VS

Yesterday, we wrapped up our morning in Leon. What a great city. I could have definitely spent another day there. The Medieval feel is right up my alley and the walled city is simply impressive. We also had a chance to experience another Durum at the Turkish restaurant up the street from Doner Kabob. While it wasn't nearly as good, we did get to try some amazing Arabic tea. All in all, Leon was a wonderful city and a must see if you are coming to Spain. Onward back to Madrid! It was so sad to have to turn the keys back over to Avis for our little Ibiza. I was worried her next driver wouldn’t take nearly as good care of her and I will continue to worry about her well being. Mike assured me ... read more

The Viking Festival went off today without a hitch. I was once again grateful for the tiny Ibiza as maneuvering around the tiny streets of Catoira in back to back traffic trying to find a parking spot was no easy task - especially when you try to park in someone's overgrown yard and they ask you to move with a boulder in front of you, a ditch to the one side and a sharp incline to the other... again, praises to the Ibiza. The festival folks were in high spirits when we arrived as the stilt walkers breathed fire into the sky and the drum beats droned on. Vendors sold food and the wine flowed (maybe a little too much for some folks as there were already people passed out before the Viking ships even arrived). ... read more

Madrid awakens at night. Dinner was served at 11pm when we settled into an outdoor seafood restaurant across the street from our hotel. Temperatures were pleasant enough to be dressed up and seated outside without being too hot. We ordered garlic shrimp and marinated sardines both of which were outstanding. Of course the olives that came with the sardines were perfect. We hopped the Metro again which felt surprisingly safe even though it was Midnight and ended up in La Latina. La Latina seemed to be a place brimming with people and clubs. A totally different feel from where our hotel is located which is much more commercial. Many streets were brick and cobblestone here and some simply could not be managed by cars. You can tell what the city felt like before cars were invented ... read more

The trip has gone like clockwork so far. We managed to get everything wrapped up before we departed and actually got on the road not on time - but EARLY. For those of you who know me well, you know that's a miracle. Closing the business down today was a big help and allowed us to wake and concentrate on our plans. Aside from the one client who has called literally 6 .. wait.. ring ring..make that 7 times this morning (apparently she's not believing our message that says we have NO ACCESS TO VOICE OR EMAIL), things have been quiet. Completing US Air's web check in online last night was a huge help. We didn't have to wait at the kiosks at all but simply got in line to check out bags: in and out ... read more

My parents decided on a whim to come visit Costa Rica. What a great excuse for Mike and I to continue our travels of the country and show my folks around a bit. We had planned on taking them to La Paz Waterfall, Arenal Volcano, Manuel Antonio and ending their visit here in Sámara. It wasn’t until halfway into their trip that I realized we simply wouldn’t have time to do everything and decided to cut Manuel Antonio out of our plans. When we arrived at La Paz Waterfall Gardens Resort, we were completely amazed at the beauty of the rooms. The design was perfect, the craftsmanship breathtaking and the views something that we’ll be talking about for years to come. There was no amenity overlooked and many that came as pleasant surprises. We had a ... read more