Month: August 2026

One More Ballpark Day #3 “Second City? How About Some Chinese Food?” 

by reissmd, posted in Chicago

Chicago is known as “Second City” because for close to a century it was the second most populous city in the USA.  It always seemed odd that they would be proud of being second because American culture is fixated on being first.  Americans want to strive to be first or a champion.  I am sure if you ask Chicago Bears fans they will gladly tell you about the Super Bowl their team won but fail to mention the one they lost.  I’m not sure why there’s this fascination with being #2 in population but welcome to the 21st century, Chicago has been passed by Los Angeles making them third. If you want to include the greater Los Angeles area (i.e. Los Angeles county), LA dwarfs both Chicago and New York. 

That being said Chicago does house an improv venue called “Second City” which is famous for the talent they have produced (Stephen Colbert, Dan Ackroyd, Bill Murray, Gilda Radner, well you get the picture ).  So tonight we decided to go there.  

But before night time comedy we had a whole day of activities planned.  Patrice is great at giving us things to do on our trips and this was no exception.  This morning we left the hotel and went for a walk along the Chicago River.  The Riverwalk is a major city attraction and we had a good time checking things out.   

We saw this interesting building. 

An experienced blogger would tell you the name of this building. I don’t have a clue what it is called.
But on closer inspeciton there are cars parked on the lower levels. I can’t imagine these being coveted spots in the winter.

We saw this sobering memorial honoring locals who died as a result of the Vietnamese conflict.   

So hard to imagine that each name represents a life lost and family changed forever.

After the walk we needed to fill our tummies.  Loyal followers of the blog are aware that we love food tours. Without trying very hard, I can remember food tours in Memphis, New Orleans, Denver, and London.  

Today we went on a Chicago Chinese food tour sponsored by Bobby’s Bike, Hike, and Food tours.  Valerie was our guide and she did a wonderful job.  Sorry no pictures of food but trust me when I say the tour and food were fun and tasty. 

My favorite part of the food tour was seeing two gorgeous macaws in Chinatown prior to the tour even starting.  Check them out (see below). 

You don’t need me to tell you that these are 2 gorgeous birds.

Macaws are a type of parrot.  Two of the things that make them very different from humans are, like all parrots they have their first and fourth toes pointing backward.  In addition they are also unlike most humans in that they mate forever 

After the food tour it was off to Second City.  I am sure you realize making people laugh is a very hard thing to do.  I like to think that I am relatively funny but to get up on a stage and make a group of people laugh seems like it would be terrifying.  We saw 6 young comics and although they didn’t knock our socks off they did give us some laughs.  It was a fun night at a very welcoming venue. 

Tomorrow we head for home.  I hope you had as much fun on this trip as we did.  We don’t have any additional trips planned but when we do you will get an email telling you to check us out. 

Ciao

One more ballpark day #2 “28 Down and Two To Go”

by reissmd, posted in Milwaukee

Today we made it to MLB ballpark #28 when we saw the Atlanta Braves play the Milwaukee Brewers at American Family Field.  Isn’t that a great name for a baseball stadium? It was especially fun today because I had a chance to reconnect with one of my best friends from college, Larry. 

The seats were spectacular except that the retractable roof did not quite block the sun so it was incredibly hot.  We sat in the shade in some other people’s seats until game time.  By then we had protection from the sun and all was perfect.  The field, the seats, and the fans were perfect. 

The ceremonial first pitch was performed by a fan (sorry I didn’t get his name). He is now 100 years old.

Think the Dodgers would like me to do this when I am 100?

During the game, Patrice was sitting next to the mother of Braves relief pitcher, Brent Suter.  Mama was very proud of her baby (who is a father of 3 boys and he is soon to turn 37).  She was very excited when he came into the game.  When the first batter got a hit I was worried we might have a problem with her but fortunately for everyone he pitched 3 scoreless innings and mama was very happy.  

The big game moment we had been waiting for was the sausage race. Our friends Zara and Chuck are big sausage race fans and they told us to make sure we were in our seats during the 6th inning so we didn’t miss it. You can Google Milwaukee Braves Sausage Race and see what I am talking about but take my advice  and don’t waste your time. 

Our friend Chuck, posing with the sausage boys. Yes, I am worried about Chuck.

After the game we headed to the Pfister Hotel [1424 E. Wisconsin Ave, Milwaukee, WI 53202.  Phone: 414-273-8722] at the recommendation of my friend, Jeremiah.  This iconic structure was built in 1893.  Upon entering the building you are confronted with an architectural wonderment. We wandered around enjoying the sights. At the recommendation of the bellman we headed to the bar on the 23rd from where we enjoyed a breathtaking view of Lake Michigan. 

Pfister Hotel entry. This picture doesn’t come close to capturing its magnificence.
This is the menu from October 10, 1942. I am interested in the 25 cent shrimp cocktail.

We then walked next door to the Mason Street Grill and had a meal that will make me feel guilty for weeks if not for years to come 

Crab cake appetizer
Interesting take on a wedge salad (it was delicious).

No picture of the filet mignon. I am feeling guilty about ordering it (I don’t want Peta to bomb our home) and eating it (I don’t want my cardiologist to see me eating red meat).

We then had the 90 mile drive back to Chicago where we said goodbye to Larry and were soon off to bed (after first writing the blog)

Friend for close to 60 years. Damn, doesn’t he have great hair. I don’t have great hair but I do have a great hat.

Ciao

One More Ballpark Day #1 “Jeremiah the Savior”

by reissmd, posted in Chicago, Milwaukee

Today we are on our way to Milwaukee via Chicago to visit our 28th of the 30 MLB parks.  But it was a trip that almost had us traveling to Milwaukee for naught. Yes, in my brilliance I had planned to travel to Milwaukee on Saturday, attend the game on Sunday, tour the city on Monday, and fly home on Tuesday.  Lucky for us (well actually lucky for me, because I don’t think Patrice in her wildest dreams would have ever cared if she saw a game at one MLB park let alone all 30) we had a visit from our friend Jeremiah.  The most important thing to realize about Jeremiah is he is a loyal follower of the blog.  Of secondary importance is that he is very savvy when it comes to Major League Baseball. During Jeremiah’s visit we discussed Patrice and my upcoming trip to Milwaukee. Jeremiah informed me that the Sunday game will not be played in Milwaukee but rather in Williamsport, Pennsylvania the home of the Little League World Series.  Upon hearing this I immediately went into panic mode.  I would not be able to make it to Milwaukee on Friday without taking the day off from work.  Not that missing work would be horrible but I have missed a lot of work due to our Spain trip so there’s a huge number of my patients who need to be seen. Once more Jeremiah came to the rescue. He suggested we take a direct flight to Chicago and just drive to Milwaukee for the game. He felt Chicago would be much more fun than Milwaukee so here we are in Chi-town ready to drive to American Family Field (yes, that is the name of the Milwaukee Brewers ballpark) tomorrow. 

The flight here was pretty smooth but it started off with something I’d never seen on a flight.  The pilot came out and talked to the passengers about a variety of topics. He apologized and explained the reason for the delay. He talked about our route and how he planned to go in a curved rather than straight pattern to avoid bad weather. He also told us that we were flying on a new plane and mentioned some of its advantages. It was really interesting.  I’m not sure if this is something this pilot does or if it is the policy of United Airlines.  I guess we will find out on the way home. 

Our pilot giving us the low down of what to expect on our way to Chicago.

Thanks for following us to Illinois and see you in Wisconsin tomorrow. 

Ciao,

Robert 

Total eclipse of the heart day #7.  “Our Last Day in Madrid”

by reissmd, posted in Madrid

This morning started on a sad note when Erica and I drove David and Julian to the airport.  David received a message from the airline saying he should be there 4 hours before departure.  We were in disbelief and left Erica’s place 3 hours before the flight was due to leave. The drive to the airport was easy and check in went quickly. Before Erica and I got home I got a text from David saying they were through security and ready to board an hour and 45 minutes prior to departure.  So much for needing to arrive 4 hours early. 

With things being so hot we were hesitant to do anything but “chill” at home.  I was getting hungry so we headed out to get some food.  After filling my tummy we decided to take the metro to a get together that Erica had heard about.  It was a musical event hoping to raise money for people affected by the recent 7.4 magnitude earthquake in Colombia.   As soon as we arrived I knew this wasn’t for me.  There were loud drums and I value my hearing so I stayed outside. Even outside the venue it was too loud for me.  My travel partners were in agreement so we made a donation to the cause and left. As soon as we departed we were greeted with rain.  It was like being back at the fountain park and it was WONDERFUL!  

Back at Erica’s apartment we regained our energy by watching a movie and doing some reading. Then it was time to celebrate my birthday with a special dinner.  It’s not my birthday for 2 more weeks but it’s unlikely that Erica will be in town then, so we celebrated tonight.  We had an excellent meal at Los Castaños 2 [C. José Antonio Zapata, 4, Arganzuela, 28045 Madrid].  The meal was superb. 

We started with alcachofas (in English, artichokes). Actually, they started us with a crab paté that was so delicious that I didn’t get a picture until there were only remnants on the plate.
Rodaballo (in English, Turbot) with potatoes. Also very tasty.
We shared flan (in English, flan) for dessert.

And to celebrate my birthday the waiter brought a special surprise.

My new favorite drink, Crema de Orujo

Now it’s time to pack because we are leaving tomorrow.  I just received a message from the airline. They want us to arrive 4 hours prior to the flight’s scheduled departure. Hmmmm

That’s all for this trip.  You won’t have wait long for my next post. Friday we leave for ……….

Ciao 

Total Eclipse of the Heart, Day #6.  “How Can You Live Like This?”

by reissmd, posted in Madrid

I awoke this morning and got out of bed with great difficulty.  I checked the forecast and it said a high of 97° and a low of 77°.  Out of curiosity I checked the temperature for Hermosa Beach and saw the high was expected to be 77°. As they say, “There’s no place like home”

Erica took a poll asking us what would we like to do and where we would like to go today.  She made a variety of suggestions. I voted for anyplace with air conditioning.  We finally agreed to go to Retiro Park.  This is a beautiful park with a variety of vegetation, wildlife, and water.  I’ve been there a number of times and I never tire of going there. Well maybe I would make an exception on a day as hot as today.  When we arrived at the park we found out that the authorities had closed the park due to safety concerns. 

Disappointed that we couldn’t tour Retiro (although we did spend some time looking at it from outside the fence) we needed a back up plan. I was already exhausted but suggested we return to the water park and the group agreed. Soon after arrival I got soaked and my attitude and energy level were completely different. It was a fun time and getting cooled down was superb.

After drying off we went to visit a new friend.  A magician named Augustin who we met at the Magic Live Convention in Las Vegas earlier this month. He invited us to visit him at his home magic museum.  Upon entering Augustin showed us an incredible array of magic memorabilia filling every room and hallway. Even much of his ceiling was covered.  After that he gave us a very impressive 25 minute magic show.  He did some great sleight of hand and card tricks. It was impressive and funny.

Here we are with our new friend, Augustin Dalvi. Notice the pen sticking through Julian’s ear.

Tomorrow will be a sad day as David and Julian will be returning home. It was so great that they could join us. I suspect tomorrow will be a boring blog day because I am looking forward to spending the entire day at the pool.

Ciao.

Total Eclipse of the Heart Day #5.  “A Day For the Child”

by reissmd, posted in Burgos, Spain, Madrid

The main reason for this trip was to see our daughter Erica and the eclipse (definitely in that order).  The eclipse was spectacular as was the visit with Erica.  Having David and Julian along has also been a joy.  Julian is just 9 years old and has been an amazing trooper. He has had to put up with horrible heat, a foreign environment, a doting grandmother, and me (no explanation needed on that one).

Since Julian has been so great we decided to devote our day to the child.  Prior to returning to Madrid we went to the Museo de la Evolucion Humana (MEH for short, young people will get a laugh out of that. The joke had to be explained to me). We then had a 2+ hour drive from Burgos to Madrid which had me drained and ready for a nap. 

Julian demonstrating how to enjoy a 2+ hour drive.

Just as I was about to get ready for my nap, Erica came into the room and said “We’re going to Madrid Rio Park to play in the Chorros”.  I didn’t want Erica to think her dad is an idiot so I said great let’s go.  After she left the room I pulled out my Spanish dictionary and saw that chorros means diarrhea.  I quickly learned that chorros can also mean fountain.  

The park was a short drive from Erica’s apartment and as soon as we arrived at the fountains the children immediately got in and got wet. 

Do you recognize the two chidren playing in the water?
Soaking wet we posed for a picture. The water felt amazing, I didn’t want to leave. I said the day would be devoted to the child but I didn’t say which one.

In spite of being soaked, just a few minutes later I was totally dry.  Isn’t it interesting what 102° temperature can do? No wonder people don’t own clothes dryers in Madrid.

From there we headed to dinner at El Pimiento Verde [Calle de Castelló, 18, Salamanca, 28001 Madrid].  We’ve eaten there on previous trips. Erica reminded me that last time I said the Rape (Monkfish) was the best fish I’d ever eaten.  I don’t remember that, but how could I not order something that I gave such a glowing review?  The fish was for 2 so Patrice volunteered to join me.  Neither one of us was disappointed. 

Rape (Monkfish) with potatoes. This was the portion for 2 but if you promise not to tell anyone I think I could have eaten the whole thing myself.

Now I need a nap. Until tomorrow.

Ciao

Total eclipse of the heart day #4.  “A Day to Remember”

by reissmd, posted in Burgos, Spain

Yes, this is it.  August 12. 2026 a total eclipse of the sun was to occur across northern Spain (Greenland and Iceland) and Patrice, David, Erica, Julian and I are here in Burgos, Spain ready to enjoy it.  We started the day with a very forgettable breakfast at the hotel.  

Only thing worse than the look of these eggs was the taste. 

We then headed into town to see the Catedral de Burgos (the Burgos Cathedral).  I remember being here about 10 years ago and being very impressed by the Cathedral.  I am not sure why I was so impressed but it was lost on me this time.  It was your typical cathedral with lots of pictures and statues of dead popes, priests, and other dignitaries.  El Cid was there.  Many know of El Cid as the legendary Spanish hero of the 11th century.  Others, like me, remember him as the guy Charlton Heston played in the movie of the same name in 1961 (very cool year since it looks the same written upside down).  We found lots of tourists wearing t-shirts from the current and previous eclipses.  So it seems we are not the only eclipse nerds.  We spoke to people from the countries of Canada, Czech Republic, Germany (3 couples), Greece, and the United States of America.  The heat in downtown Burgos was brutal so we trekked back to the car and returned to the hotel 

After cooling off in the room we started getting prepared for the eclipse.  Our team was ready for the big moment.  For those not familiar with the eclipse team here they are:

David, our team captain keeping us alerted of all the phases of the eclipse so we don’t miss any of the subtle findings that only the experts appreciate and people like me forget immediately after seeing them.
Support staff.  As you can see, hard at work preparing for the big moment.
The matriarch of the team doing what she does best.
Famous blogger Robert, doing what he does best.  

At about 5:30 PM we headed to the hotel terrace because 2 people had already beat us to the deck and we were expecting a lot more. As it turned out only 2 other people and a few hotel employees joined us for an incredible experience.  The view of the eclipse was spectacular and hearing David’s play by play added so much more to the event.  We took very few pictures and the ones we did take do not come close to telling the story. 

Erica and Julian with the total eclipse in the back.

Meet us next year in Egypt and experience it for yourself. 

Ciao

Total Eclipse of the Heart Day #3 “A Day of Exploration”

by reissmd, posted in Burgos, Spain

Today we left Madrid and headed to the city of Burgos in order to see the solar eclipse.  The big event will occur on August 12, 2026 at 8:29 PM local time. This will be our 3rd eclipse experience.  In 2017 we went to Nashville, Tennessee and saw a spectacular view with the moon blocking about 98% of the sun, then suddenly clouds rotated in front, eliminating our view of totality. I was very disappointed especially after hearing from friends who saw the total eclipse just a few miles from where we were located.  

In 2020, a trip to Chile was canceled because of Covid.

In 2024 we had a much better experience in Dallas, Texas.  We saw totality but the real show was my son, David, and his wife, Robyn.  With Robyn driving and David navigating we drove from location to location to find the perfect vantage point.  You have to understand that I am talking about Stanford and Harvard graduates (David from Stanford and Robyn from both).  Needless to say listening to them discuss the pros and cons of each viewing site was like hearing two people speak in a foreign language.  The only thing I understood was “Get in the car!  We’re going to a different spot.”  We finally settled in the parking lot of a strip mall where we had a magical experience.  I especially enjoyed hearing David describing some subtleties of the eclipse (sorry corona, crescent shadows, prominences, and shadow bands are not parts of my regular vocabulary). 

Today was a day of exploration.  We needed to find the perfect spot from which to see the eclipse.  David researched on the internet some recommended viewing areas. The first one was San Isidro park. On paper it looked like a great location but access would be difficult.  We read that the city was limiting the area to 8,000 people and entrance would be by city bus or a 45 minute walk.  That was not a very attractive description.  The next spot was Castillo de Burgos.  Again the visitors will be limited (2,000 at this location).  This was a lovely area with lots of beautiful trees dominating the vista.  Trees blocking the skyline were not exactly what we were looking for.  We then headed outside the city away from buildings and other visual obstructions.  Luckily we came upon a beautiful area on a hill with an unobstructed view adjacent to a tile company.  We happened to meet the tile company owner, Rodrigo, who welcomed us to his workspace. He asked a few questions and gave us some guidelines (He wanted us to be sure not to drive on certain parts of the property).  We were very excited. We found the perfect viewing location but realized we would need supplies. We headed off to Decathlon, a local sports supply store.  We bought an umbrella for shade, a plastic hand drill to make a hole for the umbrella, chairs, and an ice chest.  We then went to pay for our purchases.  It was a self-check out counter so I reached for the scanner gun but the clerk stopped me.  Instead she instructed me to put all the items into a bin in front of the register. See below. 

The register calculated the price of every item including some that I can’t even see in the picture. Very impressive.

I then messaged Patrice that we finally were on our way back to the hotel.  She replied “Look what I just saw” and sent us this picture. See below.

This is from a terrace near our room and it has a perfect view of the sun at 8:29 PM (the time of tomorrow’s eclipse), We have a similar but not as panoramic view from our room.

So David, Erica, and I spent about 3 hours looking for the best spot to see the eclipse when we already had the perfect place to see the eclipse and it was at our hotel.   The only remaining question is will we have to fend off hordes of other hotel guests to see the eclipse.  I will let you know tomorrow. 

Ciao

Total Eclipse of the Heart Day #2. What Would a Tourist Do?

by reissmd, posted in Madrid

I awoke early this morning and found my travel party was all still asleep except for our hostess. Erica was awake and she invited me to go on an early morning walk, which I did.   The weather was delightful at 7:30 AM and we encountered some walkers and joggers.  Finally we stopped for my Spanish favorite: cafe con leche and tortilla de patatas.  Unfortunately the bar (aka cafe) was not very good at making either.  We weren’t crazy about the food but the local birds were.  Check out this video of the birds feasting on our leftovers in spite of us still sitting at the table. 

When the rest of the troop awoke we discussed our plans for the day. Should we attend one of the many museums in Madrid?  Should go to a park?  I voted to go to the pool and chill.  The water was wonderful but unfortunately there were some tiny ants that didn’t like us invading their space.

Then we headed to a local mall and bought some essentials (hair dryer, new shoes, t-shirt, I think you get the idea). Next we went for an essential in my mind………… some ice cream.

Julian got a chance to meet Erica’s dog, Wynona. See below.

Patrice, Me, David, Julian, and Erica with Wynona.

Then we had a subpar dinner that I won’t bother to discuss followed by another of my Spanish favorites… Crema de Orujo.

Yes, I do drink. But admitedly it is rare and is almost always when I am in Spain.

Chow, oh my the alcohol must be getting to me. Ciao.

Total Eclipse of the Heart Day #1 “Why Blog?”

by reissmd, posted in Madrid

As many of you know this blog started out as an email to my wonderful sister, Annette, so she could keep our mother (who was in her 90s at the time) informed of what was going on with her baby (me) while I was traveling.  My incredible sister-in-law, Fayla, said “Why don’t you send the email to me because Annette doesn’t get up until ten and your mum (she’s from Australia) really wants to know what’s going on.”   Then other family members wanted to know what was happening so I included them. Friends also wanted in and before I knew it I had an email going to about 30 people.  At that point it became a blog and lots of others (many people I don’t even know) joined in and my travel blog was born. 

At first the blog was a blast but I have to confess at times it has become a burden.  Instead of chilling and enjoying a vacation I’m constantly thinking of potential blog content. Last week we went to “Magic Live” in Las Vegas.  I blogged about the event last year but this year I just wanted to learn some magic (which I did) and chill with my wife.  While at the convention my friend Bill, was boasting that last year he got mentioned in the blog.  He seemed quite proud to the point and I felt a bit guilty about not writing about last week’s trip.  Instead of writing a full blog post I can sum up the trip very briefly 1. Great magic shows and lessons (I learned a lot of new tricks), 2. Great breakfasts at Blueberry Hill, (with Bill and his son, Bill II), 3. And a stay at the Orleans hotel (a total dump where we had cold water in the shower day 1 and lukewarm days 2 and 3). 

That brings us to our current trip. Patrice and I are headed to Spain to see another total eclipse of the Sun.  We are accompanied by our eclipse expert (our son, David) and his youngest child, Julian.   The eclipse will be fun (this will be our 3rd) but the main attraction for me is seeing our youngest child, Erica.  The only child missing is our daughter, Lindsay who is busy at home taking care of her son and making our 5th grandson (due in October).  Of course it would also be great to have Robyn, Robby, Owen, Charlie, and Jesse but they have other obligations. 

The flight to Madrid was a success because David and Julian joined us in LA for the trip to España. The flight was very pleasant with an amazing Iberia flight crew.  When breakfast was brought to us I asked if they had hot chocolate.  The attendant (Christina) said no, but then said, “But I have some hot chocolate mix in my purse” I was awestruck by this kind offer but in spite of my repeatedly saying no, no, no she brought it to me anyway.  It was delicious. 

A scarey looking me with my hot chocholate thanks to the wonderful Iberia Airlines flight attendant, Christina.

The best part of the trip of course was seeing Erica at the airport.  We had to wait over an hour for our luggage.  When we last visited her in December we had to wait about 45 minutes for our luggage.  The take home lesson is take carry on to Madrid or go elsewhere.  As I said, Erica picked us up at the airport.  Yes, she now owns a car.  We will be staying in her apartment. Yes, she now owns an apartment.  She is taking some vacation time from her job to be with us.  Yes, she now has a permanent position at the Irish embassy.  Yes, it looks like we’ve lost our daughter to España.   

I am finishing up the blog and it is about 9:30 pm here.  It looks like it’s mid day in LA.   Tonight, sunset is 9:20 pm in Madrid.  

View from Erica’s apartment

As you can see from the picture Erica has a pool.  The heat is oppressive here (high today in Madrid 97° but only 77° in Hermosa Beach). We hung out by the pool and went for a brief swim.  Erica impressed us by swimming the length of the pool underwater.  I showed her that her old man could do the same while her young friend, Aparna, failed in her attempt.  I only mentioned this because we played a game of Rummikub and Aparna wanted me to make sure to tell my followers that she kicked our butts at the game. 

That’s enough for tonight.  I am starting to fade.  Hopefully I can get a decent night’s sleep and be ready to go tomorrow.  I want to have plenty of energy because we have big plans.  I would tell you what those are, but the actual truth is I don’t have a clue what we are doing. 

Ciao