I walked the 3 dogs to the beach. No leashes, no poop bags, this is Mexico,
For the past 5 days I have been pet sitting in a beautiful home in Puerto Penasco. This is the kind of home you just move into – fall in love with the dog, then the house and the lifestyle. I have enjoyed every minute here and it’s hard to believe that I got paid for the experience. Yup, pet sitting is awesome.
First you have to meet Kaiser – he is an adorable, loving and gentle German Shepherd. His hip hurts and he and I both take our time on the stairs. I usually put my hand on his hip as he struggles up the stairs. He patiently waits for me on the landing on the way down. I have fallen in love. No matter where I am, he is nearby and it is the most amazing feeling. When he’s bored, he comes over and gives me a nudge. He might just want a pat and a little scratch, sometimes we go outside and walk around the property, sometimes I refill his water bowl (he drinks about 2 litres a day) – he just needs a little reassurance that he is loved and cared for or – maybe he thinks that I do.
Kaiser was a rescue and he does get anxious sometimes. Neighbours have been shooting off fireworks and there was also a big display over the water this past weekend. I am not a fan of fireworks either. He gets as close as he can when this happens and his parents also give him a prescribed tincture of CBD oil.
Kaiser resting on the floor beside meKaiser chilling on the roof top patio while I barbeque
I am starting to think that I would enjoy fostering a dog when I am back in Toronto. Every house I have been in since September has had a dog or dogs and I find that I absolutely love being around them. I drew an angel card the other day that told me to find my spirit animal – I am pretty sure it’s dogs. They are so loving and loyal. I am going to miss Kaiser the most and I am hoping his Mom and Dad will keep me abreast of what he is up to.
I am so grateful for this delicious experience in Puerto Penasco, Mexico. This is what semi-retirement looks like.
This adventure of mine starts in Puerto Penasco – also known as Rocky Point, Mexico. It is a border town and located about 4 hours from Phoenix, Arizona, U.S.A. It is referred to as Phoenix’s beach. The town is full of people from Arizona. It is a desert situated on the shores of the Sea of Cortez. I guess that makes it an oasis. I remember learning about deserts and oases (had to google the plural form) in grade 4. I can actually picture my drawing of an oasis in my notebook.
I am here on a work exchange – room and board in exchange for helping with the family’s AirBnb business. I am responsible for some online editing and some property management. My exchange is with the sister of a close friend of mine in Canada.
I arrived here in mid November – the same weekend as the famous Rocky Point Bike Rally. During the rally the population almost doubles with over 10,000 bikes and 60,000 tourists I am told. My host and I were selling tequila with a friend of hers to raise money for a children’s charity. I made a few new friends and also heard lots of rock music. This is the beginning of the winter or off season. The water is cooling down and only the bravest are swimming now.
The weather is not hot but it is also not humid and the sun is bright and warms up the air every afternoon. The temperature is usually in the mid twenties in the afternoon and night lows around 10 celcius. There are small trees with bright and beautiful flowers but a lot of this town dusty, dirty and impoverished. It is the reality of a Mexican border town.
There a few very posh developments here with huge homes that are mostly owned by Americans. There are condominium developments too. I attended a brunch that was a fundraising event in one of those areas – about 75 mostly American women paying $20 USD for brunch and bidding on silent auction items and raffles to raise money for a women’s shelter in Puerto Penasco. One item went for over $600.
I am living in the old part of the town on a dusty unpaved road that leads to the beach. The street is about 1.5 kilometres long. I make this walk a few times a day often bringing the family dog, Cilantro. There are many dogs in every house and they come out to greet me as I walk – barking loudly and running towards me. Many, many Chihuahuas. Actually one of my new friends adopted a little one before returning to the states. Meet Lara.
Often Cilantro (the house dog where I am staying, will block the barking neighbour dogs from getting to me or distract them. He is such a sweet, quiet fellow – I love him. The only time I hear him bark is when a stranger is around the property at night and he also howls at the whistle of the train as it crosses through the town around 2a.m. every night. A- woooooooooo!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
There isn’t much to do here especially in the off-season. There are a few bars, many restaurants, an American legion and not much else. I don’t enjoy spending time in bars and I am not one to eat out that often. That is for both financial and health reasons. I heard there is a bingo game in a bar somewhere. (not interested in that either). I was thinking of volunteering to tutor English in the women’s shelter but now I am leaving early so I won’t be able to.
I’ve eaten out only a few times. This week I had the enormous Wednesday special at the German KaufeeHaus. It was very good – salad, ham steak on a bed of creamy sauerkraut, a German sausage and meatball with a big helping of mashed potatoes along with two thick slices of homemade rye bread twith sage in it. Too much food but the change I needed from Mexican cuisine and my own home cooking. The price was a very reasonable 165 pesos which is less than $10 in both US and Canadian currency. They have a huge breakfast menu as well with so many kinds of omelettes. It would take you an hour to choose one, I think.
Bryan’s Sports Bar is another popular place that has specials on different days and on Thursday there is a pasta special and a drink for $5 USD. I ate there on my first night in town. We arrived at 9pm and went directly to Bryan’s for a quick meal. I had linguine and shrimp in an Alfredo sauce. Yummmm. This is a shrimp town and shrimp is easy to find and will run you about 100 pesos for a half kilo. It’s fresh and big and absolutely delicious. I cooked some the first week I was here and promise to do that a few more times before I leave.
There are several big, luxurious hotels in town but I honestly have not been to any so I am not able to give an opinion. There are many AirBnb listings and I have been helping with 10 of them. I really can recommend the properties owned and operated by my hosts Rita and Tommy. They are clean and well kept and offer good value for your $$$. Check out the many options on AirBnb or on the website Welcome to Go2 Rocky Point or click here.
I’ve been in Puerta Penasco for over 2 weeks . It’s time for me to discover this town – figure out on my own how to get around and how to direct our guests in the AirBnb properties.
I’ve gone on several walks in a variety of directions (don’t ask how far I get) but I now have a much better sense of where I am and where many of the main streets are. I started driving this past weekend. In Mexico you can purchase a car insurance on your driver’s licence for $90 USD that gives you liability insurance on any vehicle that you drive.
Walking to town
This isn’t my first rodeo. I’ve worked and lived in Greece and Israel/Palestine. I’ve had to learn my way around Haifa, Jerusalem, Tel Aviv and the West Bank. Also in Greece in Athens, Pireaus, Aghios Nickolas and other places on the island of Crete. I often travel on my own with poor language skills. It’s an adventure that I truly love.
So now here I am in Mexico – in this small town of Puerta Penasco with a population of just over 60,000. Puerto Peñasco, also known as Rocky Point, is a Mexican fishing and resort city on the Sea of Cortez. It’s known for the dune-backed Sandy Beach and Bahía la Choya’s tidal pools. Neither of which I have seen yet. I am looking forward to whale and dolphin watching.
For the past week, I’ve walked to the beach about a kilometre from the house and from there a little to the left and the right along the sand. The rest of the time I have been in a vehicle with someone else driving and it’s really hard for me to get a sense of where we’re going. I have to go on my own and get lost a few times. I don’t have data on my mobile phone so I need to get directions for where I am going before I leave the house. I now have a little tourist map in my bag.
I walked the 3 dogs to the beach. No leashes, no poop bags, this is Mexico,
There are many companies across North America that pay a person to drive a vehicle long distances. There are thousands of snow birds in the north heading south for the winter. What’s a snow bird? A person (usually a senior) who wants out of the snow for a portion of the winter months. Canadians tend to head down south around the first of November and head back sometime in April. In Canada, we can only be out of our province for a maximum of 6 months to maintain our health insurance. I’m away for 4 months this trip which will leave another 2 months for later in the year.
The company I chose to drive for was Toronto Drive-Away. They’ve been around for a very long time and my brother has driven cars to Florida for them many times so I knew they were legitimate and dependable. Ken, John and Jean will treat you kindly, professionally and with a friendly respect. It took a week to receive my payment but when I called to follow up, I was told that there were 700 drivers to be paid. That tells me that this is thriving business. I had to pick up my car in Barrie and I was given a $250 bonus. It was not convenient to get there and took a lot of my day but in the end the extra money was awesome. I received a total of $650 for driving and was reimbursed for all the gas. I saved my receipts and had them scanned and sent off to the company the next day.
The car was great – a 2018 Honda CRV that had only 1500 kilometres on it and had only been off the lot for a week. That new car smell was still there! Mmmm. I memorized the licence plate number. I stayed in hotels for 2 nights. I had promised to drop the car off at a parking lot with shuttle service near the Fort Myers airport. It was so easy since the couple came on the shuttle and I took it back to the airport. The owner did a quick walk around inspection of the car as I had done when I picked it up. I had booked a flight on Southwest Airlines at 6pm. We exchanged the car at around noon. I was almost an hour late. I had given myself an hour to get to the airport (only a 17 minute journey according to google maps) but I got caught in traffic because of a horrific 3 car pile up. It was a mess!! One of them was a state trouper vehicle. You can read about it here.
Honda 2018 CRV that I drove to Florida
Florida Highway Patrol trooper, driver he was helping on I-75 hit in Lee crash
The drive took me 3 days. I tried to reach Athens, Georgia the first day but after 11 hours in the car, I was exhausted. I had driven through rain in Ontario and New York state and even a bit of snow in West Virginia. I left before dawn and it was not only dark but raining from Toronto to the Peace bridge at Buffalo. When you cross the bridge for Toronto Drive-away, you must follow the truck lane. The look of surprise on the Custom Officer’s face was hilarious. “Are you a commercial vehicle?” “Yes, I am bringing this car into the US,” I replied. “Ok, give me your papers.” I handed him the entire stack including my passport. The papers included the list of everything packed by the owners in the trunk, a copy of both their passports, copies of the car insurance and registration and the contract between me and the couple as well as a manifesto with a bar code. The whole process took me about 20 minutes. I had to park and go inside the building, hand my papers to another officer and wait for my name to be called. I was on my way very quickly. Easy peasy!
I started driving each day around 5am but I really don’t enjoy driving in the dark. I think in the future I will plan to stay over night in hotels and to drive only from dawn to dusk – 8 to 10 hours a day especially if I am the sole driver. I will go to sleep a bit later and get up and enjoy a relaxing cup of coffee and breakfast before hitting the road. The hours in the dark, I found myself driving under the speed limit with my shoulders tense as I managed the unfamiliar highways. The other problem, of course, is the blinding sun early in the morning.
However, the majority of my trip had clear roads, sunny skies, and no traffic delays. I love sirius radio – I found a channel with Beatles music, a 60’s channel, a 70’s channel, one called Bridge – singing at the top of my lungs with no critics or anyone to annoy – heaven!!!!!!!!!!!! When I reached the Florida state line, I stopped for a break, a free cup of grapefruit juice and a short conversation with a nice man who took my photo.
Florida welcome travel centre for a cup of free grapefruit juice and a moment in the warm air
I also have to mention the torrential rains just as I was exiting I-75 to Fort Myers. I couldn’t see anything and slowed my speed to 45 kilometres per hour – the other cars were doing the same but it was a frightening period as I took the first exit and pulled into the parking lot of a business. When it calmed down, I got back on I-75 to the exit for my hotel. I recommend using hotwire to get some amazing hotel deals at the last minute.
After checking in, I went to the nearest grocery store to get a few things for my dinner and breakfast and lunch the next day. Grocery stores are great for rotisserie chicken and premade vegetable and/or fruit salads. I added a mini baguette and a bottle of seltzer water to my fruits and vegetables and I had 3 healthy meals for less than $20.
This is a great way to travel but it’s not for the faint of heart. Put on your big girl pants and hit the open road! Tell me what you think!
My only full day in Athens, Georgia included a visit from the farrier. A farrier is a specialist in equine hoof care, including the trimming and balancing of horses’ hooves and the placing of shoes on their hooves, if necessary. I was fascinated at his work having never seen a horses hoof up close and had no idea what trimming or putting on horse shoes would entail. I was also fascinated and appalled at his running racist commentary – a view into southern, conservative America. Quite an education for me. It was election day in the USA and I didn’t remind him or encourage him to vote. Erev, my mentor in no way reflects this type of thinking – she is an amazing woman with the most generous spirit I have ever witnessed. She is a champion mounted archer. How cool is that!?!?!?!?!?
Erev on a galloping horse
I haven’t been on or even near horses since I was a teenager. I love horses and dogs and this new adventure has me surrounded by both. My host in Mexico has horses in Phoenix and in Puerta Penasco. I visited with Erev in Athens, Georgia for a few days on route to Mexico and we spent a half day with her horses.
SandraLaya on a horse after 40 or so years
First time with a bow and arrow
I spent a morning in Phoenix at the ranch observing Jorge training 3 of the 4 horses. Jorge is a volunteer from Spain staying in Phoenix for a while as he travels in the United States. He is a real horse whisperer and it was fascinating to watch him. He spoke gently in a soothing, soft voice to the horses. He continually explained to me what he was doing and why. It was mesmerizing to watch and a lesson for sure in patience.
Volunteer from Spain, Jorge training horse
Why all this talk and time with horses? Many of you may know that I am studying now to become a Kohenet, a Hebrew Priestess. This past spring my cohort and I were initiated and this summer we will be ordained. I am very excited about the whole process. Kohenet is a training program in spiritual leadership for women on a Jewish path. It is also a movement, a sisterhood, and a network of communities. It is creating a paradigm of earth-based, embodied, feminist, Judaism. I am now working with a Kohenet mentor who uses horses and archery to teach energy-work. The archery helps with my ability to concentrate and to focus. Horses are known for their incredible sensitivity.After a day in Phoenix my host drove me to Puerto Penasco in Mexico. It is a small fishing village located on the Sea of Cortes in Mexico. Commonly referred to by American visitors as Rocky Point, this small fishing town has blossomed into a popular modern day vacation destination. Rocky Point is a little over 60 miles from the USA border which makes the seaside city a popular drive to destination by visitors from the USA. It is here that I will be managing 10 AirBnb properties. Check it out.
I have been planning this trip for quite sometime now and it has just come to fruition. The dream was a winter out of the snow and somewhere near salt water, sand and sunshine. I am only semi-retired and not independently wealthy so there was a financial challenge to overcome. Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmm…..how to have it all????
I questioned my friends and acquaintances, scoured websites, and sent my prayers out to the Universe. I’ve been very intrigued with the concept of Workaway. Take a look at their website – so many opportunities around the world. In the end, I found an opportunity through a good friend of my mine with her sister in Mexico. For the next 4 months, I will be volunteering in Rocky Point, Mexico helping with their AirBnb business. Check it out here.
The first hurdle was to get there without spending a lot of money. Travelling across the USA for free. There had to be a way. I found it with Toronto Drive-Away Service. I applied online in September and heard back from them promptly. Early in October they gave me my assignment. I drove a brand new Honda CRV to Fort Myers, Florida for a couple of elderly snow birds.
It was a great adventure – driving across country on my own with the radio cranked high singing to the Beatles and a variety of 60’s music and other pop era’s. Yowza!!! This is not for the faint of heart. I hit every type of weather – lots of rain on and off, snow in West Virginia for a few kilometers, bright and blinding sunshine and then absolutely torrential rain on I-75 just a half hour from my hotel. It was terrifying as traffic slowed to nothing and no one could see. I quickly exited the highway and waited it out in a parking lot.
I drove 12 hours on day one and spent the night at the Holiday Inn Suites in Beckley, West Virginia that I easily booked on Hotwire and left a 5 star review on Yelp. I slept well and was up and on my way to Athens, Georgia very early the next morning. I arrived there 6 hours later. I spent a lovely day with my friend and mentor, left my luggage and drove another 12 hours to Fort Myers the next morning. Spent the night at the Hyatt Suites, met the couple (whose car I was) delivering at an airport shuttle office, took the shuttle over to Southwest’s Terminal and flew to Athens an hour and half later. Read my reviews of the Hyatt Suites and Southwest Airlines on Yelp.
Choosing what to pack and how to limit my luggage took lots of my brain power. I need warm clothes for the drive down and for my stay in March in Connecticut, boots and water shoes, clothes for being around the stables and clothes for fun, clothes for meeting clients………….I love my clothes. I had to limit myself to luggage I could manage solo and also the limitations of the airlines.
I know this is the time for me – time to get healthier, face my fears head on, ramp up the adventure meter and experience something new everyday. There’s no stopping me now.
I am so intrigued by all the opportunities to work online and to work away. I have been exploring these possibilities for quite a while now. I am so inspired by friends who have chosen to work abroad teaching and others who are house sitting, pet sitting, renting out their own places, doing home exchanges and more. I was fortunate to live in the Middle East for 2 years teaching English and writing grants for a few non-governmental organizations. I also had a chance to work on a project in Greece for 6 months. These opportunities were private ones that I found but if are considering house or pet sitting you might want to check out TrustedHousesitters.
Did you ever watch the film “The Holiday” with Cameron Diaz and Kate WInslett ? The lead characters advertise online for a house swap. Watch the trailer here. Maybe it will inspire the adventurer inside you? Check out HomeExchange.
My plan for retirement is to put these many ideas into practice. The list of possibilities is endless. I am hoping that we will continue to add to the list and share our successes and failures.
I have been teaching English as a second language online for a few years now. I really enjoy it and find it is quite simple and very satisfying. Many companies like the one I work for provide the entire lesson plan so that there is minimal preparation. I have been working as a supply teacher up to now and just this week began with ongoing classes. Previously (before retirement) my income from teaching was just a supplement to a regular salary but now I am more dependent on it. Here is a link to many online teaching jobs.
Need to rent out your home? There are countless ideas from AirBnB to countless Facebook groups and also SabbaticalHomes . You will probably find more on Craigslist and Kijiji as well. However, it is important to do your homework, that means research and asking questions. This is as complicated or even more complicated than online dating. Be careful, be smart, be diligent. I suggest asking friends for recommendations and using sites that offer ratings on both the traveller and the advertiser.
It is a good idea to join groups of travellers which you will find on Facebook and other social media platforms.
The ideas are only limited to your imagination. Dare to dream. Where would go? What have you done?
editor’s note: We are not endorsing any of the mentioned websites. These are simply ideas to get you started.
After an outstanding shopping experience at Toronto’s St. Lawrence Market, it is time to make the best use of all that fresh and delicious food.
Heading out to the St. Lawrence Market in Toronto
Shopping in the market is really part of my staycation mentality. I love shopping in markets around the world and cooking my own food at home. The St. Lawrence is the best of what Toronto has to offer and it is really well priced. I bought all my groceries there this week. The lemons and avocados are huge – 2 avocados for $3 compares to a whole bag of those little one at a discount market. The same goes for lemons – 4 times the size of the ones in the grocery store.
It was all about the lunch yesterday. I treated myself to 15 fresh oysters – they were $1 each and an extra 25 cents to have them shucked. I was literally in heaven………….savouring every delicious bite.This is living life large. I don’t need an expensive restaurant – just amazing fresh food. Eating it right there in the market transported me to a picnic table at the wharf in Pt. du Chene, N.B.
I used my Uber account for the first time to get home with all my loot. My grocery cart filled to capacity. The trip was $13 – from downtown to the beaches – usually pay $10 with tip to get home from my local supermarket so this really isn’t a big difference. Kudos to Uber. They are really doing it right. The drivers are interesting, vehicles are clean and this really feels like the sharing economy. This has been a tough decision for me. I drove a taxi part time for 5 years in the early 90’s to supplement my income as a single parent.
For me the secret to healthy eating is being prepared. A kitchen filled with healthy options. Each week I make my own hummus. Today’s batch turned out better than ever and I thought it might be the perfect time to share the recipe.
Hummus Recipe
I soak 1 cup of dried chickpeas over night. Usually I do 2 cups at a time so I have chick peas to cook with during the week or to whip up another hummus batch mid-week. In the morning I cover the chick peas with water and boil for at least an hour. Rinse and cool the chick peas.
Now put the chick peas in your food processor. If you don’t have a food processor, you can use your blender but usually need more liquid.
Add 1 tsp salt, 1 heaping tbsp cumin, ¼ cup apple cider vinegar (or lemon juice), ½ cup water, 1 clove garlic (or 1 tsp. Garlic powder), 2 tbsp tahini. I often add fresh or dried parsley and sometimes a sprinkle of red chili flakes.
Blend until smooth. Delicious!
This week I made a batch of Spinach and Basil pesto. I pour it into an ice cube tray and freeze so that I can use only a few cubes as needed over the next several weeks. It is great with soba noodles, or any wheat pasta, over fava beans or chick peas, and my favourite is mixed with spaghetti squash! I got this recipe over 20 years ago from my sister and she got it from the Moosewood cookbook. I lost the recipe years and this is how I make it.
Spinach Basil Pesto Recipe
1 large bunch of fresh spinach
1 bunch of fresh basil
¼ cup olive oil
¼ cup parmesan cheese (optional). I am not eating dairy these days so I sprinkle nutritional yeast when I am eating it. I haven’t tried putting it in and then freezing.
¼ cup sunflower seeds (substitute pine nuts or walnuts). I always use sunflower seeds.
1 tsp salt
1 clove garlic
Everything goes into the food processor until it is liquid. Then I pour into an ice-cube tray, slip into a plastic bag and into the freezer.
When it is frozen, I break it into individual cubes and put into the plastic bag. This is so yummy and so easy.
Black Bean Dip
I also make this is in my food processor. I like to make everything the same day to cut down on clean up.0
1 cup dried black beans. Soak the bean overnight and cover with water and simmer for an hour.
Add the beans to food processor
1 tsp salt
1 lemon (juice only)
2 tbsp olive oil
1 clove garlic
Few sprigs of cilantro
I like this thick so I don’t blend for too long. This is good as a dip or made into patties and baked or fried.
Being back in Greece feels so comfortable….of course, I don’t speak Greek and of course, I still have no sense of directions….I can walk 1 km and have no idea how to get back but I don’t care……always possible to find a solution somehow. There are so many things that are different here – the little elevators that hold a piece of luggage and 2 people maximum, turning on the hot water 20 minutes before a shower, metal shutters over the doors and windows that always challenge me to operate. The apartment where I have been staying in Athens has been completely renovated and the shutters work off a remote control. Best of all I love hanging my laudry outside on the clothesline and bringing them in smelling of the hot sun. It is a smell so delicious that I cannot stop breathing in the intoxicating fragrance. In Toronto, I have a rack that I put out on my balcony hoping that my building manager won’t knock on the door and tell me to remove it. It isn’t the same though. I think there is a special scent from the Mediterranean sun.
My beautiful apartment in Athens, Greeece
Today I had lunch in a restaurant in Illiopoli. I ate there once before and I remembered that the food is like home- cooked Greek fare. Today I had Pastitsio with a half order of steamed Swiss Chard. Pistitsia is a noodle dish cooked in a tomato meat sauce and covered in a Bechemel.
Pastitsio and greens
I am writing now on board a ginormous ferry that will take me from Pireaus to Heraklion on the island of Crete. There I will cross the street and board a bus that will take me to Aghios Nikolas where I will catch a taxi to the Dulac Hotel. At this moment I am drinking my first Mythos beer – a cold mug of draught and it is delicious. At least it is in Greece. I lived at the Dulac for 5 weeks in 2011. When they asked me what I did, I said I was very lucky to be able to do my work on the internet. It was somewhat true. Later when they learned what I was really doing in Crete (see previous blog), they were very supportive of our project – The Canadian Boat to Gaza – to break the illegal siege on Gaza.
Accommodations on board the ferry
The past 2 days I traveled 700 kilometres to the north with my wonderful friends Anna Stamou and her equally wonderful husband Naim Elghandour. Anna is a candidate in the European Elections which are this week. She is running for the Eco Green party. She wears a hijab, is a true Feminist and believes that women must be involved politically to make changes. She is so intelligent, so caring and never stops working for change. I know that I would not have been as successful with the preparations for the Canadian Boat to Gaza without their help. We went to Xanthi to speak with women and men about the upcoming elections. Xanthi has a Muslim community that has been there for centuries. Until only recently, this Muslim minority was not able to obtain building permits to renovate their home or to build new homes. They worked as farm labourers. The women I met I had been educated in Turkey – sent to boarding school at 12 years of age because of the prejudice that surrounded them from the other Greek communities. Today they are stronger and the laws have changed to allow all Greeks to own their homes and renovate them. Today their children are educated in Xanthi and mothers and children do not have to cry at night because they are separated. Meeting the women of Xanthi was wonderful. We went to the center square where like all Greek communities, people of all ages gather in the evening. One of the women is an English teacher and she speaks English very well. She and her husband met while they were students in Turkey. Now they have 2 adorable children – a girl 3 and a boy 1 ½. She invited us to her home that night for a late dinner and an informal conversation with several women. Dinner was delicious- cucumber and tomato salad, lentil soup, fried potatoes, small meat patties and a traditional pastry – filo dough filled with potatoes and rice.
The wonderful women of Xanthi.
The trip was long traveling 7 hours each day but it was such a rewarding experience. I got to spend some quality time with my friends Anna and Naim and I have made some wonderful new friends in Xanthi.
setting up the booth in northern Greece for the Anna Stamou, Eco Green party. European Elections in Greece are May 25, 2014
The past few days in Provence can only be described as delicious……………delicious scenery, delicious food, delicious smells from roses, lavender, orange blossoms, jasmine and the burning leaves. That is an awesome memory smell for me – burning leaves and branches from the olive trees – for me that is the smell of Palestine and it evokes some of the best life memories. The sun is so bright and the past few days the sky has often been cloudless.
We visited a huge Friday market in Valbonne where they sell clothing (mostly Italian), soaps, pottery, linens, herbs and some vegetables and fruits. I bought an Arnica cream(Baume a l’Arnica pour les Articulations Douloureauses) that is effective on aches and pains – great for my creaky knee. I also bought some lavender soap and some mountain honey (Miel de Montagne).
Greta is an awesome tour guide and has made sure that I get to see everything. She has taken amazing care of me. Hmmmm…..how can I possibly say thank you enough?!?!?!?
I took a leisurely walk through the village of Bar Sur Loup – there is not much there but it is just so picturesque.
Today we had lunch at a neighbour’s home. This villa is exquisite and I could not do it justice with my words but it was exactly how I would imagine my dream home………pictures of ships and beach scenes, African art and furniture, beachy, breezy, and comfortable. The table set outside was just beautiful and the food and wine….ahhhh….delicious and abundant.
In true Provencal style we ate and ate and ate….and then ate some more. The starters were tomatoes and cheese on toothpicks with a salad of cucumber and creamy cheese similar to sour cream. Everything made with fresh herbs from Greta’s herb garden. We had garlic bread hot from the oven, bread with green olives, and another baguette. Then came the main course….I thought we had it…..forgetting the multitude of courses. We had a delicious Italian pasta covered in olive oil, basil and parmesan cheese. We then grated more parmesan over it. Next was a platter of cheeses and a salad of mixed leaves. Wine and more wine…………. and then dessert which was a beautiful platter with a variety of pastries. We were almost too full to walk home and naps were all we could manage.
The wonderful women of Xanthi.
i
Sixty in the City 