No Tour Guide Needed

Getting lost and finding adventures around the world!

How I got the travel bug… KOAs and Historical Markers

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Growing up, my parents encouraged us to see the world.  We weren’t rich but they always seemed to find a way to have enough money to pile us in the back of their custom van.  Summers were spent driving around the country exploring.  I think that is why I love traveling so much today.

In our world of America, especially in Texas (yes, it is different than anywhere else) we tend to think that everyone lives like we do.  We think that all people get up in the morning, get ready, take the kids to school, go to work, come home, have diner/social, go to bed.    While this is true for a lot of people, the degree and variations are so different that it impacts who they are.  Simple things like:

  • What time do you get to work?  5am or 9am?
  • Do the kids have school on Saturday?
  • Are businesses open at 1 or do they close from 1-4 (or some variation of that time)?
  • What time do you eat dinner?

 

The dinner thing is what really amazes me.

In Texas, dinner time is 5-6 ish… In Spain, dinner time is 9-10 ish.  The whole day is set up differently based on this time.  Now, if you ask someone in Madrid why they eat late, they tell you because that is when it cools down.  The stores are closed in the afternoon to save on electricity or it is just too hot.  But Texas never adapted to that, and I can tell you it is a hella lot hotter in Texas than Spain.   I hate eating dinner at 6pm.  I don’t start cooking until 7.  Depending on how long it takes to cook we usually have dinner around 8pm.  That to me is a suitable time.  My friends and family think we are crazy.

 

The other big one is children.

Is it socially acceptable to take a baby into a bar?  Many places it is.  Many places it isn’t.  A lot of places it isn’t but people do it anyway.   But then in some places kids can start drinking beer/wine at 16.  So, it isn’t uncommon to be in a beer garden sitting next to essentially kids having beer.

 

Then there is the attitude of people that is just different.

Some cultures are laid back.  Servers in restaurants tell you to holler at them when you are ready.  Others are annoyed that you are talking and not ordering.  Some bring you the bill and need you to get out when you are done eating.  Others tell you to take your time, bring a bottle of something yummy on the house, and encourage you to stay a little longer.

 

But if you do not see the world, you only know this via television, books and radio.

You don’t get yelled at by the concierge in Copenhagen when you ask what he recommends doing and the reply is “you should go home.  it is too cold for you to be here.  why do tourists come here in October???” (seriously this happened.  The concierge!  and then when I told others what he said, their reply was “well, he is right”).  (by the way, I love Copenhagen but their directness can be overwhelming for someone used to the southern hospitality).

 

If you do not go see the world then…

You do not know what it feels like to be in different altitudes.  You do not have the experience of someone bringing you tea and you not sure what is in it but you drink it anyway because you feel that strangely bad.

You don’t understand why it is important in Cuzco Peru to take it slow and easy because otherwise you will pass out from the height.

You would not know that the birthday cake in southern Venezuela tastes a lot like my mom’s cake.  But their rice is totally different.

If you do not see the world you do not really understand what a street dog really is.  And that means different things in different parts of the world.

If you don’t travel the world, you have no idea the variety of toilets that exist on Earth.  We all poop, but not in the same way.

So, I am extremely grateful that my parents dragged me and my brother around the US.   I’ll write more about those trips later.  If you haven’t piled your kids in the car and taken off though, do it.  Sell something, save your money.   Pack PBJ sandwiches and clip coupons.

Who knows… 30 years from now your 10 year old could be sitting in her kitchen writing her travel blog about the world all because you made her stop at every.. single..historical landmark you saw.

Peace and love.

 

Madrid Tapas are unlike anywhere else.

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I love Madrid.  The people there know how to live.  Saben vivir. Madrid Tapas are unlike anywhere else.

They know how to dance, with their sexy flamenco.  I could watch that dance all day long.

But more importantly, they know how to eat.  All of Spain has dishes they are famous for… Bilbao has Pinxtos (little toasts with stuff on them), Barcelona has the best paella ever.  There are olives, and wine.

But Madrid.  Madrid has the reign on tapas.  Yes, yes, you can get tapas all of the place.  Madrid Tapas are unlike anywhere else.

 

No where are Tapas like they are in Madrid

Roasted potatoes with red pepper sauce.  Ham. Olives. Homemade chips. Crotchets. Serrano. Little fried balls of ham.  Some paella.

So, you go to a bar.  You order a canita.  That’s a little beer.  You get the beer you get.  (I already wrote a little bit about it here).

Then the first order of tapas.  Then another beer and a little more food.

Tapas is the equivalent of getting nuts or popcorn in a bar in the US.  But that is such a sad comparison that I can’t even take myself seriously.

Why can’t we do this here?  Does everything have to be capitalized and with a price?  Why can’t I just find a little place I can go, have a small beer and some randomly good food??

The photo here on this blog is a big plate of food with two beers.  Total price $5.  Yes we were eating with the college crowd, but who cares.  The next night we went down the road and had an adult dinner, with a bottle of wine.  Total price $40.  That would have been $150 back home.

 

I have never eaten so many olives as I have in Madrid.

They are so good and so habit forming.

I was able to find the olives that I fell in love with in Madrid.  They are bright green.  I asked the hubs what kind were they and he said “Spanish”.  Smart ass.

But alas, they were at Whole Foods in the olive bar.  Appropriately marked as “Spanish Olives”.

Until we meet again Madrid.

 

Tell me below in the comments what your favorite tapas are.. I am always looking for new ideas and places. 

 

Why you should ride the public bus when traveling

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One thing I love to do in a different city is to ride the public bus.  I’ll talk about my obsession with the hop-on-hop-off buses later.  For now, I am going to tell you how much I love public buses.

Living in Houston, our buses primarily take you to the suburbs and downtown.  We don’t have a lot of bus routes from where people live within the city.  But when I go to other cities, the buses tell you everything you want to know.

I have seen very rich people, very poor people, mothers, business men, gypsies, babies, everyone you can imagine on a bus.  Where are all these people going.

In Paris, you can get on Bus 42 or Bus 69 and they will take you pretty much where you want to go.  You can just ride along and see all the major attractions.    (Here is the route for Bus 69)

Generally when we need to go far, we think of taking the subway first (faster), then the bus, then walk, then a cab.

One time, we were sitting on bus 42 and this guy sits down.  On first glance, I thought he was homeless.  Then I changed my opinion to eccentric.  He had on a deep red three piece suit, very flamboyant hat, and a very large decorative purse.  Then all of a sudden I realized, this guy isn’t homeless.  This guy is wearing top end clothing.  He is just seriously eccentric.  It was amazing to see this.  I wish I could find a photo of him (cue the hubs to start looking for one).

Anyway, if you find yourself in a city, check out it’s bus route for a free (or cheap) thing to do.  It is people watching at its finest.

My hair hates vacation and let’s me know the whole time…

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I have a LOT of hair on my head.  It takes the lady who cuts it two hours.  It is wavy and straight.  Kinky and heavy.  It can’t decide what it wants to do.  The only thing that all of the stands can agree on is that they don’t like to be in another city, with different water and strange shampoos.

After I wash my hair if I want to look halfway presentable I have to spend a hour drying, straightening, etc.  I go to the DryBar a lot.

In our latest trip to Paris, I decided I did not have room in my bag for my special round brush.  That’s just an excuse to go to Sephora and purchase a new one in Paris.

Sephora in Paris does not carry brushes.

I walked into the big Sephora on the Champs and it was so loud and party central.  Everyone was enjoying themselves.  Except for me with my hair in a bun and needing some loving.

I was told to go to a pharmacy.  Easy, one across from my hotel.

No brushes.

Days went buy.  The hubs renamed me Annie.  I am not sure for the kinky hair of orphan Annie or Raggedy Ann.  Regardless, my hair is sorta red and he thinks he is funny.

After several Sephora attempts (yes I was in denial) I finally found a place that sold brushes (and nail polish – yippy).

I read lots of articles (like this one) that advise people to leave stuff at home.  You do not need a guitar, or a coffee maker, but you know what you need.  I will be buried with my special round brushes, hair oils and curlers.  But if you don’t have this issue, maybe you can do with out.

Lesson learned.  Toothbrush and deodorant stay.  Brushes are coming with me.

Peace and Love.

Why can’t I have just a little slice of Spanish tortilla?????

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Traveling brings you closer to humanity.  You get to see people outside of your culture and hopefully you expand your little box of understanding the world a bit more.  The more you travel the better the box you are in gets and the more engaged you are while traveling leads to better experiences.  That’s why I love tapas bars in Madrid.

In other restaurants you sit at a table and formally eat.  In a tapas bar, one you are in a bar, you generally are standing or resting your butt on a barstool and it is usually crowded.  It is crowded because it is small.  How many people can you fit into a small area?  A tapas bar owner is an expert.

Cleanliness isn’t really a priority.  I don’t mean this badly.  Wipe your mouth with a napkin and then throw it on the floor.  Then remember we are in a bar.  There will be beer spilled.

And there are no decisions to be made.  When you go to a regular bar: what kind of beer do you want, what do you want to eat.  No.. not in a tapas bar.  You want beer, you get a beer.  You MIGHT be able to say what size.  If you want wine, you get red.  Maybe white.  and then you get what you get when they give you the food.  Generally the more beer you order the better the food.

First round is chips, second olives, then maybe potato, etc.  I mean, you can order food in some places but that defeats the purpose of letting someone give you a little food.  If you want to order food, go to a restaurant.  Unless of course, you are done drinking and just want more food.  But even then, get going so someone else can have your space at the bar. (did I mention the good tapas bars are packed?)

So, the hubs and I are in a a tapas bar in Madrid on our last trip.  He loves Spanish tortilla.  He asks the very angry looking owner if he can have a very small slice.  She tells him “no, slices come in one size only”.  Now if you don’t know what Spanish tortilla is, you basically make a cake using sliced potatoes and eggs.  If you were in a bakery and said you want a small slice, they’d probably smile and think of the amount of money they were saving.

The angry woman only wanted to sell one size – large.  We hate wasting food.

Then we saw her take the customer’s uneaten olives and put them back in the main jar.  Glad we didn’t get the slice.  Ugh.

But my point is that you cannot go imposing rules in a place that is by its nature supposed to be casual and laid back.   She lost money that day.  She could have charged the hubs a full amount and had extra to give someone else.  Or she could have just given him a small sliver that he wanted.  Rather she drove us away.

If you find yourself in Madrid in a tapas bar with an owner that won’t compromise on a slide of tortilla, remember not to eat the olives either.

Additional Bonus

BTW… When I got home, I made a delicious one for us.  It was really easy to make and the hubs gobbled it up.  I even cut him small slices to eat :).

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/spanish-tortilla-recipe0.html

 

 

I only recommend products or services I use personally (unless noted) and believe will be good for my readers. I will disclose if compensation was made for the publication. All opinions and photographs are mine (unless noted).

Contact: Shelia@NoTourGuideNeeded.com

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