We've been home a week!
That just sounds crazy as we have filled that week to the brim!!
Our beautiful home in Dallas is being put back together after extensive water damage due to bad plumbing.
We were able to squeeze in a fab day with Ste, Candace and kiddies on Sunday before Nev and I went our separate ways:
he to a round of golf on Tuesday before a delicious four days with Dill, Julie and Nell in Denver
me to Casa Azul in Mexico to open the house and put it back together after our absence and the rains before Ste and family arrive next week for a lovely week long visit!
We are both in the perfect spot for right now...
Nev bonding with Nell and enjoying sweet time with Dill and Julie
me walking the beach, enjoying my gifts of sea glass along the way, and planting a new garden down at the beach, experimenting both with the weather conditions and with what the cows that pass by will and will not eat!
And then there's the final chapter to my mums lost pearl earring and the one that I still have...
it has found its perfect spot in one of the scallop shells I picked up on the beach at Cee in Spain...
I smile now when I look at it and think of mum and her earrings,
the loss of the other one no longer a heartache...
perfect timing as it’s almost a year since we said our goodbyes to her…
ever thankful for the simplest of blessings in life.

We had a lovely slow morning this morning, the blue sky dusted with light clouds, the coffee, yoghurt, and blueberries from South Africa that we'd loaded up with yesterday tasting so good!
Today was a day we chose to follow suggestions on where to go and what to do beginning with Churchill's War Room suggested by our Susan.
We passed Trafalgar Square and St James Park en route, the square and its giant lions and fountains surrounding the column with Lord Nelson on top just beautiful in the sunshine, the wild and flowering English gardens in the park a sheer delight.
I found the war room fascinating and I was glad Nev and I had listened to Erik Larsons "The splendid and the vile" not that long ago - it made the war room come to life for me (Nev opted for a pint at a nearby bar instead!). I loved seeing this space, the handwritten love letters from Clemmie to Churchill, the interviews with surviving secretaries and personnel on life at that time. I didn't realize the USA had granted him an honorary citizenship after the war, or that he'd led a battalion during the first World War. And I did not know that his passion after the war was painting!
We had a late lunch at "The Nine Cases", a wine bar suggested by the guy we met at Simon's Bar in Alaró, Mallorca. It was spot on: the wine, the small plates of delicious food, the cozy atmosphere, especially since it was now pouring rain outside.
We passed China Town en route back to our flat but chose not to stop in the rain, our comfy space calling us home to put our feet up for a bit before we joined Graham and Nicole for cocktails at another suggestion from our friend from Simon's Bar, The Barley Mow Pub. The pub was packed so we moved on to The Duchess and had a sweet couple of hours together, their son Warren joining us for a quick bit to see Nev, their last time together 17 years ago! Nev enjoyed the best sausage roll he's had... the chips were good too.
And then, after tight hugs and goodbyes to Graham and Nicole, we finished the night at our last suggestion, The Guinea Grille” a lovely pub/restaurant where we enjoyed lamb chops with mint, cauliflower cheese and a pot of creamed spinach, a good English dinner!
Lucky for a good walk home before climbing into bed after all that!!
We fly home to Dallas in the morning... our bodies and our livers are excited, and so are we!!!
It's been a fabulous trip...
the world is a beautiful place. ♥️

We were surrounded by mountains and fields of green and sheep and cacau yesterday.
We are now surrounded by sex shops and pubs, theatres and London cabs as we settle into our flat in Soho for three nights. Apparently this was the old red light district of London back in the day!
Last night we had dinner with friends of old, Graham and Nicole, and it was super to catch up with them... we could've talked long into the night. We did our best. 🩷
Our day today has been delightfully different despite Nev's lack of enthusiasm for walking to the Frameless Art Museum after I got us lost, and we were blessed with lovely weather, mostly.
I absolutely loved the Frameless Art experience; it's like stepping into pictures, familiar pictures coming to life all about us. Each area portrayed a different era of art and I could've stayed a long, long while there. So glad we went, tho Nev might give you a different opinion if asked.
Next stop, brunch at a highly recommended pub in Soho, The Clachan, where Nev loved his beer, pie, gravy and chips; suffice to say I enjoyed my wine... the "lightly dusted" calamari was deep fried in a thick batter... I've never done well with pub food!
Our afternoon was spent at the Apollo Theater in Westminster where we were lucky enough to get the last two tickets to the 2:30pm show "Fawlty Towers" which started its run here in London in May and has been a huge hit.
We laughed hard for two hours at Basil, Sybil and Manuel, Polly and the Major, the show such a good take on the Fawlty Towers TV episodes we thrived on as young adults in South Africa. Such an unexpected and fun time!
And then it was nap time...
we were exhausted...
it's been a busy few weeks.
Our flat is a spacious and comfy place to be, tho the steep and narrow steps up to the third floor are a workout, and the noise of the party goers on the streets below quiets at around 2am.
Dinner tonight at Dishoom in Covent Garden was fantastic, the half hour wait in line in the rain well worth it. Where better to enjoy a good curry than in the heart of London??
Tho our solace has been replaced with city life, it's been a fabulous time...
what will tomorrow hold????

We say our goodbyes to our T Hansen family today after a very sweet week of togetherness, exploring, cooking, conversation, and just being!
We attended local markets, finding treasures to bring home
Nev and I rented e-bikes and had a fabulous day exploring the towns of nearby Orient and Bulayo, stopping for lunch in front of a beautiful church, our butts needing a break!
We all dressed in white for a wine festival in a nearby village where all in attendance were also in white and partying in the streets, such fun
Nev and I made friends with Simon and his fabulous bar in the town, and yes! his margarita was as delicious as promised!
We met lovely friends that have been made as Trev and Star hosted a barbecue in their beautiful home for about 30 guests on Sunday, the weather holding out and the kids loving the spacious garden
Daxie and I worked together in his garden
Ryan loves his Bampa
Heidi likes her alone time... she's ten tomorrow 🩷🩷
My last hiking attempt got rained out (Nev was relieved) but Star took me to my first Pilates Reformer class and that gave me a tough workout!!!
Our suitcases are loaded with local wines and liquors that we have enjoyed
and our hearts are loaded with joy and contentment and happy memories as we hug each other harder and our eyes are teary when we say goodbye,
for now...
we look forward to our return next year!

It's been a busy few days since we joined Trevor, Star, Dax, Heidi and Ryan in Alaró where they are renting a lovely big home in a beautifully manicured garden on the outskirts of the town, and where the kids attend a private International school which all three have settled into and love.
Dax still loves his garden, and is taking guitar lessons and drama at school. He's also really thrilled with his new ant farm!
Heidi loves all her new girlfriends (this is her first year in a formal school setting), her art, her drama classes on Saturdays in Palma and Mia, their cute kitten.
Ryan loves food, especially fruit, his chickens and all his buddies and he's got a great Spanish accent! He told me he has 15 sisters now: the 12 chickens he picks up and carries around as much as they'll let him, Heidi, Mia, and their friend Liv!!
We've made paella together, enjoyed homemade pasta and marinara sauce made by Star, shoulder of lamb at a restaurant on a mountain, and dinner in the village which the Hansen clan ride into and out of frequently on their scooters!
Trev tried taking me on his scooter to a nearby winery and I laughed a lot!! Poor scooter grumbled at the added weight going up hills and I ended up walking a lot of the way! The wine at the Castell Miguel was worth every step of the climb!! Two bottles of Stairway to Heaven Merlot are in our suitcase, headed to Dallas!
Yesterday Trev patiently hiked with me to Castel d'Alaro on top of one of the Two Sisters mountains. It was a challenging climb for me, one he often runs up!! Nev and Star joined us at the lamb restaurant and did the last part of the climb with us. Those cold beers as we enjoyed the vistas from the top tasted mighty fine! And the lamb meal before we headed back is worth doing this climb all over again! Trev and I did almost 12 miles!!
Our little BnB is in the town of Alaro, an easy 20 minute walk to the Hansen household. We feel quite at home here, this being our second time to visit and everything within easy walking distance.
Last night we met Simon of Simon's Bar on our way home after dinner in the square with the family; I have a feeling we'll be visiting him regularly.
Today he's promised me a real Mexican margarita;
now that will really make me feel at home!

Our three day stopover in Palma, Mallorca, before joining the kids tomorrow has been a perfect place of rest and relaxation, tho Nev would complain about the amount of walking we've done here!
There's no doubt we miss the quiet of the backroads of Galicia...
the city seems loud, expensive and a lot!!
Yet:
The weather has been a balmy 80 degrees,
our Hotel, Bo Palma, in the heart of old town Palma, has been a delight,
seeing Trev, Dax and Ryan yesterday for lunch and a walkabout for icecream afterwards was a highlight,
and then there is the old town itself,
beautiful cobbled, tree lined streets,
a multitude of sidewalk cafes to choose from to sit and enjoy tapas, a cold beer, a delicious glass of Mallorcan red wine which they're very proud of,
the beautiful 14th century Cathedral with its amazing stained glass windows, organ, and the highest nave in the world,
the deep blue of the Mediterranean Ocean,
marinas packed with gazillions of dollars worth of boats from tiny fishing and sail boats to mega yachts,
at least two cruise ships a day at harbor with guests flooding the city during the day,
the market L 'Olivar with its food stalls and displays of fruits and veggies, meats and cheeses...
all of this comes together to create a tapestry of colors, flavors, smells, sights and experiences.
Last night was our favorite:
cocktails at the Cuba Rooftop Bar
dinner in the Italian restaurant of our hotel that was our best meal of the trip so far, our creamy garlicky cheesey pasta prepared in a Parmesan wheel
a night cap on the rooftop while Nev enjoyed a cigar and I loved watching the waxing moon grow ever brighter over the silhouette of the cathedral. ♥️
Today we have moved to a different hotel far from the crowded streets of old town and we are enjoying the quiet of this place and the luxury of our own private patio, pool at our feet, and no plans for this evening except possibly a killer game of 3:13 on the rooftop while we watch the sun set.
Nice.