tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-45620317766457588662024-03-16T00:30:30.906-04:00"Gypsy Rubber Tramps!"Hurricane Empresshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13390608568372223437noreply@blogger.comBlogger192125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4562031776645758866.post-25398644698595934452024-03-16T00:30:00.000-04:002024-03-16T00:30:00.150-04:00Torremolinos, Ardales, Tarifa & Malaga đȘđž<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="366" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/eu6rJWUgFas" width="480" youtube-src-id="eu6rJWUgFas"></iframe></div><p><span style="background-color: #7f6000; color: #fff2cc; font-family: trebuchet; font-size: x-large;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;">We had a great trip to Torremolinos with the Mortonâs. We stayed at a great apartment that had everything we needed and a view of the Mediterranean Sea. It is more of a resort area and has a different vibe than the pueblos we stay in. We like the views of the sea and if you love the beach then it is a perfect place to see.</span></span></p><p class="p2" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 29px;"><span style="background-color: #7f6000; color: #fff2cc; font-family: trebuchet; font-size: x-large;"><span class="s1"></span><br /></span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1" style="background-color: #7f6000;"><span style="color: #fff2cc; font-family: trebuchet; font-size: x-large;">When I was growing up it was a place that we went to regularly so I have memories there of the area. My mom still loves to go there for lunch and a walk by the beach. During the summer it is filled with tourists but this was November and not many people there. </span></span></p><p class="p2" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 29px;"><span style="background-color: #7f6000; color: #fff2cc; font-family: trebuchet; font-size: x-large;"><span class="s1"></span><br /></span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1" style="background-color: #7f6000;"><span style="color: #fff2cc; font-family: trebuchet; font-size: x-large;">Itâs located near enough for day trips to Malaga, Ardales & Tarifa which are definitely highlights of Southern Spain. There are many more but these are the ones mentioned in this video. </span></span></p><p class="p2" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 29px;"><span style="background-color: #7f6000; color: #fff2cc; font-family: trebuchet; font-size: x-large;"><span class="s1"></span><br /></span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1" style="background-color: #7f6000;"><span style="color: #fff2cc; font-family: trebuchet; font-size: x-large;">We took a bus from Marbella to get there. If you fly in to Malaga then you could take a bus or taxi.</span></span></p><p class="p2" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 29px;"><span style="background-color: #7f6000; color: #fff2cc; font-family: trebuchet; font-size: x-large;"><span class="s1"></span><br /></span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1" style="background-color: #7f6000;"><span style="color: #fff2cc; font-family: trebuchet; font-size: x-large;">Cafe for breakfast in Torremolinos: <a href="https://maps.app.goo.gl/6gu3cwWRN6uSNTQr8?g_st=ic">https://maps.app.goo.gl/6gu3cwWRN6uSNTQr8?g_st=ic</a></span></span></p><p class="p2" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 29px;"><span style="background-color: #7f6000; color: #fff2cc; font-family: trebuchet; font-size: x-large;"><span class="s1"></span><br /></span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1" style="background-color: #7f6000;"><span style="color: #fff2cc; font-family: trebuchet; font-size: x-large;">Restaurant on beach in Torremolinos where we enjoy eating: <a href="https://maps.app.goo.gl/2xUa9qNFhkvszwT49?g_st=ic">https://maps.app.goo.gl/2xUa9qNFhkvszwT49?g_st=ic</a></span></span></p><p class="p2" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 29px;"><span style="background-color: #7f6000; color: #fff2cc; font-family: trebuchet; font-size: x-large;"><span class="s1"></span><br /></span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1" style="background-color: #7f6000;"><span style="color: #fff2cc; font-family: trebuchet; font-size: x-large;">Historic steps in Torremolinos<a href="https://maps.app.goo.gl/QUYMREi3chQb7wPw6?g_st=ic"> </a></span></span></p><p class="p2" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 29px;"><span style="background-color: #7f6000; color: #fff2cc; font-family: trebuchet; font-size: x-large;"><span class="s1"></span><br /></span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1" style="background-color: #7f6000;"><span style="color: #fff2cc; font-family: trebuchet; font-size: x-large;">Restaurante La Pescaderia in Tarifa: <a href="https://maps.app.goo.gl/4xtz6ZaZk8vQ9dEA8?g_st=ic">https://maps.app.goo.gl/4xtz6ZaZk8vQ9dEA8?g_st=ic</a></span></span></p><p class="p2" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 29px;"><span style="background-color: #7f6000; color: #fff2cc; font-family: trebuchet; font-size: x-large;"><span class="s1"></span><br /></span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1" style="background-color: #7f6000;"><span style="color: #fff2cc; font-family: trebuchet; font-size: x-large;">View of the coast of Africa and walking area where one side is the Mediterranean and the other side is the Atlantic-great picture area: <a href="https://maps.app.goo.gl/mzrM4vQyubz59KGT8?g_st=ic">https://maps.app.goo.gl/mzrM4vQyubz59KGT8?g_st=ic</a></span></span></p><p class="p2" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 29px;"><span style="background-color: #7f6000; color: #fff2cc; font-family: trebuchet; font-size: x-large;"><span class="s1"></span><br /></span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1" style="background-color: #7f6000;"><span style="color: #fff2cc; font-family: trebuchet; font-size: x-large;">Our favorite cafe in Tarifa: <a href="https://maps.app.goo.gl/dEcroAwXd94Q5FWZ9?g_st=ic">https://maps.app.goo.gl/dEcroAwXd94Q5FWZ9?g_st=ic</a></span></span></p><p class="p2" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 29px;"><span style="background-color: #7f6000; color: #fff2cc; font-family: trebuchet; font-size: x-large;"><span class="s1"></span><br /></span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1" style="background-color: #7f6000;"><span style="color: #fff2cc; font-family: trebuchet; font-size: x-large;">El Kiosko Restaurant in Ardales: <a href="https://maps.app.goo.gl/QtP5DSvACewkWpMk7?g_st=ic">https://maps.app.goo.gl/QtP5DSvACewkWpMk7?g_st=ic</a></span></span></p><p class="p2" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 29px;"><span style="background-color: #7f6000; color: #fff2cc; font-family: trebuchet; font-size: x-large;"><span class="s1"></span><br /></span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1" style="background-color: #7f6000;"><span style="color: #fff2cc; font-family: trebuchet; font-size: x-large;">Roman amphitheater: <a href="https://maps.app.goo.gl/bXcydx7ZqStKa7zQ7?g_st=ic">https://maps.app.goo.gl/bXcydx7ZqStKa7zQ7?g_st=ic</a></span></span></p><p class="p2" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 29px;"><span style="background-color: #7f6000; color: #fff2cc; font-family: trebuchet; font-size: x-large;"><span class="s1"></span><br /></span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1" style="background-color: #7f6000;"><span style="color: #fff2cc; font-family: trebuchet; font-size: x-large;">Medieval Moorish Palace: <a href="https://maps.app.goo.gl/bXcydx7ZqStKa7zQ7?g_st=ic">https://maps.app.goo.gl/bXcydx7ZqStKa7zQ7?g_st=ic</a></span></span></p><p class="p2" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 29px;"><span style="background-color: #7f6000; color: #fff2cc; font-family: trebuchet; font-size: x-large;"><span class="s1"></span><br /></span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1" style="background-color: #7f6000;"><span style="color: #fff2cc; font-family: trebuchet; font-size: x-large;">El Pimpi Restaurant: <a href="https://maps.app.goo.gl/y4Krq8wekzZZqwFA9?g_st=ic">https://maps.app.goo.gl/y4Krq8wekzZZqwFA9?g_st=ic</a></span></span></p><p class="p2" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 29px;"><span style="background-color: #7f6000; color: #fff2cc; font-family: trebuchet; font-size: x-large;"><span class="s1"></span><br /></span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1" style="background-color: #7f6000;"><span style="color: #fff2cc; font-family: trebuchet; font-size: x-large;">Port of Malaga: <a href="https://maps.app.goo.gl/hzhJZEreusTjWPNVA?g_st=ic">https://maps.app.goo.gl/hzhJZEreusTjWPNVA?g_st=ic</a></span></span></p><p class="p2" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 29px;"><span style="background-color: #7f6000; color: #fff2cc; font-family: trebuchet; font-size: x-large;"><span class="s1"></span><br /></span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1" style="background-color: #7f6000;"><span style="color: #fff2cc; font-family: trebuchet; font-size: x-large;">Palace in Torremolinos <a href="https://maps.app.goo.gl/96awuhoTTJpGWSgs9?g_st=ic">https://maps.app.goo.gl/96awuhoTTJpGWSgs9?g_st=ic</a></span></span></p>Hurricane Empresshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13390608568372223437noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4562031776645758866.post-15112256899599661292024-03-12T09:23:00.001-04:002024-03-12T09:23:00.133-04:00Street Entertainers in Torremolinos, Spain đȘđž<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="366" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/1iYPiwf-lw8" width="480" youtube-src-id="1iYPiwf-lw8"></iframe></div><div><span style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(13, 13, 13); color: #0d0d0d; font-family: Roboto, Noto, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="background-color: #7f6000; caret-color: rgb(13, 13, 13); white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: #fff2cc; font-family: trebuchet; font-size: x-large;">There was a cafe below our apartment in Torremolinos where we had breakfast or lunch nearly every day. We loved our waiter and the location was wonderful. We could see the Mediterranean Sea and enjoy the sunshine. These street entertainers would come by and display their acrobatic talents. It's one of the things I love about Europe when performers will publicly entertain as we walk along the city streets. I especially love to hear musicians perform and it is getting more difficult for them to be able to do this now in Europe because of so many city ordinances. We did not see any in Italy but there were still a few in Spain. </span></span></div>Gypsy Rubber Trampshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10295908733978426771noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4562031776645758866.post-81059448366421641382024-03-09T00:30:00.000-05:002024-03-09T00:30:00.138-05:00Chasing a Sunrise (Retirement Planning)<p><span style="background-color: #7f6000; color: #fff2cc; font-family: trebuchet; font-size: x-large;">Written 8/22/17 as we were planning retirement:</span></p><div dir="ltr" trbidi="on"><div class="gmail_default"><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;"><div><span face="Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="background-color: #7f6000; color: #fff2cc; font-family: trebuchet; font-size: x-large;">One of the many things that I have enjoyed most about our life change is chasing a sunrise or sunset on any given day. Never did I dream we would be enjoying a year of them here living on the beach. It is one of those amazing things to enjoy and it's absolutely free. </span></div></div></div></div><div class="gmail_default"><span face="Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="background-color: #7f6000; color: #fff2cc; font-family: trebuchet; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></div><div class="gmail_default"><span face="Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="background-color: #7f6000; color: #fff2cc; font-family: trebuchet; font-size: x-large;">Over the years I have enjoyed many sunrises on the beach when taking my morning walks. Unfortunately, sunsets have been few and far between because of family obligations and many other things. When we moved here we went out each afternoon because it just felt magical to be sitting on the beach until sunset. </span></div><div class="gmail_default"><span face="Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="background-color: #7f6000; color: #fff2cc; font-family: trebuchet; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></div><div class="gmail_default"><span face="Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="background-color: #7f6000; color: #fff2cc; font-family: trebuchet; font-size: x-large;"><b>The sunrise, of course, doesn't care if we watch it or not. It will keep on being beautiful, even if no one bothers to look at it.</b> <i>Gene Amole</i></span></div><div class="gmail_default" style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><i><br /></i><i><br /></i></div><div class="gmail_default" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "times new roman", serif; font-size: 12.8px;"><i><br /></i></div></div><p><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/jLOhso-kj2o" width="560"></iframe> </p>Gypsy Rubber Trampshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10295908733978426771noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4562031776645758866.post-51740445516984084802024-03-06T00:30:00.000-05:002024-03-06T00:30:00.127-05:00Estapona, Spain đș <p><span style="background-color: #7f6000; color: #fff2cc; font-family: trebuchet; font-size: x-large;">Estapona is home to us! We fell in love with this Pueblo on the Mediterranean when we visited last year. It is not as much as much a tourist destination as some other pueblos and cities in Andalusia Spain. This is a place for Spanish locals of every age. We love hearing all the children playing on the school grounds and in the squares. Itâs a great community where people are out and about enjoying the shops, cafes and many restaurants in this town. </span></p><p><span style="background-color: #7f6000; color: #fff2cc; font-family: trebuchet; font-size: x-large;">We love the unique local shops they have available and the restaurants are amazing. They have the traditional Spanish foods but they also have other types of cuisine. Our favorite restaurant there is The GRILLHOUSE Restaurant where they have a hamburger that is so good that we go there for lunch twice or three times a week. The waiters are always friendly and provide great service. Here is their link on google maps: <a href="https://maps.app.goo.gl/GbYhnDy97i5AnNZD9?g_st=ic">https://maps.app.goo.gl/GbYhnDy97i5AnNZD9?g_st=ic</a></span></p><p><span style="background-color: #7f6000; color: #fff2cc; font-family: trebuchet; font-size: x-large;">This little town is known for their flowers which they have blooming all year in solid painted pots. Some streets in the old historical district are lined on the walls with the same colors. There will be all green, or all blue, all red, all yellow, all purple and then some streets are mixed colors. The plants, shrubs and trees are taken very good care of on a weekly basis. There is also an Orchid House here with some beautiful orchids displayed within some great tropical plants. We are gardeners and had our own orchids and beautiful flowers in our backyard so we really appreciate that they are displayed everywhere.</span></p><p><span style="background-color: #7f6000; color: #fff2cc; font-family: trebuchet; font-size: x-large;">Another delight of this area is that it is one of the prettiest beaches here on the Mediterranean. There is a wonderful boardwalk from one end of the city to the other with restaurants and cafes available. I can only imagine the amount of people that are on that beach in the summertime. The main road throughout the beach were closed off for walkers with great landscaping. Itâs absolutely beautiful!</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="366" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/tCvgTtPXyBA" width="480" youtube-src-id="tCvgTtPXyBA"></iframe></div><br /><span style="background-color: #7f6000; color: #fff2cc; font-family: trebuchet; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span><p></p>Hurricane Empresshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13390608568372223437noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4562031776645758866.post-10524207399266358062024-03-02T00:30:00.001-05:002024-03-02T00:30:00.137-05:00Setting up our Napier Outdoor Tent<p><span style="color: #fff2cc; font-family: trebuchet; font-size: x-large;"><span style="background-color: #7f6000;">This video was taken before we retired in 2018. When we first began planning to be nomads I personally wanted to do a tent. My sweet husband really wanted to make that happen for me. We found a tent online on Amazon that would attach to our van. He built a fantastic bed in the van and the room in the tent was great. It was glamorous camping as far as I was concerned.</span></span></p><p><span style="color: #fff2cc; font-family: trebuchet; font-size: x-large;"><span style="background-color: #7f6000;"><br /></span></span></p><p><span style="color: #fff2cc; font-family: trebuchet; font-size: x-large;"><span style="background-color: #7f6000;">We evacuated from one of the hurricanes headed to Florida and set up camp in Unicoi State Park. This was our first time putting this tent up with the help of my son and his wife. We had such a fantastic experience and I was even more excited about our future plans of being nomads!</span></span></p><p><span style="color: #fff2cc; font-family: trebuchet; font-size: x-large;"><span style="background-color: #7f6000;"><br /></span></span></p><p><span style="color: #fff2cc; font-family: trebuchet; font-size: x-large;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #fff2cc; font-family: trebuchet; font-size: x-large;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="366" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/hSzrFdxmRm4" width="480" youtube-src-id="hSzrFdxmRm4"></iframe></span></div><span style="color: #fff2cc; font-family: trebuchet; font-size: x-large;"><br /><span style="background-color: #7f6000;"><br /></span></span><p></p><p><span style="color: #fff2cc; font-family: trebuchet; font-size: x-large;"><span style="background-color: #7f6000;"><br /></span></span></p><p><span style="color: #fff2cc; font-family: trebuchet; font-size: x-large;"><span style="background-color: #7f6000;"><br /></span></span></p>Hurricane Empresshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13390608568372223437noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4562031776645758866.post-70899262673131390902024-02-28T00:30:00.001-05:002024-02-28T00:30:00.346-05:00The Element of Yearning (Retirement Planning)<p> <i style="caret-color: rgb(255, 242, 204); color: #fff2cc;"><b><span style="background-color: #7f6000; font-family: trebuchet; font-size: x-large;">Written 7/19/2017 as we prepared for retirement in 2018</span></b></i></p><p><span style="background-color: #7f6000; color: #fff2cc; font-family: trebuchet; font-size: xx-large;">It is going on 5 years now that I have yearned to live a more nomadic life. It's in my roots from my own parents who took me at 6 weeks old to Africa. Jimmy has lived here in South Florida nearly his entire lifetime so he could not even entertain the idea and said, "No way!" My prayer was that God change either my yearning to go or his heart to stay. One year ago he came home and said, "I think I would like to do go ahead with your plans!" Music to my ears.....I began packing the next day!</span></p><span style="background-color: #7f6000; color: #fff2cc; font-family: trebuchet; font-size: x-large;"><span face=""helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif"><br /></span><span face=""helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif">My favorite part of any trip is the planning which feeds the yearning inside of me to travel. The past year has been all about preparing for travel full time and eliminating much of our life before. Paperwork, stuff, etc. has to all be eliminated when there is no home to store it away. Relinquishing everything was much more liberating than I had imagined. I have enjoyed life with less and have more time to work on the things I choose instead of things I need to do. I really wasn't expecting this new form of freedom which was an unexpected surprise. Somehow the grief of letting it go fooled me into believing that my grief and regret would be overwhelming. It wasn't the case at all but instead it seemed to release me of my normal anxiety and stress.</span><br /><span face=""helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif"><br /></span><span face=""helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif">Anxiety has always been an issue for me since I was a teenager. Medication has too many side affects that eliminate my being able to use them. When I had kids my way of dealing with the anxiety and stress of motherhood was to go camping with my mom and friends from Europe. It would always work in calming me down and just what I needed to help me cope and start again fresh. That is my biggest reason for wanting to do this because I know it works for me. My husband noticed that my anxiety and stress went away as soon as we moved from our home of 30 years and started this quest. I have to agree!</span><br /><span face=""helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif"><br /></span><span face=""helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif">We have a table I was painting just before my husbands heart change that says, "Prayer changes everything!" My yearning calmed down when we moved here on the beach because it has been like a vacation for us. My husband now yearns for more travel just from living here so we find ourselves exploring the area to find new things to see and do. We are both thankful for answered prayer!</span><br /><span face=""helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif"><br /></span><span face=""helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif"><br /></span><br /></span><div style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="color: #fff2cc; font-family: trebuchet; font-size: x-large;"><b style="background-color: #7f6000;">Exploring Lake Okeechobee!</b></span></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: #7f6000; color: #fff2cc; font-family: trebuchet; font-size: x-large; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjC5NkWqtFxImydU8RhYCz_CG84NEMsXLBvXJw_uZACXq_XF6NE7nzrBe48XAjVycE_1nuLnlk63OOhJy0dP63rZwb1UeNJyWaePjqR5MKmky0h5sR0Dx7g3kBczzzSsjvOFgzwWKlExoA/s1600/IMG_8282bpsd.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjC5NkWqtFxImydU8RhYCz_CG84NEMsXLBvXJw_uZACXq_XF6NE7nzrBe48XAjVycE_1nuLnlk63OOhJy0dP63rZwb1UeNJyWaePjqR5MKmky0h5sR0Dx7g3kBczzzSsjvOFgzwWKlExoA/s640/IMG_8282bpsd.jpg" width="640" /></a></span></div><div><br /></div>Hurricane Empresshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13390608568372223437noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4562031776645758866.post-17521778226421389252024-02-24T18:30:00.000-05:002024-02-24T18:30:00.234-05:00Marbella, Spain with the Mortonâs đȘđž Vlog #109<p><span style="background-color: #7f6000; color: #fff2cc; font-family: trebuchet; font-size: x-large;">We have been wanting to stay in Marbella for years and finally got it all planned for our trip to Europe 2023. The best part of that plan was that our friends, the Mortonâs, were going to join us. We love having family and friends joining us while we are in Europe. It is always fun for us to see people we care about see Europe for the first time.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="background-color: #7f6000; color: #fff2cc; font-family: trebuchet;">Marbella has an enchanting pueblo with great shops, restaurants and the beach. Itâs a great place to visit and walk to everything. </span><span style="background-color: #7f6000; caret-color: rgb(255, 242, 204); color: #fff2cc; font-family: trebuchet;">The Mortonâs loved going down to the beach and just taking in the beach views and enjoying the sun. </span><span style="background-color: #7f6000; color: #fff2cc; font-family: trebuchet;">You will see in this video how much we all enjoyed Marbellaâs Plaza de los Naranjos and Port of Banus.</span></span></p><p><span style="background-color: #7f6000; color: #fff2cc; font-family: trebuchet; font-size: x-large;">My favorite restaurant was Restaurante Casa del Corregidor in the plaza. The reviews on google maps wasnât very good but I thought they did the best job with good Spanish cuisine. The staff was wonderful and service was terrific. The google map link: <a href="https://maps.app.goo.gl/uzjuyoX4SJnJDPNw6?g_st=ic">https://maps.app.goo.gl/uzjuyoX4SJnJDPNw6?g_st=ic</a></span></p><p><span style="background-color: #7f6000; color: #fff2cc; font-family: trebuchet; font-size: x-large;">My favorite shop in Marbella is Sama Sama Studio. The google map link: <a href="https://maps.app.goo.gl/HFpoCcpTy8YTGfq68?g_st=ic">https://maps.app.goo.gl/HFpoCcpTy8YTGfq68?g_st=ic</a></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: #7f6000; color: #fff2cc; font-family: trebuchet; font-size: x-large;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="366" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/jmj4BHyCVnM" width="480" youtube-src-id="jmj4BHyCVnM"></iframe></span></div><span style="background-color: #7f6000; color: #fff2cc; font-family: trebuchet; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span><p><span style="background-color: #7f6000; color: #fff2cc; font-family: trebuchet; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="background-color: #7f6000; color: #fff2cc; font-family: trebuchet; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="background-color: #7f6000; color: #fff2cc; font-family: trebuchet; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></p><p><br /></p>Hurricane Empresshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13390608568372223437noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4562031776645758866.post-89557970423723351212024-02-21T00:30:00.000-05:002024-02-21T00:30:00.133-05:00The Roads of Europe!<p><span style="background-color: #7f6000; color: #fff2cc; font-family: trebuchet; font-size: x-large;">There have been some crazy roads in the United States that we have found ourselves on with our Dodge Ram Truck and 30 foot RV. There are even crazier roads we have found ourselves on in Europe. This video is an example of one that we drive up to visit with my mother. Now my mom loves this drive because she grew up driving on the mountain roads of Tennessee. I am from Florida where everything is flat and I donât care for that drive at all. </span></p><p><span style="background-color: #7f6000; color: #fff2cc; font-family: trebuchet; font-size: x-large;">The pueblos nearby have very scary narrow roads as well. My mother drives a very small car and sometimes has to pull in her mirrors in order to squeeze through some very narrow pueblos. There just isnât anything in the United States for me to compare these narrow pueblo roads. The most difficult thing for me is when I find myself walking on one of these roads and a car is coming. I basically have to find a front door entrance to squeeze into to let them go by and not become road kill!</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: #7f6000; color: #fff2cc; font-family: trebuchet; font-size: x-large;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="366" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/v7vYZTUkZRw" width="480" youtube-src-id="v7vYZTUkZRw"></iframe></span></div><span style="background-color: #7f6000; color: #fff2cc; font-family: trebuchet; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span><p><br /></p>Hurricane Empresshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13390608568372223437noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4562031776645758866.post-2344144225200694182024-02-18T05:14:00.001-05:002024-02-18T05:14:00.129-05:00Planning Again (Retirement Planning)<p> <i style="caret-color: rgb(255, 242, 204); color: #fff2cc;"><b><span style="background-color: #7f6000; font-family: trebuchet; font-size: x-large;">Written 5/30/2017 as we prepared for retirement in 2018</span></b></i></p><p><i style="caret-color: rgb(255, 242, 204); color: #fff2cc;"><span style="background-color: #7f6000; color: #fff2cc; font-family: trebuchet; font-size: x-large; font-style: normal;"><span face=""helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif">We have spent the past few weeks since our trip to Spain planning our next adventure. There are some small trips in the plan and larger trips too. The planning can also be part of the fun of this journey and we are enjoying all the possibilities.</span><br /><span face=""helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif"><br /></span><span face=""helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif">Each day I scroll through my instagram of those I am following who are already nomads. It has been inspiring to see all the places they are going and some of the ideas they have. My husband and I are project oriented and this by far has been a project of challenge. I look forward to what he will be creating as we go along.</span><br /><span face=""helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif"><br /></span><span face=""helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif">I will be planning the route and where we go while he plans and creates what we use in order to make this trip possible. What does that mean? Well, that will be the fun in all of this as I document all the places we go and all the things he creates as we go along.</span><br /><span face=""helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif"><br /></span><span face=""helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif">Our planning right now consist of the best vehicle to use on this trip - the route - the finances needed - going paperless - what to bring - what NOT to bring - and most importantly making sure that we are physically okay to go. This month the priority is getting all the wellness appointments taken care of such as: yearly physical - mamogram - gyn - blood work - dentist. All these things need to be done first!</span><br /><br /></span></i></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgL8ltFe7BzKp8mE857TCAAI5RQ0Ok3zC0c0NxuuA4i_gWZJxEj37EyTVdDicdU7ySofZ2sDvHy3iOKg3VtYQ-9LFKtJRCK2-eHjA0ODkTuo_pt_pJ39nUe8JEbNYmevlfWY2e2elUXj_o/s1600/19553965_10155365596467159_5209748461686627253_n.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="background-color: #7f6000; color: #fff2cc; font-family: trebuchet; font-size: x-large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="722" data-original-width="960" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgL8ltFe7BzKp8mE857TCAAI5RQ0Ok3zC0c0NxuuA4i_gWZJxEj37EyTVdDicdU7ySofZ2sDvHy3iOKg3VtYQ-9LFKtJRCK2-eHjA0ODkTuo_pt_pJ39nUe8JEbNYmevlfWY2e2elUXj_o/s640/19553965_10155365596467159_5209748461686627253_n.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div><p><i style="caret-color: rgb(255, 242, 204); color: #fff2cc;"><span style="background-color: #7f6000; color: #fff2cc; font-family: trebuchet; font-size: x-large; font-style: normal;"><br /><br /></span></i></p>Hurricane Empresshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13390608568372223437noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4562031776645758866.post-41006190945851671082024-02-15T00:30:00.025-05:002024-02-15T00:30:00.120-05:00South Florida Camping, đ Vlog #105 <p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: #7f6000; color: #fff2cc; font-family: trebuchet; font-size: x-large;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="366" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/CzVV31JtORo" width="480" youtube-src-id="CzVV31JtORo"></iframe></span></div><div><span style="background-color: #7f6000; color: #fff2cc; font-family: trebuchet; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></div><span style="background-color: #7f6000; color: #fff2cc; font-family: trebuchet; font-size: x-large;">South Florida has some of the best wildlife and beaches but for us it also has many of our family and friends. It is one of our favorite places to camp!<br /></span><p></p><div><div><span style="background-color: #7f6000; color: #fff2cc; font-family: trebuchet; font-size: x-large;">Follow us on our website: <a href="http://www.gypsyrubbertramps.com/">http://www.gypsyrubbertramps.com/</a></span></div><div><span style="background-color: #7f6000; color: #fff2cc; font-family: trebuchet; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="background-color: #7f6000; color: #fff2cc; font-family: trebuchet; font-size: x-large;">Follow us on facebook: <a href="https://www.facebook.com/gypsyrubbert...">https://www.facebook.com/gypsyrubbert...</a></span></div><div><span style="background-color: #7f6000; color: #fff2cc; font-family: trebuchet; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="background-color: #7f6000; color: #fff2cc; font-family: trebuchet; font-size: x-large;">Follow us on Instagram: <a href="https://www.instagram.com/gypsyrubber...">https://www.instagram.com/gypsyrubber...</a></span></div><div><span style="background-color: #7f6000; color: #fff2cc; font-family: trebuchet; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="background-color: #7f6000; color: #fff2cc; font-family: trebuchet; font-size: x-large;">Follow us on Twitter: <a href="https://twitter.com/gallotravels">https://twitter.com/gallotravels</a></span></div><div><span style="background-color: #7f6000; color: #fff2cc; font-family: trebuchet; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="background-color: #7f6000; color: #fff2cc; font-family: trebuchet; font-size: x-large;">Follow us on Pinterest: <a href="https://www.pinterest.com/donellagallo">https://www.pinterest.com/donellagallo</a></span></div><div><span style="background-color: #7f6000; color: #fff2cc; font-family: trebuchet; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="background-color: #7f6000; color: #fff2cc; font-family: trebuchet; font-size: x-large;">Long Point Park on google maps: <a href="https://maps.app.goo.gl/XcV8dN1yPmGYcjgz8?g_st=ic">https://maps.app.goo.gl/XcV8dN1yPmGYcjgz8?g_st=ic</a></span></div><div><span style="background-color: #7f6000; color: #fff2cc; font-family: trebuchet; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="background-color: #7f6000; color: #fff2cc; font-family: trebuchet; font-size: x-large;">and website: <a href="https://www.brevardfl.gov/ParksAndRecreation/Campgrounds/LongPointParkCampground">https://www.brevardfl.gov/ParksAndRecreation/Campgrounds/LongPointParkCampground</a></span></div><div><span style="background-color: #7f6000; color: #fff2cc; font-family: trebuchet; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="background-color: #7f6000; color: #fff2cc; font-family: trebuchet; font-size: x-large;">St Lucie South Campground on google maps: <a href="https://maps.app.goo.gl/z9tF1xEyi48rx7UC8?g_st=ic">https://maps.app.goo.gl/z9tF1xEyi48rx7UC8?g_st=ic</a></span></div><div><span style="background-color: #7f6000; color: #fff2cc; font-family: trebuchet; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="background-color: #7f6000; color: #fff2cc; font-family: trebuchet; font-size: x-large;">and website: <a href="https://www.saj.usace.army.mil/Missions/Civil-Works/Recreation/Camping/">https://www.saj.usace.army.mil/Missions/Civil-Works/Recreation/Camping/</a></span></div><div><span style="background-color: #7f6000; color: #fff2cc; font-family: trebuchet; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="background-color: #7f6000; color: #fff2cc; font-family: trebuchet; font-size: x-large;">Phipps Park Campground on google maps: <a href="https://maps.app.goo.gl/fF3KrXPxjJtUmbdA8?g_st=ic">https://maps.app.goo.gl/fF3KrXPxjJtUmbdA8?g_st=ic</a></span></div><div><span style="background-color: #7f6000; color: #fff2cc; font-family: trebuchet; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="background-color: #7f6000; color: #fff2cc; font-family: trebuchet; font-size: x-large;">and website: <a href="https://www.martin.fl.us/Phipps">https://www.martin.fl.us/Phipps</a></span></div></div><div><span style="background-color: #7f6000; color: #fff2cc; font-family: trebuchet; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="background-color: #7f6000; color: #fff2cc; font-family: trebuchet; font-size: x-large;">The Sanctuary Church: <a href="https://maps.app.goo.gl/gjRWxdwYioYmcJSW8?g_st=ic">https://maps.app.goo.gl/gjRWxdwYioYmcJSW8?g_st=ic</a></span></div><div><span style="background-color: #7f6000; color: #fff2cc; font-family: trebuchet; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="background-color: #7f6000; color: #fff2cc; font-family: trebuchet; font-size: x-large;">Lynoraâs Kitchen: <a href="https://maps.app.goo.gl/Wk18UBN5cw7Dap7h9?g_st=ic">https://maps.app.goo.gl/Wk18UBN5cw7Dap7h9?g_st=ic</a></span></div><div><span style="background-color: #7f6000; color: #fff2cc; font-family: trebuchet; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="background-color: #7f6000; color: #fff2cc; font-family: trebuchet; font-size: x-large;">Marioâs Italian Restaurant: <a href="https://maps.app.goo.gl/RHd3tSxAG1uDu8se6?g_st=ic">https://maps.app.goo.gl/RHd3tSxAG1uDu8se6?g_st=ic</a></span></div>Hurricane Empresshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13390608568372223437noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4562031776645758866.post-82929758608916654332024-02-11T00:30:00.000-05:002024-02-11T00:30:00.132-05:00Thanksgiving in Spain!<p><span style="background-color: #7f6000; color: #fff2cc; font-family: trebuchet; font-size: x-large;"> How fun it was to have Thanksgiving in Spain this year. We celebrated with our family from Spain and they invited people from the local Pueblo to join us. My mom loves sharing American traditions with people because she is such a proud American. The food prepared was just like home and absolutely delicious. I enjoyed watching everyone enjoying their time together and thought how wonderful it was to be able to share this tradition across the seas. I believe people all over the world should experience other cultures traditions and learn from them the historical significance. It was such a great time and meant so much to us personally.</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: #7f6000; color: #fff2cc; font-family: trebuchet; font-size: x-large;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="366" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/35rjWK1ThEA" width="480" youtube-src-id="35rjWK1ThEA"></iframe></span></div><span style="background-color: #7f6000; color: #fff2cc; font-family: trebuchet; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span><p><br /></p>Hurricane Empresshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13390608568372223437noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4562031776645758866.post-74346658769953027552024-02-07T00:30:00.002-05:002024-02-13T14:28:41.215-05:00Inspiration & Contemplation (Retirement planning)<p><i style="caret-color: rgb(255, 242, 204); color: #fff2cc;"><b><span style="background-color: #7f6000; font-family: trebuchet; font-size: x-large;">Written 5/3/17 as we prepared for retirement in 2018</span></b></i></p><p><span style="font-family: trebuchet; font-size: x-large;"><span style="background-color: #7f6000; color: #fff2cc;">Traveling gives me a chance for inspiration and contemplation! We all need time to reflect and I find that when we are home in the business of life, it is difficult to do. On a trip and especially to somewhere beautiful and natural you find yourself inspired and contemplating all the possibilities of the life around you.</span></span></p><span style="background-color: #7f6000; color: #fff2cc; font-family: trebuchet; font-size: x-large;"><span face="Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"><br /></span><span face="Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">John Muir who was born in 1838 writes about the joys to be found in quietly observing the world. All part of his desire, he said, to"preach nature like an apostle." The story of his life is inspiring to me because of the religious abuse in his young life. He never turned his back on God in spite of his tyrannical and religious fathers beatings while he forced him to memorize the entire Bible. He left the life of what he describes as mans institution of worship to worshiping God in the midst of nature itself in Yosemite Valley. He spent his life trying to protect the beauty of Yosemite which he considered his cathedral from becoming a carnival for people who wanted to commercialize the area. He became the voice in politics to protect Yosemite and other natural wonders of the United States by creating National Parks. He describes himself as an "unknown nobody" who had entered Yosemite and then been transformed by his "unconditional surrender to nature." He would need to convince many other Americans to surrender, as well. To see the necessity, as he said, "in all that is wild." What he means is that wildness is an essential part of ourselves that we lose in the everyday routines of life and rediscover when we wander in the wilderness.</span><br /><span face="Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"><b><br /></b><i><b>The tendency these days to wander in wilderness is delightful to see. Thousands of tired, nerve-shaken, over civilized people are beginning to find out that going to the mountain is going home. That wildness is a necessity, and that mountain parks and reservations are useful, not only as fountains of timber and irrigating rivers but as fountains of life. ~John Muir</b></i></span><br /><i><b><br /></b></i><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: #7f6000; color: #fff2cc; font-family: trebuchet; font-size: x-large; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBHZA1oLRKzaNIQjOzZrJyrhUildlOr3WBURire2D6r_f7Jh57I-nw6MTP0oF3qOqAdUw844yyEQot7P_wLoPoVqAelxPOw0Sauf4bhz21qf0U5spPykwkdndl3Lijhjq9N0arCqUypq0/s1600/17157663_10212157831762676_6165541638109424299_o+copy.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBHZA1oLRKzaNIQjOzZrJyrhUildlOr3WBURire2D6r_f7Jh57I-nw6MTP0oF3qOqAdUw844yyEQot7P_wLoPoVqAelxPOw0Sauf4bhz21qf0U5spPykwkdndl3Lijhjq9N0arCqUypq0/s640/17157663_10212157831762676_6165541638109424299_o+copy.jpg" width="640" /></a></span></div><div><br /></div><i></i>Hurricane Empresshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13390608568372223437noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4562031776645758866.post-30567595663502562232024-02-04T15:27:00.000-05:002024-02-04T15:27:00.277-05:00Camping & Family in Illinois đ Vlog #106<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: #7f6000; color: #fff2cc; font-family: trebuchet; font-size: x-large;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="366" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/uNemQfqHr1A" width="480" youtube-src-id="uNemQfqHr1A"></iframe></span></div><span style="background-color: #7f6000; color: #fff2cc; font-family: trebuchet; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span><p><span style="background-color: #7f6000; color: #fff2cc; font-family: trebuchet; font-size: x-large;">There are some great campgrounds in Illinois and I will post their google maps location below the links of places in this video.</span></p><p><span style="background-color: #7f6000; color: #fff2cc; font-family: trebuchet; font-size: x-large;">Gun Creek Campground <a href="https://maps.app.goo.gl/xp5BU6xYJdYk6F7k9?g_st=ic">https://maps.app.goo.gl/xp5BU6xYJdYk6F7k9?g_st=ic</a></span></p><p><span style="background-color: #7f6000; color: #fff2cc; font-family: trebuchet; font-size: x-large;">Wahlburgers Restaurant <a href="https://maps.app.goo.gl/2U45rtAKzjuaLL7b7?g_st=ic">https://maps.app.goo.gl/2U45rtAKzjuaLL7b7?g_st=ic</a></span></p><p><span style="background-color: #7f6000; color: #fff2cc; font-family: trebuchet; font-size: x-large;">St. Charles, Illinois <a href="https://maps.app.goo.gl/spdvBhViQs9Jhkit5?g_st=ic">https://maps.app.goo.gl/spdvBhViQs9Jhkit5?g_st=ic</a></span></p><p><span style="background-color: #7f6000; color: #fff2cc; font-family: trebuchet; font-size: x-large;">Kimmers Ice Cream Shop <a href="https://maps.app.goo.gl/CCfbk96e1zTXB2y36?g_st=ic">https://maps.app.goo.gl/CCfbk96e1zTXB2y36?g_st=ic</a></span></p><p><span style="background-color: #7f6000; color: #fff2cc; font-family: trebuchet; font-size: x-large;">Potawatomi Campground in Kankakee River State Park <a href="https://maps.app.goo.gl/D8jy2vFppEFncSqb6?g_st=ic">https://maps.app.goo.gl/D8jy2vFppEFncSqb6?g_st=ic</a></span></p><p><span style="background-color: #7f6000; color: #fff2cc; font-family: trebuchet; font-size: x-large;">Geneva, Illinois <a href="https://maps.app.goo.gl/aZSHtqjkUXWLMmqV8?g_st=ic">https://maps.app.goo.gl/aZSHtqjkUXWLMmqV8?g_st=ic</a></span></p><p><span style="background-color: #7f6000; color: #fff2cc; font-family: trebuchet; font-size: x-large;">Naperville, Illinois <a href="https://maps.app.goo.gl/5FbmxWtLToLJkTtA6?g_st=ic">https://maps.app.goo.gl/5FbmxWtLToLJkTtA6?g_st=ic</a></span></p><p><span style="background-color: #7f6000; color: #fff2cc; font-family: trebuchet; font-size: x-large;">Long Grove, Illinois <a href="https://maps.app.goo.gl/75Wusnoz38qiJ5Lf8?g_st=ic">https://maps.app.goo.gl/75Wusnoz38qiJ5Lf8?g_st=ic</a></span></p><p><span style="background-color: #7f6000; color: #fff2cc; font-family: trebuchet; font-size: x-large;">Big Rock Campground <a href="https://maps.app.goo.gl/2vA9fErBbV5a8TW66?g_st=ic">https://maps.app.goo.gl/2vA9fErBbV5a8TW66?g_st=ic</a></span></p><p><span style="background-color: #7f6000; color: #fff2cc; font-family: trebuchet; font-size: x-large;">Other campgrounds in Illinois that we have camped that are not shown on this video:</span></p><p><span style="background-color: #7f6000; color: #fff2cc; font-family: trebuchet; font-size: x-large;">Litchia Springs Marina <a href="https://maps.app.goo.gl/KvYXxMrt2NR5Y2i29?g_st=ic">https://maps.app.goo.gl/KvYXxMrt2NR5Y2i29?g_st=ic</a></span></p><p><span style="background-color: #7f6000; color: #fff2cc; font-family: trebuchet; font-size: x-large;">Bo Wood Campground <a href="https://maps.app.goo.gl/isnCfwevU54UhkGs8?g_st=ic">https://maps.app.goo.gl/isnCfwevU54UhkGs8?g_st=ic</a></span></p><p><span style="background-color: #7f6000; color: #fff2cc; font-family: trebuchet; font-size: x-large;">Paul Wolf Campground <a href="https://maps.app.goo.gl/CyeofhyrCX1L1E4u5?g_st=ic">https://maps.app.goo.gl/CyeofhyrCX1L1E4u5?g_st=ic</a></span></p><p><br /></p>Hurricane Empresshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13390608568372223437noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4562031776645758866.post-17908188152055744632024-01-27T13:04:00.000-05:002024-01-27T13:04:00.132-05:00Mama Miaâs in Verona, Italy đźđč<span style="background-color: #7f6000; color: #fff2cc; font-family: trebuchet; font-size: x-large;">What a beautiful place to get lost in while we were exploring Italy. Yes, everyoneâs biggest fear about traveling, we were so lost. I thought we had bought train tickets to Varenna, Italy. Let me start at the beginning!</span><div><span style="background-color: #7f6000; color: #fff2cc; font-family: trebuchet; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="background-color: #7f6000; color: #fff2cc; font-family: trebuchet; font-size: x-large;">We had family traveling with us in Italy and their first trip to Europe. They wanted to visit Lake Como and so I planned a day trip by train. In the process of planning my husband was looking online at the village of Verona thinking it was the same place. He kept telling me that we were going to a place where there was a Roman amphitheater. I told him I didnât see a Roman Amphitheater but maybe he saw something I didnât. Anyways, while I was on the train app I asked him what the name of the spelling was of the town we were planning to go because he was looking at it on his iPad at that time. Well, that was my mistake!</span></div><div><span style="background-color: #7f6000; color: #fff2cc; font-family: trebuchet; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="background-color: #7f6000; color: #fff2cc; font-family: trebuchet; font-size: x-large;">Anyways, when we arrived and we walked out of the train station confused me because I didnât see Lake Como. I had planned to walk to the restaurant by following the Lake road but there was no Lake road. We got a cab and I gave the taxi driver the name of the restaurant but he seemed confused. He looked it up on his gos and said, it is 2 hours away. WHAT? I realized then that we were lost. So we had the taxi driver take us into town where we saw immediately a Roman Amphitheater. I realized right then that we were both looking at 2 different towns and I had asked him how to spell it when I was getting the tickets.</span></div><div><span style="background-color: #7f6000; color: #fff2cc; font-family: trebuchet; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="background-color: #7f6000; color: #fff2cc; font-family: trebuchet; font-size: x-large;">Traveling full time for 6 years now we have learned to just enjoy what is around us. I look at everything that God orchestrates everything, even when we are lost. It was a beautiful day and some incredible architecture. The amphitheater was impressive and they actually hold concerts there which is why my husband was so excited to be there. He has seen some of his favorite musicians perform there online. This was a great day for him all around. You have to learn to be flexible when you travel because it makes for a more pleasant experience!</span></div><div><span style="background-color: #7f6000; color: #fff2cc; font-family: trebuchet; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: #7f6000; color: #fff2cc; font-family: trebuchet; font-size: x-large;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="366" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/7E_e9wlDpVY" width="480" youtube-src-id="7E_e9wlDpVY"></iframe></span></div><span style="background-color: #7f6000; color: #fff2cc; font-family: trebuchet; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span><div><span style="background-color: #7f6000; color: #fff2cc; font-family: trebuchet; font-size: x-large;">Bistrot Mama Mia Restaurant </span><a href="https://maps.app.goo.gl/72sr524g5sdWaZvs8?g_st=ic"><span style="background-color: #7f6000; font-family: trebuchet; font-size: x-large;">https://maps.app.goo.gl/72sr524g5sdWaZvs8?g_st=ic</span></a></div><div><span style="background-color: #7f6000; color: #fff2cc; font-family: trebuchet; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="background-color: #7f6000; color: #fff2cc; font-family: trebuchet; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></div><div><br /></div>Hurricane Empresshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13390608568372223437noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4562031776645758866.post-60568051908610405692024-01-23T18:30:00.001-05:002024-01-23T18:30:00.163-05:002nd Stop - Spain!đȘđž (Retirement Planning)<p><span style="caret-color: rgb(255, 242, 204); color: #fff2cc;"><span style="background-color: #7f6000;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet; font-size: x-large;"><i><b>Written 9/28/2016 as we prepared for retirement in 2018</b></i></span></span></span></p><p><span style="background-color: #7f6000; color: #fff2cc; font-family: trebuchet; font-size: x-large;">This month we flew over to Spain to visit with family and friends. My husbands first trip to Europe and had no difficulty until we returned and went through customs in Miami. That was actually the worst part of our trip; otherwise, it all went perfectly!</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="background-color: #7f6000; color: #fff2cc; font-family: trebuchet; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="background-color: #7f6000; color: #fff2cc; font-family: trebuchet; font-size: x-large;">We traveled around many parts of the Costa del Sol in Andalucia. So many beautiful pueblos and cities that we were able to enjoy the food and the beauty that surrounded each one. There was so much to enjoy about each place we found ourselves in each day. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="background-color: #7f6000; color: #fff2cc; font-family: trebuchet; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="background-color: #7f6000; color: #fff2cc; font-family: trebuchet; font-size: x-large;">This is an area we would like to be able to come and stay a few months out of the year. We took time to look around and see where we both could see ourselves spending time. There were a lot of signs showing rentals so I would just take a picture of them since I had my camera out already. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="background-color: #7f6000; color: #fff2cc; font-family: trebuchet; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="background-color: #7f6000; color: #fff2cc; font-family: trebuchet; font-size: x-large;">It is a lot easier to enjoy a country such as Spain when you have a local to show you around. We were interested in just spending time with family, friends and the culture of the area. It was a great experience and gave us an idea of what we needed to do in planning for our next trip.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="background-color: #7f6000; color: #fff2cc; font-family: trebuchet; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzIbpDh_pDm_xDqgGcxxDMkutHH_vbfzal472Ykdai-CTPYAmUCmGXZYqhShWtMEX3-HBUFWzgM5mHFU_o769v1REU1mSFqFLsC8bdJ8QS8Iw2gAp_C99GE2N-gKUbwNRrEfsSLsQSWS8/s1600/16797017_10154945145422159_7990962455854979266_o.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="background-color: #7f6000; color: #fff2cc; font-family: trebuchet; font-size: x-large;"><img border="0" height="390" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzIbpDh_pDm_xDqgGcxxDMkutHH_vbfzal472Ykdai-CTPYAmUCmGXZYqhShWtMEX3-HBUFWzgM5mHFU_o769v1REU1mSFqFLsC8bdJ8QS8Iw2gAp_C99GE2N-gKUbwNRrEfsSLsQSWS8/s640/16797017_10154945145422159_7990962455854979266_o.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: #7f6000; color: #fff2cc; font-family: trebuchet; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: #7f6000; color: #fff2cc; font-family: trebuchet; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: #7f6000; color: #fff2cc; font-family: trebuchet; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></div>Hurricane Empresshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13390608568372223437noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4562031776645758866.post-78534049185861631522024-01-19T18:30:00.001-05:002024-01-19T18:30:00.136-05:00Our Trip to ZĂŒrich, Switzerland đšđ Vlog #108<p><span style="background-color: #7f6000; color: #fff2cc; font-family: trebuchet; font-size: x-large;">We flew from Lisbon, Portugal to ZĂŒrich, Switzerland which was one of our new countries to visit on this trip. I lived there with my parents when I was very young for about 6 months around Lucerne. We read that it was very expensive and that was a very true statement. I only booked 3 nights because the hotel prices were more than we care to pay. </span></p><p><span style="background-color: #7f6000; color: #fff2cc; font-family: trebuchet; font-size: x-large;">When we got off the plane we headed to the train which was underground of the airport. The escalator was broken and it looked like it went down into oblivion so we decided not to carry our luggage down those many steps. I already knew the taxi would be nearly $100 dollars so that wasnât happening. I saw a sign for tram and buses, PERFECT! We went out to that area and it was a self service ticket machine for both modes of transportation. Did I mention it was all in German? Oh yes, they gave me the option of English but it was still German. It was all unreadable for us so Jimmy was ready to get a taxi but I was determined we were going to figure this out.</span></p><p><span style="background-color: #7f6000; color: #fff2cc; font-family: trebuchet; font-size: x-large;">German is the main language in Switzerland so I decided to ask one of the bus drivers what we needed to do to get to our hotel. He didnât speak any English and neither of us were able to understand our communication through the game of charades. I went to another bus driver and he seemed to understand a little and pointed to the #1 on the ceiling where the tram had been. We walked back to the machine and I purchased tickets for $12 in franks that I had no clue if they were correct or not. Jimmy was terrified we were going into the land of the unknown. We got on the tram and it took us directly to the area we needed to be and no one asked to look at our tickets so I have no clue if we purchased the right tickets or not.</span></p><p><span style="background-color: #7f6000; color: #fff2cc; font-family: trebuchet; font-size: x-large;">Our hotel room was on the top floor and then stairs to the attic. It was a cute room and we were happy to be there. We decided to go out for lunch and found a hamburger joint. The menu showed that the burger was about $30 with no fries. By the way this was a hamburger joint, not an upscale restaurant. It was the most beautiful burger and the flavor was absolutely amazing even with the shock of the price. The next day we decided to have steak at a restaurant nearby and the menu said $65 by weight. We asked for the smallest size they had and they brought us two 6 oz steaks that just melted in our mouth. That bill came to $310 which we had no clue obviously what we were doing. The last day there we decided to stick with having another $30 hamburger! We had to get out of there quickly before we ate all our savings, literally! </span></p><p><span style="background-color: #7f6000; color: #fff2cc; font-family: trebuchet; font-size: x-large;">Needless to say, Switzerland is off our list to revisit. We did see some beautiful architecture on our walks and a lot of history which we always enjoy. Now off to the train station to go through the Alps to Milan, Italy!</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: #7f6000; color: #fff2cc; font-family: trebuchet; font-size: x-large;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="366" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/JsgIgh6Wpwg" width="480" youtube-src-id="JsgIgh6Wpwg"></iframe></span></div><span style="background-color: #7f6000; color: #fff2cc; font-family: trebuchet; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span><p><span style="background-color: #7f6000; color: #fff2cc; font-family: trebuchet; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></p><p><br /></p>Hurricane Empresshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13390608568372223437noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4562031776645758866.post-9206572811170230312024-01-16T18:30:00.003-05:002024-01-18T09:32:04.221-05:00Our New Normal (Retirement Planning)<p><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="color: #fff2cc; font-family: trebuchet;"><b><i><u style="background-color: #7f6000;">Written 2/15/17 as we prepared for retirement in 2018</u></i></b></span></span></p><p><span style="background-color: #7f6000; color: #fff2cc; font-family: trebuchet; font-size: x-large;">A dear friend said to me she would be praying for me during our move to have a smooth transition to our "new normal." She had recently moved herself so she knew exactly what prayer we needed. After living in a home for 30 years it had been a very long time since we had made any "new normals."</span></p><span style="background-color: #7f6000; color: #fff2cc; font-family: trebuchet; font-size: x-large;"><span face="Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"><span><br /></span><span>One thing we began doing immediately was walking at sunset on the beach. We both would sit there just amazed at our "new normal" that God had just given to us. That became the place where we would have our evening prayer together. It also became the place where we would spend much time talking together about our day or anything that was on our mind.</span></span><br /><span face="Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"><span><br /></span><span>Many "new normals" came into our life because of this move and we have thanked God for that over and over again. We are grateful for the time spent in our home of 30 years and all the wonderful memories of raising children and grandchildren there. It was certainly time for us to let go and begin this journey and new memories to be made.</span></span><br /><span face="Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"><span><br /></span><span>This past weekend we took our grandkids for a walk on the beach and then a picnic at the park. We look forward to many new outdoor activities with them and many new memories to be made together!</span></span></span><div><span style="background-color: #7f6000; color: #fff2cc; font-family: trebuchet; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihMIoeE8IbOv76qSIC3B2iXExr_SKibzBTpWXrlNmzHKiyj8Ok9LTyq0COZypizZDPbfkooSmaQJ5SGoIWTV-sq6oG6Hu7v1FNnQwsu7fV0F4zcFtV_wIqu3ytbPNT8Ztk4ulblAPw3Yw/s1600/IMG_7143.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="background-color: #7f6000; color: #fff2cc; font-family: trebuchet; font-size: x-large;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihMIoeE8IbOv76qSIC3B2iXExr_SKibzBTpWXrlNmzHKiyj8Ok9LTyq0COZypizZDPbfkooSmaQJ5SGoIWTV-sq6oG6Hu7v1FNnQwsu7fV0F4zcFtV_wIqu3ytbPNT8Ztk4ulblAPw3Yw/s640/IMG_7143.JPG" width="640" /></span></a></div><span style="background-color: #7f6000; font-family: trebuchet; font-size: x-large;"><span><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #7f6000;">Praying & Planning </span></div><div style="color: #fff2cc;"><br /></div></span></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"></span></div>Hurricane Empresshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13390608568372223437noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4562031776645758866.post-50109708713700468492024-01-13T03:18:00.002-05:002024-01-20T12:49:40.582-05:00Cordoba, Spain đȘđž <p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: #7f6000; color: #fff2cc; font-family: trebuchet; font-size: x-large;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="366" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/s7BHGuZZNFY" width="480" youtube-src-id="s7BHGuZZNFY"></iframe></span></div><p><span style="background-color: #7f6000; color: #fff2cc; font-family: trebuchet; font-size: x-large;">This Pueblo is very rich in history for Spain and Islam. </span><span style="background-color: #7f6000; color: #fff2cc; font-family: trebuchet; font-size: x-large;">Cordoba was once the Mecca of the Islamic Empire which reflects in much of itâs architectural style. The Mosque-Cathedral is like no other with the combination of the two religious buildings dwelling together. When the Spanish claimed Cordoba, thankfully, they added their cathedral to the Mosque and did not tear down the grandeur of this place so that we continue to be able to see these many centuries later. </span></p><p><span style="background-color: #7f6000; color: #fff2cc; font-family: trebuchet; font-size: x-large;">This place is so magnificent that it would be difficult to really see and appreciate all the details that went into building this so long ago. We thoroughly enjoyed the beautiful architectural designs of each faith and culture that we saw that day. At one point we stopped and prayed together which is something we do daily but it just seemed appropriate to do so in this particular place or should I say sanctuary.</span></p><p><span style="background-color: #7f6000; color: #fff2cc; font-family: trebuchet; font-size: x-large;">Standing outside by the Romanesque bridge at the entrance of the city you could visualize the Roman army marching to and from Cordoba like I have seen depicted in many movies. There is a wonderful charm of this old city because it has been kept so much like it was historically. It is touristy but not so commercialized as we have seen so often in many other places. There is so much more to see and to say about this Pueblo but hopefully I have captured enough to help anyone understand itâs historic heritage to both the Islamic and Spanish cultures.</span></p>Hurricane Empresshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13390608568372223437noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4562031776645758866.post-9557226945370652952024-01-10T15:52:00.000-05:002024-01-10T15:52:00.128-05:00Celebrating Christmas in Spain đȘđž Vlog #110<p><span style="background-color: #783f04; color: #fff2cc; font-family: trebuchet; font-size: x-large;">This is our first year away from our family for the holidays and in another country. We wanted to see Christmas in Europe and share the holidays with my mom who lives in Spain. We had quite a celebration as you will see in the video. What a feast of foods we had for 3 days. It will definitely be a memory we will remember forever. It was a very special time!</span></p><p><span style="background-color: #783f04; color: #fff2cc; font-family: trebuchet; font-size: x-large;">We missed our family and especially our grandkids so we are looking forward to returning home. We always miss them when we are away so that wasnât anything new. Our youngest daughter called us nearly every night during Christmas week so we knew she was struggling with our absence. She has been our main cheerleader in life in supporting us with our travels. She never makes us feel guilty for being away even when we can see she would rather us be near her, always!</span></p><p><span style="background-color: #783f04; color: #fff2cc; font-family: trebuchet; font-size: x-large;">Having my mom and my family from Spain here made Christmas so special for me. I donât believe being away from our own kids and grandkids would have been doable without my extended family here. I am thrilled for the memories made in Spain with family!!!</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="366" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/V6xDF5KJsCs" width="480" youtube-src-id="V6xDF5KJsCs"></iframe></div><br /><span style="background-color: #783f04; color: #fff2cc; font-family: trebuchet; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span><p></p><p><br /></p>Hurricane Empresshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13390608568372223437noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4562031776645758866.post-78318437102983057742024-01-06T07:13:00.001-05:002024-01-18T09:32:50.375-05:00Home for Sale (Retirement Planning)<p><i style="caret-color: rgb(255, 242, 204); color: #fff2cc;"><b><span style="background-color: #7f6000; font-family: trebuchet; font-size: x-large;">Written 1/28/17 as we prepared for retirement in 2018</span></b></i></p><p><span style="background-color: #7f6000; color: #fff2cc; font-family: trebuchet; font-size: x-large;">When we returned from Texas I contacted my cousin who is a realtor in another state to connect me to a good realtor in our area. The realtor in our area was named Sharon and she connected with us right away. All our questions were answered about the sale of our house.</span></p><div dir="ltr" trbidi="on"><span style="background-color: #7f6000; color: #fff2cc; font-family: trebuchet; font-size: x-large;"><span face="Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"><span><br /></span><span>Immediately we put the "For Sale" sign up and the next day over a dozen families came by to look around. Within 24 hours we received 5 bids and decided to take the one that offered us more than the asking price. We had 30 days to pack up the rest of our things and find a place to stay.</span></span><br /><span face="Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"><span><br /></span><span>Fortunately the clean up had already began months before so we were ready to spend the next month eliminating the rest of our things. I continued to give away, donate and sell our things. I knew there wasn't enough time to get rid of 30 years accumulation so I purchased a small storage unit nearby. Each day I filled up the car to go either to the GoodWill or to the storage unit. I stored what I thought we could use at our Beach Bungalow. Within one month we moved those things into the beach bungalow and no longer needed a storage unit. We lived in the Beach Bungalow until retirement and left everything there that we brought because our landlord loved our decor.</span></span><br /><span face="Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"><span><br /></span><span>Using this method to move allowed us not to have to depend on movers or anyone else to help us move. Basically, I moved everything myself with some help from my granddaughters. I left the heavier things for my husband to do. It eliminated us from having too much to do on the day of the move. We were able to spread out the heavy physical stuff to do so that we would not get too worn out.</span></span><br /><span face="Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"><span><br /></span><span>The day of our actual move we were able to get it all in both our vehicles and go to our closing. Afterwards, we got a hotel room nearby and spent the next couple of days resting, relaxing and visiting with friends who came from out of town. A much needed mini-vacation!</span></span></span></div><div dir="ltr" trbidi="on"><span style="font-family: trebuchet;"><span face="Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"><span style="background-color: #7f6000; color: #fff2cc; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></span></span></div><div dir="ltr" trbidi="on"><span style="font-family: trebuchet;"><span face="Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"><span style="background-color: #7f6000; color: #fff2cc; font-size: x-large;">This was our new home on the beach for the next year and a half!</span></span></span></div><div dir="ltr" trbidi="on"><span style="font-family: trebuchet;"><span face="Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"><span style="background-color: #7f6000; color: #fff2cc; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></span></span></div><div dir="ltr" trbidi="on"><span style="font-family: trebuchet;"><span face="Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSSsxLvW6t1q5-lGCLhBjwVI77Qrr8hwPHjf5kIKYLRKv2mbwjiCDDdlC6JgcuqDyW1dl0hyphenhyphennJSdS_NVY2VSvlyNIgnNIwa3Ih7s5xHOLs-wMHRlNWj3BbgXzv_zRP4CfCNVEigl4hK6ZTk0htJnFUYnCc_4SEn9Hy5sx0Oiuvjwme7D_uqbWITqetLYY/s3264/8F3BD27E-91B6-4232-BFD5-1D07F9E36728.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="background-color: #7f6000; color: #fff2cc; font-size: x-large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2448" data-original-width="3264" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSSsxLvW6t1q5-lGCLhBjwVI77Qrr8hwPHjf5kIKYLRKv2mbwjiCDDdlC6JgcuqDyW1dl0hyphenhyphennJSdS_NVY2VSvlyNIgnNIwa3Ih7s5xHOLs-wMHRlNWj3BbgXzv_zRP4CfCNVEigl4hK6ZTk0htJnFUYnCc_4SEn9Hy5sx0Oiuvjwme7D_uqbWITqetLYY/w640-h480/8F3BD27E-91B6-4232-BFD5-1D07F9E36728.jpeg" width="640" /></span></a></div><span style="background-color: #7f6000; color: #fff2cc; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></span></span></div>Hurricane Empresshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13390608568372223437noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4562031776645758866.post-57265821821846781202024-01-06T05:03:00.014-05:002024-02-13T17:05:19.092-05:00Visiting Madrid, Spain<p><span style="background-color: #7f6000; color: #fff2cc; font-family: trebuchet; font-size: x-large;">Madrid is a very large city and very regal with the Royal Palace, Cathedrals, the Opera House and oldest restaurant in the world. There is so much more and those are just a few places that make this city such a great place to visit. Rich in history as in most places in Spain and all of Europe. That is the thrill to me when we visit these ancient cities. Spain was as far back as when the Bible was written and occupied by the Romans. I find that so remarkable!</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="366" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/DFthAuY27eA" width="480" youtube-src-id="DFthAuY27eA"></iframe></div><span style="background-color: #7f6000; color: #fff2cc; font-family: trebuchet; font-size: x-large;"><br /><span><span style="caret-color: rgb(13, 13, 13); white-space: pre-wrap;">Follow us on facebook: <a href="https://www.facebook.com/gypsyrubbert...">https://www.facebook.com/gypsyrubbert...</a>
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Itâs just part of traveling to be flexible because there may be scheduling changes, workers strikes or cancellations. </span></p><p><span style="background-color: #7f6000; color: #fff2cc; font-family: trebuchet; font-size: x-large;">The alerts began with many of our accommodations cancelling. Was there a reason for these cancellations? I have no clue! What could I really do or who could I complain to being overseas anyways. I am an eternal optimist and truly believe that God orchestrates everything better than I am able so I just make the changes. Every change always comes out better than my original plan!</span></p><p><span style="background-color: #7f6000; color: #fff2cc; font-family: trebuchet; font-size: x-large;">A few weeks before our departure I received an alert that our train over the alps may be cancelled due to a war device found near the train tracks which would be closed down now. Getting on an Italian website to find our exact train changes proved to be challenging. Our train was now going through the alps instead of over the alps for safety and I have to say that the views did not disappoint at all.</span></p><p><span style="background-color: #7f6000; color: #fff2cc; font-family: trebuchet; font-size: x-large;">The alert we received our first week in Europe was in Lisbon, Portugal where our apartment was 1 block from the sea. It was midnight and my phone showed that the area where we were staying was under a severe coastal event warning. They warned that the waves could be as high as 27 feet. The warning stated that it was life threatening and we had 1 hour to take action. My husband was asleep, I looked outside and the concert was still going on at the shore front. No one was clamoring for higher ground so I decided to go to sleep instead. Normally I have an extreme sense of urgency as anyone who has lived near me in Florida knows. But this isnât Florida so I knew there was a 50/50 chance this was nothing and I didnât have a plan B anyways. Needless to say, it was a false alarm!</span></p><p><span style="background-color: #7f6000; color: #fff2cc; font-family: trebuchet; font-size: x-large;">Our second week in Europe also came with alerts from the United States that Italyâs travel advisory levels had increased due to itâs homegrown terrorist. We rarely ever see police presence here in Europe and according to the locals it is because most of them are undercover and all around the cities. Our trip to Italy had a lot of police, Civil Guard and Army presence all carrying machine guns. I try to avoid visiting countries where there are soldiers with machine guns walking around. Doesnât that scream âDanger Will Robinsonâ to you? This was a first for us and we knew it was due to the same alert we had received from the United States. We couldnât wait to get out of Italy!</span></p><p><span style="background-color: #7f6000; color: #fff2cc; font-family: trebuchet; font-size: x-large;">I donât usually write the negatives of traveling because I believe people are already afraid to travel outside their comfort zone and should be encouraged to try anyways. To me, so many things are better understood and appreciated when you travel. I never travel just to see places but instead to live like the locals and get a better understanding and knowledge of other cultures. Growing up in 5 countries and 3 different continents before the age of 10 allowed me to see and understand the world so differently than my own children. When we only see what is directly in front of us we miss out on what is all around us!</span></p><p><span style="background-color: #7f6000; color: #fff2cc; font-family: trebuchet; font-size: x-large;">I want to encourage your sense of adventure in spite of all the alerts and enjoy your travels. Even our worst experiences with traveling have taught us so much more than had we not gone in the first place. We donât regret the not so gone to plan journeys because they have been as much a good memory or even a more laughable memory than the perfect ones!</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLfYywhyphenhyphenxDap4zq20SJA1Mhv7StuelLDIt_8glDZIKYsnMn8XO8v9jLFeLpG8M4lQoSG08vP9uDsZD0u17IvYHGymvYtxYQ6cKNnKXi7Qz9wwbGnZB1kIF3IGPMjYYKa6Xn9C17ZN8VX6PAzB_J5Ewml8tDOvDxUgdLOG47nGcFdN1_tTkzmj7BYSMkqE/s1656/3FDEFF28-0334-4D1F-8EA7-19714F2C86BB.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="background-color: #7f6000; color: #fff2cc; font-family: trebuchet; font-size: x-large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1656" data-original-width="1369" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLfYywhyphenhyphenxDap4zq20SJA1Mhv7StuelLDIt_8glDZIKYsnMn8XO8v9jLFeLpG8M4lQoSG08vP9uDsZD0u17IvYHGymvYtxYQ6cKNnKXi7Qz9wwbGnZB1kIF3IGPMjYYKa6Xn9C17ZN8VX6PAzB_J5Ewml8tDOvDxUgdLOG47nGcFdN1_tTkzmj7BYSMkqE/w530-h640/3FDEFF28-0334-4D1F-8EA7-19714F2C86BB.jpeg" width="530" /></span></a></div><span style="background-color: #7f6000; color: #fff2cc; font-family: trebuchet; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>Hurricane Empresshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13390608568372223437noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4562031776645758866.post-71998406677335909952023-12-03T18:30:00.016-05:002024-01-18T09:33:03.413-05:00New Beginnings! (Retirement Planning)<p><span style="color: #fff2cc; font-family: trebuchet; font-size: x-large;"><b><u style="background-color: #7f6000;">Written February 6, 2017 as we were planning for retirement:</u></b></span></p><p><span style="background-color: #7f6000; color: #fff2cc; font-family: trebuchet; font-size: x-large;"> <i><b><span face="Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">George Turner the lead character in the Australian/New Zealand show 800 Words writes...."Because endings are, by definition, finite...whereas new beginnings bring infinite possibilities."</span></b></i></span></p><span style="background-color: #7f6000; color: #fff2cc; font-family: trebuchet; font-size: x-large;"><span face="Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"><span><br /></span><span>There is so much fear in change but yet how often are we having to experience it in life? You would think with all the practice we have with change that we would embrace it better. Leaving our home of 30 years was an ending I never considered. It is also the beginning of a new life together for new things, new experiences, new normals which seems pretty exciting to me. </span></span><br /><span face="Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"><span><br /></span><span>The best part of our new beginning together is the sense of newness in our relationship. We have been raising kids and grandkids for so many years now and grateful to have them in our life. Now it is just us and it is such a change in our own thought processes. We go to the beach to sit and talk! It seems so strange to have each others undivided attention and we love that about this time in our life.</span></span><br /><span face="Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"><span><br /></span><span>Planning things together and making new memories has been such a treat and we never dreamed that we would ever have this opportunity. We have precious memories with our kids and grandkids and looking forward to precious memories together! </span></span><br /><span><br /></span><br /></span><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #fff2cc; font-family: trebuchet; font-size: x-large;"><i style="background-color: #7f6000;">We are enjoying our sunsets on the beach!</i></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0WGUfozGsNp_ObD0vwGgl58gDZuJEaCeyZKDm4A6DxL6e1AKw0saiCKt3p5_xsmmkpwFruVd_PeGC3KRM50J-SolNfvBw7CnddR_8-2pTv7HY1jzbGkSXUDVO6x2CYEexhJOenDmrmHs/s1600/17505335_10212376079498733_6057128164073881706_o.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="background-color: #7f6000; color: #fff2cc; font-family: trebuchet; font-size: x-large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="830" data-original-width="1600" height="330" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0WGUfozGsNp_ObD0vwGgl58gDZuJEaCeyZKDm4A6DxL6e1AKw0saiCKt3p5_xsmmkpwFruVd_PeGC3KRM50J-SolNfvBw7CnddR_8-2pTv7HY1jzbGkSXUDVO6x2CYEexhJOenDmrmHs/s640/17505335_10212376079498733_6057128164073881706_o.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div><div><br /></div>Hurricane Empresshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13390608568372223437noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4562031776645758866.post-28432225146150350332023-11-26T18:30:00.009-05:002024-01-01T21:49:10.748-05:00Exploring Lisbon, Portugal đ”đč 2023 Vlog #107<p><span style="background-color: #7f6000; color: #fff2cc; font-family: trebuchet; font-size: x-large;"> Lisbon is one of our very favorite places to visit when we go to Europe. If you have never traveled abroad then I would recommend you begin in Lisbon. It is definitely the most tourist friendly city and most people speak English which makes it easier for those who donât speak any other languages. We used to pass through Lisbon as a stopover to Malaga. We found the airport to be so easy to navigate and no language barriers that gave us the confidence to try a visit our next trip to Europe years ago. It did not disappoint!</span></p><p><span style="background-color: #7f6000; color: #fff2cc; font-family: trebuchet; font-size: x-large;">We first stayed at Eurostar Lisboa Parque <a href="https://maps.app.goo.gl/QWpNrcipDqtNZMRW8?g_st=ic">https://maps.app.goo.gl/QWpNrcipDqtNZMRW8?g_st=ic</a> which was definitely one of the nicest hotels we have ever been to. The service was first-class and it was near many stores and restaurants. Our favorite local restaurant which is just a 3 minute walk is O Cach Dourdo <a href="https://maps.app.goo.gl/QWpNrcipDqtNZMRW8?g_st=ic">https://maps.app.goo.gl/QWpNrcipDqtNZMRW8?g_st=ic</a> The food is typical Portuguese and the staff there make you feel like family. We couldnât wait to take our daughter and her fiancĂ© there when we visited last year. We will be going back to Lisbon in January and already have plans to eat there our first night. We canât wait!!!</span></p><p><span style="background-color: #7f6000; color: #fff2cc; font-family: trebuchet; font-size: x-large;">This video gives you an idea of how we pack for a 3 month trip and prepare ourselves for walking cobblestones and keeping it simple. A larger suitcase and too many bags will make our trip miserable not to mention hard on us physically. There is a lot of walking in Europe because the taxis cannot always get directly to our hotel. Plus, many times we have found the escalators at the airport, train stations and metros to be broken down. Then you have to be prepared to walk up or down at least 50 to 300 steps which is already a challenge with small luggage.</span></p><p><span style="background-color: #7f6000; color: #fff2cc; font-family: trebuchet; font-size: x-large;">We share in this video some of the Portuguese authentic foods and drink:</span></p><p><span style="background-color: #7f6000; color: #fff2cc; font-family: trebuchet; font-size: x-large;">Cherry drink from Ginjinha Sem Rival - <a href="https://maps.app.goo.gl/2qJA1eYX71vckLcv7?g_st=ic">https://maps.app.goo.gl/2qJA1eYX71vckLcv7?g_st=ic</a></span></p><p><span style="background-color: #7f6000; color: #fff2cc; font-family: trebuchet; font-size: x-large;">Casa Brasileira - <a href="https://maps.app.goo.gl/t2Uyc4mLUazyebwCA?g_st=ic">https://maps.app.goo.gl/t2Uyc4mLUazyebwCA?g_st=ic</a></span></p><p><span style="background-color: #7f6000; color: #fff2cc; font-family: trebuchet; font-size: x-large;">A Tendinha do Rossini - <a href="https://maps.app.goo.gl/BdPnTMwEcLDcjZ7M7?g_st=ic">https://maps.app.goo.gl/BdPnTMwEcLDcjZ7M7?g_st=ic</a></span></p><p><span style="background-color: #7f6000; color: #fff2cc; font-family: trebuchet; font-size: x-large;">Paul Bakery - <a href="https://maps.app.goo.gl/5Q8PDKCf25snq2gu6?g_st=ic">https://maps.app.goo.gl/5Q8PDKCf25snq2gu6?g_st=ic</a></span></p><p><span style="background-color: #7f6000; color: #fff2cc; font-family: trebuchet; font-size: x-large;">We share beautiful historical places to visit:</span></p><p><span style="background-color: #7f6000; color: #fff2cc; font-family: trebuchet; font-size: x-large;">Church of Saint Dominic - <a href="https://maps.app.goo.gl/B4cXQoc1AT4d8VJN8?g_st=ic">https://maps.app.goo.gl/B4cXQoc1AT4d8VJN8?g_st=ic</a> </span></p><p><span style="background-color: #7f6000; color: #fff2cc; font-family: trebuchet; font-size: x-large;">Miradouro das Portas do Sol - <a href="https://maps.app.goo.gl/KpK4abdY56RBfR4TA?g_st=ic">https://maps.app.goo.gl/KpK4abdY56RBfR4TA?g_st=ic</a></span></p><p><span style="background-color: #7f6000; color: #fff2cc; font-family: trebuchet; font-size: x-large;">Carmo Convent - <a href="https://maps.app.goo.gl/Ao8Kab2n9uKjhJQD6?g_st=ic">https://maps.app.goo.gl/Ao8Kab2n9uKjhJQD6?g_st=ic</a></span></p><p><span style="background-color: #7f6000; color: #fff2cc; font-family: trebuchet; font-size: x-large;">Arco da Rua Augusta - <a href="https://maps.app.goo.gl/yJnTfUYdZAwkkZhv8?g_st=ic">https://maps.app.goo.gl/yJnTfUYdZAwkkZhv8?g_st=ic</a></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: #7f6000; color: #fff2cc; font-family: trebuchet; font-size: x-large;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="366" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/_QYWXM8xcmk" width="480" youtube-src-id="_QYWXM8xcmk"></iframe></span></div><span style="background-color: #7f6000; color: #fff2cc; font-family: trebuchet; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span><p><span style="background-color: #7f6000; color: #fff2cc; font-family: trebuchet; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="background-color: #7f6000; color: #fff2cc; font-family: trebuchet; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="background-color: #7f6000; color: #fff2cc; font-family: trebuchet; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></p><p><br /></p>Hurricane Empresshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13390608568372223437noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4562031776645758866.post-51823665791187575422023-11-19T18:30:00.005-05:002024-01-18T09:33:13.643-05:00Debris (Retirement Planning)<p><span style="color: #fff2cc; font-family: trebuchet; font-size: x-large;"><b><u style="background-color: #7f6000;">Written January 29, 2017 as we were preparing for retirement:</u></b></span></p><div dir="ltr" trbidi="on"><span style="background-color: #7f6000; color: #fff2cc; font-family: trebuchet; font-size: x-large;"><span><span face="Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">A quote from Ladies of Letters - Vera writes: Dear Irene, "I'm not one to over-dramatize as you know; but sitting surrounded by the debris of my life I feel this is the end of it." I found the children's toys, a one eared teddy, a rabbit, a monkey abandoned under the stairs......as she sobbed with grief cleaning out her home where her children grew up.....</span><br /></span><span><span><br /></span><span>We have one car load left of our own debris to be dropped off at the nearest donation center. The last of our treasures and memories that we just were not able to sell or find a home for but has loads of sentimental memories for us. Family heirlooms that we just cannot take with us and need to let go of and move forward.</span></span><br /><span><span><br /></span><span>This seems to be the area that most people struggle with when they hear about our journey. I have had many ask me, how did you feel? Or say, I wouldn't be able to let go of my families things. I certainly understand completely because this is not anything I ever planned as I was putting my home together with all my precious treasures handed down to me. How did I feel? Sad of course and it triggered grief especially if it was my dads since he passed away nearly 30 years ago.</span></span><br /><span><span><br /></span><span>Most of the time I did this alone so I could process my own feelings. One particular day we needed to make more room in our car so I went with my husband who could see the pain in my face. That was a difficult day but not impossible. Grief comes even when you are not giving away your family heirlooms. I explained to him that it just triggers the grief which I have to process as it comes. A walk on the beach can trigger my grief when I think about someone but I don't stop walking on the beach. It brings me more joy than grief but I am aware that it may also make me think of loss. That sense of loss or grief will not be contained if I don't ever let go of things - it comes, quite naturally when and where I least expect.</span></span><br /><span><span><br /></span><span>This has made me very much aware of my grief and embracing it each time I find it difficult to release something from the past. The joy of not being surrounded by the debris of my life is actually more liberating and less time consuming. It's not for everyone and especially those who have just lost someone close to them because the grief is too raw. Timing is everything and it just happens to be the right time in my own life to let go......of my own sentimental and treasured debris!</span></span></span></div><div dir="ltr" trbidi="on"><span style="background-color: #7f6000; color: #fff2cc; font-family: trebuchet; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: center;" trbidi="on"><span style="background-color: #7f6000; color: #fff2cc; font-family: trebuchet; font-size: x-large;">Itâs just stuff</span></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: center;" trbidi="on"><span style="background-color: #7f6000; color: #fff2cc; font-family: trebuchet; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: center;" trbidi="on"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjonn4Gh9K6fGERVhLgTDCC2KbP_s9GaF7faDVaOcIKn9LbLUtKL4cUNjwD6mhwg_RALyInLEqCYoIDQAXIrT0Bk0UnZsS3Yl2PJP0RGOEQzLqVkEmbjioKH8nOXmnTqsyu5CLnLJfQllAZROZgVjDO8sDtQZxaxCN690dfrYr2uuEgfaQ7Lr8CYtV7I9o/s4032/C21C44A9-22D5-4D34-8B8B-4F90574A9504.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="background-color: #7f6000; color: #fff2cc; font-family: trebuchet; font-size: x-large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjonn4Gh9K6fGERVhLgTDCC2KbP_s9GaF7faDVaOcIKn9LbLUtKL4cUNjwD6mhwg_RALyInLEqCYoIDQAXIrT0Bk0UnZsS3Yl2PJP0RGOEQzLqVkEmbjioKH8nOXmnTqsyu5CLnLJfQllAZROZgVjDO8sDtQZxaxCN690dfrYr2uuEgfaQ7Lr8CYtV7I9o/w640-h480/C21C44A9-22D5-4D34-8B8B-4F90574A9504.jpeg" width="640" /></span></a></div><span style="background-color: #7f6000; color: #fff2cc; font-family: trebuchet; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: #7f6000; color: #fff2cc; font-family: trebuchet; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></div></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: center;" trbidi="on"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>Hurricane Empresshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13390608568372223437noreply@blogger.com0