The GypsyNesters

Do Alligators Like Tabasco?

For a long time roads weren’t an option in South Louisiana. This was some wild country back in the day, not Bourbon Street wild, but wilderness wild. The incredibly wet, squishy ground made bayous the only reasonable routes for transportation and Bayou Teche was the Superhighway. Following The Teche, we set out to discover the real… CONTINUE READING >>

For a long time roads weren’t an option in South Louisiana. This was some wild country back in the day, not Bourbon Street wild, but wilderness wild.

The incredibly wet, squishy ground made boats the way to get around and bayous the only reasonable routes for transportation. Back then, Bayou Teche was the Superhighway.

Following The Teche, we set out to discover the real Acadiana.

Our odyssey began in Breaux Bridge, which gets its name from a footbridge across the bayou built by Firmin Breaux back in 1799.

The town, officially dubbed “The Crawfish Capital of the World” by the Louisiana legislature, is said to be the first place where mudbugs were ever offered on a menu, and the birthplace of Crawfish Étouffée. Well then, let’s eat!

We headed for Rocky and Lisa Sonnier’s Bayou Boudin & Cracklin, a real slice of Cajun culture on the banks of Bayou Teche.

The menu is flexible, depending on the time of day and day of the week, but there is always boudin, pronounced approximately boo-daah, and cracklins.

Traditional boudin is made with sausage casing and stuffed with a delicious mixture of pork, pork liver, onion, spices and rice.

This particular afternoon the Sonniers were serving up some seafood boudin alongside the standard variety. Crawfish, shrimp and crab are used in place of the pork products, and seeing as how we were in the capital and everything, well, what else could we order?

Good thing too, because there ain’t no better boudin, anywhere, anyhow, I guarantee. Big chunks of crawdad tail and shrimp stuffed into natural casing, a little hot sauce and a cold beer and ooooweee, it don’ git no better dan dat.

Since Rocky is known in these parts as the Cracklin King, we had to take a crack at a crackle too. Most people might call these pork rinds but that would be like calling The Queen Mary a boat. These are fresh fried and have a flavor no bagged pig skin could ever match.

Long live the king.

Rocky and Lisa also offer cabins overlooking Bayou Teche, for a real Cajun bed and breakfast experience.

I tell you what, nothing says good morning like a plate full of cracklins and a gator on your porch. As tempting as a stay in the “Fifties Cabin,” described in the brochure as the “Most modern with Elvis and decorations from the 50’s” sounded, we decided to move on.

Wait, what?

Did that say we actually get to stay with Elvis? So THAT’s where he’s been hiding.

Bellies filled, we headed south tracing The Teche through St. Martin Parish down into Iberia Parish. In the town of New Iberia, The Shadows-on-the-Teche is certainly worth a look.

This beautiful example of an antebellum mansion from the early 1830s is now a museum. Better yet, it’s right on the way to the promised land for pepper sauce lovers, Avery Island.

Every bottle of Tabasco sauce ever made came from this little island.

A massive salt dome, said to be the size of Mount Everest, lies just beneath the surface. The huge formation pushed this spot up above the surrounding swamp.

The deposits led to the island becoming the site of America’s first commercial salt mine. Turns out that this just so happens to be a perfect place to grow peppers too.

Prior to The Civil War, Edmund McIlhenny married into the Avery family, moved onto the island bearing their name, and started a life of salt and peppers.

After the war, he began experimenting with a sauce made from those peppers. It seems that he got the formula right, because untold millions of bottles have been sold in over 160 countries around the world.

The first thing we noticed upon arriving to the island was the smell. It simply reeks of Tabasco, which is not a bad thing as far as we’re concerned.

After a few minutes, we got used to it and didn’t even notice. Either that or our smell buds had been completely fried.

The tour through the factory was short and sweet. After a brief film, we all headed down a hallway with windows overlooking the shop floor. As we walked along, we observed every phase of Tabasco production.

We got to see the big barrels of mashed peppers being aged for the required three years.

Next we saw the liquid from that properly aged mixture being drained off and stirred into giant vats with vinegar and salt from the island’s own mines.

At the end of the hall, we watched while the final product was squirted into bottles, labeled and boxed up for shipping to the far corners of the globe.

A member of the McIlhenny family still personally oversees every aspect of the operation. The peppers are grown with seeds, chosen by a real live McIlhenny, from each season’s best plants.

Meticulously tended in their patches around the island until harvest time, the peppers are hand picked at the perfect point of redness.

Each pepper picker carries a “petite baton rouge” (small red stick) to match the exact McIlhenny-decried shade of crimson. This attention to detail continues throughout entire production process.

There is of course the obligatory crap shop at the end of the tour. Anything and everything Tabasco is available here.

The usual souvenir items, plus countless varieties of Tabasco sauces, condiments, canned goods and prepared foods.

Now we both like hot stuff as much as the next guy, but the gift shop had a few items that tested our limits. Not everything needs Tabasco.

Let’s just say that ice cream and soda pop aren’t improved by the addition of the hot sauce.

Sharing Avery Island with the Tabasco plant is a botanical garden and bird sanctuary, Jungle Gardens and Bird City. In the 1890s, just before taking over as President of Tabasco from his father, E.A. “Mr. Ned” McIlhenny started this refuge in an effort to save the snowy egrets.

These beautiful birds had been hunted to near extinction for their decorative plumes. From Mr. Ned’s initial eight birds, the colony has thrived and now thousands migrate here every spring.

These Jungle Gardens are lovingly landscaped with azaleas, Japanese camellias, Egyptian papyrus, bamboo and of course live oaks dripping with Spanish moss.

A shrine to an ancient Buddha, a gift to McIlhenny back in 1936, stands as the centerpiece of the “Jungle.” It really is a beautiful place and we had a fantastic afternoon.

Ah Southern springtime! Blue skies, colorful wild flowers, the kudzu coming in and the algae pond scum greening up so nicely.

Beautiful, and made even better by the fact that we didn’t get attacked by a single carnivorous swamp dweller.

For most visitors this should never be an issue, since they drive through the gardens in the safety of their cars, but we had the bright idea to ride our trusty bikes through the jungle.

The folks at the front gate gave us the green light, and it seemed like a great way to experience the landscape until we rounded a corner and found ourselves about ten feet away from a six foot alligator.

Yup, this is a nature preserve so there are no fences or cages. No motes or walls or any other barriers. The gators roam free to feed on any stray cyclists that might wander too close to the water.

No mention of this when purchasing a ticket. I guess they figured it doesn’t take too much brain power to understand that steering clear of large, sharp toothed swamp reptiles is a good idea.

Plus they did put up a few little signs around the watery spots that say: Alligators Are Dangerous.

Seems like plenty of precaution, if not for the fact that we had just come from the Tabasco tour and smelled like delicious sauce.

Do we know if anyone has ever been eaten?

In no mood to find out we gave the gators plenty of room, and enjoyed the rest of our ride without incident.

We even hung out with Buddha for a while. Very peaceful, Zen even.

Once the sun started getting low we headed back out to follow the bayou. Later we learned that alligators don’t really think of humans as a delicious dish.

No mention though, rather the smell of vinegar, peppers and salt might change their minds.

Do gators like Tabasco?

David & Veronica, GypsyNester.com

Savannah Squared

Savannah is like a box of chocolates, you never know what you’re gonna get. But the city is gorgeous and the pace slow, so it seemed like a perfect place to take a little bicycle tour. We did know that Forrest Gump waited for his bus somewhere… CONTINUE READING >>

Savannah is like a box of chocolates, you never know what you’re gonna get. Or at least we didn’t.

But the city is gorgeous and the pace slow, so it seemed like a perfect place to take a little bicycle tour.

We did know that Forrest Gump waited for his bus somewhere in Savannah, so that seemed like the perfect place to begin our explorations.

With a minimal amount of Googling we learned that the movie scenes on the bus bench were shot at Chippewa Square, one of the twenty-two historic squares that remain from the original twenty-four that the old city was laid out around.

All we had to do was follow Bull Street through a couple other squares until we found the statue of General James Oglethorpe.

We didn’t know we’d get a square that commemorates a whole lot more history than a Tom Hanks movie, even if it is a really good movie.

In fact, there’s no acknowledgment of the cinematic history made here whatsoever. No plaque, marker or sign, not even the park bench ol’ Forrest sat upon expounding his observations.

That bench was a fake, made of plastic and is now in a museum.

What we got was plenty of real life history memorialized. Laid out in 1815 and named in honor of American soldiers killed in the Battle of Chippawa in the War of 1812, Chippewa Square is presided over by the looming bronze statue of James Oglethorpe at its center.

(Note, for no apparent reason the different spellings of Chippewa are correct, box of chocolates, you never know, and so forth.)

General Oglethorpe founded Savannah, along with the whole colony of Georgia, when he landed on Yamacraw bluff, the site of the current City Hall, back on February 12, 1733. He laid out the city from that spot around four open squares.

Anticipating growth, places for additional squares were designed into the plan and sure enough, squares were added over the following years. By 1851, the city surrounded twenty-four squares, each with its own theme honoring people or events in Savannah’s history. Kind of like the squares in a box of… oh never mind.

So we had picked a good confection with this first stop, on to our next treat, Forsyth Park. Thirty acres of paths and gardens right smack dab in the middle of Savannah’s historic district.

The park and its famous fountain were designed to give a Parisian flair to the city. A Confederate Memorial Statue was added later, giving Forsyth more Southern charm than European flair, but hey, a box of chocolates can have bonbons and pecan clusters.

In the park we ran into, not literally, luckily, street artist extraordinaire , K.C., weaving palm fronds into flowers. Mesmerized, we had to stop and watch. Palms are a huge part of the decor and charm of the city, lining the boulevards and accenting the antebellum mansions.

Seeing he had an audience, our weaver worked wonders with the foliage, sprayed it with rose scent, and offered it to Veronica. To top of the experience, K.C. filled us in on the history of the roses he creates, while barely looking down at his fingertips as he worked.

We’d rate that right up there with finding a dark chocolate with caramel filling, our personal favorite.

As we worked our way down toward the waterfront, we passed block after block of ornate old homes, many, like the Wedding Cake Mansion, which are now available for events or even as vacation rentals.

Having a holiday in the historic district would no doubt be quite stylish, but not quite our cup of tea.

Plus we were getting too hungry for any more mansion gawking. To the waterfront – they must be cooking up some sea critters down there.

We rode till we hit water, and found that River Street is lined with eateries.

Fiddler’s Crab House caught our eyes, especially since they had “Lowcountry Boil” prominently scrawled on their outdoor chalkboard.

We were hooked, and felt even better when we were seated at a table with a nice river view and a big bucket in the center of the table.

Obviously they were prepared for us to toss mass quantities of expended exoskeletons into this tin pail.

We started out with the “Savannah Style” Crab Stew, as much to kill time until the boil arrived as to see what it was like.

Turned out to be very good, a lot like the She Crab Soup found in Carolina, but bring on the boil.

Ah, a gigantic steaming platter of shrimp, sausage, corn on the cob and Lowcountry potatoes arrived. In case that wasn’t enough, they threw in a side of slaw.

We think that this was actually meant for just one person, but we split it, and still could barely make it back to our bikes afterward. We didn’t even have room for a chocolate.

In lieu of calling an ambulance, we decided to work it off, so we left the bikes locked up and walked around the old, hard-on-the-butt-when-biking cobblestone streets along the waterfront.

These buildings, converted into restaurants, bars and crap shops, were the lifeblood of Savannah back when they were cotton warehouses.

Stair-stepped up the bluff with entrances on three levels, from the water level fronts on River Street up to the Bay Street entrances facing the city at the top. In between, a hidden alleyway known as Factor’s Walk is snuggly tucked in.

This is where cotton merchants, called factors, transacted their business in the days when cotton was king.

A series of stairways, bridges and catwalks access hidden doorways, connected by narrow streets paved with the ballast stones brought in by the trade ships coming in from Europe. In the 1800s, this was the Wall Street of cotton.

Click photos of Factor’s Walk to enlarge.

As cool as it looked by daylight, we just knew we had to see it in the dark, that left us with some time to kill.

We moseyed back down to the river, across the streetcar tracks, and onto the river walk for a view of the old time paddle wheelers, as well as the modern giant container ships, coming and going from this bustling port.

Along the walkway we found plenty of historical markers explaining the history of Savannah and the importance that the shipping industry has played.

As we walked, we came upon a giant globe, split in half. A closer look revealed “The World Apart,” a World War II memorial designed by Eric Meyerhoff, and dedicated just last year.

The split sphere represents the Pacific and European theaters of the war and honors Savannah’s World War II veterans, living and deceased.

One of those surviving heroes happened to be present with his daughter. They were looking for the donated brick with his name on it, and when they found it, we happily snapped a photo for them and thanked him for his service. No candy could be sweeter than that moment.

At the seaward end of the walk, another statue caught our attention. The tale is told that from 1887 to 1931 Florence Martus ran out to the shore and greeted every ship that entered the port of Savannah.

Theories as to why are as numerous as the citizens of Savannah, but for whatever reason, she became a local legend, and had the Liberty Ship SS Florence Martus named in her honor in 1943.

In 1971 Florence and her trusty collie were immortalized with this phenomenal statue, “The Waving Girl,” by Felix De Weldon, the sculptor of the iconic Iwo Jima flag planting scene at the Marine Corps Memorial in Arlington, Virginia.

Since the sun was sinking, it was time to fetch our bikes, put them away, and head back to the darkening alleys of Factor’s Walk.

With the old gaslights flickering and the moon rising, it felt like we might find a wayward pirate, confederate ghost or maybe Jack The Ripper around any corner. No wonder Savannah ghost tours are so popular!

But we steeled our spines and completed the length of the Walk, loving every minute of it.

Savannah really was like a box of chocolates, in that we never knew what we were gonna get. But everything we got turned out to be delectable. Not one yucky, pink gooey middle in the whole box.

And that’s all we have to say about that.

Click here for a photo gallery Factor’s Walk

David & Veronica, GypsyNester.com

Seeking Spain’s Hidden Gems Seville and Zaragoza

We think it’s time to start singing the praises of Spain and we found two cities that we have not visited before, Seville and Zaragoza. They may not be as well known as Barcelona or Madrid, but there are plenty of good reasons to visit both… CONTINUE READING >>

I was just thinking, dangerous I know, that people ask us all the time about which are our favorite places after all of our travels. It’s a tough question for us because we have loved so many that our answer seems to change with our mood. But when someone asked about Europe the other day we weren’t sure what to say.

We have been smitten with Italy for a long time, ever since I used to work there a lot back in the nineties, and France is big on our list now because our daughter and grandchildren live in Paris. But it just hit me that we seldom think of Spain. I don’t know why because we have been many times and always loved it.

So I think it’s time to fix that and start singing the praises of Spain. That got us looking and we found two cities that we have not visited before, Seville and Zaragoza. They are certainly not as well known as Barcelona or Madrid, but there are plenty of good reasons to visit both.

We are more familiar with Seville, because you know, the barber and all, so let’s start there. But before we get into our exploration, we need to find a place to stay. From our previous trips to Spain we know that ILUNION hotels are some of the best in the country, so the ILUNION Alcora Sevilla is our top pick. They, like all ILUNION properties, offer accessible rooms and welcome all pets and service animals so that everyone, including people with reduced mobility, can enjoy all of the comforts and services of this 4 star property.

Better yet, the fantastic rooms and amenities are included in special discount rates for Early Booking and Long Stays. So we can enjoy a beautiful room, gorgeous pools and gardens, and all the wonderful options without spending a fortune.

While we were making our plans we decided that early spring is the perfect time to go. The weather could not be better, and the orange blossoms are in bloom. Not only do we get to stroll through the over 40,000 orange trees, but we also have the magical aroma to surround us for our stay.

They make a perfect backdrop for visiting the Cathedral of Seville, which is one of, if not the, largest church in the world. We hear that it depends on how it is measured with volume being the key factor. And we definitely must see the palace Real Alcázar, not just for the awesome gardens and extravagant architecture, but to stand in the room where Christopher Columbus planned his journey to the Americas.

Then, just when the orange blossoms are fading, Semana Santa, or Holy Week, begins. This year it starts on March 27^th and Seville is known as one of the best places in Europe for experiencing the celebration leading up to Easter with floats, parades, and pageantry throughout the city.

Our timing couldn’t be better to continue our trek because Zaragoza also throws quite a celebration for Semana Santa, so we can check out both. Better yet, there is also the ILUNION Romareda in Zaragoza so our hotel needs are all taken care of. We hear that the breakfast is really something special and, as always, they are pet and family friendly.

Located near both the Romareda football stadium and the National Auditorium, this modern hotel has quick, easy access to the Delicias train station and is only a half an hour from the airport. But it is the more ancient attractions of the city that caught our attention.

Zaragoza was once a thriving Roman metropolis named for Emperor Augustus, and quite a bit of the ancient archaeological artifacts still remain. The Forum, Thermal Baths, and the Great Theater, all portray the history and grandeur of the city as it was during the Roman Empire.

About a thousand years later the Moors built the amazing Aljafería Palace, which we would more likely call a castle. At least that’s how it looks to us from the outside. Inside is another story. From the marble floors to the incredible details on the archways and ceilings, the entire residence shouts royal palace.

After our palatial explorations we should be needing a bite to eat. We don’t know why but all of that luxury makes us hungry. Good thing Zaragoza is well known for having plenty of great tapas bars. We hear that the best ones are in the old city, known as Casco Viejo.

Several excellent establishments offer classic bites, including Seafood tapas. Some have specials called a Tabla, which is a wooden plate of cheese and sausages served with a bottle of wine at a discount price. Sounds good to us.

Almost as good as discovering Seville and Zaragoza.

David & Veronica, GypsyNester.com

A Valentine Bouquet of Our Top Romantic Getaways

In honor of Valentine’s Day, here are our picks for places we feel are best for keeping the love flame burning. Sometimes there is nothing better for reigniting that spark than a romantic Getaway… CONTINUE READING >>

We are often asked, What is your favorite place that you have visited? The answer to that is complicated, because it has a habit of changing depending on our mood, memory, and where we have been most recently.

None of that matters for this collection though, since in honor of Valentine’s Day we will be confining our picks to places we feel are best for keeping the love flame burning. Sometimes there is nothing better for reigniting that spark than a romantic Getaway.

With that in mind, here are some ideas that stand out from over our last decade of globetrotting:

Paris:

Ok, we know this is somewhat clichéd, but there is just no arguing that The City of Light is one of the most romantic cities anywhere on earth. That said, we do have a few ideas you may not have heard about before such as a walk through the catacombs, a picnic and boat ride on the canals, a search for the weirdest artworks in the Louvre, or a climb to the top of the Arc de Triomphe.

Hawaii:

Most of Northern hemisphere is still pretty darn cold right now, so we could not leave out a tropical escape. Hawaii means beaches and fun in the sun, but how about adding to that heat by visiting, and even going inside of a live volcano?

Prague:

Wandering around the Czech capital feels like walking through the pages of a fairy tale storybook and much like those books, legends abound. Live them first-hand at the home of the Kings of Bohemia and Holy Roman Emperors the Prague Castle, or visit the enchanting Old Town Square and its magical Astronomical Clock. The chilling bone-filled Ossuary at Sedlec is a must see, as is the home to so many mysteries the Charles Bridge. After all of that, some legendary food awaits once upon any time.

New Orleans:

The Big Easy is always near the top of our list of favorite places for fun, food, festivals, and of course, romance. It is as close as we can think of to leaving the country without leaving the country.

Your own hometown:

Speaking of staying close to home, how about exploring the options right in your own backyard? There must be a restaurant you’ve been wanting to try, or a museum that has piqued your interest, or some nearby attraction that is just begging for a weekend getaway.

There is no better time than the present to give it a try and…

HAPPY VALENTINE’S DAY!

David & Veronica, GypsyNester.com

Mush Myth Busting: Dog Sledding in Montana

Oh what fun it is to ride in an eight dog open sled.

We wedged our way under a comfy, warm blanket and proceeded to have most of our preconceived notions about mushing destroyed… CONTINUE READING >>

Winter getaways don’t always need to be escapes to warm and sunny tropical locales, sometimes embracing the bracing weather can lead to an incredibly exhilarating adventure.

At Jeff Ulsamer’s Dog Sled Adventures in Olney, Montana we discovered a winter option that we knew we had to try… dog sledding. Oh what fun it is to ride in an eight dog open sled.

Poor little guy is pouting because he doesn't get to go this time — Poor little guy is pouting because he doesn’t get to go this time.

As we walked up to the lodge, over one hundred dogs were barking their brains out. To be exact, one hundred and twenty-four according to Jeff.

He explained that the barking was because the teams were being set up with the sleds, and the dogs that were not chosen to pull were pretty upset. They love their jobs! So we showered some of the unchosen with affection – they are incredibly friendly dogs – and readied ourselves for the run.

Getting ready to dog sled in Whitefish, Montana! — All warm and cozy and ready to dog sled!

We wedged our way into a comfy, warm sled and proceeded to have most of our preconceived notions about mushing destroyed. Without a word from our driver we were on our way and instantly all of the racket stopped.

We slid through the forest with surprising speed, and an even more surprising lack of sound. Turns out that the cracking whips, yelling of “mush,” and constant barking of the teams are just movie make-believe. In fact, we’ve never seen so much tail wagging in our lives!

In real life, the dogs respond to subtle signals from the driver. Most of these are made by shifting the sled, but a few are audible, including periodic “good dogs.”

The team also works on feel, knowing when the sled picks up speed down a hill, or to pull harder on the way up one.

For over an hour we glided through Stillwater State Forest with goofy grins pasted on our faces. It was impossible not to smile watching those eight huskies pull us along.

Asking about the dogs brought about another myth busting answer. They are not necessarily pure bred huskies.

They can be mixed husky, German shepherd, greyhound, and other breeds that mostly come from a line of rescue dogs that Jeff has been refining since 1979.

Through the years more dogs have been rescued, and the ones that have the right mix of temperament and desire to pull are added into the bloodline. Some might not have any husky in them at all.

In fact, perhaps Jeff’s most famous dog, Bowser (star of local parades, festivals, and fundraisers), is a Blue Tick Hound. Don’t tell him though, he thinks he’s just one of the guys and loves to pull a sled.

After the ride we warmed up by the fire with hot chocolate, fresh cookies, and some conversation with Jeff and the folks from the other sleds. Then it was time to say goodbye to the dogs and make way for the arriving next batch of riders.

As we pulled away, the barking told us that the team selection was underway, and rumor had it that Bowser was going to get to pull this time.

David & Veronica, GypsyNester.com

See all of our adventures in Montana!

Bilbao, the Bright Star of Spain’s Basque Country

With the Guggenheim, the Casco Viejo old quarter, and the Camino de Santiago to see, here’s hoping that our paths meet up at Bilboa, in Spain’s beautiful Basque Country…
CONTINUE READING >>

We have been to a whole lot of places in our empty nest Gypsynesters travels, but it is not very often that we decide to go back to the same place twice. The Basque Country in Spain might just be an exception to that pattern.

We visited the area on a walking tour several years ago and now we are thinking that it seems like we should go back to take a more in depth look. That is one of the cool things that we like about tours or cruises, we get to have a quick view of cool, new places and sometimes they are worth a return visit.

One thing we learned on our previous trip was that Bilboa is the heart of the Basque region, so we plan to make it our homebase. That means finding the right hotel, and for us it looks like the ILUNION Bilbao is a great fit.

They have everything we look for in a hotel, including a price that won’t break the bank. Spacious, modern rooms with all of the amenities, a gym, and plenty of parking, complete with chargers for electric vehicles, are all ready and waiting. They also have an on-sight restaurant serving fresh local dishes and our favorite, pintxos, which are the Basque version of tapas.

And don’t worry about issues with reduced mobility, ILUNION Hotels always have accessible rooms and are also pet friendly. This means your service animal, or even your family pet, are welcome to join in on your vacation. We recommend checking out both the ILUNION San Mamés and the ILUNION Bilbao Hotel locations in Bilboa to insure availability of the room that fits your needs best.

So now that we know where we are staying, let’s take a look at what we want to see in Bilboa.

Pretty much everyone seems to agree that the city’s premier attraction is the Guggenheim Museum. So who are we to disagree? Usually it is the artwork inside the museum that is the main attraction, but at the Guggenheim it is possible that the most impressive work of art could be the building itself.

Acclaimed architect Frank Gehry intentionally designed the spectacular structure to blend in with its surroundings along the Nervion River. He was most certainly successful, yet somehow the building still grabs your attention.

But that’s not all there is to pay attention to outside the Guggenheim, one of the most famous works in their collection, Puppy, by Jeff Koons, doesn’t get to go in the house because he might not fit. That’s right, this giant, flower covered West Highland terrier baby, known to the locals as the Flower Puppy, is over forty feet tall. There’s no way he’s fitting through any doggie door.

As for the art that is inside, like any world-class museum, the Guggenheim has several iconic works by masters such as Andy Warhol, Robert Rauschenberg, and Yves Klein. For us baby boomers, seeing Warhol’s classic One Hundred and Fifty Multicolored Marilyns was a huge thrill. Marilyn Monroe was a favorite subject for Warhol and this piece is just what the name describes.

Bilboa’s other big attraction is the Casco Viejo, the old quarter. As was very common for medieval cities, the town was originally built within protective walls. The old town has now become more of a shopping and entertainment district, with plenty of interesting restaurants mixed in along the ancient streets.

In the center of it stands the Basílica Catedral de Santiago, dedicated to Saint James because the northern branch of the Camino de Santiago runs right through the old town. If you are not familiar with the Camino, or Way of Saint James in English, it has been the route for millions of pilgrims from all across Europe, or actually the whole world, to travel to the Santiago de Compostela in Galicia, Spain.

The path is marked along the way with small symbols that look like a seashell to show the different paths that converge in Galicia.

Here’s hoping that our paths meet up in Bilboa, in Spain’s beautiful Basque Country.

David & Veronica, GypsyNester.com

Skiing Southern Style

Where in the world could we ski all day and make it back to the hotel in time to catch some rays by the pool? Only at America’s southernmost ski area… CONTINUE READING >>

The day was the kind that draws snowbirds to Arizona, warm, sunny and dry. The sort of mid-winter day just made for MessyWeekend. We could have spent it by a swimming pool, but we had a different idea… skiing.

No, not water, but snow. How could we do that on an eighty degree desert day? By driving the short stretch up Mount Lemmon to America’s southern most ski area, Ski Valley.

Even though the slopes are high enough in the Santa Catalina Mountains to get several feet of snow each year, the ski area only opens when conditions are right.

They don’t make snow, usually it is not cold enough, so Mother Nature has to provide the flakes.

Fortunately for us a big storm had just dumped about three feet of the white stuff up on the peaks a few days ago. So much fell that the road up to the ski valley had to be closed, but we, and a bunch of other enthusiasts from nearby Tucson, finally did get a chance to get to the fresh trails.

So we dug out our coats, hats, ski pants, and Mirrored Ski Goggles, and made our way up to the mountain.

The drive up Mount Lemmon was gorgeous, going from sizzling arid desert to frigid alpine winter wonderland in less than an hour. At the top, the views were nothing short of spectacular.

From this perch it seemed we could see hundreds of miles stretching out before us.

While that would have been worth the trip, Veronica could hardly wait to revisit her fear conquered skiing prowess. That is, until fate threw her a curve ball.

At 9,000 feet above sea level, it can be a little tough to breath.

Never having done too well with high altitude, before she could finish her first run down the bunny slope she was dizzy and seeing stars… in broad daylight. She decided that working the snow bunny angle, complete with a toddy by the fire, at the Iron Door lodge might be a better idea.

David, who grew up at over 8,000 feet high, didn’t seem to notice the altitude at all. He took directly to running down the slopes. It’s a small area, just one main lift and a half dozen trails, so he had covered the entire mountain in time to join Veronica back at the lodge for a late lunch.

The Iron Door takes its name from a legend that a stash of gold mined from the mountain was hidden by seventeenth century Jesuit missionaries somewhere in this vicinity. They supposedly buried it in an underground vault secured behind an iron door.

The treasure has never been found, but we did find some pretty good soup.

After our meal David took one more schuss down the slopes before we headed back down from the high country and returned to the summer-like climate below.

It was like passing through all of the seasons in one day.

David & Veronica, GypsyNester.com

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