below.  I peered across and down to the faded apartment buildings.  The restaurants and people below hummed an inviting tune.

Every ten steps there is either a restaurant, a clothing shop, a candy store, a gelaterie, a bakery....the list is endless.  Old Town Nice is dripping with atmosphere and we are smack dab in the middle of it and I can't drink the charm in fast enough.  We spend the evening walking through the narrow streets meant only for pedestrians, scooters and the occasional delivery truck.  The neighborhood is alive.  We stroll along eating gelato and hoping to find our way back home.  I can't wait to do laundry so I can hang out the window and fasten it to the line. If I drop any it will land on a red awning four stories below or if I'm not so lucky into someone's dinner.  I imagine a sock, in slow motion, floating through the air and dropping into someone's ravioli.

The apartment door

The next morning I can't get up fast enough and out the door so I can run along the beach. Finally a flat, smooth, safe surface-- the sea on one side and the city on the other.

The path left of the palm trees is where everybody runs, walks, cycles or rollerblades.  It was fun to be in the mix of it all.  I felt like I could have run forever, but as usual I'm running against the clock.  Some people seemed to be inspired by the waves of the sea and athleticism of others.  I saw two older ladies, probably in their 80's, walking towards me and one says to the other, "Come on, let's run."  Next, I saw a little Asian lady running towards me with tights, a skirt, blouse and mary-jane shoes.  We shared a smile and then I saw her again on the flip-flop.  But the funniest was a guy I was running behind.  He was walking in jeans, a long sleeve shirt and a pair of loafers.  He looked to be in his 20's and walked like a football player or wrestler, about 6' 3" in stature. I could see his head turn every time a guy ran or cycled towards him.  I was making up a story in my mind about how he wanted others to know he was an athlete too, but he didn't dress the part that morning.  Anyway, about 10 minutes later I forgot all about that story and was on to another, I had stopped to walk and Mr. Jeans came running past me!  I was right! He couldn't help himself, he had to show others he was an athlete too, or perhaps he was inspired by the sea.

Later that morning the kids and I left Dennis to work while we headed to the beach.

Throwing rocks suited Raleigh just fine.

We watched loads of people come to the beach in their work clothes, change discretely into their swimsuits, enjoy the water for 5 to 15 minutes and then change back into their work clothes and leave.  Wow, what a way to spend your lunch break.  Almost like a half hour of therapy.

Braving the chill

Creative picture, Annie!

Annie takes the waves on solo.

"Mom, mom, mom, air pane, air pane."

The view from our apartment window

Cinque Terre

Each terrace is supported with a stone wall.

Five litte villages along the coast of the Mediterranean Sea in Northwest Italy.  Peasant farmers have spent the past 1,000 years carefully building terraces on the rugged, steep landscape right up to the cliffs that overlook the sea.
Paths, boats and trains connect the villages.  Cars cannot reach them from the outside.
Dennis and I have been looking forward to this hike for quite sometime.  We weren't able to hike as much as we thought because of landsliding but the two hour hike we took was the toughest leg of the 4 hikes and gave us a good feel of the Cinque Terre.  The terrain was so steep I don't know if we could have done much more.  Our legs were pretty shot by the time we were done.

We must have been hiking right through the property of the many farmers.  Most of the crops consisted of grapes, olives, lemon and lime trees.
Most of the houses are what we would consider run down shacks with some evidence of life inside. It reminded me of what a hermit would live in.  There was a man on the banks of the trail selling fresh squeezed lemonade who looked like a mountain man and must have been mute.  I asked him if I could take his picture and he became furious with me, waving his hands and hiding behind a tree limb.  I felt awful.

There was a couple ahead of us that had two little pug dogs and the poor pups could hardly breathe.  The lady had to keep picking up the one pooch.  We were merely going up steps at a slow and steady pace and our hearts were racing. The path was narrow, not enough room to pass someone but finally there was a little space so we jetted around them and made some distance. When someone was coming from the opposite direction we would cling to the wall so they could pass.  The girls did great and of course Dennis, packing Raleigh, did amazing as usual. I would recommend this hike to anyone going to the area but it is important that you be in good shape and wear the appropriate foot wear.

We are still hiking and looking down at the village of Vernazza.  As you can see the water is a clear aqua.  Monterosa, the town we hiked from,  had a wonderful beach but this town did not. We were disappointed because we were looking forward to hiking and then playing in the water.  Lesson learned: If you have an opportunity, do it.  Don't count on doing it later because the opportunity may not present it's self again.

As we came down from the hike and into the town....

Life is good.....because of Him.

Thank you for all the prayers this week.  They really lifted us up.

We watched the sun inch down behind the sea.  Such an amazing scene to experience as a family.
It's comforting to know that even though we are so far from friends and family we still share the same sun, moon and God.

Leonardo da Vinci (Leonardo of Vinci)

We visited the museum of Leonardo da Vinci.  They displayed replicas of many of his inventions and things he had conceptualized such as the tank and helicopter.  We listened to an audio tour as we went through the museum.  Honestly, the tour was quite dry and could have used some personal stories of Leonardo to give the tourist a connection to him.  It was very text book. We sort of endured it.  

His artwork is spread throughout European museums and this museum was of his inventions.  He was a great painter, sculptor, architect, musician, scientist, mathematician, engineer, inventor, anatomist, geologist, cartographer, botanist and writer. He is most widely known for painting the Mona Lisa and The Last Supper.

We took the winding 126 steps to the top so we could look out over the town of Vinci.

The landscape is vast in olive trees.

That evening Dennis and I tucked the kids in with a movie while we went out
for dinner.  They had my favorite wine, yippy!  We watched as the owner prepared
an antipasta plate from a butcher's block right in the dining room.

View of Vinci from the roof tops.

Yes, that is a hoof!