Tag: travel

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 #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 #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

Let’s Add Another Stadium Day #1 “New York, New York”

by reissmd, posted in New York City

We are in NYC to add one more stadium to our growing list.  After seeing the Braves play the Mets today we can add Citi Field to our total which is now 27.  Milwaukee, Cleveland, and Cincinnati are the only stadiums remaining for us to visit.  

Lucky for us, our daughter in law, Robyn is here with her youngest son, Julian (yes, the Julian from our Carnegie Hall visit).  Robyn’s brother, Corey, and his two children were also with us. We had a hot time at the game and I do mean hot.  The temperature was in the high 80s and it was very humid.  It was still a great day (how could going to abaseball game not be a great day?). 

Getting ready for some baseball

If you don’t recognize the statue behind us it is a rendition of Met legend (and former USC Trojan) Tom Seaver.  Years ago Patrice and her friends saw Mr. Seaver. This was many years after the 12 time all star, 3 time Cy Young Award winner had last played the game.

Left to Right: Patrice, Marlene, Tom Seaver, and Lynn in 2019.

Little did “Tom Terrific” know what a big baseball fan his was talking to when he met my wife. Here is a picture of Patrice with our grandson, Julian, during today’s game.

Patrice and Julian tuned into the action of today’s game.

The city is really hopping.  As you might know the NY Knicks won the NBA championship last night. It was their 3rd title and first since 1973.  At the baseball game, there were a lot of references to the Knicks win last night.  It’s been less than 24 hours since the Knicks’ victory and I’m already sick of hearing about it.  A sobering fact is that they  need 14 more championships to catch the Lakers and 15 to tie the Celtics, but whose counting?  I’m just glad they didn’t burn down the city which seems to be the tradition across the country when the home town team wins a title .  

After the game we had a wonderful dinner at Becco (355 W. 46th Street, NY 10036 Phone: 212-397-7597).  The meal and service were spectacular. Their specialty consists of 3 unique pastas and a salad (Caesar salad or Antipasto).  The pasta is an “all you can eat” style which for me is very dangerous.  

Tomorrow we are planning as exploration of my childhood.  Sounds scary to me.  Maybe I will take a nap instead. 

Ciao  

Off To Visit the Baby, Madrid 2025 Day #8. “A Night of Adventure”

by reissmd, posted in Madrid

We had a wonderful day with Erica yesterday.  We looked at another apartment which was a bit of a disappointment but had a great time going for wonderful meals, visiting the Matisse exhibition, and of course dealing with my toes.  I failed to report about our after-dinner visit to Retiro park.  For those not familiar with Madrid, El Retiro “The Retreat” is a real treasure.  Besides its unusual beauty it adds special holiday lighting during the Xmas season. Erica was excited to share this with us.  Dinner was at a restaurant across the street from the park so after a brief walk we were treated to a beautiful show. We stopped for a quick photo as we planned to circle the display and then return to the hotel.  

You can see part of the Xmas light display behind us.
I am sure you will agree this is very special.

As we came to the end of the display a security guard drove rather close to us and gave me a bit of a startle.  We continued our stroll, then suddenly all the display lights turned off.  At that point we started to walk toward the exit.  Before we got to where we entered we were told by another tourist that the gate was closed and we had to find another place to leave the park.  So we then started towards the metro exit.  Before we could get to the metro station we met 4 tourists from Belgium who let us know the metro exit was locked. Erica said let’s try the Atocha exit.  She seemed confident that we would be able to leave the park at that location but I was nervous about possibly being forced to spend the night in the park.  We then picked up 3 Spanish speaking women who seemed more interested taking pictures than finding a way out of the park.  Next we met a French student doing a study abroad year   She seemed very grateful to Erica for apparently leading her to safety.  I wasn’t as confident. Finally, all 8 of us, (we and our new found friends) made it to the Atocha gate and were able to exit the park and get back to our hotel.  The whole event was a bit traumatic but will make for a funny story one day (hopefully today). Later, Patrice read about some tourists who got stuck in the park for two hours looking for an exit after closing hours. I suppose by comparison we were very lucky.

With the trauma of last night behind us, we spent today mostly looking at apartments for Erica and………. eating.  Both are very fun activities for me. 

A little travel tip that most of you probably already know, but maybe will help one of you.  Years ago, prior to travel you would need to get local currency prior to boarding your plane at home. Now that is totally unnecessary.  You will find that pretty much every merchant will take your credit card (I recommend using Apple Pay) for reimbursement.  You might want some local cash for small purchases (for a dollar or two).  When you use your credit card you will be asked if you want the merchant to charge you in the local currency (in Spain, it is the Euro) or US Dollars.   ALWAYS choose the local currency.  You will get a much better exchange rate from your bank than from the merchant.   For example today we had a lunch that cost us 44.05 €.  The merchant option was to pay $56.01.  The conversion of 44.05 € using Google was $52.22.  I was charged $51.88 on my credit card. 

We are headed to a late dinner now so I will check in with you again tomorrow.

Love those comments.  Please keep messaging me so I know I am not just writing to myself. 

Adios

Off To Visit the Baby, Madrid 2025 Day #6. “Let’s Go Look For an Apartment”

by reissmd, posted in Madrid

We spent the morning looking for an apartment for Erica.  In Spain they don’t have an MLS system where everyone lists their properties for sale.  To the contrary, each realtor has their own listings and the real estate agent represents both the buyer and seller.  So if you are looking to buy a property you need to register with multiple agencies.  This seems like a system in the need of a computer genius and a salesperson.  We did find one apartment to look at this morning.  It seemed old and expensive. From what we were told it’s a seller’s market.  Always seems like it’s a seller’s market until you want to sell. 

After leaving the apartment we went to lunch at Arrocería Imperial.  They specialize in rice dishes. We were accompanied by Erica’s friend Sofi (pronounced like Sophie not like So Fi Stadium).  The four of us shared two dishes. They were both very good but if you aren’t into rice meals this might not be the place for you.  You could tell this was a high class place because the toilet in the bathroom had a toilet seat.  I needed to find the toilet because the urinal was too high for use by a mortal male.  The bottom of the urinal came to my mid thigh.  Granted I’m not the tallest man in the world but I wouldn’t describe myself as short.  I opted for the toilet because the urinal would have required me to aim up at about 45º in order to clear the edge.  That would have been fine but it would have made for an interesting finale. 

I would tell you what this is but I don’t remember.
This was called, “It tastes good but it is a lot of work to eat”.

And or course we couldn’t leave without……………. see below.

Some more Crema de Orujo. “Patrice, look for a 12 step program! Not now, let’s wait until we return home.”

After lunch we visited another apartment.  This place was very interesting  in that after entering, the first room you encounter is a bathroom on the right.  The second room is another bathroom on the right.  That means that if you need to get up at night to use the bathroom you need to bypass much of the apartment in order to get to one of the two bathrooms.  We will continue the search tomorrow. 

After a rest back at the hotel (at which point my step count was 15,514) we headed to dinner.  We went to La Oveja Negra (The Black Sheep), a vegan  restaurant for dinner.  The chef (head honcho) is Sofi, Erica’s friend from this morning.  We had a wonderful meal and then headed back to the hotel. 

Leek Soup. Very yummy.
Vegan Milanesa, also very good.
Sofi, Erica, Famous Blogger, Patrice.

Final step count 18,743.

Adios

Off To Visit the Baby, Madrid 2025 Day #5. “A Day of Rest”

by reissmd, posted in Madrid

Today is a holiday in Spain. December 8th is the Day of the Immaculate Conception.  In a Catholic country this is obviously a big deal and pretty much everything thing in town was closed so we spent the day chilling out.  Erica perused the web for a possible apartment to buy (tear, tear, she’s not coming back to be with mommy and daddy).  Patrice went to the fitness room to work out.  I sat here thinking what it would take to be a full time blogger. 

The thought of blogging full time seemed quite attractive to me since it would give me a reason to wake up and get out of bed each day and I could get paid to travel.  So we did some research to see what it takes to earn a living as a blogger.  I read that quality over quantity can make for a profitable blog.  A blogger can do quite well with as little as 1,000 followers.  That being said, in view of the quality of my posts I will be needing at least a million followers.  

Another key concept is to know your niche.  I clearly know my niche but unfortunately it’s only things that I find interesting (Patrice here, took him this long to figure that out?). 

Apparently to make real money on a blog you have use product placement in your photos.  That’s like selling yourself to the devil.  Clearly something I’d never do.  That reminds me Patrice took this candid shot of me the other day.  Don’t you think it’s very flattering?

I just happen to have those things on the table when she shot the picture. I would never resort to product placement to earn a buck. Hey General Mills, please notice the box of Cheerios!

After a lot of chill time we decided to go out for a walk and meet up with an old friend.  In 2008, I visited Spain and took a Spanish class when I was here.  One of my teachers was Angelica.  During class I mentioned that I was from California and she said she would be going to California soon.  I told her to come stay with me.  She warned “Don’t say that because I will.”  Well she came to LA and stayed at our house and we have been friends ever since.  Every time I would travel to Spain she would help me make plans.  I have affectionally referred to her as my Spanish mother.  She is significantly younger than me so for her to be my mama that is a real case of Immaculate Conception. 

Patrice, Erica and I met Angelica at a local cafe to have some coffee and talk.  The coffee was delicious and the conversation even better.  I always feel so wonderful seeing her.  She is a wonderful mama but even more importantly she is a regular follower of the blog making me an International sensation.  I consider 1 follower in Spain a sensation.

Patrice had tea.  They brought it with a timer instructing her not to pour it until the 5 minute timer completed.  See below.

Notice the 1, 3, and 5, minute timers.

Erica and Angelica had specialty coffees. See below. 

Barraquito (Left): sweetened condensed milk, milk, espresso, foam, and a slice of lemon soaked in liquor.
Mocca (Right): chocolate syrup, milk, espresso, foam.
Chocolate chip cookie in the center

I had a café con leche as usual. Boring but pretty. See below.

A quick selfie with Patrice, Erica, Angelica, and me prior to parting.

After leaving Angelica we headed to an Indian restaurant close to our hotel for dinner.  The food was superb and I strongly recommend you try Atocha Tandoori located at Paseo de Santa Maria de la Cabeza, 27.  Sorry, no pictures of the food but I did get a picture of the aperitifs they served after the meal.  See below.

Patrice had the mango puree with yogurt. Erica and I had the Crema de Orujo.

Those who know me are aware that I am a non-drinker.  Tonight was the 4th time I have had a Crema de Orujo on this trip.  I might need a 12 step program when I get back. 

Adios

Off To Visit the Baby, Madrid 2025 Day #4. “The Bitter and the Sweet”

by reissmd, posted in Madrid

Last night we had an incredible meal.  We ate at El Pimiento Verde (Calle de Lagasca, 43).  We had been there before, but to be frank I didn’t remember how good it was.  Patrice and I enjoyed the monkfish (in Spanish it has the unenviable name of “Rape”).    This might have been the best fish I’ve ever eaten.  David and Erica each had the filet mignon. We all shared the artichoke which too was probably the best artichoke I have ever eaten.  They also supplied us with delicious bread, a palate cleansing broth to drink, and yummy croquets.  If that wasn’t enough we shared a baked apple with ice cream for dessert.  Oh my God I’m getting full just writing this.  I need to take a break from writing because it’s time for breakfast. 

Monkfish (Rape) with potatoes. The before picture.
And after. A thumbs up from David.

Earlier in the evening Erica took us to the “Repair Cafe”. At this location some very smart people get together and share their great minds repairing items. So if you have a hair dryer, coffee maker, or some other device that is not working properly, you can bring it to the Repair Cafe and get it fixed for free or a small donation of your chosing. So instead of an appliance being added to the waste of the world it is brought back from the dead and the owner and society both profit. David was working on a hair straightening iron. I was totally amazed by his ability. He was explaining to Erica what he was doing and I was trying (I emphasize trying) to follow along. My only thought was, “Could this genius really be my son?”

Last night was bitter sweet in that we had a wonderful time with the kids but this morning it was time for David to return home.  I can’t feel too sad because we will see him again in a couple of weeks.

Today we met up with Erica and went to El Rastro, an open air market that is open every Sunday.  If you love crowds and buying junk that you don’t need this is your place. 

For example, we traveled about 5,800 miles to get here, shouldn’t I go home with a Lebron James jersey?  

A vintage jersey from when he was with the Cleveland Caviliers.

I offered to buy this for Patrice. See below.

She was very considerate of my sleep and financial well being when she said “Dream on! Save your money”.

The Rastro offers tables for people to eat while shopping. See below.

Don’t you just want to dig in when your food has been hanging out on a trash can?

If the latest in tech hardware is your area of interest then you might want this offering. See below.

I asked the salesperson what this was and he said, “Un momento, necesito preguntarle a mi padre” (One moment, I need to ask my father).

Here is a “must have” item. See below.

Wouldn’t a used beard trimmer fill out your bathroom drawer?

In addition to the hoards of people, the place was very clean. Just look, as this woman adds one more item on top of this trash can (or should I say lunch table?). 

If you are a long time follower of this blog, you know we are NOT in Japan.

After an hour or so at El Rastro it was time to eat.  Today we dined at Casa Erica.   She made us a luscious seafood salad.  She was very kind, making sure that her dog didn’t lick me during lunch. Unfortunately after lunch I became too much for the doggie to resist. I know there are a lot of dog lovers out there but if I am going to get licked by a female I want her to have 2 legs, not 4.

At night Erica took us to La Parcería (the partnership).  It’s a cultural organization formed by Brazilians and Columbians.   We saw men and women dancing, accompanied by 2 percussionists and a singer. They were very energetic, very entertaining, but too loud for my gentle ears.

After the show we shared a quick bite at a local bar. In Spain, restaurants are referred to as bars. We shared “Huevos Rotos” which means broken eggs. See below.

They weren’t broken when we received them but they were soon after this picture was taken.

I need to get to sleep now because we have lots of big plans for tomorrow. I would tell you what’s going on but the truth is I have no idea.

Hasta mañana.