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:
Since some have asked where we went, here is a quick list (I’ll have Dan check this as my jet lagged brain might miss something):
Overnight Stays: Frankfurt (airport hotel only) Paris Donostia/San Sebastian Valdes (Asturias) Porto Lisbon Sevilla Córdoba Madrid Barcelona Milan Florence Arezzo Orvieto Siena Bologna Venice Kacskemét (Hungary) Drenoc (Kosovo) Dubrovnik Zedno (Croatia) Paris (airport hotel only)
Day Trips: Toledo Valbonë (Albania)
Border Crossings (no stops): Austria Serbia Bosnia and Herzegovina
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.
When I woke up Greg was out on his bike ride and only a few people were awake, so I took a few photos of our place. (We are on the top floor of this building.)
Then it was time to start on breakfast. Dan was the cook of the day (thanks, Dan!). After a slow morning Greg, Jan, Dan, and I headed down to Trogir.
I’d been there earlier with Franka and Dan, of course, but it was fun to see it in the light. Parking isn’t easy, but we managed to ace a spot. Then we walked a bit, enjoyed a very light lunch, and walked some more.
We also went to the outdoor market in Trogir and picked up things for tonight’s dinner as well as tomorrow’s. Dan is so good at conversing with the sellers and it was fun to be taught how to say various things — not that I’ll remember any of them! (But I’ll try.) We needed things the outdoor market didn’t have, though, and also went to the grocery store for the things the market didn’t have. (Sorry, I neglected to take photos of the market. Rats!)
When we got back to the house it was time to start preparing the soup I had planned (Greg was doing fish). Dan and I were chopping things, but who knew I’d mange to chop (okay, “slice” is a better word) my left thumb in the process? Turns out I became the executive chef and Jan and Dan did all the hard work. Still, it was “my” soup — go figure! (It was a carrot ginger cream soup, in case you are wondering.)
Greg had purchased some wonderful fish earlier in the day (while he was on his bike ride) and Avni grilled the fish. Add to that the tomato dish Greg prepared, and the bread we bought, and we dined very well!
Then it was a bit of conversation, but none of us lasted for long. So now I’m typing this up, hoping the photos load. and hitting the hay.
Sadly only two more full days for us and then it’s time to start our journey home. How hard to believe!
By the time I woke up (close to 8:00), Dan was off on a photography adventure with our friend Franka. I’m not any good at street photography and I’m very lazy, so sleeping in sounded like a great plan to me. Greg was also out on his morning bike ride. I didn’t see anyone else up, so I just enjoyed sitting out on the patio area where we eat our dinners. It was cloudy and windy and soon I could see that it was raining in the distance. That rain eventually reached us, and at that point Jan and I were outside together. She had made coffee and was about to heat milk, so we went inside to get ourselves a cup.
As we sat outside on the balcony of their level (we are the level above) weather continued to change. Dan sent me a photo — he and Franka were getting coffee as well. I said it started to rain here and he said it was raining there as well. When Greg got back he had been rained on as well. It’s going to be that kind of day, I think.
Avni fixed a lovely breakfast (boy do we owe Greg and Avni for all their work!), and we set the table to eat outside. As we ate it was clear the rain was coming again. This time the wind was wild and it blew in to the terrae area, but not enough to hit us. After eating too much we cleared the tables and washed dishes, and again some of us sat outside. Eventually it began to pour.
(One thing you might notice: when we have a siesta, or when the weather means we can’t be out and about, I write more: I actually write during the day and add to what I’ve written before I head to bed. It does mean I put more info in! If I blog only at night it’s likely to be short because I’m tired.)
Eventually we did manage to get out. I wasn’t sure that would happen, so it was nice that Avni had suggested an olive oil tasting spot, Stella Croatica, and then a cave we could check out. So off we went!
After driving through some rather flooded areas, and getting through the long line of cars (there is only one road for us to head out on), we headed toward the Stella Croatica. It was a short tour, and the olive oil production isn’t carried out there so we didn’t see that, we got to taste olive oil and other tasty treats. We ended up purchasing some sweet things that we planned on sharing later in the evening. We can’t buy anything to take home: we can’t add any weight to our luggage if we want to continue with carryon only!
Just a few photos of the garden outside:
From Stella Croatica we went to a castle that was include din our ticket price, the Fortress of Klis. We explored it a bit, splitting up into two groups eventually, because some of us weren’t comfortable going further: the wind was pretty wild, and it looked like it might rain. As those in the group I was in were waiting for the rest (Dan, Avni, and young Hannah) it began to sprinkle a little bit so we finally opted to go down to our car. We got there and took shelter in the car as the rain began. I finally got a text from Dan asking where we were so I went out to connect with him. Then the rain REALLY came down and I was getting soaked! I met up with him, we took shelter under a building, and eventually saw the remainder of the group coming so we went back to the cars. (This isn’t the complete story but you don’t need all that!)
The cave was just not possible at this point, so we went back to the villa, hung out, enjoyed a glass of wine, and then had a fabulous dinner made by Avni. Much time was spent around the table telling stories from our past and more.
Now I’m in our room, and I’ll post this and perhaps post photos but the internet connection is wonky again so those may or may not appear tonight.
