We’re packing up over here. Well, I’m packing and Ron’s watching TV. We leave in a week and, as usual, I’ve spent quite a few minutes/hours/days pondering our upcoming travels. We’ve had some fun moments that truly serve to undermine my confidence in our ability to travel at all. In recent weeks, Ron took his first-ever ambulance ride, followed by two relaxing days at St. Anthony’s Hospital to deal with a stomach problem and I continue to accumulate health issues far in excess of my tender years. New since our last travels is an actual autoimmune diagnosis for me, which changes nothing, but makes me feel more entitled in regards to my complaining. Oh, and don’t worry you Ron fans – he’s just fine but he’s supposed to clean up his diet a bit so we’ll see how the donut search goes. (Update: in the 48 hours since I started drafting this, Ron has eaten three donuts from local favorite Pao’s and then stated that he also was stopping by Milkvue for a donut today.)
We’ve signed up for another Road Scholar tour – Beyond the Vineyards, which, to me, indicates a tour that has a focus beyond the vineyards on various non-wine things but I must simply be wrong yet again. There are 6 wineries on this tour and all of my hopes are pinned on finding a pastry like the French canales that I can hoard while my tour mates sip their samples. Joining me on the alcohol-free front for this next (beyond the) wine tour will be Ron – banned from any alcohol whatsoever by his hospital discharge physician.
Highlights for this trip include a week in Lisbon, the Road Scholar tour across the top of Portugal and Spain, and then 5 days in Barcelona. As ever, my obsessive focus is architecture and snack food, probably flowing from my background as a criminal defense attorney. I’ve got us headed to every castle in Sintra, three monasteries around Portugal, and then every Anton Gaudi Modernista site I can find in Barcelona.
We’re meeting up with a few friends as we travel. Some of our Puget Sound friends (Hi Richard and Lisa!)- traveling in Africa and Europe for an entire year – have organized their travels so that we have some time in Lisbon together. And then Kris – our France trip buddy – is meeting us in Barcelona!
Ron thought the France trip was too long at 27 days and so we are only gone for 26 days this time and as soon as he looks the whole itinerary over, he should be pretty relieved. Here’s a little map of our route:
I’ll talk with you all in a week!
Travels with Valerie 
I’m excited to come along with you! I’ll be leaving for France on the 4th of May and am so excited. It’s a Rick Steves tour formerly known as vines and vineyards, village France or more colloquially as the Wine Tour. Although it’s now more circumspectly called Eastern France, we too will be stopping at many wineries and none of us have any restrictions such as Ron’s. I will be on the lookout for the pastries though. I have been to Portugal and loved it and also spent several days in Barcelona. You’re going to have an awesome time. Enjoy yourselves!
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Hi Andi! I’m glad you’re heading out too. I just looked over that RS tour – looks like a blast!!!! Are you going to be in Paris on the 5th? We’ll be sleeping there that night – are we crossing paths?
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Me, too but I’m a little nervous; it’s been two years and I am out of practice! We are not going to stay in Paris this trip. I wish we could cross those paths! Id love to meet you in person but we’ll be catching the “fast train” from CDG directly to Reims, where the tour starts. We’ll be there a couple of days early so will visit a favorite restaurant and see what else we can get into while there. I’ve been trying to take this tour for a few years now and finally got my way!!
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Happy and safe travels. I’ll be looking for your new adventures
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Thanks!!!!!
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I’m looking forward to your trip!! I’m so sorry to hear about Ron’s hospital experience – that must have been tough for both of you.
Wishing you fun travels and looking forward to a walk when you’re back.
Jamie
Sent from my iPhone
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Following along Valerie. I hope you and Ron travel safely and healthy, and have fun! I’m in France enjoying Paris much longer than we planned, but still being grateful to travel.
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Hi Tammy! How did you end up extending your stay in Paris? We’re having a blast here in Portugal. Two more days here and then we head into Spain:)
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We were supposed to do a Rick Steves tour, but dammit, after 2 years of no Covid, my husband tested positive the day before the tour! So we were kicked off the tour and left to fend for ourselves. Ha! It was a nightmare for someone like me ( obsessive travel planner), to suddenly have almost 2 weeks with no plans or accommodations of any kind. Add to that right before a major holiday weekend (Easter). We spent hours on the phone calling around to find hotels to stay at and we have moved around a lot! We have made the best of it ( hey, we are in Paris), but definitely not the trip we planned. Thankfully, my husband had no symptoms and yesterday tested negative so he is going home today and I’m staying to do the RS Best Of Paris city tour ( although after 2 weeks here I feel I know Paris). I have been negative the whole time. I go home next week.
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Holy cow, Tammy! What a story!!!! But kudos to you for finding a way to have some fun in a super stressful situation. When we were in Paris last fall I was reminded of how much I love that city – so at least you were there – but, still, what a huge nightmare for you both. Take care and have fun – I remember that we’re not crossing paths in Paris so we can’t meet for another coffee. We’re only there the night of the 5th.
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Yes, too bad, I go home on the 30th.
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