Month: May 2019

Zimbabwe, Zambia, Botswana, South Africa Day #3 “On Our Way to Zimbabwe, Good Bye For a Week?” May 25, 2019.

by reissmd, posted in Africa

Today we leave for Zimbabwe. We have been told to report to the lobby by 8:30 am to head to the airport which is a 3 minute drive in order to be there in time for our 11:25 am flight. Looks like we are in for a “hurry up and wait” day. The bad news is that this might be the last you’ll hear from me for a week. I’m told that the WiFi service for the next week will be poor, at best.

We had a great day yesterday after arrival. As I mentioned our pick up at the airport and delivery to the hotel went very smoothly. Since we arrived early we arranged a tour of Johannesburg and Soweto. The tour was 4 hours and only 2 other people signed up so it was very comfortable. Our guide (who introduced himself as “Prosper”) was magnificent. He was an excellent driver and very knowledgeable about Johannesburg.

Prosper talked to us about the Europeans entry to South Africa, the discovery of gold and diamonds. I’m sure it’s not surprising to learn that the influx of foreigners was closely related to the discovery of those two precious items. Prosper also told us about the history of apartheid and the transition from minority white rule to majority African rule. We got to see the homes of Nelson Mandela and Desmond Tutu. We also visited some very depressing housing areas and a museum dedicated to the 600 children killed during a protest on June 16, 1976. It was a very interesting and sobering 4 hours.

Prosper, Patrice, and Robert on our tour bus.
Housing, minutes from Johannesburg.
Closer look at same area.
Nelson Mandela’s home.
Desmond Tutu’s home.
Apparently this young man thought that Bishop Tutu’s home was a urinal.

We are ready to board our flight to Zimbabwe. I hope I can send you some pictures tomorrow. If not enjoy the respite from my rambling while you can.

Zimbabwe, Zambia, Botswana, South Africa Day #2 “?” May 23 and 24, 2019.

by reissmd, posted in Africa, Uncategorized

Although we were put through hell yesterday (or was that today?) the flight on Virgin Atlantic was spectacular. We had very comfy seats that converted into beds. It wasn’t that the seat reclined but rather the seat converted to a bed. The flight attendant had to help with the transition. I got 4 hours sleep which is darn good for me on a plane. I’m hoping to get a few more on our next flight.

The flight crew was great. They were very attentive although at times a bit hard to understand. During the meal service one of the flight attendants asked if I “had your starta yet?” She repeated this about 4 times before I realized she was asking “Have you had your starter yet?” It still took me a moment to understand that she was asking if I had my appetizer (starter) yet. After finishing my starter I tried to grab the fork as the attendant was taking the plate. She said “Don’t worry about that, I bring you a clean one”. It felt like fine dining at 37,000 feet. Although the flight staff was very caring they did seem a bit ditsy at times. For example they brought Patrice’s dessert but never brought mine. Either they forgot or possibly they were aware that I’ve put on 7 pounds since starting this travel extravaganza on March 2nd and were trying to reverse the trend.

After a rest at the Heathrow airport lounge we headed to our gate for our flight from London to Johannesburg. There was a paucity of places to sit by the gate but luckily we grabbed two spots. People were lined up to board but no announcement had been made regarding boarding. Then they announced that boarding would begin in 10 minutes and a slew of people joined the other passengers on line. Next we informed that, due to some maintenance issues, boarding would be delayed another 30 minutes. Patrice and I remained seated but people on line did not budge. Don’t these people realize we will all be getting to Johannesburg at the same time no matter when we board the plane? And of course we will get there about 30 minutes before our luggage which I’m convinced must come via a separate carrier. How else can you explain an elderly person like me heading to baggage claim, stopping off for a bathroom break, and in spite of my snail’s pace still getting there before my luggage?

Now we are on our flight and heading to Johannesburg which I’ve learned is affectionately called either “Jo-Burg” or “JNB”. I’m hopeful a nap will be followed by some travel brilliance once we arrive in Jo Burg.

10 Hours Later:

We arrived in JNB after an adequate flight on British Airways. We lost a day with the flight, leaving London on May 23 and arriving at JNB on May 24th. We both got some sleep so we are ready to roll. Unfortunately for a passenger near us I had to climb over his feet every time I went to the bathroom so I would unavoidably wake him each time.

The poor bloke who I kicked or stepped on every time I went to the loo. He was very understanding but I still felt bad.

Our OAT pickup at the airport could not have been smoother (OAT gets a point for this but I’m still annoyed at them). Then a 3 minute shuttle ride got us to our hotel. Johannesburg is just an arrival juncture. Tomorrow morning we leave for Victoria Falls. Since we have the day to ourselves (and because we have been told by numerous people that Jo Burg can be a bit dicey) we decided to hire a guided tour of the city rather than explore on our own.

More about that tomorrow. I think it’s time for another nap before we head out to see the city.

Zimbabwe, Zambia, Botswana, South Africa Day #1 “Do I Get A Reward For Being Wonderful?” May 22, 2019.

by reissmd, posted in Africa, Uncategorized

Tonight we were scheduled to fly to Johannesburg, South Africa via London for our three week trip to Africa. If you know me, I’m not much of an animal guy. I am much more of a people person. Seeing wild animals doesn’t really interest me very much. I think I’d rather struggle with my Spanish talking to Juan Carlos or Don Jose while drinking cafe con leche in Madrid than I would seeing an elephant. But hearing, Don, Gary, Dom, Peter, Kevin and Candy (oops, Patrice reads this. No one named Candy should ever appear in my blog) rave about their trips to Africa I just had to go. Yes, I have given in to peer pressure and we are off to Africa.

Our flight was scheduled to leave at 9:15 pm and arrive in London 10+ hours later and two hours before our 10+ hour trip to Johannesburg. Twenty-one hours on a plane and 23 hours of travel time (not counting getting to the airport 3 hours early for an international flight) seemed like too much to ask of my wife (and me) so I reluctantly decided to get Business class tickets. I was hopeful we could sleep during the flights. Also the late departure time allowed Patrice and me to get some chores completed during the day.

In addition to completing some routine things that I had been putting off, I was invited to a luncheon downtown that I very much wanted to attend. The late departure allowed me to do so, so I braved the traffic to head to the civic center. After my one hour trip downtown I received a call from Patrice just as I was entering the parking lot. “I thought you said our flight leaves at 9:15? According to the American Airlines website our flight leaves at 5:15”. I checked my phone and confirmed, our 9:15 flight was cancelled and we were rebooked on economy! They had my cell phone number and email address, why do they take that information if they are not going to use it? I panicked. I called the airline but they were of no assistance so I immediately headed home.

While waiting for our taxi ride to the airport I decided to confirm that there weren’t any business seats available. I found a flight that had one Business seat that was unoccupied. My wife is an incredible woman with all sorts of talents but operating without sleep is not one of them. My baby needs her sleep. So we headed to the airport and I called American Airlines planning to get Patrice that Business class seat. I was told that since my trip was booked through British Airways they would have to make the changes. The American agent transferred me to British Airways who told me that American had taken control of the ticket so I’d have to deal with them. At this point I wanted to strangle someone but since they were hiding in my phone I just had to pray for the best. After several waits on hold the BA agent said she could take care of us. Just as we pulled up to the terminal the agent said everything was complete. Patrice was booked into Business class and I remained in economy. I was a hero!

Inside the terminal we headed to the British Airways counter. After a brief explanation the agent started typing away. She had a puzzled look and finally said “You’re not in the system”. She took our passports and disappeared into a back room. So we waited. And we waited. And we waited. I started to get a bit anxious. Okay, okay, yes I was very anxious. I couldn’t just stand there and wait. I checked online and found flights that traveled through Boston or New York then on to London. This would give us an extra stop but we would be in Business class and able to get some sleep. But there was no sign of our agent. She finally came out to tell us she was working with a ticketing agent to solve our problem. I told her about the options I found. She said the itinerary I found said we would arrive in Johannesburg at 9:00 AM on May 23rd. “That’s 9 hours from now Mr. Reiss. Let me keep looking.” Into the back she disappeared once more.

The minutes continued to tick away and our 5:15 flight crept closer and closer. The agent came out and asked if we could arrive a day later, “NO OUR TOUR WILL LEAVE WITHOUT US!” More waiting followed by text messages from American Airlines telling us that boarding will begin in a little over an hour. We were in the Bradley Terminal and our flight left from Terminal 4. We still didn’t have our boarding passes and had not cleared security. Panicked is putting it mildly.

I needed to go to the bathroom. I didn’t want to leave the counter but when a 69 year old prostate gives you the command you better obey or be prepared to deal with the consequences. When I returned to the counter I could see our agent with another white haired lady talking to Patrice. Everyone was smiling (a very good sign). I was informed that they found us two business class seats on Virgin Atlantic to London and we could keep the same London to Johannesburg flight.

I was very pleased of course, but I wondered why in the F_ _ _ couldn’t British Airways or American Airlines have done that at 7 in the morning when my flight got cancelled? Although it was a horrible experience there is a silver lining. I was very gallant and didn’t have to make the sacrifice after all. I asked Patrice, “Do I get a reward for being wonderful?” She said she would reward me in bed tonight. I got very excited and wanted to know what she had in mind. She said “You know those little chocolates they put on the pillows at night?” “Yes, what about them?”, I panted. “You can have both of them.”

I hope this is not a sign of things to come.

Memphis in May BBQ Festival 2019 Day #4 “Heading Home?” May 19, 2019

by reissmd, posted in Memphis, Uncategorized

When I last left you we had just received an email from American Airlines that our flight home had been canceled. We called immediately and then waited 40 minutes for a call back. When we finally connected our options were to return home on Monday or leave immediately for a flight to Dallas, spend the night at DFW, and take our scheduled flight home in the morning. Suddenly being retired seemed more attractive. But I am not retired and I’m scheduled to see a lot of patients on Monday so we packed quickly and asked the front desk to call a cab.

We gave goodbye hugs and kisses to our babies (much too short in the case of Erica who is returning from Memphis to Madrid). Then we hustled downstairs. We told the doorman we were expecting a cab and he said that taxis rarely make it to the hotel. He asked if we ever heard of Uber or Lyft. I guess overeating on BBQ and not shaving for a couple days makes me look like I come from the Ozarks.

Patrice called for a Lyft and was informed that Daniela and her silver Prius would be arriving in 5 minutes. Twenty minutes later and after 3 phone calls Patrice and I hustled around the corner in a pouring rain to meet up with our driver. By the way, the taxi never showed up.

According to Google maps we would arrive at Memphis Airport as our flight was boarding. When we got to the airport there was only one agent and she sounded as if she was trying to solve a difficult problem. Luckily a supervisor came to deal with the problem traveler but unfortunately we were too late to check our bags and had to take them to the gate. This meant I had to sacrifice a bottle of water that I was hoping to help quench my thirst when we arrived in Dallas (BBQ can make a person very thirsty). We were the only passengers at security and they discovered that Patrice had a jar of BBQ sauce (a gift from one of the BBQ teams) and said she had to give it up. TSA took a jar of BBQ sauce from a grandma heading home to Los Angeles. Is this part of the master plan to Make America Great Again?

Since TSA was busy interrogating Patrice I told her I’d run ahead to make sure the plane didn’t leave without us. I wasn’t completely sure which way to go but two kind airport employees assured me I was headed in the right direction. When our gate finally came into focus I saw the ramp agent closing the boarding door. I yelled out “Wait!” He turned his head, looked at me, and calmly said, “Take your time, the plane isn’t here yet”. The plane isn’t here yet? Then where are all the passengers? “This is it”, he replied directing my gaze to 3 other people waiting to board.

Gate agent and the 3 passengers in front of us (hard to see the passengers)

Part of my head and all the empty seats behind us.

While waiting for the flight to take off I made arrangements for a hotel near DFW while Patrice (and later I) received this message from the American Airlines app.

Needless to say this got us concerned. Upon arrival to DFW we were exhausted and found a cab to take us to the hotel. We called American Airlines from the cab and received a recorded message saying we would get a call back in MORE THAN TWO HOURS. We decided to get some sleep and deal with this in the morning.

The next day we got an early start and headed to DFW. There we found loads of people trying to check in. Luckily we checked in online and only needed to get boarding passes and luggage tags. While I waited on line, Patrice went to an automated kiosk and successfully got what we needed and we were on our way to the plane. Then we saw this:

Fortunately we have TSA Precheck (my renewal finally arrived, after two months, just prior to our trip to Australia).

The flight home was a little delayed but we arrived relatively close to the scheduled arrival time. We then went to baggage claim only to find out, after waiting about 45 minutes, that our baggage was put on a later flight. Apparently they have had so many cancelled flights they couldn’t fit all the bags onto this one. I wasn’t happy about that but I could understand. What I didn’t understand was why weren’t we told that immediately? I didn’t need to wait for that long only to learn I needed to come back later tonight to pick up my luggage. Don’t these people realize I’m a busy man? Don’t they realize I have things to do? Don’t they realize that ON WEDNESDAY WE LEAVE FOR AFRICA?

Memphis in May BBQ Festival 2019 Day #3 “I Can’t Believe I Ate the Whole Thing!” May 18, 2019

by reissmd, posted in Memphis, Uncategorized

Last night we had a wonderful dinner at Flight. We ate there last year with our friend’s Gary and Smooch and couldn’t wait to go back. The restaurant offers either samples of dishes (which they call a flight) or you can have a main course if you prefer. Of course we had both.

L to R: Iceberg wedge; Mozzarella and strawberries; Harvest salad

Full order of 3 soft shell crabs.

L to R: Soft shell crab, lobster and filet mignon; duck

L to R: Scallop Benedict; Shrimp and grits; Lobster gnocchi

L to R: Chicken and waffles; Stuffed quail; Lamb rib eye.

We also had two flights of desserts any one of which would have been enough for all five of us. Instead we shared 6! I thought I took pictures but I guess I was in too much of a hurry to sample lava cake, chocolate chip cake, brownie ala mode, apple cobbler, bananas Foster and pecan pie.

Here we are before eating.

L to R: Erica, Patrice, Robert, Lindsay and Robby.

Today was the finals of the BBQ judging. On arrival Patrice found out that she was going to do “on site” judging of shoulder while I didn’t have a morning assignment. I lamented to Patrice and our friend, John, that I was hoping to get a shoulder assignment but maybe next year would be my lucky year. Shortly before the shoulder judging was about to begin, John was frantically waving for me to join him at the judge’s desk. Apparently a judge was a no show and they asked if I could fill in. I happily accepted.

With the “on site” judging you go to the team’s cooking area. The head cook introduces you to the team, shows you their cooker and explains their methods. Finally you get to sit down and enjoy BBQ that you never see in any restaurant in Los Angeles. I couldn’t help myself. The “worst” of the three entries was spectacular.

I returned to the judge’s tent at noon, knowing that at 1:30 I would be judging ribs. I learned this would be “blind” judging where I would be presented with 6 boxes and if something didn’t taste great I could bypass it. Lucky for me there were two that stood out and I had only small tastes of the other 4.

After all the judging was completed we went to visit some of the contestants we had judged. As always they greeted us like royalty. They offered us more food but I couldn’t eat another bite. In fact I had to go back to the hotel to cool off and digest what I had eaten.

Patrice caught a shot of me back at the hotel.

I can’t believe I ate the whole thing.

Tomorrow we head for home. Not a moment too soon. I t I spent another day in this town I think I’d explode.

We just got an email from American Airlines that our flight tomorrow morning has been cancelled. Could be an interesting 24 hours.

Memphis in May BBQ Festival 2019 Day #2 “Let’s Eat Some Q!” May 17, 2019

by reissmd, posted in Memphis, Uncategorized

Today was our first day of judging. But before heading over to the park for our 10 AM check-in we went to our favorite Memphis breakfast place, the Blue Plate Cafe. On the table they had this:

Worms for eating or fishing?

I thought they were worms in a bottle, after all this is the South. But I was wrong they were just this.

Nope, Louisiana peppers. For breakfast?

Patrice had waffles, I had eggs and pancakes. Erica shared both of our meals. There was plenty for all of us. We did have to compete with an occasional critter.

An ant learned what happens to someone who tries to take my food. It wasn’t pretty.

After a yummy breakfast we headed over to the park to register. Although the committee is always running late we like to be on time. Unfortunately some bees had another idea. We were stopped by security from passing since they had to remove a beehive along the walkway. Check out this 8 second YouTube video.

Today we had what’s called “blind judging”. Judges are seated 4 to a table and 6 boxes of food are brought to you. Judges first view the food for appearance then dig in and eat. After judging is completed you are free to eat whatever is leftover. I am what they call a finisher for obvious reasons. I wore the shirt today to let everyone else know my mission.

Robert ready for judging.

My mission prominently displayed for all to see.

At the check-in table you receive your assignments. I was assigned only one session and it was poultry. Patrice was given two sessions: beef and seafood. What this means is that Patrice gets to have filet mignon and shrimp and I get chicken! She gets to go to the wedding at the Beverly Hills hotel and I’m invited to the one at the Residence Inn. Needless to say I was not happy especially after hearing her report “Two of the filets were okay but other four were spectacular”. I wouldn’t let her speak when she started to talk about the shrimp.

Tomorrow we will both get pork. Right now we are just resting at the hotel waiting for Lindsay and Robby to arrive. See you tomorrow.

Memphis in May BBQ Festival 2019 Day #1 “BBQ Heaven Here We Come” May 16, 2019

by reissmd, posted in Madrid, Uncategorized

Yes, fans, it’s time for the Memphis in May BBQ Festival and Patrice and I are ready to be judges again. First some history, in 2015 while visiting Memphis, Patrice found a BBQ food tour. That’s where we met our friend Lance who was the owner of Tastinroundtown. Lance has since sold the company, but at that time he was the tour guide extraordinaire. He showed us some fine BBQ establishments and explained to us how to become judges. The following year (2016) we became judges and have been coming back ever since.

This year is very special because we brought our daughter Erica, and tomorrow we will be joined by our other daughter Lindsay and her boyfriend, Robby.

Patrice and I have been judges since 2016 but we received the official Memphis in May BBQ certification in 2018. We take our work very seriously. Today we were reviewing some of the information we received during training. For example “A whole hog entry is defined by Memphis in May as an entire hog whose dressed weight is 85 pounds or more prior to the optional removal of the head, feet, and skin.” My apologies to my darling niece Leslie who is probably cringing after reading that definition.

We then decided to head down to the Festival. It was late in the day and the judging had ended. Today they judged mostly sauces, not a big interest of mine. Erica noted that at 6:00 pm they were going to have the “Miss Piggy Idol Contest” and asked me what it was. I told her I had no idea and that I had never attended it before. I further said that it most likely involved people drinking too much alcohol and displaying women in an inappropriate manner or somehow disrespecting them. This did not dissuade her, so off we went.

I was pleasantly surprised that the contest was not as awful as I had anticipated. There were 5 teams competing. Each team dressed in costumes with a pig styling. They performed songs and danced. The songs were famous melodies with original lyrics (again with a Memphis in May theme). The teams were, for the most, part quite good. And as expected most of them were inappropriate

Team “Swine and Dine” had great choreography.

Team “Swine and Dine”

Notice the crotch protector

Team “Chi Town Cookers” with at least one member who’s not very shy

Time to rest now tomorrow is a big day.

Erica, Prague, and Madrid in That Order. Day #9 “Getaway Day” May 9, 2019

by reissmd, posted in Madrid, Uncategorized

Leaving Erica is always a very emotional experience for me. Last year watching her at the Bradley Terminal walking out of sight, after having her home for one month, was very difficult. I didn’t blog about that because it wasn’t one of our trips. I did tell you about the last time we saw her in Madrid, in February 2017, when I completely lost it sobbing like a newborn baby when we said goodbye. Well I finally figured a way of leaving Spain and not being emotionally distraught. WE ARE TAKING HER WITH US. Actually since this was a relatively late decision we couldn’t get her on the same flight as us but no matter, she will be with us for another 10 days.

Yesterday was kind of a lazy day. We visited my old language school where I studied Spanish for a couple of weeks in 2008 and made lifelong friends with my teacher (Angélica) and the school’s staff. After a short visit at the school we headed to lunch at a vegetarian restaurant near the school called Yerbabuena. It has long been one of my favorites. Erica’s friend Sofi joined us.

Sofi, Erica, Angélica, Robert and Patrice.

After lunch I was tired and we went back to the hotel to chill. We did go out briefly later in the evening to meet ANOTHER of Erica’s friends, Jaime. We had a drink with him (yes I had a drink) and solved the world’s many problems then headed back to the hotel. After 9 days on the road I was exhausted. Once again I need to get home and back to work so I can recover from my vacation,.

This was another great trip but not without its curiosities. I hope you enjoy them as much as I did.

London Heathrow Airport Lounge with its maps of Arizona.
Arriving in Prague we were greeted with a huge sign designating the EXIT. Czech people need better vision to see their instructions.
East German car which was no longer made after reunification in 1990. The car had only 2 cylinders.
We didn’t visit this museum but Patrice was interested in going. She said it might give her some ideas on how to better handle me.
Patrice was reaching for Erica’s hand when the guide from Lucy Tours took this picture. I like the way it turned out much better.
We didn’t go to the Sex Museum but this lady leaving seems to have enjoyed it.
Reiss? A relative I have not met?
USC in Prague?
Nope
Bathroom at Erica’s workplace. The message is, “Don’t go unless you really have to!”
Toilet paper dispenser in our hotel room bathroom. Only one piece of paper at a time. Be Green!
Tool kit at the gift shop exiting the Teleférico. Shouldn’t they offer that on the way in not on the way out?

That should do it for now. We need to get home and unpack because next week we leave for Memphis and the BBQ Festival.

Adios.

Erica, Prague, and Madrid in That Order. Day #8 “Robert Once Again Risks His Life For His Fans” May 8, 2019

by reissmd, posted in Madrid, Uncategorized

When I last left you I was having dinner with 6 beautiful women. If that wasn’t enough of a daring activity to do for your enjoyment I decided to further risk my life for my fans. Yesterday we took a ride on the Teleférico. This is a gondola system that officially is called Teléferico de Madrid (Madrid Cable Car) and it links Parque del Oeste (Park of the West) to Casa del Campo (which means cottage but refers to a gorgeous public park adjacent to the Royal Palace). It opened in 1969 and the gondolas travel 2,457 meters (8,061 feet) providing its occupants with spectacular views. Upon entering the gondola we got our usual comeuppance regarding our Spanish. I asked the operator ¿Cuánto dura el viaje? (how long does the trip take) to which he quickly replied, “Eleven minutes”.

The views were great. I tried my best to get photos but it was hard because there was a lot of movement of the gondola making using the camera difficult. I did get this great shot.

Two beauties high above Madrid.

I knew it would be hard to top that picture but I did manage to get a few that I think looked pretty good.

I used my zoom to get this shot of the Royal Palace.
Decent shot of the Rose Garden.
View of the Manzanares River.

It was a wonderful, relaxing trip that provided breathtaking views of parts of the city. I recommend it to all.

Patrice the editor here. What Robert failed to tell you was that the pictures were taken by another person in the gondola. He was too scared to let go of the poll in the gondola. I did manage to catch one picture of him during this delightful journey.

Does Robert look relaxed?

After the ride we were in the park known as Casa de Campo. Quickly we saw how Madrid is very progressive and cares for their physically challenged people. This was a handicap ramp for those unable to use the stairs.

Is this a handicapped ramp or a thrill-seeker ride?

In the park we met another of Erica’s friends, Aitor, and his parents (Alfonso and Almudena). We had a very enjoyable picnic in the park and practiced our Spanish. Patrice did great and I think I might have understood a thing or two myself.

Typical Spanish picnic platters.

At night we met ANOTHER one of Erica’s friends. Yes this girl has more friends in Spain than I have had in my entire life in the USA. We connected with Esther and had dinner while watching a Flamenco show. Esther takes Flamenco classes and the show was presented by some of the students from her school. The performance was excellent and the food was also superb. No food pix but here is a shot of two beauties.

Esther and Erica
The Flamenco dancer. Notice pedestrians walking by got a free glimpse of the show.

Today we had the type of experience I have learned to love while in Spain. Patrice has had a cough so we stopped by a pharmacy to see if we could get some medications. I was fascinated by a machine that they had in the pharmacy. The pharmacist explained that they have two robots upstairs that deliver the medication after he types the command on his keyboard.

The chute where the medication comes down after the pharmacist gives the command.

I mentioned I was a doctor in the United States and it was as if I said the magic word because what followed was truly magical. The pharmacist took us upstairs to see the robots in action. He then took us to meet the owner of the pharmacy. Next we got to see a floor dedicated to veterinary mediations, orthopedics supples, and holistic treatments. Finally we got to see the robots in action. In addition the pharmacist told us about the history of the pharmacy including showing us pictures of the aftermaths of the the building being bombed in the Spanish civil war.

We were about to leave the pharmacy when I asked if I could take a picture of him. He then gathered around his staff to pose for the picture. He beckoned Erica to join him and also asked a surprised customer to pose with them. It was truly an incredible visit.

Pharmacist, Jose, flanked by two of his co-workers, Erica and an unknown customer. Just like a visit to CVS or Walgreen’s, no?

If you would like to see the robot in action click the Robot Video Link below. I think it is fascinating. Patrice says it was boring. Click on the Robot Video Link and you be the judge

Tomorrow we head for home. I have lots more to say but need to pack and get ready for our flight home.

Erica, Prague, and Madrid in That Order. Day #7 “Robert’s Insecurity Showing Through” May 7, 2019

by reissmd, posted in Madrid, Uncategorized

Okay, okay, okay, I guess I was feeling a little insecure. But when only two people make comments when you report a near death experience, can you blame me? Thank you to all the people who reached out publicly and privately to reassure me that they care and were (in Mark Twain’s words) happy to hear that the reports of my death had been greatly exaggerated.

Yesterday was a fun day. After visiting Erica’s compañeros (co-workers) at Juventud y Cultura we headed back to the hotel for a rest. But before that we stopped for what might become a travel tradition for me and that is to get a haircut. If you check a post from our Australian trip [Australia Day 16 Home Sweet Home Faster Than a Speeding Bullet you will see I got a haircut in Melbourne. Patrice, Erica and I decided that I was due so we stopped at the shop next to Erica’s work place and Miguel took care of me.

Miguel making me even more beautiful.

At night we had a wonderful dinner with 4 of Erica’s friends. Eating dinner with 6 gorgeous women in Spain was almost a dream come true. With one of the women being my daughter and another my wife it seems a bit less glamorous, but actually much better. (Patrice the editor here, he better say that if he knows what’s good for him).

From left to right: Romina, Erica, Robert, Patrice, Hilda, Francesca, and Dalia.

Tomorrow we are going on the Teleferico which is a gondola that goes high across the city giving the passengers incredible views of the city. Those of you who follow this blog know who much I love heights. STOP YOUR SNICKERING!