Happy Turkey Day!

Gobble, gobble, gobble!
Just a few of the things I am thankful for: my 3 beautiful girls, my dear family, good health, close friends, the opportunity to live life and not just watch it pass by, Spain, spicy Riojas, warm sun, new friendships, jalapeno stuffed olives, Hemingway, learning some new Spanish verbs (they are quite useful [...]

A Perfect Dinner in Bari Italy of All Places

I must tell you about the perfect Italian meal, or perhaps a travel dining experience that is very difficult to replicate. Dee, the kids and I had been in Italy for 5 days, having seen the Colosseum in Rome (a must see), the ruins in Pompeii (simply amazing), and the Almalfi coast (absolutely spectacular). We then [...]

How to find a bad restaurant in Rome in 10 easy steps

Set your expectations accordingly. You are in Rome for one night only. Yes, one night. So expect to eat a reasonably decent Italian meal. Nothing over the top, or too fancy mind you, but a locally inspired meal would be nice. Maybe a quiet, out of the way place away from all the tourists.
Dress up [...]

Workin’ at the carwash

We got another car today.  Have a chance to return the brand new Renault on lease and save a whole wad of cash in the process.  The villa we are renting also has a car.  So out goes the Renault Megane with red license plates advertising to the world that we are French tourists, and in comes [...]

Real Men Drink Rosado

The other night I ordered a bottle of vino tinto at El Patio in Gaucin, Spain to go with our pizza.  But red wine did not seem to be available that night, only rosado (rosé) and blanco (white).  After a quick glance around the restaurant to see who’s watching and a slight stammer, I answered with [...]

La Tienda

I’m standing in our local la tienda trying to purchase a few necessities: agua, 6-pack of San Miguel, and toilet paper.  The TP being required as our household was sucker punched last night with a serious case of Montezuma’s Revenge.  Not sure what it’s called here in Spain, but I can tell you the Iberian version doesn’t [...]

The Peach

I am eating a peach and observing the fact that my mind is thinking about the peach.  But as soon as my mind is aware of itself thinking, the thinking stops and the peach returns.  It is sweet, very juicy, dripping on my mouth and fingers, over-ripe, and a tad mushy.  My mind, again, is [...]

Where’s My Lipitor?

Part of living in a foreign country is exploring the many new, and often exotic, treats, aromas and flavors of the local cuisine.  This blog entry isn’t about that.  Instead, here’s a list of the more pedestrian foods that are found back home in Colorado, but have new meaning to me in Spain:

Mantequilla. Yuck, I [...]

Meat on a Stick

The other night we celebrated “Noche de San Juan”, the annual event held at midnight on the summer solstice.  I’m not Catholic, but I think it’s John the Baptish that has co-opted this pagan tradition.  It was an amazing evening, with what seemed like the entire town of Nerja enjoying the festivities at Playa Burriana.  Many of [...]