Nobody could make this up.
Our travels continue and the events keep unfolding.
We left Portugal yesterday and actually felt happy to move onto the next stop. Before we left, we traveled quite a bit in the southern part of Portugal, and found it more interesting and definitely more beautiful, than Lisbon, called Lisboa in Portuguese. We traveled to the Argave, which is a wine region in southern Portugal. It is a very busy tourist destination hosting many Brits, Canadians, Germans and other nationalities. It is quiet during the day with scenic beaches, but at night, Las Vegas!!! You don’t expect it.
We went to one winery and it was quiet compared to California standards. The wines are not as robust as Napa, but still very pleasant. There are vineyards, orange and avocado groves everywhere. It felt much like Italy.
Our story became more complex after we left the next morning. We left at 5 am to drive back to Lisbon, return our car, grab a taxi, then a bus. We had bought the toll booth plaques so we didn’t have to pay each time we passed a booth. As you know those plaques allow you to sail though toll booths. The booth we entered was the appropriate gate, but the arm did not raise. Suddenly the arm was on our windshield, broken and thank God no injury to the car or us. We didn’t know what to do except keep driving as no one was there. James was freaked about driving, of course. Approaching the airport there was a bus broken down, so we were running late and not able to report the incidence as you just leave your car. In 8 days we return to “the scene of the crime” and find out what it costs to break an arm on a toll booth.
The bus ride was visually pleasing through the countryside of Spain, breathtaking in fact. After about 2 hours the bus stopped to unload and load. It was taking a while, so James decided to get us some water. I waited to be the protector of our bags, not necessary. Everybody had gotten back on the bus, EXCEPT James. I had to just pray he would make it. He didn’t. The bus started moving, I hopped up to alert the driver, but there were two nuns in the aisle that took a bit to clear. I ran toward the driver to stop! I looked out the back window and James is running toward the bus. For anyone that knows James, he doesn’t run. Picture this, looking out a picture window seeing your husband trying to catch the moving bus that I am in. It all worked out, he got on the bus, but only after I laughed almost hysterically at the scene walking back to my seat.
The REASON I was laughing is because a few years ago we watched a delightful Italian movie called Bread and Tulips where this exact scenario happened. The only difference was the lady that got left behind, whos’ family treated her awful, stayed and created a new life after developing great friends and a hunk of a new man. If you get a chance, please try to find it on Netflix.
We landed in Merida which is a city that any of us would choose to live in. Clean, friendly, incredible walking trails, outdoor restaurants everywhere and historically significant ruins to be admired. One gets a chance to see the world pre-electricity, running water, building codes, windows, etc. The architecture of the bridges, which have only been updated according to building codes, are magnificent and a feeling of romanticism. Walking through the delightful narrow streets with the floral balconies, aromas, etc. makes you feel some nostalgia for some reason.
We are now on a train going 90 miles per hour to Madrid for 5 days. The pictures that are from this segment of the trip are on FB, Barbara Cooney Marrelli. I hope you enjoy!