Madrid - Sign Me Up!

To say we loved Madrid was an understatement. My US born, French raised spouse, who always thought we'd retire to part of the year in France has now kicked that to the curb in favor of Spain.

Plaza Mayor, Madrid

We rented a two bedroom flat on Plaza Mayor in the heart of Madrid during Holy Week. And for two lapsed Catholics it was a reunification with religion we'd forgotten about. Each parish carries a float through the streets of Madrid, eventually passing through Plaza Mayor on the way to the cathedral. It was an amazing site each and every processional.

Easter Passion evening processional

That aside, Spain is just way more relaxed and much friendlier that other parts of Europe.

Let's just start with the food. If you are even remotely a foodie then Spain will be like a paradise. We started off at Mercado de San Miguel, just steps away from Plaza Mayor. It is like all of Spain's tapas options in one place. It is a converted market that dates from the early 20th century. Each vendor sells something different. Calamari, sardines, oysters, paella, potato chips, cheese, wine, beer, champagne and the list goes on. It was a good way to determine what we liked and wanted to try again somewhere else during our culinary exploits in Madrid.

That's fresh mozzarella cheese tapas!

Oysters - the first plate

T

he sights to see in Madrid are countless. There's the Royal Palace - worth a visit if the line isn't super long.

 The National Archaeological Museum was fabulous!

The Monasteria de las Descalzas was the hottest ticket in the city. We showed up three different times before we got an admission ticket, for the last entry of the day. Very interesting and still operating abbey. Downside is the tour is entirely in Spanish so we were kinda SOL.









Skip the HUGE line at the Prado and go here instead! The collection is amaze-balls. They may only have one of someone's work but they've got one of EVERYBODY's work. Picasso, Monet, Degas, Holbein the elder, Holbein the younger, Fra Angelico, Rembrandt, Van Eyck, Hopper, Caravaggio, Rubens and of course El Greco. Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum, which is a private collection, is one of the best museums we've been to almost ever. And you can see it all in half a day.

And then there are just wonderful sites you come across wandering around the city!

So next time you're thinking you need a trip to Europe, give Spain a go. Enough to see, do, experience and more than enough to eat in week (or six!)  Ole!

Wine Country - Its Not Just Napa!

When most people think about wine tasting in California they immediately think of Napa or maybe even Sonoma. Both are lovely places and offer a lot of wineries for your tasting pleasure but both have become touristy and crowded and if that's not your shtick, then I suggest Livermore.

Livermore, the place known for a physics lab more than anything, is home to one of the oldest wine making communities in California. The first vines were planted in the 1840's and they've been making wines there since the 1880's - long before the US even had a real interest in wines. Wente is the biggest producer and probably the best known.

There are 50+ wineries in the Livermore Valley making all sort of interesting and very high end wines. It's way low-key, you can hang out with the owners, winemakers and people who genuinely LOVE wine.

Steven Kent Winery Lineage Tasting Room!

You might even find this secret swing in the middle of a vineyard!

This map will help you find your way around - but many of the wineries are located on Tesla Rd.

There there is downtown Livermore. It's not big but it's also not touristy. Almost all independent shops, boutiques, restaurants and services line the main drag and side streets. Of course wine is a main feature of most everything but there are charming shops with interesting people, local artisans, and generally cool stuff.

One music shop donates 100% of their funds to charity. The owners don't even take a salary.
There's the Donut Wheel which has probably been there since the 1960's and is open 24/7.

Double Barrel Wine Bar is a very fun place to hang out. They have street side seating and inside seating and a lovely bar but the best spot is in the back patio when a band is in the house. These seats require a reservation most nights and they are very worth it! Big comfy couches with plush throws to keep you warm, fire pits, heaters and great food like the sashimi nachos and funky pizza. Of course with lots of great local wines to wash them down.

Back patio at DBWB

Yummy Nachos!

Hunkered down at the DBWB in Livermore, CA

So next time you think California wine tour? Think Livermore!

How to do Iceland on a Budget... Kinda

Iceland was not really on the bucket list. Not even sure it was on the Top 20 list but it ended up being our most recent vacation and because we went without any expectations we found out: IT'S AWESOME!

But let's think about why we ended up there and how the Icelandic lore you in!

First, Iceland Air. You are going to Europe but it's not the sometimes grueling 8+ hour flight (from the eastern US) It's less than 6 so yay! It's also about half the fare of a ticket to Europe in the summer. Big bonus.

We usually take 8-10+ days when we go away so we had 9 days this trip and when I looked at hotel options, ummm... well let's just say we'd have only been staying 4 at those prices. (which is why lots of people go short term on Icelandic Air packages) Airbnb.com to the rescue! There were tons of flats available and at much more reasonable prices. We landed a 2 bedroom flat that backed up to embassy row three blocks from the center of Reykjavik at $117US/night. Score!

Now being east coasters, we usually fly into wherever and find the cab stand. Well thanks to our Airbnb hosts they schooled us on the FlyBus. $15US/pp  vs. $100+ cab fare. FlyBus is the way to get into Reykjavik. It will drop you at the BSI bus terminal and you can pay additional to go elsewhere by a smaller bus or you can grab a cab and then pay a more reasonable rate to your final destination. This worked out perfectly.  Oh and FlyBus will always be there, even if your flight comes in late. They run round the clock!

So now here we are and what to do. Thankfully I had some forethought beyond just flights and accommodations to rent us a car for 4 of our 9 days. But the first part of the trip we were on our feet. The downtown area is easy urban hiking. We walked to:

Hallgrimskirkja - the big church

The national museum

The Harbor

The hot dog stand

Around "the pond"

And since we had a few days to read our travel guides, we realized that all the 'must see' stuff in Iceland is a day trip from Reykjavik and it's all FREE entrance (Except the Blue Lagoon) So if you are more than two people and don't mind driving on really nice roads without any road rage idiots, where everyone obeys the speed limits and stop signs, then by all means, rent a car!

The Golden Circle, Black Sand beaches and all the sights along the way are 100% free. Some are on private property and have a donation box out but you can visit all these places for the cost of your rental.  Much more economical than the tour buses.

So the other big advantage of having your own flat is the ability to eat in. This is a huge savings because being an island, everything is imported and consequently you can spend a lot of money just on food. And wouldn't you rather have a nice Icelandic sweater or sheep skin to take home instead of a few extra pounds? 

The woman at the tourist bureau who arranged the one 'organized' activity we did told us to shop at Bonus, when she realized we had our own flat. She said it was the least expensive of the three chains. She was totally right - love Bonus!

And we saw the Northern Lights one night from the balcony of our flat. Totally free!

15 Things to LOVE About Iceland

1. It's clean. Really clean. Do.Not.Litter. Ever!
2. It's safe - unless it's payday, in a bar and you're being an asshole, then you might get beat up. (Yes, that was printed in a local guide book)
3. Unlimited supply of hot water. Which makes it a great place to raise teenagers or have a long shower after a day of hiking.
4. Hot Dogs, Pizza and Lamb - oh my! Who knew? Hot Dogs are a thing. So is pizza. Lamb and fish are the foundations of the diet with both being very plentiful and tasty.
   
5. Trolls. Yes, they believe in them. 
   
6. They are environmentally friendly. Because they are acutely aware of the impact:
1.  being an island with limited 'dump' space and  
2. having glaciers disappearing and a quick pace. Giant recycle bins shaped like bottles are all over. Disposables are made from corn so they are biodegradable. Garbage is separated and recycled. It's a good thing.
7. Heated streets. Reykjavik gets snow (but not the amounts you might think), so to control the need to de-ice and sand the roads constantly, they have geothermic water lines underneath that help keep the roads clear.
8. Outdoor pools. They are all over the capital region. Open from early morning to late at night all year long. Did I mention they are also geothermically heated? So winter, spring, summer, fall, you can swim outdoors and the Icelandic do. Many important decisions are made in a hot pot!
   
9. Their sense of humor. It's wicked and cynical. If you are (or know someone) from the NE US you'll get it.

   

   Front door of a bar

   

   Chalice made from a coconut. Go Figure?

   

   Icelandic Food Truck

   

   These are not bands appearing but actual things.

   
   

   

   Eat, Drink, Sleep

   
   

   

   Only one in the world

   
   
10. 90kph speed limit. Makes it easy to drive. Also the fact that there are only about 330,000 people on the island which is slightly larger than Ohio means there are not a lot of people on the road. But the roads are well maintained and people don't speed.
11. Foul weather gear is your friend. In fact, North Face and 66North constitutes formal wear. If you plan on visiting you will definitely need water repellent outerwear. Wellies go with anything and you wear them all day, every day.
    
    
12. They are super efficient at the stuff that matters. Energy, hot water, exploiting their limited natural resources in an environmentally conscience way and airport check-in. 
13. Outdoor art. It's everywhere, parks, streets, municipal buildings and in ponds. Then there's the art inside the museums.
    

    

    Mermaid in "The Pond"

    
    

    

    Rainbow street with art exhibit

14. It's the only place in the world you can go Inside the Volcano. Really! You hike 3km (45 minutes) over a lava field to be geared up and dropped 120M (= 2 statue of Libertys) down a magma shaft into an extinct volcano chamber.

    

    Window washing elevator lowers you inside

15.  The natural beauty

Blue Lagoon

Geysir

Gullfoss

On the road to Gullfoss

Seljalandsfoss

Lava field

Random Viking Sheep!