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Going for a little walk

Today's pictures

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JP, I was reviewing your pictures to date and on this one, taken 5/16/18 I think there is a drone in the image. I would imagine this walk would be a drone photographers dream. Do you recall seeing drones along the way? (Either that or a really big insect!) Here is the original and a blow up.

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It's the flying censer! Rope must have come loose, and the sextons are scattered all over the province!
 
No sextons please weโ€™re British :smile:

it may be though I certainly didnโ€™t see any and really canโ€™t imagine a peregrino carrying one.

that said more than once we saw people (and at least once) a van of video companies or individuals making some kind of video production. Obviously could also be the pope making sure no one was cheating:jester:
 
Well if you keep listening Iโ€™ll keep talking. An easy day today- I really love Barcelona. It is vibrant and interesting. Twice we have been here and still not made it to the cathedral to see Gaudiโ€™s work- maybe next time. Basil will post just a few pics but there is so much to see! Btw anyone know what those odd shaped trees are?

had breakfast in a small place- have I mentioned the orange juice? So amazing you watch the machine cut and squeeze the oranges. We watched a big truck try to pass a smaller illegally parked truck- he almost made it but at the very last second knocked off the โ€œdo not enter โ€œ sign (it was a narrow one way street) he never noticed but kept going. At this point the cops walked up. Needless to say the other guy moved his truck quickly. Cop has a thing about the size of an iPad mini - starts typing and by the time we got back at 3:30 the sign was fixed.

huge yachts at the harbour- google mega yacht nirvana - was there- only 900,000 euros per week plus expenses in low season!

one of the things I really love about Spain is a deliberate inefficiency- every street has a supermarket the size of a 7-11 and bars seat 30. Tori went to the pharmacy (every pharmacy in the country is marked with a green cross very convenient). It is smaller than a convenience store but has everything you need. She needed nail polish- there were only 20 colours but all she needed.

I passed a carpentry shop - maybe 15 ft wide by 25 long- a garage that had room for three cars- and everyone is busy and talking- it is lovely!

tomorrow the cruise and hopefully wifi in Italy- over and out
 
Quick update- so close and yet so far. In Villefranche- about 5 km from Nice in one direction and Monaco in the other - Grand Prix weekend. Not going because you canโ€™t get near anything. Besides F1 does nothing for me.

a beautiful city! Having to adjust to poor French instead of awful Spanish. Much money though as evidenced by the two car s being stored. No prizes for guessing which one I covet though:smile:

just time for a cold beer and back to the boat- cheers all!
 
Not sure what those trees are, but they're pregnant.
 
Hello JP

Great adventure. Thanks for taking us along with you. Have really enjoyed following along.

Made me take another look at doing the Camino.

David
 
I enjoyed your adventure almost as much as I enjoyed my wife and daughter's trip to Spain and the Basque country last summer. And you didn't get a speeding ticket. There is much to like about Spain and many fine products. My wife bought a pair of nail scissors that blew away the two mediocre pair I bought here seeking a decent nail scissors. Now if we could only get the US government to lift the ban on importing Serrano and Iberico ham (except to licensed importers) that would be nice.
 
Glad people are enjoying it. Today is Florence- first impression is that I prefer Spain. Beautiful cathedral but crazy crowds and seems shabbier than Barcelona. Just checking in before we get down to it so impressions can change
 
Glad people are enjoying it. Today is Florence- first impression is that I prefer Spain. Beautiful cathedral but crazy crowds and seems shabbier than Barcelona. Just checking in before we get down to it so impressions can change

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It's been over a week since we heard from JP. He mentioned in a PM that he would be home, I think around the 8th of Jun so he's probably busy traveling back. Check in when you can, JP.
 
Love the juxtaposition of mega-yachts and a Lamborghini, together with the humble(?) Vespa - while on a walk to contemplate the fundamentals of life.

I have been enjoying every post and picture - thank you, and safe and smooth travels!
 
Well the cruise is finished. Sitting in the Barcelona Airport for the next few hours waiting to fly to Paris and then home tomorrow. It has been almost seven weeks- I think the longest we have ever been away from home. Yesterday it rained- prior to this we had had 40 minutes of rain and about the same of hail and a day of ice pellets the whole trip! Amazing.

not a lot of pics as Mrs JP took most- will post some later.

finished with Florence and the next day Rome. We got โ€œfront of the line โ€œ tickets for the Vatican museum- wouldnโ€™t exactly call this a mistake but the place was beyond packed and no AC and not much option but to go with the flow- saw the Cistine Chapel though which was beautiful though not what I expected. We also saw St Peterโ€™s basilica which was lovely. Met a friend at the Trevi fountain and had lunch. Rome while beautiful was big hot and about 90 minutes from the cruise port.

next a much needed day at sea followed by Venice. Venice is amazing! Again different from what I imagined and while crowded you can easily loose yourself in the lane ways. We really liked it a lot.

next was Ravenna- which we expected little of. turns out to be a UNESCO world Heritage site. The most amazing mosaics from the 6th century- absolutely stunning- and quiet. It was Sunday so lots of Italians out with family and just our ship. It was great- also had a short walk on a gorgeous beach next to the port.

final stop was Kotor in Montenegro. The last pictures are from there. First up a fjord to get there and then a small walled town with narrow streets and small squares. We didnโ€™t do much more than look around and have a beer. Funny to think of this as part of Czech Republic- I was not expecting so much beauty. OTOH we did see a few abandoned submarine bunkers as we pulled out to sea.

last two days were at sea. Very nice and restful. I must say they just keep cutting corners though as they keep building new ships but the prices really havenโ€™t changed. That said it was a nice time and the chance to see places I had always wanted to.

not much else to report-โ€˜will try for a few more pics when we get home but am pretty much done. Thanks for watching all!

:cheers:
 
First (obviously I hope) is Venice- the rest are all Kotor.

in Paris now at a hipster hotel (small hi tech room- but the shower in the bedroom is the giveaway) :grin:
 
So here is an interesting development. Got to the airport for our flight only to discover that they had sent a plane that was too small. So they peeled off the Toronto and Montreal and Newark travellers and put us on the next flight. This means we will miss our connection. And so will spend the night in Iceland. Hoping to get to the blue lagoon- we will see. This is WOW airlines- air Icelandโ€™s subsidiary. Hoping compensation will defray some expenses.
 
Good luck getting home. Hope WOW takes care of you - Iceland could be fun. Just watch the fermented shark and similar "delicacies". (Who on the forum visited Iceland a while back ... I recall a great thread on the interesting culinary delights encountered.)

I personally like WOW - their fares allow us to do things like go to my grandmother's 99th birthday in Berlin last December. (And, fingers crossed, maybe her 100th this year??)
 
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