Postcard from Ellen’s Edge

I left my heart in Cartagena!

I loved the city!  It is very old!  It is or was walled and the fort is so solid.  The history of conquerors and pirates with parrots is fascinating.  Mostly though I loved the Airbnb we stayed in for the whole of Easter Week!  We had air conditioning!  The owners were so great.  Anya and Mario and their two precious little girls went out of their way to make us comfortable and know what to do and where to go.  Mario makes beer at his bar and it was just a few houses down from the apartment we had.  The food is fantastic here and restaurants abound.

I also got to go shopping to replace some things that I am just sick of wearing after 5 months and I got some shorts I will actually wear!  The cruise ship is posing some clothing concerns for me as it turns out there are 3 formal nights.  Steve has forgotten his tux so I think we won’t participate.  This might turn out to be an interesting experience.  Europe also looms ahead and the weather is different.  Cartagena is after all in the Caribbean and it is very hot and dry.  I had no idea it was so close to Aruba.  There is a real Bob Marley feel and the young people are really digging it!  I admit I feel a little old comparatively.

I also got my hair cut and best of all highlighted so my grey is more mixed in now!  I am almost embarrassed by how good it feels to look a little more respectable.  The experience of trying to describe what I wanted in Spanish/ English was very funny.  Thank heavens for google translate.  It is always a trust issue in a salon no matter what the language because what the stylist sees and what I see is so different.  She was very confident she knew what to do so I let her do it.  First she put Saran Wrap on my head, took a pick and pulled hair through it then put bluish mud on it all.  Oh well!  I think it made me more grey but it is an improvement.  She also did the famous stylist frown and how split my ends were and she’d have to cut more off than planned.  Of course she insisted I buy a special shampoo and conditioner as well.  It was fun to be pampered!

Just so you all know we are backpacking, staying in hostels and not 5 star hotels.  My two packs have wheels and I have insisted on taxis at times.  Private bathrooms if available are also nice.  Beds vary a lot and pillows are often scarce.  But in Colombia I decided Airbnb was the best idea because we knew nothing really about where we are and having a host is very informative and friendly.  I want to do it if I ever get another place I will stay in the US.

So yes, we are coming back.  We will take this cruise ship to Barcelona on the 10th, arrive the 24th.  Travel with Cousin Nancy VanMeter for two weeks around Spain.  Then we will check out Portugal and head to France.  We will be in Lyon visiting an old friend May 23rd, and then we are not sure where we will head.  Possibly Berlin as I have always wanted to go.  We got Eurail passes for two months.  We will see Derick in Amsterdam and Casper in Denmark, and hopefully Johan and our Swedish traveling friend in Stockholm.  Then depending on the best airfare we will head to New York most likely around the end of June, but Los Angeles is where our ticket is to currently.

We would like to visit east coast friends and family so what is everyone doing around the Fourth of July?

July 9th we will be in Door County for two weeks with Barbara, Steve’s mom.  We will be celebrating her 90th a bit early, but Both Blakey and Peter will be there!  We are hoping Jeff and Jolene will make it as well.  After that we will be in the twin cities for a while.  Not sure where yet, open to ideas!

It is strange to have an end date for this adventure, but it won’t really be over just a new phase.  We will still be traveling and finding places to stay until we know what the fall may bring.  Ah the unsettledness of my life!

Getting excited about it to soon though as I have another continent to explore!

Love, miss and looking forward to seeing you all.

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Ps we will be off Internet on the ship for two weeks!  Unless some nice person lets us use theirs!