Passport to Paris

Loving the Left Bank! Checked into Esprit St Germain, a fabulous homey hotel in St. Germain des Pres. Obviously I got the room with the animal print carpet.

Jess and I joined Anne Scully and Jim Strong for lunch at Laduree - tres bien! Of course it didn't take us one meal to order fois gras... Great conversation with friends but hard not to talk travel when dining with two of the best in the biz!

Tonight we go to the Royal Monceau for cocktails and dinner at Shangri-La!

Hacienda Concepcion

Juanito and I spent our last two nights a 20 minute boatride downriver at Hacienda Conception, a byInkaterra lodge. This is a smaller property, a 4* sister to the 5* Reserva Amazonica. As it is a newer build the acccomodations are a bit more updated and certainly on par with the 5* experience. The service is more casual: meals are served buffet style, the reception desk and electricity only operate certain hours of the day. The guides undergo the same training program at both lodges, and our guides Allan and Gabriel were also top-notch here.

Juan el cazador learning the native techniques

Our first afternoon we took a hike around the lodge's reserve to get acquainted with the different flora and fauna just a short distance and on the other side of the river. In the evening we took another night boat ride where John almost became a snack to a 6 foot caiman!
The next morning we had a 4AM wake up call (are you noticing a theme here?) for a trip to the clay licks down river where thousands of birds fly up to 60km every morning to get the minerals and salt from the riverside - beautiful lime green parrots, blue-headed parrots, macaws, and parakeets flooded the air and then the trees to get in line for their nutrients.
We wrapped up our excursions that afternoon with a canoe ride with Gabriel in the creek, seeing more caimans, birds, turtles, and monkeys. The last evening we spent at the lodge with our new friends and fellow travelers, swapping stories over dinner and Cusquenas.
Another early morning awaits for our flight back to Lima. As much as I have loved the jungle, I have to say I am looking forward to air conditioning!

Welcome to the Jungle

A quick hop from Lima through Cusco and we landed in Puerto Maldonado 'airport'... not much bigger than Zimbabwe's Buffalo Range. We were greeted by our Inkaterra guide and taken to the Butterfly House, Inkaterra's reception house in Puerto Maldonado. Here you store any excess luggage you don't need for the jungle, check in while sipping fresh star fruit juice, and enjoy the butterfly reserve that gives the house its name. Then it's a quick drive to the port and set sail up the Madre de Dios river to La Reserva Amazonica.
Elias would be our guide for the next 3 days and became a fast friend to me and 'Juanito'. Our first afternoon excursion was to the Gamitana Creek where we hiked through a rainforest farm - so aromatic - sampling some fruits along the way. Then we hopped in canoes to navigate down the Gamitana tributary where we saw toucans, macaws, and a rare red howler monkey! In the evening we took a night cruise down the Madre de Dios to spy the nocturnal caimans that look like baby alligators.
Our first full day at the lodge we had a 5AM wake up call for our excursion to Lake Sandoval in the middle of the Tambopata National Reserve. The lake is about a 4km hike into the reserve, alongside marching leaf-cutter ants, swinging tamarins and squirrel monkeys, and lots of singing cicadas. Elias' good ears led us on a couple bush-whacking detours through the jungle in search of cappuccino monkeys playing in the canopy and watching us as curiously as we were watching them. Finally reaching Lake Sandoval we boarded canoes to circumnavigate the lake. We saw more caiman, lots of birds, and 8 baby river otters playing! There is usually a 20% chance of sighting the river otters so between this and my rare clawless otter sighting in Zimbabwe I think it's safe to call me the Otter Whisperer.
Back to the lodge for some rest and lunch before our afternoon in the Inkaterra Canopy! The canopy is a 344m system of hanging bridges and platforms suspended 10 stories high in the rainforest canopy. It is considered one of the most modern and sophisticated in the world. Not only is it an amazing excursion for tourists - both for getting up close with the birds and flora of the canopy story, and simply how cool to be suspended above the rainforest! - but also an important tool for the researchers in the Inkaterra Ecological Reserve. The walk ends at the canopy suite, where you can stay the night in a treehouse!
La Reserva started as a small lodge in the 1970s and has since grown to include a research center, ecological reserve, and NGO focused on preserving the biodiverse Amazon rainforest - we were thoroughly impressed by the research and conservation efforts that are apparent in every activity here. The experience at La Reserva Amazonica is not only conscious and adventurous but truly 5*. The dining is superb (with fun Happy Hour pisco specials!), and the service is top-notch.

Life of a Limeña

I love arriving in Lima - as soon as you walk outside the airport you can feel the humidity and smell the sea - you immediately know you're on the ocean.
With a 430am arrival we obviously needed a few more hours sleep before a full day in the Peruvian capital. A long nap did the trick and we were ready for our 10am biking tour of the city.
We met our group near our hotel in Miraflores, one of the best and most convenient neighborhoods to stay. Then we headed out for 20km of Lima! First we visited Barranco, the Bohemian neighborhood where the artists and fashionable Limenos live... gorgeous seaside homes/condos and fun bars and restaurants. On through Churrillos to the end of Lima's coastline with beautiful views back over the city. Our turning around point was El Salto del Fraile - an infamous peak where "monks" jump into the sea almost daily, recreating a Peruvian legend. Too bad we missed the show. We stopped at an 100 year old taberna in Barranco on the ride back to refuel with some Inka Kola and typical ham sandwiches (I thought I left this delicacy behind in Madrid but it seems to haunt me...) We had a great guide who lived in Barranco his whole life and seeing Lima by bike was such a unique way to see lots of the hidden gems of the city.

Since this was John's first time in Lima we had to hit the highlights that were not on our bike route so we took a cab to Plaza de Armas and walked around the historical center. Marveling at the impressive colonial architecture of South American capitals doesn't get old to me!
After our full day on the town, John and I got ready for an evening on the town with a friend. Lima's gastronomy is so hot right now and the best way to experience it in just the two nights we have is of course to hop around with a local! Muchas gracias a Miguel for taking us around and keeping us fueled and hydrated!
We started our gastro tour in San Isidro neighborhood at the impressive new Westin hotel for their signature Lobby Lounge pisco drink. Then on to La Calesa, home of one of the legendary pisco sour recipes of Lima, poured by Sammy the bartender himself. After two pisco drinks: need food. So off to Malabar, a swanky spot by one of Lima's famous chefs Pedro Miguel Schiaffino. We sampled a creative spin on ceviche, and when you see Giant River Snail on a menu, how can you not order it!? It was amazing. All washed down with of course, a pisco punch! OK so we have to wake up at 330AM for the airport but there is one more important stop on any gastro tour in Lima - una chifa. These are Chinese-Peruvian restaurants and the fusion is out of control. We picked Gaston Acurio´s Madam Tusan, not quite a dive as chifas typically are, but a place where the atmosphere is as hot as the chili dipping sauce. Another pisco would have put us under the table so we washed down our Peruvian inspired Dim Sum with refreshing Cusquenas.
Fat and happy and very sleepy, Juanes and I hopped in bed for 3 hours of sleep before our second early morning wakeup call for another fun filled day!

Peru, me vuelvo!

Boarding my plane to Lima as I write... Heading back to one of my favorite countries to travel... Peru! The country has so much to offer, you could never see all the highlights in one trip... Or three or four!

This time I'm off to experience the Peruvian Amazon - a jungle safari if you will. Of course taking a couple nights in Lima on the way in/out for some fabulous meals and of course pisco sours!

I'm traveling with my more adventurous and more bilingual brother - so excited for this experience together!

Stay posted!

Last Supper

Hamming it up at the Polo Bar

Our Last Supper as a group was spent at the gorgeous Westcliff hotel in Johannesburg, overlooking the bright city.  The hotel staff is the quintessence of South African hospitality, treating guests as if they were welcoming you into their own home.  I think this was the best meal of the trip. The chef's food presentation was as fun as his personality, and the pastry chef's desserts were divine.  Even if you don't stay at the Westcliff you must come for dinner when in Jo'burg! Of course we indulged in an after dinner drink (or two or three) at the Polo Bar and then kissed our goodbyes - until Vegas in August!

Ferrari Safari

Our experience at Singita Pamushana has been so much fun, very luxurious, and went by way too fast... but that is not what I mean by Ferrari Safari...

We arrived at Singita Pamushana, the only lodge in Zimbabwe's Malilange Reserve, just in time for sundowners... We watched the sun set over the water from the lodge's perfect clifftop location above the savannah. Then it was right out on an evening game drive - my first safari experience! (Although we had already been greeted by giraffe on the ride in!)  Within a few hours I had already checked of 3 of the Big Five: buffalo, elephant, and rhino.  The park has some of the rare black rhino in addition to lots of white rhino.  We also saw more giraffe, zebra, hippos, monkeys, baboons, impala and lots of other antelope.  The big cats (my favorite!) would have to wait til Day 2, so after our morning game drive, I had seen the Big Five within 24 hours of my first safari experience - many thanks to our phenomenal guide Fortune's good fortune.  He spotted the leopard (no pun intended) in some brush under a tree - of course it took us about 3 min to find the camoflauged cat, but his keen eye led the way.  We watched her nap for a bit then I swear we made eye contact when she woke up.  She checked us out for a minute before relocating to continue her nap.  Amazing to have met my first big cat in the wild! A few minutes later Fortune got a call from fellow trackers who had spotted lions in another area of the park.  Queue Ferrari Safari.  We held on as Fortune navigated the bush to get us there quickly.  Just in time to meet Nala and Simba!  A lioness was lounging by the river bed with her two new (3 month old) cubs, who had only been sighted once before in the reserve.  They were accompanied by her older male son (a few years old) who was just starting to grow his mane.  The feeling of being 10 feet from a lion in the wild is an indescribable experience.  Our 4 game drives at Singita Pamushana were an amazing introduction to safari for me.  I met Simba, Nala, and Sarabi (lions), Pumba (warthogs), Zazu (hornbills), Rafiki (baboons), and so many other members of the African animal kingdom!

Singita Pamushana's mountaintop location over the reserve offers stunning views over the Malilangwe dam. This made possible two other amazing experiences for us. One evening we took a boat safari on the lake, where we met hippos up close (but not TOO close - they aren't very friendly!) and the rare clawless otter (Fortune had only seen the otter once before!).  They also have crocodiles and lots of fish and birds.  Our villa was perched at the peak of the property, giving us a bird's eye view over the water and savannah.  Yesterday in our room relaxing before lunch, Cassie spotted an elephant wading in the water so she called us all to see. We took turns scoping him out with our villa's scope when we realized the hippos weren't too happy to have an elephant on their turf.  They surrounded the now nervous elephant starting a staredown.  Finally Ellie got his gumption and began trumpetting and splashing around (did you know an elephant can do a barrel roll in the water??).  We knew the standoff might last a while, so we called our friends and hosts, and everyone came up to our villa for the show.  In the end, the elephant showed those hippos who was boss, but not before many exchanges of trumpetting, grunting, water splashing, and victory strutting.  What an amazing interaction to witness!


Our game experience was incredible, but not the only meaningful things to do at Singita Pamushana.  Yesterday we went to see a typical village where we learned how the local tribes lived traditionally... I am certain I wouldn't last a week! We practiced our archery and trapping skills, made porridge from scratch, and tapped along to their traditional music and dance.

This morning made real the incredible impact the tourism industry can have on local communities.  Singita feeds breakfast to 22,000 children DAILY in Africa.  They provide the resources and training, and the communities themselves carry out the services.  We went to meet some of the children and the ladies of the community who serve them breakfast thanks to Singita.  Ansley and I played soccer with the little boys and we helped feed them their nutritious porridge breakfast. Then we went about 45 min to the local school, also supported by Singita, where we saw 3rd graders learning fractions, 4th graders practicing grammer, and 7th graders getting ready for their annual standardized tests. The school also offers extracurricular clubs to help expand the children's goals for what they want to be when they grow up.  We saw the dance troupe in an impressive performance and then got lessons from these professionals - they made it to the finals last year, and Singita paid their way to the competition.  Finally we stopped at the clinic Singita has built, also operated by the community, which also includes HIV education clinics and a natal ward - we saw a new mother and her 30 minute old twins!  This experience really brought together my passion for travel with my former professional path in international development. Singita's community outreach programs are a perfect example of the notion "Give a man a fish and feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish and feed him for life." Their dedication to educating and empowering the local community is admirable and inspiring.

Never enough time in each place, we are back to Jo'burg now.  Tonight is our last night together as a group and we are already mourning our last supper! Tomorrow I am off to Madikwe Game Reserve in South Africa for three more lodge experiences.

Table Mountain

Today I decided to make up for a week of no exercise - "too busy" pre-travel, then on a plane for 20 hours, followed by the last 2 days being "too busy" hotel hopping, Cape boating, wine tasting, and eating fabulous meals.  In our few free hours in Cape Town, Jamo and I were up for the challenge of hiking Table Mountain.  An hour and a half later (yes we did it in 1.5 hours) we arrived at the top, sweating and out of breath, and with new Capetonian friends we made along the way.  Well worth the trip.  Amazing views of Cape Town, the Twelve Apostles, Robben Island, and Cape Point from the top of the world down here!

Now I am sure I will make up for any calories burned tonight - Cassie's birthday dinner with our gracious Ellerman hosts in our villa! Then it's down to Camp's Bay for some celebration! 7AM departure will certainly come too soon but then it is off to Zimbabwe to experience Singita Pamushana!

Real World: Cape Town

We have moved into The Villa at Ellerman House and I am not sure we will ever leave! This has been an amazing opportunity to experience another side of Cape Town, outside the bustling Waterfront. This perfectly charming 11-room home is walking distance down to Camp's Bay and Clifton areas with great dining, nightlife, and shopping.  Their fully staffed villa is great for families and couples traveling together... or six Friends That Fam! We joked that we felt like we were moving into the Real World house (but more tastefully decorated :))... but since Jamo is our only male maybe this is more like The Bachelor... lucky guy.  The views over the Atlantic and Cape Town are stunning.  We hardly want to leave our pool deck.  Food and service both in our new home and in the main house have been perfect.  Anticipating every want, down to Cassie's course mustard. After all, she is the birthday girl today!

Points South

I just realized I have been to the two most southerly points in the world in the past 3 months... Ushuaia, Argentina and now Cape Point, South Africa.

Shark/Cheetah Encounter

This morning we woke up before the sun to head to Simon's Town to see if the sharks would make an appearance for us today.  Cape Town is even more stunning from the water! The city is spread out from the ocean up to the mountains with Table Mountain and the Twelve Apostles proudly presiding over the city.  Unfortunately our optimism was not enough to lure the sharks... and neither was the seal decoy... or the sound baiting... or the tuna head bait... but that just means I have to come back in July when predatory season is in full force.  I did still get in the cage - I was in a wetsuit off the coast of Cape Point - why not? - and saw a million fish, to go along with the million seals, lots of dolphins, and a few penguins we spotted.  I would do it again, sharks or no sharks.  

After our sad morning animal encounter (well, lack thereof) we decided to try again in the afternoon. We took a trip out to Stellenbosch - gorgeous wine country, rolling valley under the mountains. The winery we visited was not only about the vino, but also had many interesting animals to meet. After a traditional Moyo lunch (I tried oxtail, without knowing what it was, and it was delish) we ventured over to the farm.  Many of you know the large cats are my favorite animals, of which I hope to meet many later this week! But my first real encounter with a big cat (outside the zoo of course) was a unique one! The farm cares for 10 endangered cheetahs and some cheetah cubs and we were able to meet Joseph, a ten year old (that's old for a cheetah) and even pet him! Petting a purring cheetah is certainly a breath taking experience! I wanted to bring Joseph home as a house cat but don't think Lamont would approve... We also pet owls - did you know you could pet an owl?? Needless to say, I am looking forward to the authentic wild animal encounters to come!

Cellars Chefs-in-Training

Last night we had an authentic Cape Malay dinner at Cellars hosted by the gracious GM Tony and his lovely wife, one of our fabulous Africa partners, Dani.  Cellars' main restaurant The Greenhouse was named the #1 restaurant in South Africa this year - congrats! We were treated to their unique and interactive private dining Cape Malay Experience. I was not the best at wrapping samosas (see right) but thankfully Martha the Master of Cape Malay was patient with me. The typical cuisine of Cape Town is heavily influenced by Southeast Asian food - spicy, curries, chutneys, yum! While the food was fabulous (needless to say) the company really made the meal.

Again not even close to enough time at Cellars (story of this trip), Jamo, Lindsey, and I had a 5AM wake-up call to go cage shark diving! Unfortunately we got a foreboding call in the evening... no sharks have been seen for a week... very unprecedented for this time of year and the current weather.  We remained optimistic...

Good Morning, Table Mountain!

This was my view when I woke up this morning... magic!

I arrived in Cape Town last night but well after dark and after 20 hours of traveling (well worth it) so this morning was my first real view of the city... and what a view it was! I slept like a baby thanks to 1) 20 hours lack of sleep on a plane, 2) comfy bed at O&O, and 3) a few welcome glasses of vino with Cassie, Ansley, and Jamo!  The most important factor in my recovery though was the 50 minute massage Friday AM at the One&Only's amazing spa.  All guests of McCabe World Travel and Virtuoso get a complimentary massage - SO necessary.

Not enough time anywhere here! After a lovely lunch hosted by O&O at their restaurant Rueben's (by South Africa's celebrity chef... they also have a Nobu) where we got a taste of Cape Malay flavor and South African wines, we headed 20 min outside the city to The Cellars Hohenort.  How charming! I felt like I was at an English country home - complete with perfectly manicured gardens.  Each room is unique and so tastefully done - some very traditional, some contemporary - designed by owner Liz McGrath herself. Off to enjoy before dinner with our gracious host and hostess...

Sea Days

I never thought I would love sea days as much as I have these last three. Serious R&R... I don't remember the last time I didn't have anything to do if I tried! That has meant finishing my book and starting another, working out on my own schedule, then relaxing in the thermal spa suite for longer than I worked out :)

Yesterday we were rocking and rolling south in the Pacific. Even the staff said it was the roughest day at sea in 6 months. Fortunately no one in our group had any problems with seasickness or anything and we waited it out in the spa by day and with a cocktail party by night.

Today we have entered the Chilean fjords for some scenic (and smooth!) sailing. The landscape on either side of the ship is remarkable! Ice-capped mountains soaring out of the Pacific ocean. We are cruising the waters of Magellan. Tomorrow is our first port of call in Punta Arenas and we are going to see the penguins!

Buenos Aires: the Paris/Madrid of South America

The moral of this story: 7 hours in Buenos Aires is about a week short of enough time here. But I think we made the best possible of our short time here, seeing some city highlights and then getting a true taste of the culture (literally and figuratively) with lunch and a tango show!

First we visited the impressive Recoleta Cemetery and paid our respects at Evita's grave. Some porteños paid a pretty penny to be buried in these monied mosoleums!  We did a little exploring in the Palermo and Recoleta neighborhoods, where our favorite hotels the Alvear Palace and Park Hyatt are located. Gorgeous old homes and so much green! I've never seen a city with so many parks!

Our visits to the main square and Pink House were pending demonstrations scheduled by a group of veterans of the Falkland/Malvinas Islands War. We were able to get there for some photo ops and couldn't miss their "Occupy BA"-style campout in front of the Pink House.

We saved the best for last and ended the day with a lunch of delish Argentine beef, empanadas (my fave), and dulce de leche, followed by the spectacular tango show! I'm obsessed and want to start tango lessons as soon as I get home. It was a perfectly sexy end to our Valentine's Day meal!

Before we headed back to the ship we did some souvenir shopping in the Bohemian La Boca neighborhood.

After being the closest one can get to Antarctica two days ago, it was a real change of wardrobe to disembark in 90 degree Buenos Aires! Back to summer for a few days - I better soak up the sun before it's time to return to DC winter :/

Penguin-n-Chips

First things first - unfortunately no Prince William sightings today. Apparently he is off island on a ship. But our guide said his friends in the military hang out with Will all the time at the pub for rugby matches.

Not really much else going on on the Falklands... I'd probably spend a lot of time at the pub too. There are about 3000 people total on the islands, 2500 of which live in the port town, Stanley. So when cruise ships come in, there are as many tourists in town as locals. There is one movie theater - about 40 miles from town by unpaved road.

In the morning we took a ten minute car to a farm northeast of town before hopping in 4x4s for a bumpy offroad ride to the penguins! A rookery of Rockhopper penguins call a rocky cliff on this farm home half of the year. You would think they picked the most inhabitable area - a sheer rocky cliff - to make their homes and breed. But they live up to their name, hopping on both feet up and down the rocks. These are the penguins with the funny hairdo, sticking straight out on top and from their eyebrows, and this is the only place they are found. Like the Magellanic penguins, they are so cute but so smelly.

The town of Stanley is very picturesque stretching up a little hillside from the port - all green and red and blue roofs. After the penguins we returned to town for some shopping and lunch. We picked the most local looking pub we could find, filled with Brits drinking beer and watching soccer. You just pick a table and order from the nearest bartender who's attention you can grab. "Do you have a menu?" "We serve two things here - penguin'n'chips or seal'n'chips." Deadpan face, so British. Haha. But really they do only have two choices on the menu - fish'n'chips or burgers - so we ordered the specialty with two British beers and were very satisfied. Fresh from the sea that morning.

It was very interesting to be in the Falklands and talk to the locals, especially after the recent tension between Britain and Argentina over Prince William's station and the new ship stationed there. The island was a lot more British than I expected. I asked if any Argentines live on the islands and my answer was "maybe a couple, but they try not to advertise it." The landscapes also reminded me of the Aran Islands in Ireland, shrubby and rocky, and we learned the British isles and the Falklands are almost equidistant from the equator so that makes sense. Of course the island exudes a charm and cheer only Brits can deliver. Overall it was a great day from the penguins to the pub!

It's the end of the world!!

Another check off my Bucket List - I have been to the end of the world and back!!! Today we visited the world's southernmost city - Ushuaia, Argentina on the southern side of Tierra del Fuego. Our tour was scheduled for the afternoon so Michelle and I decided to get our first true Argentinian meal. While window shopping we found a place with lomo a la brasa in the window and decided that was the place - good choice. We got one order of king crab, native and fresh in Tierra del Fuego, and one order of lomo (lamb) another local specialty. We watched our meal prepared a la brasa (grill), filled our bellies, and then rolled ourselves back for the tour. We figured we needed the energy if we were going to make it all the way to the end of the world!
The name of the game so far has been amazing scenery and Tierra del Fuego has been the highlight. Gorgeous cragged mountains (think Switzerland) and pristine mountain lakes (think Colorado).
The 'official' end of the world is the end of the Panamerican Highway, nearly 18,000 miles opposite Fairbanks, Alaska.

Cruising Cape Horn

I think we have it a lot better than the explorers did... Our day at sea circumnavigating Cape Horn was clear, cool, and smooth sailing!

Glacier Alley & the Straight of Magellan

This morning we set the alarm very early for vacation time, 6AM, to see the glaciers of the Chilean fjords and the Strait of Magellan. We cruised slowly for about 3 hours past the glaciers named for the countries of their discoverers... Espana, Alemania, Francia, Italia, y Hollanda, plus one named for their ship, which is melting into a waterfall (pictured). Incredible scenery! Yesterday in Punta Arenas we saw a replica made to scale of Magellan's ship, hardly bigger than a playground ship, and decided the explorers had to be at least 50% crazy to navigate these waters with their technologies...

It's Summer in Santiago!

Better late than never! This post was supposed to be my first on this trip but did not update due to lack of internet! So here it is...

Why did I not pack appropriate clothing for the 90 degree weather?? It sure is summer here in Santiago de Chile! (But snowing more on Mallorca yesterday than it has in DC this year??)

I love colonial South American cities so our old city tour yesterday was lovely. Our A&K guide Bernardo was the best.

Our hotel is well located in walking distance of plenty of restaurants and since dining is one of my favorite travel experiences you know I'm happy. Yesterday Michelle and I had lunch at a little local Chinese/Chilean dive - yum! And very happening with Chileans on siesta!

Today we are off to Valparaiso to board the Star Princess. Next stop: Punta Arenas... Then Ushuaia, Cape Horn, Buenos Aires, Montevideo and Rio!!!

Will update as often as we have internet!

Penguins & Punta Arenas

Today we visited Chile's southernmost city, Punta Arenas, which half of the year is home to Magellanic penguins... So cute but smell so bad!! The penguins come to the same spot every summer to burrow and breed and then swim north to Brazil where it is warmer for the winter and they can bask on the beach in their bikinis.

Doing My Homework

This is an email I just sent my Dad after one day in Santiago...

Subject: Doing my homework...

Pisco sour - check
The Chileans claim it too. My friend who is a Peruvian living in Santiago confirms it's Peruvian... Probably bias but I'm going to agree with that since the Peruvians started drinking Pisco sours at 11am and they don't seem to be as big a deal here...

Chilean beer - check
An ale, not bad. I forget the name but it sounded German. I think starts with a K. Will look it up for you later. Lots of German influence in Chile I learned.

Fantachop - check
Typical drink apparently - half beer/half Fanta (orange drink)... Like the half red wine/half Coke in Spain...You'd hate it :)

Chilean wine - obviously check.
Just drove an hour and a half thru wine country. Could spend a lot of time here... Let's come back.

Do as the Romans...

Who said we are too old to act like tourists??

Soy yo!

How soon can I come back?!

Back-2-School

John and I visited our Spanish Alma Mater, St. Louis University of Madrid...

 

And then showed everyone to Escamplero, where I spent the majority of my time when not studying :) ...

Nos vemos, Madrid!

View of Opera from our room

The week has flown by! As always my time in Madrid has been fantastic. Showing my family the city I feel is my second home made it all the more special.

John and I were noting... typically New Yorkers avoid Times Square and in DC we avoid downtown during the tourist-filled Cherry Blossoms, but you always find Madrilenos shopping in Sol, tapeando in Santa Ana, out in La Latina on a Sunday night... always an authentic buzz.

My second time in Madrid as a tourist instead of a Madrilena, Katie and I stayed our first night in the grande dame Hotel Ritz (my favorite!) with the closest Prado view. Now los Jenkins rest our weary feet at the lovely Hotel Opera after our long days of sightseeing and the views are also memorable - Opera to the left and the Palacio to the right. 

Jamon!

Between Sol, Ben's first experience at El Corte Ingles (buying a "euro" appropriate jacket), to the craft market in Plaza de Espana, we are getting lots of Christmas shopping done.  Not a surprise, most the Jenkins' favorite purchases are perishable and don't last very long... spending quite some time in the markets and tapeando in the evenings!

Of course we visited the famed Prado... Velazquez looks at me differently from Las Meninas every time...

... and spent the afternoon listening to street musicians play Christmas carols on repeat on the accordion in Retiro Park...