I Will Never Forget Paris

I have no idea how I’m going to fit in everything I want to share with you about my trip to Europe in one post.  This trip felt as if I stepped into another world; everything was different.  I was anxious to see everything I had only read about in books or seen in movies.

The first place we toured was the tulip fields in the province of  Noord-Holland. Rows upon rows of different colored tulips; they almost didn’t look real. I wanted to run up and down the fields wearing a white flowing dress with a crown of flowers around my head while my hubby chases me in slow motion. Hahaha I’m a hopeless romantic.  

It was a dark and gloomy day when we arrived in Amsterdam.  As I walked the streets, what stood out immediately was how many people I saw writing bicycles.  Kids, moms, dads, the elderly, teens, and even business men in their suits and brief cases were on their bikes.  I saw more bike lanes than car lanes.

The weather was perfectly suited for where we were going next;  “Anne Frank’s” house.  I read the book about her life in high school and remember being impacted greatly.  When I stood in front of the house, I thought about how in her writings she described everything she could see happening outside her window.  As we made our way inside I felt as if I knew where everything was, because of her descriptions. The one thing I was not expecting was the flood of emotion that overtook me when I saw the bookshelf.  The bookcase that her family used to hide the entrance to what they called “the secret annex” Anne and her family lived in hiding for two years in a 500 square foot room.  They were soon after, betrayed and captured.  All of her family except her father Oliver Frank were killed in concentration camps; including Anne. I felt a cloud of grief encamp around me.  I wept and mourned the loss of the many Jews that were killed. 

On to my next adventure…. While in college I wrote a paper for my humanities class about an artist that got my attention. He had a turbulent life. His love life was a tragedy in itself; fell in love with his cousin who rejected him. Lived with a prostitute for almost two years and lastly, a woman that was in love with him attempted suicide by poison. But his worse cross to carry was suffering from mental illness. He experienced hallucinations, severe depression and attacks of some sort. In one occasion he mutilated the bottom half of his own ear and gave it to a prostitute.  His illness became so severe that he ended up in asylums multiple times. In the end he shot himself in the chest and died 22 hours later.  His best friend who was also his brother sat by his bedside as he slowly passed away. His last words were “the sadness will last forever.” His name was Vincent Van Gogh. Can you imagine how I felt when I walked into his museum in Amsterdam? I was in awe of his paintings. I could see his life through them; his dark days as well as his bright days. My appreciation for art rose to a different level that day. 

If you know me,  you know that I can sometimes go to the extreme to ease my curiosity. Lol So while visiting Amsterdam I just had to see the red light district. Again something I had learned about in college.  The red light district is an avenue in which prostitutes display themselves in windows.  As I walked the avenue, I was saddened to see beautiful young women waste their life away by selling their bodies. No human being was made to be sold or bought.  I left there with deep sorrow knowing that these women will probably never live life to the fullest. 

Now… my journey to Paris! We chose to drive to France from Holland, not too far of a drive.  The best thing about driving was the sightseeing. We stopped in Belgium to eat chocolates. Lol As we were getting closer to Paris I could feel butterflies in my stomach.  If I was dreaming, please nobody better dare wake me up!! The street side café’s, the tall beautiful people dressed in elegant black clothes; the smell of fashion was in the air. People seemed to be taking strolls just for the sake of walking. Our hotel room was exactly like what you see in the movies; small, cozy and with two wooden windows that opened to the view of the city. If I died then, I had lived. LOL Off we went to the famous Musee du  Louvre where I saw the original Mona Lisa painting, yeah… just as ugly as the replicas. hahaha We also toured the famous Notre Dame Cathedral; I've never seen a more beautiful cathedral. By the time we arrived at the Eiffel tower night had fallen.  My hubby had me close my eyes until I was directly in front of it.  When I opened my eyes I was speechless, I never thought I would one day be standing in front of the Eiffel tower.  We sat in a bistro directly in front of it and enjoyed fresh pastries with espresso.





Holding that tiny cup of espresso on one hand and warm bread on the other hand, while staring up at the lighted Eiffel tower made me feel like one of "them" without the skinny, elegant, beautiful part. LOl





This concludes my travel week... I hope you enjoyed it as much as I did.  Hopefully you walk away inspired to try something new, create a memory or travel the world! 

as for me.... I will Never Forget Paris :)

         

Don't Cry For Me Argentina....

As some of you know, I had an interesting day yesterday…. I walked into the men’s restroom at Wal-Mart.  The man inside yelled "LADY, WHAT R U DOING IN HERE" ...  omg, the sign with the "woman with a skirt" was hidden behind a wall divider. Haha ugh, only me :/  The worse thing about it was, when I ran out, looking for support from my husband, there he was laughing his head off! Lol I will most def make him pay for that one.  I’ll have to think of something….

Ahhhhh sigh..... Argentina :) I got off the plane not knowing what to expect, I’d never dreamed of visiting Argentina.  It’s funny how by the end of my trip, it became one of the countries I must return to on my bucket list. It was so beautiful, a perfect combination of nature and architecture.  They have 9 de Julio avenue: the widest st in the world.  Nine lanes wide, 110 meters wide; impressive indeed.

I was housed by locals.  A middle aged couple; husband was a police man and his wife was a teacher.  When we arrived at their house, it literally looked like a doll house.  Everything looked small. All the furniture was made of real wood.  The guest room had been prepared beautifully for us.  The bed was dressed with pastel colored linen, fresh flowers on the night stand and a sweet smell of lavender filled the air.  I’ll never forget the feel of that home; peaceful, warm and cozy.

Every morning when we woke up, the table was set with Argentinian coffee. They blend sugar, instant coffee granules with a few drops of water until it becomes a creamy paste.  The way to prepare the coffee for drinking is to add hot milk to the paste.  On a basket covered with white cotton cloth were rolls of warm, fresh bread. OMG I want that right now!!! Lol  

Their national dish is the "Asado a la Parrilla". Pretty much translated as a BBQ gathering. They use a specific method to cook their meats. Almost every house owns an outdoor grilling oven to prepare these. They consist of Chorizos and costillas(or ribs),  morcillas (or blood sausages), riñones (or kidneys), mollejas (or glands), and chinchulines (or intestines). Of course, steak and chicken is also included. They also make a dipping sauce called "chimichurri". 

But perhaps the most cultural event I took part in was the sharing of the “mate” It is an herbal tea prepared from steeping dried leaves of yerba mate (llex paraguariensis, known in Portuguese as erva-mate) in hot water. This as I learned is a very traditional custom for the Argentinians.  It is done daily usually in the evening. The family and friends gather in a circle and as they talk they pass the “mate” tea from one person to the next.  Each person sips from the same straw and the host continues to refill the kettle until everyone has had their fill.  Well, as much as I’m into learning about different cultures, I could not get passed the sharing of the straw bit.  So I was the first to drink and didn’t drink again. LOL

Last but not least were their empanadas, meat filled patties.  They are like nothing I can describe. The dough used must come from heaven itself.  Light, flaky and a distinct creamy buttery taste that I have not experience in a empanada since. Mmmmmm omg this post is torture!!!

Then of course came the tango.   We were walking around the town square and just like in the movies there were dancing rooms all around.  All with their doors open, music playing and beautiful people dancing tango.  I was in amazement, it felt like a dream. Of course I begged my hubby to dance with me…. Nope, didn’t work. lol  Argentina opened my eyes to the beauty of art, culture, music and dance.   Every country I have visited has influenced me in some way or another.  I'm grateful for that.  

   Once again, I want to thank you for reading. This week we reached 6000 hits on FGAL blog in six weeks time. It’s exciting to know that this blog is inspiring and helping you to live intentionally. I’m grateful for all your inbox messages, as you share your struggles and joys with me. “There is so much good in the worst of us, and so much bad in the best of us that it hardly becomes any of us to talk about the rest of us.~Edward Wallis Hoch lol We are more alike than we are different.

ARUBA, Jamaica, ooh I wanna take ya....

“Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn’t do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines, sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.” – Mark Twain 

It’s a rainy morning in Florida today, thunderstorms and all.  I enjoy rainy days once in a while.  I was awakened by the sound of rain drops hitting my bedroom window.  Then making its way up the stairs was the aroma of freshly ground coffee.  Just perfect. Ok so last night my oldest blew my bubble once again.  He reminded me that he is growing and is no longer my baby.  I asked him if he was planning a play date with any of his friends during spring break. Do you know what he answered?! “Mom, I don’t have play dates anymore, I have hangout days.” WHAT?  when did this happen, why didn’t anyone tell me?!?! I have to come to terms with this growing up business. LOL  

This week as I reminisce about my travels, I’ve gotten an incredible urge to go somewhere! We’ll see what I can muster up during spring break.  I’m glad you have been enjoying it as well.  Today I want to tell you about Aruba; Aruba is a Dutch island in the Antilles commonly referred to as the Netherlands Antilles or the Dutch Antilles.  When I arrived I was expecting to see something similar to all the Caribbean islands I’ve visited.  Boy was I in for a sweet surprise.   For starters there is a constant breeze caressing you every single day of the year.  The architecture has a European feel. It was like nothing I had ever seen in an island before.   The primary language is Dutch although because of the influence of many cultures they developed a language called Papiamento; it’s a combination of Portuguese, West African languages, Dutch, and Spanish and English.  Simply fascinating. 

Our hotel room was overlooking the water. In the morning I would sit on the balcony and sip my coffee listening to the waves crashing against the shore.  I was in heaven.  I have never seen water like the water in Aruba.  Hubby and I went on a snorkeling excursion, the coral was magnificent; vibrant reds, blues, orange, and yellow I didn’t want to leave. I’m ashamed to say that at that time in my life, I was a bit immature and therefore did things that I wouldn’t think about doing now.  I can’t believe I’m telling you this!! Anyway while we were on our way to snorkel there was an annoying woman on our boat that kept complaining about everything. She was making fun of the tour guide because of his accent. Need I say more??? That said….. we were given some fish food to use while we were snorkeling to attract some fish to our area and take pictures.  We were told to use a little bit at a time to avoid a school of fish surrounding us. Sooooo, I couldn’t resist the temptation, while the “woman” snorkeled I threw “ALL” of my fish food around her head. OMG I was awful! Next thing you hear is the woman screaming to the top of her lungs and swimming like a crazy woman away from all the fish that were following her.  I know…. I’m going to fry in hell for that one! LOL

Just to let you know how impressed I was by the turquoise water; when it was time to head back, hubby and I got back on the boat. As everyone else was getting back inside the boat I could not stop staring in amazement at the water.  It was calling me, teasing me, enticing me, I kept telling my hubby “omg, I’m afraid I’ll never see water like this again” (I was right by the way)  Ok so then I did the unthinkable, I jumped out of the boat, right back into the water. The only problem is, I CANT SWIM!! Hahahaha hubby jumped in to save me. (Didn’t speak to me for a while after that) hahaha, it was worth it! Just look at that water, can you blame me??? LOL

Stay packed my FGAL readers... tomorrow we shall go to Argentina and Friday Europe :) are you game?

Lets Talk FOOD !!!

“Traveling is a brutality. It forces you to trust strangers and to lose sight of all that familiar comfort of home and friends. You are constantly off balance. Nothing is yours except the essential things – air, sleep, dreams,the sea, the sky – all things tending towards the eternal or what we imagine of it.” –Cesare Pavese       

I am sure that if I didn’t watch myself, and exercised I would have to be rolled out of my house by a tow truck.  There are very few things I can think of that I enjoy more than eating.  I hate to admit this to you but I wake up thinking about what I’m going to eat and I go to sleep planning the next day’s menu in my head.  If you don’t think that’s obsessive  enough…. I fall asleep listening to the food channel.  Hahaha oh no, I think you know way too much about me now!   

One of my favorite things to do when I travel is try the country’s national dish.  Food is a very important part of culture. I know as a Puertorican I’m very proud of my Island’s cuisine. When it comes toLatin America, all the countries are very similar.  All except for the food;

Venezuela- Pabellon Criollo is a delicious combination of carnemechada (shredded beef), arroz blanco (white rice), frijoles negros(black beans) and tajadas (fried plantains). A side of arepas is amust!

Panama-sancocho de gallina. The basic ingredients for the sancocho are chicken, ñame (a root vegetable) andculantro.   Yuca, mazorca (Corn on the cob) chopped onions, garlic and oregano. It is frequentlyserved with white rice on the side,meant to be either mixed in or eaten with each spoonful. Hot sauce is also frequently added, depending on regional and individual preferences

DominicanRepublic- Mangu is boiled and mashed green plantains topped with red onions that have been marinated in vinegar served with fried cheese and salchichon (ahard salami)

Honduras– Catracho, its a delicious combination of white rice, carne asada, refried beans,fried ripe plantains, eggs, corn tortillas, and a creamy white butter called mantequilla it tastes like sour cream.

Now that I’ve made you hungry; go and cook up something different tonight. Get a recipe from a different country and surprise your family.  You might be the only one that likes it… buthey, at least you stepped out of the box. I’ll be right over. lol

* I can't wait to tell you about Argentina, Aruba and Europe! I had unforgettable experiences there :)

No Excuses, Lets Get Up And Explore!

I realize I may be venturing into controversial territory by saying this, but I merely want to make you think about different possibilities.  I’m not a blind believer of the “American dream”; you know, the one that determines success solely by being able to retire, raise your kids in a suburb, in a big house with a white picket fence and a dog.  None of these things are bad of course.  Unless the price you are paying to have them is keeping you from actually "living".  The pressures of material things are alive and well all around us.  We are constantly being bombarded with the “next big thing” the bigger and the better.  If we lose sight of what really matters, life passes us by and we miss it.

This week I will like to stir up your adventurous side. I will share some of my traveling experiences with you, in hopes that you would be motivated to go explore for yourself. Find something fresh and new.  Ever since I can remember I wanted to travel and see the world. I wanted to grow up and be a flight attendant.  As soon as I graduated from high school I took a travel and tourism course and then applied to work for an airline.  Although the job never happened for me, the traveling did.

I have been blessed enough to travel to Argentina, Guatemala, Panama, Venezuela, Dominican Republic, Honduras, Aruba, Holland, Belgium, France, Amsterdam, and throughout the USA.  Everywhere I went, it was an entirely different experience; the people, the customs, the food, the language, every single thing fascinates me.  I prefer to stay in the house of locals so that I can have the full experience of their culture.

One of my first overseas experiences was Guatemala.  The minute I arrived I began to compare many things to Puerto Rico.  The mountains were impressive, I felt completely surrounded by green, enormous beauty.  As we embarked on a trip to visit with the Guatemalan indigenous people, I had no idea about the adventure that would follow.  We traveled up and up and up the mountains, so high up that I felt my ears begin to pop.  The road we were traveling on was about two inches wide; and did I mention it was meant to be a TWO lane road!!! I saw my life flash before my eyes. Lol  Our driver was driving what felt like 100 miles an hour. We were going further and further away from civilization.  I began to worry… well ok, to FREAK out! I was digging my nails into my hubby’s leg.  I think that’s the closest I’ve been to the sky while in a car. My hubby won’t admit it but I saw clouds surrounding us!!!       

When we finally arrived to the top of the mountains it was like another world had been built up there. There were shops, schools, churches, and people everywhere.  But what impressed me the most was that they had managed to keep their customs in tack, unaffected by the rest of the world.  They were dressed with their traditional clothing.  We stood out like aliens from another planet. As we were sightseeing around the village, we came to the village square.  There was what looked like a well right in the middle of the square.  Inside it was a woman bathing. Yes you read correctly, BATHING while people walked around as if nothing was happening. The only one staring at her was ME! lol

Within a couple of hours I felt part of them, they were sweet, warm, welcoming people.  I will forever be grateful for that experience; I’m now able to share with my boys about tolerance and acceptance of other cultures and that there is always something to learn from someone else.  After a great educational fun day with the indigenous people, I now had to go back down the mountain!!! NOOOOOOOOO

There is an experience waiting for us everywhere… even in our own backyard. We may not be able to pick up our bags and travel, but we may have a Guatemalan neighbor or a neighbor from any country from whom we can share with and learn from.  Take a minute and explore; the world is so much bigger than our tiny circle.   Your passion may not be traveling, but it may be something else. Whatever that may be, don't put it off, don't be too busy to do what you love.  I challenge you to find sometime this week to do whatever it is that makes you smile..... No Excuses Lets Get Up And Explore! LOL