More on 2023

 

An incomplete draft: Publishing anyway

It is August already and similar to the past few years, this year is also flying. 

I almost forgot what we did in the beginning of the year. I had vowed to stay active during the winter but I did not keep it up. Instead, I hibernated. 

Work was hectic in the first quarter and it felt so good though to accomplish and get things done.

In April, we went on a much awaited trip to Lisbon, Porto and Madrid. I loved it but I feel that we could have planned it better. I cannot complain though coz I did nothing and he did all the organizing and ticket booking. 

We rented a car at the Porto airport and drove to Madrid on the day we arrived. The car had a stick and did not have the comforts that we take for granted back home. The travel was very hectic and the route was pretty remote where all cafes/restaurants were closed during that time. We somehow made it to a gas station a couple hours later and pumped in the caffeine which then fueled us. 

Madrid was beautiful, lively and we all loved it. I vaguely remember that fought with the husband and son and threatened not to go sight seeing with them which we later sorted out. The evening after we arrived, we went exploring tapas and food around plaza mayor. I think all three of us love exploring the food more than the history. I am probably the only one who does appreciate history.

That gets me thinking - Are all European cities about history and architecture? Why do we visit those places?  

If I am not interested to view art or architecture then does it make sense to visit say Paris. Add shopping to the list. So why do we still go there ? Is it to feel good, is it a measure of our success? Or is it for the experience? 

I digress. The next day we were scheduled to visit a Formula 1 event but we overslept and missed the time. However, they were not strict with the time and we were able to attend the next show. 

Later, we visited the palace, the plaza (again), food markets and walked a lot that day. We loved it. Period. 

The next day we continued to Lisbon. The drive was long and we saw Olive fields. I had jotted down a few places that we could stop on the way but he would not stop. We argued and he decided to take a break at a fort. Then I was evil and adamant that I wouldn't step out of the car.

The fort was really beautiful and we enjoyed the break.