Calvados

It was nice in Laguenne however it rained just about every day; it seems that it always rains there. I did not know that before I went. However my host and her neighbors and everybody I met there was so nice that I did not mind.

From there I went to the north of France because the south it’s too hot in summer so I figure the north will be nice and warm.

I could not be more wrong if I want it.

I went to do a helpX at a Calvados, Sidra and Pommeau farm.

What a beautiful place. 

I have had Calvados the first time I went to Paris and I did not like it, it’s too strong for me, Sidre I don’t like, never did not even as a child, and Pommeau I did not know what it was, but when I tried it I love it. It’s half Calvados and half apple juice, delicious.

I had a great time there as my host and his family were very nice.

The grandmother cooked great lunches every day and one day she made this dish that when I saw it I asked what it was to be told it was pig’s heart. I don’t know what kind of face I put because everybody started laughing at me and they could not stop. Nevertheless as a good guess I tried it and it was not bad, not great either but not bad. I had 3 pieces and if I am serve it another time I will eat it, however it’s not something I will ask for.

Normally it is nice and warm, however this year it’s been cold and raining every day.

I will go to visit Mont Saint Michel, Saint Malo and the Normandy beaches because I am close to them and then I will go south, even if it is hot it will be better than this rain.

Lunch

Next door to my host live these two nice guys and one day they ask us for lunch.

We went at 12 noon and we had:

•              Vermouth and they had whiskey with potatoes chips, prawn’s chips and cheese puffs.

•              Some type of sausage inside a crust with water crest salad, (really good) and red wine.

•              Rabbit with mushrooms sauce (delicious), potatoes, artichokes and endives, and a different red wine.

•              Cheese, bread and cognac.

•              Apple tart with whipped cream and champagne.

•              Espresso

We finish lunch at 5:45.

Great time, the guys were really nice and funny and very thoughtful, as you can see in the picture they made laminate coasters with picture of the Uruguayan flag.  They just wanted me to feel welcome.

So, I had a great time, I did not even get giddy with all the drinking, I just had a good time.

Laguenne, France

I arrived at Tulle, the town next to Laguenne (there is not bus to Laguenne) at 6 am. and my host was supposed to wait for me at bus station, however when the conductor stop and drop me in the middle of nowhere telling me that this was Tulle I was “where”??

He let me in a parking lot next to a toll, and there I am and nobody it’s waiting for me!

I don’t have a phone, and of course there is not Wi-Fi in the middle of the road, so I am staring to think that I have to walk to town, but in which direction? when I see a car with a lady smiling at me coming into the parking lot. She thought that she needed to pick me up at the regular bus stop on back of the library in Tulle just to find out at the last minute that the international busses stop by the toll booth. No problem, only a few minutes there

.The bus ride was OK, just your typical 22 hrs. ride.

My first weekend there were a lot of reporters and T.V. stations in town and a lot of news helicopters, and I have no clue why, just to find out, that this was elections weekend and that the future president lives in Tulle. Of course it was a lot of commotion before and even more after the win. Too bad I did not find out that he was here until after the fact, I would have like to go and see him, especially when I already met the Mayor and he is a good friend of the president. Oh well….

Still Malaga

The next day a group of us went to went to the “Alcazaba” which is a beautiful well preserve Roman and Moorish fort and house

When you get to the Alcazaba the first thing you see is the Roman amphitheater, which was built on the 2do BC century in the Augustus era, during the Roman occupation of Spain.

The Moorish fortress was built over the Roman ruins by the Moors during their occupation of Spain around the year 750 as a protection to the city from pirates and from the African countries. The Castillo de Gibralfaro, situated above it was constructed around the year 1057.

We visited the fort and then we started the hike to the Castillo, and I understand the need to build these building on top of hills or mountains, what I don’t understand it’s why I feel the need to climb all of them and to walk all the walls. Nevertheless, I started walking up and up and up and as we got half way, it’s like, why??? So I sat on one of the walls and I told them that I see them on their way back. I have seen the Castillo before with the great view of the city, port and bull ring and it is beautiful and well preserved, nevertheless, I don’t need to see it again.

Malaga

It was nice to arrive in Malaga, however I did not want the cruise to end.

I have been to Malaga before for a week, it’s a very pretty place but small, I already have seen everything there is to see, anyway I walked the couple blocks to the Plaza de la Constitution and I heard music coming from a catholic school, of course I went in to find out what was going on that and I saw that they were having a festival because of the holiday.

It was very nice; I watched the chorus sing and the groups dancing.

I walked to Picasso’s house across from the Plaza de la Merced where Picasso used to seat and paint.

I stared the day by myself, and one by one or two, I found more people from the cruise, we ended up being 11 of us, just doing a tapas run and also stopping at a bodega to taste the regional wine “Moscatel”

Tenerife

After 6 days at sea we arrived at Santa Cruz, Tenerife.

Santa Cruz is the capital of Tenerife and Tenerife is the largest island of the 7 Canary Islands.

We arrived at 8 am and were departing at 2 pm. now, this being a Sunday, everything was close, but the time the town starting to come alive it was time for us to leave.

I went walking with this one young American guy and two German girls. We went to the market and after that we took the tram to La Laguna which is a patrimonial town per UNESCO.

The town was very nice, as most patrimony towns are.

It was a festival in town, staring at 1 pm, so a lot of people were dress in their traditional customs. Of course we could not go because we needed to be at the ship by 1:30. Oh well…

Tenerife has the third largest volcano in the world named El Teide.

One more day at sea and then Malaga, Spain.

I know, I am short.

In the middle of the sea

We had 6 beautiful days at sea, it did not seem like if we were in the middle of the Atlantic, the sea did not move. the last few days we got a little rocking, nothing to talk about, it just made it even better to sleep in that gentle rocking, (like if I need help).

Everyday was the same, breakfast, dancing, lunch, movie, sauna, snack, dancing, dinner, game, dancing, whirlpool, sleep.

I saw:

• ·         Jack and Jill with Adam Sandler. Typical Adam Sandler.

• ·         The Muppets with Jason Segal and Amy Adams. I really like it, it was like a Muppet show should be, cute, musical, reminiscence of past times. *****

• ·         The War Horse by Steven Spielberg, I don’t know any of the actors in it. I wasn’t sure if I wanted to see it because the name did not make it sound like a good movie. Oh, how I cried, it was so sad…so good… I really enjoyed it. *****

• ·         J. Edgar directed by Clint Eastwood, starring Leonardo de Caprio. It was a great performance by de Caprio, he made you feel sympathy for the man, you felt sorry for him even when you did not like what he was doing, he showed his humanity even when he was being a tyrant. I am not too impartial to Cling Eastwood, I like every everything he has directed. ****

• ·         The artist, with Jean Dujardin     , another one that I wasn’t sure if I wanted to see and what a beautiful, great movie turned up to be. So touching, so well done, the cinematography was excellent, the acting was excellent, you knew exactly what they were trying to said without them saying a word, just by their expression, and the transition from silent to speaking was great, just great.*****

• ·         Twilight saga “Breaking dawn”. Nice views and scenery, however just as slow as the other ones, still I have seen them all and I have read all the books too, so I can’t complain.*