Sunday, July 27, 2008

The Blues . . . and Spanish Flavors

The cool one does the Blues! Very steamy, so if you dare check THIS out!

So, here's a little Spanish flavor for you . . . in Madrid, I'll be sampling some tasty churros so check out the photos on Gerry Dawes's blog entry on the very famous San Gines Churreria. And their hours are 6pm to 7am Mondays through Sunday! I've read that people in Madrid stay up pretty late! In Sevilla ... I'll be checking out a couple of recommendations from THIS wonderful Sevilla Tapas Blog . . . and in Granada, I'll be checking out Numbers 7 and 8 from THIS article! And they have live music too . . . Can you stand it?

I'm about half way done on my MUST SEE lists for all the cities and towns I'll be visiting. I'll be seeing some pretty famous monuments, beautiful cathedrals and churches, great plazas to relax in and as you can see great places to eat at.

According to my countdown clock, I have exactly 102 days until blast off! Whoo, hoo! BTW, I notice that Sandra has her Countdown clock up for her trip in 48 days too, both of which were inspired by Girasoli's countdown clock to Italy.

And if you're asking yourself what does the "Cool One's" blues and my Spain trip have to do with one another? The answer . . . Absolutely nothing! The two topics just sort of popped into my head at the same time.

Well, yesterday was a long day out so I'm glad that I'm just going to have a relax day in today. I'm going to head out to blockbuster later in search of three very famous Spanish films that were recommended by Sandra and Maria from ST. Volver and Hable con ella by Pedro Amodovar and Mar Adentro (all award winning films). Maybe I'll get lucky and find at least one or two of them available to rent.

Hasta Luego!

22 comments:

  1. It's fun to watch your trip planning! I'm enjoying it. :)

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  2. I had no idea the "cool one" played the blues - awesome clip!

    Spain looks so wonderful. I am still having second thoughts about Florence. Much as I love that city, I am really feeling a pull to go somewhere new. The London-Pisa leg of my air travel was only $120 so not such a big deal to switch gears on location at that price. I was looking at Toulouse recently and that is a neat sounding city. Argh, I can't make up my mind...Dave and the girls are constantly pointing and laughing these days at my daily location changes! Perhaps this is the downside of solo travel...too much ability for changing one's mind!

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  3. Hi Anne, thanks for your comments. Well, the Cool One is definitely versatile and well . . . a "genius"! :)

    Wow, I didn't know that you have been thinking of changing your destination . . . Where's Toulhouse? I looked it up and it says southern France. If that's the place, it looks gorgeous!

    I can see why you are torn. Both places are very beautiful! When I feel torn with a decision like that, sometimes I have to rely on my gut instincts.

    One really great thing about solo traveling . . . you can definitely make the trip what you want it to be and that includes changing your mind without having to consult with anyone. :)

    BTW, sorry that you'll miss the 08-08-08 opening ceremony, but I think you have a very good excuse!

    I'll be looking forward to hearing about what your travel decision will be. Have a great week!

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  4. Hi Leslie, thanks so much for your comments! I've been having a great time planning it.

    I've been really enjoying reading your blog a lot. And I love all your digital photo scrapebook designs. So cool!

    Have a great week!

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  5. He IS a genuis, no doubt about it!

    And tapas....yum! I've never been to Spain but I have had some tapas at Spanish restaurants in the states...so good. I can't wait to hear about your experiences!

    Have a great week!

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  6. Hi Annie, he truly IS! And Shiela E was awesome too!

    Tapas bar hoping will definitely be fun! I can't wait.

    I can't wait for my experiences too. I can feel that pre-trip excitement building already!

    Have a great week too!

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  7. I’ve been having connection and computer problems lately so I couldn’t see the video or the Guardian article but will check them after we solve the problem.
    Churros are a wonderful thing to eat with rich, hot chocolate. I grew up eating them and I think I ate so many in my childhood that now I can have just a bite or two. My husband, on the other hand, can eat them by the pound. That place in Madrid looks so dangerous for serious churros eaters.
    I love tapas! You’re going to enjoy going to the bars. Spanish bars are very different from the Italian ones.
    I see the countdown clock and you’re 101 days away from your Spanish adventure. I sense the excitement in your posts and on your trip planning page. I’m still trying to come up with an itinerary. We know we’re going to Seville, Cordoba, Granada and Cadiz but haven’t decided yet in what order will see them. I think we’re leaving about October 15 so that will put us about 79 days away. I guess I should come up with an itinerary by this coming weekend.
    Did you find any of the movies at Blockbusters?

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  8. Me too. Want to hear more about the tapas and see photos. 101 days now!!

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  9. Hi Maria, sorry about your connection and computer problems. If you like the blues you will love that video. I hook my laptop up to a stereo speaker so as you can imagine it sounds fantastic.

    I'm very excited to read that you have set your date. Your itinerary looks great. That's going to be such a special trip for you and your husband. It'll probably bring back so many memories of your family trips back in 1981. I'm very happy for you.

    I think that place in Madrid looks pretty cool, so if it is somewhere close, I will have to swing by! :) I think I'll enjoy visiting those famous Tapas bars . . . I can stop by in between all my sightseeing Must Sees!

    And since I read your comments this morning my take off is now at a nice mile marker of 100 Days! So exciting.

    Unfortunately, I didn't have much luck finding any of the three movies at the two nearby Blockbusters by my house. So I will need to sign up for Net Flix afterall. I just looked it up and they have a free trial thing going on. Maybe I'll try it and if I like it I can continue. It seems more convenient then going to Blockbusters. I'll definitely post when I am able watch them. Thanks again for the recommendations and I will let you know what I thought of them. They seem like pretty good movies, so I'm sure that I will enjoy watching them.

    Thanks again for your comments and have fun with your trip planning.

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  10. Hi Girasoli, 100 Days and counting now! :)

    And yes, if I find any more photos in my research, I'll be posting about them.


    Thanks for your comments!

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  11. Hey Kathy, I just heard about the L.A. earthquake and was glad to see that you posted on the Slow Trav board to say that you are okay!

    I've never experienced a quake but have gone through several hurricanes. Scary!

    And I just joined netflix this year....I love it! It's so convenient, saves gas, it's fun to surf their site and see what they have, AND they have such a wide selection. I highly recommend it!

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  12. Hi Annie, thanks for your comments and concern. Yes, we were definitely shaking and rolling here in Southern California. It lasted longer than usual so that part was kind of surprising to all of us. I logged onto ST shortly after the quake hit and I immediately saw Shannon's post so I wanted to check in too and send my best wishes to the other LA members. That was pretty cool of Shannon to post that thread. I think I wrote my post so soon after the quake, I don't even remember what I said or if it made any sense! :) I had to rush because my phone started ringing off the hook! :)

    I don't think I would be happy experiencing a hurricane either so I'm sorry that you had to experience several of those.

    Thanks for your recommendations on Netflix. Maria said she uses it too. I signed up and put all three movies in my order queue. Very Cool!

    Thanks again.

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  13. Glad to hear that you and all ST'ers in CA are okay. I've been through earthquakes in Mexico City and hurricanes in Puerto Rico and know how scary both are. Stay safe!

    I made a list in Netflix of a number of Spanish movies I want to watch before we leave for Spain. I'll pass along the titles as I see them along with a thumbs up or down.

    99 Days! Happy Wednesday!

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  14. Hi Maria, thanks for your comments and concern. I'm glad there were no major damages or injuries. Whew!

    I can't imagine having to experience both an earthquake and a hurricane. What terrible experiences that must have been. I hope mother nature will be kind to all of us for the rest of this year, next year and the year after and so on . . .

    That would be so great if you can pass on those movie titles. I would totally trust your opinion on them. Now that I have a netflix account I can add them to my queue.

    99 days and counting! Whoo Hoo! I'll have to admit that sometimes I log on in the morning before I go to work just to check my countdown clock! :)

    Have a nice evening!

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  15. And now it's 98 days! That is really not that long at all.

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  16. Last night I saw El viaje De Carol, a sweet movie about a Spanish-American girl who returns to Spain during the Spanish Civil War. I loved this bittersweet movie filmed in northern Spain – Galicia and Cantabria - and in Portugal. The scenery is beautiful and the countryside is very lush and green, since it rains so much in that part of Spain; very different from the southern section of the Iberian peninsula. I wouldn’t recommend it as a pre-trip film but it’s a good movie to watch maybe after the trip. Next up: Al sur de Granada.

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  17. Hi Annie, 98 days!! Whoo hoo . . . And tomorrow I'm off . . . Double Whoo Hoo! I love long weekends!:)

    BTW, how's little Miss Sticky Paws doing? I know that Lulu is always going to be cool, but I can't help but think what your little wild child may be up to these days! :)

    Have an awesome weekend!

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  18. Hi Maria, your review sounds fantastic. I'll make note of El viaje De Carol to put it in my queue. I don't mind watching it pre-trip either even if I'm not going to be going to Northern Spain. The storyline sounds interesting and I would love to see the beauty of Northern Spain and portugual. Maybe on my next trip (and there will be a next trip) to Spain I can visit there.

    I'll wait for your review before I put Al sur de Granada into my queue. Thanks so much for feeding me these reviews. It really helps me a lot since I only signed up for the cheapest plan of only two movies a month through Netflix! Your reviews will definitely help me to use my two choices up for only the great movies.

    I got an e-mail from Netflix that they mailed my first movie. I ordered Mar Adentro as my first choice and Volver as my second and Hable con ella as my third selection.

    This is so cool! Thanks again for your help.

    Have an awesome weekend!

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  19. Hi Kathy, Maria is doing great! She's growing so fast it seems that she is bigger every day when I get home from work. I'll have to post some new photos soon. And she is still a mess - she has started climbing things and knocking things over, but she's so cute and sweet I can't get mad at her!

    Hope you're having a nice weekend!

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  20. Kathy, wow -- I'm looking at your countdown clock, just 95 days until your trip. Fantastic!

    I feel like I'm learning so much from your blog -- I had no idea Prince was playing jazz AND blues! I hadn't before heard of churros and they look/sound incredible. I love tapas and the Guardian article makes me want to visit (and eat in) Spain more than ever.

    Good luck with Netflix. I joined a similar type of service in Canada a few years ago and I really love it. Zip.ca (the service up here) has an extensive library of foreign films and older films that you generally can't find in video stores.

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  21. Hi Annie, I'm glad Maria is doing well. I would love to see more photos of her and Lulu. It's so great that they're are getting along so well too!

    I had a great weekend, especially since I had that extra day!:) Hope your weekend was great too!

    Take care!

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  22. Hi Sandra, yes, 95 days . . . Whoo Hoo. And at 40 days, you're getting pretty close yourself. How very exciting for you! Hope your planning is going well for you.

    I can teach you anything you want to know about Prince! :) He's an incredible live performer. I once dragged 3 of my friends with me to Vegas to catch one of his concerts! Actually, one of them was a willing participant. The other two went along for the quick weekend getaway! :)

    It's been so much fun learning everything about Spain myself. I'm so glad you're also finding it interesting too!

    Yes, I think Netflix sounds very similar to your service. Within a day of signing up they e-mailed me that they sent out my first choice and once I return it, my next choice in my queue came very quickly! I love it!

    Thanks again, by the way for your recommendation of Volver! Maria also recommended it.

    Have a great week and hope your trip planning is going smoothly for you. Gosh in only 40 days you'll be in Beautiful Italy, Whoo Hoo!

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It's me Trekcapri (aka Kathy). Thanks so much for visiting and leaving a comment.