CALIFORNIA

FEBRUARY 7, 2012:  We arrived in Palm Desert, California.  I looked at renting a house here but they were all in gated communities; you had to  drive everywhere.  Consequently, we settled at the Embassy Suites for our 3 week stay.  It was ideal.  We had a 2 room suite overlooking the pool and could walk to the famed El Paseo Drive – the Worth Avenue of the California Deserts. Embassy Suites offers a wonderful breakfast with plenty of fresh fruit and cooked to order eggs.  In the evening, they have a complimentary happy hour but we preferred the many upscale Happy Hours in the area since we like to eat light at night. Ruth’s Chris Steakhouse, for example, offers reduced price drinks and a bar menu that includes salads, crab cakes, sliders etc.  

Alan, Geri, Marc, Ron at Mission Inn

We enjoyed visiting local art shows and the weekly College of the Desert street fair.  Of course, we can’t buy anything as our car is overfull already but it is always fun to look.   We were delighted to see Marc, a friend from the 2011 Voyager World Cruise.  He invited us to a wonderful dinner at his Indian Wells Country Club.   Alan, another friend from the World Cruise, was in Los Angeles briefly and came out to spend a few days with us.  The four of us drove to Riverside where Marc gave us the grand tour of the historic Mission Inn.  

We don’t have to travel far to our next stop: Palm Springs.

SEABOURN LECTURE ENGAGEMENT:  I will be lecturing on the Seabourn Quest transatlantic crossing Barcelona to Fort Lauderdale, November 24 – December 7, 2012.    Would love to see you on it!

HEARTSONG:  Geri's novel is now available as an ebook: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B006HZJ08K

ARIZONA

Ventana Canyon, Tucson AZ

We celebrated Ron's 75th birthday in Tucson at the beautiful Loew's Ventana Canyon Resort.  This was a marvelous deal from luxurylink.com.  It included 5 nights lodging with a full breakfast each morning, one 3 course dinner for two, and two massages each. We enjoyed every minute there.  

Loew's Ventana Canyon Resort

Next stop: Scottsdale, Arizona.  As so often happens, what started out as a problem turned into a blessing. We had rented an apartment for a week but it was a far cry from the picture in the ad.  Fortunately, we were able to get our money back but drove around anxiously looking for a place to stay.  We found a great hotel in an ideal location -- walking distance to Old Town and Fashion Square Mall. 

Celebrating Ron's birthday

Microsoft recently opened stores to rival Apple and there was one in the Mall.  I've been looking for a new ultraportable laptop for travel.  I was impressed with the Asus which is ranked at the top and we bought it.  It came with Windows 7 and the 2010 version of Office.  I've been frustrated at times but for the most part, I've enjoyed getting used to the changes, updates and additions.  


We were fortunate to have a friend in Scottsdale.  Marlene spent a day giving us the grand tour of Phoenix and Scottsdale.  


On February 7, we drove out of Arizona into California and our next destination: Palm Desert.

ON THE ROAD

Our chariot

After disembarking Celebrity on January 5, 2012, we had a very busy week in Boca Raton.  Getting ready for our 9 month circle the USA car trip necessitated appointments with doctors, dentists, car check ups and the biggie: sorting through our clothes in storage and packing the car.  It was exhausting and stressful but on 1/12/12, we hit the road.  (Last year we closed on the sale of our condo on 1/11/11.  Wonder what 1/13/13 will hold.)  

Bright white sand and lots of water along Florida's Panhandle

We made it to Tallahassee and spent the night before moving on to Destin, Florida where we rented a cute apartment near the beach for a week. We were told the oil spill did not do much damage to the beautiful water and white, white sands of the Panhandle but the media coverage destroyed the tourist industry for that period.  Unfortunately, the weather was not conducive to sunning in mid-January but we caught up on a few movies, relaxed and began planning future stops.

Cottage we rented in Destin, FL

We stopped overnight in Baton Rouge, Louisiana before heading on to Houston, Texas to visit our friend Hans.  It was hard to believe that 10 years had passed since we met and last saw Hans on the 2002 Regent World Cruise. What a treat it was to visit him and his friend Vuthy and stay in the beautiful guest house.  Hans gave us a wonderful tour of Houston.  It is a very impressive city and the 4th largest in America.  Vuthy is from Cambodia and a marvelous cook.  They spoiled us with good food, wine, conversation and games.

Our wonderful hosts: Hans and Vuthy

At Hans' house in Houston

One of the nicest things about traveling like this is getting to visit friends who live all over the country.  As we drove across the long,  long state of Texas, we were able to stop for lunch with friends in San Antonio.  Then it was on the road again and another overnight stop before reaching Las Cruces, New Mexico.  After several long days of driving, we wanted to settle in for 3 nights, get caught up on email and make some future travel plans before heading to Tucson where we will celebrate Ron's birthday.  
GERI'S BOOK NEWS: My novel HEARTSONG  and non-fiction MAKE THE BEST OF THE REST OF YOUR LIFE are now available as ebooks.  If you order the latter, be sure to get the latest, revised edition.  It lists at $7.99 rather than $3.99.  They are available through many e-distributors including Amazon and my ebook publisher: www.doctorzed.com/ebooks/nonfiction/self/makethebest.html

HAPPY HOLIDAYS

What a year!!  We closed on the sale of our condo on 1/11/11.  In the year that followed, we spent a total of 7 months at sea.  Aside from the World Cruise, there were lecture engagements on the Queen Mary 2, Queen Elizabeth and Celebrity plus the transatlantic crossing.   We sailed out of Malaga to Fort Lauderdale aboard Seabourn Spirit on November 25. There were only 159 passengers onboard, far less than the number of crew.  The food was fabulous, the service fantastic.  Lots of glorious, sunny days and many pleasant, interesting people to meet.  In our 14 day crossing, we only had one stop: Funchal, the capital of the Portuguese province of Madeira, 600 miles from Portugal.  We have been there a number of times so we were content to spend our time walking and cleaning up some emails at an internet café. 

View from our 39th floor room

Our corner room at Beaux Arts

We arrived in Fort Lauderdale December 9, picked up our car and headed to Boca Raton for a couple of days – just long enough to visit our storage area and repack suitcases.  Then we headed to South Palm Beach where I had booked (through Skyauction) 5 nights at the Omphoy Hotel, a beautiful hotel right on the beach.  The weather was mostly windy and cloudy but it afforded time to catch up on emails and 3 months of land mail.  Plus we got to have dinner with someone we met in Italy in 1993 on Ron and my first trip overseas together.  We had lost touch for years but Julie found me on Facebook.  It was wonderful to see her again.  I am not a big social network fan but it does have its benefits.  

Then it was 6 days in Miami at 2 beautiful hotels.  First we went to Beaux Arts then Tempo. 
These two packages were bought from Luxurylink.com ( see below).  They included 3 nights at each, breakfast, a 3 course dinner for two, massages and taxes.  Beaux Arts is a new, ultra luxurious hotel atop JW Marriott.  From our 39th floor windows, we looked down upon Steven Spielberg's two hundred million dollar yacht.  


On Dec. 22 we boarded Celebrity Millenium where I lectured over Christmas and New Year’s.   Cruise ships are a fun, festive place to spend the holidays while enjoying lovely weather and the beautiful waters of the Caribbean.  


              Wishing you joy, peace and love in the New Year.    

Christmas 2011 on Celebrity

TRAVEL TIP:  Luxurylink.com is another site where you bid for travel but it is unlike skyauction in several ways.  They sell packages at upscale hotels and resorts that include 2 or more nights of lodging and are likely to include breakfasts, one 3 course dinner for 2, massages etc.  They offer a buy now price higher than the bid price.  If you are bidding, check with the hotel first to make sure the dates you want are available.  And, of course, check out reviews on tripadvisor.com or expedia.com and always read the small print.  

BACK TO TORREMOLINOS

We concluded our 7 weeks on the Costa del Sol back in Torremolinos, but at a different hotel.  It is about one mile to the east of the first one and also overlooks the marvelous beach promenade.   You can walk it for miles -- and we have.  We are closer to El Centro here; there is a long, winding pedestrian street up the hill to town or a lift that takes you part way.  We only discovered that recently!  In the morning, we take a long walk along the beach or go into town and wander the winding streets.  On Sundays and Thursdays, there is a Mercadillo  (think flea market) at the fairgrounds we enjoy strolling around. 

Reminders of old fishing village

Like most of the towns along the Costa del Sol, Torremolinos was once a poor fishing village.  It was the first of the beach towns to turn into a major resort.  It has almost 6 miles of beautiful, wide beaches.  The summer is very busy but even winter with its mild temperatures and mostly sunny days attracts many visitors from northern Europe.   The only American voices we hear are from tour groups passing through.

Beach chairs still out but no sunbathers

The weather is starting to change.  Temperatures usually mid-sixties, some cloudy, rainy days.  The rainy days afforded an opportunity to work on a new lecture.  That always involves a lot of research, writing and Powerpoint design.  Creating the blog also takes some time.  

Sand sculpting is popular

Since this is now our lifestyle and not just a vacation, we do many of the things we did when we had a home.  Aside from walking, spiritual readings are always part of our day.  We also enjoy reading or listening to an audio book.  Right now we’re listening to “The Next 100 Years” by George Friedman.  Very interesting.   I bought a Barnes & Noble Nook Color just before we left the States.  Like the Kindle, it allows me to download and read books but it also has internet capability.  Fortunately, most of the places we stayed had wi-fi.  Aside from keeping up with email,   it has allowed me to begin designing our travels for next year.  We expect to leave Florida mid-January and spend 9 – 10 months circling the country.  

Well, we say adios to Spain on November 25^th and board the Seabourn Spirit for a 14 day cruise back to Fort Lauderdale.  Hope everyone has a bountiful Thanksgiving.  We are certainly feeling very grateful for – among many other things –  our wonderful visit to the Costa del Sol.

  

COSTA DEL SOL, SPAIN

Our favorite restaurant in Marbella

Spain’s Costa del Sol runs for about 100  miles along the Mediterranean.   We wanted to experience as much of it as possible during our 7 weeks here so we moved several times.  After Torremolinos, we headed west to Marbella. 

Thanks again to Skyauction, we spent 10 days at the Don Pepe Gran Melia in Marbella for a fraction of the usual cost.  Melia is a worldwide hotel chain; Gran Melia their luxury brand. We had a beautiful room, and an unexpected bonus: a fabulous breakfast buffet was included. 

Like Torremolinos, Marbella has an extensive promenade along the beach.  One day we walked  to Puerto Banus and back, about 4 miles each way.  I think of Puerto Banus as Spain’s answer to St. Tropez.  Upscale shops and restaurants circle the harbor which is full of luxurious yachts even this time of year. 

Pool at Gran Melia Marbella

Long walks in the morning were followed by afternoons at the pool overlooking the sea.  At night we sought out local restaurants.   There were plenty to choose from.  They line the promenade along the beach, surround the plazas in old town and are plentiful all over the city.    

On October 29, we packed up and moved to Marbesa, a residential area not far to the east of Marbella.   It had a very different ambience and provided a totally different experience. 

Walkway along beach from Marbella to Puerto Banus

Here we rented a bright 2 bedroom apartment with a big balcony overlooking the pool.  Spoiled as we were by the hotels we had stayed in, it was nice to feel ‘at home.’  Ron made great use of the washing machine and we enjoyed shopping at the local supermercado, having breakfast and lunch at home.  There were a number of restaurants in walking distance but no beach promenade.  On sunny days, it was fun to walk to them along the beach.  On rainy days, we followed back roads until a side street dipped down to the beach and restaurant.  Our dinners are very simple.  We share a large salad, one entrée and a bottle of Rosado.   

Our apartment in Marbesa

Purto Banus

Another totally different experience awaited us in Benalmadena which is to the west of Torremolinos.  Here we rented a very modern, comfortable one bedroom apartment at Holiday World, a huge complex with its own market, cinema, spa, restaurants.  One cannot really walk anywhere from here so we take the bus into town or into Fuengirola, a very busy hub where one gets a better sense of the local lifestyle.  On those days, it is likely that we will have our main meal at lunch time and tapas for dinner.  Ron has even cooked a few dinners here.  I don’t want him to lose his cooking and laundering skills just because we are homeless.

Now it is November, the days are a bit cooler and we’ve had some rainy days.  They call this winter but for the most part the days are still sunny and bright.  

Walking the beach to dinner in Marbesa

View from our balcony at Holiday World

Sunrise in Benalmadena

TORREMOLINOS, SPAIN

Hotel pool overlooks beach and ocean

The ancient city walls of Ronda

In the fall of 1970, I traveled to Europe by myself.  First I visited relatives in Belfast, Ireland, my mother's birthplace.  But true to fashion, the weather was cold and damp.  So I flew off to Barcelona where the weather was not much better.  Go south everyone said.  So I boarded a train for Malaga, Spain.  Little did I realize it was a 24 hour ride, not 4 hours!  But during that ride, I met some terrific guys who had recently graduated college in Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe).  They were headed for Torremolinos.  I followed their lead and found a studio apartment overlooking the beach where I lived for about 2 months.  Here I am back again 41 years later and except for that apartment high on a cliff over the beach, nothing is the same.  

Ronda has the oldest bullring in the world 

Torremolinos has become the snowbird destination of Europe.  The beachfront is lined with shops and restaurants, hotels and apartments.  It is busy but not  overcrowded in this the shoulder season (between high season and off season).   The weather is magnificent.   Twice a day we walk the promenade that runs along the beach for miles.  Afternoons we usually spend a couple of hours at the pool.  

We did take 2 day trips.  One to the city of Ronda.  Though there is evidence of  prehistoric settlements from the  Neolithic Age in the area, the town was originally settled by Celts and later Romans.  Aside from its history, Ronda is best known for famous summer residents they used to entertain like Orson Wells and Ernest Hemingway who were drawn by the town's famous bull fights.  

The other trip through the Andalucian countryside included a stop at an olive oil factory.  With over 300 million olive trees (some as old as 1,000 years), Spain is the leading producer and exporter of olives and olive oil.  Making oil from olives is not unlike making wine from grapes.  Depending upon the quality of the oil, 4 - 11 kilos (kilo = 2.2 pounds) are necessary to make one kilo of olive oil.   

GOOD FOR A LAUGH:  A blind man sat down next to a Jewish man in the park during Passover.  The Jew is eating his lunch and offers a matzah cracker to the blind man.  He touches it for a moment and says, “Who writes this crap?”Geri's website