Lots of Boobs, a Few Ferraris, and our First Fourth of July in France

Our dinner at the Lesieur's was lovely. It was very generous of them to host 30 Americans.Their home was beautiful, I could picture it in Santa Barbara or La Jolla. It was strange being with people I normally only see in San Francisco in the South of France. Just weird but wonderful too. We all kept saying "can you believe we are here together ?"  Anyway it was a fun night. On Wednesday I HAD THE DAY TO MYSELF! Much needed I might add. Keith and I are getting on well but it was time for a break. I spent the morning shopping for a straw hat in the boutiques by the beach. The irony being that I left my favorite straw cowboy hat at home cause I didn't think it would work in France and all they have here are straw cowboy hats. I found one that was relatively reasonable. Let me just say that everything is so  so expensive, shockingly so. It is double of what it was eight years ago when we were in Europe. I expected the French Riviera to be pricey but it is crazy how much everything is.  A casual lunch for two is easily $ 60 US dollars. A pair of sandals that back home would go for $30 is $65 here. But as Keith says a hundred times a day " there is no practice life we might as well enjoy it". After my hat acquisition  I had a delicious omelet at a little bistro followed by a day at the pool. While I was relaxing Keith was playing golf in Cannes at a course the European Open is played on. He said it was beautiful and completely enjoyed himself. Later that evening we had a very French dinner at Le Jardin which was recommended to us by the Lesieurs. I started with a sea Breen tar tar, followed by a very fine veal stew. For dessert I had chocolate mouse wrapped in sponge cake with more ganache on top. All were accompanied by champagne. We supped with my sister Judy, her husband Joe, my cousin Tina and her son GianCarlo. Afterwards we walked about 30 minutes back to our hotel. 

I have not mentioned it yet but the weather has been terrific, sunny but not too hot and not very humid either. This is the best weather I have ever experienced in Europe. We got lucky.

On Thursday we spent the day at the beach. All the hotels have private beaches and for about $35 a person you get set up with a very comfy lounge chair, and you can have food and drink brought to you if you wish. The water is perfect, very refreshing but not too cold, and it is very clear and clean. It is great fun to people watch here. First off there are tourists from all over the world and you hear so many languages. Children laughing and playing in French, Italian,German, Dutch and even Russian is so adorable. Then of course you have women of all ages sun bathing topless. From young to old, boobs are everywhere.  I think this is marvelous. If men can why can't we? It so prudish to insist women cover up.  Late in the afternoon we got this weird fashion show. This young woman and man came to our little beach with bags of bathing suit cover ups . She would try one on and model it up and down the beach, then change into another one and do the same. He would instruct her on how to wear it and how to pose. We were cracking up. They made only a few sales but it was very entertaining. After a very relaxing day we packed it up and headed back to get ready for a Fourth of July Party hosted by Delphine's Grandparents. We were asked to dress in red white and blue patriotic stuff. It was about 6 blocks from our hotel to their home and there were about 30 of us, it was like a Fourth of July Parade !  This home was fantastic and they could not have been nicer. We all had a good time. At the end of the evening Keith led us all in singing the National Anthem. It was surprisingly emotional , many folks had some tears. It was touching. 

More later on about our day today and hopefully my pictures will load. Right now my Brother Paul and sister in law Nada have arrived in our room with a bottle of wine which is calling my name. Love you Mom.

Peace out.

Viva la France

We left Spain for our 400 mile drive to Juan les-Pins, Antibes France which is right on the Riveiera next to Cannes past Nice. The miles flew by as we drove by the Pierrenes Mountain range and through Provence. Much of the drive reminded me of Northern California, green and lush, lots of vineyards and farmland. Some noticeable differences were an occasional castle or two on top of hills, very polite drivers and rest stop stores that looked like specialty food shops. We stopped for breakfast and had delicious sandwiches with prosciutto and cheese. There were many choices, all freshly prepared, and the pastries were very tempting. The bathrooms were spotless and everyone had toilet paper thank you very much. 

The entire reason for this trip is that we are here for my nephew Jared's wedding to the lovely Delphine. Delphine is French and her family lives in Antibes. We are thrilled for them and would not miss this  for the world. It was a great excuse to come to Europe. 

The trip took a bit over 7 hours, we stopped about five times. All the roads are toll roads and we probably spent $ 60 in tolls alone. Antibes looks just like a movie set. The beaches are beautiful, lots of yachts in the water. Keith surprised me with a suite for our 6 day stay which has two little patios, a small living room separate from our bedroom and a walk in closet. I may never leave. Tonight we are going to the home of Madame Lessuer's, Delphine's parents, for dinner. Tomorrow I chill. Posting an apricot pastry purchased at a gas station market and wine we did not purchase, plus our little patio.

Love you Mom.

Peace out.

There are very few virgins left in Spain..

"There are very few virgins left in Spain, and you are going to see one of them" said the hotel clerk as we were leaving for the day heading to the Monastery in Monteserrat located in the mountains about 30 minutes outside of Barcelona. We had just had that wonderful breakfast, but with the addition of the most delicious churros. However I later found out that the breakfast cost about 50 American dollars each ! I'm glad it was good.  Anyway, on with our trip to the Monastery we were told by our good friends and world travelers Paul and Monty that this was a must see partly because the monastery has one of the worlds few Black Madonnas. So we got directions and went on our way. We were told it would take no more than 40 minutes to get there. WRONG. We managed to get lost 4 times along the way so it ended up being a 2 hour adventure. No one died, it was fine. It was totally worth it. The monastery is built into this very unique mountain with really interesting rock formations. The mountain itself is said to hold spiritual powers and there have been numerous UFO sightings there. We took a funicular up the mountain, it was a very steep climb, made me a bit nervous. After coming back down we went inside the church, yes I did Mom. We saw the virgin, asked her to send blessings to my Mother before we left. It was a beautiful church, as grand as any in Italy. We had a little snack before we headed back to our hotel which took about 35 minutes. We spent a quiet night at the hotel as we wanted to get an early start in the morning for our 400 mile drive to France. I even skipped dinner, that might not happen again,especially in France. I am posting pictures of our day at the monastery, the $50 breakfast, the view from the funicular, and us at the top. I love you Mom. Peace out.

Gaudi more Gaudi and the double decker bus

On Sunday, our first full day in Barcelona we got an early start which began with the breakfast buffet at our hotel. I do not understand why we cannot have this quality of food in the US. Really. Everything was so beautiful. The fruit, the Iberian ham, mortadella, salamis, smoked salmon, cheeses, breakfast pastries, quiches, and on and on. All of it fresh and appealing. Any day I can have mortadella for breakfast with a chocolate croissant is a good day. 

The first thing we checked out out was Gaudi's Sagrada Familia, a cathedral that has been in the making for over a hundred years and will not be completed for many many decades. It is spectacular and the number one tourist attraction in Barcelona. It was mobbed. Tons of people. We did not wait the four hours to go inside. Instead we jumped on one of those double decker  buses where you can get on and off and with the audio  tour get a good over view of the city. We have done this all over the US , in Italy and Paris. It is an efficient and pleasurable way to see as much as possible. 

The first stop we got off at was Gruell Park. This was a thirty five acre park designed by Gaudi who was very inspired by nature. It was whimsical, and seussical, I mean those two would have been soul mates. Gaudi was a dreamer and his architecture is rich in symbolism. This park was beautiful and there was something to see at every turn. To get there we had to walk up four steep hills. Not my favorite thing but good for me I know. It equaled out my mortadella consumption . There were these buildings that almost looked animated, colorful mosaic tiles imbedded in the walls, domes suspended by pillars and shimmering glass in unexpected places. It was wonderful. We sat at the cafe in the park and watched a flock of parrots as they flew from tree to tree. I heard at least 6 languages spoken and that was just while I was waiting in the Q for the ladies room, which by the way had no paper( note to self always have tissue on hand). There were different gardens throughout this vast park and we did not see all of them but we saw a great deal . There were musicians all over and Keith of course had to stop,hear, and introduce himself to each of them. He just cracks me up . 

After over 2 hours we left the park and got back on the bus. We spent the next 4 hours taking in Barcelona. If is a lively and gorgeous city. Ancient and modern coexisting in harmony. Buildings a thousand years old and lots of public art all very modern. They invest a lot in design and are very proud of their artists. Spain on the whole is going through a difficult time economically.  They refer to it as "the crisis".   I am impressed by how much better the general population is informed about the global economy and world politics than most Americans.This is true for cab drivers and waiters as well as university students. 

At about 3pm I hit a wall, hard. I just ran out of energy. I had only gotten about 6 hours of sleep in over 2 days and I was cooked . We were at a flea market and I just told Keith I had to leave and get to the room NOW. He is a guy who never browses, does not like nick nacks but he was really in to looking at military memorabilia. After some pouting on my part we left and I got a short nap before we headed out for dinner.

My brother in law, Joe Betro, one of my very favorite people and an excellent relative, made reservations at this restaurant he had been to years ago called Botofumiero. Judy, Joe , Sal, Linda, Keith, and I had reservations for 10 pm. People eat late here! It was a fine dining establishment where most of the guests are locals. Good choice Joe. We started with prosciutto and melon and cannelloni stuffed with crab bathed in a cream sauce. Really good. The pasta was delicate but not mushy and crab is one of my favorites . For my entree I had filet of sole with prawns in a cava sauce . Cava is a Spanish sparkeling white wine, much like Champagne or Proseco. There was also a ton if butter in this sauce, I liked it . Keith always up for a new experience ordered the Sea Cucumber. Neither of us had ever had it and it was so good. The closest comparison would be squid combined with crab. I highly recommend it. We finished off the meal with chocolate gelato, a few orders of wild strawberries , and then

they brought us a tray of cookies and the lightest most melt in your mouth pieces if sponge cake I have ever tasted.

It was a lovely and memorable evening. 

That's all for now .  Posting pics of the cathedral, Gruel park, dinner and a special   portrait of Keith. More tomorrow. 

Love you Mom. 

Peace out

Powering through the Jet Lag

I apologize for not posting yesterday but I was having issues, many issues like no Internet and being delirious from jet lag. Both are getting better. As I write this it is  10:20 pm Monday night, we are 9 hours ahead of Cali and it stays light till almost 10 pm so I'm a bit out of sorts still. My last trip to Europe was 8 years ago and I do not remember struggling so much with the time change, age changes  everything I think. 

Last I left you we had just checked in on Saturday. That night we had a group dinner, us 14 Italians and Keith. We went to this restaurant on the beach called  Ca la Nuri. We arrived at 10 pm and closed the joint down. The food was good, casual dinning but done well. We started with  fried Calimari , olives, and caprese salad and then Keith and I had Paella. With all of it there was about 10 bottles of wine drunk. The paella was good, it is all about the rice infused with the flavors of the sea. It was dark brown and a great texture. Prawns, mussels, cuttle fish , octopus and other seafood were nestled in the rice and if was just yummy.

It was really a fun night being with my sister Judy, her husband Joe, my niece Jenna her husband Matt, my nephew and his girlfriend Jack and Jill and the Rizzo family, Sal and Linda and their four  adult kids. Sal and Joe shared about being groped by women offering sexual favors which they turned down. We all got more animated as the night got later and later. It is such a treat to be able to share this trip with my family. I love them all of course but I like them very much too. The Rizzo's just add extra fun. More to come, love you Mom. 

Peace out from Barcelona.

The adventure begins

We left LAX over 24 hours ago and are finally here in Barcelona. Getting here was not a snap. On the way to the airport Keith rear ended a guy in little sporty BMW. It was like a baby getting head butted by an elephant. The result was just a dent, no one was hurt, Larry (the said baby) was nice about it and we made it to the airport Westin where we a had a nice meal and tried to get some sleep before our early am flight. Both the flights were as nice as flights can be. We used our Amex miles to upgrade to first class which made a huge difference. We first flew to Miami and then after a two hour layover boarded a plane to Spain.   We had limitless alcohol, I stuck to champagne, Keith had beer and some good cab. We were served a decent dinner but what I liked best was the hot fudge sundae for dessert with real whipped cream. I was hoping it would help me sleep but even with a Xanax  and our seats that reclined into beds I only slept an hour or so. Anyway, after almost 10 more hours in the air we landed. 

I love foreign airports and hearing all the different languages it makes it real that you are far from home and the your adventure is about to start. My nephew Jackson's lovely girlfriend Jill  (Jack and Jill adorable right ?) arrived at the same time we did so we  had made arrangements to pick her up and take her to the airport where she was staying with my sister and her family. It took almost 2 hours to get her luggage . We were relieved that it wasn't lost. We then proceeded to get our rental car, the line for Avis where we had reservations was FOUR HOURS long. It was a mess. We changed companies and rented a sporty four door Mini Cooper that is about the size of a Honda Civic. I think it will be perfect for driving through Spain and France. We are staying at the W Hotel. It is on the water and really beautiful. It is very  la de daish, ultra modern, and full of beautiful people. Well screw it we are here now. I must say though that our room is swanky but comfortable and one entire wall is glass and is the only thing separating us from the Mediterranean Ocean. I'm looking forward to the Sunsets. 

We are meeting my sister and her family for dinner at 10 pm. I am already delirious from lack of sleep but I need to get on Spain time. I am posting pics of the rent a car Line,  you have to see it to believe it, and our ocean view. Tomorrow we see Barcelona ! Love you Mom.

Peace out

Almost ready

Stay tuned for our European Vacation to Spain and France. A wedding on the French Riviera and you know who Running with the Bulls are on the agenda. Wish us luck!