Sunday, March 30, 2008
i can't see shee....p
ok, i know some of you are totally in love (obsessed) with jon and kate plus eight (ahem, leslie!). but, i am too. i am totally loving the marathons especially since i have no job to go to. has anyone else seen the preview of the next episode where they go visit a farm and aaden says "i can't see sheep" and it totally sounds like there could be a 't' on the end. jon has to ask him to say it again to be sure. i crack up like crazy everytime i see that... just had to share!
Wednesday, March 26, 2008
go cubbies! spring training...ahhh... warm air and baseball
as i explained in an earlier post, i have joined a group called highlife adventures. this group had a trip going to spring training for the cubs in arizona. i thought: baseball, hot weather, hot dogs, and beer... sign me up! and so we left late on friday night and arrived rather later (about midnight). sat we went to our first game and it was cubs v. whitesox.
now, let me stop here for a moment. while i am still an ardent angels fan, i do now make my home in chicago about half a mile from the famed wrigley field and thus am now a cubs fan. and angels fan. ladies, they are in two different leagues and so i figure i can have one team in each league to root for and if they should play together then i will root for the angels.
so back to the arizona trip. i asked for hot weather and boy did i get it: it was 85-90 degrees there and we were sitting on bleachers that don't breathe. as in sweaty, sweaty, sweaty bums, faces, and everything else. not a good recipe for looking good! but in any case, we got to the stadium early and roamed around checking things out. one of the girls and i hit it off - i should say women as she is 20 years older, but looks and acts much younger - and we had fun running around the stadium. she is crazy - she says the things you are thinking but don't have the nerve to say. there was this stand that was giving away a trip an inning so we signed up for it. she (her name is lori) starts flirting with this hot guy around our age so empowered by her boldness, i joined in. low and behold lori wins a trip to puerto vallarta... it doesn't include airfare or taxes which are about 150, but it does pay for the hotel for 4 nights. well, guess what... a few innings later, i win the very same trip!! it was really funny. too bad it doesn't include airfare, but hey... a paid hotel in puerto vallarta is still nice.... i have a year to take the trip.
the fun thing about spring training is that the field and the stadium is so much smaller. it seats only about 12,000 people and you get to sit so much closer to the field. in walking around the stadium, we even found the workout room and they had the door open! i even saw some players in there stretching and working out. the first game against the sox was a tie - they only play ten innings in spring training so ties happen. the second game on monday against the texas rangers was a winner - cubs 6, rangers 4.
the one day we didn't have a game, some of us decided to just sit around the pool. it was a great day to soak in some sun and play some cards as well. it was so relaxing.
the field
cubbies playing catch and warming up
me and lori at the field... she was the fun crazy one!
now, let me stop here for a moment. while i am still an ardent angels fan, i do now make my home in chicago about half a mile from the famed wrigley field and thus am now a cubs fan. and angels fan. ladies, they are in two different leagues and so i figure i can have one team in each league to root for and if they should play together then i will root for the angels.
so back to the arizona trip. i asked for hot weather and boy did i get it: it was 85-90 degrees there and we were sitting on bleachers that don't breathe. as in sweaty, sweaty, sweaty bums, faces, and everything else. not a good recipe for looking good! but in any case, we got to the stadium early and roamed around checking things out. one of the girls and i hit it off - i should say women as she is 20 years older, but looks and acts much younger - and we had fun running around the stadium. she is crazy - she says the things you are thinking but don't have the nerve to say. there was this stand that was giving away a trip an inning so we signed up for it. she (her name is lori) starts flirting with this hot guy around our age so empowered by her boldness, i joined in. low and behold lori wins a trip to puerto vallarta... it doesn't include airfare or taxes which are about 150, but it does pay for the hotel for 4 nights. well, guess what... a few innings later, i win the very same trip!! it was really funny. too bad it doesn't include airfare, but hey... a paid hotel in puerto vallarta is still nice.... i have a year to take the trip.
the fun thing about spring training is that the field and the stadium is so much smaller. it seats only about 12,000 people and you get to sit so much closer to the field. in walking around the stadium, we even found the workout room and they had the door open! i even saw some players in there stretching and working out. the first game against the sox was a tie - they only play ten innings in spring training so ties happen. the second game on monday against the texas rangers was a winner - cubs 6, rangers 4.
the one day we didn't have a game, some of us decided to just sit around the pool. it was a great day to soak in some sun and play some cards as well. it was so relaxing.
the field
cubbies playing catch and warming up
me and lori at the field... she was the fun crazy one!
Tuesday, March 18, 2008
it's monday... and st patrick's day
on monday, i had my next interview in the process of things... more to come when i know more there. i just don't want to jinx it! but, after my phone interview, i met up with everyone at mother hubbards on state and hubbard. i got their just in time to say goodbye to holly and scott. while there, i managed to spill my beer twice. the same beer twice. oh yes, i am talented. it was a fun afternoon and a great way to wind up the weekend!
wifey and hubs! les' cute art project for the newlyweds!
ladies in green...err, mostly green
wifey and hubs! les' cute art project for the newlyweds!
ladies in green...err, mostly green
sunday brunch with the newlyweds and touring chicago
more to come... do you see a theme yet? i have a lot of blogging to do... sheesh!
the incredible, inedible egg...
so i'm not a chef. i can't even claim to be a cook. and it is sad because i have such a great kitchen with fantastic appliances. but, that said, lately with all my spare time i have been trying to do some easier cooking lessons. while we were in spain, we ate breakfast at our condo in the mornings. one morning, my dad made me a soft boiled egg. it wasn't quite done so he stuck it in the microwave for a few seconds and firmed it up. since i'd eaten so many soft boiled eggs over in spain and it seemed relatively easy, i decided that would be my morning project one jobless day. well, i made two. i cracked open the first one and it wasn't done so i stuck it in the microwave a la my dad and watched it firm up a little. then, realizing that the second egg was surely not cooked well either, i stuck it too in the microwave. the next thing i know, i hear a loud 'boom!' and there is egg everywhere. the dang thing exploded in the microwave. ummm, oops and shit!! it made such a nasty mess. well, in my smartness, i realized that i should have taken the top off so that there wasn't so much pressure inside the egg. whoops.
my mess in the microwave... ewwwwww
during dev's wedding weekend, i relayed my story to scott and he of course laughed at me, but he did teach me the proper way to make a soft boiled egg. i'm sorry to report, i have yet to try it (i've been way too lazy), but i will post the master chef's directions in case anyone should like to know.
first, fill the pot with water and a pinch of salt. stick in the egg. once the water has come to a boil, set the timer for 5 minutes. then take the egg out of the water and run it under cool water. this will stop the cooking of the egg. thanks chef scott!!
my mess in the microwave... ewwwwww
during dev's wedding weekend, i relayed my story to scott and he of course laughed at me, but he did teach me the proper way to make a soft boiled egg. i'm sorry to report, i have yet to try it (i've been way too lazy), but i will post the master chef's directions in case anyone should like to know.
first, fill the pot with water and a pinch of salt. stick in the egg. once the water has come to a boil, set the timer for 5 minutes. then take the egg out of the water and run it under cool water. this will stop the cooking of the egg. thanks chef scott!!
day five, march 5th: tangier, morocco
what an exotic and amazing place this was! it was a fabulous experience and i am so happy that it all worked out! we weren't sure it would all work out as earlier in the week, everyone but me decided that they didn't want to go on the bus tour and that the only way they wanted to go was if it was by personal guide. our concierge was setting it up, but had a rather laid back attitude about the whole thing. luckily it all worked out!
early in the morning we drove to the port city of tarifa where we were supposed to meet our guide who was also guiding a tour bus that day. i have no idea how one person can do all of that in one day and together, but somehow he had figured it out. in any case, the bus arrived after us and we were all very concerned that he wouldn't find him as the ferry was to leave at 9am which was in a few minutes. much to our relief, we found our "blond hair, blue eyed" guide with a few minutes to spare. seriously, that's how our concierge said we'd know him. you will know pedro because he has blond hair and blue eyes. ummm, ok. but, again, luckily it all worked out and we boarded the ferry. pedro was all very unconcerned about time - apparently he has lots of 'friends' who take care of him. like the police captain who let us park in police parking for the day! and the boat 'capitain' (this is how pedro pronounced it) who held the ferry a few extra minutes for us. and even the customs people on the morrocan side!
the ferry from tarifa to tangiers took about 45 minutes and once we arrived, we were met by our second guide, mohammed, and our driver. pedro went between the bus and us all day, but spent all morning until lunch with us exclusively. for the first part of the tour, we saw the international part of the city which was very vibrant in the 50s and 60s. depending on your nationality, that's where you most likely lived. there were french, british, american, moroccan, saudi, etc. there are some huge estates where some extremely weathly saudi and middle easterners have homes that they use like once a year. some have airport runways for their private planes!
we then stopped and saw the point where the mediterranean meets the atlantic. of course there really is no actual division, but it was a beautiful view from a pretty high hill. their beaches look fabulous.
the five of us: not sure of the order but in the pic are me, mom, dad, and their friends sid and susan
the next part of our tour was the camel ride! except they really aren't camels.. they are dramaderies since they have only one hump and not two. but camel is way easier to say and write and so for these purposes, i'll continue to use the word camel. because i'm lazy. so me, my mom, and sid got on the camels first and went on a short ride. the camel steerer took us basically in a big circle, but we had incredible views of the ocean. our camel steerer was so funny at the point where he stopped so we could snap photos, he kept saying 'no hands! no hands!'. we were all supposed to raise our hands -- really dumb, but pretty funny since his accent was so thick. then it was dad and susan's turn. only the guide made me stay on and i rode with susan. my mom's camel wouldn't let her off and so she went on round number two too. it was so much fun!
after the camels, we made a quick trip to see the hercules caves. it is a small cave but the opening looks strangely like africa! it's kinda crazy.
the picture is sideway, but rotate your head and you'll see it
then we went for a walk through the kasbah which was my favorite part of the day. we wandered through the streets and saw local life. since we were with mohammed, we were able to meander through there with no problem. mohammed is part time professor at the university of tangiers and spoke very good english as well as spanish and french too, i think. and of course his native arabic. he answered all of our questions - what do people think of the election - are people even interested - what languages do you learn in school - and on and on... i can't even remember everything we asked him. but as for the election, he says that the educated and higher class absolutely follows the election and definitely cares. he said they don't like bush, but that they don't hold it against the american people as it is not their fault. he says he'd like to see obama win. as for school, he says they are taught in arabic, but they also learn a second language usually french. the french occupied tangiers/morocco for a long time so a lot of things are in arabic and french. mohammed taught himself english and spanish. in any case, the kasbah was so interesting! we came upon these little kids who were playing with cardboard guns and machetes. we all decided it was very cute now, not so cute later when they were playing with the real version! and then we saw the community bread ovens and the various street vendors. mohammed showed us how to read arabic. it's so foreign to me - they read backwards from right to left. and even their letters are backwards. so not only are they reading backwards, but all the letters are backwards too. so like the word backwards in arabic would be: sdrawkcab (obviously though in arabic letters). gosh, that must be a hard language to learn!
sorry for the sideways, but turn your head!
after the kasbah, we went to lunch. lunch was fantastic! we had lots of lamb and meats and cooscoos (sp?!) and meat pie. yummmm... sounds so good right now as i write this! they had a little group of musicians playing music for us and we all shared a bottle of wine with our lunch. and then, after lunch we went to a shop where my dad surprised us all and bought 3 carpets - runners. 2 for their lake house and 1 for me! ok, if you know my dad, you know we tease him for being so cheap! and here he was negotiating with the carpet guy and all of a sudden instead of buying one, he bought three! he did get a great deal and was able to get 3 for almost the price of 1.5. and i'm happy cause i now have a gorgeous runner in my hallway! and then, i swear the carpet guy kept asking if i was single and my mom was all yes, and then i swear she was about to sell me to the carpet guy for the rugs. he was all i can come to chicago and you run the carpet store and i'll run the restaurant - what?!?!?! gee, thanks mom! he then gave me a necklace for free which i was happy about - it's really pretty! unfortunately, we then had to rush to make the ferry b/c pedro said it was going to be the last one of the day since the waves had gotten very bad. uh oh. not good for my sea sick prone mom, but not wanting to miss the ferry and have to spend the night, we rushed to the ferry and luckily made it (b/c pedro knows the boat capitain!). it was really rough on the boat and even i felt quesy. i was so happy to get back on ground!
the guy my mom was going to sell me to for a rug!
pedro smoothing the way for us!
i highly recommend tangiers and morocco. i would love to go back another time and see more of the country! it was fascinating!! and now i can say i've been to africa!
early in the morning we drove to the port city of tarifa where we were supposed to meet our guide who was also guiding a tour bus that day. i have no idea how one person can do all of that in one day and together, but somehow he had figured it out. in any case, the bus arrived after us and we were all very concerned that he wouldn't find him as the ferry was to leave at 9am which was in a few minutes. much to our relief, we found our "blond hair, blue eyed" guide with a few minutes to spare. seriously, that's how our concierge said we'd know him. you will know pedro because he has blond hair and blue eyes. ummm, ok. but, again, luckily it all worked out and we boarded the ferry. pedro was all very unconcerned about time - apparently he has lots of 'friends' who take care of him. like the police captain who let us park in police parking for the day! and the boat 'capitain' (this is how pedro pronounced it) who held the ferry a few extra minutes for us. and even the customs people on the morrocan side!
the ferry from tarifa to tangiers took about 45 minutes and once we arrived, we were met by our second guide, mohammed, and our driver. pedro went between the bus and us all day, but spent all morning until lunch with us exclusively. for the first part of the tour, we saw the international part of the city which was very vibrant in the 50s and 60s. depending on your nationality, that's where you most likely lived. there were french, british, american, moroccan, saudi, etc. there are some huge estates where some extremely weathly saudi and middle easterners have homes that they use like once a year. some have airport runways for their private planes!
we then stopped and saw the point where the mediterranean meets the atlantic. of course there really is no actual division, but it was a beautiful view from a pretty high hill. their beaches look fabulous.
the five of us: not sure of the order but in the pic are me, mom, dad, and their friends sid and susan
the next part of our tour was the camel ride! except they really aren't camels.. they are dramaderies since they have only one hump and not two. but camel is way easier to say and write and so for these purposes, i'll continue to use the word camel. because i'm lazy. so me, my mom, and sid got on the camels first and went on a short ride. the camel steerer took us basically in a big circle, but we had incredible views of the ocean. our camel steerer was so funny at the point where he stopped so we could snap photos, he kept saying 'no hands! no hands!'. we were all supposed to raise our hands -- really dumb, but pretty funny since his accent was so thick. then it was dad and susan's turn. only the guide made me stay on and i rode with susan. my mom's camel wouldn't let her off and so she went on round number two too. it was so much fun!
after the camels, we made a quick trip to see the hercules caves. it is a small cave but the opening looks strangely like africa! it's kinda crazy.
the picture is sideway, but rotate your head and you'll see it
then we went for a walk through the kasbah which was my favorite part of the day. we wandered through the streets and saw local life. since we were with mohammed, we were able to meander through there with no problem. mohammed is part time professor at the university of tangiers and spoke very good english as well as spanish and french too, i think. and of course his native arabic. he answered all of our questions - what do people think of the election - are people even interested - what languages do you learn in school - and on and on... i can't even remember everything we asked him. but as for the election, he says that the educated and higher class absolutely follows the election and definitely cares. he said they don't like bush, but that they don't hold it against the american people as it is not their fault. he says he'd like to see obama win. as for school, he says they are taught in arabic, but they also learn a second language usually french. the french occupied tangiers/morocco for a long time so a lot of things are in arabic and french. mohammed taught himself english and spanish. in any case, the kasbah was so interesting! we came upon these little kids who were playing with cardboard guns and machetes. we all decided it was very cute now, not so cute later when they were playing with the real version! and then we saw the community bread ovens and the various street vendors. mohammed showed us how to read arabic. it's so foreign to me - they read backwards from right to left. and even their letters are backwards. so not only are they reading backwards, but all the letters are backwards too. so like the word backwards in arabic would be: sdrawkcab (obviously though in arabic letters). gosh, that must be a hard language to learn!
sorry for the sideways, but turn your head!
after the kasbah, we went to lunch. lunch was fantastic! we had lots of lamb and meats and cooscoos (sp?!) and meat pie. yummmm... sounds so good right now as i write this! they had a little group of musicians playing music for us and we all shared a bottle of wine with our lunch. and then, after lunch we went to a shop where my dad surprised us all and bought 3 carpets - runners. 2 for their lake house and 1 for me! ok, if you know my dad, you know we tease him for being so cheap! and here he was negotiating with the carpet guy and all of a sudden instead of buying one, he bought three! he did get a great deal and was able to get 3 for almost the price of 1.5. and i'm happy cause i now have a gorgeous runner in my hallway! and then, i swear the carpet guy kept asking if i was single and my mom was all yes, and then i swear she was about to sell me to the carpet guy for the rugs. he was all i can come to chicago and you run the carpet store and i'll run the restaurant - what?!?!?! gee, thanks mom! he then gave me a necklace for free which i was happy about - it's really pretty! unfortunately, we then had to rush to make the ferry b/c pedro said it was going to be the last one of the day since the waves had gotten very bad. uh oh. not good for my sea sick prone mom, but not wanting to miss the ferry and have to spend the night, we rushed to the ferry and luckily made it (b/c pedro knows the boat capitain!). it was really rough on the boat and even i felt quesy. i was so happy to get back on ground!
the guy my mom was going to sell me to for a rug!
pedro smoothing the way for us!
i highly recommend tangiers and morocco. i would love to go back another time and see more of the country! it was fascinating!! and now i can say i've been to africa!
day four, march 4th: granada and the alhambra
on tuesday, our day trip to granada was about a two hour drive which was better than we were expecting. once there, we explored the old town, the albaicin, and other parts of granada. we definitely could have spent much more time, but we just didn't have it as we were able to enter ablhambra at 4 and had to be in by 430 or we'd miss our assigned time which they are very strict about!
we had lunch in a square and the restaurant was very nice with good food and lots of it! dad and i had paella (which in all restaurants seems to be a minimum of 2 people ordering). i could have eaten my portion of the paella for days. it was so good and i really think the whole thing could have fed about 8 people!
paella for days! and that's just my plate!
after lunch, we made our way to the alhambra via bus as it is really uphill. once we got off the bus, we went the wrong way, but didn't notice til we were mostly back down the hill again and on our way back in to town - whoops! but it was on an uncrowded path, very pretty, and very peaceful...so we didn't mind too much. plus we got some exercise going back up the steep hill. once we got back up to the top, we found the correct path and made it over to the palace just in time for our 4pm entrance. we had to wait a few minutes as we arrived at like 3:57pm and they are very strict about their time lines!
the windy secluded path
once inside the palace, it was gorgeous! tiles and intricate carvings and fountains and woodwork everywhere the eye could see. the palace was amazing, but i must admit i thought it would be much larger than it was in actuality. after exploring the palace, we roamed the grounds (and gift shops!). we saw the other areas of the alhambra including the gardens and the generalife. the whole place was pretty magnificent!!
some tile work
mom and me
me, mom, and dad
the gardens at the generalife
we had lunch in a square and the restaurant was very nice with good food and lots of it! dad and i had paella (which in all restaurants seems to be a minimum of 2 people ordering). i could have eaten my portion of the paella for days. it was so good and i really think the whole thing could have fed about 8 people!
paella for days! and that's just my plate!
after lunch, we made our way to the alhambra via bus as it is really uphill. once we got off the bus, we went the wrong way, but didn't notice til we were mostly back down the hill again and on our way back in to town - whoops! but it was on an uncrowded path, very pretty, and very peaceful...so we didn't mind too much. plus we got some exercise going back up the steep hill. once we got back up to the top, we found the correct path and made it over to the palace just in time for our 4pm entrance. we had to wait a few minutes as we arrived at like 3:57pm and they are very strict about their time lines!
the windy secluded path
once inside the palace, it was gorgeous! tiles and intricate carvings and fountains and woodwork everywhere the eye could see. the palace was amazing, but i must admit i thought it would be much larger than it was in actuality. after exploring the palace, we roamed the grounds (and gift shops!). we saw the other areas of the alhambra including the gardens and the generalife. the whole place was pretty magnificent!!
some tile work
mom and me
me, mom, and dad
the gardens at the generalife
day three: monday march 3rd: gibralter
before heading to gibralter (which is a province of england and not spain), we followed our daily pattern and had some breakfast in our condo. we would do this everyday as it was less time consuming, cheaper, and easier. once we were ready for the day, we left for our trip to gibralter. it has been a part of england since the 1700s and is quite the sore spot for spain and a passport is needed for entry.
this was another great day and one of my favorites (well, i think every day was a favorite). in any case, we started off the day thinking we would take the sky tram up to the top and then walk down. only once we got there, we were convinced by a local tour guide that he and his mini bus were a much better deal and idea. and he was right. he was cheaper than a roundtrip on the sky tram and he gave us a history that we wouldn't have otherwise gotten of al the sites. if we had walked, it would have been a very long walk and probably about two hours down a very windy narrow mountain road! our tour guide was great. he gave us a lot of good info and said he'd been doing this for 17 years. he was a native of gibralter and was the 5th generation to live there. i was very surprised that about 35,000 people live on gibralter and that there is an airport! it was so much bigger than what i thought it would be.
for the first part of the tour, we saw the hercules look out point where you can see africa. legend has it that hercules separated gibralter from spain and africa in order to create a shipping lane. then we went and saw the caves. it is not a huge cave, but there are some very impressive stalagtites and stalagmites. the guide explained that during the summer (dry season) they have concerts in there and there is even a stage and seating area inside the cave. after the caves, we went to the very top where they have monkeys! this was my favorite part. there is a population of monkeys that has lived on the mountain and on gibralter for generations. the guide explained how the scientists kept the population at just about the same amount by only allowing the females to reproduce when an elder monkey died. that way they kept it a constant population. they also feed them at the top of the mountain so that they don't wander in to town. the scientists also track all of the monkeys to make sure they remain healthy and disease free. the view from the top was amazing and we even were able to take pictures with the smaller monkeys on our shoulder! after the monkeys, we continued down the hill and went to the tunnels. they call the tunnels ' the great siege' and they date as far back as the 1700s and as late as WWII. apparently there are about 60kms of tunnels under gibralter! this is where all of the landfill that a lot of the lower city is built on. this was the last stop on the tour and so we came down the rock and went in to town to stroll those streets and find some lunch. we walked to a main square where we found a place to eat and had traditional british fare. i had a delicious steak and ale pie. yum! after that we strolled back to our car and headed back to our home base.
me and my new friend
part of the caves
my parents and me with gibralter in the near background and africa in the distance!
the view from the caves: you can see the airport runway
this was another great day and one of my favorites (well, i think every day was a favorite). in any case, we started off the day thinking we would take the sky tram up to the top and then walk down. only once we got there, we were convinced by a local tour guide that he and his mini bus were a much better deal and idea. and he was right. he was cheaper than a roundtrip on the sky tram and he gave us a history that we wouldn't have otherwise gotten of al the sites. if we had walked, it would have been a very long walk and probably about two hours down a very windy narrow mountain road! our tour guide was great. he gave us a lot of good info and said he'd been doing this for 17 years. he was a native of gibralter and was the 5th generation to live there. i was very surprised that about 35,000 people live on gibralter and that there is an airport! it was so much bigger than what i thought it would be.
for the first part of the tour, we saw the hercules look out point where you can see africa. legend has it that hercules separated gibralter from spain and africa in order to create a shipping lane. then we went and saw the caves. it is not a huge cave, but there are some very impressive stalagtites and stalagmites. the guide explained that during the summer (dry season) they have concerts in there and there is even a stage and seating area inside the cave. after the caves, we went to the very top where they have monkeys! this was my favorite part. there is a population of monkeys that has lived on the mountain and on gibralter for generations. the guide explained how the scientists kept the population at just about the same amount by only allowing the females to reproduce when an elder monkey died. that way they kept it a constant population. they also feed them at the top of the mountain so that they don't wander in to town. the scientists also track all of the monkeys to make sure they remain healthy and disease free. the view from the top was amazing and we even were able to take pictures with the smaller monkeys on our shoulder! after the monkeys, we continued down the hill and went to the tunnels. they call the tunnels ' the great siege' and they date as far back as the 1700s and as late as WWII. apparently there are about 60kms of tunnels under gibralter! this is where all of the landfill that a lot of the lower city is built on. this was the last stop on the tour and so we came down the rock and went in to town to stroll those streets and find some lunch. we walked to a main square where we found a place to eat and had traditional british fare. i had a delicious steak and ale pie. yum! after that we strolled back to our car and headed back to our home base.
me and my new friend
part of the caves
my parents and me with gibralter in the near background and africa in the distance!
the view from the caves: you can see the airport runway
Thursday, March 13, 2008
day two, march 2nd: ronda
what a wonderful town! we drove up to ronda on our second day which is about an hour and a half from the hotel up through some very twisty and turny mountains. i fell asleep for some of it, but the part i did see was a beautiful drive. once we arrived in ronda, we parked the car (after having driven some very narrow roads and getting slightly lost).
ronda is so pretty and has a lot of history. it too has narrow streets and cobblestones as well as an old town. we parked near the bull fighting ring where out front were statues of distinguished bull fighters. there was no bull fight going on so we didn't see that. but, we did do some good shopping and sight seeing. mom found a table cloth and the woman spoke on spanish in the store. it was fun trying to communicate with her! she spoke slowly and pointed a lot for us and we spoke very basic spanish and somehow we were able to understand eachother. while at the shop, i got a 'huevos holder' that is ceramic and painted prettily and mom got the table cloth.
the town has a huge gorge and a bridge that was built which is truly and engineering feat. i have no idea how tall the bridge is, but i couldn't get it all in one picture! i have no idea how so many hundreds of years ago this bridge could have been built... amazing. we also walked down the hill/mountain to see the remains of the arabic baths. their ingenuity and bath/hot water system was quite advanced. they had a cold, warm, and hot room. the hot room is very much like a modern day sauna. we watched a short video on how it all worked back hundreds of years ago which was pretty interesting. and then the hike back up the hill... not so fun. but if you go down, you gotta get back up!
we were all starving once we did reach the top of the hill/mountain and we decided to eat at a restaurant built in to the side of the mountain overlooking the gorge, bridge, and hills. the food was delicious. we had a sausage and cheese plate with rondian sausages. i also had rondian bread soup which really wasn't very soupy, but it was really good! it had peppers, bread, potatoes, and a poached egg on top. next i had scrambled eggs and asperagus - a combination i'd never thought of before, but it was so good! once we were done eating, i decided that the bread plate would make a good souvenir seeing as though the name of the restaurant, don miguel, and a small picture of the bridge with the name of the town were on it. since they didn't sell them, i decided to discreetly stash one in my bag... much to my mother's horror.
after we walked around the squares and the city some and then decided it was time to head home. we arrived home and found a bunch of 'resort' kitties and made friends with a little gray tabby. she even came up the stairs with us to our room with our encouragement. we fed her whatever food we had that she might like in our room and for a little while we had a new friend. she ended up coming and visiting us every night after! but she would always wait for us by the entrance to our building and then follow us up the stairs. we named her pilar and she was so sweet!
***again, same stupid picture problem***
ronda is so pretty and has a lot of history. it too has narrow streets and cobblestones as well as an old town. we parked near the bull fighting ring where out front were statues of distinguished bull fighters. there was no bull fight going on so we didn't see that. but, we did do some good shopping and sight seeing. mom found a table cloth and the woman spoke on spanish in the store. it was fun trying to communicate with her! she spoke slowly and pointed a lot for us and we spoke very basic spanish and somehow we were able to understand eachother. while at the shop, i got a 'huevos holder' that is ceramic and painted prettily and mom got the table cloth.
the town has a huge gorge and a bridge that was built which is truly and engineering feat. i have no idea how tall the bridge is, but i couldn't get it all in one picture! i have no idea how so many hundreds of years ago this bridge could have been built... amazing. we also walked down the hill/mountain to see the remains of the arabic baths. their ingenuity and bath/hot water system was quite advanced. they had a cold, warm, and hot room. the hot room is very much like a modern day sauna. we watched a short video on how it all worked back hundreds of years ago which was pretty interesting. and then the hike back up the hill... not so fun. but if you go down, you gotta get back up!
we were all starving once we did reach the top of the hill/mountain and we decided to eat at a restaurant built in to the side of the mountain overlooking the gorge, bridge, and hills. the food was delicious. we had a sausage and cheese plate with rondian sausages. i also had rondian bread soup which really wasn't very soupy, but it was really good! it had peppers, bread, potatoes, and a poached egg on top. next i had scrambled eggs and asperagus - a combination i'd never thought of before, but it was so good! once we were done eating, i decided that the bread plate would make a good souvenir seeing as though the name of the restaurant, don miguel, and a small picture of the bridge with the name of the town were on it. since they didn't sell them, i decided to discreetly stash one in my bag... much to my mother's horror.
after we walked around the squares and the city some and then decided it was time to head home. we arrived home and found a bunch of 'resort' kitties and made friends with a little gray tabby. she even came up the stairs with us to our room with our encouragement. we fed her whatever food we had that she might like in our room and for a little while we had a new friend. she ended up coming and visiting us every night after! but she would always wait for us by the entrance to our building and then follow us up the stairs. we named her pilar and she was so sweet!
***again, same stupid picture problem***
day one, march first: marbella and puerto banus
we got a slow start due to our jetlag, but spent the rest of the day exploring marbella and very briefly puerto banus. the marriott is not technically in marbella, but in a next door town called elviria. before heading out to explore, we went to a beachside restaurant, merendero cristina, which is right next door to our hotel and has a wonderful outdoor area to sit and eat. i didn't expect to feel like i was in mexico, but pretty much as soon as we sat down the street/beach vendors came our way trying to sell 'rolexes', sunglasses, table cloths, and all kinds of assorted stuff. dad and i shared an excellent seafood paella and we all had some sangria.
we then explored the town of marbella. there is a very neat old town with lots of apartments and stone pathways which are very narrow. there is always a nice park with lovely tile benches and a path down to the beach. the path has fountains and a series of salvatore dali sculptures. the one i really liked was the bull. somehow they are just to spanish to me... but the plaque said that dali called it an elephant. i not buying that... i still think it is a bull... after exploring the town for awhile, we drove over to see what puerto banus was all about. as far as we could tell, it was mostly upscale, expensive shops and we decided that we were all too tired to care and decided not to park and look around.
on the way home, we stopped by a mega grocery store, la canada (with a squiggly above the n), the looks i've never seen before and never need to see again!!! it was huge and attached to a mall. the entrance was thru the mall! upon entering, the store puts cosco to shame in terms of sheer size. it had everything.... just like cosco, but bigger and totally overwhelming (to a non foodie). when you first walk in, they have bug slabs of pig legs hanging on the wall - they'll slice you some ham right there. it reminded of how in china towns they hang their chickens in the window. yuck! at the store, we bought breakfast foods and stuff for dinners as well. our hotel is an apartment. they are timeshare units and it has 2 bedrooms and 2 baths with a kitchen and dining and living room. so we ended up eating our dinners and breakfasts in the room as it was easier and by the time we'd get home from our day trips we were all exhausted and didn't want to go out. besides custom there is to eat a huge lunch... which we did every day. back to the store... it had the largest assortment of everything and so i had to take a picture of the queso section which took up - no kidding- a couple of aisles. and they had regular carts and baskets, but they also had this hybrid basket that had wheels and a long handle - it was very cute and clever!
after the store, we all headed home where we cooked a lovely meal and went to bed ... ready for the next adventure.
****for some reason my computer sucks and won't upload pictures. every time i try, it freezes and won't upload them. it makes me very angry, but i guess the pictures will just have to wait.... sorry!!! if you want to see them all in their full glory, feel free to ask and i'll email them to you... *****
we then explored the town of marbella. there is a very neat old town with lots of apartments and stone pathways which are very narrow. there is always a nice park with lovely tile benches and a path down to the beach. the path has fountains and a series of salvatore dali sculptures. the one i really liked was the bull. somehow they are just to spanish to me... but the plaque said that dali called it an elephant. i not buying that... i still think it is a bull... after exploring the town for awhile, we drove over to see what puerto banus was all about. as far as we could tell, it was mostly upscale, expensive shops and we decided that we were all too tired to care and decided not to park and look around.
on the way home, we stopped by a mega grocery store, la canada (with a squiggly above the n), the looks i've never seen before and never need to see again!!! it was huge and attached to a mall. the entrance was thru the mall! upon entering, the store puts cosco to shame in terms of sheer size. it had everything.... just like cosco, but bigger and totally overwhelming (to a non foodie). when you first walk in, they have bug slabs of pig legs hanging on the wall - they'll slice you some ham right there. it reminded of how in china towns they hang their chickens in the window. yuck! at the store, we bought breakfast foods and stuff for dinners as well. our hotel is an apartment. they are timeshare units and it has 2 bedrooms and 2 baths with a kitchen and dining and living room. so we ended up eating our dinners and breakfasts in the room as it was easier and by the time we'd get home from our day trips we were all exhausted and didn't want to go out. besides custom there is to eat a huge lunch... which we did every day. back to the store... it had the largest assortment of everything and so i had to take a picture of the queso section which took up - no kidding- a couple of aisles. and they had regular carts and baskets, but they also had this hybrid basket that had wheels and a long handle - it was very cute and clever!
after the store, we all headed home where we cooked a lovely meal and went to bed ... ready for the next adventure.
****for some reason my computer sucks and won't upload pictures. every time i try, it freezes and won't upload them. it makes me very angry, but i guess the pictures will just have to wait.... sorry!!! if you want to see them all in their full glory, feel free to ask and i'll email them to you... *****
Monday, March 10, 2008
spain trip
i've decided that i will write about my trip in sections. each day trip we took will be a different section. i'll get started on those tomorrow as i just don't feel like it today. but i felt the need to post something...
my trip outline looks like this:
day one: marbella and puerto banus
day two: ronda
day three: gibralter
day four: granada/alhambra
day five: tangier, morocco
day six: local market, marbella
for each of those days, i'll do a post and some pictures. i have a million pictures, so if you want to see them all, just ask and i'll email you the ofoto link (once i upload, tomorrow).
my trip outline looks like this:
day one: marbella and puerto banus
day two: ronda
day three: gibralter
day four: granada/alhambra
day five: tangier, morocco
day six: local market, marbella
for each of those days, i'll do a post and some pictures. i have a million pictures, so if you want to see them all, just ask and i'll email you the ofoto link (once i upload, tomorrow).
Wednesday, March 5, 2008
quick update...
this is by no means an exhaustive or even semi complete update. i am on my dad's laptop in our hotel and he is wanting to use it very soon. but i thought since i was on here reading and commenting on everyone else's blog i'd better post something on mine...
first, i love it here... and have no desire to come home and job hunt. blecccch. but i don't want to miss dev's wedding and well, let's face it... without a job, there is no money... borrrrrrring :)
second, so far, we have explored: marbella, granada and the alhambra, ronda, gibralter, and morocco! i can now say i've been to 4 continents: n. america, europe, asia, and africa! it's sounds sooooo exotic.
third, we have made friends with an adorable little stray kitty that lives here with several other kitties on the resort. we've named her pilar. she's a very sweet little gray tabby who likes to follow us up to the third floor and in to our room where we spoil her with little treats. i kinda wish i could pack her up and take her home!
fourth, tomorrow we are headed to an outdoor market somewhere near here, but can't quite remember where at the moment.
and finally, i come home on friday and will surely be jetlagged. honestly, if i have to be home, i am truly looking forward to lounging on my new couch (that was finally delivered the sat before i left) and watching all of my accumulated tivo. please don't tell me who wins project runway... i'm saving that for the weekend! i have taken plenty of pictures.... and so has my mom and so has my mom's friend, susan (we are here with my parents' friends (sid and susan).
i lied... one final thing: i got to ride a camel today... in africa!!
first, i love it here... and have no desire to come home and job hunt. blecccch. but i don't want to miss dev's wedding and well, let's face it... without a job, there is no money... borrrrrrring :)
second, so far, we have explored: marbella, granada and the alhambra, ronda, gibralter, and morocco! i can now say i've been to 4 continents: n. america, europe, asia, and africa! it's sounds sooooo exotic.
third, we have made friends with an adorable little stray kitty that lives here with several other kitties on the resort. we've named her pilar. she's a very sweet little gray tabby who likes to follow us up to the third floor and in to our room where we spoil her with little treats. i kinda wish i could pack her up and take her home!
fourth, tomorrow we are headed to an outdoor market somewhere near here, but can't quite remember where at the moment.
and finally, i come home on friday and will surely be jetlagged. honestly, if i have to be home, i am truly looking forward to lounging on my new couch (that was finally delivered the sat before i left) and watching all of my accumulated tivo. please don't tell me who wins project runway... i'm saving that for the weekend! i have taken plenty of pictures.... and so has my mom and so has my mom's friend, susan (we are here with my parents' friends (sid and susan).
i lied... one final thing: i got to ride a camel today... in africa!!
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