Travel Tuesday: The J Half Speaks

On our last night in Florence, I asked Hubs if I could interview him for my blog. You'll see how that turned out.

So, Hubs. How do you feel about a little interview for my blog?
Hubs: Mm, okay. Softball questions?

I don't know much about softball, so how about some travel questions?
Hubs: *eyeroll* Mm, I'll try.

Have you enjoyed our trip so far?
Hubs: Is that a question for me?

No one else is here and I'm asking the questions, remember?
Hubs: Oh. Yes.

How many times have you wished you came alone?
Hubs: Zero. A better question might be how many times I wish we'd included an Italian speaker in our group.

Again. My interview. I get to ask the questions.
Hubs: Yes, but the answers are mine.
     I'm not making this up, folks.

Clothing Review: 31 Days in Europe

A fashion maven, I am not. I cannot tell you how to best dress for a formal event, though I do have tips on camping, hiking, and travel. I took the perfect (for me) clothes to Europe for our trip. I wanted to share in case you're in the market for travel and warm weather worthy clothes. All images below are from the vendor's respective websites. I have included links in each caption to the product page. This is not a sponsored post.

Grateful

It it Memorial Day weekend in the United States, which means many offices are closed, giving those employees a 3-day weekend. Retail establishments and restaurants almost never close, so there are big sales on various yard and garden stuff, clothes, etc.

Memorial Day is the unofficial beginning of summer in the US. Across the country, people look to this weekend as the first days of summer relaxation, backyard barbecues, and pool time.

The CEO of my company sent out a message to all employees yesterday, including an audio message to remind us what this weekend is about. It is about family, friends, fun, and sunscreen, sure. But in its essence, (from Wikipedia) Memorial Day is a day of remembering the men and women who died while serving in the United States Armed Forces.

Word Nerd Wednesday

I'm a bit of a word nerd (though I'm not The Word Nerd!) and I think about words more than I imagine the average person might. But I don't think about them in etymological ways (oof, there's a word for ya!) I think about them in context with their companions, and in their usage. I think about whether they're used correctly, and whether they're conveying what I think the writer is trying to convey in the simplest, most powerful way. I mentally edit everything I read, and sometimes I share suggested edits with the author. I do not judge.

Except when it comes to professional publications. Then I get all bent when I see the incorrect use of their/they're/there or you're/your.

Since participating in the Pueblo Inglés program, I'm more forgiving on individuals and less on businesses and pieces of professional writing. Learning another language is hard work. Learning another language when you see a host of incorrect examples is brutal and defeating.

Travel Tuesday: Europe 2012 by the numbers

We have been home since Saturday and I have at least 4 stories to tell. Maybe more. :-)

Things will be back to a groove around here soon, though I can't promise it'll feel like it used to. Somehow, I'm pretty sure Europe and the people I met changed me. I am bogged down in all kinds of post-travel things and thought you might be interested in these number that keep bobbling around in my head. Here are some stats to entertain (or bore) you.

Sneak Peek: Firenze

Hubs took several photos and smooshed them together using some program I don't entirely understand. Something about HDR something or other.

I liked the effect on this photo and wanted to share. This is from Piazzale Michelangelo around sunset. Enjoy!

Naming Conventions

I have so much I want to share about our trip. But as I'm using a mobile Blogger app on my phone, and I haven't been able to properly edit photos, that will just have to wait.

photo from morguefile.com by arundo.

Socks and Sandals

For Larissa. This was in the window of Chanel in Florence. Ay, dios mio!

Moms

It's Mother's Day in the USA, which means it is almost required of a person who blogs to at least mention a Mom, if one posts this weekend. This is going to be a long one.

If you've been here before, you already know the story of my Mom. If you're new, feel free to read a little about her. She was pretty awesome.

Today, my focus is on the Moms who did not give birth to me.

My First Love

It's hard for me to talk about my first time. Perhaps that's because I was so young, I barely remember it now. But if I concentrate, if I let go of my list of should and could and wish-I-had, I can assemble the scene in my mind's eye.

The struggle to find words, the desire to make the most of a connection, the knowledge that this, too, shall pass ... this is all part of how and why I fell in love. Knowing it could never last, but that maybe it would if we worked hard enough. If we paid enough attention, if we learned the right words, took the right classes, and tried hard enough, maybe it would last.

source: morguefile.com

More Fashion Tips

I just can't stop sharing these nuggets for my predominately US-based readers. (Hello South Africa and Peru! You can read too, if you want to learn how to be fashionable in Spain and Italy. :-)

Fashion Tips: Europe Edition

This may shock some of you, so please have a seat. Sitting? Okay.

I am not a fashion maven. I don't wear heels, or sparkly things, or much makeup. Except on vacation. Then I wear no makeup and simply rely on a sunkissed glow to keep others from thinking the zombie apocalypse has begun (nod to The Bloggess, whose memoir I finished -through tears of laughter- on the train) based on my fair complexion (el color de una fantasma).

Anyway, here are a few tips I've learned in Spain and Italy these past few weeks:

• Dark colored (or neon green) tights (nylons? pantyhose?), with or without patterns, are not only acceptable, but expected, under a pair of denim shorts. There is no age discrimination here. You may, if you choose, wear a skirt instead.
• You may wear a sheer top if you wish, but you may only wear a bra underneath. Tank tops or camisoles, apparently, are for tourists.
• You must wear boots all the time. Or impossibly high strappy sandals that make your feet fat squish out and my ankles cry in sympathy pains.

Those are all the fashion tips I have for now. Stay tuned for more European tips as I find WiFi spots with my Blogger app.

I Survived April 2012: A-Z Challenge Wrap

I made it! I wrote a blog post corresponding to a letter in the alphabet in April 2012. Keep in mind that I left the country April 18, so wrote posts before I left, or blogged from across the pond.Whew!

Dejando mi corazón en España (y Catalunya!)

I arrived in Madrid, Spain on a warm afternoon 2.5 weeks ago feeling wide-eyed, a little travel-weary, and without expectations for the coming adventure. In looking at my itinerary, I was looking most forward to the time when I'd be in Italy with my husband.

Tonight, less than 12 hours before we leave Spain for Italy, I'm confused. My emotions are a mix of contentment, excitement, trepidation, and wonder.

These past 2 weeks have been a blur. I spent 8 days with incredible Spanish (and Argentinian!) people learning and practicing their English, and with Canadians, Australians, Brits, Indians, and Americans willing to lend a hand and be the experts on our mother tongue (why they trusted me, I'm still not sure!). I made friendships that will last, and I cried when we all went our separate ways at the end of the week.

I walked around Madrid for a day with some of my new friends, freezing and popping in and out of cafes together, eating tapas style and attempting to avoid the worst of the rain and cold. Then Hubs arrived in Madrid and we did more of the same. Sightseeing, eating, walking.

We then spent a few days in Sevilla, where we took hundreds of photos, walked dozens of miles, and learned to love the bus system. I also spent a few days nursing a case of Traveler's Tummy, but it was minor enough to be treated with a few naps and a relatively bland diet.

Pueblo Inglés in a Nutshell

Before I summarize my experience, I must express my bias. My time with Pueblo Inglés was a total blast. I loved every minute, even the slightly sleep-deprived ones. If you like people, if you like making friends, and if you don't mind chatting away and helping other folks with their mastery of English, do it.

Friday morning, after an odd night in a hostel, I opted to take a taxi to the bus meeting point. I saw a group of people chatting away on the corner and approached slowly, unsure of myself. When I heard them speaking English vibrantly, I knew I'd found my companions for the next 8 days. More people joined us, both English and Spanish speaking and we boarded a bus bound for La Alberca, a picturesque village west of Salamanca.