"Trailer" about Dubai

What I mean by "trailer" is that I after I leave somewhere I have just been, I have afterthoughts about it.....

On the way to Dubai on Emirates Airlines, I was able to watch TV. They had an Arabic version of MTV. Arabic MTV I guess. The songs were all sung in Arabic of course and the videos are much like the music videos in the States. However, the men wear the shiek on their heads. A long, white, flat hood sort of thing w/ a black braided band around the top of the head. Plus, their wardrobe is the long flowing white smock as well. When we landed, some of the men were wearing these. The advertising on the walls had men talking on cell phones, ordering food etc. Very normal activities that we do every day. My first reaction to this dress was "terroist!" Honestly. But by the time I left, I think I was much more de-sensitized to that look. I just saw a man dressed differently. In the business lounge, (I upgraded my seat, so I got the benefit of the business lounge at the airport)...There was a young, handsome Arab man, wearing the shiek, clean-shaven, spoke english fabulously and smelled good. I thought, hmmm, how does he keep that outfit so clean? I wear white and I am dirty w/in 5 minutes, always spilling something or brushing up against something dirty. Anyway, I was very impressed by him and dislodged my narrow thinking of "Dirty Arab." I was actually relieved to just see them as "people."

I saw a few Arab mothers with their young daughters. I am not sure if all children are treated this way or if it just the young girls, but the mothers are very rough with them. One young girl, 5 or 6 maybe, was a trying to get out of my way when I reached into the cooler to get a bottle of water from the store. The mother basically backhanded her and shoved her out of my way, then yanked her arm and marched off down the aisle w/ the girl in tow. Half walking, half dragging. This mother also had her face completely covered except for her eyes...
The second mother was in the business lounge and had her young daughter, maybe not even 2 yrs yet. This little one was wobbling around and exploring the place, testing out her balance and innocent curiosity. Several times the mother came after her and yanked her arm as well and drug the little girl back to their seats. Not one time did either mother hug, kiss, coddle, play, coo w/ their child...nothing even close to sweet mothering that I am used to. I found this to be quite disturbing actually. I didn't like it....

I was at the store in the airport to get toothbrush, toothpaste, water etc. Another man was approaching the checkout line the same time I was. I had 4 items, he had like 54 items. His cart was overflowing w/ his purchases. He made it VERY obvious I was not to go first in front of him and he kept inching forward in front to checkout first. I was like, Dude, seriously, I know women aren't even as good as dirt here, but get real. I have 4 things, you have a ton! Polite? no. Considerate? no. Friendly? no. Then the more I thought about it, the more pissed off I became. It wasn't as if some rude man in the states cut in line, it was more than that and I felt it. I was furious by the time I checked out, it didn't help that it was 2am and I was overly tired.

Additionally, people at the airport, Arabs, Indians were sleeping all over the place..... floors, tables, benches etc. I just figured it was bc it was so late, but what I learned later is that is normal behavior. It was gross honestly. They had no problem sleeping on a dirty floor with their drapes of clothing pulled over their faces. Both men and women as well....

Poop Holes--yes, that is what I will call them. In the bathroom, there were regualar toilets, then there were steel holes in the ground w/ water hoses to spray them for cleaning. Each in it's private stall. Basically you pull up your clothing, squat and go number 2 and then you spray it off and hopefully go wash your hands. From what I could tell, they looked pretty clean, but I waited for a regular toilet. All the white women in the bathroom did the same as I.

There are prayer rooms/mosques in the airport. One for women and one for men. You have to leave your shoes at the entry. I didn't go into one, but I did see the shoes and for a split second I thought it would be funny to grab the shoes and run away. Ha! take that! Probably not a very funny joke, but like I said, it was very early in the morning and I had no sleep. But the shoes stayed w/ the feet they belonged to.

The written language of Arabic is beautiful writting. It is not the American alphabet obviously...but the letters look like they are a version of lower case, soft cursive w/ dots above and below the lettering. I is very pretty to look at, but the spoken language is another story. Very throaty....like you have to clear your throat, thick tongued and aggressive sounding. I couldn't listen to much more of Arab MTV.....

Emirates Airlines--the flight attendants are gorgeous. They definitely hire beauty. I tried to photo them, but the pictures of Dubai didn't turn out well. The ladies had flawless faces and their red hats had a long white scarf that draped down above their bossom and then around their neck. Very formal and very feminine. I was impressed. Not to mention the service was outstanding. Like I said before, I upgraded my seat and it was well worth it. 16 hours of being stuck in coach, NO THANKS.

I sat next to a French woman, Bernadette, on the way to Singapore. I got the cold shoulder the first half of the flight, but I kept working on her and strategically timed my questions to see if she would warm up. Ah-ha! Success! By the end of the flight she was drinking wine w/ me and recommending which wine to get from the menu and what cheeses go w/ which wine and so we tried them all. The cheese plate was fabulous and I really liked her company. She had worked for the airlines prior so we got extra wine since she was one of "them" on the plane. But, when we landed, she collected her belongings, took one last look over her shoulder at me and wished me a good journey, then cut in line w/ the other passengers and briskly walked up the ramp...Bye Bernadette. How bitter sweet the French.

Dubai

I left Nice today and now I am in Dubai. I am walking around like a zombie at the airport bc I have about an eight hour layover. It is 4am, so if my blog doesn't make sense it's bc I am so tired.

I had to return the rental car at the airport and gas it up first, so I pretty much dedicated the day to getting all that done and arriving on time. I did and all was well. The flight from Nice landed in Rome for fuel and to pick up passengers. The 8 hour flight was packed!! I sat next to a chinese woman, Stella, she called herself. Spoke excellent english and was quite funny. She was traveling to Tanzania ironically (bc that is where I will be going mid-August). Her husband works there as an engineer and she was traveling w/ 5 other people who were her superiors. She was the only one who spoke english and french so she was exhausted from all of their translating needs. She had this innocence about her and she was just cute and funny. Well cultured and well traveled for 26 years old.

I understand why Americans don't speak more languages. Part of it is that everyone else does speak english, part of it too is we don't have strong external influences. Example: Holland, they have several American TV shows and lots of American music played on the radio. The magazines are Brittney Spears, Jessica Simpson, Brad Pitt/Angelina Jolie etc. France, I found a fabulous radio station. They would play the top hits in french then alternate w/ an American song. I pulled into Nice jammin' to Justin Timberlake's "Sexy Back." I do like that song however.
But it DOES make me want to become more fluent in Spanish bc that is the language I would use most where I live. I also realized that I know more Spanish than I thought bc in France I didn't know a damn thing. In Mexico, I can convey what I need or want and ask the basics for directions. In France, I would point and hope for the best. Plus, the french act as if you are inconveniencing them if you are trying to ask questions.

I had dinner in the harbor the night before I left. I was actually staying in St. Jean Cap Ferrat, which is between Nice and Monaco. Anyway, I ordered fresh sea bass. I guess they cooked the whole thing up and then brought it to me for my approval, head, eyeballs, teeth and all. I nodded my approval thinking, "Dear God, please tell me they are going to cut the head off that thing!" But the service is like the wine, they bring it out for your approval first, then taste, then pour. So yes, my fish was beheaded and filleted. It was very good.

Breakfast in France consists of french bread, croissants, jam and yogurt and cafe. I am craving eggs. They don't eat eggs for breakfast, nor do they have whole wheat toast.

On my drive to Nice I forgot to mention the toll booths along the highway. You can use a "carte" (credit card) to pay or go to the man in the booth. I had gotten down the system using the carte, but then at one stop, it rejected my card, then my next card and the next card. At that point I could either crash through the gate or back up. So I shrugged my shoulders to the guy behind me and we had to back up the cars. It was well received I am sure. So then I pull into the drive w/ the man in the booth and my card worked fine, but he was mad bc the machine in the other drive took my ticket so he didn't know how much I owed. We figured it out and away I went.

The french love to honk. At everything and everyone. If I even LOOK like I am going to screw up, they honk. Several times I have wanted to honk back, but my horn doesn't work. Then I realized that my horn is on the steering column, not in the middle, plus my horn is a little beepbeep, not a HONK HONK....I really liked my rental-girl-car. We were zipping along great. I only hit the curb once on a very narrow road, backed over a construction cone and sideswiped a parking pilon. Other than that, all was well.

The Beach--is not sandy. It is very rocky and big pebbles. I don't have indian feet so I walk like, ouch, ouch, ouch, ouch. The water is much colder than I thought, so only braved it up to my knees. Put on my new sunscreen and tried to read, got blown out. VERY windy. Had to go home. Saw a handful of topless ladies though. No big deal. I have the same parts so it's not that exciting.

Le Poste--I arrived at the post office at 4:45pm, they close at 4:30pm, of course they do. Bc everything right now is 10 times harder. So I call my hotel the next morning to make sure Le Poste is open on Saturdays, yes, they say, in the morning. I arrive at Le Poste, closed. Sweet. They aren't open on Saturdays, so I have to drive to the next town to get there by noon to ship stuff home. The roads are very narrow, lots of signs pointing every which way...quite daunting to drive actually. I arrive at the second Le Poste and I have to prepay for the boxes for my stuff. I don't know how many I will need, but I have to buy them up front. I assemble the boxes, pack my stuff, fill out two address labels per box, tape em up....etc. The boxes are bright red. Finally I get them off, and have one box left over, she won't refund the 33 euros bc I purchased the boxes w/ my credit card. Right, of course, bc telling me that beforehand would HAVE BEEN HELPFULL!

Later in the day at dinner, (eating the headless fish) I notice that my palms are red and kind of orangey. I figured that since it was so hot and humid and sweaty that somehow at Le Poste the ink from the red boxes rubbed off and stained my hands. But then in the morning my hands are MORE orange, as if I used a self tanner and didn't wash it off. For those of you who haven't used a self tanner, it is a lotion that tans your skin w/out the sun's ultraviolet rays to damage your skin, but you have to wash your hands bc it doesn't soak up. Welp, I think I accidentally bought self tanner instead of lotion the day it took me 2 hours to grocery shop to pick up 5 items. I can't read the labels bc it is all in French, it just looks like lotion. But, the funny thing is I am not sure if is the lotion or my new sunscreen. So not only am I a non-french speaking tourist being honked at and not knowing what I am doing.....I am now an ORANGE non-french speaking tourist being honked at and not knowing what I am doing....sweet. But I have a killer tan now. Good thing I didn't use it on my face.

I have to go pretend to sleep now before I catch my next flight. It will be w/ one eye open to make sure I don't miss my flight.

I wanted du-bai something here at the airport. Get it? Du-bai, (to buy) something. So I bought an ashtray. Bc I am going to take up smoking. Well no. It has a camel on it w/ Arabic colors and design, so it would be pretty on a coffee table. Why is it called coffee table? I don't drink coffee. How about cup-of-warm-yummy table w/ my new ashtray on top in the middle.

I'm waaaaayyy too tired.

let's try this again..Fr@nce

Thursday- woke up late, 11:30! Laid by the pool, read my book. Which is a Dean Koontz book and ironically the main character's wife's name is Holly and it takes place in San Diego close to where Ric lives.

Dragon Flies- I dedicate this part to my best friend Stacey, she loves dragon flies. Since I have become one with nature, that day was dragon fly day. I was floating in the pool and there were several flying around, mostly blue and flying solo. There was one pair (one blue and one green) that were attached. Blue had her butt right in between the eyes of Green, flying tandum. I wondered if they were mating and Blue had to lay eggs in the middle of his eyes. How does he fertilize them? Or maybe Mom took Sonny out for a flying lesson, "come on Sonny! flap those wings!" Again her behind attached to his head. Or maybe it is the dragon fly transportation system, Green gets off at the next stop. Guess I'll have to Google it to find out. They landed on my arm for about 30 seconds and their colors were so intense, deep blues and shimmery green, Mother Nature sure is talented I was losing balance on the childrens floaty so they flew away as I went under. The next 20 minutes I paddled from one side of the pool to the other chasing them to see if they would land on me again...no dice. :(

Bike Ride- was going to go to a nearby town to see the soap factory, Jim drew me a great map. I took a wrong turn, ended up in the same town I was already in, circles. The tourist office was no help. She just kept telling me very rudely, "it's not here, it's not here!" No shit lady, that's why I am in here talking to you so you can tell me how to get there. By that time I was out of water, really hot, lost and the bike seat had slid to the lowest setting so I was pedaling w my knees to my chest. My temper tantrum occurred then and I wrinkled up the map she gave me into a ball and tried to ride home thinking I never should have left the pool...did get a good workout though. Also, talked to my boyfriend Ric during the middle of all this so after we hung up he texted me wondering if Satan could bring his girlfriend back! I laughed, got out of my funk, jumped back in the pool and all was well.

Grocery shopping--should take me half hour to get like 10 items, but nope, not really. Drove J&D's car, shopping carts are outside and all locked up. Insert 1 euro to release, then when u lock it back up, u get the euro back. (Sorry for the shorthand, using blackberry and already deleted my first blog by accident). Since I couldn't really read anything, looked at the pictures. Some eggs and dairy aren't refridgerated for some reason, so if u look in the refridgerator section, Not There! Check out, u bag ur own stuff, cool, can do that, did it in Holland. Where are the bags though? Oh right, here u buy them for .10 cents apiece and she has to ring it up. Ok, cuts down on plastic waste for sure. Got everything I needed, except sunscreen bc by now already sunburned, but never too late. Grocery does not sell sunscreen, pharmacy does. Pharmacy also sells Birkenstock sandals. Go figure, had to by Birks bc flip flops give no support and thought I would get some sort of Vietnam Foot Rot if I'm always in socks and tennis shoes...but Birks aren't broken in and hurt my toes so wearing flip flops anyway.

Dinner- went to another close town for a great italian dinner w Liz and Alvin and his daughter Leslie. Dominique told this story about his parents, preface: the french word for the animal SEAL, is PHOQUE- pronounced F**k, our cuss word. Dominique and his parents were in the states on a boating trip, seals swam by and his mother is yelling and pointing, "phoque! Phoque!" The other passengers weren't too pleased and he is cracking up! It's better when u hear him tell it.

Dress shopping: jim and I were at the market and we found cute summer dresses. Bless his heart he waited patiently while I tried it on, and talked to sales lady and bought it. Told him he should be thankful I already went underwear shopping in Amsterdam!

Friday-rented a car in Salon de Provence and drove to Aix en Provence....by myself. Met Kristine, she is wife of Tom who I have gone on several houseboat trips with to Lake Powell. They now live in France for Tom's job as an Aeronautical Engineer for Honeywell. Only got to hang out for an hour w her, she had prenatal yoga to go to, I had lunch. Ordered white wine (twice) and he brought me red. Okey-dokey. I'll drink that and like it. Filled out post cards, shopped a bit more. Got ripped off on a manicure and was very steamed about it! Tried to find parking garage. Got lost!.... Phoque! Again, not knowing where I am. I hate that, very hot and tired from walking all over, took out a different map, sat down on the curb and cried for a minute bc being lost is scarey and frustrating. pulled it together, found garage and my car and drove around level 10 Yellow at least 5 times in a circle before I realized SORTIE is exit and that was the down ramp. Finally got out of town, supposed to follow blue signs for Autohighway back, ended up on Green signs for National roads, like country roads that take longer but have no toll. Both ways will get u there... Got to see a gorgeous sun flower field and part of the countryside. Made it to Salon and met up w Tom for a few beers, he works near there.
Got home by 9:00pm.

It is still light until about 10pm. Also in Europe they use military time for all of the pm hours, it makes sense actaually, but u just have to get used to it.
I have lost track of what day it is, what the date is and don't really care what time it is.

Hollyhocks everywhere!

Man purse-i don't really know what it is but many men carry something over their shoulder crossways like a satchel. It doesn't look bad at all. Let me know if any of u men want one.. ......

Vanilla Glace- ice cream, its the best vanilla I've ever tasted! The waiter asked if I wanted "one ball" instead of "one scoop" Oui. He went to get it and I wondered if it was Lance Armstrong ice cream. One ball.......he is respected here as an athlete, but not liked very well as a person. VERY cocky and pompous according to the French.

Rental car- all of them are stick shifts, good thing I know how to drive one. Reverse u have to slide a part up towards the ball on the shifter. Like as if u hold a syringe. Thumb rests on the ball, then pull up a bit w index and middle finger for reverse, Dominique had to show me. My car is itty bitty and so cute!! Big open moon roof, two doors and barely fits my suitcase in the back. Has painted little flowers on the ouside doors. I was excited, "it's a girl car!!" Yeah!

Nice- drove to Nice, made it to hotel, right on the Mediterranean Sea! Gorgeous!

Going to post this now, if I lose another blog after all this typing on blackberry...no bueno.

More of Fr@nce @nd Nice

The South of France

Yesterday--Let's see....yesterday I pretty much did nothing all day. The night before we had dinner w/ Jim and Dominique's neighbors. I think I had a little too much wine (so did Dominique) and we woke up w/ headaches. I just lounged by the beautiful, crystal blue pool, read my book, took an afternoon nap for 3 hrs and hung out in the yard with the flowers.

Accomodations--So Jim and Dominique had a huge home for their bed and breakfast. They got tired of the business bc it can be quite taxing and sold their home. The man who bought it, Alvin, sold his business back in the states for 300 million dollars. Yeah, so Alvin, his girlfriend Liz live here 6-7 months during the year, just closed on the house in March. Now Alvin has 3 daughters from a previous marriage, and two of them are visiting at the same time I am here. They are a bit younger than I and one has a 15 month old. In addition to that, one of the daughter's girlfriend came and brought her son as well. So, it's one big get-2-gether. Now let me explain Liz. I have never met anyone like her. She is 45, keeps track of all of the celebrities from People magazine. She is very Hollywood, shops alot, loves clothes, loves Botox, lip injections, the boobs...the works. But, the interesting part about Liz is that she was in a rock and roll band for 15 years, wrote all of her own music, plays guitar, is an AMAZING artist too. Think Picasso meets a bit of Salvador Dali. Her art has very vibrant colors and are mostly of faces and a bit abstract. I was very interested in her explanations of how each one came to be. Then, during dinner she stands up and belts out "Son of a Preacher Man" along w/ the music! I was highly entertained...She loves Valium and is very vocal about it, I thought it was a downer type of drug, but for Liz, I think it is an upper!! She is originally from Texas and loves the F word!! She interests me bc I don't know what is coming out next and for some reason she has taken a liking to me. Maybe it's bc I am a good audience for her. She made Jim and Dominique wear funny sunglasses and take pictures, then we all had to go up to her room to lay on her new bed. She is a riot!! She showed us her shoe collection and we are close in foot size, she made me try on a $1500 pair of shoes. I'm like "Liz, you can't even walk in these." she replies, "Honey....those shoes were made to be in the air!"

I am staying at a different neighbor's house across the street. Jean-Pierre, and his daughter Maia. Jean-Pierre is out of town, his 95 yr old mother passed away, so Maia (26) are there alone. She is in school and I pretty much stay in my room or w/ Jim and Dominique. That family has been so generous to allow me to stay there so I am near Jim and Dominique, I try to tread lightly and make as if I am not there. I don't want to impose. They have a beautiful, cozy home....so basically I am living amoungst the locals.

Music--An Irish band, The Koors, I think is popular. The lead singer is the sister to Enya, but different type of music, more rock and hip.

Calvin--When I was floating in the pool yesterday, I found this little snail hanging under the lip of the pool deck. I gently peeled him off and set him on the side bc I thought the pool chemicals would kill him. Instantly, he came out of his shell, stretched looked around, started movin'....I have never seen a snail come out before and I was eye level w/ this little guy so it was interesting me. I took lots of pictures and he was modeling for me in these different poses, leaning towards me, picking up his tail, recoiling his antannea and then pushing them back out, rolling up in a ball and then stretched back out. We had this little photo shoot going and I named him Calvin,,,,for Calvin Klein bc I thought he needed a model's name. Then I let him go to the grass.

Recipe for Green Bean Salad:
Dominique made this for dinner and it was a hit!!
Steam fresh green beans until Aldente, not soft or mushy
1 Tablespoon Dijon Mustard
2 Tablespoons Vinegar....mix these together first.

3 Tablespoons Olive Oil
Fresh chopped parsley
Fresh chopped garlic

Voila!

Today--Jim and I drove about an hour north to another town where they have a large market. We met up w/ Dominique for lunch. He is leading 3 ladies from LA on a tour of a couple of towns today and tomorrow. Jim drives a convertible rabbit so it's great weather for a drive like that.

Got some shopping done, drove back through the vineyards and farm country. Got to see the fixer upper new house they will be building for their next residence. Lots of old houses and look out towers, all made of stone and covered in Ivy. Lavender is a big product for this region too.

Came home, went swimming w the kids and the girls and Jim. Going to dinner tonight w/ Jim, Dominique, Alvin, Liz and Leslie--his youngest daughter...we have hit it off and I really like her.

Province--France is made up of Provinces similar to Canada. I am in a province called PROVENCE. Half hour from the Mediterannean Sea. I will be renting a car on Friday and driving to Nice to spend 2 nights. My plane to Australia leaves from Nice instead of Marsailles.

Bonjour! France

I landed in Marsailles and Dominique picked me up. For those of you who don't know, my mother has great long-time friends from Colorado Springs. Dominique is French and Jim is American. They had a bed and breadfast for years, but just sold it to an American family. They still live on the land, it is like a guest house "keepers quarters" attached to the main house. They do bicycle tours and walking tours in Europe. All kinds of fun stuff!

Here's their website:
www.lemoulin-inn-provence.com

IT IS PARADISE!! So green and vines everywhere, they are in a small, rural town, Eyguieres which is about a half hour outside of Marsailles. About 6000 population here. So nice to be out of the city. they have two labradors, Bud and Lily, kitties everywhere too and I think some neighbors have horses.

Today went to for a half hour drive in their convertible rabbit to another town for the outside market. All kinds of vendors and products. The town has huge water wheels that turn slowly in the canals. So beautiful...had fresh salad and wine at lunch, did some shopping, came home, went swimming in the gorgeous pool.

Having dinner w/ the neighbors tonight. I am slowing down the fast pace I have been keeping and starting to relax more and just settle into my days.
Must go now to get ready for dinner.
We are 8-9 hours ahead of you, depending if you are Pacific or Mountain time.

Auvoir!

More of Holland :)

First of all, I need to make a correction from a former blog. Netherlands is the country, Holland is the Province and Amsterdam is the city. I didn't realize they had provinces, since Holland is the most well known, it seems as if they're the same.

Mint Tea: Mom you'll love this! Hot water, pour over fresh mint leaves, stems and all, add a bit of honey. Voila! Mint tea....yummy.

Countryside: took a bus tour to the country, only takes about 20 minutes to get out to the country. It was awesome! First went to a windmill town and saw beautiful windmills.

Wooden Shoes: got to see a clog maker, the shoes are still worn by farmers and fishermen to keep their feet warm and dry. They are made just like when you a key copied. You have the original key, put in an uncut one and the saw copies it by feel. Same w the shoes. Huge machine. I was impressed. It is POPLAR wood and is cut green, then dries for about 2-3 weeks. I bought some of course, white w beautiful dutch painting. Why? Well, that's what I thought after too, especially since I had to pedal home w them, but my mom said she bought wooden shoes when she came to Holland, so I thought I would follow in her footsteps (w wooden shoes)!!

San Jose: met a great couple on my tour from San Jose, Alex and Steve...they were a ball, we laughed the whole time! Also, I have heard back already from my new friends from Tampa that I met in Ireland, Fiona and Travis. They emailed me when they got home.

Cheese Farm: part of the tour included a cheese farm, most cheese is made in factories, this is still producing the old fashioned way. Churning etc. Two biggest exports are Edam (made from skim milk) and Gouda (made from whole milk)...The cattle industry is quite large since they rely on the dairy cows for milk to make cheese...

Marken: this was a little tiny town on the lake where we were able to ride the boat back to the main land. I can't remember theat town, but it is considered to be a sleeping community and very cute. I am so glad I did that tour!! It rocked...

Bakfiet: this is the type of bike you can ride when carrying children. It has like a wheelburrow type of bucket between the handlebars and front tire. Most of the little kids also ride in a baby seat in front of the rider, not behind. Also, saw lots of men pushing strollers too. Seems like they are very active parents.

Fashion/make-up: the women mostly wear dresses, skirts or capris. They don't show any upper thigh or a lot of leg. No shorts. The fabric hits right above the knee, very pretty colorful material. The tops are fitted or tanks as well. The make-up is very light and natural. No eyeshadow, mostly mascara, and lip gloss. Very natural looking, also their bodies are very natural as well. No implants at all. The women are not too skinny or overweight, they do have meat on their bones and the advertising seems to focus on faces, not bodies. Very refreshing coming from Vegas where they push size 4 down your throat!
This is what real people look like and I liked it.

Sold my house!: yep, my awesome Realtor Ron, faxed me an offer at the hotel, I signed, faxed it back, my partner Jen did the loan for the buyers and Darren did the appraisal. This is for my primary res....yippee!

Directions: I have sooo many people asking me for directions. It's happened in London,Dublin and now Amsterdam. I must not be threating and look like I know what I'm doing...ha!

Rolley Polley: Lindy's daughter couldn't remember my name, so it became Rolley Polley, like the bug. I liked it, thought it was cute! (Not sure how to spell it)

I loved riding the bike!!!! That was the best part! Like being free and having the wind in my hair and on my face...like being a kid, except I don't have the big orange flag on the back of my bike so cars could see me,my dad made me have the flag for safety. Hated that flag, it wasn't cool.

Coffee Shop: this is where the pot is sold. I didn't realize that until the day before

More of Holland :)

First of all, I need to make a correction from a former blog. The Netherlands is the country, Holland is the Province and Amsterdam is the city. I didn't realize they had provinces, since Holland is the most well known, it seems as if they're the same.

Mint Tea: Mom you'll love this! Hot water, pour over fresh mint leaves, stems and all, add a bit of honey. Voila! Mint tea....yummy.

Countryside: took a bus tour to the country, only takes about 20 minutes to get out to the country. It was awesome! First went to a windmill town and saw beautiful windmills. The were huge with large, wooden blades. The tour guide spoke several languages and spoke to us in Spanish and English.

Wooden Shoes: got to see a clog maker, the shoes are still worn by farmers and fishermen to keep their feet warm and dry. They are made just like when you a key copied. You have the original key, put in an uncut one and the saw copies it by feel. Same w the shoes. Huge machine. I was impressed. It is POPLAR wood and is cut green, then dries for about 2-3 weeks. I bought some of course, white, w beautiful dutch painting. Why? Well, that's what I thought after too, especially since I had to pedal home w them, but my mom said she bought wooden shoes when she came to Holland, so I thought I would follow in her footsteps (w wooden shoes)!!

San Jose: met a great couple on my tour from San Jose, Alex and Steve...they were a ball, we laughed the whole time! Also, I have already heard back from my new friends from Tampa that I met in Ireland, Fiona and Travis. They emailed me when they got home.

Cheese Farm: part of the tour included a cheese farm, most cheese is made in factories, this is still producing the old fashioned way. Churning etc. Two biggest cheese exports are Edam (made from skim milk) and Gouda (made from whole milk)...The cattle industry is quite large since they rely on the dairy cows for milk to make cheese...

Marken: this was a little tiny town on the lake where we were able to ride the boat back to the mainland. I can't remember that town's name, but it is considered to be a sleeping community and very cute. I am so glad I did that tour!! It rocked...

Bakfiet: this is the type of bike you can ride when carrying children. It has like a wheelbarrow type of bucket between the handlebars and front tire. The bucket is lower to the ground. Most of the little kids also ride in a baby seat in front of the rider, not behind. Also, saw lots of men pushing strollers too. Seems like they are very active parents.

Fashion/make-up: the women mostly wear dresses, skirts or capri pants. They don't show any upper thigh or a lot of leg. No shorts. The fabric hits right above the knee, very pretty colorful material. The tops are fitted or tanks as well. The make-up is very light and natural. No eyeshadow, mostly mascara, and lip gloss. Very natural looking, also their bodies are very natural as well. No implants at all! A good change from Vegas! ha! The women are not too skinny or overweight, they do have meat on their bones and the advertising seems to focus on faces, not bodies. Very refreshing coming from Vegas where they push size 4 down your throat!
This is what real people look like and I liked it. Also, the Europeans don't seem to have much of the other plastic surgeries that the Americans do.

Sold my house!: yep, my awesome Realtor Ron, faxed me an offer at the hotel, I signed, faxed it back, my awesome partner Jen did the loan for the buyers and Darren did the appraisal. This is for my primary residence....yippee! We should close in a couple of weeks, one down, one more to go...

Directions: I have sooo many people asking me for directions. It's hilarious...It's happened in London, Dublin and now Amsterdam. I must not be threating and look like I know what I'm doing...ha! However, I was able to give directions in Dublin only bc I had just been to where they were asking.

Rollie Polie: Lindy's daughter couldn't remember my name, so it became Rollie Polie, like the bug. I liked it, thought it was cute! (Not sure how to spell it)

I loved riding the bike!!!! That was the best part! Like being free and having the wind in my hair and on my face...like being a kid, except I don't have the big orange flag on the back of my bike so cars could see me, (my dad made me have the flag for safety. Hated that flag, it wasn't cool). The bike was so much fun, as a tourist, if you rent a bike, they are bright yellow. Since I had Lindy's, (silver), I fit right in...

Coffee Shop: this is where the pot is sold. I didn't realize that until the day before I left. I was looking for Hash House or Get Ur Pot Here! or something, not Coffee Shop. I kept getting small wiffs of people smoking it but couldn't figure out where it was coming from. Since I don't drink coffee, it never occurred to me to go into a Coffee Shop. I would have liked to see what they are like, but oh well. That's not the reason I went to Amsterdam.

Two ladybugs landed on me.

Gaelic: Forgot to mention this about Ireland, Gaelic is their National Sport. It is a cross between rugby and soccer.

Van Gogh Musuem: I escorted Lindy to her eye doctor bc she was getting Lasix done, so while she was at her appt, I went to the Van Gogh Museum. It was very cool. However, I found that I liked to read the how and why behind each piece and who Van Gogh was rather than be able to appreciate the art itself. This probably stems from the fact that I have no knowledge of art. At the museum in Denver, I learned more about the pieces bc I would listen to patrons discussing it. That would give me a different perspective on the piece. However, in Amsterdam, most of the patrons spoke other languages, so I couldn't understand their conversations. So I popped in my IPOD and did my own tour. It was interesting and they had a really cool gift shop.

Smoking: I forgot to address this in Ireland. Ireland was the first country in Europe to ban smoking in bars/restaurants. England will implement that law come July 1, 2007. I didn't see many people in Amsterdam smoking, but I think it is still legal to smoke inside.

Last Night: My last night in Amsterdam I chose to hang out at a cafe/bar across from my hotel. I asked the girl next to me if she could read part of the menu to me. She and her boyfriend are neighbors of Todd and Lindy's and actually attended one of their block parties...small world. Mirjam and Marnix. They are both from Holland and gave me a great perspective of what the native Dutch are like. They invited me to join their dinner and we had a ball!!

Mirjam is a social worker that works w autistic children and Marnix buys and sells used books. They were very interesting! We drank beers and had dinner, it was fabulous, plus there was a HUGE rain storm, torrents of rain. We were originally out on the sidewalk, but had to come it. I loved it!! Thunder, lightning, the works...They are my age and we totally clicked. Marnix was telling me that Jerry Springer is one of the shows that is aired sometimes. I said, please don't think Americans are like that! That is such a BAD representation of the Americans...he put his palm towards me like a black woman and turned his head, "Talk to the hand!" I laughed my ass off!

I left the next day. But before I said goodbye to Todd and Lindy, I got to babysit for an hour. Took both kiddos in the stroller to the market. I was great. :)
Kissed the family goodbye and hopped in the cab to the airport.

Airport: I had to go through 3 passport checks, UNpack part of my luggage bc it was too heavy and carry some of it on w me. I had a new huge suitcase. Ditched the old ones. And 2 security xray machines... each gate has it's own security x-ray machine. EACH gate, D31, D32, D33 etc. Can you imagine how expensive that would be? Not to mention the employees to run it? Secure, yes.

I can blog from my blackberry!

I am at the Prague airport and they don't have any internet connections. I figured out how to access my blog and post a new one. This is a test to see if it really works. I have lots of cool things to say about Holland.

Living with the Dutch!

Hoe gaat het,
Hoe was you dag? Het park is tegenover het hotel.

Hello, How are you?
How was your day? There is a park across the street.

Yesterday, I did alot more than I set out to do. The night before Lindy sent me to the store for milk and cat litter. You have to bag your own groceries and again, buy what you are able to carry. Harder here to travel a bit, most everything is written in Dutch.

Bikes--Everyone rides bikes here in Holland, tons of them. Lindy lent me her bike to go downtown. Let me explain the bike situation. All of the bikes are sort of like a cruiser bike. Like the ones you see on the beach in California. They don't ride mountain bikes bc since it is mostly flat terrain, you don't really need all the gears and since people are riding so frequently, the cruisers allow your posture to be more upright, not so hunched over like a mountain bike. So comfort is better. The handle bars are very narrow, not much wider than my hips. I was intimiated at first to ride, bc there are TONS and traffic and pedestrians and trams etc. Plus, Lindy has longer legs and just lean over at the stop lights, I have to get off the seat to touch the ground. She had to remove the baby seat from the front of the handle bars in order for me to get off like that.

Downtown--I rode to Central Station where the tourist information booth is and sort of the central part of town. I cashed all of my travelers checks and had to pay 40 Euros commission to do so, (about $55). So, I went out of my way in the States to get travelers checks, no vendor will take them yet, and few banks. So I cashed them all, not too keen on carrying that much cash, but at least I am able to use it.

Train/Tram--Trains go from city to city, trams take you to destinations within the city. This wasn't clear to me until I tried to buy a ticket for the Train, instead of the Tram to get to the Anne Frank house. Appearently the information booth lady didn't think it important to tell me. Amsterdam looks very large on a city map, but really it is all very close. Had I known this I would have ridden the bike to Anne Franks bc it was just a few blocks away.

Anne Frank House--Anyway, I rode the tram, got there, went through the house. It was fantastic and very educational. It is the actual house where she lived along the canal. Her family of four and two other couples were in hidding for 2 years from the Nazi's. They had small video clips of the workers who worked the store front. Mr. Frank owned a store that made jam, which was the store front of the whole building. The Jews were hidden upstairs in the back, so from the front it looked like a store. All of the real estate here is sectioned into long, rectangles and are 3-4 stories high. Anyway, Mr. Frank was the only survivor after the liberation camps. One of his workers, Meib gave him all of Anne's diaries and he was the one who had them published. There was a video of him describing receiving those diaries and how long it took him to read through those. It was VERY touching and also VERY popular. There was a line to get into this, had to wait 30 minutes. The secret doorway was hidden behind a bookcase and the tour led you through that area. Anne Frank died one month prior to the liberation of the concentration camps, she knew her mother and sister were deceased and thought her father was too. Since the family was split up, no one knew for sure. Her friend thought she could have held on had she known her father was still alive. It was a very touching experience and I am glad I went.

Canal Tour--I went on a canal tour for an hour. This boat was mostly enclosed in glass w/ open windows, I actually should have ridden the Canal Bus, which allows you to get on and off at certain stops. I was roasting on the boat and couldn't really take pictures. If I have more time I will go back and take the Canal Bus. I got to see Gentleman's Canal, which is very pretty and narrow. Lots of bridges and water everywhere. Skinny Bridge is a famous bridge that can be opened for tall boats. It was funded by two sisters and ran short on materials during construction. They literally had the one last beam for the bridge when it was finished.

Architecture--Like I said, most buildings are 3-4 stories high and are build right next to eachother. There are large hooks that are attached to the top of the roof on the front of each building. A steel beam sticks out of the roof and attaches to this hook. This allows a pulley method to hoist large furniture to the upper stories and enters through the windows. In addition, as the building goes up, it also leans out a bit. Curved if you will from the street to the top. This is so the furniture has room to swing a bit and not break windows. Also allows for the rain to drain off and not seep into the building.

Opps--Then I was looking for a tour booth to sign up to go to the country. I couldn't find it and was riding around up and down streets. Next thing I know, I see SEX SHOP--LIVE PORN. Yep, right in the middle of the Red Light District. Parked my bike and walked around. It is not as obvious as I would have thought. Took me a second to realize where I was. The "windows" are lined up along the canal and the ladies stand in there dressed provacatively, dancing and gettin' jiggy with it! You are not allowed to take pictures of them, I didn't try but appearently that is a no-no. I had a beer and sat outside and watched the world go by. Being from Vegas, nothing is too shocking at this point. I am glad I was there during the day. I went into a souvenier shop. They sell souveniers alright, just not tee-shirts and key chains.

Bike Ride Home--At this point I am very confident on the bike and know where I am going. I was cruisin'!! I was passing people, pedaling fast and having a ball, that was the best part of my day!! I loved it! I thought to myself, "I can't believe I am in Holland on a bike!" I thought I should have had a bell on the bike so I can ring people out of my way...Don't they know this is a bike lane?! Tourists...I even made a cell phone call while pedaling like the locals do. Had a great time on the bike...

Today--Slept in VERY late. Went for a run along the canal and the park. Had a salad at a cute cafe. Shopped at the market for a new suitcase and gifts. Feel good and much more rested. I really like it here!

Must go, meeting Lindy for dinner and people keep peeking in the room to see if I am done on the computer. I am at a hotel now. Gives me more space to spread out and get out of their hair. Small apartment and plus they are moving and packing boxes. My hotel is right down the street.

Amsterdam!

So I was very sad to be leaving Ireland. I didn't feel like I had enough time there. I wanted to explore more of the west coast and wished I had lengthened my trip. But onto the next destination, Amsterdam!

However, before I left, I got the time mixed up and thought I had an extra hour to get to the airport. I was running late by an hour, my luggage broke for the last time, I had sort of fixed it after the first time. I was standing at a bus stop w/ both bags in the rain, waiting. And waiting. I had to call a taxi, he was there to pick me up in less than 2 minutes! He hauled ass to the airport, drove like the wind, I duct taped my bag and checked in. Made my flight! Only 1 hr 15 min flight to Amsterdam and 1 hour later for time change.

I will be getting rid of this luggage, (last time I buy something on sale from Sears), and downsizing my haul. I just can't carry this much. I have realized that 90% of what I brought with me, was what I "wanted" to bring, not what I "needed." It amazes me actually how little I really do "need"....so I will be re-evaluating that upon my stay in Amsterdam and maybe sending some things home.

The cab driver here also yelled and flipped off a woman, F bomb several times, said she was from the country where cows and grass are and have no business driving in the city. Must just be cab drivers in general.

I showed up at Lindy and Todd's yesterday afternoon. They have Amelie, who is 2 and half and sweet and active and looks like Lindy. Gabrian is the one year old, he is crawling and will be teething soon, adorable as well. I get to see what a stay-at-home mom handles and does on a daily basis. Lots of work! I admire their courage to live so far away from home, away from family and a life that is familiar and convenient. Having two children is hard no matter what, espcially in a foreign country. The family is happy and healthy....I am sleeping on the couch, they have converted a garage into an apartment w/ help from an architect. It looks great! They are selling it now and will be moving into a larger place shortly. They will have made quite a profit from this apartment. 2 bed, 1 bath, probably 800 sq ft. Everything is smaller in Europe...cars, homes, showers, refridgerators, streets...even popsicles.

Todd and Lindy are here bc they have been starting and developing a Christian church that is catered toward college students and young professionals. I have known Lindy since the first grade and we have remained quite close. They have been here for 5 years and will stay 2-4 years after this. Todd is the head Pastor and is working hard to build his staff and their vision.

Today I went to the outside market, all of the shops line the streets but also have tents that extend onto the street so it's more like a farmer's market. They have food, clothes, jewelry, souveniers etc. I tried to cash my traveler's checks at two different Dutch banks, no dice. I will have to try the airport.

Sat in the park and had lunch, reading a book about Holland. By the way, Netherlands and Holland is the same place. Big exports are tulips, cheese (Edam and Gouda), and they have several tourists coming here for the prostitution and legal drug laws. It creates a great source of revenue for the country. However, Lindy has told me the native Dutch aren't so keen on these industries, but they keep it legal bc of the income for the country.

Amsterdam so far is VERY clean, green and beautiful. The people look healthy and fit and tan, they ride bikes, (tons of bikes everywhere) or walk. Men and women alike look very healthy to me. It is also a very culturally rich country. Only 50% are native Dutch, the rest is a mix...European, Turkish, Morocaan, Engish etc. Reminds me of Vancouver bc it is so diverse.

All is well.

Heading West--Ireland (long blog)

I wanted to get out of the city and see some of the countryside and I am so glad I did! It is gorgeous. All the pictures you see in books of lush green fields and stone walls, sheep, cows... that is exactly what it looks like. The weather has been great, sunny and warmer here on the west coast.

Cab Ride--I took a taxi to the train station and my cab driver had a very thick Irish accent. He said the F word, everyother word. We almost ran over a pedestrian so he rolls down the window and yells a long slur to the guy, all I got out of it was "F word" and "corn flakes!" Not sure what they have to do w/ each other, but I guess if you're telling someone off in Ireland, corn flakes is part of it. Then we were talking about Amsterdam. Again, F word, giggle, pumping his fist in the air, F word, giggle, waiting for me to respond, "wow! cool!" I respond, having NO idea what he's talking about and I laugh bc he's laughing. I just went along w/ it....I could not understand him at all.

Train Ride--I arrived at the Dublin Heuston Train station at 6am. I had arranged to have a 2-day tour on the west coast. They had small internet booths so I got a quick blog in. The train left at 7 and there were several people lined up for these tours. However, I was the only one I guess for the 2-day. Most people were doing 1-day tours and coming back to Dublin that night. That's where things started to get hectic. We were like cattle and the Railtours outfit must herd us quickly onto the train before it left, but they wanted the approproiate groups to sit together. Then Nazi Leprachaun was very frustrated w/ me because I wasn't the "norm" as far as what group to be with so I didn't know which train car to get onto. Plus, I have ALL of my luggage with me. I guess most people leave their big bags at the hotel where they are staying and take an overnight bag to the coast. Since I checked out of my b&b and didn't have arrangements for my last night in Dublin, I had all my luggage.

So, I got on, pulled my luggage up and Sweet Guide(who was 100 yrs old) was trying to help me figure out where to sit. Meanwhile, unbeknownst to me, the bottom zipper of my big bag broke and all my shit is spilling out. Sweet Guide is putting away my bags and handing me my jar of vitamins, shampoo, cream rinse....I'm like thanks, thank you, thanks....one at a time things are coming out, he's handing them to me, my arms are full, other passengers getting on, Nazi Leprachaun yelling at me to sit down. The one single open seat, her boyfriend is coming back, next one, nope, taken...no one wanted me to sit w/ them and Nazi Leprachaun and Sweet Guide were closing in on me, I was in the middle of them. Finally, I took a seat, flustered. The train doesn't wait. You get on, or you're left behind.

I ended up sitting next to a retired couple from Las Vegas! Across the table was a really nice young couple from Tampa. We all sort of hung together for the rest of the day. I really liked all of them. So we had to catch another train and then get on a "coach" (bus). Now, Nazi Leprachaun has a job to do, I understand, he has to get all these people from point A to point B and return to the train station in order for them to catch their evening train. In spite of the chaos, I LOVED THE TRAIN!! I wished it were longer.

Bus Ride--We unloaded in Limerick onto the coach. I loaded my baggage into the compartment underneath, and I needed to book another night stay in Galway, my final destination. Somehow I was confused and thought the 2-day tour had 2 night stay as well....it didn't. So he loaded everyone on the bus, except me, I had to talk on his cell phone to his home office to confirm they could charge my credit card for the second night. I was holding up the entire bus for about 15 minutes standing outside, I don't know why we couldn't talk on the phone on the bus, but appearently not. Finally, I confirmed, loaded the bus, apologized to everyone and we left.

Limerick--120,000 people. The place where "Angela's Ashes" originated, the author is from there. River Shannon runs through Limerick, longest river in the Isles.

Bunratty Castle--Home to the O'Briens in the 1400's. We got to go inside, saw the drawbridge, staircases (very steep and narrow), large meeting room and other family rooms. The castle is furnished and has also been reconstructed a bit for preservation. The manor is also part of the tour, farm houses where the milking cows and humans would live together (under the same roof). Live pigs, peacocks, chickens, hens and roosters. Very cool tour. I really liked it. Also, the MURDER HOLE. That is the hole above the drawbridge where the family could drop rocks, boiling water, tar onto the heads of the invaders below. The O'Briens lived in the North side of the castle which is much colder than the South side. They did this bc they wanted their guests to have a good impression. Very hospitable. Our guide in the castle was great, funny, witty and informative. All of the big furniture has to be carried in piece by piece and assembled inside, since the hallways and staircases are so small. The O'Briens died out bc they didn't have a male heir to take over, so a weathly family took over and cared for the land.

Irish Coffee--was invented bc a boat from the River Shannon was sailing and the passengers were almost hypothermic since the heat died out. They came ashore and the bartender served it up....legend says. In the traveling book Natalie gave me, it says Irish Coffee was invented in the States and when coming to Ireland order a Hot Toddy, but when I DID order a Hot Toddy, the bartender didn't know what it was. So, I got a Hot Whiskey. As I learned last night, Hot Toddy is more of a Scottish drink, however very similar.

FAIRIES!!--We were told that Leprachauns are not real, but FAIRIES are very real. Fairies build fairy forts in Hawthorne Trees. When the road that we were traveling was being constructed, the workers refused to build through Hawthorne Trees. Hence the direction of the road was altered to avoid the Hawthorne Trees. We saw a wooden fence guarding this small area to preserve it. I liked it. :)

Economy of Ireland--According to Nazi Leprachaun, the biggest export Ireland is their people. Not rich in natural resources. They have educated the youth and are now highly sought for pharmaceuticals and information technology. However, they are paying themselves a bit too much and may be pricing themselves out of the market.

Cliffs of Moher--One of the most beautiful works of Mother Nature I have ever seen. Check it out online, hard to describe how wonderful it was.

Galway--Arrived in Galway, said goodbye to my new friends from the bus tour and checked into my hotel. Galway is actually a college town. Two large schools here. 60,000-70,000 people. Young, happening, has a lake and a cute park.

The Water--So I check into my hotel, request a room w/ a bathtub. I wanted a bath so badly! The water in Galway has been infected w/ animal feces so you can't drink it or brush your teeth. You CAN shower or bathe, but only drink bottled water. So I'm thinking do I wanna take a bath in that? I did anyway, still alive. Think I'm ok.

Last night was the first night I got to hear local, Irish music. It was great! Had a steamy bowl of soup and warm, brown bread. The bread here is FANTASTIC!!

Language--First, let me explain how I understand the different languages. The Irish, tend to round off their words and mumble through their sentences. The Scotts seemed to pronounce and finish their words. Kind of like Irish have lazy speech and Scotts are similar to the English w/ more proper pronounciation. The Scotts also roll their R's and accent the vowels. I noticed this bc I had a Scottsman on my left and an Irishman on my right. But, I do have an untrained ear as well. I feel very at home with these people. The Irish are EXTREMELY hospitable and hard working. They don't like those who don't work hard. They are also protective. The Irishmen...bartenders, cab drivers etc....have ALL told me where to go to be safe, where NOT to go, how to guard myself etc. I really appreciate that. I also listen to their advice.

Crime--This is interesting, upon arrival in Dublin, one of the first things I was told was about a woman being stabbed by a Polish immigrant. This was very big news bc I heard it from a couple of people. I thought to myself, that kind of thing happens all the time in the States. Unfortunate. Then, coming to the west coast, I was told about 2 rapes that occurred over a year ago. One of the perpetrators was Polish... Again, a very big deal here. And again I thought, this kind of thing happens alot in the States. What I have learned however, is that the police officers here, meaning Ireland, Scottland and England, don't carry guns. NONE of them unless they guard the Queen or work at the airports. I asked the Scottsman if he thought that deterred crime and he said yes. I told him all of our police carry guns and I think we have much more crime in the states. The crimes here are BIG BIG news.....

Scottland--The Scottsman probably wanted a muzzle for me, but I just kept asking questions. Scottland got it's first House of Parliament last month. What this means is they want to break away from England, it wouldn't be the United Kingdom, it would be England and Scottland. Scottland is much less populated than England, so when the English want to implement a new law or tax, they experiment on the Scotts. Example, 15 years ago, the English implemented a "Community Tax" for lack of better terms, for police, ambulances, roads etc. The tax was very, very high. The Scotts complained but paid it. Then, when it was enforced in England, HUGE riots broke out in Picadilly Circus and Trafalgar Square (I know where this is now bc I have been there)...so the English abolished the tax and gave the English citizens a rebate. However, they did not pay a rebate to the Scotts.

So, I drew a parallel that Quebec in Canada would like to be independent as well, but still have the same currency and benefits of all of Canada. According to my boyfriend, Ric, he has told me the westerners in Canada are quite resentful. Quebec wants to break away to become independent, buutttt not really. The Scotts would continue to use Pounds and then transition into the Euros. Scottsman also said historically, the Scotts were much more inclined to become allies w/ the French than the English. The Irish and Scotts alike DO NOT care for the English. At the pub I've overheard and I quote, "Ahhh, everyone hates the English. They think they're better than everybody."

What NOT To Say--I asked the Irish bartender if he says "Shiver-me-Timbers." He whipped around and looked me dead in the eye and said, "Holly---- I'm an Irishman, not a pirate. Arrhhh!!" I laughed and laughed. :)

I cancelled the second day of my tour and spent most of my day in bed. I still feel sick and stuffy. But walked into town for dinner and blog.