Los Angelos

Glass half empty

We arrive at our hotel, sleep deprived but confident that the early check in we had requested would be available. The joys that hotel loyalty bring, with little jewel named levels of rewards and redemptions to keep your custom. The loyalty was however not rewarded and we are sent on our way with mention that check in is at 3pm however they thank us for our loyalty and will text us as soon as our room ready. So we tip a man for putting our bags in a cupboard.

We cross the road to the “Beverly Centre” billed in the airNZ app as “America invented the Mall so be prepared to be impressed”. We were not. We sit down in one of the very few cafes and have some lunch. The whole mall is so quiet it’s eerie and lunch is no exception. We wonder if its just because its a Monday or is retail really this badly hit. At the end of lunch the tipping nightmare begins, how much? Leave it on the table? Put it on the eftpos? what’s fair and what makes you a Scrooge? Our theory is we leave cash for the service staff as then you can be sure they receive it rather than on the bill. The thought process takes up too much time in our simplistic kiwi service tipping minds, where if its good leave some cash if not, don’t.

We go back to the hotel at 2.40pm to check if our room is ready and we are told that it is not and when it is, they will text us. We get a text at ten to three to tell us our early check in is now available.

As you can read between the lines I need to flip the glass.

GLass half full

We head to our room and our advertised balcony room with pictures of the hills beyond and potted plants on the balcony is a dingy balcony where the door is situated behind the desk and it looks straight out to a big blank wall of the Beverly centre. Ooops I forgot I flipped the glass, perhaps in hindsight I will just bullet point instead.

Had a shower to wash off the travel dust and germs.

We decide to do a hop on hop off bus and see the sights and make the most of the sunshine outside.

Hollywood star walk street closed because Oscar’s are on Sunday and its getting ready.

Not many other sites to see but learnt that there is lots of oil in California and we saw places that famous people had once stayed at or ate at or maybe walked somewhere. Which is actually not that interesting.

Got very very cold very quickly as the sun was setting and had no jersey. So as my skin bumped and my bones froze the words of travelling niece whispered in my ears.

Got back to hotel and had another shower to warm the bones.

Head to the restaurant for dinner. Eat. Average. Tip, how much?, It says On the bill that a gratuity of 21% is already added to the bill but then under that it says tip amount? Aren’t they the same? FFS

time for bed.

Wake up. Head down to meet yellow bus 1.5 km away. Hot, sunny not a breath of wind.

Pass a Ponsonby Road cafe. Yippeee. Flat white, just what the dr ordered. WH promise to come back tomorrow for a pie but for now on a missh to catch the yellow bus 1.5 km away.

3.7km later and multiple amounts of FFSing we board the yellow bus.

Heading to Santa Monica. Sunny, warm, not a breath of wind.

Arrive at Venice beach where we are going to hire bikes and bike to Santa Monica. Foggy, freezing, and no jersey in sight. Also not in sight is the Pacific Ocean.

We settle for some brunch in a cute little restaurant and are seated under a cozy heater and offered snuggly rugs. Brunch is good and warm. We head off and rent our bikes.

We bike along the ocean promenade and take in the view of the ocean hiding behind the fog. We can see the surf patrol huts and utes parked up and I can’t but help wonder what they will be doing today on the very empty beach with the hidden ocean.

The biking is still fun and the boardwalk empty and if you go fast enough its almost warms you up a bit.

We hit the pier and the end of route 66.

We ditch the bikes and wander with the tourists. We can finally see the ocean and the grey horizon begins to fade a bit and let some light in, but for us we hop on the yellow bus back to the warmth only a few kilometres away.

Santa Monica Pier

Day three: We decide we can’t be bothered renting a car and driving to Las Vegas so we stay another night at the hotel and go to Universal studios

It’s fun as we play Mario carts, ride the mummy roller coaster, and tour the movie lots. It’s a cruisey sort of day and it’s warm. Nicely warm and we make sure we head home before the sun gets to low in the sky. But just in case we have our jerseys, finally lugged around all day but never venturing out of the back pack.

Up the Wahs

In the hype and the hoorah towards the end of the last Warriors season came the announcement of the first game of 2025 to be played in Vegas. “Let’s go”, they cried. Who’s in? “Come on”. “Hurry up or we’ll miss out”. FOMO must of set in and it all sounded like such a wonderful idea, at the time.

Now with the sun setting on summer at the beach, the crowds have gone, the water is warm and the sunrises are slow and golden, it really is hard to understand why I would want to be anywhere else. I know. Judge as you will.

So I sit in the lounge awaiting a flight to LA because a twelve hour charter flight direct to Vegas with a plane load of Warriors fans, at 11pm at night did not sound conducive to a good sleep on the plane. The boys (adult sons) and some of their friends are on the direct charter Warriors plane tomorrow and we will meet them there on Thursday. I secretly feel that WH is probably glad he is on the slow boat with me, rather than the all night party plane, although I haven’t asked. If he’s not then his liver and his sleep will thank me. We have never been to LA only through it, so now’s the time. We have three days to explore the sights and get a feel for it. It is here that I find myself a little uninspired.

Moi, the planning princess, the organised organiser, I have nothing. I have booked a hotel for when we get there then that’s it. I do not know when or how we are getting to Vegas just that we need to be there by Thursday. I do not know what we will do in LA, or how we will do it. I had a brain wave this morning, the day of departure and messaged my air steward niece to get some handy tips for this stopover city. The mighty, know it all google was uninspiring as its filled with so much promotion that it’s hard to find what’s buried beneath.

Just like that I am now across the other side of the Pacific Ocean. According to my flight map I am now only 48 minutes away from landing. There were no parties on the plane so a few hours sleep was had. I have found lots to do on the air NZ app and believe between that and travelling niece I have more than enough to do in three days before we reach Las Vegas. The excitement of travel and the seeing and doing new things has been revitalised overnight and I trust my enthusiasm is well placed.

Mont St Michel

This place was a tourist bucket list. In our travels we had skirted around it several times but the opportunity had never quite presented itself. This time I built it in from the start. I booked a little airbnb just down the road, with bikes, and envisaged zipping up and down to the island to watch it present itself in differing tide and light. As we know envisaging can be a dangerous thing.

Mt Saint Michele

We meander up the coast stopping along the way, taking a detour to stop at the village where our Mount Maunganui neighbour is from. We take the obligatory selfie and message it to them then arrive late afternoon and of course it is raining. We are blessed with a washing machine so I get started on that, although I am yet to ponder how I will get it dry. As the clouds clear we get out the bikes ready to ride down the greeenway to the Mont.

It’s about 20 minutes our host tells us. About 5 or 6 kms. No worries. 30 minutes later I am dearly missing my electric bike and so are my hips and so is my butt, and we are still not there.

Although its appearance in the distance, all be it on zoom, is promising. We arrive at its gate and take in the view. I inform WH that I do not think we shall bike back in the morning. It’s high tide at 7.30am so I am keen to come back then. We turn around and bike back home whereby my watch informs me I have cycled for 17 kilometres, which is definitely more than 12.

I watch a pries walk over the bridge and my mind goes back to the questions with no answers. What is he contemplating? I watch form a safe distance and he looks so serious, as if he is definitely on a mission. I wonder what his mission is? Does he live on the Mont and is this his morning stroll?

We head back in the morning, this time in the car. You park in the car park and then take a bus to the entrance. There is hardly anyone there and it’s nice. We make our way to the top but the Abbey doesn’t open until 9 so we wander back down. I have no. after effects form the cycle which is good but as we traipse down all the steps to go back down my knees are already protesting a return. I decide to book tickets for this afternoon and book the last one of the day at 5pm deciding we can then have dinner after before heading home.

Up, up, up and up.

We stop and watch a helicopter making numerous deliveries of building supplies and enjoy the view.

It rains most of the day and we head to the village for lunch. The specialty of the area is lamb so that’s what we have. It’s hard to tell them its not as good as ours but with only us and one other couple in the restaurant the chef and waitress come out and we have a broken English/french conversation , which is nice and passes away the time.

We head back to the Mont for our tour and the sun makes an appearance.

We walk to the top yet again and hear the history of this amazing place whose original begin in around the year 500. There are only 8 of us on our tour but it appears WH and I are the only ones who don’t know the bible very well so we nod a lot. Our guide is very good and as far as tours go its a good one and sure beats a tourist train.

The Cloisters

There is giant wheel there which was the elevator to bring things up from below when the Abbey was taken over for a prison. Six prisoner used to be inside the wheel turning it, like a rat wheel, to bring things up.

We once again descend the stairs and find somewhere to eat. This time we have the omelette which is again a speciality. It’s yum.

I am really pleased to say that I have been. It was great despite the weather. My tips for wannabe Mont St Michele visitors is to stay close or get electric bikes. That way you can enjoy the light and tides easily.

I sit at the airport and write this and need to get cracking as boarding will be soon, so there is no time for proof reading. I would love to say that I will finish off tomorrow with a wrap up from London. Bur I probably wont. Quess what, it rained.

Dinard

We cross to the other side of the inlet and go to Dinard where we check into our new hotel. It costs half the price of our last nights hotel and actually has fluffy robes. Just saying that’s all. We meander around tide watching. The sun comes and goes. Sunglasses on, sunglasses off. Jersey on, jersey off. Tide in, tide out.

Lots of pictures but not many stories to tell as we wander around dodging storms and chasing rainbows so I will hark back to our little bay, Theoule Ser Mer.

We were sitting outside a little cafe as the French do with the chairs sat behind the table facing out towards the square. The dreaded lurgy was still in my chest so cafe sitting was a good use of my time. We drank our bad coffee and ate a yummy piece of quiche and were watching daily lives unfold around us. My tranquility was interrupted by a couple of posh English ladies sitting behind us. I say posh because there voices were more pronounced than sat nav lady Di. There were lots of French conversations as well but I couldn’t understand what they were saying so they seem to wash over you and become part of the balm that enriches the time and place.

The English woman start talking about trips and where they have been and what they have seen. I try to tone them out but once New Zealand is mentioned my radar tunes back in. “Yes New Zealand its just so far away”, “I know and well my parents went to New Zealand and they said it rained all the time and actually had no culture whatsoever so who would go all that way”.

I could not help it. I swivelled my head around and as soon as I had turned and looked at them she said “oh no you are not from New Zealand are you?” “We certainly are” I replied. “And we live at a gorgeous beach where we get a lot of sun and we have tons of culture”. I say it with a smile and she replies “I really should go and see for myself”, I could’ve said “nah we don’t want you”, but I simply replied that she should as its worth it. There is nowhere in the world better than home.

We catch the ferry back across to St Malo but the weather turns and we end up cold and huddled under our umbrella so we do the tourist train, which is not very exciting but at least it is dry and then we catch the ferry back again.

This guy

Sometimes when being a tourist there are a lot of questions about the places you visit and the people you see. Many can be answered by trying to remember them and googling later and many remain a mystery, but this guy intrigued me.

My initial thoughts as I saw him trundling back up the beach with what appeared to be his trolley bag were that he had checked out of his hotel and gone to the ocean for a swim and had his little trundle bag with him for safe keeping. But he comes back and climbs the stairs back up to the promenade lugging his case. Which I can see now is container for water. He has gone down and collected the sea water then carted it back up all the stairs. He takes his trolley up first then goes back down and lugs his water up. It’s really heavy and he struggles with it. I will also add that he is in his Calvin Klein undies, not swimmers. What does he do with the water? Why doesn’t he wear togs? How far is he now going to take the water on his little trolley? Does he do this daily? Some holiday questions shall always remain an enduring mystery to be pondered on in the rocking chair.

PS. WH read me out a local news story recently where togs where being banned in the town including the promenade. The townsfolk evidently being sick of bikini clad and undie wearers on there promenade and in there streets. They would now be met with a fine. The beach below however appears to say you can’t wear full covering. It is possibly supposed to be a burqha but I am going to leave it to ponder.

St Malo

We had been here once before on a stop with a cruise and it was a place we declared we must return to. We left Arradon and took in a couple of pretty French villages to break up the day. There names now escape me but it’s always really nice to wander through the streets. We are missing kiwi coffee really badly and for some reason raspberry tarts seem to be in short supply in this neck of the woods. There are Bretton cakes everywhere but we really not a fan. We do however have a lovely coffee with milk ( coffee in a cup and then a jug of hot milk), this we have worked out is the best substitute and Pomme tarts aren’t too bad either.

We arrive in St Malo early evening and as you are aware I have completely “let it go” in regard to our accomodation so we shall only speak of the gas’s half full. The tides were what impressed me most when here last and they do not disappoint again. We wander the promenade and watch and a storm brews behind us and begins to float over the top, sandwiching the sunset between storm cloud and ocean. It’s quite spectacular.

We wake and get our morning exercise with a circumnavigation of the ramparts and walls that surround the old town. The rain once again threatens and we pack up to head to Dinan.

It’s a steep walk down to the river and we break the up hill climb back by having galletes and vin. Galletes are like crepe but more sort of whole meal and savoury. I had a zucchini and tomato one and it was delicious .

There is actually a lot more to say but I am sleepy tired so shall shut down for the day and hope the photos say more than the words.

Let it go

Travel always leads to a FFS moment somewhere along the way. Expectations are that somewhere a train will be cancelled or a flight delayed or you get sick. These things you tend to ride out with a ka sera sera, the joys of travel, kind of mindset. But sometimes there is just something that really gets to you.

Mine came in St Malo. Nothing against St Malo itself its lovely and we had a great time here and as I write this we have moved a short ferry ride away to Dinard, to enjoy more of it. It’s a sort of long story, to write at least so I shall try to summarise as best as my brain allows.

I precision planned our entire trip with accomodation from Rome, to Portugal to Nice to Brittany with the exception of three days in between airbnbs which I decided to wing it. The night before we leave our bnb in Arradon we sit down to see where to stay in St Malo. We think we will just pack some things in an overnight and leave our luggage in the car, but whatever we do we needed a car park which proved to be our downfall. We found a couple and then rang but their car parks were full and the time is now approaching 10.oo at night. I go onto my Accor app and there are a few in St Malo but after ringing two and finding there car parks full I finally book an Ibis, with a car park. It’s $260 for an Ibis, expensive I think, whilst WH says out loud “what $260 for an Ibis that’s expensive”. It’s done I say loudly, booked, it has a car park and I don’t care.

I am no longer on a daily budget as we travel round the globe and I have given up trying to convert every euro into dollars, yet I cannot help but wince as I fork out 20 euro for a pub cheeseburger but the pain dissipates as I drink in the view and live in the moment. The fact remains its difficult to fork out that much for an ibis room even if it does have a view but its an Ibis, its available and it has a car park.

We turn up and put our car in the car park and the receptionist says it will be 15 euro to park the car and would we like to pay now. I then pay 275 euro and we are given our keys to the room. Yep 275 euro. It doesn’t register at first but we get upstairs to the room and it is the tiniest Ibis room I have ever stayed in and I have stayed in a few. You have to turn sideways at the end of the bed to walk past as there is only about a foot between the end of the bed and the end of the room. The bedside table is a tiny round stool which leaves about another 18 inches between the side of the bed and the wall. IT is incredibly lucky we bought in an overnight bag as there is no room whatsoever for a suitcase. I am pissed. WH says “it’s done” just let it go.

LET IT GO. Not since the great 2007 Wales travel inn rip off, when we were charged 150 pound to stay in a mouldy motel room at the RWC, have I felt so ripped off. I obviously haven’t let that go.

I go back and double check the booking, it turns out the app converted to Euro and I had indeed booked a 250 euro room not an expensive $250 NZ dollar one. We decide to go for a walk and explore and enjoy this wonderful place so I endeavour to “let it go”. On the way back downstairs I read the tariff rate above the reception and it’s lower than what we paid. WH walks out the door but I can’t help it and I go back and ask why and am told that’s because I booked yesterday. I say that is not OK but I am informed that it is. I want to just leave but as it’s after 6pm that we checked in the flexi fare rules are done and I would have to pay anyway. The back up receptionist comes out from behind the wall and tells me in stern French there are no refunds now. I just need to “let it go”.

I go outside and catch up to WH with great intention of letting it go and I tell him of the rate above the reception. He too says it reminds him of Wales, which makes me laugh that we think the same thing and I at least feel validated that I am not alone in my thoughts. We wander on the promenade, where even the sun has graced us with its presence, it’s a beautiful spot in the world and yet my mind wonders how much each hotel is as we wander past its door. I bet they are cheaper than the Ibis. I resist the urge to get my phone out and google the rates. The tide starts racing in again and we stop for dinner at a yummy little restaurant where we luck upon a table in the window overlooking the sea and we watch as the sun melts into the ocean.

We watch the sunset from the promenade and momentarily forget our teeny room until we head back and realise it has no jug or tea and coffee, I guess there is no space to put it. The final straw in the coffin as I pine for my bedtime cup of tea. The next morning as I shower with the threadbare tea towel imposing as a bath towel I cannot help but think I have paid fluffy robes for scratchy large tea towels.

So there its out. Judge as you will. There are lessons to be learned all be it expensive ones. Do your homework and read the fine print and if you get it wrong then “let it go” or it will have cost you more than money.

PS

I shall just add this wee story on the let it go page as well because I am shocked with the subterfuge as well nauseous with the thought now WH has told me as he read my latest blog that my delicious stew was ox tongue. I am a girl of simple tastes and tongues and other such things are not simple. I choose wholeheartedly not to eat them I am an ante organ, sweet meat, offal, tongue, stalwart who has been mislead. He tells me he didn’t know when we bought it only when he ate it. I think I will stay in denial and class him the ex butcher as being wrong.

Bretagne: Brittany

We are booked into an airbnb in Arradon and arrive from Nice, two hours late and to pouring rain. It says on our new rental sat nav that it is 1hour 30min until our new destination but 2o minutes into the journey we are crawling at a snails pace with no end to the red line in site. A quick google maps on the phone and a short cut is to be had if we exit left and dodge the melee. Which we do, along with others in the know, and we disturb a sleepy little side village with our perceived urgency or simply distaste at standing still. Feeling smug at the 15 minutes saved we arrive at our destination still in daylight at 9.30pm at night.

We had no dinner and then no supplies for breakfast so a compulsory fast was in order as the next morning we headed to Vannes. The rain hit again and as with the next few days we became expert at storm dodging. It’s already nearly lunch and we break our unforeseen fast by escaping the rain in a little side street cafe where we eat quiche and salad and finish of course with a cake. Mine was lemon and although not quite as good as Cindy’s orVal’s it certainly passed the muster.

Vannes

We once again catch the little tourist train as it’s undercover and covers a lot of ground as we bump and jolt our way around the city. We pass the castles and moats and the wash house along the river, along with the crooked half timber houses that lean awkwardly in all directions.

The wash house, where woman did the washing under the long veranda.

With wet feet and enough shower dodging we decide to get some supplies and head home for the day. The evenings are so long that we bike into the village and have a vin and Beire in the square before heading home for beans and mashed potato and stew, that we had bought at the market, and it was delicious.

The next day we head to Quiberon. We don’t know why but just because. I have to add here about our new car. It’s a Toyota hybrid and it’s sneaky quiet. Our sat nav is really annoying. Over the years we have Tom Tom who was like the English butler, and then everything in between but now we have Lady Di. She’s very posh but by the time she gets the words out she is too late. “Exit now” she proclaims ans we have just passed the point of no return. It always seen as if it is momentarily after the exit. It’s like she plays head games with us as we try and anticipate her next move. WH is unfazed as he does another loop on the round about and we methodically count the exits, or he slips down the wrong one and then goes back for another go. I have stopped braking on my imaginary brakes even whilst heading down roads where the sat nav track looks like an ECG recording, and not a good one. WE (I know I am not driving but am excellent co-driver and navigator, at least far better than lady Di) are excellent French drivers now, who don’t even blink at two way, one way streets (that’s streets that can only fit one car on that has two way traffic on) we pull in and out, reverse, drive into the long grass and hope there is no ditch. So on our way to Quiberon we have added St Cado which looked like a pretty place to stop on the way. We wind down the two way, one way roads and I am glad the only thing we encounter is a lady in gumboots pushing her toddler on his bike, and we slow right down, but as our sneaky little Toyota sidles past her she gets an enormous fright. Having past the only traffic of a lady and toddler, Lady Di tells us we are at our destination. Which is a couple of houses in the middle of nowhere. So that’s a fail.

Back to Quiberon. It’s a nice drive and we get there in time for lunch and find a restaurant by the sea. I have scallops and WH has Moules and frites, both of which are excellent. There is a small ro-pax that does a trip out to an island, its a 45 minute trip and it costs Euro 39.50 for an adult, euro 216 for a small car and 650 euro for a camper. Cook Strait eat your heart out. We stroll around and with a bit of a google we find there are two St Cado and we reset Lady Di and off we go. This time it doesn’t disappoint as we find the little island reached by the causeway bridge.

We are yet again dodging storms but the bonus is that the sky is dramatic. When we first arrive the sun is still bright and there are ladies sitting on the causeway sketching, a quick glance at there talents of the pencil sketch coming to life. On our return from the island circumnavigation they are already onto watercolour and it looks like a wonderful way to spend an afternoon.

I ask the ladies in my pigeon French if I can take a picture and they happily oblige

We sit on the deck of the bar with a drink and watch the storm clouds brewing and finally decide we need to get moving so we head back to the car. With precision timing the skies open with a hail storm and we are grateful that we are undercover as we watch everyone bolt for cover and head for home.

Fast forward – Recap

We leave Portugal and head to Nice where I have booked a Airbnb for 6 nights in a little place on the Cote d Azure called Théoule-sur-Mer Sur Mer. It’s real pretty but I am not so haven’t got much to say really. WH read a whole book and then a bit of another one so that was good. When the sun arrived for a couple of days he swam in the pool and lay in the sun.

On one day we headed to Grasse, perfume capital of the world. Walking through the perfumerie I could not smell a thing so it was no time to invest in a create your own masterpiece as my would have been a bit bit stink (get it). The town was celebrating the pink rose and I wished Mum could have seen it. As I tell her that whenever I see pink roses I think of her so this really was Mothers Day.

We sat in the square under the pink umbrellas and next to the rose fountain and had some lunch and watched the world go by.

Photo dump as the street photos are more memorable than my recollection.

I need to wind this part of the journey up as we have so moved on from here but I can’t go without saying about Cannes.

It turns out it’s Cannes film festival and the day before we leave we train into Cannes and wander around. This is a day I could most easily people watch. I ditched my 10 year old gucci sunglasses least someone mistake me for someone important and plus it was raining a lot. We caught one of those little tourist trains as walking was still not my strongpoint and it’s another good place to watch the world go by. There were crowds gathered outside hotels waiting for glimpses of somebody they deemed special. There were slinky gowns in daylight, mixed with crocheted shorts and sparkly jumpsuits. The paparazzi stands were empty in anticipation of the evenings events and when we left the next day the airport had way more private jets than aeroplanes. WH and I were just glad no one recognised us as we enjoyed our wandering and super duper train ride:-)

Carvoeiro

We are now in France and it’s been ten days since we left Portugal but I need to put the boat trip in. WH and I were initially not going to do it as I was feeling a bit poorly the day before and the water looked quite choppy with white caps, but D and K had booked it so had bad FOMO and we booked as well.

It did not disappoint. We went on the first trip of the morning and the water was really calm and the tide low.

We cruised along the coast and our skipper and guide took us in and out of caves. I didn’t like the experience of going inside them. Felt a bit weird when you walk around the beach and there is danger, DANGER, signs everywhere depictimg how not go on the shore under the falling rocks and then you go right underneath them, and through them and even in some cases out the other side.

The area was beautiful and when we went to Bengali cave our guide told us that this was what had made Carvoeiro famous, previously it was a little fishing village but then they put a photo of the famous cave with a hole in the top, Bengali cave, as a Microsoft screensaver and whola.

Seems a while ago now. Carvoeiro that is, and its sun. The weather was lovely and we enjoyed its warmth and then it was back to Lisbon for D and K to catch their flight home and us to fly out to Nice in a couple of days. It was great doing travel adventure with D&K, sharing wonderful moments and making special rocking chair memories. We will miss them.

Ok, Where were we?

Days have passed and I already jumped forward to Seville so now there are the missing days before Seville and now after. I don’t want the rocking chair moments to be to confusing for me so will briefly explain.

Before Seville too busy, after Seville too busy, then too sick. Bugger. I am a careful planner of not getting sick. Religious vitamin c taking, hand washing, sanitising etc etc. THen there is sick and SICK. It’s normal to get a sniffle or a bit of cold and maybe have a restful afternoon or two but when you get sick, sick it’s a real bugger. Mum block your ears and read on later. I spent the days laying round wondering at what stage of not being able to breathe probably should I head to the nearest emergency department. My wheezing was enough to drive both WH and I to a new level of worriness. I feel too sick to do anything about my predicament. I know that if at home I would go to the doctors or the after hours but here just let me be and breathe. It’s all too hard.

There is nothing worse than worrying about yourself. It always feels so indulgent and as the wheeze continues and you take yet another dose of your inhaler you wonder if you are a hypercondriac, castastrophiser or an idiot who doesn’t want to try and navigate themselves through a foreign non English speaking medical system. But then the catstrophiser in you is pretty sure you are an idiot and will wind up in an acute emergency room because you were so stupid. It doesn’t help that we are in a small village with not so much as a chemist shop and then it’s the weekend. But glass half full we are at least in a AirBNB which I could just lie around and do nothing but try to breathe. Lots of shower steam, honey and lemon drink, overdosing on my preventer thinking that would help. Then googling about that and it’s really not a good idea. A couple of days ago I decided to start taking the antibiotics that I had with me and I can say that as at today I am feeling substantially better. My wheeze is now at a stage where I have had a full nights sleep lying down. So whanau and friends cast your judgements as you will. Catastrophier drama queen or idiot who got away with it? I hear your whispers and cup of coffee chat as I tap. I smile knowing you and knowing where you will sit on the continuom between the two. Meanwhile the issue is I now have very few puffs of my inhaler left so today my mission is to go on a hunt to find out how to get another one, buoyed by the fact that I can now go and hunt. Wish me luck on the inhaler hunt and I shall update you further. Mother you may now read on.

In the meantime let’s go back to Algarve. We leave Seville and transfer to Cavoeiro in the Algarve. We make a stop at a pretty fishing village and it’s pretty. It’s sleepy and quiet and I wonder what made the person put covers over their car wheels and what purpose it could possibly serve. I have to be content that some mysteries will never be solved.

We next visit a castle which I will say is pretty ordinary as far a castles go but what we do see is Storks. Lots of them nesting with baby chicks in their nests. I remember in Strasbourg last year, where the Stork is their town symbol because they bought them back from only 12 couples after the Second World War to now over 1000. Here in the Algarve they seem abundant. On their own nesting poles, or derelict buildings as below or even layered up in the giant pylons alongside the roads like multi story apartment dwellers.

We arrive at Cavoeiro and it’s very pretty. With its steep cliffs and turquoise water.

We wander into town and back along a boardwalk. It’s a slow step and an easy wander.

Along the boardwalk on the way home we see a bar down the cliff under the shade sails so we wander down for a aperol spritz and Cervasa, as you do.

That’s enough for a day.

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