Trapped in La Quinta We try to enjoy some sun this morning, but it gets cool quite quickly and we retreat back to our hotel room where it’s warmer. The Costa del Sol has some amazing beach weather most of the time, but both times I’ve been in Marbella (this time and 10 years ago), it has been cloudy and rainy. No worries, though, because our room is a refuge that I don’t mind spending the whole day in. This will be a luxury pretty soon. Our plan today is to take a cab to Puerto Banús, which is closer than [View Full Entry]

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There is nothing to say for today. We ordered much of the same food for lunch and continued writing and posting pictures - or did you not notice that there were almost 10 blogs posted during our stay in Marbella? We read books. Leroy is now reading Barack Obama’s book, and I am reading some less than good novels that I pilfered from Bett’s Paris apartment. First there was “Which Brings Me to You” by Steve Almond and Juliana Baggot, which is a quick read but easily forgotten, and now there is “Good Grief” by Lolly Winston, which I give the [View Full Entry]

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We’re Going to Marbella Brekkie is take-out from VIPS eaten at the hotel and then we are back on the metro to Atocha RENFE to catch our Talgo 200 train to Málaga. I buy some tortillas españolas and bread to take with us on our 3.5-hour trip. Málaga is near Marbella and is the closest airport and major train station; once there, we’ll have to catch a bus to Marbella and then a taxi to our hotel. I chose Marbella because it’s a beach town and (mainly) because we can stay at the Westin La Quinta Resort for three nights using [View Full Entry]

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Breakfast at VIPS and the best Brazilian wax ever We have breakfast at VIPS, which is a chain of stores and restaurants that holds a special place in my heart. Not only because it was one of the only spots back in the day where we could get an American breakfast, but also because they sold great wines on the cheap. Ahh, VIPS, how many times did you come through with the late-night grub? And that sparkling red wine that we had in the summer of 1997 during my last week in Madrid and that lovely pasta dinner we all cooked [View Full Entry]

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The Acropolis: Hiking Up to the Holiest Rock We are up early to make the most of our last morning in Athens. Breakfast at the hotel is pathetic, but then, nothing at the Best Western has impressed so far. We head out toward the main street that leads directly to the Acropolis, briskly walking for 20 minutes until we hit the foot of the hill. There, we wonder which way to go, as there aren’t any clear signs, and the few that do exist are covered in graffiti. On the way, we pass at least three sites with ruins encased in [View Full Entry]

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Milos, Mykonos, Santorini, Aegina, Patmos??? Our clock is all wrong now. We went to bed at 6am and, although Leroy gets up a little earlier, we’re not ready to face the world until about 2pm. The Acropolis closes at 7:30pm and the Best Western concierge encourages us to walk there. It’ll take an hour, he says, so we must leave enough time. But our need for a bed and our empty stomachs win over. We have to find a place to stay tomorrow night and the night after. Thursday night should not be a problem since most of the soccer fans [View Full Entry]

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Au Revoir It is late morning and we trudge downstairs with our luggage. Goodbyes at the door with Maman and Lotus are bittersweet. She tells me that I will always have a home in Paris, and I can’t thank her enough for her hospitality, kindness, and amazing culinary abilities. She has an uncanny ability to make one feel at home, and I really did feel at home at Malesherbes. And to think, I’m usually quite afraid of dogs, but Lotus is such a sweetheart that I am sad to leave her as well. I can only imagine how hard the goodbye [View Full Entry]

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Looking for some macaroons to put out there We rush over to Rue Claude Pouillet to see Mom and Bob off. They are leaving a day earlier than the rest of us, and by 8:45am, they are in a cab and off to CDG. Au revoir! Though tempted to just stay in the apartment and relax on our last day in Paris, we have a lot of stuff to do. We simply must find LaDurée and try the secret recipe macaroons, and I’m also looking for a pair of good walking shoes. We jump on the Metro and exit near Rue [View Full Entry]

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Anne Frank Huis: First Attempt Having not set the alarm, we all get up late. Our plan for today is Anne Frank’s House and the Heineken Brewery. That should mean that everyone got to see their first choice (Van Gogh Museum) and their second as well (bike tour, Heineken, and Anne Frank). While getting ready, we got a quick lesson in Dutch cosmetics from a TV commercial advertising the benefits of “Schnail Schlime” (snail slime) as a beautifying agent. Your skin will shine with Schnail Schlime! We try to find a nice, happy spot to have another English breakfast, but we [View Full Entry]

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Bettina comes through again. Leroy and I are about to post the Amsterdam blogs from Spain, but we’ve been lagging because we need to download photos from Bett’s memory stick. We don’t have the cable, so we have to find one of those Kodak Photo CD centers. Being so behind in uploading photos, we appreciate Bett’s super guest blogging track record (Yes, I’m calling OG and Xandra out again, but all in jest). We miss you and your cappuccinos, Bett. I hope San Fran is treating you well. A Proper English Breakfast and the Cappuccino Indulgence Begins I t [View Full Entry]

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