Travel – Retirementally Challenged

Splitting Meals

My husband and I don’t go out to dinner very often – our home cooked meals are often tastier and healthier – but we do enjoy going out for lunch. Sometimes it’s the sole reason for getting out at midday, sometimes it’s woven into a day’s errands. We don’t often frequent fancy restaurants, but we appreciate a decent sized table (we like to sit side-by side) and a quiet atmosphere. Being able to carry on a conversation is as important – maybe more so – than the food.

Over the last several years, we have gotten in the habit of splitting meals. Not every time, but often enough that we check with each other first to gauge our hunger level before ordering. This has nothing to do with the cost of the meals, and everything to do with the quantity of food. We just can’t eat as much as we used to.

At first, we didn’t think much about asking to share or split a plate. We only wanted one, so that’s what we ordered. Recently, though, we’ve noticed that our request has elicited a variety of responses. Some servers happily bring two plates separated into two even half portions. Some bring one entrée with an extra empty plate. Some just bring one entrée on one plate for us both to dig into. Other times, we are charged a “split plate fee” of a dollar or two. Restaurants that charge this fee usually split the entrée on two separate plates, but not always.

I often feel compelled to let the server know that we just can’t eat the amount of food we used to – I suppose implying, but not saying, that it isn’t because we are cheap. That completely useless piece of info makes me feel better, but I imagine the server is calculating his or her tip based on a check of half the usual amount. Since my husband and I are generous tippers, hopefully they are pleasantly surprised.

One of the many things we loved about Spain were the tapas (small plates) available in many of the restaurants. We could order and few to start, then order more if we were still hungry. We could taste several different items without overindulging and overstuffing ourselves. A few small plates and a couple of glasses of wine and we were completely satisfied. None of those huge mounds of food that are served in many U.S. restaurants.

I don’t think we are unusual in our shared dining habit. Several of our friends say that they do the same. As we get older, many of us experience a decline in the amount of food we can comfortably eat. Long gone are the days when we could – and did – eat anything and everything and not gain an ounce. Even if our weight isn’t a concern, our older tummies just can’t hold what they used to.

How about you… do you share meals at restaurants? If so, have you experienced any push-back – maybe even eye rolls – from the server? If you live where tipping is the norm, do you add extra because you are sharing an entrée?

So, What’s on Your Plate? (#WOYP). Hop over to Donna’s and Deb’s blogs to see what’s on their plates… and to share your own.

Dem Bones

When we crossed over the border from Spain into the Algarve, Portugal’s sunny and picturesque southern coast, we were excited to explore another new-to-us country. Our first stop was the seaside city of Faro where we had scheduled a three-day stay before heading on to Lisbon. We were looking forward to enjoying fresh seafood and beautiful scenery, but we didn’t expect to encounter one of the strangest sights on our trip.

Our Lady of Carmel was just a few blocks from our apartment, but we might have passed it up as we were on serious church overload after spending three weeks in Spain. It wasn’t until someone mentioned the Capela dos Osso, or Chapel of Bones, that we put it on our “must-see” list.

The church’s whitewashed Baroque façade was lovely, and its richly gilded interior impressive, but the real draw was the small chapel in the interior courtyard behind the church. As we approached the chapel, we saw this inscription over the entrance: “Para aqui a considerar que a este estado has de chegar” (loosely translated as: Stop here and consider that you too will reach this state).

Upon entering the chapel, we found ourselves surrounded by bones and skulls… lots of bones and skulls. In fact, in 1816, the skeletons of over 1,200 Carmelite monks who once served the church had been exhumed from the nearby graveyard. They were used in both the construction of the ossuary and to artfully decorate just about every surface. The effect was both stunning and profound.

I’ve read various descriptions of bone chapels (there are several in Portugal, including a larger one in Evora) where words like “creepy” or “macabre” were used. I don’t agree at all. The original intent was no doubt religious—some say to encourage people to think about the life beyond this one—but my secular self took a couple of other important lessons from the display:

Despite our different sizes, shapes, and colors on the outside, inside we are pretty much the same. We spend way too much time focused on what in reality is just a small portion of who we are.
Life is fleeting. We only get one life before we too become a pile of bones. Make the most of it.

As we hoped, the three weeks we spent in Portugal were filled with wonderful food, scenery, and adventures (and I will share a few as my non-existent post schedule goes forward). Looking back, though, we were fortunate that our first stop was Faro, where a small chapel behind a church held a good reminder to enjoy our lives while we can.

Please visit Dan’s blog No Facilities to see other #Thursday Doors.

The Spanish Art of Relaxing

Since this would be the first time either of us had visited Spain, our itinerary included three of the largest cities: Barcelona, Madrid, and Seville. It was tempting to add other cities, towns, and villages but we didn’t want our trip to become a whirlwind of rushed travel. A week’s stay in each of the three cities seemed just about right.

Many guidebooks list the top attractions to see if you are in a location for a short amount of time (one, two, or three days, for example) and, frankly, that sounds exhausting. Because we had more time in each city, we could not only sightsee, but also relax, people watch, and enjoy a less frenzied pace.

Turns out, this less-packed itinerary was the perfect way to embrace Spain and its relaxed lifestyle. It was not unusual to see outdoor cafes full of groups of people in the afternoon, enjoying a glass of wine, sharing a few tapas, and actually talking to each other. If a table was full of people staring at their phones, it was an excellent chance they weren’t Spaniards.

In the U.S., I would feel guilty sitting at a restaurant table for a long time and only ordering a glass of wine. I was a server long ago and turning tables quickly was not only what the management wanted, it helped to increase my tips. Besides, since the customers often were on their way somewhere else, they appreciated getting in and out.

Not so in Spain. They seemingly have perfected the art of chill. That doesn’t mean they don’t work hard too, it’s just that they have successfully compartmentalized the two.

Because we often had no particular place to be, my husband and I enthusiastically embraced this lifestyle. After an afternoon of sightseeing, we’d find an empty table in the shade, order a glass of (inexpensive and mostly very good) wine, and watch the world go by. We weren’t in a hurry, but, best of all, the servers didn’t seem to be in a hurry either. When we wanted our check, we’d have to catch their eye and request it, then wait a while longer for it to come. We never felt rushed to leave so they could seat another party.

When we travel, we seldom purchase souvenirs or other items we really don’t need. But Spain’s slower paced way of living was one keepsake we vowed to carry with us when we returned home.

I am submitting this post to Deb and Donna‘s What’s Been on Your Plate link-up. Check out their posts as well as the posts of other contributors.

9 Weeks, 3 Countries, 2 Carry-Ons

When my husband and I made the decision to travel to Europe this spring, we wanted to be away for at least two months. The price for our plane tickets and time spent in the air would be the same whether we traveled for days, weeks, or months, so why not stay longer and see more? Two of the countries we were visiting were new to us so there was a lot we wanted to see.

In planning our trip, it took us a while to settle on the exact dates and travel itinerary. What wasn’t up for debate was our decision to take only carry-on sized luggage. Since we would be traveling primarily by train, wrestling with large baggage between each stop was not appealing at all.

We knew it could be done and there were tons of blogs and videos with tips and tricks that made it sound easy.

“Pack clothes that can be mixed and matched.”

“Loosen up your definition of match.”

“Bring only essential items.”

“That third pair of pants? Not essential.”

“Make up? Not essential.”

“The key is to tightly roll your clothes.”

“No, the secret is to use packing cubes.”

We took bits of wisdom from multiple sources and managed to fit everything we thought we’d need into two 22”x 14”x 9” carry-ons and two backpacks. We knew that we wouldn’t be making any fashion statements with our clothes—except maybe: “You’re wearing that again?”—but that was ok.

Our travels took us to Spain, Portugal, and France (about three weeks in each country). We saw amazing sights, met interesting people, ate delicious food, and had experiences we will remember forever. We will also remember that we really can do fine with a minimal amount of clothes, as long as we have opportunities to do laundry and the time to let it dry.

Mr. and Ms. Hillbilly classing things up.

As we watched other travelers struggle with their large suitcases, we knew we made the right decision. Yes, we might have liked to have more wardrobe choices—pictures of each other taken over the nine weeks look strangely similar—but what we brought worked just fine. Small and easily carried was the way to go.

First up, Spain.

So… did I miss anything?

After taking a 2+ month “spring break” from my blog, it’s time to jump back in again. The season seemed to fly by and now those of us in the northern hemisphere are about to welcome the official beginning of summer.

I used some of my hiatus decluttering and organizing, but most of it was spent traveling (more on that soon, but suffice it to say that it involved planes, trains, and several time zones).

Something I wouldn’t see again for over two months.

Back in late March, not only did I stop posting but I turned off all the blogs in my feed so I wouldn’t get post notifications. The upside was that I enjoyed a less crowded email inbox and lots of freed up time every day. The downside, of course, was that I missed the connections… after all, that’s why most of us blog, right?

I hope to re-connect with everyone soon, but it may take a while. When I temporarily turned off the blogs in my feed, I thought I would be able to easily switch all the “unfollows” back to “follow.”

Well, best laid plans and all that…

Unfortunately, my blogroll has now disappeared from my dashboard and I will have to recreate it the best I can. Looking on the bright side, it will give me a chance to make a few adjustments. So many blogs I was following (60+… yikes!) had become inactive or had content no longer relevant to me.

So… hello again. I hope spring was as enjoyable for you as it was for me. I am looking forward to catching up.

#WordlessWednesday: Dia de los Niños

Dia de los Muertos, 2019. Oaxaca, Mexico.

Part 4: Mapping Our Journey Home

The final installment of our 1300+ mile road trip in our electric car (Part 1 & Part 2 & Part 3 here).

When we first planned our road trip, we weren’t quite sure which route we’d take back home. Because of the possibility of excessive heat and unpredictable wildfires, we left that decision open until it was time to head south. The coastal route is interesting and cooler, but we drove up that way. There are a couple of north/south freeways that offer the shortest and quickest drive, but they are mind-numbingly boring. If we drove further east before heading south, we could visit Mono Lake, something that I’ve always wanted to see.

When it was time to start home, the temperatures had dropped a bit and there weren’t any active fires, so we decided to head east, then south. This route required some additional planning because, unlike the state’s western corridor, the eastern areas aren’t as populated, and superchargers aren’t as available.

Fortunately, at this point in our trip, we had become comfortable with the apps that located the chargers and with our car’s ability to predict the level of charge we’d need at each one. As we headed east, we drove through mountain passes and pine forests – away from any population centers – but our car told us that we’d reach the next charging station with plenty of juice to spare. Although it can be anxiety-producing to watch the car’s range shrink when climbing hills, regenerative breaking adds most of that range back when driving downhill.

Mono Lake

When we came around a bend in the road and first caught a glimpse of the lake from a view turnout, I was in awe. I had seen pictures of Mono Lake but was thrilled to now see it for myself.

Mono Lake, an ancient saline lake located at the eastern edge of the California’s Sierra Nevada Mountains, is home to trillions of brine shrimp, millions of birds, and the world-famous tufa towers. The lake was nearly destroyed when, in 1941, water was diverted from the lake’s tributary streams and sent 350 miles south to meet the growing water demands of Los Angeles. Fortunately, because of the work of dedicated activists, this practice was stopped, and the lake’s water level is slowly being restored.

The clouds in the background mimicked the shape of the Tufas.

The sun setting behind me lit up the clouds.

The Final Stretch Home

When we got on the road the next morning, our plan was to recharge twice along the way before stopping for the night about halfway home. During the drive, we continued to find charging stations available with no wait, as well as places to eat and “refresh” close by. As we approached the half-way point, we were feeling pretty good, so we decided to continue driving after charging.

This decision is not unusual for us; we often choose to power through the last stretch because we are anxious to get home and sleep in our own bed again. What was different was how good we felt after driving for over 7 hours. Stopping every couple of hours for a quick charge (charge time averaged 10 – 15 minutes each) made us get out of the car and stretch our legs. When we arrived home after 8 pm that night, we both felt good.

So, not to get too wonky on you, here’s our final thoughts about our 1300+ mile EV trip:

What we liked:

Charging more often but to lower levels not only makes the trip more enjoyable but the total charging time is actually less.

EV owners are nice and full of information so good conversations happen while charging.

Our car had plenty of power, the cabin comfort was outstanding, and we had more than enough storage space for our luggage.

Although it wasn’t our intention, we saved money. Gas prices are high but so are electricity rates at superchargers. Even so, we spent about half as much as we would have at the gas pump (and no stinky hands).

What could be improved:

Because charging stations aren’t as prevalent as gas stations, the trip took extra planning, and we had a bit of a learning curve on how to use the tools available. Next time, we’ll be better at it.

California has good charging infrastructure, so we had no trouble finding stations. Although more public chargers are being added all the time, for now, we might need to stick to the main freeways when traveling in certain states.

The biggest negative for us is the car’s single large screen located in the middle of the dashboard. Although this is a trend for a lot of cars – even gas-powered ones – we don’t like it. We prefer not to have to take our eyes off the road to perform some of the car’s functions or to see how fast we are driving vs. the speed limit. Without a co-pilot, I’m not sure either of us could comfortably drive unfamiliar roads and read the tiny print on the screen, especially with our older eyes.

Now that we’ve been home for a while, we are already thinking about our next EV adventure.

Part 2: Staying Cool During Extreme Heat

Continuing the story of our 1300+ mile road trip in our electric car (Part 1 here).

Before we started the trip, we knew that we’d be traveling during an especially severe heatwave here in California. Normally we might adjust our travel dates because of this, but since we were going for my husband’s high school reunion, that wasn’t possible.

What we could adjust was the first portion of our route, which is why we ended up in Morro Bay. When we were planning our trip, we saw that the expected temperature of our usual mid-way stop was over 100 degrees. Morro Bay’s high was in the 70s. That made it an easy choice. The cool, coastal temperatures allowed us to park our car at the hotel and comfortably walk everywhere, including to the pride of Morro Bay: Morro Rock.

Our hotel was just up the street from the waterfront and Morro Rock.

Morro Rock was formed about 23 million years ago from a long-extinct volcano. At approximately 576 feet, it is the tallest of the nine “sister” volcanic plugs that form a chain between San Luis Obispo and Morro Bay. The state historic landmark is a sanctuary for the peregrine falcon and other bird species. It is also the site of the largest field of rock carins I’ve ever seen. Not everyone appreciates these balanced piles of rocks, and I can understand their objection, but seeing so many in one place was pretty impressive.

A field of carins at the base of Morro Rock.

The next morning was cool and foggy, and we reluctantly loaded up the car for our drive north towards the heat. Almost immediately, we began to see these digital freeway signs:

The temps where we were headed looked brutal and we knew we’d be giving our car’s AC a workout. Fortunately, while very cold temperatures can lower an EV’s mileage, studies have shown that using the AC doesn’t impact it much more than it does in a gas car. Happily, our car’s impressive onboard computer considers AC use when figuring range, so we never had to sacrifice our comfort to eke out more mileage.

We were also careful to avoid charging between the high-demand period of 4 pm and 9 pm. Only once did we have to plug in during that timeframe when a traffic backup due to an accident delayed our arrival at a supercharger until 4:09 pm (oops). We felt a bit guilty, but we were able to get a quick charge and be on our way in a few minutes.

That charge got us to my brother and sister-in-law’s home located east of San Francisco. We were planning to meet up with them later in the trip but we always enjoy ~~staying for free in their guest room~~ ~~drinking good wine from their extensive collection~~ their generous hospitality.

The next day, after another quick charge, we drove to the hotel where the reunion was being held that evening. Since this was not my reunion, I got to be more of an observer. As I looked around the room, it was clear that the past 50 years had been gentler to some than others. Most appeared happy, healthy, and engaged but others seemed fragile. On one table the reunion committee had set out pictures and candles in memory of classmates who had passed away. Many of us commented on the number of pictures and how it was a sobering reminder to enjoy life while we can because there are no guarantees.

Before I end Part 2 of our electrified journey, I would like to touch on luggage storage space. There is a common misconception that EVs are small and tight on trunk space, but, since the batteries are located under the chassis, our car has plenty of room. Not only is our trunk generous, but we also have a decent-sized “frunk” under the front hood where a gas car’s engine would be. Although we aspire to be light packers, this trip required both play clothes and dress-up clothes. One large and one small suitcase, a garment bag, and several additional bags fit with room to spare.

Part 1: Planning Our EV Road Trip

When my husband and I first talked about taking our electric car on our upcoming road trip, I was a bit hesitant. A gathering for a high school reunion prompted the trip, but we wanted to take advantage of the location to visit family and do some exploring. My concern was that driving our EV might make us adjust our route too much. I’m a big fan of electric vehicles, but I didn’t want to miss an opportunity to go somewhere because we wouldn’t be able to charge our car.

Normally, charging isn’t a problem. We plug our car in at home, charge overnight, and it’s ready to go in the morning. The car has plenty of range to last us at least a week with our usual daily driving needs. We had recently taken a couple of short trips that required some charging away from home, and they had gone well. Now that we were about to embark on a 1,300+ mile road trip, we knew that pre-planning would be important because of the multiple charging stops we’d need to make. Even with California’s relatively robust infrastructure of charging stations – especially Tesla-branded superchargers – they aren’t as ubiquitous as gas stations.

EVTripPlanner.com was a great help with planning our trip.

There seems to be (at least) two philosophies about road trip charging: A) Make fewer stops and charge to 100% each time, or B) Make more stops, but charge to lower levels (60 – 70%) each time. After some research, we like option B best for several reasons:

Each charging stop takes less time. When charging past 60-70%, charging slows way down as it tries to “stuff” more juice into the battery (this is not a scientific explanation, but you get the point).
More stops mean more opportunities to stretch our legs… something we’ve come to appreciate on longer road trips.
Lower stress. By not waiting until the car’s charge level was low before we re-charged, we would have a comfortable range cushion each time we reached a station (sort of like not waiting until your gas level indicator turns red before re-fueling).

The route we planned had us driving about 2 hours between charges and charging to no more than 70% each time. Of course, we could adjust this along the way, but that felt like a comfortable pace.

We only had to wait for a charging station once our whole trip. Usually, we’d find plenty of stations available.

Between our home and our first night’s stay, we stopped at three supercharger stations. While our car charged – a process that took about 10-15 minutes – we entered our next destination into the car’s computer. After some calculations, it told us where the next supercharger was located, how much remaining charge we’d have when we got there, how many stations they had, and how many were available for use (updated real-time).

As we strolled along the waterfront in Morro Bay, California, we congratulated ourselves on completing the first leg of our journey without any issues. Our pre-planning had paid off. We were becoming more comfortable with the car’s systems and confident that we had made the right decision to drive our EV.

Tag: Travel