It is a big world out there...

I realize it has been a while since my last post.  A health set back could be used as part of the excuse :-( 

Last year we did not have a clear idea of where to travel because so much was depending on my health. We did not want to commit to an exchange then being unable to travel.  We had informally agreed to an exchange in London but they changed their minds...a blessing in disguise.  

We travelled to Costa Rica in a traditional way, staying at hotels.  It was an interesting experience and really loved it but I have to admit we missed home swapping.  We missed visiting markets, home made food, and the neighborhood atmosphere.  The landscape and nature in CR was lovely.  We enjoyed meeting friends and spending time hiking, zip lining, turtle watching.

It is a big world out there so we always have a problem deciding where to go next.  After many offers we have settled on an exchange in Vienna.  We will travel back to Turkey as David is determined to show his dad this fascinating country that sits on two continents then we will travel to Austria.  I am excited to go back to Turkey as we only scratched the surfaced when David and I were there a couple of years ago.  After Turkey we will travel to Vienna, Austria. We are making Vienna our home base but hope to travel through Eastern Europe as well.  So many cities so little time -- we want to see many cities but we also want to do each justice, a difficult task given our time limit.  But the wheels are in motion and we are in the process of contacting possible hosts.  Have I mentioned ad nauseam how much we love to travel this way as a way to meet new people.  We are always awed to find so much kindness throughout the world. 

House swapping -- not for everyone --

     Whenever we mention house swapping people seem curious with the concept. In theory, it sounds like a good idea for many although some find it troublesome and won't ask further. I have to say it takes a certain kind of people to feel confident with the idea of allowing a "stranger" into their home. We were reluctant in the beginning but after researching it thoroughly felt that the advantages outweighed the risks (hardly any).

     The idea of "affordable" travel has always been intriguing to us, especially since we travel for a month (even longer) at a time. We are always on the lookout for ways to save money. Our first trip to Europe involved visiting relatives and staying at hostels when necessary. Out of affordability concerns we looked into house swapping but now could not picture us traveling any other way. We love meeting new people and staying in regular neighborhoods.

     Exchanging our home is a more personal experience which allow us to "immerse" ourselves in the local culture. We shop at the local supermarkets which affords us with an interesting cultural experience. We are always fascinated by the difference between US supermarkets and the ones in other countries. Also, there is also something reassuring about going back "home" after a day of touring. 

    With curiosity and an open mind, we feel like modern day explorers. Often times we have taken the road less traveled and it has led us to wonderful experiences.

Our first few days in France…

The first few days in Paris are rather slow on account of the jetlag. We manage to go to an Internet café to check our e-mails and we also visit the Rodin museum. I really wanted to visit this museum last time we were in Paris but we ran out of time. David like his dad can spend hours in a museum reading every description of the art being displayed! I tend to admire the work and keep moving. We get a brochure before entering the museum that David reads from beginning to end. I wait patiently for him as I realize this is part of the learning process for him. It also becomes handy, as he is able to relate more to the exhibition in the museum. He tells me about some of the sculptures and the context in which they were done. Rodin was an amazing artist and I thoroughly enjoy the museum as well as the beautiful outdoor garden.

After two three days in Paris we go to Beaugency to visit friends. They are very happy we are spending the 4th of July weekend so they prepare a barbecue for us. Bernadette is so wonderful! She cooks so much food and encourages us to eat well: you are going to be walking a lot today, the train ride is long. Luckily, she loves vegetables so we are never left feeling too full. We visit the Chartres Cathedral which sits in a town by the same name about 50 miles from Paris. We also visit the Caste of Chambord, the largest castle in the Loire Valley. I am very impressed with the castle and its condition. Very well maintained and huge…440 rooms, 365 fireplaces and 84 staircases!!! The double=helix stairs that lead to the top of the castle fascinates David and it takes a few hours to see this monster castle. Needless to say, at the end we are exhausted.

Visiting so many historical places continues to be an allure for us. There is so much history in Europe!

The Reluctant Traveler

David was reluctant, almost until the end, about this 7 weeklong trip. He made sure to let anyone willing to listen that he was being “dragged” around in Europe or that he was “wasting” his summer. He was not able to elicit much sympathy after all it is hard to feel sorry for someone who gets to travel to Europe as often as David does. Having said that…I completely understand his desire to spend time with his friends. He is at that age where friends become more and more important. My only hope is that in due time he will fondly remember this vacation.

Once the day of our trip arrives he is less anxious and is very helpful through out the process. He insists in putting the luggage in the car himself…trying to prove he is a big boy. James took us to the airport and I had forewarned him about putting on a strong face for David. David tends to be the sensitive type and I did not want him to feel bad about leaving his dad and his two sisters behind (Alex and Amina). So James acts very casual about the whole thing even though this is the first time him and I (and David of course) had been separated for more than a couple of days.

The flight is uneventful and to our surprise it goes by rather quickly. By the time we look at the clock we only have 2 ½ hours left!!! David managed to finally sleep for about 2 hours, I was not so lucky. Needless to say we arrive exhausted. Our friend Bernadette is already waiting for us and takes us to the apartment where we will spend a few days. Long story but we ended up with two generous invitations and decided to split our time in between the two places. She welcomes us with a generous breakfast of homemade bread and croissants. We talk for a little bit but then we go to our room to take a short nap. We could probably sleep for hours but we want to adjust as quickly as possible to our new schedule. After we wake up we realized she had been cooking to leave us enough food for three days!!! She is wonderful…before leaving she opens a bottle of champagne and brings some stuffed mushrooms and an assortment of olives and pickles. Even David gets a bit of champagne that he quickly transforms into a mimosa! I Love France!

Decisions, decisions, decisions

It has been a long time since my last post...since this is a blog about home swapping it is difficult to write about anything else in between exchanges. We arrived last August from our exchange in Portugal and Spain and almost immediately, we were receiving offers for the summer of 2010!!!

This is the time when we really wish we had more time and money to travel. Too many offers come our way, many from places we have not visited yet. We settle early on two offers: one in Amsterdam and one in Southern Italy. Then the fun of planning begins as well as the not so fun part of fishing for airfares. This year airfares have been higher than usual so landing a "good" deal has been challenging.

What is new this year...is that David and I will travel before James to spend time visiting friends in France. We will be staying mainly in Paris although we will visit friends in Mayenne and hopefully travel throughout Normandy. Although 3 weeks seems like a long time it never really is. We will make do with what we have! We realize we are very fortunate to be able to take this month long (and this case almost two months) trips every summer. So we should not complain but we will any way!

One of the challenging things about coordinating two exchanges is the logistics of it. James will fly to Paris to meet us and will spend a couple of days there. Coincidentally we will be in Paris for the last stage of the Tour de France so James, being and avid cycler, wants to attend. We will take the train to Amsterdam and spend a week there. Afterwards we will fly into Rome for the second exchange. The family is from Arezzo but will fly to Chicago from Rome. We will fetch their car then travel to their house. There are many details to be worked but I will not go into them.

Getting ready for a 7 week trip is lots of work! I have 10 days left and still have so much to do. I will try to post more often and add more pictures this time.

Our last week in Spain

We have been in Vigo for a week now. We were a little concerned thinking that switching 4 different homes in the same trip would be a lot of work. By work I mean, not the actual moving but having to tidy up every home we visit. To our surprise it was manageable! Last Friday we took a plane from Madrid to Vigo. Prior to our trip, we debated as to what was the most economical way to get here. Renting a car for one day meant driving 5 hours or flying which is the fastest but usually the most expensive for a family of four . In retrospect, driving would have been cheaper. We did not realize we had to take a taxi to and from the airport which adds to the cost. Normally, we take public transportation but it has to be available. That was not the case with this house as it sits on a maze of roads.
This is our first time in this region and it is quite a contrast from the South (which we still prefer). However, it is beautiful here...being so close to the Atlantic guarantees plenty of fresh fish. We have been to fish markets and the prices are reasonable. Of course there are so many varieties I would not even know how to prepare them so as usual I talk to people (something I do in the states as well) and ask them questions about what they are buying and how to prepare them.
We have visited many small towns with views of the Atlantic ocean. I have to admit it is very peaceful driving along the coast line. Or, walking around fortresses facing the Atlantic. Just breathtaking!!! We are partial to some Celtic ruins (at least 4000 year old) which look down at the town from a mountain above. The views of the River Mino Estuary are just spectular...words can not describe it!
It is hard to believe we have been here for almost a month now, so much more time is needed to learn about a region or a country for that matter. Having spent one a week in each region has its drawbacks as we have to rush to see as many things as possible. When we have a home base for a month, we become more intimate with a region.
We have loved our vacation this year and look forward for the next one!

Hotter than...

Southern Spain can be scorching hot during this time of the year. Rule #1 always, no, never travel to Spain in August. We look quite tanned despite our efforts to evade the powerful sun rays as much as possible. Long gone are the days of careless tanning in an effort to achieve the ¨desired¨ look. Now, I follow a philosophy of avoiding premature aging and cancer!!! In places like Arcos de la Frontera and Vejer de la Frontera the heat feels even more intense. We loved these small towns with their whitewashed facades, narrow streets, wrought iron windows displaying georgeous red geraniums. There were not many souvenir shops or stores of other kinds for that matter but we liked having it to ourselves (or so it felt as there were not many tourists in sight). By mere chance we found a restaurant which sat in the courtyard of one of the town hotels. The food was reasonably priced and they welcomed us with a complimentary glass of Sangria. I am not much of a sangria drinker as I prefer "Claras" or "Tinto de verano" but this sangria was actually good...I loved the mint flavor. It did the trick, after walking up hills for a while we immediately felt refreshed and rejuvenated. We have made it a point to always carry a big bottle of water as it helps when we go on these long walks. We learned this the hard way!

Dejavu in Sevilla

We were here 5 years ago and it is amazing how some things never change. Sevilla is as charming as ever. We walked through some of the same streets and remembered restaurants we had dined in. We decided to eat at the best "Freidura" in Sevilla, coincidentally, we celebrated David´s birthday in a restaurant across the street five years ago!!! They serve the best fried sea food and although we are not big on fried food...this a must have. We ordered a mixture of cod, shrimp, calamari and other seafood we do not recognize but are willing to try. One of their specialities is their adobo marinade which has a delicious and mouth watering lemony flavor. We washed it down with one of our favorite Spanish summer drinks a: "Clara" a mix of half beer and half fanta lemon. It may sound gross but it is quite refreshing in the summer and very popular in Spain.
We strolled the small narrow streets and marvel at some of the small stores which have been around since the mid 1800s! We stopped at a "papeleria" a kind of art supply store but much more interesting. I have been looking for a fountain pen and found just what I was looking for! One can't never have enough fountain pens.
James loves Sevilla so we spent two days sightseeing. On our last day, we went to one of our favorite tapas´ bar. The tapas were just amazing, the quality and the presentation just lovely. David has become more and more open to try different foods so I am not too surprised when he loves the octopus! The only thing that could have made our visit better would have been cooler weather. No wonder Sevillanos leave the city and find refuge in the nearby beaches.

Sleepless in Cadiz

We left Portugal after saying our goodbyes to our friends and people we have met during our short stay in Portugal. Lunch is packed so that we can stop in our way to Spain and save time and money. It took us about 4 hours driving from Lisbon to Cadiz. However, it takes almost 2 frustrating hours trying to find our next house. I am sure the directions we were given would have made sense to anyone familiar with the area... but it did not help us and we ended up driving through God forsaken roads with cows as our only company. Luckily, we had plenty of daylight left so getting lost was not as bad...in fact we passed through some beautiful mountains with plenty of windmills against the background. We found the house which is located right in front of a golf course. The house is the summer house of our friends Isabel and David (who happens to look like Clark Kent). It is a cute house in a small complex with a pool within walking distance. David has been loving the pool so we have been going every evening as the weather is extremely warm during this part of the year. Sleeping has been a challenge because of the hot weather. We realize how air conditioning is a luxury in some parts of the world. Nonetheless we love the area and have made it a point to become familiar with the main grocery stores. This is an important step for us as we depend on eating at home to make our travels affordable. Speaking the language does make it easier when I talk to the butcher or ask for a sample of the many varieties of food. I am sure charades will work as well but it is always a pleasure talking to the locals.

Breezy and Hilly Lisbon

Breezy and hilly Lisbon

As our time comes to an end, we realize how much more time is needed to explore this beautiful country...so as usual, we will assume on day we will return. We loved the quaint town of Sintra with its narrow streets and magnificent castle, a testament to its glorious past. Cascais was another beautiful city, right by the Atlantic ocean although not at as charming as Sintra.
Lisbon, ah, Lisbon...we definitively did not have enough time to explore this old and beautiful city. We walked through very steep roas in the Alfama neighborhood. I have never been to San Francisco but Lisbon is supposed to be hillier and much older of course. We visited the maritime museum, one of the best of its kind...James and David loved it. There were many model ships of different eras. The Monastery of St. Jerome was an impressive structure. We loved the food and the prices were more reasonable than in Spain.

Setubal & Environs and the Obama effect

We are staying in Setubal, home of the sardine industry. It is also known for the production of the best muscatel wine in the world! So, we have been making sure to pack on our Omega-3 and other nutrients while we can. Right next door to our apartment is a simple and inexpensive restaurant with very good food...we have befriended Fernando (the owner). He has a huge outdoor grill for grilling fish and "cow." Once he knew we were from Chicago, he asked us about President Obama and our opinions about him. This was just an excuse for him to let us know how much he LIKED him! Our personal experiences have reinforced the latest poll about President Obama´s popularity throughout the world. This year our souvenirs were simple requests to fill: Obama´s paraphernalia!

Near Setubal we visited the Castelo de Palmela (in Palmela) but no before having some grilled sardines with our friends Ramiro and Silvia. A very interesting history behind this 12th century fortress or what remainds of it. Afterwards we drove along the coastline headed for Serra de Arrabida. We drove up a very steep hill (James was sweating) but the reward was amazing...the end is at Cabo de Espichel on the Atlantic. By the time we arrived it was rather cool and very windy! David of course insisted in at least wetting his feet to find out how cold the water was...for him not too cold of course.

Meeting new people as a benefit to home swaps

Even though I am the perennial optimist, it is always refreshing to be reminded of how much kindness exists in the world. As we arrive to Setubal, 40 km north of Lisbon we call our friends Ramiro and Silvia whose house we are staying at during our trip in Portugal. They come to give us the keys and show us around the apartment. This is nice as we always find challenging using some European appliances. James thinks appliances should be only meant to do one thing! So this washer\drier appliances do a good job at neither...but I digress. They are wonderful people, they come with their adorable 11 year old daughter, Clara. Ramiro is a principal at a nearby high school so inevitably we spend some time talking and comparing the Portuguese and American educational system.

So what is so nice about this experience? This is the first time actually meeting them...I had contacted them via e-mail a few months ago requesting hospitality and they agreed! This is another strategy for affordable travel. So we are staying at stranger´s house. I guess my mother never did a good job at teaching me not to talk to strangers let alone stay in their aparments!

Part of our travel experiences is not just looking at monuments, small villages, big cities but in adding a human component to it. We LOVE meeting new people and home swapping has allowed us to connect and make long life transatlantic friendships.

Driving to Portugal

We thought about leaving early but life does not always work as planned. And after all, who wants to run around on a vacation? So, after a light breakfast...we head towards Lisbon. We first stop at the corner grocery store for fruit, bread, cheese and ham for a lunch on the road. Packing lunches is one of our strategies to save money which allows us to travel on month long vacation to Europe. No, you don´t need loads of money to do it!
I have to admit James has gotten much better about driving long distances! He was not complaining about being sleepy at all (I am sure he has his own version of the story). Of course we have found a way to combat it...healthy snacks and audio books. This year we are listening to Harry Potter.
Driving in Europe after all of these years seem rather easy. Actually, James likes the roundabouts and think they are the greatest inventions!

How time flies when you are having fun!

Our second day in Madrid was spent walking around Plaza del Sol and other places nearby. Of significance is the visit to the oldest (opened in 1725) restaurant in the world "El Botin" situated on the street calle de cuchilleros. Their specialty is roasted lamb and pig (21 one day old pigs to be more exact). For you literary buffs, this famous restaurant was a haunt for Hemingway´s and Goya supposedly work there before becoming a painter. We did not eat there of course as the food was out of our budget but it would have been worth it just to feel part of history.
Third day, we decided to visit Segovia a two hour train ride from Madrid. We had lots of fun in this beautiful town full of history. Our third and last day in Madrid was spent doing more walking and the grand finale was a dinner\flamenco show. We had tapas which were average but the highlight was the show...such energy! I was sweating just watching the dancers! One can feel the passion they feel for the music as they move.

Where in the wolrd are we now!

I guess writing while on a trip is not as easy as I though it was going to be. Even though we have had access to a computer so far, it has been difficult to do so. We arrived in Madrid after a pleasant flight. For some reason, it did not feel as long flying to Paris this time! However, we were absolutely tired our first day in Madrid. We did not do much, took a short nap and went to the pool afterwards we had dinner and tried to go to sleep but found ourselves too exhausted to sleep!
Getting used to the jet lag has been a problem for us this time. We go to bed late because we are not sleepy and have a hard time falling to sleep. We should be dead tired after all the walking we do but that does not seem to do the trick.

Expect the unexpected

Two days before our trip I discovered there was a misunderstanding...the family we are exchanging with arrives a day earlier than anticipated!!! What does that mean? It means we are possibly homeless for one night! What that means for us as well is that we need to move faster to get the house ready one whole day in advance!!!

I contacted the family and they were not very happy with the prospects of coming to a home full of people after a long transatlantic flight. We are not happy either but one thing I realized about the home exchange experience is that you have to expect the unexpected. So, this experience may not be suitable for the faint of heart. Even though I never considered my family or I the adventurous travel type, I realize you do need to be the adventurous type to embark on this kind of adventure!

Luckily, my husband (although not so happy in the beginning) and the kids are very easy going and adapt to new situations rapidly. As the old adage goes 95% of a problem is attitude! (or something like that)

We still love home exchanges and wonder why we did not start doing it sooner!

David's Birthday

Today we are celebrating David's 11th birthday.   We are busy getting everything ready.  This is the first time in years David will celebrate his birthday in the States.  Since we started our travels abroad he has spent his birthdays in France and Spain.   He is excited about spending his birthday among family and friends.

Getting ready for our exchange in Madrid

Perhaps I should have done this before...oh well, such is life.  We travel to Madrid (via Paris) next week Saturday.  Although, we are very excited it requires a lot of work.  You see, we exchange houses when we travel.  I like to think of it as exchanging lives for a month as well.  But first things first, since we exchange houses, this year a family from Spain is coming to stay at our place.  This in turns means we have to leave our house "presentable."  One can argue that is a drawback to exchanging but on the positive side, it makes us do things around the house we normally don't have the time to do.  

OK. so back to why I feel we exchange lives...as opposed to the regular tourist experience, we are placed in a regular neighborhood.  We get to meet some of the neighbors and interact with them. We also get to shop at the local supermarkets and open air markets (which we love).  

This year we will be in Spain and Portugal so I will be posting regularly to keep you posted about our "adventures."