Where does the time go?

In two weeks plus two days we are leaving for Europe.  It has been a busy few months since my last post.  There seems to be an endless stream of things to do - never a chance for boredom.  Now I am busy with the last minute details of getting ready for our trip.  Our first stop is Scotland.  We'll fly non-stop on KLM from Mexico City to Amsterdam (unbelievably long flight - ugh - but at least we do not have to change planes in the US or anywhere).  From there we will take EasyJet (local European airline) to Edinburgh where we will spend the night near the airport (and it will be our 31st anniversary). The next day we will take a 2 hr train ride to Aberdeen followed by a taxi to our home exchange.  Here is a picture of the home where we will be staying for two weeks:

The interior of the house looks very comfortable with open spaces, lots of light and a lovely kitchen - all my favorite things in a home.  It's in a rural area not far from Aberdeen - lack of Mexican noise might take a little getting used to.  We are exchanging cars so will have transportation to get around for side trips and shopping.  Our exchangers, Paul and Murial, are very experienced (like us) in house swaps so we know they will have lots of information at the house regarding things to see and do.  Being not far from the sea, I am looking forward to being able to buy fresh delicious fish.  Muriel said she loves to cook and so the kitchen is well equipped (like ours).  We couldn't quite work out the timing so that we could meet in person but we have had a lot of email correspondence and one phone call.  They are leaving Scotland for Mexico the day before we arrive at their house.  She mailed us a key to their house and surprisingly, it arrive here only 9 days after she mailed it.  Kudos to LaConexion!

After the brutal trip to get there, we probably will spend a day or two just recovering.  As we get older, it seems to take a little longer to adjust our old bodies to a new time zone.  We are making no specific plans for Scotland until we get there - just reading up a bit on the Internet.  Part of the fun for us is to not make detailed plans - we'll get the feel of things when we arrive, see how the weather is and take it one day at a time.  This has always worked well for us.  John will do lots of reading and I will blog about our adventures in between our explorations.  And, we might check out the distilleries that Scotland is know for - and castles and other, as yet unknown, sights.

At the end of our stay in Aberdeenshire, we will head back to Edinburgh for an overnight (or maybe more if we decide we want to see the city).  We'll have an early morning flight back to Amsterdam and then a flight from there to Toulouse and a drive from there to Magrie.  More about that in my next post.

As I blog along - please feel free to leave your comments below.  I write these blogs to remember our travels but also, some times friends like to read about it.  So, it would be nice to know that someone is reading.

Home Exchanges

Now that all of our travel plans are confirmed for our 3 - yes, 3 - back-to-back, simultaneous home exchanges, it is time to write about it.  This process was not at all easy and it began last fall when we decided that maybe it was time to go to Europe again.  We are not getting any younger and who knows when one of us is no longer up to a daunting trip like this.  Of course, working out the arrangements was probably the most difficult and stressful part.

Home exchanges have become a way of life for us since our first one in 2003.  Since then, we have done 22 home exchanges - if I remembered all of them when I was counting them up the other day.  In our younger days, we used to go to Europe, rent a car and drive all over to see as much as we could - never staying in one place for very long.  Of course, we were still working so could not be gone for more than a couple of weeks so we wanted to see it all.  After retirement, however, we are at leisure all the time and there are no real time restraints and we can be very flexible.

So, here is how it works.  We have belonged to 2 or 3 home exchange organizations on the Internet.  The best one has been Homelink.org    They have been around for a long time and have 1000's of members all over the world.  There are 2 ways to line up a home exchange - you can wait until someone contacts you about an exchange or you contact others about an exchange.  We have done it both ways but more often, I am writing to people asking if they want to exchange with us.  However, we have had some very nice exchanges with people who wrote to us first.  We prefer to do exchanges simultaneously because we don't have a 2nd home.  Some people have vacation homes and want to come to your house at one time and you go to their vacation home at a different time.  Also, if they are in our home, we want to be in theirs - not their vacation rental home.  There is a difference: vacation homes are not as "homey" - many times they are rentals and sparsely furnished with minimal amenities.  A person's home is more comfortable and we are able to exchange the use of basic cooking condiments and help ourselves out of the pantry and fridge but just agreeing to replace things when we leave.

Castle near Aberdeen

Back to the current arrangements.  Last fall we received an inquiry from a couple wanting to exchange for their home in Aberdeen, Scotland.  That is what got us talking about going to Europe again.  Since we have never been to Scotland, it sounded interesting.  So, I said, why not line up something in Germany (John's favorite country in Europe) after our Scottish exchange.  I started searching the 100's of home exchange possibilities in Germany on Homelink and Homeexchange.  Fairly soon I received a positive response from a couple near Rudesheim on the Rhein.  It was a lovely house and we are familiar with the town.  We made the commitment with them to exchange.  Then I started looking for a 3rd exchange after Germany (why not?).  Eventually, I found an exchange near Bordeaux, France - wow this sounded really good.  We were set - well, not quite.  About 2 months after the agreement with the German folks, they cancelled - arrrgh.  Back to the drawing board - actually the Internet.  I wrote to a zillion Germans looking for an exchange.  Had a couple that were pretty hopeful but they didn't work out for one reason or another.  Meanwhile, the exchange to Bordeaux fell through.  Arrrrgh.  This was becoming very frustrating.  (Meanwhile, Scotland was totally confirmed, exact dates set and they had already bought their tickets).  Then, I hit the bullseye in France - a charming house south of Carcasonne - an exchange with a semi-retired couple who had actually been to San Miguel a few years ago and loved it.  She is a travel writer and photographer and he is a psychologist.  We had a stream of back and forth emails and I knew this was the right one and it was going to work out.  Yes!

Vineyards and Magrie, France

We would go from Scotland to France - 2 weeks in Scotland and 3 weeks in France.  But, we still wanted to do something in Germany so back to the Internet and more emails.  I finally kind of gave up on Germany and sent a few to the Netherlands.  Bingo!  A couple in a little town called Doesburg responded favorably.  After a few back and forths - it was a deal.

Now - all of our exchange partners have booked their travels and so have we.  I'm happy - John's happy and our exchange partners are happy.  There are no gaps in our transition from one exchange to the next.  We'll fly non-stop from Mexico City to Amsterdam and then to Edinburgh.  We'll spend one night there and take the train to Aberdeen the next day to our exchange.  At the end of that stay we'll take the train back to Edinburgh, spend the night and then fly to Amersterdam, change planes and down to Toulouse, France.  Our exchangers there will leave their car for us at the airport and we drive to their house in Magrie.  At the end of those 3 weeks, we will fly back to Amsterdam and take the train to Doesburg for our final exchange.  At the end (early October) we may go visit some German friends and relatives near Bremen before we return to Mexico.  We are excited and leave August 19th - less than four months from now.

Doesburg, Netherlands

Back into the Routine at Home

It's been two weeks since we arrived home from our winter "vacation" in Merida.  I am happy to report that I have ridden my mare, Molly, nearly every day (she has Sundays off).  I think she was happy to see me but horses are not like dogs in that they do not express their emotions as clearly as our dogs do.  She did remember her tricks and was immediately looking for sugar and carrots.  She was quite agreeable to ride until she went into heat several days ago - then she was not quite so agreeable but I could deal with it.  She makes me work harder when she is in heat and that's o.k.  Dressage is work to do it correctly and one has to stay focused every second.  Even though I say "work" - it is fun work - otherwise I wouldn't do it.

San Miguel has had a very unusual February in that it rained almost 3 inches this month when normally it does not rain at all this time of the year.  But now it is sunny again and we have turned on the solar panels to start warming up the pool.  I checked it this morning and the water is 72 degrees - o.k. for polar bears and penguins but not for me.  My calculation is that if the weather stays sunny every day, I might be able to swim by the end of next week - I'm hoping for 85 degrees or more.  John prefers 88 but that's a bit too warm for swimming laps - which I intend to do.

In addition to my volunteer work, I am looking for home exchanges to Europe next fall.  We love doing home exchanges - have done over 20 since our first one around 2003. (I'll blog about home exchanging soon).  We haven't been to Europe in several years and since John isn't getting any younger (tee-hee), we thought we had better enjoy our travels while we're still physically in fine shape.  So, we already have a confirmed exchange to Scotland starting August 20 for 2 1/2 weeks.  From there we will go to an exchange in the south of France near Carcassone - still waiting for confirmation of exact ending date - it will start the day after we leave Scotland.  I am also hoping to find a 3rd exchange in Germany after France.  We'll be gone a total of about 2 months I think.  That is a very long time to be away from home.  I'm a little nervous about that but once we are in our first home exchange, I'll be comfortable with seeing new sights and meeting new people.  I'm even trying to learn a little French before we go.  John can handle the German while in Germany and we don't have to worry about Scotland except for driving on the wrong side of the road.  We have never been to Scotland so I'm really looking forward to that.  When traveling, I love to go to new places.  John is happy to go back to places we have been so we usually end up doing a little of each.

Driving to and From Merida

Some who may be reading my blog may wonder about driving to Merida.  Here it is.

Since we were going to Merida for almost six weeks, we decided to drive there. You don't really need a car that much in Merida but it's nice to have to go to the grocery store, side trips to interesting places, etc.  It is a long ways and the roads are not always the best but we felt totally safe the whole way. There were a number of military inspection points but we were always waved through. One look at the two old cue tips in the car and they knew we weren't worth inspecting.  Going there we decided to leave on December 29th and drive half way which takes you to Minatitlan - same as we did last year.  There isn't a lot to recommend this city but we found our way to the same Hotel Madrid that we used last year.  It was reasonable and pretty comfortable and quiet.  It had a decent (but not great) restaurant so it was fine for a good night's rest.  The very best thing about driving over to the coast now is that there is a wonderful toll road by-pass around Mexico City - Arcos Norte.  What a treat to not have to go through Mexico City.  We really didn't have any problems on the road - no accidents, minimal back-ups at the toll booths and we arrived at our first destination before dark - that's a must.  Last year we were not so lucky.

Main Parque - Campeche

Day two we drove to Campeche where we booked ahead at the Hotel del Mar overlooking the gulf and just a couple of blocks from the historic centro.  We booked for two nights so that we would arrive in Merida on Jan. 1 when our rental started.  The hotel was very nice and we enjoyed walking through the old walled town and took a trolley tour.  The city was colorful and clean - we enjoyed our short stay there very much.  New Year's eve was surprisingly quiet.  We walked over to the park and there wasn't anything special going on so we didn't stay long and ended up not waiting for the new year to roll in.  We slept right through it.  No fireworks or if there were, we sure didn't hear them.

New Year's day we had breakfast in the hotel dining room and headed for Merida.  We arrived there early afternoon and moved into our apartment.

Nice thing about driving is that you can bring more stuff like a waffle iron - one of John's favorites.  And, we had a plug-into-the-cigarette-lighter cooler.  We were able to pack our lunch and snacks and drinks for the road. It's a little awkward getting into the hotel rooms but usually there is a bell boy with a cart to handle it.

So, yes, I would advise driving to Merida if you don't mind sitting in the car all day for 2 days.  On the way home, though, we decided on less driving per day so we  drove to Ciudad del Carmen the first day, Orizaba the second day and home on the third.  The only issue was that we drove in and out of rain all three days and leaving Orizaba, we drove through the mountains (up to 8500 feet) in fog and clouds - not so much fun.  But, we arrived home by 3:00 p.m. on the third day and we were not exhausted.

Starting Over (My Blog)

Well, this is funny.  Here I am looking at this blog I started A YEAR AGO and didn't keep it up.  Of course, I have lots of legitimate excuses - I am way too busy with other stuff.  Blogging is not a priority in my life and that's o.k.  However, here I am again and maybe it is a good thing to do for posterity.  (And, at the moment, I am bored).  Maybe my grandchildren would like to read about my life and I can impart some wisdom?  Well, maybe not but then, you never know.  So I deleted my earlier posts and am starting over.

We are in Merida - have been here since the first of January - our little winter escape from chilly (in January) San Miguel.  Actually, it's not that chilly but since we have no central heating in the house (almost no one in San Miguel does), it gets cool at night and the brick/concrete house never really warms up during the day even though it gets into the 70's or even the 80's during the day.  So, we escape.  Merida is very nice but at the other extreme weather-wise.  It's hot and humid.  January is their coolest month which means 80's instead of 90's and 100's and down into the 60's at night.  It's pretty comfortable and we don't turn on the air conditioning in our rented apartment unless it gets way up there or really muggy. The ceiling fans seem to keep us comfortable.  I like to walk in the morning so I get out there no later than 9 or maybe even 8:30.  I've been walking for about 2 hrs - the terrain is totally flat so that's nice.  Sidewalks are not great but you just have to watch your step - better than cobblestones, though. The other thing you really have to watch out for is: traffic.  The drivers in Merida are the rudest and most aggressive I have seen just about anywhere.  They do not care one bit about pedestrians - it is totally "walker beware".  If you are crossing the street on foot at a green light and a car wants to turn onto the street you are crossing, they will actually honk their horn at you for daring to cross.  Ugly.  The only good thing about this is that every time I cross a street - I get a little adrenaline rush and it propels me forward with more energy.

Our friends, Carol & Harold, also from San Miguel, were here during all of January.  John and Harold don't walk long distances so Carol and I walked most mornings.  They left on the 1st and we are not leaving until this Friday so I have been walking on my own.  I miss my walking companion but I still enjoy the walk and feel I can then justify eating and drinking a little.  Otherwise I would be gaining a ton of weight since I am not riding every morning.  Even with the walking, I dread getting on the scales when I get home - but hopefully it won't be too bad.

One of the things we've enjoyed the most here has been the Symphony of Yucatan concerts.  We've been to 3 of them and to 2 piano/violin concerts by the concertmaster, Christopher Collins and Dutch pianist Martyn vanDjik.  And, of course, we've been enjoying some nice and fun restaurants - especially the local every day ones - like Loncheria Poderosa and La Terraza.  Loncheria Poderosa is a neighborhood sidewalk restaurant - only open evenings and only serving Yucatecan specialties like Salbutes, Panuchos and Tamales Colados.   I'll have to explain these dishes because if you have never been here - you probably won't know about them.  Salbutes and Panuchos are similar - in fact - if you put one of each in front of me, I wouldn't be sure which was which unless I looked for the beans.  Yes, panuchos have a little layer of beans.  They are both tortillas layered with stuff.  The panucho tortilla is crispy with the little layer of re-fried beans.  On top of that is lettuce, tomatoes, marinated red onions and shredded chicken or turkey.  Maybe there is something else in there but I'm not sure - it's all delicious.  Now, the salbute is basically the same except - softer tortilla and no beans.  They serve a salsa on the side but you better taste it first before slathering it on your food because its base is habanero chilies and it can be very, very hot.  And now we come to the tamale - this is not your normal tamale that most readers know about.  This one is square-ish and wrapped in banana leaves (of which there are many in the Yucatan).  The masa (corn meal ingredient used to make tamales) is moister and smoother than the traditional tamale.  There is a filling of shredded chicken or turkey inside.  They steam them and they are delicious.  It is served in the banana leaves - opened and a simple but delicious tomato sauce is put on top.  They serve them with a spoon.  Yum, is all I can say.