It Was Both Easy...and Hard

As soon as we finished the Camino Ingles a couple of weeks ago, I said the same thing to TJ that I said in October of 2022 after we finished our first Camino, "I would do it again in a heartbeat".  Maybe it was the adrenaline, maybe it was the Holy Spirit, but the feeling was real.  Before we ever walked that first step 2 years ago, I told him I was afraid if we did this, I would love it and want to do it again.  I was right. I would do it again.  Not tomorrow...because that might hurt, but some day.  I understand why so many people have done this multiple times.  The Camino gets in your blood.  For me, it was both easy and hard.

Just follow the arrow!  Easy!

Walking 28 km/18 miles in one day up and down hills like this...hard.

I am not sure I can be considered a "real" pilgrim just yet...but I think I know what it feels like.  According to some, a true pilgrim carries everything on their back and stays in communal alburgues at night.   We, once again, sent our bags (at least they were just carry-ons...simplifying!) ahead and stayed in hotels in our own room with our own bathroom.  Our accommodations were more humble, and our meals were more basic, than last time.   We walked every step from the coast in Ferrol, Spain to the cathedral in Santiago de Compostela, Spain.  All 113km plus a few extra, just for fun or possibly by mistake.  

Our journey began with one night in A Coruna, Spain where we met up with TJ' sister and her husband and acclimated, aka got over a bit of jet lag.  What a lovely town!  Totally worth the brief stop.  We walked around, saw the sights, enjoyed looking at the beach and had a very nice dinner.  Adrenaline level was high!

Looking down I wondered how much of this land we would be walking across over the next week!

Had to walk to Hercules Tower! 
Warming up for the hills ahead on the Camino!

Beautiful paella for dinner!
With razor clams...."you can eat those?!"

The next day we took the bus to Ferrol, where we would start our Camino.  A short 1-hour ride which would take us about 3 days to walk back to on our way to Santiago.  We found the Pilgrim office, got our Pilgrim Passports, took the obligatory photos at the starting waymarker and enjoyed exploring Ferrol.  

Here we are so fresh and expectant!

  We left Ferrol on April 8 at 9:15.  The sunshine of the day before was gone and to welcome us to the Camino...rain.  Very disappointing!  However, I know how to do this since it rained most days when we walked our last Camino.  With our rain jackets on and our good attitudes packed we headed out for our 6 day, 113 km pilgrimage.  I wondered what the road had in store for each of us.  I wondered if there would be any eye or heart opening moments.  I wondered if my body would hold up.  I wondered who we would meet along the Way.  I hoped the rain would stop.  Sometimes the best part is the anticipation of all the possibilities.

I guess we won't melt...out we go!

One of the many churches along the Way.

This is one of the times the Camino provided. 
Torrential rain hit just as we entered the underpass.  
We hung out here until the heavy stuff passed.

The first day was a mixed bag.  Walking in the rain, through the city, past apartment buildings, past what seemed like dozens of car dealerships, with many cranes and shipyards in our view, through a large industrial area was the hard part.  I might consider seeking refuge in a McDonalds after the pouring rain and sheltering under the freeway one of the hard parts.  We were desperate, and desperate times require desperate measures.  If there had been a cute cafe, we would have chosen it, believe me!  The only port in the storm was the golden arches.  Ouch!  Finally, a dirt path through some rural terrain made it all easier.  The exclamation point was the final few kilometers, uphill and then downhill to end our day. Finally arriving at our lovely accommodation on the water and seeing the sunshine after such a dreary 12-mile day was the easy part. 

Finally, out of the city!

And a welcome blue sky!

Former tannery and then monastery among other things and our room for the night.
The easy part!

 Day 2, Neda to Pontedeume, we woke up to sunshine!  This day was advertised as a "short" day.  Bring it on, our feet are already feeling the miles!  The walk was "easy" as far as Camino days go.  Only 9 miles!  There were a few hills, and I still haven't decided if going up or coming down is harder.  We left at 9 and arrived at our destination at noon.  Now what are we going to do?  We did have an absolutely lovely lunch, which far surpassed dinner, just saying.  We all rested, did laundry, and scrolled on our phones.  Luxurious!  TJ and I explored the town and soaked our feet in the very cold river.  Pontedeume was a charming town.  We also started seeing the same people along the Way so now we had some Camino friends.  I am pretty sure we were known among other pilgrims as "the Americans".  Most of the other pilgrims on our route were Spanish.  We met a couple of Canadians and a group of seminarians from the UK.  There is something so special about seeing the same faces along the Way knowing they are coming from and going to the same place you are.  We all have our own reasons for walking the Way but we are all connected by walking the paths that many before us have walked.  

Day 3, Pontedeume to Betanzos, was long, but not the longest. One of the prayers I had on this walk was for God to bless us in surprising ways.  This day was a blessing.  Leaving beautiful Pontedeume in the morning sunshine was fun until we were still walking uphill after about 30 minutes!  The view at the top was amazing and motivation to just keep going.  The day was classic Camino...past ruins, through small towns, under a freeway or two, alongside a golf course (I felt very "at home"), with a couple of perfectly placed snack stops and a new friend who talked us into town when we were all running out of gas.  As far as Camino days go, I could do this day again, it was just beautiful and surprising.  

Up and out of town to start the day.

The climb to the top was worth it!
Pontedeume was a lovely little place!

Morning smoke in the valley.

Our first stop of the day.  
Great pastry, coffee and clean bathroom!
Well done!

Scenes along the Way.

Just when you thought you couldn't walk another step...
at the top of a long hill there is this oasis.
Set up by some wonderful people!

Our new Camino friend who talked us into town.
The miles/kilometers go by so much faster
when making a new friend.

Cervezas!
The easy part!

Betanzos was the largest town on our route.  After our long walk we arrived at 3:00 pm and in Spain, as we had discovered, most restaurants stop serving lunch at 3 or 3:30.  We were very lucky to find a place for lunch at 3:15...closing time was 3:30!  We were so hungry and thirsty!!  They kindly served us a delicious lunch and several cold beers and maybe a bottle of wine.  As we sat outside eating and drinking, we saw several of our "Camino friends" walking along.  One woman sat with us for a while, and we enjoyed sharing information.  This casual lifestyle is something I can definitely embrace!  After lunch it was definitely time for siesta!  Later the same day, TJ and I explored the town and ended up in the main plaza, in a cafe next to a group of Spanish women who seemed to be just out for an evening of fun.  Come to find out, they too were on the Camino as we saw them many times over the next days.  Oh, to be young...this group of women were drinking and smoking every time we ran into them...and walked us into the ground.  They seemed to be having quite the time!  We also saw our seminarians again, they were going to Mass, we were going to dinner.  Several of our "Camino friends" decided to take a rest day in this town so we had to say "goodbye" to them.  After only 3 days we still felt a kinship and we will likely never see them again.  The Camino does that.

Day 4, Betanzos to Hospital de Bruma was the hard part.  By day 4 it all hurts in the morning when you wake up.  It hurts even more knowing what lies ahead...28 km and 1000 meters of elevation over the course of the day.  This day was also the one with "limited services" along the Way.  We packed snacks and made sure we had plenty of water!  We also left earlier than any of the other days, we knew we had to just put one foot in front of the other.  Again, the walk out of town was uphill.  The joy of staying on towns on rivers, the way out is always uphill.  The day was stunning, a blessing.  We enjoyed the first half of the day.  The second half was just work.  One or two funny stories...after lunch we reach a lovely path through woods with mossy banks on the sides.  Above us were farm fields.  We heard some machinery and we quickly found out that machinery was distributing "fertilizer"...manure of some sort!  The stench was oppressive!  If we could have run, we would have.  Our eyes were watering it stunk so bad.  How to ruin such a lovely trail!  

Another funny story goes along with my Ricky Gervais experience on my last Camino.  I, again, was very attentive to keeping my phone on mute.  Well....we were walking up one of the hundred hills on this day and all feeling the heat of the day.  When from out of nowhere came Paul McCartney singing Blackbird!  This time I knew it was coming from my phone.  But...I do not have this song on any of my playlists!  We had discussed Beyonce's version of this song the night before at dinner but had not listened to it.  Apparently, my phone has its own mind on the Camino!  Why that song and why now?  Still have not figured that one out yet.  

The day was long, did I already say that?  We arrived at the alburgue in Hospital de Bruma, where we were supposed to phone our accommodation to pick us up.  We saw some of our "Camino friends" here and all soaked our feet in the nice stream next to the alburgue.  Our "friends" kept telling us the alburgue was full and they sincerely seemed concerned for us for the night.  It was very nice.  We assured them we had a place to stay.  We heard the next day that people at the alburgue told them they saw "the Americans" and had to tell the alburgue was full.  Good to know they cared.

Leaving Betanzos

A good place for a snack and a drink...and a break.

Great cafe for lunch where we saw the "partying Spanish girls" smoking and drinking for lunch,
and two other Camino friends.
Beware, this place is closed on Monday! 

Don't let this serene view fool you,
it stinks to high heaven!

Progress
But seriously...could not have noted 50KM...had to be 49.995km!

Somewhere along this road Paul McCartney is singing Blackbird.

She runs this cafe/bar and is an all-purpose host!
Calls a cab for you and...

provides snacks for tired hungry pilgrims!

Cold water foot therapy!

The day ended at a lovely Casa Rural.  Hosted by the owner and his wife.  They were wonderful hosts and so proud of their renovated home.  It was a 300 year old building and they turned it into a restaurant and rural accommodation.  We enjoyed every bit of it.  The peace and quiet, the food, the drinks, the beautiful grounds and nice big rooms and bathrooms.  This night was very easy after a very hard day!

Our kind of "alburgue"!

The end will have to wait for the next post.  

Miles and Miles

 March was a month full of miles.  Miles flown, miles walked and miles driven. 

We flew up north to watch our grandsons early in March while their parents went to an out of town wedding.  The older they get the easier...and harder this job gets.  I am eternally grateful the internet was not the beast it is now when I was raising my kids.  I would not have been very tolerant! Later in March that same family came down to Texas for their spring break.  We all drove miles and miles of Texas!  We toured Austin, Waco, College Station and Houston along with their universities and various tourist attractions.  It is a treat to be a tourist in your own state and city.  Texas put on a good show for them as it was bluebonnet season and the spring weather was amazing.  Sometimes it all works. 

 

Easter came and went, the dust settled and will be waiting for us once we return from the next adventure.  

To prepare for the next adventure, I logged many miles walking in March. There were days I felt like Forrest Gump! Luckily, again, spring weather was nice. I must say, I do like a nice walk. Of course there are many things I could have and probably should have done instead of walking but there you have it. I walked...to get ready to walk some more. 

We are walking the Camino Ingles April 7-13 and I am reaching out.  When we walked the Portuguese route in 2022 I was excited and nervous.  I had done my homework, I thought I had walked the necessary miles to be ready.  I was still only 6 months out from my ACL replacement, so I wondered if I had it in me and my knee to finish.  We did finish.  I also had some intentions I brought along with me on my pilgrimage.  I remember when we set off on our first day, full of adrenaline and expectations.  I did not need much to motivate me to get to the end of that day's walk, I was on the Camino and I was happy to be there.  Around the point where it began to rain on day two and my feet began to remind me that they didn't really walk over 15 miles a day and the adrenaline had worn off I started to realize I had to find something other than just being on the Camino to motivate me.  I was on a pilgrimage after all.  I decided to pray for different groups of people in my life each day.  One day I prayed for my kids.  One day for my friends.  One day I prayed for the people in my life who died.  By the end though, and let me just say by the end, my feet were aching, I was tired and the rain did not help to keep me in a good mood.  I found myself praying to my Dad and it had a profound affect on me when I finished.  My Dad could not walk much for the last 7 years of his life. I prayed to Dad that I was walking the steps he could not walk in his life.  I found myself crying when we finished at the cathedral.  Probably part exhaustion and part elation.  

We are walking again, this time the Camino Ingles.  I am much stronger than I was last time.  I have found myself wondering though what or who will I pray for this time.  Both my parents are gone and yes, I will carry them with me.  I am in a much different place in life than I was in 2022.  Then it hit me...in church.  I am asking you, my friends, if there is something you would like me to pray for, during my Camino.  I will add you to my prayers while I walk.  I only ask for your prayers in return, that we make it safely without injury.  I don't doubt we will all be fine, but it is still a few more miles than I am used to walking!  My feet will hurt!  I just hope the rest of me doesn't hurt too much either!  

So as I hastily send this out into cyberspace I hope it finds you well! I'll be walking and trying my best to be a good pilgrim.  

Random February Stuff

Remember in school when you had a month to write that paper and found yourself on the last couple of days scrambling to start and finish the paper?  Don't even talk to me if you were the person who had the paper written one week after it was assigned, I can't even comprehend such a thing!  Well, as February is near its end, I find that I have mulled over several blog topics during the month and managed to find dozens of ways not to bring any of them to completion.  Last night, as I lie awake, my mind went through those poor never written blog posts.  There is the one that goes through the playlist of my life.  I see it as the musical score to the many stages of my life.  Someday I really do hope to sit down and write that one.  I am currently just gathering the songs, albums and artists...while not sleeping.  There is the one I come up with a unique thought, finally, and write something eloquent and witty with great perspective.  I reflected on some of my favorite posts and wonder how I was able to come up with those ideas and why my brain just doesn't feel as sharp as it did...8 or 10 years ago!  Hmmm, maybe those 8 or 10 years have something to do with my fading sharpness.  One more reason to put the fingers to the keyboard and write.  But, alas, motivation is fleeting.  I have found that I have also become very skilled at making excuses for just about everything, be it writing, playing good or bad golf, working out, cleaning my house, cooking, yard work...you know...all the "fun" stuff.

February was a good month; it usually is for us.  It began in Park City, Utah with a glass of wine to celebrate the end of dry/damp January and to toast my ski bum obsessed husband who has taken his ski career to the next level.  He was enjoying his season pass for a couple of weeks before I arrived, and he loved every minute of it.  Since I am still retired from my illustrious ski career, spending a month in Park City does not appeal to me as much as it does to him, so we compromise, and I show up for a week of winter.  My sister, Lee Ann, joined us since she loves the snow and visiting winter as much as I do.  No, we really do enjoy it!  We have however, transitioned from skiing to snowshoeing and still get to enjoy being out in the snow plus it gives us a chance to take in some of the views we grew to love.  

I still like to sit at the bottom of the hill
and remember the days I was one of "them".  

From Park City we went to San Francisco to enjoy one of the gifts that comes along with being a grandparent, watching the grandchild while the parents go to an out-of-town wedding.  One of the unfinished blogs for the month was started after our visit to San Francisco when I got home and was bursting with energy that comes with keeping up with a 3-year-old. 

After raising 4 children and grandparenting 6 grandchildren past the age of 3, I have...in my "expert" opinion, decided that 3 must be one of the best ages in life.  We spent a week with our 3-year-old grandson, and it was pure joy.  It reminded me of the precious moments we spent with our other grandchildren at the same age.  There is such joyful innocence in a 3-year-old!  They are no longer "babies", so they talk, run, have developed tastes, have opinions, are soaking up life like sponges, and are more physically and mentally able to enjoy more grown-up activities like going to the zoo and eating sushi.  I did not necessarily notice this every day when my own children were 3 because I lacked the perspective that comes with hindsight.  Sure, there were moments of sweetness when my cup overflowed just watching them explore, play, smile, learn and grow but there were also moments I was just dog paddling to keep my head above the water and get through to the next day.  Grandparents don't have the burden responsibility of raising grandchildren most of the time, we just get to enjoy them and say "yes" a lot more than "no"!  The farther along in my grandparenting life I get, the more I appreciate this!

Yes, you may have a giant donut
if you are a good boy in church!!

I just love following them on the way to "school".

And I did my first Transformer!  
"Gigi can you turn this monster into a truck?"
Only took me 3 days!

The joy and innocence was refreshing and inspiring.  When you get older and are not around children as much you forget how precious it is!

Once we got back home it was Lent.  This year Lent means no weekday drinking for me.  It seemed to be a good behavior pattern in January so I decided to continue, call me crazy.  You would think with all the time and energy I have in the evenings I would be writing a lot more...nope.

I have been doing a lot of walking while listening to books, reading books, working on my golf game and coming up with more creative excuses for my high score.  So far, I have read West with Giraffes (probably not for everyone but I really enjoyed the story!), Things We Never Got Over (had no idea how racy this would be...didn't stop me though😉) and am working on The Five Star Weekend and The Way, My Way.  None of this can be considered fine literature but boy have I enjoyed them.  

I have upped my daily mileage to prepare for another part of the Camino de Santiago.  I said, the minute we finished our first one, that I would do it again in a heartbeat...so here we go.  We plan to walk the Camino Ingles in April after Easter.  It will be a road less traveled.  We are walking with one of TJ's sisters and her husband.  I am very much enjoying my daily walks and am adding miles hoping to be ready and able to enjoy the Way.  San Francisco was great hill training, possibly the only hill training I will get since we live in Texas.  So, either there is a giant carrot dangling in front of me to motivate me or it is whispering in my ear telling me to get up and get going so I can be safe and not sorry.  We shall see.

So that was a lot of random February stuff.  I will pray for inspiration in March during one of my many March miles.  One final thought, if you have stayed with this hot mess this far, spring is in the air and you know what that means...only a few months until shore time!!!  Hang in there folks!

 

Finding the Quiet

We made it!  We survived January!  Well.... one more day.  As I have said many times here on the blog, January is not anyone's favorite month, especially mine.  Just reference your social media...every vlogger, Instagrammer, Facebooker or friend has mentioned how much they don't love January.  I am right there with them, most of the time.  This year January had its definite downs, but it also had some ups.  

Surprisingly, dry January was one of the ups!  For the first time in a while, I really embraced not drinking.  I found that towards the end of the month I wanted less and less to have that glass of wine and have really looked forward to my diet ginger ale at the end of the day.  Party on, January!   I admit a couple of "damp" weekends but for the most part, it was a great January tradition to continue in the future...or even next month.

Instead of drinking I just did a puzzle about it!

We also experienced the usual things that make January a dreary and depressing month.  There was the week of "real" winter and freezing temperatures.  I see those of you up North rolling your eyes, but we do live in Texas!  One night in the middle of the "freeze" I looked at TJ, from my spot under a blanket in front of the fire and exclaimed, "This is why old people move to Florida!".  I have transitioned to the cold years.  For what seemed like 10 years, I was always too hot, and I don't mean in the hubba-hubba way.  Now I find myself checking the thermostat to see if my husband has turned down the temperature, because he has not yet reached the cold years.  We don't really do winter very well here in Texas.

We "saved" the camelia bushes from the freeze. They were full of buds!
This seems to happen every year...

Then there was a week of solid rain.  We have now almost caught up on our cumulative rain deficit in one month.  Between the freeze and the rain my resolution to work diligently on improving my golf game was really challenged.  For a change I have been home for 7 weeks!  Aside from a few days in Baton Rouge for Christmas and a weekend in Dallas, I have been home, and I can't count those as "away" because I drove, and they were nearby.  I figured in 7 weeks my golf game would be in much better shape.  Sadly, it is not.  Let's blame it on "winter conditions".  

January provided me with much needed and appreciated down time.  I know many complained about the slow pace, the dreary conditions, and the lack of alcohol but to quote one of my uncles, "Call me crazy, but I kinda like it!".  I think January is a necessity.  

The last few weeks have provided me with an opportunity to just be still.  Another thing I actually like about January is the hibernation thing.  I remember many years ago when the kids would go back to school after the holidays. We lived in Georgia at the time and winter would inevitably settle in, the dust of the holidays would settle and so would I... with a good book, a fire and a blanket.  I remember feeling guilty for spending a few days just being still.  Of course, back then "still" was a relative term since I had 4 kids under the age of 16 and at least 3 of them were involved in extracurriculars... the stillness only lasted so long.  Another thing to consider is that there was no social media to distract me, so life was already easier to make still.  

Lately there has been a recurring message sent to me from several different sources.  I get a daily reflection sent to my email and the recent posts have recommended being in the quiet.  Time to be quiet and listen.  Sunday at church the homily focused on just being quiet and listening.  There is quiet time spent alone with no distractions or quiet time outdoors.  These are the times we open our minds to ideas, answers, more questions, and if we are lucky...clarity.  Then there is the quiet time we leave in conversations. My kids would refer to this as The Dixon Pause.  If we just listen and leave some space, there is no telling what we can find out about the other person.  Sometimes it is so hard to do this!  I am guilty of closing that space with what I think the person is going to say next or just answering for them.  The magic happens when you leave some space and listen...and sometimes that is hard!  I can remember having serious talks with my kids and having to fight the urge to fill in the spaces.  Sure, sometimes I lost that fight but on occasion, I left some space it was inevitably filled with some good stuff.  

Quiet is at a premium.  We fill our days and nights with noise.  Shoot, I seldom take a walk without listening to a book or a podcast.  Before the availability of these on my device I listened to music, and I think it was probably a lot better for me.  I thought many good thoughts while walking and listening to music.  One good thing about cycling is that I don't listen to anything other than the traffic.  This provides me with a lot of time with my own thoughts.  Win win.  

Quiet lives here. 
 I have logged many miles over the years on this levee.

Cheers to January, the unappreciated month.  If we just listen it is telling us to slow down and hear what it has to share with us.  

  

  

Marketing, Marketing, Marketing

As I returned something to Amazon today, I had a thought...yeah, it happens now and then.  Our easy return choice happens to be going to Whole Foods to return.  Simple and quick...sorta!

There was a steady stream of people coming in and going out of the side entrance/exit with packages to return or ones they had picked up from Amazon.  I thought to myself, "Amazon has created a gathering space!".  There is a constant flow of people in and out and they (Whole Foods) have capitalized on the situation by setting the return space next to the ready-made food section and the bakery.  They are no fools!  "Come on in and return your package and while you are here, please buy some yummy cookies or maybe some delicious bread.  We have also prepared some tasty soups, salads and main dishes for you to take away!  You know you don't want to cook tonight!".  This is what beckons you as you wait a couple of minutes to get your phone scanned, turn around and attempt to leave but get distracted.

After I quickly returned my goods, I just had to peruse the produce section of the store to see what they had that my much more affordable Kroger did not have.  Well...I fell prey to the sample of clementines.  I tasted one and they were delicious!  Yes, I bought a bag of clementines that TJ and I will be eating until the end of the month!  Once home I ate 2! and they were both just as good as the one in the store.  Maybe I just needed some vitamin C!

Anyway...the genius who came up with Amazon return at Whole Foods should get a pat on the back because I not only appreciated the easy return process, I bought clementines and some yummy granola.  And...I will probably be back next week...for more produce or to return more stuff from Amazon!

 

"Someday" is Here

 Apparently, everyone in the world is touring Christmas markets in Europe this year!  It is really a thing now, at least for Americans...Europeans have been doing it forever, seemingly.  We had the pleasure of visiting some markets at the end of November and first week of December.  It was a trip that materialized on a dreary, lonely, afternoon and evening in September at the shore.  I was experiencing the "end of summer blues", and said to TJ, "Remember that trip to Strasbourg we planned and had to cancel?  Maybe it would be fun to visit and see the Christmas markets.".  All I had to do was plant the seed and within a few hours he had purchased tickets and put the ball in my court.  There was a time, or there were many times in our life, that the mere suggestion of a trip would have been met with sighs of, "someday".  As a result of many air miles, a retired and restless husband, an empty nest and our desire to see and do... "Someday" is here! 

Our trip began in Paris on the Saturday after Thanksgiving.  Turns out the Saturday after Thanksgiving is a great day to travel abroad because everyone in the states is home with their families.  We celebrated Thanksgiving with our son in Kansas City, came home on Friday and left on Saturday.  Yes, there were moments I said to myself and TJ, "Are we crazy?  Why did we plan it this way?".  One reason we planned this way was that nobody travels abroad on the weekend after Thanksgiving which meant our upgrade to the flat bed seats came through!  "Someday" is definitely here.

Paris in November is gray and damp.  BUT...it is still Paris!  I really do love that city!  I have been many times and will go again...any time.  We stayed in the Montmartre area because our train to Strasbourg was leaving from Gare de l'Est and we wanted to be close by.  Montmartre is an area we know a little but not a lot, so I scheduled a food tour for our arrival day.  I like to have an activity on arrival day with someone to point me around and lead me in a direction, so I don't have to think.  Perfect.  We sampled many sweets, some wine and cheese, heard some interesting and tragic stories and met a new friend.  

Macaron?  Merci!

So French!  Oui, merci!

The next day was...wet.  What to do in Paris in the cold rain/drizzle?  I had heard that there are passages in Paris, covered walkways with shops and restaurants.  I had never seen one before, so we set out the find the passages.  What a great concept!  The shops were so cute, and we stayed dry!  We also toured the Pompidou Center and museum which we had only walked past and never toured before.  Both great choices and when we were finished, the rain had disappeared.  We had a lovely dinner, are there any others in Paris?  Went to bed pleased with our choice to fly into Paris en route to Strasbourg.  Paris is always a good idea!

A great way to stay dry in Paris!

The next morning, we walked to the, very close, train station and took a 2-hour train to Strasbourg.  Train stations in Europe are so different than the ones in the states.  They are so busy and many of them are just beautiful if you ask me.  They are also very utilized.  The Strasbourg station would prove to be a very lovely and unique building as well.  We found our apartment, ate lunch in a very local place and commenced our Christmas marketing!  The smells, the booths, the vibe, the food, the lights, the decorations!  All of it together just makes your heart swell.  

The markets below give a little perspective.
That Cathedral is huge!!!

Our routine had become explore the city in the morning, lunch someplace, walk/shop a bit and then go back to our accommodation until dark...which was 4 pm!  Around 5 we would go back out, do more exploring, have dinner and then really walk around and marvel at the shops and the lights. This routine resulted in an average of about 15,000 steps a day!  

As a coincidence, on our food tour in Paris, we met an interesting young woman from Australia and found out she would be in Strasbourg the same day we were.  We invited her to meet us at the restaurant we had reservations at on our first night for dinner or even just a drink. I mean, we are older...maybe she wanted to hang with some younger people!  We did not know if she would show or not. We did spend 3 hours together eating our way through Paris... why not?  Well...she showed up!  We proceeded to spend the whole night together, talking, eating, drinking and generally having fun.  We ended the night...shutting down a Christmas market.  Small world indeed. 

We visited Colmar, France the next day and my oh my!  For one, the sun was shining brightly for the first time since we left home.  For another, Colmar is the cutest place on earth!  We felt like we had been dropped into a fairy tale!  This was probably the most perfect day of our trip.  Sunny skies, market after market, buildings and streets decorated to the hilt, great food, and a very manageable size place to fully explore.  I would go back!

Love the use of all red locks on the bridge!

Christmas, everywhere you look!

Cute beyond words!

Welcome back to Strasbourg

Our next destination was Baden Baden.  Why Baden Baden?  It is on the way to Frankfurt, where our flight home was departing, smaller and famous for its thermal spas.  We figured we would be chilled to the bone by this point in the trip and in need of some warming up.  We were back to the winter gray skies and as we headed north it just got colder.  Luckily, Baden Baden was charming, easy to navigate and a lovely place to spend a day and night.  Yes, we did go to the spa, no, we did not opt for the "textile free" areas.  We enjoyed every pool we could, inside and outside.  What a luxury!  Good thing our hotel was nearby, I was so relaxed when we left walking was a challenge.  Of course the cold air woke us up pretty quickly.  I cannot imagine how dark these towns are in the winter once all of the holiday decorations and lights are gone.  They are so festive and alive during this season, but with sunset around 4 p.m.  winter is very dark!

Our only sprinkling of snow!

 Our last day was spent in Frankfurt. It was definitely a place that snapped us back into reality.  After spending time in places that felt like walking through a Christmas card, we were in the big city.  Frankfurt is BIG!  We could no longer just walk from place to place, although we tried and got to see the seedier side of the life in the big city.  Let's just say the red light district in Frankfurt is not nearly as charming as it is in Amsterdam.  Another reality check was the markets were shoulder to shoulder crowds and then we realized it was Saturday.  We were definitely on vacation, we had no idea what day of the week it was until then.  Everyone and their grandmother and their kids goes to the markets on Saturday.  Yes, they were just as charming, but there were times I had to tell myself, "You survived Mardi Gras in New Orleans many times, you can do this too!".  We managed to sample some food and found a happening wine bar and lucked out with a seat at a table, surrounded by people.  Guess we were so old, compared to the general clientele, that they gave us a chair.  You know...before we keeled over due to old age 😂

Absolutely loved this booth!

We had a great time, better than expected actually!  We were prepared for inclement weather and had mentally prepared for gloomy skies.  I really had no idea that the night lights would provide so much joy though.  

Just some of the calories we consumed, happily, and tried to walk off on our trip.

Christmas came early to the two of us.  As a result, Christmas may come a little late to our families!  Playing catch up on the gifting and greeting this year...their gifts will arrive...someday!

Hope your holidays are as merry and bright as a European Christmas Market!

Giving Thanks

As I was riding my bike, I had plenty of time to think the other day.  Used to be when I walked or ran, ah the good old days, I would come up with many of the topics I write about here.  These days I find myself listening to a book or a podcast instead of letting my mind wander.  Riding my bike, I don't listen to anything other than the cars approaching for safety reasons.  I think I miss the days of just not listening to anything while walking or just listening to music and letting my mind wander.  Anyway, my brain went immediately to the obvious, Thanksgiving is upon us and so I just started a mental list of things I am thankful for, not just in November, but always.  Every November I consider writing a daily blurb about something I am thankful for and year after year by the end of the month I have written zero blurbs, in spite of thinking about them.  Follow through is not my strong suite.  So this is me, following through a bit and wishing you a Happy Thanksgiving.  I hope you have many things in your life to be thankful for.  And, this list may make it seem like life is just peachy all the time but rest assured, it is not and I am thankful for those not so wonderful times and things, because without them the good would not be possible. 

I am thankful for:

My faith.  My faith is my foundation, my compass, my joy, the place I go for comfort, a place to leave my fears, worries and troubles.  I am thankful to have that in my life because without it I would be lost.

My family.  I am lucky enough to be part of a loving and supportive family and to hopefully have created the same.  My parents were two very special people who taught us right from wrong, and showed us how to love and live.  I often wondered, when I was a child, why I was born into the family I was born to, in the place I was born, and in the time I was born.  I had trouble sleeping when I was young, so I had a lot of time to think!  But why am I the person I am, in this place and this time?  I could have been born to different people, in a different country under very different circumstances.  Of course, then I wouldn't be me. My family is a gift given to me.  I have 4 great kids, 7 beautiful grandkids, 4 awesome siblings and countless extended family members who make life beautiful.  

My husband.  Again, I would not be the person I am without him in my life.  He is loving, caring, someone who pushes me out of my comfort zone, supportive, occasionally annoying, a lot of fun, someone who makes me laugh, full of random hairbrained ideas, curious and seeking knowledge, and always game for whatever I want to do!

My health.  As I was riding my bike enjoying the breeze and the nice fall day, I was very thankful to be moving.  Having experienced a few setbacks with broken bones or that pesky ACL surgery I found myself immobilized, I vowed to never take my health for granted.  Being humbled by injuries opened my eyes to what many people face every day.  Through my recoveries I am so very thankful for the gift of my health and my body.  It certainly isn't perfect, but it is the only one I have, and it is still working.

My friends.  Many people have come into and gone out of my life.  I have friends I learned from, friends who inspired me, friends who have supported me and who I have supported, friends I laughed with, cried with, traveled with, worked with, shared secrets with, argued with, gotten into mischief with, competed with, prayed with, and sat quietly together with and I am thankful for each and every one of them.  They have all made my life rich.

My home.  I am blessed to call two places home.  Home is where I can just be me.  Home is the everyday routine and stability.  

Finally, I am thankful for all of my life experiences, the good the bad and the ugly.  What a lot of living we have done and hopefully still have to do!  

What are you most thankful for?