Toluca diablitos – I guess I have a team
The drive from Angangueo to Mexico City is about 120 miles and takes about 4 hours. I had 2 more days before meeting my friend, CY, in Mexico City, and I did not want to have to leave at oh-dark-thirty to meet her flight at noon. I looked at places in between and chose Toluca, the capital city of the state of Mexico. My choice was made when I read about a place called the Cosmovitral, a converted Art nouveau…
Magical Monarchs
The main reason for choosing Michoacán was to visit the monarch butterfly sanctuaries. The season is November to March. I have vivid memories from my childhood of monarch butterflies and their caterpillar larvae feeding on milkweed. I think butterflies are magical, a feeling I shared with the Basha, who was like a gentle child around them. The town of Angangueo is the gateway to two of the sanctuaries. I booked a hotel in a neighboring town, Zitácuaro, that said it…
Uruapan and the Volcano
oo-roo-AH-pan not how I thought it was pronounced when I first saw it. Live and learn. The drive from Pátzcuaro to Uruapan was relatively short, so I scheduled in a side trip to Santa Clara del Cobre – a town known for their copper mining and copper art. While in town I also ate the most AMAZING carnitas tacos! I ordered one ($50 pesos) but it came with 3 tortillas and made 3 huge, tasty, filling tacos. YUM! The city…
Pátzcuaro: Adventures and Food
The drive to Pátzcuaro started the adventure! Road closures, traffic diversions, and Google maps sending me into town on practical cart paths. Cobble stone alleys with axel-breaker speed bumps (topes). I am sure that at least 2 of the “streets” Google sent me on were one way, and not the way I was going! 😂 The middle of town, where my hotel was located, was a complete zoo of cars, horses, tour busses, motorcycles, and scooters. There was a HUGE…
Pod people and Morelia
As I begin my next sola adventure, I am both excited and apprehensive. I think this is a good thing, yet I hope the apprehension doesn’t follow me forever. The lead-up to departure was as hectic as always. House construction, visiting with friends, holiday craziness, and trying to pack efficiently. OY! The flight to CDMX was easy, but delayed due to weather. We had RAIN in BCS, and there were storms in CDMX. I arrived late and had to find…
Amsterdam v.2.0
Final Installment for this trip. Last stop – Amsterdam, again. I stayed in the same hotel as last time – Hotel Abba. It is a nice, small hotel near Museumplein with lots of public transit connections and only a 30 minute walk to Dam square. Reasonable price, comfortable rooms – the first stay I had a single with shared bath and a balcony, the second a double with a private bath and a balcony. They are friendly, will let you…
Family and Friends
A complete change of pace. Nothing was scheduled except the visits. And they were great visits! First stop not far from Assen to see my cousin and his family. It has been years, but felt like no time at all. I had some solo adventures, and we had some family fun. It was wonderful!! 💕 Second stop, Belgium, to see a friend from Egypt. We figured it had been 16 years since we had last seen each other. Again it…
In Real Time: Why not? ¿Porqué no?
What are you to do when faced with an 8HOUR layover in Madtid? Check your hand luggage and go into the city! Of course. 😊 It took nearly an hour by metro, including the time.to.get lost while changing stations. But I set my goal for Puerta del Sol and I was off. From Puerta del Sol it is a short walk to Plaza Mayor, where the Basha and I have history. Involving sangria. Since I was up at 4am and…
Race Day Assen 2025
This was the day we’d been waiting for. It was incredible, and heart-breaking because the Basha wasn’t standing next to me. 😢 The Legends Club, above the start/finish straight, was welcoming and comfortable. Highly recommended! Race day is always a different rhythm than Friday or Saturday – not as many sessions, more electricity and anticipation. Also A LOT more people, some people ONLY buy a Sunday ticket. Unfathomable to me, but… to each their own. There was only one warmup…
Amazing Assen
Ever since we started following MotoGP, Assen, known as the Cathedral of Speed, has been on the wishlist of GPs to see. This year, 2025, is the 100 year anniversary of the TT, or the Tourist Trophy. The TT and the GP are not the same, but the celebration was epic! Friday practice and qualifying – Walked to and from the track, and completely around the track to check out the different vantage points. Long day, about 10 miles of…