I’m attempting to look back at photos from the trip that I took using my Fuji camera. Unlike Dan, I really don’t find it easy to do that: the trip is over, and that’s that. But … well … I’m going to work hard and doing a better job of looking at them and perhaps posting things now and then.
These are from our stay in Hotel Torre de Villademoros in Valdes-Luarca, Asturias, Spain.
This first image is at our lodging … just a look at the lovely wall and the beautiful agapanthus:
I took a walk and looked back at our place. If you look at the building to the right of the red roof, our window is the upper right one. I remember texting Dan to say I could see our place from the path I was on. I also said I was returning to change shoes. He then came on the walk with me.
We wound up here, looking out at the Bay of Biscay.
I won’t be posting daily, and probably not even weekly, but I’ll post when I get around to looking at more images. I must say it is a joy to look at them!
Side Note: I don’t know why images put up as single ones can’t then be larger if you click on them. Hm. I’ll have to research that. Meanwhile, I will put all three images below as a collage and I’ll bet you can then see them larger if you click on them.
Side Note #2: I do believe I’ve figured it out! Hoping it works for others as well: if you click on an image you are taken to the image larger. Now if I can add a plugin it might be even better, but I’m not sure I can do that on this site. Time will tell.
The villa we stayed at in Croatia had a swimming pool, and of course there were also beaches that others went to. I brought no bathing suit. When we took our Italian vacation some years back I did take one and never put it on so I decided it was stupid to bother. This time, though, I sat by the pool and dangled my feet in and there was a part of me that wished I had a suit.
It’s time to take inventory of all the clothes I took and, yes,, I took too many! This is primarily for me — so I can convince myself to pack less — and I know it’s boring for most other folks. Had I left a few things at home I believe I could have taken a smaller second bag rather than the Cabin Max bag.
Shoes Aetrex Jillian black leather sandals Merrell Bravada 2 hiking shoe Rieker Nikita black synthetic flats
Yes, three pair of shoes. I wore the Merrill’s and packed the others, stuffing the Rieker’s with socks.
From now on it’s one pair for wearing, one for packing. In summer I would do the Merrell’s or something similar (but they were wonderful so why switch?) and the sandals, since sandals can be used if I want to look a bit dressier. The Riekers, as nice as they are, were not at all necessary. For winter I still have to decide what to do. The Merrell shoes won’t work in rain, so I have to investigate what will be better. I think the Rieker’s would work well for a dressier shoe, and I put inserts in that make it easy to wear them without stockings.
Next trip: two pair of shoes will suffice!
UPDATE: Never mind the Riekers! The velcro is no longer holding. I’m sad about that, since they looked rather nice. Ah well.
Pants (and no photos from here on out … it’s just too much work!) Land’s End cropped pants (black & off-white with a bit of a pattern; cotton jersey) Eddie Bauer ankle pants (black; polyester/spandex) REI Co-op Trailmade pants (black) Alfani pants (black & white pattern; polyester/spandex Alfani wide leg pants (striped, black, gold, white; polyester/spandex) GAP wide leg pants (ticking-type look; cotton/linen blend)
TOO many, and wrong, wrong, wrong for the weather, aside from the GAP pants. The Alfani are so comfy here at home, but in the heat and humidity they stick like crazy. The Land’s End fabric was just too darn heavy. The REI were fine for hiking, which is why I brought them, but we didn’t do any serious hiking. The Eddie Bauer said they were moisture wicking but they were sticky as well. Even the GAP, while I wore them the most, weren’t perfect: they were not true linen.
Biggest lesson (which I already knew but didn’t pay attention to) is that polyester is a big no-no in summer heat. Linen (true linen!), while wrinkly, would be much more comfortable. That being said, I am very fussy about fabric and linen can scratch. I need to ponder a solution for that.
Next trip: better fabric, and a maximum of four pair of pants (even four is one pair more than I truly need, I think).
UPDATE: Forget the Gap pants. They shrank horribly. I’ll look for higher quality linen next time.
Skirts JM skirt (black & white; handkerchief hem; polyester/spandex) Amazon skirt (some cheap-o, chiffon thing with a mock button front)
As much as the polyester/spandex pants are a pain, the skirt sufficed. I’m not sure it was the BEST thing, and I didn’t wear it very often, but it was okay. The Amazon skirt was a piece of trash and why I brought it at all is a mystery. I wore it once, and eventually I left it behind.
Next trip: one skirt only! Search for a nicer fabric if possible.
Tops Land’s End trimmed tank top (white; cotton, modal, spandex) Hilary Radley short sleeveblouse (Costco; yellow print, polyester) Amazon round collar boxy short sleeve top (yellow; cotton/linen; crinkly cloth) Amazon round collar boxy short sleeve top (black; cotton/linen; crinkly cloth) Rox&Ali short sleeve top (black with gold zipper trip; polyester/spandex) Style & Co 3/4 sleeve top (white; embroidery & lace trim; viscose/polyester) GAP long sleeve top (white; cotton/linen blend) GAP long sleeve top (black; cotton/linen blend) Columbia long sleeve shirt (yellow and white; cotton) Alfani long sheer-sleeve tunic top (black with flowers; nylon)
Yes, TOO MANY! That seems to be the common denominator here, right? The Hilary Radley, cute as it is, was a bad choice. I also struggle greatly with no sleeve or short sleeve tops because I develop a rash sometimes. Sure enough, that happened on this trip and once I get it I can’t expose my skin to ANY light whatsoever (yes, even if I have sunscreen on!). The rash didn’t fully go away until I got home, in fact. I wound up wearing the white linen shirt OVER another top, and that’s fine. I must whittle things down and be smarter about the choices. Still, for those of you who thought I wore the same thing every day, as you can see I had a lot of choices and nearly every top when with every pair of pants! The Style & Co shirt, though, worked quite well. (I saw them on sale at Macys just now and I’ve been sorely tempted to buy a few, but perhaps I need to sit on that for a while: I have too many clothes! The tunic top was fun to wear for Dan’s birthday dinner, and it weighs next to nothing, but I only wore it that one time so that gets nixed for sure. (Update: or maybe not. Dan and I talked and it IS nice to have one nicer thing “just in case”.)
Next trip: ONE long sleeve linen shirt, and I simply don’t know yet how to resolve the sleeve issue with my sun problem. I think, though, I want to investigate other fabrics. Non-scratchy linen would be kind of nice! (But pants are more important when it comes to breathing and all.)
Jackets GAP lightweight jacket (black; linen blend) Ex Officio packable rain jacket (black; lightweight)
I wore the linen jacket on the plane over, and wore it one evening in Paris. From them on it sat in my backpack.
Next trip: find a sweater (fewer wrinkles!) and nix the linen jacket. A raincoat, while barely worn, is still a good thing to have. It did rain at some point so I did use it!
Underwear and Socks Just bring less! I hand wash things and so “one to wear, one to wash, and one waiting” should work just fine.
Now … just so you all know, I DID wear absolutely everything, aside from some socks and underwear. I was determined: if I brought it, doggone it, I was going to wear it! And so I did.
I’m going to attempt posting an image after using image compactor … but I’m not sure this works! I reduced this just a bit: I need to figure out what the right reduction should be to be close to what Lightroom is set to.
So far I THINK this works, though.
This is a very rough map of our trip. It isn’t perfect, as I know we went through Montenegro and Bosnia on our way to Croatia, but it gives the general idea.
(UPDATE: I just realized I used that same subject header in another post. That is just how fried my brain is these days!)
It’s so strange to think that we’ve been home for almost two weeks now, yet in some ways I feel as if the trip never happened … until I look at this site and see the photos, anyway!
I’ve not had much inclination to look at the shots I took with the Fuji camera (everything I’ve posted so far has been from the iPhone). I wonder if I’ll ever really get through all the photos, to be honest. This happens every trip — getting home I have to jump back into music mode, attempting to get my brain (and embouchure) in shape. It’s never easy! I also started teaching three days after arriving home. That was a wee bit of a challenge, but I managed to stay awake for the students. Whew!
It also took longer than I expected to adjust to the time change. Jet lag is somewhat easier when going on vacation. Coming home? Not so much!
Dan and I have talked about things we’d not take next time, and both of us would definitely take less! I know some people told me they’d grow weary of wearing the same things over and over, and it can sometimes get tedious, but at the same time it’s not a big deal to repeat outfits, and even had I been more selective I’d still have had a number of combinations of clothing I could have worn. Besides, as some YouTube folks who post about traveling light say, “NO one cares!” It’s not like someone is watching us every day to see what we are wearing. BUT I’d never again take some of the tops and pants I brought for hot weather travel. They were just too uncomfortable. So next time it’s linen as much as possible, and other lightweight fabrics that breathe. Yes, linen wrinkles, but oh is it better for the heat and humidity!
Never again do I bother with makeup unless I’m doing a fancy event: I ended up tossing all of that in the trash at some point. It was just extra weight and, for us, every ounce counts! I won’t bother with jewelry either. I wore a necklace on the first flight. That was the last time I wore it. So never mind. I’m just not a makeup or jewelry person.
I’d also like to find a way to travel with only an iPad. If I can learn how to upload my iPhone photos, use Lightroom to size them smaller, and then put them on this site I’d gladly leave the laptop at home. (Shoot, part of me wishes I could just bring an iPhone, but I suspect that would mean giving up writing this blog.)
Oh … and perhaps just one lens. I probably only need one lens. I did force myself to put the macro on a few times so I could justify using it (and today’s post on my photography site is showing one of the photos), but I’ll bet I wouldn’t miss it … not too much, anyway!
Anyway (or “anyways” as most people write these days), I will attempt to look through photos and post something on occasion that is from the “real” camera. (Will I ever feel as if the iPhone is a real camera? Dunno!)
This first shot is from our time in Donostia / San Sebastián, when Dan and I took a walk while Meghan and Jameson enjoyed time on the beach and in the water:
We woke bright and early today to get to the airport. We added extra time because of the issue with my boarding pass. Turned out getting the pass printed was as quick as can be, simply done at a kiosk. Then we went to the lounge to hang out for a rather lengthy amount of time, but it was quiet most of the time (eventually more people showed up, including some guys talking loudly about basketball. I haven’t a clue what they were saying, really, but I think one might have been someone who manages players or something and he was telling the other guy — not someone he was traveling with — about players. Exciting news, I know. That’s why I’m sharing it with you!).
We headed to security (I actually like it better when the lounge is after the security area because then I don’t worry about that line, but oh well). When I got through the machine that makes sure I’m not a dangerous person I was pulled aside and a guy checked the front and back of my hands, dragging some sort of thing across them. Then he put that in a machine. Thankfully I was considered okay, so we moved on.
After sitting for a short bit, it was time to board. A security person checked boarding passes and looked at mine and said I had to have my bags checked. Eek! I did NOT want to check my luggage. But what she meant was I had to walk over to a different location and have my bags checked for security reasons. Ah-hah! THAT was why my ticket was the way it was: it was a random security check. They made me open my bags up, pull out my computer, and then shoes came off. A woman ran the same thing the earlier person did over my shoes, my socks, my hands … and by this time I was just so tired of it all. They looked a bit at my luggage and then said I was fine. I had to pack everything up and race back to the line, which had moved quite a bit. Dan had already gotten through, but waited for me to be sure all was well. Then into the plane we went.
I tried to tell myself it was San Jose time already (thanks for the suggestion, Jan!), but I sure wish airlines would do the same and serve meals on the new time rather than the old. The breakfast they served sometime around 9:00 AM Paris time was huge! After eating I went to sleep. I actually did okay sleeping, and did so several times. More food was served later. I think they have decided to fatten us all up.
My diet begins tomorrow.
We landed a bit ahead of schedule, and went through customs via Global Entry. Getting that was so worth it — we sped through customs, met Carolyn (thanks!) outside, and came home.
So here we are. A bit discombobulated, but alive and kicking. I’ve done laundry, played English horn, put away clothes … and attempted to keep my eyes open.
I plan on writing a bit about where we went in one post for those interested. But that may take a while: first I have to get a few things done. (I would have at least posted a photo or two from today, but they are taking a long time to download since I’m doing the full trip on my computer … I’ll post them tomorrow, I hope.)
We woke up this morning and said goodbye to the rest of the family. They were in a hurry to get out the door since they have long drives and borders might be crowded. We didn’t even manage to get a photo. Rats!
I did take a few shots of our rooms at the villa though …
After packing, cleaning, and sitting around for as long as we could, we took a taxi to Trogir and spent time at a restaurant, getting breakfast and killing more time.
Then it was another taxi to the airport. With still MORE time to waste, we sat in the lounge and relaxed. For over two hours. So it goes.
Travel days are often a lot of sitting around and doing nothing days.
The flight was uneventful, but I shot a few things through my dirty windows.
I had no choice but to take two photos in the bathroom stall at the airport. First, the “Dan” guy, and then the fact that they want us to clean the toilet seat. Heh. Made me laugh.
We then had to walk to the shuttle and after that walk to the airport hotel. Again, nothing thrilling. But the woman who checked us in said we had a room with a great view. Um. Okay.
Then it was a restaurant at the hotel and now we are going to try and get to sleep early because … ARGH! … United gave Dan his boarding pass when he checked in, but they wouldn’t give me mine. I don’t know if I’ve been flagged randomly or if something was wrong, but it’s the same info I used to check in when we came to Europe so my guess is a random flagging. This means we have to get to the airport a bit earlier just to be sure there are no problems. Or maybe Dan will fly home and I’ll spend a week in Paris. That wouldn’t be too bad … would it? 😉
Oh … and prior to writing this I wrote to my students to say we could start lessons this week. Heigh-ho, heigh-ho, it’s off to work I go.
What a trip this has been … and I could easily continue it! But responsibility calls, and we must obey, I suppose.
There are very few [jptps fro, today … or, in English, “very few photos from today” … heh … left hand was on the wrong spot on the keyboard!
A 10:00 breakfast also meant an attempt to finish up some food. Of course those with cars can also bring things home with them: we don’t want to add a bit to our luggage, as there are stricter weight limits on our first, short flight. So far we’ve never had anything weighed, and while we had checked luggage on one flight we later saw that people were bringing on more or larger luggage than allowed according to the website. Go figure! For tomorrow’s flight we are working to distribute things so that no piece is heavier that 8kg, even while knowing they probably won’t check: I just don’t want to be charged more to check a bag, and we really like to have everything with us when we have an airport hotel night before our final flight. (Having checked my backpack I know it’ll be easy for me to carry on my allowed two bags plus a personal item, even while I will do my best to squish the backpack so it doesn’t look too large.) Last days are nearly always lazy days. This one was no exception. The younger family set off to the beach — this location was absolutely perfect for the kids who adore being in the water! They could do the beach and then come home and hop right in the pool. They’ve had a blast!
I did start my packing on the early side. I always set aside my travel clothes, and pack everything but the clothes I’m wearing for the day, my pajamas, and toiletries … oh, and devices since I use those during the day. At bedtime I then pack up today’s clothes and in the morning I merely have to pack the pajamas, toiletries, and devices, all of which go into the smaller carryon luggage.
After some time the younger set took off for the beach and, a bit later, Jan, Greg, Dan, and I took a drive on this island. It’s a crazy spot: twisty, narrow roads and people might be walking along as well. I doubt I could ever feel comfortable driving here. We saw more of the incredibly blue and turquoise water, and lots of boats. It really is a lovely place and I’m so glad we came here.
We spotted Vanessa and Avni’s car at the beach, so we found parking and wandered the area to find them. They were close to leaving, but Greg bought the kids ice cream cones and then us four slightly older (hah!) people went and had beers. I’m rather amazed at the number of people out in the sun — but then I have a horrible reaction to it so I suppose I’m overly cautious. Still, I saw plenty of sunburned bodies.
Eventually we went to the store for just a few things for tonight’s meal, and then we were back at the house, where Greg began preparing dinner while others enjoyed pool time.
Later pool time included Greg, since he promised Levin he’d get in there! (Bravo, Greg!)
Later Avni took the two older children to the beach (again, one final time) and the rest of us enjoyed snacks and drinks on the lower deck.
Nearing dinner time:
The view at night:
Then it was dinner time. Greg had prepared fish, and we had leftovers from last night as well. Anything not eaten gets tossed or taken home by those with cars. Obviously the fish, leftover chicken, and the salad will have to go into the trash.
Now it’s just go to bed, post this (yeah, I do all this from bed if the internet is working), wake, finish packing (I’m already packed aside from my toiletries, devices, and pajamas), call an Uber, and head into Trogir, most likely. The rest of the gang will leave around 8 AM, and we must be out by 10 AM if we don’t want to pay €130 every half hour we over stay!
And that’s that. Vacation over. Two travel days and we say hello to the house, work (well, for me, anyway), and real life.
