slidergirl

Always good insurance!! As for the leg - after surgery in the US and a year of rehab, I can do everything but ski. The lower leg and ankle ended up a little skewed to the left. Made trying to ski a little tough because it wouldn't go straight. But otherwise, it's workable. Bad experiences - nothing worth mentioning. I'm a no real hard plans kind of traveler and I just roll with the flow. Poor people this past week who had issues due to that little earthquake around Naples...

Lois - good to hear the water culprit has been found and fixed! Keep that box fan on! I see leaks at the condos all the time - we bring in ServePro and they use those big fans. I wonder if a Damp Rid would help - I see them advertised to help get rid of mustiness. I think they sell at stores with cleaners and such. Cynthia - yay for reaching Venice. You had nice looking dessert there! Did you pay a "premium" for eating on the Piazza? My power went out last night around 11pm and didn't come on until 4am!! Most of us in the neighborhood didn't care since it was bedtime. Just in case, I brought out my headlamp and camping lights. My iPhone had enough juice to use for some soothing music to fall asleep. Woke up to snow on the hills a mile away. OOTD: an Athleta sweatshirt hoodie and an old pair of sweatpants,

Gee, I was going to say my one bad experience in Italy was when I shattered my leg while hiking the vineyard trails in Montalcino. At least my window view from my hospital room in Siena was pretty...

Lois - the leak could be on the sprinkler line and is affecting both coming into your closet and eventually dripping out the sprinkler. I've seen a bunch of different leaks happen at my work condos. Good luck with getting fixed! A very gray and rainy day here today. Clouds really low, too - I couldn't see the hills a mile away. I actually had to have some lights on in the house still at 9am. At least it's cooled off to the mid-40s today and tomorrow. No chili for me today. I bought a pack of seasoned chicken thighs at TJs that I need to bake off. I will use them several ways over the next few days.

recovery is a b!tch. One moment you're up and the next you're on the floor. Patience for both of you! Lois thank you for mentioning switching out the box!! I would probably be still watching on my MacBook.

remember: tonight is Jose Andreś and Family on CNN. So happy my TV is working again for this. I'm off to my kitchen to make some gazpacho to eat while watching 😸

Really good pictures! You both do look relaxed and happy. Never heard of a car on a ship before!

Lois - it seems that when it rains it pours when it comes to our residences lately. I can't do my stucco fix until next week because we're getting a nice big rain for a few days. ugh. On the upside, after you said Xfinity told you to get a new box, I went in and got a new one. My sound is back!! I won't have to watch TV on my MacBook now. Went to TJ's today and got my goodies. Didn't go crazy. I stayed away from the pumpkin Kringle (very bad for me but oh, so good) and some other things. I did get some coffee (yay) and soups. I went to another store that one of my owners drives down to shop and looked to see if they had a specific French butter that I've been searching for. Nope. BUT, they had some different flavors of Sprindrift sparkling water - Mojito (really good) and Mango Black Tea (haven't tried yet). A nice store but not worth driving down the mountain to shop at. One funny thing - the street to get there was a construction mess so I tried to get around it, Went past Namedroppers - it's a upscale consigment store that the Real Housewives go to. Decided to play it upscale and went in. If I wanted a used $1500 bag or a used $3500 coat, it's where I'd go. They did have some actual decently priced things and I ended up buying, A belt that I've seen in Sundance for around $150 for $20. A nice cashmere Vneck cardigan for $69 that I can wear with jeans or leggings for work. A button up sweater vest for $49 that I can wear with jeans or leggings, I had been looking for those 3 things anyway so I'm happy. The place will also take some of my old things that I can't wear anymore - the person said they are always looking for some larger sizes... maybe I can make a little money. If I ever need a chi chi dress to wear, that'll be where I go! OOTD: Ralph Lauren jeans (from my owner), gray Woolx short sleeve shirt, Madewell jean jacket, Olu kai pink high tops and my tan Gigi Pip hat. At least I looked like I fit in at Namedroppers 😸

Cynthia - have a wonderful trip! Have a Spritz for me (whatever kind you want)!!! It was sad to see the passing of Sen, Feinstein. I have memories of her as far back as when she was on the San Francisco County Council when the terrible murder of Harvey Milk and George Moscone happened in City Hall. She became Mayor and moved up the political ladder to Senator. I always admired her. Yesterday I made a trip over to Whole Foods to buy some things and especially my favorite local coffee beans. I was totally out at home. Came home, unpacked my groceries and then it dawned on me - I FORGOT THE COFFEE!! Had a pack of my instant coffee from my camping kitchen this morning.

Cynthia - I just saw a post on one of the FB pages I look at that mentioned a nationwide baggage handler strike at airports on Friday. Hope it is just all day Friday and doesn't morph into your arrival. I know they are pretty good about it, but just be aware.

Yay on the kidney checkup! Hm. the sound. Exactly what has happened to me. I've done the unplugging thing multiple times and nada. Maybe I'll go to the Xfinity office and change it out.

I've had a couple of those type of rooms 😸 I had recomendations from some others for H10 properties. Ah, the Continental. Yep, lots of comments on CC. If you want to be on Las Ramblas, it's perfect. If you want to feed from a constant cafeteria, free bad beer and wine, it's your place. Hopefully it's been extensively remodeled since I was there - the pinks and reds and the flocked wallpaper in the rooms reminded me of what you'd see in an old Western "bordello" on TV... Toblerone - the Yurrban hotels look great, but unfortunately about 100EU a night over my budget ☹️ Speaking of TV: if you can sit through all the drama, Below Deck Med is porting out of Genoa and traveling as far as Cinque Terre.

I am currently reading his World Central Kitchen book 😸 I could probably cook one of those better than I could one the ones I've had at his restaurants!! At least the food to cook before watching Stanley was pretty easy and already known to me. I know Jose's next episode is Andalucia - I did some searching and see that gazpacho is the big thing. I can definitely make gazpacho. And, of course, they have meats & cheeses. And a wonderful post-meal sherry of Pedro Ximinez (I was turned on to this back in the 90s at a cooking class). Fried fish, sardines, shrimp. I guess I can come up with something.

At the top of this forum, you 'll see a sticky thread about food & wine. Cruise through it and do a search on a map to see if any are close. That's the best thing to do. We all put our restaurant recommendations on that thread.

Cynthia - give me a hint about where you stayed in Barcelona. And is there a way to give a clue about where you look for cruises without angering the CC police??? I have to go to the State Liquor Store before Sunday and pick up a bottle of Cava!!! I don't know how to cook any Spanish food so I guess I'll just drink that lovely Spanish sparkling beverage 😸

I'm talking with supplement. Unfortunately the 21st I will still be at the resort, buttoning it up for the off season. I saw Voyager. I'm just looking at TAs because it could be as inexpensive as doing it and paying for airfare back after the vacation. My poor hamster wheel...

I forgot to mention this: on a FB group for woolx & wool& clothes, someone mentioned that a "spritzer" made of unflavored vodka and a little water sprayed on your wool things will refresh them after a hot day or you actually stunk up your pits. Then, a bunch of people said they knew this and did it. Well, I never knew it! Sound like a good travel tip!! Hey, there's a cheap TA on Royal Caribbean on the Explorer (not the newest boat) that would fit in my post-Winter schedule. Finishes in Barcelona. Has me twitching. If anyone sees a TA that embarks AFTER 4/21 (that's my last day of work) and is under $1000 for 1 person, let me know!!! Finishing in Barelona preferable, but I'd do anywhere and then fly/train to Spain.

I'm thinking "bigly" about it! Last time I was there, I was the 3rd wheel to my one BFF and her DH. So, I went where they wanted to go and they definitely eat not very adventurously. I don't call my self a foodie, but I do like to sample all the variety a place has and try to include one place that has good reviews. We stayed at the Continental, which is right on Las Ramblas. I wouldn't stay there again unless I couldn't find another place. Not my kind of place... I have some owners at my condos that do the KISS thing now that we got rid of condo-wide service and each has to do their own. Man, I get soooo many complaints when a guest can't watch a channel! We had a couple who are both sportscasters on national networks and the hubby went ballistic when he couldn't watch ESPN. If you have a smart TV, you might be able to use/subscribe to CNN like you do Netfix, etc. Not sure, but you can try. In the meantime, I could add more photos of my Jose Andres dinner so you could see the food you missed 😉

Yes, I watched it. He just gushes happiness. His daughters are very good, too. Man, the food at El Builli and Dis Fru Tar looked soooooo good. It reminded me of the 15 course (+3 dessert courses) dinner that I did at his Bazaar restaurant in 2018. I now see that he uses all his training at El Builli as inspiration for that tasting menu and the tapas he serves there. I had that croquetta there - OMG, it really is as good as they were making it look as they ate. My mouth was watering the entire hour of the show! One thing at the very end that I picked up on because I'm reading his book now: at the last meal at the vineyard, they were all standing at the table and starting to eat those luscious onions. He quietly said to his daughters "longer tables." That is one of his mantras. To feed more people we need "longer tables." The mantra has expanded to be "build longer tables, not higher walls." And, one of the times they were on the vespas to go to breakfast, he said "Bon dia". Now, I know "Bom Dia" is portugese and "Buenos Dias" is spanish. I discovered that "Bon dia" is Catlan!! Definitely made me want to go back to Barcelona to eat (and go see the interior of Sagrada Familia) 😸 This series going to be dangerous to my pocketbook. On my CNN feed, right after this show they had Stanley in Naples again. A nice dessert! I broke out an aperol spritz to drink while I watched. Then, there was this deal on a bunch of nutjobs who are into this conspiracy that JFK and JFK Jr are alive and in hiding, or the former pres is Jr, - all sorts of bizarre stuff. But it was very interesting, if not disturbing. Two of the items from the tasting: 2 Olives, one regular, one done Ferran Adria style and Jose's Taco, jamon iberico and American Caviar.

Purple - good to hear that DH is progressing well. Does he have "medical-looking" cane? If he's going to using one for awhile, I'd surprise him with a spiffy-looking cane. Back when I had my shattered leg and into rehab, I bought a cool carbon fiber folding cane. Had an ice tip on it for winter. I still have it - when I have a boo-boo and do an ankle sprain, I'l bring it out. Ladies - backcountry.com is having a flash sale with some really good pricing on goodies. If you are looking for vests, jackets, pants, dresses - have a look. Looking forward to watching Jose Andres & Family tonight. I believe it is Barcelona. Another cold night and morning. 52 in the house. Overnight, I just unzipped my lightweight Cotopaxi sleeping bag and laid it on the bed. Slept straight through the night once I did fell asleep. OOTD: hoodie sweatshirt and joggers. If I go and sit out in the sun, I'll switch to a long sleeve T.

Joggers just don't look right with my legs. I tried different types and leg volume, but nope. I really wanted to like them. So, they are relegated to the "do not wear in public" pile...

I'd be living in the leggings on the cruise. Joggers look horrible on me. Since I wear them probably 80% of the time at work (a small, 34-unit, privately-owned luxury condo complex) I'd have no issue taking them. I took them on my April Alaska cruise and was nice and comfy. I can go super casual or even upscale with them. It's all about what I wear on top and the accessories!

It was down to 32 overnight. I love these days - cold enough to do all my blankets but then still Tshirts in the afternoon. FedEx me some of that bread!!!

Lois - wow!! You're a cruisin' machine! You should have a great time helping to break in the new ship! Cynthia - have you tried other browsers to get tickets? I've heard that sometimes Safari won't work right, Chrome won't work, Firefox, DuckDuckGo, etc. After Venice, where are you heading? First day of Fall! It was 52 in the house this morning. I refuse to put my heater on yet! I just wrap up in my fleece throw until it warms up. Supposed to get to the mid 70s outside so it'll be OK. Yes - I was going to mention the Jose Andres show starts Sunday on CNN. Looking forward to it. This week I picked up the World Central Kitchen Cookbook by him. It's much more than a cookbook. It is also about the WCK, it's origins, it's mission, places they've helped. A good read. And, his profits from the book go back into WCK. If you've never been to one of his restaurants, go to one if you are nearby. So far, my favorite was the tasting menu I did at The Bazaar in California. It was pricey, but so good and playful. If I go to Las Vegas, I'l go to one of his there. TJ's - I'm not a fan of all things pumpkin, but there are some favorites. I don't like pumpkin yogurt so I'm not sure I'd go for the ice cream cones. I think I like the spices more than the pumpkin. I do have to get down there though - haven't been for about a month. I'm out of those root beer bars! OOTD: back to my yellow Laguna Surf hoodie and a pair of Vuori joggers. I do have to go pick up a prescription sometime today so I will switch over to jeans and a Tshirt. So happy to find that my jeans that I acquired from my Italian Villa owner still fit after a summer of elastic waists and already-too-big denim shorts.

The only time I do a HoHo is when I'm not feeling well and just want to get out and around in the fresh air and I'm not worried about what I see/don't see. I don't think one is better than the other in Rome - they follow each one it seemed. The issue is finding an open bus when you go to get back on - sometimes you must wait for several to go past. I remember long lines of people waiting at the Vatican City stop - more than could even fit on one bus. And, as Bruce said, they don't actually get close to many of the sights that a tourist would consider a "must see".