TOTAL TRAVEL JAN - JUN 2025
NIGHTS 86
DRIVING KM 11,924
FLYING KM 16,041
PHOTOS 6,840
TOTAL TORONTO JAN - JUN 2025
NIGHTS 95
TRAVEL
JAN - MAR WINTER 2025 RECAP
TOTAL DAYS DRIVE SOUTH 8 (7 nights)
TOTAL DAYS PALM SPRINGS 21
TOTAL DAYS LAS VEGAS 20
TOTAL DAYS SAN DIEGO 6
TOTAL DAYS DRIVE NORTH 8 (7 nights)
TOTAL DAYS AWAY 61
TOTAL KM ≈ 11,000
PHOTOS 3776
RESTAURANTS/BARS
PALM SPRINGS
Las Casuelas
Bill's Pizza twice
Blue Coyote twice
Purple Room Supper Club
Pioneertown
Bombay Beach
La Quinta Brewing Company
LAS VEGAS
Worst Burger Ever
Battista's
China Poblano
Letty's twice
Donutique in Palazzo
Johnny's Rocket
The Yard House three times
We had drinks at:
Chandelier Bar in Cosmopolitan
Glass Bar in Planet Hollywood
Harrah's Dualling Pianos
Ri Ra Mandalay Bay
SAN DIEGO
Princess Pub Little Italy
Barley Mash
Jimmy Carter's twice
Casa de Reyes in Old Town
Brigantine in Escondido with B and A
The Hash House.Had drinks at:
The Fish House
The Lot
Kansas City BBQ
ON THE ROAD
Cracker Barrel 2
McDonald 1
Ramona's Lordburg
GOLF
Palm Springs 6
Las Vegas 2
APRIL
TOTAL DAYS LISBON 6 + 1
TOTAL DAYS PORTO 3
TOTAL DAYS MADEIRA 4
TOTAL DAYS AMSTERDAM 1
TOTAL DAYS AWAY 15
PHOTOS 1781
Too many restaurants to list!!
MAY
TOTAL DAYS OTTAWA 4 RECAP
TOTAL KM 924
PHOTOS 574
Tulip Festival
Rideau Canal Boat Ride
Museum of War
Bank of Canada Museum
Canadian Museum of History
Oh Canada Dinner Theatre
Johnny Farina’s Restaurant
The Auld Dubliner Pub
Brown Social House
Big Apple
JUNE
TOTAL DAYS REYKJAVIK 6 RECAP
TOTAL KM 8402
PHOTOS 709
Penis Museum
Whale Watching Boat
Puffins Boat
Food Walk
Golden Circle Tour
DRINKS NEW
Date Shakes Palm Springs CA
Ginja Portugal
Ports Portugal
Brennivín Iceland
Kingfisher beer Toronto
FOOD NEW
Beef jerky California
Dried ginger California
Finger limes
Cherimoya
Fermented shark Iceland
Ling fish
Wolffish
Lupini beans
Lamb hot dogs
Strawberry and chocolate figs Portugal
Scabbard fish
Momos
Sweet drops
TORONTO
NEW RESTAURANTS
Lulu Bar
Miku
Nord Lyon
Jersey Mike’s
Oxley
MUSEUMS ETC
AGO
Little Canada
Reference Library Postcards
Alice in Bloomland (RBG)
Fleurs de Ville
SHOWS
Candlelight Fever Beatles and Queen
Sound of Our Nation
SPORTS
Canadian Open
JANUARY
PROPELLER
January 2025 - Toronto ON
The Well Toronto ON
Saturday and the rain and warm temperatures (high of 10C) had washed away the dusting of snow that we had. By mid afternoon it looked like an early spring day.
Exactly how I felt this morning.
We are planning on leaving next week to escape our Canadian winter. We will drive to Palm Springs CA for 22 days, Las Vegas NV for 21 and then San Diego CA for 8 days.
I completed our Vacant Home Tax 2024 Declaration Form. The Vacant Home Tax (VHT) program requires homeowners in Toronto to let the City know if their property is occupied or vacant every year by making a declaration. The goal of the program is to increase the supply of housing by encouraging owners of vacant residential properties to sell them or rent them out. Owners who choose to keep their properties vacant are subject to a tax, with the revenue being allocated to affordable housing initiatives.
I cleaned the vacuum that was the unfortunate victim of a wine bottle blowing its cork in the pantry. Luckily, it was confined to the pantry.
Watered the plants, washed the kitchen floor and made the pastry for dinner.
I filled out the AWAY instructions for the office/Steve, provided T with her details.
I cleared the fridge of Xmas leftovers, gravy, turkey and extra tourtiere filling were frozen.
I prepared some blog posts, headers and updates in preparation for the new year. I continued updating our 2024 Recap.
We finished a carton of egg nog, I think the first time ever!
Sunday we were fogged in as the temperature was 4 C at 7 AM, going to 7 C, with rain in the forecast. We had a rather lazy day.
Monday I went out for some odds and sods. John used the simulator.
When I opened the blueberries for breakfast I am used to seeing English and French (it's the law) on packaging, I was surprised to also see German!! For you, Iris.
Telus just installed a huge monitor with an ad featuring winter animals, it is so cute.
I spoke with Telus customer service for coverage in the US. I spoke to an agent, Miguel, who realized I was not happy with his offer of $90 per phone per month for US phone use. He escalated to a "loyalty" manager as I waited patiently on hold for about 20 minutes. I then spoke to Edlyn (in the Philippines as I later learned) and she gave me an amazing offer by adding the US/MEX plan to our accounts for no additional cost!
I booked John's pedicure for Thursday.
I deposited my $20 cheque that I received from Rakuten for the last couple of months. It is the only "shopping" cash back I find worth using.
Tuesday New Year's Eve we booked a trip to Portugal in April! I booked our flights separately so I could use some points and a travel credit. Madeira has always been on my bucket list.
We have been to Portugal before, in 2001, however, we spent our time in the Algarve.
We went to The Well for lunch. Walking along Front St. As you can see the streets are bone dry and snow free.
The Well. Click here for a video tour of this impressive building.
We spent some time in Indigo, a bookstore chain. This Indigo is huge and it was packed!!!
Nice place to sit and WTF??? Valentine's Day cards!!!!!!!!!!
We went in circles to find Lulu Bar, we had not seen The Well from Wellington Street which is lined with restaurants.
I snapped this once that table cleared. It was quiet when we arrived at 12:30, however they got busier as the afternoon wore on. Our server mentioned that they were doing a seafood platter from 2 PM for New Year's.
Lulu Bar brings a fresh taste of the Pacific Ocean and the many regions that touch it right to The Well in Toronto. Drawing influence from Asia, Hawaii, California, and British Columbia, the Frank Architecture & Interiors-designed restaurant transports you right to a beach house.
Originally founded in Calgary in 2019, Lulu Bar's second location in Toronto offers many of the same Pacific-inspired dishes as its Western counterpart.
The restaurant's menu also draws inspiration from Chef Joseph Sokoloff's time in Indonesia and Vietnam during his childhood.
I decided on two small dishes.
FRIED COCONUT SQUID pineapple, pickled jalapeño, crispy garlic, coriander. This was delicious!! Even John tried the octopus.
SALT & PEPPER PORK BELLY chili lime, toasted rice and dipping sauce. This was very good, but I wouldn't order it again, as we have pork belly often.
John had GRILLED HALIBUT turmeric, coconut hot & sour, stir fried greens, charred brioche.
They substituted the brioche (gluten) with rice. Also proclaimed delicious.
We will definitely go back! We will do "luuper" lunch/supper for their Honolulu Happy Hour from 2-5 and share some plates.
Unzipped is coming along, click on the link for photos from 2018 and 2024.
Once home we hunkered down for New Year's Eve. By 8 PM we were not hungry so we changed the menu to cheeses and crackers!
We watched the ball fall in Times Square for a few minutes.
New Year's Eve in Times Square in the rain??? No thank you. ✅that off our bucket list in 2002, right after 9/11.
2024 CROSSWORD FINAL and set up 2025.
Wednesday NEW YEAR'S DAY was a lazy day.
What a start to a new year!
Jimmy Carter was like, "2025, nah, I'm good."
At least 15 killed on Bourbon Street in New Orleans after driver intentionally slams truck into crowd; dozens injured.
Five killed and hundreds arrested in Germany after New Year's Eve chaos.
One person is dead and seven others were hurt after a Tesla Cybertruck caught fire and exploded near the covered entrance of Trump International Hotel Las Vegas Wednesday morning.
At least 10 wounded in mass shooting outside Queens nightclub.
Montenegro mourns after gunman kills at least 12 people before shooting himself.
Thursday started out as a miserable, cold, extremely windy morning as John went for a pedicure. He convinced me not to go out in the morning.
So I finished the filing, sorted out papers (garbage/shredding). I sorted more of the freezers.
I'm almost finished sorting and backing up 2024 photos.
By noon, however, the sun had come out so we hustled to the bank to get American cash (ouch) and a gift (wine) for our financial advisor.
Friday we were taken to lunch at Miku by our financial advisor.
ABURI Restaurants’ first East Coast location is in Toronto’s Harbourfront at Bay and Queen’s Quay. With over 7000 square feet, a raw bar, sushi bar, and large patio, Miku brings contemporary upscale design to the Southern Financial District.
We started with Spicy Sesame Edamame chili garlic tamari soy, crispy shallots and miso soup. Three of us had Miku Select a selection of traditional and Aburi nigiri and oshi, 10 pieces. John had Niku Udon *stir-fry style braised beef, sliced Japanese wagyu, nappa cabbage, shiitake mushroom, spinach, onsen tamago, pea tendrils. And he had a dark Sapporo! Onsen tamago, or "hot spring eggs", are a Japanese dish of eggs that are gently cooked in hot water until the whites are soft and custard-like, and the yolks are firm but still runny. The name comes from the hot springs and spas in Japan, or onsen.
We shared two desserts.
Green Tea Opera - green tea génoise, matcha buttercream, dark chocolate ganache, adzuki bean cream, hazelnut wafer, kuromitsu purée, matcha ice cream
Valrhona Dark Chocolate Fondant - hojicha cream, jasmine tea jelly, roasted berries, jasmine tea ice cream
COOKING
Saturday tourtiere, gravy, beans
Sunday roast beef, roast potatoes, cauliflower and Brussels sprouts, gravy
Monday leftover roast beef stew - we had found the meat a little tough which was disappointing
Tuesday out to lunch - crab and shrimps cheeses pate crackers
Wednesday New Year crab and shrimp with Beefsteak Charlie's dip. I did the crab in the crockpot on the STEAM function, perfect!!
Thursday shrimp curry using frozen curry sauce and coconut milk. More fridge/freezer cleaning. We were surprised that we enjoyed the shrimp in curry.
Friday out to lunch steak frites moved to Saturday ( I know, shocker, Andrew!). Cheeses and pate on toast.
WINTER 2025 PLANS
We leave January 8 for some sunshine and adventures. We have been to Palm Springs (last time 2015), Las Vegas and San Diego (last time 2014) before but we can always find something new to discover!We don't plan long driving days, on average about 5 hours plus bio breaks, meals and leg stretching/sightseeing/mural finds!
We will be on the road for 8 days, checking into Palm Springs on the 15th for 3 weeks, then 3 weeks in Las Vegas and 8 days in San Diego. All our accommodations are timeshares with 1 bedroom units. We will cook most of our meals, operating like we do at home. However, groceries are much cheaper in the States so that helps with the awful currency exchange rate right now!
Once in Palm Springs we will have gained 3 hours on Toronto as we will be in PST. John will get some golf in.
We'll see some friends in LV and SD.
I will post a link to our Winter 2025 Recap and continue this with my weekly posts.
BEST COFFEE
January 2025 - Conway AR
Palm Desert CA
Saturday we finalized our winter road trip and booked a couple of hotels. We also got our travel medical insurance.
More food items were frozen.
We went to the library downstairs to select a couple of books for reading. Normally we both read on our phones or tablets, but it is nice to have a book for reading in the sunshine.
I decided to take my DSLR camera for photos on the road, it takes better photos from the car and saves on phone battery.
I started picking out clothes.
Sunday when I got up at 7 the temperature was -6 C (21 F) feeling like -13 C (8 F).
I needed to look up the Toronto property tax date payments as we will be away.
2025 Regular instalment due dates
Bill Type Date Date Date
Interim bill March 3 April 1 May 1
Final bill July 2 August 1 September 2
We started packing. They are piles around the condo, books, electronics, cables, cameras, non-perishables, travel glasses, cameras, clothes for cold and warm weather.
I worked on getting my travel days posts ready.
We got a lot done!!
Monday we accomplished some more stuff (organized more cosmetics, froze the cream) before I headed out to Burlington for a chinwag with my BFF. And it was cold out!
John started packing up the car.
Tuesday I baked 2 gluten free cranberry pumpkin loaves to take with us. Those free hotel breakfasts sometimes don't have GF options and/or stuff is not very fresh!
Cleaned out wallets, put passports, US cash and car key in my purse.
John went for gas and put his golf clubs in the car. By late afternoon he had the suitcases loaded.
Overnight bag (essentials for the duration of the drive) is ready to go. The cooler will be filled in the morning. Lunch to be made in the morning.
Wednesday we were up at 7, had breakfast, made egg salad sandwiches for lunch (enough for 2 days), tidied up, put garbage out and were on the road by 8:15.
We stayed in a Hilton in Huber Heights just outside Dayton OH.
Thursday we had a good breakfast at the Hilton before leaving for Nashville. It was cold -11C when we left!
Click here for the day's overview.
Some random photos.
In Buc-ee's! If you’ve been to Buc-ee’s, you may already know that this friendly neighbor along the highways has the cleanest restrooms in America. In 2012, Cintas ran a nationwide restroom contest and made it official! Yes, they are!!!
Once we checked in at the Quality Suites in Nashville we went for a walk. Duke of Hazzards.
At the Grand Ole Opry.
Friday what a day! Click here for the snowy details from Nashville to Conway.
The view as we packed up the car. The orange Duke of Hazzard's car from yesterday has been covered up.
Cleaning off the grill so the front radar sensors could work!!
The Memphis Pyramid, formerly known as the Great American Pyramid and the Pyramid Arena, and colloquially known as the Bass Pro Shops Pyramid, is a pyramid-shaped building located in downtown Memphis, Tennessee, United States, at the bank of the Mississippi River. Built in 1991 as a 20,142-seat arena, the facility was owned and operated jointly by the city of Memphis and Shelby County until Shelby County sold its share to Memphis in April 2009. Its structure plays on the city's namesake in Egypt, which is known for its ancient pyramids. It is 321 feet (98 m) (about 32 stories) tall and has base sides of 591 feet (180 m); it is by some measures the tenth-tallest pyramid in the world.
Bridge crossing the Mississippi River in Arkansas. Lunch as we drove.
We were happy to get into our room at the Hilton Garden Inn, there is so much snow here!-
I booked the rest of our hotels. We received a free breakfast voucher after I mentioned we had unplugged the fridge as it was noisy.
Dinner was okay, salmon for me and steak for John. It was not one of our better Garden Inn meals. As John said, we should have gone with burgers.
LOOK at the taxes!!!! We received a $20 food credit on our invoice.
Andrew, I thought you'd get a kick out of this! Josh Matlow is a city councillor calling for an investigation into the delays. Work began in 2011 and Metrolinx previously announced completion dates of 2020 and 2021.
COOKING
Supplies are getting low, we are using up what we have.
Saturday steak frites with dip
Sunday turkey Alfredo (frozen Xmas turkey)
Monday chips and eggs and bacon
Tuesday ordered Swiss Chalet chicken
Wednesday on the road Huber Heights OH cheeses cold cuts crackers. Interesting wine California low calorie and 0% sugar.
Thursday on the road Nashville salads
Friday on the road Conway Hilton John steak Jackie salmon
CAFE LUCILLE
January 2025
Texarkana TX
Saturday we enjoyed our hot breakfast at the Hilton Garden Inn in Conway. There was a lot of snow on the ground! Our load is getting lighter!
John suggested we take a break in Texarkana, a new spot to us. We spent an hour wandering around. It was incredibly quiet.
George Tobolowsky is an American sculptor from Dallas, Texas. Tobolowsky creates steel and stainless steel sculptures by welding together “found objects,” discarded machine parts, industrial parts and scrap metal. He lets the original shapes of the discarded steel pieces determine the form of each sculpture by balancing its compositions with each “found object” or piece of scrap metal.
Back on the road we had protein bars for lunch after our big breakfast.
Click here for a more detailed post Conway AR to Plano TX. Settled for the evening at the Hilton Richardson (Plano).
We were the only people "dining" in the Hilton Richardson's restaurant. It was freezing and very brightly lit. We ordered medium done burgers with fries and sweet potato fries. The burgers came well-done. The server apologized saying that the chef forgot! It took forever to get new burgers. The server was sweet and we tipped him in cash as we know tipped servers earn a terrible wage in Texas. He was tickled pink.
Sunday we slept in and got on the road around 9. We had coffee and cranberry loaf in our room.
Getting out of Dallas was a challenge but GPS Guy (GG) came through.
Although we planned on 11 for Cracker Barrel, the first one we passed at 10:30. The next one was Abilene. And it was packed at 12:02 on a Sunday. We had wanted to avoid the after church goers but we waited and got a table at 12:30. We both had eggs, bacon or sausage, tomatoes or hash browns and BISCUITS!
We arrived at the Hilton Garden Inn Odessa around 3:30. We like our downtime. John watched his recorded football games on his laptop. I updated my blog and read.
We had dinner at the bar. Andrea was our server and was delightful. John had a chicken Caesar and hated the chicken, dry and rubbery. I had salmon Caesar which was very good.
Monday and we took our time leaving in the morning as we gained another hour. We have breakfast included (courtesy of Andrea).
Before we get on the interstate we make a stop in Odessa.
The University of Texas Permian Basin Stonehenge replica was built in 2004 by members of the Art Department. The original Stonehenge in England took about 1,500 years to build. The replica took about six weeks.
Stonehenge landmark - The 30-to-40-thousand-pound stones were donated by TexaStone Quarries. The replica is the same length as the original horizontally, but slightly shorter vertically.
On the road.
We made a few stops. Click here for the day's recap.
Pecos claims to be the home of the world's first rodeo.
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Van Horn, John had a coffee in the hotel.
We had also stopped in Sierra Blanca, not much there and at Love's for a bathroom break and to pick up salads for dinner. We got gas in Pecos.
We checked into the Hampton in Las Cruces. Very nice and got settled in.
Tuesday we had yogurts at the Hampton Inn complimentary breakfast.
We were then on the road by 9, another sunny day. It starts out cool but warms up nicely.
We did a quick bathroom stop at Akela Flats.
We had planned on a stop in Deming, but missed it. We stopped in Lordsburg for a Mexican lunch at Ramona's.
It is a popular local spot, busy even at 11:30. We had Mexican coke, so good as it is not as sweet as American/Canadian.
The red salsa was good and John loved the bean dip. I said I would make some when we got home.
I was so looking forward to huevos rancheros as I love them in Mexico. I had asked for no beans, but got them anyway. I couldn't find the eggs, they were buried under beef in tomato sauce. There was also another large serving of beef with green sauce in the middle. When I questioned it she said we also add beef. There is no mention of meat in the menu description. I did not want meat. We both agreed there red and green sauces had no spice, they were flat.
John had the chimichanga with ground beef which he enjoyed. We both agreed the rice was mushy.
We almost missed the Ramona sign!
Other than a stop for gas in Lordsburg, we did a quick drive through the ghost town of Stein's but it was all boarded up.
We crossed into Arizona and checked into the DoubleTree in Tucson at 3 PM.
We got settled and enjoyed the rest of the afternoon.
Dinner at the hotel. I had cod fish tacos and was surprised to also get rice and beans. At home I would only get the two tacos. John also had tacos.
Funny story, no one had ever ordered a bottle of wine, so they didn’t know how to price it. They decided on the cost of a couple of glasses.
Walking to breakfast.
Packed up and on the road by 9. The hotel was next to the Reid Park Zoo.
We had breakfast at the Congress Hotel in March 2014. We will probably stay a couple of days on our homeward bound trip. We only stayed one night once tRump’s announced his tariffs, we just wanted to get home.
Tucson was easy to get through to I-8, bypassing Phoenix.
A stop in Yuma AZ.
Clock in 2004 and 2025.
Back on the road, we enjoy our smoothies while crossing into California.
Palm Springs
We get settled in, pick up groceries, just enough for today and Thursday. It amused me at Ralph's, grocery chain.
Raspberries 12 oz $ 7.49
Raspberries 6 oz $ 2.50 6X2 = 12 $2.50X2 = $5.00
BTW 12 oz raspberries at Costco (AKA the zoo) $5
Whenever I am quoting prices it is in US dollars, we have to factor in the Canadian exchange rate to compare apples to apples. However, groceries are still a lot cheaper here.
Thursday and you're supposed to sleep in on your first day, right? No, some A$$hat had set the alarm for 6 AM? I've said this before, why doesn't Housekeeping check this?
So we were up at 6:40!! No plans for today, we have enough food (and wine).
We will probably go to Costco tomorrow. I started a grocery list and a menu plan.
We unpacked, did laundry. John booked golf for Tuesday. I booked a Tucson hotel for two nights on our way home. UPDATE one got cancelled. We took a walk to the office to check on something and took these. We also took a nap, something we never do. Photos around the resort.
Our balcony.
From the bedroom window.
Friday we were up at 7. We headed out at 10, the first stop at the car wash. Then we realized we didn't have shopping bags with us so we came back to the condo. Next stop, Costco, and it was a zoo!
Then we find out they only take Visa cards (we don't have). UPDATE I got one before we went to Portugal.
Our Canadian debit cards should have worked, but they didn't. The cashier said there is often a problem with the Canadian cards. Considering this is Costco and they get a lot of Canadians, you think they could make it work. I did have cash. Out of there and we both said never again, it isn't worth it for the 20 minute drive. We still had to go to Ralph's as we didn't want bulk stuff.
Back home we unloaded and had lunch. I made a pot of chicken soup from the leftover rotisserie chicken and vegetables.
John went to work out later and I walked over and enjoyed the sun. Even though it was 19 C it was not really warm as the air is so dry here. Oh oh, John left his phone in the fitness centre! No worries, it was still there.
Grocery comparison - we got 4 thick steaks (approx 4.5 lbs at $12/lb) for $50 at Costco that will do us for 8 meals.
At St. Lawrence Market I get 2 steaks (not as thick) for the same price.
I have to walk over here and get a good photo!
Costco - we can't get alcohol in Ontario, they just introduced wine and beer back home. Drive back from Costco.
They weren't kidding about the price of eggs down here, at Ralph's. I can get a dozen at home in Longo's for $4 CDN. Eggs at Costco were two dozen for $7.50 US.
I was bitching at New Year's that I couldn't find crab legs. I found these CANADIAN crab clusters here in Ralph's for $22.
COOKING
Saturday on the road Plano TX burgers
Sunday on the road Odessa TX chicken and salmon Caesar's
Monday on the road Las Cruces NM salads
Tuesday on the road Tucson AZ tacos
Wednesday Palm Springs rotisserie chicken and bread
Thursday leftover rotisserie chicken
Friday steak and broccolini
DAYBREAKERS CAFE
Weekly Recap Jan 18 - 24 2025 Palm Springs CA
Yuma AZ
Saturday we were up at 7:40 and sat around our computers for the morning. It is cool in the mornings, this morning it was 10 C. But compared to the weather they are expecting back home that is balmy.
The intense cold snap is about to settle over most of Canada and the U.S. has been dubbed a “polar vortex’, but Environment Canada Senior Climatologist David Phillips says it could just as easily be called “Arctic air or Siberian air.”
In the present instance, Siberia is where the cold air is originating, so Siberian air is his choice.
We headed out around 11:30 for downtown Palm Springs for a gander around.
We finally found a parking spot and headed to lunch at Las Casuelas. We had eaten here in 2015. I know we also ate here before that as we both remember John had a t-shirt from here.
It was delicious.
My ceviche de la casa - shrimp. Crispy beef tacos with the requisite rice and beans. We decided we needed a lighter dinner!
We had to stop by and say hello to Lucy.
I had spotted Marilyn as we were looking for parking so we walked over. There were a lot of people lining up for photos so we'll come back on another day.
Forever Marilyn is a giant statue of Marilyn Monroe designed by Seward Johnson. The statue is a representation of the image of Monroe taken from Billy Wilder's 1955 film The Seven Year Itch. Created in 2011, the statue has been displayed in a variety of locations in the United States, as well as in Australia.
The 26-foot-tall (7.9 m) 34,000-pound (15,000 kg) sculpture, manufactured of painted stainless steel and aluminium.
The World's Largest and Only Cannabis Concert Lounge and Dispensary, Four Twenty Bank.
Pioneers' Park Museum was created to preserve the vision and journey of those who saw that potential and worked to make the community what it is today. From those who first brought the water that is the Valley's lifeline, to the settlers who escaped the Dust Bowl and found refuge in the fields and towns, and to those who have served in the armed forces to preserve the desert way of life, those men and women are honored and hope that by telling their stories the Museum can help residents, visitors and generations to come, appreciate the accomplishments of those who came before, avoid the mistakes of the past, and work to build a future that everyone can be proud to be a part of.
A skate park with murals.
I booked tickets for Thursday!
An arts fair was taking place.
This fascinating fountain has become one of the most recognizable pieces of public art in Palm Springs. The innovative 'Rainmaker Fountain' was created in 2000 by artist David Morris as part of a decree for public art issued by Mayor Sonny Bono in 1988. The two tubes bounce up and down in perfect rhythm, pouring water when full.
We enjoyed walking around town. The temperature got to 26 C. Downtown was very busy, lots of young families and dogs!! It is a long weekend for many, MLK Day.
Most restaurants were full, many with line ups.
We got 6100 steps in before we went back to the car.
Football for John. I strained the soup. I made hardboiled eggs for dinner and some more for lunches.
Sunday we were up at 7:20 and the temperature was 10 C. We spent the day as we usually do, lazy. Football was on.
We spent two hours by the pool 20 C reading.
We still had to do those mundane chores, cook, laundry, dishes, and put out the garbage.
I lost my Wordle streak!
Monday is Martin Luther King Jr. Day in the States.
I did a recap of my posts in honour of MLK.
Monday Mural were some murals from Texarkana.
We are up at 7 again. We threw in a load of laundry.
We have an "owner update" meeting with Enrique this morning at 10AM. We finished the meeting and came back to have lunch. Then I noticed it was only 10:45 and we had had lunch!
John dropped me at Wal*Mart on E. Ramon and headed to the driving range. I got my hair cut (Andrea) at Great Cuts for $19 plus tip. Then set out to explore the Mart of Wall as I never go to one at home when John messaged that the range was closed (MLK?) and was coming back. I said I'd be in the groceries’ section. We finished our shopping but didn't find any crab utensils.
Back home groceries put away, I was going to sit out but the winds were strong, John went to work out.
He booked golf for Friday.
Tuesday I was up at 7.
And I saw this!
For the first time in recorded history, the immediate GULF COAST is under a blizzard warning. This is likely a once-in-a-lifetime event—a generational storm we may never witness again.
I made John a good breakfast omelet before he headed out to play golf at Cathedral Canyon.
I did various chores and administrivia online. I worked out our mural discovery map.
Wednesday
We were up at 7:15 and whiled away the morning on our laptops.
After lunch we went mural hunting to Cathedral City, Coachella, Indio.
Cathedral City
I caught the end of this Tesla.
Eduardo “Lalo” Guerrero (December 24, 1916 – March 17, 2005) was a Mexican-American guitarist, singer and farm labor activist best known for his strong influence on today’s Latin musical artists. Lalo was a musician, writer and performer for more than six decades, gaining worldwide recognition as the “Father of Chicano Music”.
The bronze guy in the tuxedo, trombone pointed heavenward, is jazz musician and actor Charles "Buddy" Rogers, husband of Mary Pickford for more than 40 years, the silent film star. He stands at the intersection of streets named after him and Pickford.
The sculpture was created and donated by artist George Montgomery. Yes, the Hollywood actor.
We found his resting place in Forest Lawn in 2015.
We had taken a photo of the fountain in 2003!
The Fountain of Life was designed by artist Jennifer Johnson in coordination with architect Reuel Young, A.I.A. It was built by House of Stone and Fountains and Landscape Enhancements. Artisans whose families have sculpted stone for more than 600 years carved the fountain pieces out of adoquin stone from a quarry near Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico. Once the individual pieces arrived in the desert, Johnson spent more than a year adorning the fountain with hand cut mosaic tiles and glass.
Reflecting the nature and history of the desert, the fountain features three central stone columns surrounded by sculptures of big horn sheep, lizards, tortoises, fishes, shells, wildflowers, birds and other creatures found in the area both now and in the past. The rooster and hen represent the importance of family in both the Anglo and Latino cultures. A Cahuilla basket embedded in the stone pays tribute to the Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians, whose gift of the soft surface enhances safety for children of the desert. Buddy and Beverly Rogers became the fountain's first major donors with a gift that launched the project.
Called Hollywood Heroes it was also created and donated by George Montgomery, there is a striking resemblance to some of George's roles.
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We had found his burial spot in Forest Lawn when we were here in 2015.
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Pickford Lizards fountain which is made of stone and mosaic tiles.
Sculpture outside of Cathedral City Library
You are here—“X Marks the Place” was created by artist Simi Dabah, who has been welding sculptures with steel scraps for more than forty years. In order to stay true to Dabah’s style, the sculpture is left in its natural state and has rusted to a warm patina color. The “X” is located outside of the Cathedral City Public Library and perfectly symbolizes the library’s mission to showcase all things arts and culture.
Coachella - we've never been here!
Coachella is well-known for being one of the most prominent and renowned music festivals globally. It unites leading artists across different genres like pop, rock, hip-hop, and electronic music, along with stunning art installations and a lively festival ambiance.
Lots of murals!
Before the music arrived, Coachella was home for years to agricultural farmworkers toiling in the fields. These workers, who continue to provide vital food sources to the desert communities and beyond, built a community that represented family and working-class people.
The Date Farmers kicked off the project with a mural alongside "El Centro del Trabajador" or the "Center for the Worker" on Vine Street, where Cesar Chavez spent some of his time organizing farmworkers.
"We decided to do something related to the farmworkers' history," Lerma said.
The brightly colored mural depicts two men who appear to be marching. A car in the background carries their luggage.
Lucha Sin Fin honors the Latina women farmworkers who over the years have endured innumerable struggles from sexual abuse to pesticides, racism to unfair compensation.
Sembremos Sueños y Cosechemos Esperanza (Let’s Sow Dreams and Harvest Hope) by Lapiztola.
"Ojo de Aguila"
This mural, created in 2016 by Vyal Reyes, “is dedicated to the women of the United Farm Workers,” according to the city of Coachella. It features the head of an eagle, painted in rainbow colors, whose eye looks like a giant marble staring in a steadfast gaze.
Mujer del Desierto (Woman of the Desert) - Well known in his home city of Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, Adrian Takano created this mural.
El Mac
Sobio says that in addition to stimulating foot traffic to the area, the “Coachella Walls” project is meant to raise awareness for the larger Eastern Coachella Valley and is dedicated “to the anonymous farm worker.”
“There are a lot of farmers working in bad conditions in certain parts of the Eastern Valley,” he says. “It’s a poor city, a forgotten city. We want to shed some light on that. We want to recognize the farmers and the city of Coachella and the Eastern Valley, because they have something to say -- that they exist.”
This mural portrays activist Dolores Huerta, who had a significant impact on the town.
Dolores Huerta is among the most important, yet least known, activists in American history. An equal partner in co-founding the first farm workers unions with Cesar Chavez, her enormous contributions have gone largely unrecognized.
Los Angeles Artist Vyal Reyes mural: American Woman.
Mexican artist Sego y Ovbal
Here's what the mural represents:
Hands: The central hands represent the farmers who worked the land.
Heart: The purple heart with the outline of Mexico signifies the love and connection to their home country.
Grape Leaves: The grape leaves honor Cesar Chavez and his fight for labor rights.
Birds: The swallows symbolize the migrant workers who live in the region.
Summer 1975 - Cesar Chavez trekked more than 1,000 miles in 59 days leading a march up the coast of California to educate farm workers about their newly won right to unionize following the passage of the California Agricultural Labor Relations Act (CALRA). California Governor Jerry Brown signed CALRA into law on June 4, 1975, which protected farm workers’ right to unionize, collectively bargain, to vote in secret-ballot elections, and established the state’s Agricultural Labor Relations Board (ALRB). The National Labor Relations Act of 1935 specifically excluded agricultural workers from the protections of the Act, exclusions that remain in many states today.
"Hungry Dog of the Desert" mural by Ricardo Angeles Mendoza. Hailing from the small town of San Martín Tilcajete in Oaxaca, Mexico.
Depicts a piñata-inspired monster delivering love letters from Coachella around the world.
Chickens, such as the ones in this mural's attention-grabbing display, are iconic pieces by the Guatemalan artist who goes by Cache, as they also don walls throughout Los Angeles.
This mural was created by Lerma for Desert X in 2017. It features a whimsical scene of a desert party with colorfully painted balloons, and a prominent woman with a gold crown and large pink dress, both of which pop against the neutral landscape in the background.
Inspired by the theme "American Women: a Homage to the Women of the Americas," Said Dokens created this mural in 2016. In it he inscribed the names of collectives and organizations led by women, seeking and fighting for the defence of human rights in Mexico and Latin America.
No info.
This is a magnificent mural, nearly 190 feet long, that depicts the color and beauty of nature all around us. Created by artist Ever Galvez.
Vietnam War Memorial mural at Veterans Park
The mural features six soldiers surrounded by the poem "Forgotten, Unforgettable," by Trino Del Toro. The piece was conceptualized by local artist Autumn Martino.
Artist – Bob King - Art Description– Transformed the trunk and branches of a dead historic eucalyptus tree into a 60-foot tall tree sculpture with various Coachella Valley desert animals and images. The artist used a chain saw and other wood tools to create the various art image and animals that represent the City’s ecosystem and cultural heritage.
Click on any image to enlarge.
It felt like we were in Mexico!
Indio
Gabino's Creperie is a popular spot known for its delicious crepes. It has been featured on the Food Network show Guy Fieri's Diners, Drive-ins and Dives.
Dr. Carreón founded and built Indio Community Hospital in 1966, with three doctor friends and their contractor, on land that he donated for the cause.
Sarbalé Ke
Artist and architect Francis Kéré created 12 baobab towers for Coachella 2019. Nine of them, ranging in height from 9 to 49 feet, now offer a shady place to gather at Dr. Carreon Park.
We couldn't find what we wanted, but it turns out we had seen it in 2015.
Roundabout with sculpture.
David Phelps’ sculpture of “The Dreamer” who seems to be very comfortable and provides an example for all to follow.
The weathered and crackled figure is nearly 14 feet long and 4 feet high.
Oh, BTW, GG (GPS Guy) developed a stutter when saying Hiway 111. It came out as HiHiway 111 which had us in childish giggles.
Thursday
Weekly housekeeping is provided here. They booked it for Thursday at 11 and requested we not be here. We were up at 7, John made scrambled eggs and we tidied up.
We headed to the factory outlets at Desert Hills. It was so windy and cold! Chinese New Year - Year of the Snake.
I had to buy a sweater and John put on a jacket he had in his golf bag. We were in Columbia and John was about to buy something when the power went out! The manager explained that So Cal Edison, the power company, had cut the power to the area due to the weather conditions (winds at 60 MPH) and large power lines behind the mall.
So Cal Ed website says
So we headed into Palm Springs. The winds were ferocious on I-10.
We stopped at the Visitors' Centre as I had it on my list. No winds!! And it is warm, however this is the road up to the Aerial Tramway and there is a forecast of snow for Sunday and Monday.
We went up the Aerial Tramway in 2015, so no plans this time.
I confess to buying a souvenir coffee mug. UPDATE I sent them a note saying that the writing had already worn off, in June, but never heard back from them.
Our car.
New red sweater, about to be shed as it is warm here in PS.
We went in search of a sculpture in town. We parked and found the sculpture.
'Isabelle' is astonishing from every angle. This awe-inspiring sculpture by quantum physicist turned artist Julian Voss-Andreae is made of polished stainless steel which glimmers in the sun. Every small detail from the shifting silver hues to the see-through elements make viewing this sculpture an extraordinary experience that can't be missed.
A great view from down the street!
Then we had coffee and Danish in Cafe Mon Amour, delicious hot coffee and the Danishes were fresh and tasty.
We sat outside but they also have this cozy room.
Of course we had to check out (and buy) in Lolli and Pops. Retro-modern candy store offering an array of treats including gelato and whiskey-infused chocolates.
We stopped at Von's for bread and wine, then headed home for a few hours.
Nice to come home to a clean unit.
We headed downtown around 4:30. We were dressed in jeans/long pants with jackets. The temperature dips to 3C once the sun sets. We went by the theatre first, and found a perfect parking spot right in front.
There is a downtown street fair on Thursday evenings so many streets were closed off. The ticket pick up office wasn't open. So we left the car and walked to find a place for lupper (lunch/supper).
Blue Coyote Grill - cool website.
I had a half order of white fish ceviche. John had the Burrito -stuffed with beef. Topped with ranchera sauce & cheese. Mine was good, John said the burrito at Ramona's in Lordsburg TX was better as this was a bit soggy.
Who should sit down beside us, so close that John had to sneak this photo! Now I know for sure where Mr. and Mrs. Claus go after the Xmas rush! Palm Springs. She had on a red dress and look closely at his Christmas shirt!
Posted on the theatre which is on the National Register of Historic Places.
Prescott T. Stevens, developer of the El Mirador Hotel, donated this site and the funds to build the Frances S. Stevens School, in memory of his wife and her interest in education. The first two rooms were completed in 1927. Katherine Finchy, who arrived in Palm Springs in 1922, became this school's first administrator. Palm Springs' first bond issue provided additional classrooms, a library, indoor plumbing, a cafeteria, an apartment for the principal, and a large auditorium which served as the city's first theater. The City of Palm Springs later purchased the facility as a cultural arts center; then Vice President Gerald Ford dedicated the center, known as Everybody's Village, in 1974.
This was highly entertaining! The cast were outstanding.
The following write-up is from Broadway World. The link also has some wonderful photos.
Del Shores returns to local stages with "A Very Sordid Wedding," a compelling sequel to his 1996 stage play and 2000 film, "Sordid Lives." With the former having become a uniquely Palm Springs legend, this sequel went with the opposite process in creation. Whereas “Sordid Lives” began as a stage play and evolved into a film and (later) a single season television series, “A Very Sordid Wedding” began as a 2017 film, (which debuted at the Camelot Theatre in Palm Springs, now the Palm Springs Cultural Center) which is now making its onstage debut at Palm Canyon Theatre.
"A Very Sordid Wedding" picks up 16 years after the events of "Sordid Lives," set in the same small Texas town of Winters. The play centers around the gay wedding of local boy all grown up, Ty Williamson, played by Noah Wahlberg and his husband Kyle, played by Samuel David, that stirs controversy within this rural notch in the Bible Belt. To be clear, the wedding is part of Ty and Kyle’s “50 Gay Weddings in 50 States” protest that was in support of the 2015 Supreme Court Obergefell v. Hodges decision that legalized gay marriage. Wahlberg and David portray a loving couple with humor and charisma amidst a community that is increasingly turning hostile to their very existence.
This photo is also from Broadway World.
Driving home, there were a few detours due to the Street Fair.
Friday we were still up at 7 despite going to bed later last night. We sat around with our laptops doing this and that.
I made John a sandwich before he headed out to play golf at Cathedral Canyon.
I put in a load of laundry before heading for some pool time for about 90 minutes. The temperature only reached 17C today.
I booked us a dinner show for next week.
COOKING
It may seem that we bought a lot of groceries but we are away for 7 weeks and have a kitchen everywhere. Plus we can take our stuff between locations in the cooler.
We have yogurt and fruit most mornings. We also had bananas this week, $1.49 for 7 bananas from Costco.
Saturday Lunch out
Dinner hamburger stew salad, tomatoes, cheese and eggs
Sunday L ham, cheese, tomato, scallion sandwiches
D crab legs and Caesar salad hamburger stew with homemade chicken stock
Monday L cheese and crackers
D chicken divan sourdough baguette. This was delicious. And the bread was $1.76 from Wal*Mart.
It is hard to find gluten free soup at home.
Tuesday B John omelet
D leftover hamburger stewchicken divan
Wednesday L ham and salami sandwiches
D spaghetti and meatballs hamburger stew and mashed potatoes
Thursday B scrambled eggs toast
Coffee and Danish
LUPPER (lunch/dinner) out
Friday L egg, onion and celery sandwiches
D steak onions green peppers and mushrooms
We bought these at Costco.
Santa Lucia produces three types of tequila for the Kirkland line: blanco, reposado, and añejo. Blanco tequila may be bottled directly after distillation or aged up to two months; reposado tequila must be aged between two months to a year; and añejo tequila must be aged for at least one year, usually in oak barrels.
This is a single malt scotch whisky, from a single distillery on the island of Islay in Scotland. This is a $9 wine on sale for $5!! And it was surprisingly good.
CAFE MON AMOUR
Weekly Recap Jan 25 - Jan 31 2025
Palm Springs CA
We received this notice from the office.
Dear Owner/Guest:
Southern California Edison Energy is scheduled to upgrade equipment in the Palm Springs area that may interrupt power to our area between 10pm on Monday 1/27/2025 until 7am on Tuesday 1/28/2025, and again at 10pm Thursday 1/30/2025 until 7am on Friday 1/31/2025. Each unit has an emergency light pre-charged in an outlet and as a precaution, do not park your vehicle in your garage during this period.
In the event the power does go out, we have a limited supply of flashlights and lanterns available at the front desk. Updated details regarding the possible outage is available at SCE.com. A condo representative will be available during the outage periods at NNN-NNN-NNNN.
No impact at all.
Saturday and another 7 AM rising. I noticed that the raspberries we are eating are from Mexico.
We left at 11 for Pioneertown.
We are climbing.
The biggest tumbling tumbleweed I've ever seen!
Pioneertown was conceived as an 1880s-town from the Old West. Actors in LA wanting to experience frontier-style /Old West living came up with the idea of combining a permanent working movie set and real-life residency and retail activities. Western movies and shows required the construction of false-front facade streets and towns which were then dismantled and sometimes destroyed. Actor Dick Curtis got Roy Rogers and Gene Autry to invest in his dream. It is a movie set that has fallen on hard times, its heyday having from the late 1940s to the 1960s with many TV series (eg The Gene Autry Show, The Cisco Kid) and movies having been filmed at this site.
First stop, as we donned extra layers of clothing, it is only 10 C up here and windy. We are at 4,200 feet above sea level.
We were just in time to order breakfast. When that timer went off...John went outside to pick it up here.
Cheapest breakfast I've had in a long time. $10, bacon is hidden, and there are four tortillas wrapped up.
The buildings along Mane Street (nice pun) house several stores including the General Store and General Mercantile Shop. Typical tourist souvenirs and tchotchke were on offer as well as some local art and jewelry. No vehicles are allowed on Mane Street.
Leaving town.
Just down the road.
Desert Christ Park overlooks the high desert town of Yucca Valley in southern California. Here you'll find more than forty snow-white sculptures and images portraying scenes of Christ's life and teachings. Free admission - donations.
Desert Christ Park is a 3.5-acre sculpture garden in Yucca Valley, California. The park was sculpted and created by Antone Martin, a former aircraft worker who died in 1961 at the age of 74.
Interesting advertising signs.
John doesn't look too impressed.
Heading back down.
Owners, Jasmine & Lorenzo, were born and raised in Rome, Italy. They know Italian food, and understand that what guests are looking for is so much more than a good meal. Italian hospitality is renowned all over the world and for good reason.
You may ask, “why Spaghetti Western”?
Jasmine grew up in the countryside outside of Rome in a small town called Casali di Mentana. Ennio Morricone, esteemed composer and orchestrator, was her neighbor. Her husband Lorenzo grew up in Trastevere, in the same neighborhood as Sergio Leone. They are also both musicians and have been in love with the “Spaghetti Western” genre since they were little. They ate, slept, and breathed that culture, tradition, and style. Ever since they moved out here to the “Far West”, they dreamed of merging these two aesthetics and creating a world in which the two blended seamlessly.
We decided that we should go back to the factory outlets that we had to leave last Thursday due to a power outage. A cashier told us they had closed on Tuesday and Thursday due to the high winds.
Some money was spent.
We also stopped by the dinosaurs for a photo op. I guess they get painted for Christmas.
John took the same photo in 2003! And here is John in 2015.
We stopped in Ralph's to pick this up so we can have our crab legs (from Canada). These beat our plastic "stolen from Joe's Crab Shack" ones at home!
Sunday we were up at 7:30. It was chilly and it had snowed overnight. Photo taken while waiting for John to pull out of the garage.
We left at 9:30 for Costco, arrived at 9:45, shopped and were out before they officially opened, and in the car at 9:58!!
They are still calling for rain and there was snow on the mountains this morning. We did finally get a little sprinkle of rain.
We had absolutely no plans for the rest of today. John watched golf and football. I read and worked on posts.
I updated our spreadsheet with our purchases that we will have to declare going home.
The duty-free allowance for returning to Canada is $200 after 24 hours away and $800 after 48 hours. This exemption applies to goods for personal or household use.
There is nothing over the 48 hours, so $800 each is it.
Monday Mural are Palm Springs murals.
We got up at 7:30.
It was a cool morning so John cancelled his golf until tomorrow. We dressed in long pants, sweaters and jackets.
We planned on going for pizza and then doing some sightseeing.
We had a choice of two places: Blaze and Bill's. I opted for Bill's and it was a real local place, packed on a Monday chilly lunch hour.
John's - pepperoni, mushrooms and jalapenos. They make their own sourdough crust.
Mine - caramelized onions, roasted peppers and mushrooms. And because it was Monday a glass of wine was half price $3.75!!! You'd never see that at home!
While having pizza John thought we should go back and watch movies instead as it was cloudy and spitting a little. So that's what we did!
We left the garage open, in case the power did go off (as per note) and John took his clubs into the condo.
Tuesday and we weren't up until 8! There wasn't any power outage.
John headed out to golf at 11.
Wednesday I was up at 7 and John at 8. He has a head cold, but feels okay, however I moved our supper club reservation to next week as no one wants to sit near a coughing, sneezing person.
John had an appointment with the car dealer for an oil change so I had him drop me off at T J Maxx. What a great selection I walked out, an hour later, with six tops and one for John. I would have bought him more but he always says "he doesn't need any".
The dealership even cleaned the entire car, inside and out!
We stopped at Von's for a couple of items and then home for lunch.
We spent 1.5 hours in the sun by the pool. Today was much warmer than it has been.
Thursday we left around 10:30 and headed towards the Salton Sea.
Finding a “sea” in the middle of the sweeping desert might seem like a mirage, but the Salton Sea is very real. The massive and intriguing body of water—really a huge lake—is found just east of Greater Palm Springs and makes for a fascinating day trip.
We were in the neighbourhood so we found the Roadrunner.
La Quinta’s big metal roadrunner started life not as a piece of public art, but as an installation at the 2014 Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival. Sculpted by New Mexico-based artist Don Kennell, the roadrunner held a porch swing and invited visitors to rock and roll from its oversized beak. La Quinta Mayor Linda Evans, seemingly a regular Coachella attendee, saw the bird and was immediately attracted to the piece.
When Goldenvoice (the concert promoter behind Coachella) approached La Quinta about a four-year loan of one of the festival’s art pieces, Mayor Evans got behind the idea immediately. A year later, the giant metal bird landed at its new residence in the center of a rotary at Jefferson Street and Avenue 52 (but without the swing).
Our first scheduled stop (yes, I am that OCD planner) is a date farm. We knew nothing about dates and are not big fans although we do like them in baked goods.
Shields Date Garden - Famous for date shakes, date ice cream, and citrus. See the free movie "The Romance and Sex Life of the Date. Nope, the movie wasn't running today.
The sign depicting a knight in armor pointing toward the main entrance off Highway 111, has been in use since 1953.
Skyrocketing land values in the area threatened the continued existence of Shields Date Gardens when the property was placed on the market. It was purchased by The Jewel Date Company in nearby Thermal, California, which is carrying on the traditions of the Shields at the same location with no intention of moving the Ranch Store.
1 root beer float and 1 coffee date shake. These were huge and so filling!
The company was founded in 1924 by Floyd and Bess (Lugton) Shields. Floyd Shields was one of the pioneering date farmers in the still-young date industry of the Coachella Valley. He bred a number of his own hybrids and varieties including the "Blonde" and "Brunette" varieties, grown exclusively at Shields to this day.
Shields was also the inventor of date sugar and the date crystal. Date sugar adds flavor to recipes and date crystals are a unique, dry blend of dates for use in cooking, on cold cereals and in date milkshakes. Date shakes and black date ice cream are popular treats sold over the counter at Shields.
It is estimated that over 90% of the dates grown in the U.S. come from the Coachella Valley, about 35,000 tons annually. Some dates, like the Medjool, are particularly plump, sweet and fruity. Other dates are very fleshy, like the Barhi; some, like Halawi dates, are chewy. Still others are dry, like the Thoory date. Although the valley primarily grows commercial date varieties like Medjools and Deglet Noors, several small farmers still carry on the tradition of growing unique date varieties that were developed in the area a century ago.
Dates are the edible fruit of a palm tree: wrinkled, generally brown and about 1.5 to 2 inches long. They belong to a category of fleshy fruits known as drupes, which have a single seed or pit. Drupes include coconuts, olives, black pepper, various nuts and stone fruits like peaches. Dates are very sweet, usually about 60%-70% sugars, including sucrose and fructose, but they also contain about 1.5 grams of fiber, a decent amount of potassium and a little bit of protein.
Out back, there's a 17-acre walk-through date palm grove with a path that wends past 23 life-size statues of Jesus (the addition of the current owner)—the religious lesson won't be for everyone, but the loveliness of the garden transcends dogma. I'll spare you most of the statues.
There are many varieties of citrus fruits, oranges, grapefruit, limes, lemons, figs.
From this angle Jesus looks like he's taking a selfie, I guess he would be all about social media!
We made a quick stop in Mecca, because it was Mecca.
But other than the defunct famous Banana Museum, it closed during covid, there is nothing.
Miles and miles of date palms.
The next stop was fun. A Post-apocalyptic city on the Salton Sea.
Bombay Beach was once a thriving resort town in the 1950s, it has transformed into a fascinating location for urban explorers, artists, and curious travelers. At 225 feet below sea level, it’s the lowest city in the world if judged by elevation.
"Bombay Beach, America's Lithium Low Point" refers to the location of Bombay Beach, California, situated on the shores of the Salton Sea, which is considered a significant potential source of lithium deposits in the United States, making it a "low point" in the sense that it represents a geographically concentrated area with a large amount of this valuable mineral beneath its surface, crucial for battery production in the clean energy sector; essentially, it's a place where a large amount of lithium can be extracted from the ground.
During the 1950s, Bombay Beach was a popular beach-going destination. Celebrities such as Frank Sinatra, the Beach Boys, and Bing Crosby frequented the luxury resorts along the Salton Sea, which was known for its fishing, boating and water skiing.
Bombay Beach's decline began in the 1970s, when the runoff (full of salty chemicals) led to a warning that the salinity of the lake would no longer sustain wildlife; that occurred by the early 1980s. Many residents around the Salton Sea, including those in Bombay Beach, were eventually driven out by the odor of the dying fish, the fear of health problems, and the flooding and the draining of the Salton Sea.
The Ski Inn bar and restaurant is the only eating and drinking establishment in the town.
We stopped for a beer and pee break.
Originally, there were five bars in Bombay Beach. However, it is now one of two bars in town, the other being the local American Legion.
Everywhere is plastered with dollar bills. Groups will show up at the Ski Inn to chat over beers, and keep up a habit that started in the 1950s, when vacationers would write their names on dollar bills and stick them to the walls. Decades on, uncounted thousands of dollar bills plaster the place like wallpaper, covering every wall, door, ceiling, and even ceiling fan blade."
Nice outdoor patio.
Most of the few residents use golf carts to get around, since the nearest gas station is 20 miles (32 km) away in Niland. There are two stores in the town, one of which is a convenience store.
We accidently checked out this RV park, as GPS Guy thought this was Slab City, the Fountain of Youth. They were packed in like sardines. It is in the middle of nowhere, not cheap either.
We never did get to Slab City.
We did stop and paid our $7 honour system entrance fee into Salton Sea and that turned out to be an expensive pee in a porta-potty.
Friday I was up at 6:50 and John followed at 7:50. He headed out to golf around 11.
I started sorting and packing my clothes for this week as we move onto Las Vegas on Thursday.
Then I read by the pool for a while.
John took these as he was BBQing.
COOKING
Saturday Lunch OUT
Dinner wieners and beans
Sunday L ham, cheese, tomato, scallion sandwiches
D Spanish chicken thighs and chorizo stew with mashed potatoes
Monday L Out pizza
D leftovers
Tuesday L sandwich/leftover pizza
D lemon parmesan chicken Alfredo
Wednesday L scrambled eggs and toast
D OUT hamburger patties, mashed potatoes, beans and gravy
Thursday L coffee date shake and root beer float
D spaghetti with meat sauce
Friday L leftovers
D BBQ steak mushrooms green peppers and onions with a baked potato.
FEBRUARY COUNTER
Weekly Recap Feb 1 - Feb 7 2025 Palm Springs CA/Las Vegas NV
Palm Springs CA
Another long, photo heavy post of our personal diary of our trip.
Saturday
I was up at 7:10 John at 7:45.
We headed out around 9:30 to Desert Hot Springs about 20 minutes straight up Gene Audry.
A Hopi inspired Pueblo that is a unique treasure to the Coachella Valley, located in the heart of Desert Hot Springs.
Animal Hospital
Amusing sign and what are they up to?
We found the Cabot Museum.
The site also contains one of a series of 78 giant Native American head carvings by Peter Wolf Toth. The one here, Waokiye, was sculpted from a giant sequoia tree log and unveiled in 1978.
We loved how this tour was organized. They only allow a couple of people in at a time so we waited fifteen minutes. Then she set us up with a QR code and password and we listened to the tour on our own.
Hopi Kachina designs portrayed on the outside wall.
Built by Cabot Yerxa (b. 1883) on property he homesteaded in 1913, he worked on the property until his death in 1965. Cabot journeyed through the desert; gathering reclaimed materials for 10 years; from as far east as the Salton Sea, north to Morongo Valley, south to Palm Springs and west to White Water.
He homesteaded his property in 1913 and discovered or rediscovered two aquifers apparently using a divining rod, one of the reasons he named his property Miracle Hill. The aquifers were in all probability discovered and used by the Indians who lived in the area for over 5,000 years. One of the aquifers was a natural hot spring which has given rise to the many spas and resorts in the area and helped develop the city of DHS. The other was a cold aquifer, which to this day provides quality fresh water to DHS of which Yerxa was one of three co-founders.
I tried the triangle!
The structure is hand made, created from reclaimed and found objects. The Pueblo is four-stories, 5,000 square feet and includes 35 rooms, 150 windows and 65 doors. Visitors will notice many unique features: including windows and doors collected and reassembled from abandoned homesteads, old telephone poles, buck board wagon parts, and many other materials used creatively.
Around the grounds
This piece of art was in the Cabot Museum. It is called 2 Face White Man and I thought it bore an uncanny resemblance especially with the snake!
Heading back to Palm Springs.
Vendors by the road. I've said before, I feel like I am in Mexico, even some billboards are in Spanish. As a friend said back home when I sent her a photo of one, that I should keep it in the archives as they are likely to be outlawed.
Downtown Palm Springs for lunch. We went back to the Blue Coyote, because, because we like their outdoor patio.
Sangria for me.
Tampico
Carne Asada style steak topped with mild red sauce and Ortega chile, a cheese enchilada with pico de gallo. Served with rice and beans. Seafood Salad
Fresh mahi-mahi, sea scallops, and shrimp marinated and grilled. Served over a bed of mixed lettuce with grilled pineapple, tomatoes, jícama, and cojita cheese.
Then we walked over to the Art Museum that was hosting the Soul Springs Festival and Frey House II Tour on Saturday, February 1, 2025. The Soul Springs Festival was a free, community-oriented event that celebrated jazz and soul music.
We had some fun with Marilyn.
The plot of land the museum is on was originally the location of The Desert Inn, a popular motel especially around the ’30s and ’40s. By the ’60s and early ’70s it had fallen into disrepair, so it was decided that the whole area was going to be taken down. The section that the museum is in, which is the further western area of the complex, was owned by a bank and was then given to the museum as a permanent location for the museum to be built.
On this site in 1909, Dr. Harry and Nellie N. Coffman opened the Desert Inn in a single-family house as a small sanitarium for patients suffering from tuberculosis and other respiratory ailments. It established Palm Springs as a desert health resort - and Nellie's boardinghouse was born.
The Desert Inn grew in popularity and size, adding simple cabins and rusting tents. its focus gradually shifted from treating the sick to catering to the famous and affluent. By 1919 Nellie began building her vision of a world-class resort.
In 1924, with a loan from oil tycoon Thomas O'Donnell (see plaque below), Nellie selected William Charles Tanner to design a Spanish Mediterranean Revival style hotel with over 110 rooms that set a new standard for luxury and comfort. Guests arrived from around the world: presidents, senators, governors, and royalty, artists, composers, and the creme de la creme of Hollywood - establishing an international reputation for Palm Springs. The inn offered find dining, fashionable retail shops, and sports activities including tennis, golf swimming all amidst 35 acres of carefully manicured lawns and gardens.
Nellie Coffman was a tireless supporter of Palm Springs. Her innumerable charitable works earned here the affectionate title of "Mother Coffman."
On June 10, 1950 Nellie died at the age of 82. Her sons continued to operate the famous inn, but in 1955 it was sold to former actress Marion Davies who, in 1960, sold the Desert Inn to Samuel Firks and noted Palm Springs builder George Alexander, whose vision was to replace the inn with an eight story hotel and convention hall. By September 1967 the entire Desert Inn was demolished, replaced by an indoor shopping mall that was in turn demolished in 2009.
We made a couple of stops on our way back.
Hotel California built in 1942.
This is not the "Hotel California" made famous by the Eagles singing group in 1976; that "hotel" was imaginary a metaphor for the songwriter's perception of an American culture sinking into materialism and decadence.
The Saguaro Palm Springs hotel in Palm Springs, California was originally built in 1977 as The International. It was later a Ramada and Holiday Inn before reopening in 2012 as The Saguaro Palm Springs.
Their Drag Brunch was taking place. We considered going to one but tickets are $50 US and you have to pay for your meal on top of that.
From there we went into T J Maxx and John got 3 t-shirts at $10 each, seriously at that price it is not about "needing them"!
I also got some stamps for postcards I send postcards to a couple of collectors at home and in England. Now to figure out how many stamps they require and find a mailbox!
Sunday
American Punxsutawney Phil - a "weather-predicting" groundhog - has forecast six more weeks of winter in the US. According to folklore, If Phil looks at his own shadow then there will be another six weeks of the North American winter, and if not, then an early spring is on the horizon.
"There's a shadow up here, get ready for six more weeks of winter this year," a man from the club behind the event proclaimed.
Meanwhile in Canada Wiarton Willie has predicted an early spring after he did not see his shadow on Sunday morning on Groundhog Day.
WIllie made the prediction to chants of "wake up, Willie" at 8:09 a.m. on Sunday morning in Bluewater Park in Wiarton, Ont., located 220 kilometres northwest of Toronto.
But his prediction doesn't match those of other weather-prognosticating animals:
Shubenacadie Sam who lives at the Shubenacadie Wildlife Park in Nova Scotia saw his shadow, predicting six more weeks of winter.
Lucy the Lobster in Barrington, N.S., saw her shadow and predicted six more weeks of winter.
Fred la marmotte in Quebec predicted six more weeks of winter.
My rant against Trump's tariffs!! I woke up on the war path.
I was up at 7 and John had a good sleep in until 9 AM! Then he made us a nice breakfast.
We decided we were hanging around today, some pool time and start packing items not needed until home (bathing suits, head phones, John's camera, kitchen stuff etc).
We spent a couple of hours at the pool and even got into the water. It was the warmest day we've had so far, gorgeous. I even came back and got us a beer.
When we came back, we did a load of laundry and started packing. We laid out the clothes we needed until Thursday when we leave and packed the rest.
I finished our Drive South Recap. I also finished our 2024 recap.
Monday
Monday Mural is from Texarkana.
John left at 11 to play golf. John golfed with a guy from Orange County and apologized when he heard John was from Canada.
So he's given us a 30 day reprieve? More like he was told he was being stupid. But we won't stop being diligent about buying Canadian. In 30 days we will have had good practice.
I sorted and packed up some food items. I made our dinner reservation for Thursday in Las Vegas.
I sat by the pool and it was hot, so I had to take a dip. John came in from golf and said he had actually sweated today.
Some pictures from the golf course, including a roadrunner.
Tuesday
I was up at 7 and John around 8. We headed out around 10:30 for Cathedral City.
Murals commissioned by the Agnes Pelton Society are an iconic landmark in Cathedral City and cover vibrant illustrations full of life and energy, often depicting tributes to actual figures of the city or events of mundane town activities that show the city’s past.
Among these murals are the Lalo and Five Mariachis by Luiz Castro, a tribute to Lalo Guerrero, who is known as the father of Chicano Music. Another iconic mural is Our Lady of Chuparrosa, which Peter Palladin made of broken pottery. Additionally, there’s the 8-Bit Frida by Marnie Navarro, a ceramic tile mosaic that tributes Surrealist painter and political activist Frida Kahlo. You can find these murals on Chuparrsoa Lane and F Street within Cathedral City Cove.
Then we decided to go to Old Town La Quinta. We hadn't been here before, it is a pretty little area, made up of mostly restaurants.
Interesting
Roadrunner
Roadrunner
Stuft Pizza, but in reality, they served almost anything from fish to steak to pasta, noodles, tacos. I don't like that kind of menu, it means you keep a lot of frozen goods.
This is better, focus on one item and do it well.
John decided we should stop for a beer.
I had the Whiskey Barrel Heatwave. John had the Tan Line.
From there we went to another location of Bill's Pizza in Palm Desert.
Just in case you didn't believe me about Mexican Coke being a thing, we had had one in Lordsburg on our way down.
We first discovered that Mexican coke is the best on our first trip together to Mexico.
Is it just my imagination?
Wednesday
We were up around 7 and puttered away. We started packing more stuff, I made hardboiled eggs.
We got things cleaned up as we have dinner out tonight.
John golfed.
I spent 90 minutes by the pool, reading.
We made sure to empty the safe!
We tidied up more bits and pieces and got ready for dinner. We took our winter coats down to the car, I can't believe we were wearing them a few weeks ago!
Dinner Purple Room 8PM
Darci Daniels, Charles Herrera & Michael Holmes (owner) were the announced performers, however, Charles Herrera was not there.
We were seated shortly after 8 PM but many of the earlier seated diners were still in the room.
The tables are cramped together but the feeling with the stage and performers is intimate.
The special was prime rib, which we both had and it was delicious.
Thursday
I didn't get up until 7:30 John at 8. We had yogurt for breakfast and loaded the dishwasher.
We finished packing up and loaded the car, checked out and hit the road by 10;30.
Meanwhile back home - Freezing Drizzle Advisory!
Old Woman Springs Highway 247 graffiti rocks. See me?
We lost our GPS signal when we pulled away so we carried on until we had to make a decision of direction and there happened to be a place promising the best burgers on earth??? So we stopped for lunch. It was an entertaining stop.
Best? NOT!! It was awful. Frozen patty was barely grilled, it was more steamed. AWFUL.
Oh well, we had a laugh and a break and got back on the road headed towards Barstow CA where we got on I-15.
We made a gas/bathroom stop in Baker CA. We should have waited until Nevada as gas is $1 - $1.50 cheaper.
The world's biggest thermometer and it is accurate. We also took a photo in 2017, link below.
We passed by Seven Magic Mountains that we visited in 2017.
Primm NV
We had gone to Goodsprings in 2015.
Las Vegas
We had stayed here in 2015.
Frank Sinatra and Tropicana are closed for construction so traffic is worse than usual.
I did get a shot of the football stadium. Opened in 2020, it is the home field of the Las Vegas Raiders of the National Football League and the University of Nevada, Las Vegas Rebels college football team.
I had a slight sinus headache from the differing elevations from Palm Springs 487 feet above sea level to 4,000 feet on the drive to Las Vegas at 2.000 feet.
We checked in (easy), unpacked and relaxed until it was time to head out to dinner - Hole in the Wall. We dressed warmly as it was 23C when we arrived but the winds were strong and cold.
We had eaten here in 2015 and the service was vastly improved!
This isn't gourmet dining but it is fun.
They were very knowledgeable about their gluten free items. John had chicken parmigiana and I had eggplant parmigiana. Wine is included.
We had an excellent server.
The problem is that their portions are just too large!
We haven't stayed in this timeshare before, we normally stay up the street at Grand Desert. Tight security.
And daily housekeeping with full cleaning weekly!
Friday we didn't get up until 9 and lazed around until we went out for groceries.
Despite having the Do Not Disturb sign up, Housekeeping still knocked. I just told her we didn't need her today.
We finally went out at 2:30. It was warm but the wind was crazy, it was rocking the car!
We went to a Von's since we already had a membership. We bought what we needed for the next few days and we used a luggage cart to being it up to our unit. Sure beat schlepping them up those awful stairs at Oasis in Palm Springs.
We decided we just wanted to veg the rest of the day away!
COOKING
We planned our menus well this week. Moving our Wednesday reservation from last week to this week due to John's cold worked out perfectly. We used up everything except one steak, frozen milk, bread and cream and yogurt which we will pack in a cooler. There are four eggs left that may get eaten before we leave or I will hard boil them.
The only things left are condiments (most of which I brought from CANADA.
Saturday Lunch OUT
Dinner crab legs PRODUCT OF CANADA
Sunday B eggs and steak
D chicken stew (delicious)
Monday L sandwiches/scrambled egg
D spaghetti and meat sauce. Spaghetti I brought from home, GF made in Italy and imported to an Ontario facility.
Tuesday L OUT pizza
D leftover chicken stew
Wednesday L leftover pizza
D OUT Purple Room
Thursday L ON THE ROAD
D RESERVATION Hole in the Wall Las Vegas NV
Friday L egg and onion sandwiches
D steak (fresh) baked potato and broccoli - cooked deliciously by John!
NETTY’S CAFE
Weekly Recap Feb 8 - 15 2025 Las Vegas NV
Las Vegas NV
There are a few things that were on my list for this trip but the $Canadian dollar is making me rethink.
We did not do Omega Mart when we did Area 15 last year, but a friend highly recommends it. But ticket prices range from $54 - $64 US depending on day of the week. Sure, I can get a discount of $5 from other selected vendors. At an average price of $60 US that is $90 CAD X2.
Do I really want to see it that badly?
John and I agree we'd rather spend our money on dining experiences.
We have been looking at shows to see, nothing really jumps out at us. There are some big ticket stars playing here but again, I'm not willing to fork over $1,000 US for a couple of tickets.
We've already seen Shania Twain and Garth Brooks at home, and we went to Columbus OH to see Blake Shelton.
We laughed as we walked by a discount ticket stand and the guy shouts "Barry Manilow tickets!!!" John looks back at him and says whoopty do!!!
Can you imagine Donny Osmond is still performing here! We saw Donny and Marie in 2013.
Saturday
Steps 8,800
We were both up at 7. We had strawberries from MEXICO with our yogurt. Strawberries were 2 X 16oz for $5.
We were going to head out early but John went to the car for the backpack and said it was cold!
So we played around until after lunch to head out. It was sweater weather 18C.
I've never seen so many holy rollers preaching here and in front of Paris.
I've cropped the photo so you can see/read the signs and note that he is standing next to the rather good looking guys available for topless photos. I’ll take the eye candy and worry about my soul later.
I didn't see the second S until John pointed it out!
I had to leave the sign in this photo!
Our first stop is Bellagio for the Lunar New Year of the Snake display. Click here for more photos.
Chocolate fountain in Bellagio.
We decided to wander through Paris.
Gordon Ramsay Steak January 2013
Gordon Ramsay Steak December 2013
Planet Hollywood
Tipsy Robot
Step into the future of mixology with The Tipsy Robots, our high-tech bartenders capable of crafting up to 120 mesmerizing drinks per hour. Each cocktail, a masterpiece, is swiftly created in just 60 to 90 seconds, blending precision and flair. Not just mixologists, these robotic wonders also dazzle with their killer dance moves, guaranteeing a perfectly crafted sip and an unforgettable show every time.
Sunday Superbowl
I was up at 7, John 8. We went out at 10:30, nice and quiet on a Sunday.
We went to Von's, the one on Twain because it has a bakery, to finalize our meal plan for this week. I still find it weird to find slot machines inside a grocery store, on the left.
Never seen rotisserie turkey before. These are gigantic subs.
Seriously, groceries are cheap here! Where do you get Lays potato chips, buy 2 TWO and get 3 THREE FREE???? That'll last us until we get home. I did notice that chicken stock was way more expensive than at home?
Eggs, expensive but there is a shortage. Still not as expensive as I saw in Palm Springs.
Today's order $108, after savings of $40 (Von's member price) is the equivalent of ordering 5 beers on the Strip plus tip!
And there is nothing better than making your own sandwich to your desire! For me - bologna (don't judge me, I buy it once a year), tomatoes, scallions and lettuce. John - bologna, cheese and lettuce. And it was Oscar Mayer bologna!
John watched golf and then we both watched the Superbowl pre-show. Brad Pitt explains what it means to be American.
The commercials were interesting.
Rocket Mortgage decided to turn the lens on the human spirit and the drive that fuels each individual with a dream. And Rocket Mortgage found the perfect song with “Take Me Home, Country Roads.” The company ended the commercial with “Everyone deserves their shot at the American Dream.” That’s when the program cut back the coverage of the game. And somewhat surprising, the entire stadium was singing the song.
What a surprise, the phone rang, and I expected a timeshare sales person. No, Housekeeping, did we need anything? I asked for another pot and a potato peeler...delivered. Garbage taken away.
I feel like I am in a Mexican resort, so much housekeeping, unlike when we were in Palm Springs.
They called because we had left the do not disturb sign on the door this morning when they do their daily rounds.
Monday
Steps 11,940
Monday Mural Desert Hot Springs CA.
We were both up by 7. I planned our weekly (loose) agenda and menu.
We then headed out after lunch when it warms up.
Click here for more Coca-Cola and M&Ms from 2024.
Inside MGM Grand.
Who is Joel Robuchon?
Joël Robuchon ( 7 April 1945 – 6 August 2018) was a French chef and restaurateur. He was named "Chef of the Century" by the guide Gault Millau in 1989, and awarded the Meilleur Ouvrier de France (France's best worker) in cuisine in 1976. He operated more than a dozen restaurants across Bangkok, Bordeaux, Hong Kong, Las Vegas, London, Macau, Madrid, Monaco, Montreal, Paris, Shanghai, Singapore, Taipei, Tokyo, and New York City. His restaurants have been acclaimed, and in 2018 he held 32 Michelin Guide stars among them, the most any restaurateur has ever held.He is considered to be one of the greatest chefs of all time.
He must be good, the fixe prix is $525 US, not including wine or tip.
Andrew, no salad sandwich here, either!
I'll take the food court.
Across to New York New York. We had stayed here in 2013.
NY NY food court, one of my favourites.
Into Park MGM, a totally smoke-free casino!
We popped into Jason Aldean's Kitchen, what a farce. The hostess says, go ahead and sit at the bar. No seats at either bar. All other (empty) tables set for dining. We go to sit at a hightop in bar and are told no, we have to sit at the bar, first come first served. We walked out, a funny way to treat your paying customers, considering the place was half empty. We can better spend our money, anyway, gave him the finger, as he is a tRumpster!!
We went into the Cosmopolitan to find our Wednesday restaurant, good thing, it took us two rounds to find it, hidden in plain sight.
We did spend our money, less than classless Aldean's, at the Chandelier Bar in the Cosmopolitan.
The Chandelier in Las Vegas is three floors of lounges serving different cocktails, each with its own singular vibe. But the overall effect is absolutely palatial and stunning. After all, you're inside a massive, three-floor, two-million-crystal chandelier that drips down three floors.
My favourite activity!! I just went down that hole writing this post!
We came back and Housekeeping had been in and tidied up including changing the towels and taking the garbage. Nice!
Tuesday
Steps 8.780
I was sorry to hear that one of my favourite Toronto museums is closing.
We were up at 7, becoming a habit. We had coffee and puttered until 9:45ish and then headed out for breakfast and the Arts District.
GPS Guy (GG) was determined that we take I-15 so we did.
Since our breakfast choice didn't open until 10:30 we did some wandering.
You know an area is getting trendy when Marriot opens a boutique hotel (rates $250 -$400 US).
It is also home to the Pepper Club, a dining experience by celebrity chef Todd English.
In 2014 we had eaten at Todd English's Pub at Aria.
Time to eat!!
We were the only customers but it quickly filled up with area workers.
Check out the menudo. I heard someone order it.
Guy Fieri was here with Triple D, Diners, Dives and Drive-Ins.
I had the Rancheros, no beans and tomatillo sauce. John had the chorizo and eggs with extra hot habanero sauce on the side.
We had visited Artistic Iron back in 2015.
We strolled along Main St.
📢 February 15📍 Meeting Point: New York-New York, outside the Statue of Liberty ⏰ Time: 2:30pm, march to Trump Tower.
I had a mission to find a newly restored neon sign. By mistake we went along E Charleston Blvd before realizing it was on W Charleston Blvd. But we caught the Blue Angel Motel.
The Neon Museum’s “Free Aspirin & Tender Sympathy” sign – loaned to the City of Las Vegas – has officially been relit in the Las Vegas Medical District on W. Charleston Boulevard.
Dating back to the late 1950s, the Free Aspirin & Tender Sympathy sign was originally located on what is now Las Vegas Boulevard, which was previously 5th Street – a segment of Highway 91 linking Las Vegas to Los Angeles.
The sign was installed at the former Allen Post’s Union 76 gas station, situated at 3758 S. Las Vegas Blvd. near the Desert Rose Motel and the Lone Palm Motel – locations now occupied by Park MGM and New York-New York Hotel & Casino, respectively.
During Kenneth Lehman’s ownership of the gas station, he continued the legacy of the “Free Aspirin & Tender Sympathy” and the “Ask Us Anything” slogans on the building and was quoted saying “You can’t put it on a sign and not do it.” In 2001, upon closing of the station, the sign was donated to The Neon Museum.
We decided since we were already in the car that we would go to the south factory outlets. Nothing, nada.
John reminded me that in 2024 we had made our purchases at the North factory outlets.
Wednesday
Another lazy morning, it was only 4C when we got up! John made us a late breakfast of bacon and eggs.
We whiled away the day.
Meanwhile, back home the Management Office closed at noon due to the incoming snow storm!
We had decided we were not going to dine at any of the fancy celebrity chef restaurants. But José Andrés is a little different. Of course, our resolve may change...if Ramsay still has his jalapenos still on the menu!
Walking over to Cosmopolitan.
And the purpose of these is???
Looking down on the floor.
Yes, Andrew, we both said, hey, it's a Gillie and Marc!!!!
An innovative concept from Chef José Andrés, China Poblano combines the flavors of Mexico and China to create an experience that encompasses both authentic dishes and inspired new favorites.
Chef José Andrés, born and trained in Spain, moved to the US at age 21. He soon settled in Washington, DC, and began volunteering at DC Central Kitchen, where he started to think big about philanthropy. This path inspired José to found World Central Kitchen in 2010 after a devastating earthquake in Haiti. Since then, he’s pursued a mission to fulfill the words of John Steinbeck: “Wherever there’s a fight so that hungry people may eat … we’ll be there.”
It was a fun, energetic, tasty experience.
Char Siu For You! Cantonese-style barbecue pork ribs, marinated seasonal vegetables, green onion $16.88
Delicious, but only three pieces. Loved the pickles.
Fried Wonton 7pc Filled with shrimp and pork, served with sesame dressing $13.88
Mongolian Beef Lettuce Marinated beef seasoned with shishito peppers, onions, ginger, soy sauce and Chinkiang black vinegar, and wok-tossed with lettuce hearts $26.88
John looks happy that I suggested he have the Anejo (tequila) flight as "dessert".
Casa Noble Siempre Don Julio
Thursday
We woke to rain so John moved his golf to Friday.
Incoming rain to break 214-day dry spell in Las Vegas; Mountain snow on the way.
A very rare sight in LV!! Grey skies and rain.
And back home it is a snow day as Toronto got 23 cm of snow!
Funny this appeared this morning - Chef José Andrés (from last night's China Poblano) is in Toronto.
We topped up our groceries for the weekend at Von's on Twain. We were finished by 11:15 and we knew Housekeeping was coming at 11. It was rainy and cold so we decided to visit a couple of casinos since we had the car. These are off the Strip so parking is free.
Silverton, we had never been to and I had heard they had done a multi-million dollar renovation of their older premises.
What fun when you walk in the door. Video
Shady Grove Lounge is your road trip to fun.
Kick back with some ice-cold brews, small plates of great food and game-time action on 12 screens, or try mini-bowling inside a 1950s Airstream trailer. You can even lounge under the canopy of an indoor North American Aspen tree.
On impulse, we had planned on going home for lunch, so we decided to grab something here.
John wanted to revisit New Orleans Casino, we had been here in 2013.
We came back and relaxed and watched a movie together. The weather continued to be miserable so we were glad we were eating in.
Friday
.
John headed out to golf around 10:30.
John hated the golf course, he said it had a creek running through it that was stinking full of garbage. That's the first time he has made a derogatory comment about courses here.
I went shopping and got in 6,920 steps and a $10 ($15 CAD) sweater in the colour I was looking for.
He offered to meet me in Planet Hollywood but I was on my way back. We just enjoyed our afternoon.
Happy Family Day to Ontario!
COOKING
Groceries are very cheap here in Nevada! I like dining out but LOVE cooking our own meals. American restaurant portions are just too big and cause so much waste.
Saturday L sandwich
D ham, mashed potatoes, Brussel sprouts
Sunday L sandwiches
D SUPERBOWL chili, bread
Monday L Salad
D leftover ham, potatoes, sprouts
Tuesday B OUT
D leftover chili
Wednesday B bacon and eggs
D OUT
Thursday L OUT
D chicken divan
Friday L bacon and eggs
D Costco steak green peppers onions garlic bread (IRELAND butter)
Weekly Recap Feb 15 - 21 2025 Las Vega NV
La Quinta CA
Saturday
Steps 8,533
Well, you can't say we didn't try to stick to the agenda, "lunch fish chips Ramsay Linq - Big Elvis 2PM 3:30 5PM (or Mon Wed Fri)".
We left a little later than I planned and it was so crowded when we got to Ramsay's, they don't have any seating, unless you snag one of the 6 seats outside, so we left. We went to Chayo's (we ate here in March) and sat at the bar.
John ordered the Mexican Philly Cheesesteak and loved it. I had the wings. These were very big wings, tasty, not crispy and a few were just too dry. The bartender comped them.
We wandered.
Then went to Harrah's for Big Elvis. We got there at 2:10, it wasn't busy at all. We got a table, ordered and the band said Big Elvis wouldn't be in this weekend. It didn't matter, we had a great time. They had two dualling piano players who could perform anything you wished, even, Taylor Swift! One person requested a song, and the musician said "I hate you LOL", when he played the song, he insisted the guy twerk at the chorus, and did!
"Pink Pony Club" is a pop, synth-pop, dance-pop, power pop, and disco track that describes the story of a woman moving to Southern California from her home state of Tennessee, taking a job as a dancer at a gay strip club in West Hollywood despite her mother's wishes.
And a song that John doesn't remember, I do! Short People!
Drunk Elvis showed up, interesting, he must have known Big Elvis wasn't here. The musicians never even acknowledged his presence. He is well known around town as a nasty guy, as I discovered on a Facebook group.
Sunday we did have a plan, but then decided to have a down day. The Strip is very busy this weekend as it is an American and Canadian long weekend.
Monday
STEPS 11.608
We left around 9:30 and headed to the south factory outlets, thinking it is a holiday Monday, that it would be quiet, NOT.
This is the first time we've gone by the Sphere on this trip. I have been dying to see the smiley face and AHA!
John giving the finger to tRump tower.
John got a navy pair of Hurley pants that he likes. I got a few tops at Ann Taylor.
Time to head for lunch.
The Alzheimer's Association building designed by CANADIAN Frank Gehry. We stopped there in 2017.
Yes, we're back at Letty's as it is so good, plus John wanted to try the chilangos, after watching the Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives.
Egg dishes now have a $1 surcharge.
I had the shrimp ceviche, so good, even John had some. I think we'll go back next week!!!
Next on the agenda, Container Park. We first came here in 2015.
We found a cigar store for John.
BONUS - not on today's schedule, Fremont St. Will we go back, not likely, unless we want to eat somewhere.
I need eye candy too!
As we were getting in the car I noticed Atomic Liquors was just down the block. We had a drink here in 2015.
In 2015 we did a series of old school motels in downtown Las Vegas.
Within the central courtyard is the 50-foot-tall Big Rig Jig sculpture created by Los Angeles artist Mike Ross. Forged in 2007 from two tanker trucks, guests can clamber through the insides to peek out the top. Like the praying mantis down the street, the Big Rig Jig was featured at the Burning Man festival much beloved by Hsieh.
Back to change and head out to the Neon Boneyard Museum. It has its own post, click here.
We first visited it in 2013, shortly after it opened. But it was during the daytime and on a freezing day. We made sure we dressed warmly this time!!
By eavesdropping on the tour guides, I found out the Las Vegas Strip started as mom and pop motels that were trying to catch people coming in on the highway before they reached downtown which had the major hotels in the 50’s and 60’s. Todays strip is where the old highway used to be, before the Interstates were built. The strip is outside of Las Vegas proper so there were few building regulations which made it easy for the small hotels to set up shop.
The more than 200 signs located outside are arranged in a J shaped sand filled walking path.
I did a separate post for the neon signs.
Click here for the murals that are associated with the motels/casinos. These are across from the museum.
Found online. See the skull?
Heading home.
Tuesday
Tuesday Signs from our drive down.
We did laundry, it is on the 9th floor, $1.75 wash and $1.50 dry, by credit card or app. We'll do another load before we leave Vegas next Wednesday.
Steps John 10,000
John headed to golf and he said it was a tough course that he had played before. Bear's Best is a Jack Nicklaus course. John said when you start your golf cart, Nicklaus describes the next hole to you. It is also the longest course John has played in a while, 6,600 feet.
You can see the Vegas Strip.
Steps Jackie 7,481
I wandered around Aria, just across the bridge from us. Cosmopolitan, Aria, Vdara are very modern casinos, with upscale shopping malls.
Nancy Rubins’ “Big Edge” sculpture combines over 200 aluminum canoes, kayaks, rowboats, and sailboats, each weighing between 60 and 125 pounds, into one flowering cluster of art.
Inside the gift shop for Immersive Van Gogh, which we've seen.
Wednesday I changed our first hotel stay, heading home, to one night instead of two. The original plan (before tRump's deranged reign of terror) was to make at least three extended stays to see some sights, now we just want to go home. The currency exchange rate is not helping either!!! We have at least two other trips planned this year, nothing into the States.
We headed out at 10:30 to get a haircut (me). Smartcut on Rainbow $18 plus tip.
We passed by the place that we wintered in 2012-13. Last year 2024 we discovered it had been demolished and replaced.
After lunch we walked to Aria and got the tram to Park MGM.
As we were waiting to cross the street (long lights) John noticed the man in from of us was wearing a sports champion ring. He looked and said he looks like the NBA commissioner.
Sure enough, I googled it later and it was! Adam Silver.
Steps 10,861
From there we walked over to Excalibur and caught the tram, we thought, to Luxor, however it went straight to Mandalay Bay. No worries, we went for a drink at Ri Ra.
We first had their full Irish breakfast here in 2013
And another breakfast in 2017.
We took the tram to Luxor and strolled around and found Playland.
A real rigmarole to get into Playland, scan the QR, fill out the form to exonerate them in case you hurt yourself. Then you have to buy tickets to play. There are a couple of bars with excessive prices.
Test your steady hands with Doctor! Doctor! as you perform “transplants".
We walked back to Mandalay and caught the tram to Excalibur, walked to Park MGM (a million miles to the tram) when we saw the walkway to Aria so we just walked back.
2 of 3 postcards I sent have been received, my cousin in Toronto and a friend in England on the same day! 1 more…
Thursday we went to Costco but it was a Business Centre so it didn't have what we wanted. Then we went to Von's to pick up a few things and also some stuff so that we don't have to do any grocery shopping when we get to San Diego for a few days. We are only there for 8 days so we don't do much cooking.
Apt!
Driving back to the condo.
John wanted to be home by 5 to watch the hockey game in real time. AND WHAT A GAME!!!
Friday we were out at 10, destination Venetian and Wynn.
STEPS 14,640
This is new in Vegas, suddenly there are lots of parrots for photoshoots.
Together again. Lisa Vanderpump from Vanderpump Rules appeared on season two of Gordon Ramsay's Food Stars on Fox. In the show, Vanderpump and Ramsay compete against each other to help young entrepreneurs develop their businesses.
We had eaten at Table 10 in the Venetian in 2015.
More Venetian (and more) in 2015.
Donutique in Palazzo, I had seen this place last March and I hadn't forgotten it!
Crossing to Wynn's, a good spot for Sphere photos.
Wynn is gorgeous and huge. It hasn't changed much in ten years.
My quest. Wynn Resorts added a new level of modern vigor to its world-class art collection with the acquisition of Smiling King Bear, a pop-surreal sculpture created by the famed Spanish contemporary artist Okuda San Miguel. At a towering 16-feet tall and executed in the artist's signature prismatic style, the sculpture is a multicolored geometric masterpiece featuring a whimsical bear with a spiked crown, holding an equally imposing smiling ball.
Okuda found in 2024 at Park MGM.
$500 US for a round of golf and the course is empty.
John, giving the finger to tRump!
A stop at The Yardhouse, a moment of sanity after being outside.
We first found The Yardhouse in Honolulu in 2009.
The holy rollers are back again. You have to laugh at the sign the guy in the back has "NEED CASH for strippers/blow".
COOKING
We're at the point that we don't want to travel with a lot of food going to San Diego, 1- we are only there for 8 days, 2 - we are going to see friends and 3 -we don't/can't take most things on the road home.
Bought spaghetti sauce for our first night in San Diego after a long drive. I froze some bread as well.
Bought 4 packs of those gluten free shrimp that we like so much. Handy for light suppers.
We also got the boom boom shrimp and a honey walnut shrimp.
3 eggs left - egg and onion for road trip as there are not a lot of restaurant opportunities.
Saturday L OUT
D chicken stew frozen shrimp and chips
Sunday B bacon eggs
D roast pork roast potatoes chicken stew
Monday L OUT
D frozen shrimp
Tuesday B John steak and eggs
D leftover stew added Brussel sprouts
Wed L salad cheese
D meatloaf with cheesy potatoes. I burned the potatoes, I have NEVER done that.
Thursday L rotisserie chicken
D rotisserie chicken Alfredo (will use up frozen parmesan cheese and cream)
Friday L OUT
D steak broccoli
*****************************************************************************
ON THIS DAY in 2015 we were in Saigon/Ho Chi Minh Vietnam.
CAFE AMERICANO
Weekly Recap Feb 22 - Feb 28 2025 Las Vegas NV/San Diego CA
Paris Casino Las Vegas NV
Saturday we had a lazy morning on our laptops reading and doing this and that, just like home.
Foiled once again, we walked to Harrah's to see Big Elvis and once again he was not appearing.
So we headed towards the condo, in Planet Hollywood, John suggested the Glass Bar and we sat and had a couple of drinks before heading back...
Sunday we decided to just veg the day away. We read and relaxed.
The Strip was closed to traffic until 11 PM due to a race.
Monday Mural was from Texarkana, on our way south.
After a super lazy Sunday we decided to go to Red Rock Canyon so I got us reserved timed entry tickets.
Click here for more photos from today.
This a 13 mile drive, one way, speed limit 5 - 15 MPH. This yoyo (tête carrée) with Quebec plates pulls past all the "slow" drivers and races through!
The Red Rocks have been a film location for such movies as Roy Rogers and his horse Trigger in Bells of San Angelo (1947) and was a location for The Stalking Moon with Gregory Peck in 1968.
From there we went to the Red Rock Casino to the Yard House. We always enjoy their food, service and prices are reasonable.
Burger and tuna stack.
We came back and got some packing done.
Tuesday we did laundry, made hard boiled eggs for lunch tomorrow and packed up some more.
After lunch we took a drive to get some neon sign photos. The temperature was 31 C!!
Click here for a wedding chapel recap I did.
This wedding chapel was very busy, with back to back weddings.
I'm surprised people still flock to Pawn Stars. But it seems it had had series until 2023.
Capitalizing on Pawn Stars as neighbours.
Click here to see the old motel signs we came across.
We passed by the Neon Museum.
We've seen several sights in this area in the past.
Christmas Lights at the LV Speedway 2014.
The Las Vegas Mormon Fort in 2015.
Nevada State Veterans Memorial in 2024.
We packed up some more before heading out for dinner. It was a gorgeous evening.
We were all hyped up about going to Ellis Island Casino for dinner as we had done in 2024.
What a mess! They have been building an addon brewery for a couple of years now so we had to enter at the back where the smoky casino is, now very crowded. We headed to the bar that we like but it is all boarded up. So we headed to the bar/restaurant at the bar, lots of tables but were told there is a lineup, so there was. We left.
We walked over to the Linq and waited 20 minutes at The Yard House, always a favourite and consistently good.
The sphere sneaking through.
Leaving Ellis Island.
The Linq.
We really enjoyed this last March.
Both our meals were cold so we sent them back. Better, second time around.
Seared rare ahi tuna, crispy garlic, sesame seeds, jasmine rice, charred baby broccoli, baby tomatoes, creamy ponzu sauce.
John - grilled sirloin, stir-fried sesame brown rice & red quinoa, mushrooms, snap peas, bok choy, carrots, red onion, baby broccoli, red pepper flakes.
We were comped dessert, cheesecake brulee!!
The Weed Man!
Wednesday we were up at 7:10, finished packing the fridge/freezer and had breakfast.
Checked out, loaded the car up and headed to San Diego at 9:05!
Welcome to California!
California agricultural inspections are conducted by the California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) to ensure that commodities and vehicles meet regulatory requirements and are free of pests. Border Protection Stations - Vehicles and commodities are inspected at major highways entering California.
However, no one was manning the booths!!
I had just mentioned I would love a date shake when we saw a sign for them at the Cima Mining Co!! It didn't appear open, but it was!
World's biggest working thermometer at Baker.
The Calico Miner! We were here in 2013.
Yarmo CA.
Looks like California is getting ready... Across from Peggy Sue's.
Marine Corps Yermo Annex encompasses 1859 acres and is primarily a storage and industrial complex.
1996 Palm Springs and San Diego
2014 Carlsbad San Diego Weekly Recap with links
We stopped for date shakes. We had a 10 minute construction delay, we stopped for 2 bathroom breaks and 1 for gas. We looked for Peggy Sue, and a 30 minute Costco stop.
We arrived at Inn on the Park, a Wyndham property. It is a historic building, so no ramp...John lugged all our stuff up the front steps, loaded the baggage trolley. While he was doing that I was being chatted up by the sales person, Bridget, nice person. Tried the ole we are working really hard, fired all the old sales people blah blah. I said no, nicely, explaining we had gotten our update last March and it was a horrible experience, so no, no and no. Got our goodie bag and went to our room.
Time to relax!
Thursday it was foggy when we got up. We decided to head out around 11. Looking towards Balboa Park.
STEPS 11,851
We had a loose plan that kinda happened.
We headed out to Little Italy for lunch.
Built in 1910, The Abbey is a historic San Diego landmark. Stained glass dome skylights bathe the room in a romantic golden glow. Imagine a Renaissance cathedral: dark, polished redwood molding and woodwork. The Abbey, formerly an iconic church, is a full-service facility, with gourmet cuisine prepared onsite.
Not Italian, we didn't want something too heavy as it was very warm out. Sliders for me. Omelet for John.
We started following directions to Embarcadero, but on impulse headed down to the waterfront.
Subject(s): Anonymous
Sport: Baseball
Location: County Administration Building, San Diego, CA (Statue is one of an edition of 12 created by the artist in 1999. Long-term loan from the artist's foundation to San Diego. Other statues within the edition are in private hands.)
Sculptor: Niki de Saint Phalle
Material: Fibreglass, resin, mixed materials
We loved seeing the tall ships, especially the Star of India. We checked out the Maritime Museum prices and it was very reasonable $18 to visit the 5 ships and for $10 a 45 minute harbour tour, fully narrated, on a pilot boat.
From her launching in 1914 to her removal from regular service in 1996, the Pilot enjoyed an active career as San Diego’s chief pilot craft – assisting almost every one of the thousands of major commercial ships to enter or leave the bay during that time. Pilot was built in San Diego at a small local yard and in the years since served exclusively on the waters of San Diego Bay and its approaches. Generations of San Diego harbor pilots steamed Pilot out to sea in all conditions of weather to meet the incoming merchantmen which, in turn, provided the flow of cargoes and passengers to support the development of a rising urban seaport.
One of the best tours we've been on for only $10. Kiki was our guide and she knew everything about the harbour.
I did a separate post about the tour and ships as it is photo heavy.
We boarded through here.
The architect of the Coronado Bridge, Robert Mosher, created a curved pathway on the bridge in order to make it longer. This was done so there was space to elevate the bridge safely while still making it high enough for Navy ships to pass underneath.
The architect of the San Diego-Coronado Bridge designed it to resemble bells when passing under it. Our guide pointed this out to us, and John snapped the perfect photo.
Dole
Quite funny, as we were leaving the boat tour, Kiki, the guide, stopped us and asked me if I was an historian, no, teacher, no (although that is what I wanted to be). She was intrigued because I was paying close attention to everything she said. John said, but she is a blogger!
We then visited each of the ships, we were often the only people on board.
The US government is spending nearly $1 million a month to maintain a luxury superyacht seized from a sanctioned Russian oligarch as part of the Justice Department’s effort to put pressure on the Kremlin.
The 348-foot Amadea was one of the first trophies prosecutors claimed as part of a task force effort to hold Russians friendly to the Kremlin accountable.
The superyacht was seized while docked in a port in Fiji in 2022 by local law enforcement officials and the FBI. US prosecutors allege its owner, Suleiman Kerimov, who made his fortune in gold, violated US sanctions by using the US banking system to cover expenses for the vessel. The yacht has been docked in San Diego.
The USS Midway Museum is a historical naval aircraft carrier museum in San Diego, California, United States, located at Navy Pier. The museum consists of the aircraft carrier Midway. The ship houses an extensive collection of aircraft, many of which were built in Southern California.
It is massive!
This ambitious piece of public art honors the distinguished service of the cruiser USS San Diego and its crew during World War II. The 28-foot walls are polished carnelian granite and composite terra cotta, and the floor contains a terrazzo map of the Pacific theatre. The ship’s travels are marked with inlaid brass strips in the floor, and inlaid stars mark the places of battles and engagements, from Guadalcanal to Tokyo Bay. The 18 brass stars represent the number of battle stars earned by the vessel and its crew.
A life-size bronze statue, representing the rest of the crew of the ship, gazes out over the Pacific.
Unconditional Surrender is a series of computer-generated statues by Seward Johnson that resemble an iconic 1945 photograph by Alfred Eisenstaedt, V–J day in Times Square. However, they were said by Johnson to be based on a similar, lesser-known, photograph by Victor Jorgensen that is in the public domain. The first in the series was installed temporarily in Sarasota, Florida, then was moved to San Diego, California, and New York City. Other copies have been installed in Hamilton, New Jersey; Pearl Harbor, Hawaii; and Normandy, France. Johnson later identified the statue at exhibitions as "Embracing Peace" for the risqué double entendre when spoken.
25 feet tall vs Marilyn in Palm Springs is 26 feet.
National Statue to Bob Hope and the Military.
There are 15 life-sized bronze statues, arranged as if attending a Bob Hope show. Each figure represents a serviceman from a different conflict.
Women in the service are represented, as are wounded vets, with a racial diversity that underscores Hope's broad appeal. One figure holds up a sign with stenciled, punch-through lettering: "Thanks for the Memories BOB."
In the Fish Market.
Our guide had mentioned that the Asian markets are willing to pay for the lobster so it can be hard to find here.
One more shot!
From there we Uber'd back $15.
Friday we hemmed and hawed about whether it was worth the $54US per person for the hop on hop off trolley, eventually saying no. It would have been a 30 minute walk through the park to get to a stop, wait around for it.
I also looked at taking a day food tour to Tijuana. But it is a very busy border and there could be delays of an hour+ each way.
In 30 minutes we walked to The Gaslamp Quarter.
The planes are loud and low overhead as they land.
It is spring and the gardens are gorgeous.
The Gaslamp Quarter is home to the largest collection of restored Victorian office buildings this side of the Mississippi River. Many colorful characters frequented those buildings and added to the charm of Gaslamp history.
The Louis Bank of Commerce building is an historic structure. It was built in 1887. It is a four story Baroque Revival building with twin rising towers. This is the first granite building in San Diego that was pre-built on the east coast and shipped around Cape Horn to California. The Louis Bank of Commerce was located here until 1893, then Isidor Louis opened an oyster bar, a favorite of Wyatt Earp.
The structure was built by Capt. Alfred Henry Wilcox in 1869 and was one of downtown’s first brick buildings.
Wilcox came to San Diego in 1849 on The Invincible, a 120-ton schooner used by the U.S. Army as a transport ship. While he was never famously known for captaining the cruiser, the Invincible was notable for bringing an engineering crew to construct the first dam in an effort to turn the San Diego River into a false bay.
Like many Downtown historic buildings, the Yuma was initially constructed as a one-story structure. Brick-laying began one year before the death of Wilcox, and the building was named in reference to Capt. Wilcox’s experiences pioneering transports along the Colorado River to supply Fort Yuma.
In 1912 the building earned dubious distinction as the first to be closed during a sweep of the red light district and a round-up of the “ladies of the night.” This building, along with the Louis Bank of Commerce located at 835 to 837 Fifth Avenue, is one of the Gaslamp Quarter’s most photographed and recognizable iconic structures.
Blochman Bank Building (The Melt) (1905)
The two principals of the company were Abraham Blochman and his son, Lucian. The elder Blochman was born in Alsace, France and arrived in San Diego in 1852 en route to San Francisco. He had hoped to seek his fortune in gold during the Gold Rush, but became distracted and remained in San Diego. He became a naturalized citizen in 1861, and opened a highly successful general merchandise store. Additionally, he was elected Director of the San Diego Board of Trade in 1892. However, he still had an interest in gold, and began buying and selling it in his store. Eventually, he began buying and selling so much gold that he and his son established a partnership, and became the Blochman Banking Company, the oldest private bank in San Diego.
Prior to 1904 , the property between 643 and 651 Fifth Avenue was nothing more than a series of small wooden buildings housing a shoemaker, a jeweler and a cigar and cigarette merchant. In 1904, George J. Chambers , father of famed Olympic swimmer Florence Chambers, purchased the property from L.G. Pratt for the unlikely sum of $10.
In March 1912, the San Diego Union reported that excavation had begun on the first fireproof theater building on the Chambers lot, on the east side of Fifth Ave. opposite City Hall. The structure , to be built by A. E. Chaffey, would be a one-story concrete building, seating 800 patrons, and would be the first to comply with the new building ordinance. It would have a passage on either side and in the rear as a means of protection in the event of fire. Two exits would be located at the stage end of the auditorium, opening to the outside passageway.
One year later, the building permit was granted for a one story, steel reinforced concrete theater. A projected cost was $6,000. Unfortunately, only two years after construction, the two side passages were converted into a restaurant and a shoe shine establishment. Although Chambers owned the land, the Casino Amusement Company owned the building. Hence, the building was named the Casino Theater. In 1931, the property was acquired by Vincent and Concetta Russo, who had run the theater since 1921. The Russo family operated the business through 1956.
We were drawn in by the doorman's spiel, the executive chef is Kevin Templeman. He competed on Food Network’s “Beat Bobby Flay” (and won) in 2016, and became a “Chopped” Champion in 2019.
Hotel Z, a Staypineapple location.
For over 138 years, the historic Tivoli (spelled backwards is “I lov it!”) has provided a friendly welcome for locals and visitors alike. The beer is ice cold, the hamburgers are hot, the ambience is warm and inviting, and the service – uninterrupted even during Prohibition- is quick and efficient. What’s not to like?
Like all old buildings in the Gaslamp, the Tivoli sits on land originally owned by Alonzo Horton. It was built in 1864 (before Horton) and called the Walker House. It was then a boarding house, a feed store, and a blacksmith shop. It was ultimately converted into a saloon and kitchen around 1885. The unimposing structure was basically a utilitarian building erected for commercial purposes. It had two windows, double-sashed, on each side. The first-floor windows now sport signature green awnings, and a sign proudly stating that the Tivoli is the oldest bar (still operating) in the Gaslamp. Structurally, nothing much has changed.
San Diego was growing rapidly during this period and the area surrounding the saloon became known as the Stingaree. Sailors making their way into the area from the port at the end of 5th said you could get quickly “stung” for your money by gamblers, ladies of the evening and other nefarious types. Much more dangerous than the little stinging fish in the bay! It was also not unusual to get “shanghaied” and find yourself at sea the next morning. This was
because of a tainted drink to knock you out, and a quick hustler to dump you off at a departing ship. All for a price, of course! Nonetheless, the saloon flourished.
We changed our direction as we realized how close we were to Petco Park.
Petco Park is the home of the San Diego Padres of Major League Baseball (MLB). The ballpark is located in the East Village neighborhood, adjacent to the Gaslamp Quarter. Petco Park opened in 2004, replacing San Diego Stadium as the Padres' home venue, where the team played from their inception in 1969 to 2003.
Finding our way to Embarcadero, we happened upon this. BTW this was a much cooler, windy day than yesterday.
A tequila shop.
We eventually found our way onto the Embarcadero and Seaport.
Next on our agenda.
HOW DID THE BAR BECAME FAMOUS FROM THE HIT MOVIE "TOP GUN"?
This one was a stroke of luck. The location director for Paramount Studios was driving through downtown San Diego in search of locations during the filming of “Top Gun” at Miramar NAS. After stopping in for a beer, he likes the joint and brought back the director, Tony Scott, who approached us about the possibility of closing down for a day to do some shooting.
We walked back to the condo. Later in the evening we walked across the street to pick up dinner.
STEPS 19,838
COOKING
We did a really good job of zero/almost zero food waste. We left behind a tin of diced tomatoes because they really were not nice. The remaining eggs made a lunch on the road. We planned for dinner when we arrived in San Diego, not wanting to go out after the drive.
We brought 3 bags of shrimp with us to SD that have to be eaten.
Saturday chicken sandwich
steak sandwich with onions and green peppers
Sunday tuna sandwiches
roast pork roast potatoes carrots
Monday OUT
shrimp
Tuesday cheese and crackers
OUT
Wednesday egg and onion sandwiches
spaghetti and meat sauce
Thursday OUT
shrimp
Friday OUT
picked up jalapeno poppers and quesadillas.
MARCH
AMORE CAFFE
Weekly Recap Mar 1 - Mar 7 2025 San Diego CA - On the Road North
Amore Caffe Palazzo Las Vegas NV
Saturday we called an Uber ($18 w/ tip) for 11 and headed to Old Town.
Established in 1968, the Old Town San Diego State Historic Park is a living history museum that commemorates and preserves numerous historic buildings dating from the 19th century. The most visited state park in California, the attraction incorporates various aspects of San Diego’s early history and culture from 1820 until 1870 as it transitioned from Mexican to American rule. In addition to heritage architecture, the historic district features shops and restaurants offering authentic handicrafts and cuisine.
2014 San Diego including Old Town.
Cave Johnson Couts, a brash lieutenant in the U.S. Army Dragoons, built a hotel called the Colorado House. Couts soon became more interested in ranching than his hotel and subdivided it to provide space for many business offices, such as a newspaper, a surgeon, a hairdresser, a jeweler, and others.
We did sit down here but they didn't do breakfast so the server suggested a couple of places.
Turns out John left his backpack in the first place and rushed back. The server had it and said he had tried to run after us.
And a nacho warmer.
ATM
The Whaley family left the house in 1858. It would be ten years until they would live in it again. The Whaley house was home to a theatre troupe, a courthouse, and a general store. It is believed that boat thief Yankee Jim Robinson was hanged right on the grounds where the Whaley House now stands.
Here lies Yankee Jim.
We decided to grab another Uber ($9)from Old Town to Liberty Station.
In 2014 when we were here, it was not developed as Liberty Station, it was simply the Naval Training base.
Click here for the murals we found on this trip.
Liberty Station is a large commercial development that sprawls across the grounds of a former naval training center. It’s home to stylish bars, restaurants, and boutiques, as well as Liberty Public Market, filled with gourmet eateries and shops. There are also art galleries and several small museums housed in Spanish Colonial Revival buildings. Along the waterfront, NTC Park has grassy lawns and bike paths.
We stopped at The Lot for a drink.
Uber then from Liberty Station to "home" ($24).
Sunday we had coffee and headed out at 9:15 to drive to Escondido to meet friends. We had met them in 2018 in Spain and hit it off immediately. The guys have kept in touch.
We missed them when they were in Toronto in January as we were on the road south.
We drove 30 minutes to meet them at Brigantine in Ecsondido for breakfast. John and I had bacon, eggs, sausage, home fires and biscuits. We then drove to their place.
They grow avocados, kumquats, finger limes, mandarin Cara Cara oranges are a type of navel orange with pink or red flesh. They are also known as red-fleshed navel oranges. cherimoya—aka the custard apple.
Drive home.
We got home at 5 and started packing up. The suitcases will stay in the car for the drive home so we sorted what we needed. Also packed up the non-perishables that we won't need on the way home.
John mapped out distances and I booked the hotels. We will lose 3 hours as we head north, plus DST will kick in on Sunday.
Monday it rained overnight and we had heavy downpours on and off. We left around 10:15 to walk to breakfast in Hillcrest about 8 minutes away. The skies looked dark and heavy with rain.
Hillcrest is the center of San Diego’s LGBT scene, with buzzing gay bars and the city’s massive annual Pride parade.
It was packed so we opted to sit outside with a couple of heaters and were cosy. But the rain appeared and our server quickly found us a table inside.
I had enough left over for our breakfast tomorrow morning!
Outside the Breakfast Republic.
We walked around and then headed back. We were stuffed so we had a nap, before heading out for a walk in Balboa Park around 2:30.
Click here for our 1996 visit.
Click here for our 2014 visit.
Balboa Park is a 1,200-acre historic urban cultural park in San Diego, California. Placed in reserve in 1835, the park's site is one of the oldest in the United States dedicated to public recreational use. The park hosts various museums, theaters, restaurants, and the San Diego Zoo.
Beware, it is not a cheap place to visit. Each museum/site has its own price. For example the Japanese Friendship Garden is $16 US. You can get a limited pass for 4 museums for $60 US ($90 CAD) or for $72 valid for 7 days parkwide.
The California Tower is an architectural and literal highpoint of structures designed by Bertram Goodhue for the 1915 Panama California Exposition. After a closure of almost 80 years, ARG began work with the Museum of Man (now the Museum of Us) to reopen the tower to the public.
The California Quadrangle, California Building, and California Tower are historic structures located in Balboa Park in San Diego, California. They were built for the 1915–16 Panama–California Exposition and served as the grand entry to the event.[3] The buildings and courtyard were designed by architect Bertram Goodhue. They were added to the National Register of Historic Places on May 17, 1974.
Modeled after Shakespeare’s Old Globe in London, the Old Globe Theatre was built in 1935 for the presentation of abridged versions of Shakespeare’s plays as part of the California Pacific International Exposition. At the conclusion of the exposition in 1937, a non-profit producing corporation, the San Diego Community Theatre, leased the theatre and adjacent buildings from the City of San Diego (an arrangement that continues today) and renovated the theatre for ongoing use.
Botanical Garden and Lily Pond are free!
John caught the bride later as she went for photos.
STEPS 15,335
We finished as much packing as we could and then walked over to Jimmy Carter's Mexican (again) to have a drink and order takeout.
Tuesday March 4 up at 6:50, final packing (cooler), breakfast and check out and headed to Tucson AZ at 8:10!
One of A's cara cara oranges.
Originally we were going to stay two nights but we are done with the States and want to get home.
This was one of our longest drives, the other being our last day as we push into Canada. We also lose an hour heading into Arizona.
We made two bathroom breaks and 1 for gas $31, John waited until we were out of California before filling up!
We were surprised to see Winter Conditions warnings. However, we have learned not to sneer at those, having learned our lesson in March 2013!!
We checked into the Hampton Inn downtown Tucson 4PM, parking $20.
We quickly headed out and found traffic bumper to bumper, turned onto Congress, no cars, just police motorcycles, when asked he said "oh just some protest". Yeah, right, once I saw the upside down flags I knew it was a tRump protest in downtown Tucson.
John's favourite.
We've been to Tucson before.
December 2013 which also includes Bowie, where we stopped on Wednesday.
March 2014. includes downtown and breakfast at The Congress Hotel.*--
December 2014 includes Mesilla, where we also stopped on Wednesday.
Tucson is undergoing a revitalization downtown and there is a lot of outdoor art.
We stopped in Chela’s Latin Cuisine for some delicious nachos, salsa (very hot) and guacamole, made like John's likes, very smooth.
We then walked over to Broadway for dinner at Charro Steak & Del Rey. Neither of us was in the mood for something large (too much nachos and dips). We laughed because we had bought this wine at the grocery store for $6 and it was $33 here!
John had the mussels and fries. The sauce was delicious but the mussels were rather large and tough.
From there it was a short walk back to the hotel.
I had the ahi tuna, a much smaller portion that I had in San Diego and it was mounted on a lot of cabbage.
Wednesday we were up at 7 and we were finished breakfast (free) and back in our room by 8:10, on the road by 8:45 9 as John had trouble getting out of the parking garage.
We don't have as much stuff to lug in and out.
We stopped for gas ($34), 2 bathroom breaks, 1 Bowie break and 1 lunch break (McD) in Deming.
We passed by Tombstone, we were there in 1998!
Bowie (2013 link above), Arizona gained attention when it was revealed that it was action icon John Rambo's hometown. This was first unveiled in Rambo: First Blood Part II and later elaborated on in Rambo III.
For more than 30 years Fort Bowie and Apache Pass were the focal point of military operations eventually culminating in the surrender of Geronimo in 1886 and the banishment of the Chiricahuas to Florida and Alabama. The fort was abandoned in 1894.
Dwayne’s & Rafter G Fresh Gourmet Jerky has several options to offer in the world of Small Batch Gourmet, True Artisan Beef Jerky. You will not find this quality of jerky at your local convenience or big box stores. With over 60 natural, shelf stable jerky flavors. We offer everything from traditional, sweet, spicy, hot, extremely hot, sugar free, and gluten free. We like to think there is a flavor for every unique individual. All our Beef Jerky is a full muscle cut. We do not compress meat parts and pieces to make our Jerky.
We understand that Jerky Lovers are very health conscious. So, no matter what flavors you choose they will all be very high in protein and bursting with flavor. Every individual Jerky recipe has been painstakingly developed. Our Beef Jerky line-up also includes Wagyu Beef, Tri-Tip and Beef Brisket. Oh, did we mention our exotic Jerky line-up. We try to keep a dozen or so flavors in stock including Elk, Wild Boar, Kangaroo, Camel, Shark, Venison, Gator, Buffalo, Duck and the list goes on and on.
We also picked up some ginger.
We were hoping for some pecans, but the season hasn't started yet, obviously, by these trees.
A bathroom stop in New Mexico.
It was only 2 PM when we reached Las Cruces and a beautiful day so we decided to go into Mesilla (link to previous visit above).
We did try to get a beer at Double Eagle but the server was definitely a single tasker. We went to La Posta instead.
Checked into The Garden Inn Las Cruces and relaxed until dinner.
For dinner the menu said Nashville hot chicken tenders, honey butter biscuits and dill pickles. I got chicken tenders, buns and fries. John had the street tacos with pulled pork.
Thursday we were up at 7 and had Greek yogurt bowls at the hotel before checking out and hitting the road at 8:30.
Alamogordo means "fat cottonwood." Gordo = fat; alamo = poplar or cottonwood.
Alamogordo is widely known for its connection with the 1945 Trinity test, which was the first ever explosion of an atomic bomb. We had visited it and White Sands National Park in spring 2015.
This is the most boring drive, with nothing to see or do. Plus we lost another hour.
We stopped for gas $32, a couple of bathroom breaks and were delayed at a border inspection in Texas.
We were soon in Texas.
El Paso is a big city to get through. We stayed overnight in December 2013.
Never, have we ever, eaten jerky!! This was really good! It would be great to throw in a stir-fry. We will have to find more. This was lunch as there wasn't anywhere to stop for a decent meal.
Boring and construction!
Kermit is nicknamed the armpit of Texas. It is the corner of the state that intersects with New Mexico and it actually has an interesting plaque.
Our destination, however GPS could not find the hotel, the clerk said it is a known problem that she has tried to fix with Google.
Monahan's has been called “Texas's Largest Beach Without an Ocean.” That's true, but it's also a rugged West Texas town that sits atop a massive dune field that reaches deep into New Mexico.
Friday free breakfast at the hotel.
We stopped for gas $31, a couple of bio breaks, lunch and a stroll around Abilene. We experienced some construction slowdowns.
We were on the road about 8:30, planning on stopping in Abilene for lunch and some walking.
Construction again!
We stopped, as it happens, at the same Cracker Barrel we had stopped at in January heading south.
Abilene is known as the “Official Storybook Capital of America” because it has the largest public collection of sculptural storybook characters in the state. Visit downtown Abilene and snap a selfie with six sculptures of Dr. Seuss characters, which are among over 40 statues in the area.
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Book: “E. Aster Bunnymund and the Warrior Eggs at the Earth’s Core!”
Author/Illustrator: William Joyce
Location: Corner of Cedar and N. 1st Streets
Sculptor: Steve Neves
A philosophical warrior rabbit skilled in martial arts, E. Aster Bunnymund is one of William Joyce’s Guardians of Childhood.
AHA I knew we'd been here before when I saw this museum!
And then St. Nicholas, I knew we had his photo.
Mary Jane Oliver was an American poet known for her vivid imagery, clear observations, and awe-inspired observations of nature.
Tooth fairy (Queen Toothiana) statue
Gloria’ s Grill – Emily Elliot, assisted by Stephanie Prosser – “Home”
Back in the car. We often talk about the great ham sandwiches we picked up here in April 2013.
Crazy!
It was 6 PM when we checked in, after multiple wrong turns in Dallas - Fort Worth Friday afternoon rush hour traffic! We encountered several slowdowns due to construction as well.
Safe and sound at Hilton Garden Inn, but both elevators were out of service!
Great bartender, service at the hotel, we split a steak. Delicious!
We were having a great chat with the bartender when another guest arrived and sat at the bar. He joined in the conversation, here for a funeral, drives a semi, blah blah. Learns we are Canadian and makes snide comments inferring the Americans were the better team in the 4 Nations Cup. NOT.
Then out of the blue, refers to his time in the army, and that he had learned how badly Canadians had behaved during the war when he was "taught" about the Geneva Convention.
So long, bye-bye, we were out of there.
COOKING
Saturday OUT breakfast Old Town
leftovers
Sunday OUT breakfast Escondido
shrimp from LV
Monday OUT
taquitos and fajitas take out from Jimmy Carter's
Tuesday leftover flapjacks and fruit
OUT Tucson
Wednesday potato chips
OUT Las Cruces
Thursday b/f hotel
cheese and crackers hotel
Friday B/f hotel Cracker Barrel lunch
OUT
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ON THIS DAY (OTD) Coober Pedy Australia March 2015.
EL CAPITAN COFFEE SHOP
Weekly Recap Mar 8 2025 - Mar 14 2025 Northbound to Toronto ON
Van Horn TX
Saturday
We slept in a little here in Richardson (Dallas) TX. Some moron had left the alarm clock set for 6 AM.
We had HIlton's Greek Yogurt bowls for breakfast, $10 each, but the server ran them up as cold breakfast at $6 each.
Rainy, cool morning, 9C, a big difference to 28C yesterday when we arrived.
Packed up and on the road around 9:30. It was a lot easier getting out of Dallas on a Saturday morning.
We took a couple of bio breaks, and gas ($34).
Lunch was jerky, ginger, Goo Goo clusters, perfect road trip nosh.
We also took a quick trip to check out Bill Clinton's childhood home in Hope AR. We had a 30 minute delay due to an accident.
We still arrived at the Hilton Garden Inn at 3:30.
NEW - HOPE AR Named for the father who died shortly before his birth, William Jefferson Blythe III later became the 42nd President of the United States. In Hope, the experiences shared with his mother and grandparents in rural Arkansas developed the broad views on race relations, social justice, and public service that defined his presidency and life after the White House. For Bill Clinton, "Hope was home."
First Pentecostal Church North Little Rock.
We just relaxed until dinner.
We ate at the bar, strange server.
John had the flatbread pizza and I had the shrimp tacos.
Sunday
We lost an hour due to Springing forward to DST.
Despite losing an hour we had breakfast and were on the road by 9.
Our first stop was in Memphis for 1.5 hours.
We've been here before.
This was parked beside us in Little Rock.
Click here for more 2025 photos - MEMPHIS TN
We decided to visit the Rock n Soul Museum.
Leaving Memphis.
We passed by signs for Loretta Lynn's Kitchen, we had tried going there in 2017.
We made two bio breaks, including gas ($34) plus a Cracker Barrel stop for some gifts.
We got to the Hilton in Brentwood by 4:30. We were upgraded.
We went down to the bar in the hotel for drinks before dinner. The bartender was interesting, wanting to know about our travels, how old we were and even took a selfie with us to send to his dad in India. They advertise as a whisky bar and prices were ridiculous, $22 for 2 oz.
It is also a burger restaurant, but it was a standard frozen patty, too well-cooked for my liking.
Great hotel, photo from elevator.
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Monday
Monday Mural Tucson AZ
On check in I was told that we would have free breakfast. We found it in the Honors private suite, it was very good, scrambled eggs, bacon and fruit.
The plan was to leave at 8, it was 8:15 and the temperature was 9C.
Crossing into Kentucky.
First stop for bathroom and gas $19.
NEW - Next stop Louisville to stretch our legs.
We made a stop at the Louisville Slugger Stadium.
Louisville Slugger Field is home to the Louisville Bats professional baseball team, Triple-A Affiliate of the Cincinnati Reds. This beautiful ballpark was built into a historic red brick train depot station in 2000 and is centrally located to the Urban Bourbon Trail, Convention Center and city hotels.
Harold Peter Henry "Pee Wee" Reese (July 23, 1918 – August 14, 1999) was an American professional baseball player. He played in Major League Baseball as a shortstop for the Brooklyn / Los Angeles Dodgers from 1940 to 1958.[1] A ten-time All-Star, Reese contributed to seven National League championships for the Dodgers and was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1984. Reese is also famous for his support of his teammate Jackie Robinson, the first black player in the major leagues' modern era, especially in Robinson's difficult first years, most notably when he put his arm around Robinson during a pre-game warmup in front of a heckling crowd.
We got back on the road and were warned of a delay of 30 minutes near Cincinnati so we made a bathroom and gas break $16.
New billboards for Cracker Barrel.
Lux Mundi (Latin for "Light of the World") is a 52-foot (15.8 m) tall statue of Jesus at Solid Rock Church, a Christian nondenominational church near Monroe, Ohio, in the United States. Designed by Tom Tsuchiya, Lux Mundi replaced the statue King of Kings which was struck by lightning and destroyed by fire in 2010.
The statue shows Jesus stepping forward with a welcoming gesture, a pose inspired by the Gospels of St. Matthew and St. John. Facing I-75, the statue stands on a foundation decorated by rocks with a cascading water feature.
Because of its pose and inviting quality (and in reference to its predecessor's nickname "Touchdown Jesus"), Lux Mundi has earned the nickname “Hug Me Jesus”.
We arrived at the DoubleTree in Miamisburg at 5:10 and I was not happy that a room was not ready. He quickly rectified that, but the room was musty and stale. Luckily we could open the window.
Dinner was a joke. Great server, but the food. It took thirty minutes to get our food.
John had a burger, requested medium and it was well done. Server said, "oh no, I told him 4 times it was to be medium, look there's no pink". I had a BLT which was so greasy, I said it was fried. Server said "yes, he did it on the blacktop". She comped the wine and took some of the meals off, so we took care of her.
Tuesday
Looks like I did two SIGNS posts this week.
We had packed up last night, and it was still dark when we got up (DST!). We were on the road by 7:45. There was no way we were having their $16 per person breakfast!
242 KM to Michigan.
We went to a Cracker Barrel in Findlay OH around 10:40. I’m going to miss you!
I also took this mural last March when we were in Toledo for the total eclipse last spring.
We visited Detroit on a quick visit in 2010.
Look at that Canadian flag on the GPS!
Never so happy to see that sign!!!
The border was so quiet, no one in front of us. Great customs guy, just asked what we spent, how long we were away. We said how happy we were to be home. He asked if we had any firearms, always a strange question to us. We answered, no we're not American and he replied and WE never will be!!
Highway 401 rest areas, ONRoute.
A little snow remains, but the temperature was good.
Home Sweet Home! I am waiting for John as I hadn't taken my keys with me.
We didn't take everything out of the car, that can wait.
We were going to order dinner, but we had a couple of steaks and I picked up onions, peppers, mushrooms downstairs, along with milk for morning. I had a cranberry pumpkin (gluten free) loaf in the freezer.
We sorted all the mail. Woo Hoo we received our Ford bribery cheques $200 each.
Wednesday we whiled away the morning on our laptops, caught up on news, Wordle, crossword puzzle.
I went out to get a haircut. It was a gloomy cold day totally unlike yesterday which felt like spring was in the air.
Dirty snow piles are still hanging around, they need some good sunshine to melt them.
It never ceases to amaze me the amount of hype St. Patrick's Day produces. As we drove north through the States every other small town was having parades etc this weekend.
Found in Union Station, which was packed with spring breakers.
Billboard as I walked through the financial district.
I grabbed a few items at Longo's and they are clearly labeling Canadian products.
I went into the LCBO (liquor store) to see if it was true that the shelves had been emptied of US products, yes!!! But there are no empty spaces, there are plenty of local and international wines on the shelves.
John emptied some more stuff from the car and did some laundry. And our water cooler died, so we ordered a new one.
Thursday John did a grocery order to tide us over. Almost all products were from Canada, I was surprised that the dates were grown right here in Ontario! Broccolini was from the States, well, we love our vegetables. We are not going to deny ourselves when we can't find a Canadian alternative.
BTW eggs were $4.69 a dozen at Metro.
John set up our new lamp we bought in Masilla NM. The only thing I bought for us other than a Palm Springs mug.
More stuff got put away and I emptied my suitcase.
We received a couple of items, crossbody bag for John, as the small backpack has a habit of being left behind, he can also store his ballcap that often stays behind as well. I got a small camera, I love using my phone but worry about the battery running out, yes, we have battery packs. I do not enjoy using my big DSLR when we are away, it is too bulky. UPDATE the zoom is not working.
Friday
I replaced my weekly rant with a new title "The "EH" List - Made in Canada (and some ranting)"
I added this to my e-mail signature line. John added the other one.
Elbows up!” The phrase is often said to have been inspired by Canadian hockey legend Gordie Howe, who threw his elbows up in the rink to defend himself. In addition to the viral phrase, many Canadians are showing resistance against the U.S.'s policies in other ways.
A gorgeous almost springlike day and John took this photo as he went for a walk along the lake.
Inukshuks are popping up.
I went downtown to the $ store and it happened that ComicCon was on. The bus was early so I snapped photos from the bus, not the best seat though, I should have moved.
No, I don't know who any of these characters are.
In local news the Eglington Crosstown LRT opening is delayed (yet again) until September.
COOKING
Toronto has a new food hub for female entrepreneurs.
$20 steak deals and a new Portuguese chicken place opening in Waterworks.
Saturday flatbread pizza and shrimp tacos
Sunday burgers
Monday burger and BLT
Tuesday HOME steak and sauteed vegetables
Wednesday curried chicken - requested by John
Thursday haddock with lemon mustard sauce and broccolini
Friday steak with broccolini
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OTD ON THIS DAY we drove from Apollo Bay to Melbourne Australia.
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BREAKFAST REPUBLIC
March 2025 - Toronto ON
San Diego CA
SATURDAY March 15
I started cleaning up files on my phone and backing it up as we are due to upgrade.
The rain kicked in around 10 just as predicted but stopped mid-afternoon.
Wouldn't you know, we got home and the water cooler died! We replaced it (from Wal-Mart).
The laundry hamper became unhinged, the screws came out.
And I think the toilet is leaking, again, so I messaged our plumber.
There is a reason we don't go out on weekends!! I had bought last minute tickets to the almost final production of Kim's Convenience for tonight. The show is at 7:30. We left at 5:45 and walked over to the Humber Loop to catch the streetcar. It was the end of the route so we sat until 6 when he pulled out. We got off at Roncesvalles to change to the King streetcar that goes straight to the Distillery District. I insisted (incorrectly) that the stop was on the south side of the street. Well, a Distillery streetcar sailed by us, so we walked to the north corner where we waited (unusual) 10 minutes for another. Seated, and we crawled along King, literally. Traffic was not moving. When we got to the heavily pub/bar area it dawned on me, it was St. Patrick's Day weekend and the weather was gorgeous. The streets were teeming with people, police were arresting a guy and we were not getting anywhere. Neither of us like to be late for anything so we made a call to go back home and forfeit our tickets. We waited and waited at Spadina and King, traffic was horrendous. We walked up to Queen and immediately got a streetcar bound for Humber, perfect!!! Right, Queen St. another gridlock. John did place an order for chicken to be delivered at 9. Well, quelle surprise, the driver announces at Roncesvalles (this happened to us before) that he is not continuing and we should get the next streetcar. No sign of a streetcar approaching. I called an Uber and we finally walked in at 8:30. What a waste of time!! Oh well, we laughed.
SUNDAY was a very wet, stormy morning as John headed out to sign up for his summer men's golf league. Then we treated the day as we usually do, relaxing, reading, watching.
MONDAY
Monday Mural in Abilene TX.
John took the car in to get an oil change, remove winter tires, and brakes needed cleaning.
I went to the Eaton Centre to check out pants at Reitman's (Canadian), and looked at a new suitcase.
Very pleased to see we are sticking to our guns.
Here's a good Newfie wine! From our 2022 trip.
Candy store Eaton Centre
I also picked up sushi from Sushi Q's (Canadian), spicy tuna and salmon. John really liked it as a not quite super sushi fan.
Tuesday
So sad to hear about the demise of the Hudson's Bay Company (HBC), a Canadian landmark since 1670 with 9,000 employees, I went to see what they had and found their inventory quite depleted. It was very emotional seeing how upset the employees were.
I went back to get the suitcase I had seen yesterday and it must have been serendipitous because the one in my favourite colour was now on sale.
Wednesday
We found a new tax accountant and spent time filling out her forms.
I went to Longo's for a few items.
Thursday
It was rainy and cold so we decided against going to the market.
We had tickets for our first Candlelight Fever concert. I have followed them for several years but had never bought tickets. A friend mentioned going in December and being pleasantly surprised.
I saw tickets for a Beatles and Queen show that had good tickets available (first row) and bought them. It was in the east end so we had to drive, that would be my only complaint, the venue was not easily accessible by public transit.
An enormous Toronto parking garage known for sweeping views of the surrounding cityscape is in the process of being torn to shreds after roughly 40 years.
Demolition crews began to tear down the hulking concrete structure at 200 Queens Quay West in January, and are making quick work of the former Impark lot 153, a seven-storey above-ground lot that housed over 1,200 spaces before its closure.
The site will eventually become a new 59-storey mixed-use condo building dubbed Q Tower.
I'm not sure why they left this tower intact at the moment. It made me smile with its colour-coded floors.
It was fantastic but in future you don't really need the most expensive tickets. It took place at the Toronto Metropolitan Church (a fascinating read in itself).
No photos or videos are allowed until the final song, when everyone can video or photograph.
They also performed an encore Hey Jude!
Not wanting a repeat of Saturday's traffic chaos we left with more than enough time to spare, although it did take some reconnoitering around the narrow domestic one way streets to find the church. The doors opened promptly at 45 minutes before the start of the concert.
Program - performed by The Brielle Goheen Quartet
Here Comes the Sun - The Beatles
Blackbird - The Beatles
Help! - The Beatles
Come Together - The Beatles
Yesterday - The Beatles
All You Need Is Love - The Beatles
Love of My Life - Queen
Another One Bites the Dust - Queen
I Want to Break Free - Queen she mentioned this video done by Queen.
We Are the Champions - Queen
We Will Rock You - Queen
Radio Ga-Ga - Queen
Bohemian Rhapsody - Queen John's video
The Brick Obelisk is an approximately 30-foot high pyramid made of weathered/rusted steel. It’s design is intended to give the appearance of an industrial smokestack. Etched on to the Brick Obelisk are maps showing the area in 1851, 1899, 1923, 1960, and 2016. Designed by Pierre Poussin.
Friday
John used the golf simulator in the morning and I went to pick up some things at Longo's for the weekend.
After lunch we went to the new T&T on Edward St. near the Eaton Centre. This store is very convenient for me. There is a huge selection of everything Asian and prices are very reasonable.
I bought lemon grass but see she charged me twice for bok choy, I believe the .98 is it.
I had to google some of this stuff.
Lettuce stem - In China the pickled stem is often eaten as a side dish. In the US, celtuce is being used as a gluten-free pasta substitute.
Celtuce is its proper name.
Fish balls - intestine shape.
There is a huge fish and shellfish selection. I got scallops.
Yellow Croaker - Native to the northwestern Pacific, particularly the Yellow and East China seas, this fish is highly prized among Asians in Los Angeles, especially the Koreans. In Korean markets they are sold frozen, dried, salted cooked and sometimes fresh, usually in lengths less than 12 inches. They are often called "Corvina" (Spanish for croaker) or "Yellow Corvina" to avoid confusion with the other fish called Yellow Croaker. This is the only fish allowed the name "Yellow Croaker" on Fishbase.
Yellow croaker is high in protein and low in carbohydrates. It contains significant amounts of B6 and B12 vitamins and omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids, all of which may carry health benefits.
Look at that crab!!
Pork stomach and intestines.
18 eggs for $8.79 is not bad. But Metro has 18 for $6.
Tripe and beef aorta.
This is a HUGE bucket of individual packets of ramen.
I noticed this interesting number on my blog this week - 10,000 posts which includes Published, Draft and Scheduled!
COOKING
Saturday we had bacon and eggs for lunch. Then I made date milkshakes that turned out well.
Dinner was unplanned as we ordered Swiss Chalet rotisserie chicken. The leftovers went into the soup pot on Sunday.
Sunday corned beef, cabbage and mashed potatoes
Monday hamburger stew (lunch leftover)
Tuesday leftovers from Sunday with fresh cabbage
Wednesday chicken tenders and salad
Thursday tuna and salad
Friday steak, chimichurri and broccolini
OLD TOWN COFFEE
March 2025 - Toronto ON
San Diego CA
Saturday we truly are not meant to go out on Saturdays. We got ourselves dressed and bundled up for Elbows Up at City Hall. Stepped outside and the wind was whipping about and came back inside! The weather this week is the last kick at the bucket for winter!
They'll be others.
I joined the National Trust of Canada. It cost $74 for a family membership. I have a few places around that I want to visit this summer. I figure at a minimum entrance fee of $10 pp we would easily make our money if we went to 4 places.
John fixed the laundry hamper.
I finished our 2025 Northbound Recap!
Mark Carney has named April 28 as election day. I now have to determine how we can vote as we will be out of the country then.
The Governor General will dissolve parliament tomorrow after Mark Carney visits her to request that she does so. Canadian election rules require federal election campaigns to be between 37 and 51 days in length with voting on a Monday (with a few exceptions). That’s plenty IMHO for Canadians to determine who they will vote for and is a fraction of the lengthy tiresome campaigns for an American president.
Sunday I had a long telephone conversation with my old friend that is in a retirement home.
I baked a cinnamon raisin loaf using a new recipe. I laughed as I asked John to take something down (I'm only 5 ft tall) from the top kitchen shelf. It was dates that had expired in 2016!!! LOL I had bought new dates for when we made date shakes last week!
Since I was using raisins to bake, I thought, why not a raisin shake? Sure enough, it is a "thing", I found plenty of recipes. They were good!
I also made a pot of beef soup with the frozen steak bones and various vegetables.
Monday we had a dusting of snow overnight, March is truly unpredictable.
Just for a contrast it was 36C in Palm Springs today!
Click for lots more on Monday Mural - Indio CA
John got a good head start to collecting and scanning all our tax forms for our new accountant.
After lunch we got ready to go pick up some, not needed immediately, stuff but it was just miserable out, it felt like November, dark and gloomy so we headed back indoors.
Tuesday the plan was to take the CAD cash in hand and the US cash and convert it to Euros. However, we need some cash for the plumber so we may as well wait to go to the bank.
Second plan was to change our phones as the buyback plan expires April 12, however, if we wait until next week it can go onto our next credit card bill, as this month is a big one.
Wednesday we headed out to Burlington to the Royal Botanical Gardens to see Alice in Bloomland.
Tumble down the rabbit hole into “Alice in Bloomland,” a wondrous botanical experience at Royal Botanical Gardens where reality bends and blossoms into a world of curiosity for all ages! Inspired by the pages of Lewis Carroll’s Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, this floral showcase weaves together the magic of horticulture, the whimsy of floral design, and the marvel of visual arts to create an enchanting indoor wonderland straight out of a dream.
Just a quick overview as I did a full photo dump in another post.
From there we drove to Hamilton for gluten free fish and chips at Hammerhead's, it's been a long time! I don't think we went at all last year. But it sure has gotten pricy. $50 for 2 halibut and chips. But so good! I noticed that they are opening a gluten free bakery next door.
The plumber came at 7, he replaced the gasket in the main bathroom - $150.
Thursday
I headed out to Burlington to meet a friend for some lunch and retail therapy. We came across this!
I picked up luggage tags and Canada pins for ourselves. UPDATE our dollar store Canadian flag tags never made it to Portugal. They were taken between airports, Toronto, Amsterdam, Lisbon… I'm glad we put these new ones on our carry-on bags as this had happened to us before when we had unique tags.
John did a Costco run so we are well stocked up for a while other than fresh produce.
Friday was a bit of this and that. John used the golf simulator. I made some soup and a stew for the weekend, some housework and banking. I watched some Portugal travel videos and studied some Portuguese.
I bought myself a charm for my bracelet.
COOKING
I bought sticky rice at T&T. I made it on Sunday following the package directions, it was good but a little too sticky. I tried again on Monday using this recipe but this produced the same gloopy mess.
The scallops from T&T were not nice, too small and tasteless, I will not buy those again!
Saturday lamb gyros using a new recipe
Sunday braised pork belly, sticky rice and baby bok choy
Monday scallops bok choy and rice
Tuesday Szechuan pork green beans
Wednesday chicken wings
Thursday rotisserie chicken nachos (the rest of the chicken was a lunch, then a stew and soup)
Friday steak, chimichurri, homefries (leftover from fish and chips)
APRIL
MIDWAY CAFE
April 2025 - Toronto ON
San Diego CA
Saturday, what a miserable day as we headed out at 9!
We thoroughly enjoyed Little Canada and its new destinations.
Preparations for a new destination Little Arctic.
Lunch was provided (Elizabeth, Steve, Georgina) at Jack Astor's and the food was surprisingly good. John had a cheeseburger and I had the tuna poke bowl.
We made a quick stop at T&T for some vegetables. Prices amaze me. At Longo's one bunch of scallions can be $2 while here I got three bunches for $1.68!!
Sunday lots of chores were done. The new water cooler was drained as it is being returned this week, it leaks all the time!
I sat down around 5, after prepping dinner and indulged myself in catching up on some of my guilty shows.
Interesting local news - our neighbourhood is to be home to a new event venue that is set to be potentially even more impressive due to its record as the largest of its kind on the planet!
Dubbed the Pavilion, the complex is designed specifically for the new Cirque du Soleil production, Ovo, which debuts in the city this spring.
Monday John's birthday. He packed up the water cooler and returned it to Walmart.
It seems my Christmas cactus that I rescued from the disposal room in June 2024 produced a flower and I missed it until it fell off!
I ran out to pick up a couple of things for him.
I also picked up sushi for lunch.
Lion sumomaki - shrimp tempura, crispy sweet potato strings, cucumber, teriyaki sauce, red masago, spicy light mayo, Japanese mayo.
Tuna Lover - 13 pieces Maki: 4 Tokyo Hosomaki: 6 Spicy Tekka Nigiri: 3 Maguro
I also picked up an Italian wine and gluten free dessert for him. And an orchid, inspired by our Alice in Bloomland visit last week.
Tuesday and what is that I see outside??? SUNSHINE!! Oh, wait, it's April Fools Day!
This is exactly our Tuesday and Wednesday! AND it is supposed to be 18 C on Thursday?!?!?!?!
Tuesday's Signs from our winter road trip.
We caught the 11:20 bus downtown for a 12:30 lunch reservation at Joey King's. It was John's choice for his birthday lunch as we had enjoyed it in December.
We were early so we went to the bank to convert the leftover US cash to Euros and get some more Euros. I'll make another trip to get some more Euros.
Lunch at Joey King. Our server was Ellie.
I had the same as last time, steak and salmon sushi, really good. John had the steak frites but says he will have mine the next time with tuna. Creme brulee cheesecake was on the menu! We had this for the first time last month in Las Vegas at The Yardhouse.
We had some billing issues that should be sorted out shortly that have been sorted.
After lunch we went into Telus to exchange our phones as "Now that your 2-year term is coming up, you can either return your phone to TELUS in good working condition by 04/12/2025".
Richard, our go-to guy, was working!!
Since there is no way I was buying out the phone we both upgraded and John got a Galaxy watch as well, I had no interest in the watch.
So of course, we had to order new phone cases.
We received our Federal election vote by mail as we will be away on Election Day, so we completed and mailed those.
John worked on getting our phones set up as we liked them.
Wednesday morning we did some administrivia, banking and tidying up.
I found a great self-guided walking tour for Lisbon but to print would take up too much paper as there were so many photos. I searched for about an hour for this and that way of doing it. I only wanted to print what I was interested in and finally found a workaround.
I had planned on going up to Bloor to get some fabric, but it was so cold out with a forecast of heavy rain, that I changed my plans and stayed underground. I picked up some $ store mini toiletries for travel.
John used the golf simulator.
On my way home, I noticed a police car sitting up next to the Red Canoe, then I realized the canoe had been destroyed by fire! I had written about this piece of Canadian art a few years ago.
Photo from CBC.
I ordered our new (more expensive) water cooler to replace the defective returned one.
Thursday we had plans to go out as it was supposed to be 18 C but it was a foggy morning that cleared up at 10 so we took the streetcar to Bathurst. John in his springlike attire.
Where we had coffee and lunch at Nord Lyon.Everything is made in-house.
z
Slightly stuffed, we walked to the AGO.
New - beside MEC.
Well, finally, it was spring today...
This is ending on April 6 so I wanted to see it. The Culture: Hip Hop and Contemporary Art in the 21st Century, click on the link for my detailed post.
A couple of teasers, my detailed post provides more information.
We walked through Chinatown before waiting forever for a streetcar, however, it was gorgeous out so we didn't care.
Mini watermelons!
John bought me a present at the museum!
And in other Toronto news here's what is happening with Union Station's never-ending construction!
Friday I wanted to get some more material so I could finally make those extra cushions for our room. It was back to my winter coat when I left at 9:30!! I went to Fabricland at Yonge and Bloor.
Got what I wanted and caught the 11:40 home.
COOKING
I came across this site that you can list what you do have in the freezer/pantry and it will spit out some recipes for you SuperCook.
Saturday delicious chicken stew using the rest of the rotisserie chicken, it covered Sunday lunch as well.
Sunday shrimp and haddock ceviche, Thai mango salad. John said he would try ceviche if I made it at home. So I did, considering there is no cooking it takes a long time to do! It turned out well.
I would try this aguachile recipe next time.
Monday John's B'day - a favourite of his, spaghetti and homemade meatballs/sauce with garlic toast.
Tuesday lunch out. T&T pork dumplings with my sauce
Wednesday curry chicken
Thursday ham and potato cabbage au gratin
Friday steak frites with dipping sauce Australian wine
PORTUGAL
Anne received our post card in June!
RED MOON BAKERY
April 2025 - Toronto ON
Lake Shore Blvd W Toronto
There is a mural on the side of the Red Moon Bakery.
Saturday after steak and eggs for breakfast we did a couple of errands, $ store, grocery store (Canadian), and hardware store (Canadian, local - not big box).
I ordered new gluten free bagels (Canadian local) from Kettleman's for John to try. I figured we'd try them as delivery (service fee) and if we like we can then go pick them up along with some of the other goodies!
They were a hit!!
We organized some travel paraphernalia and spent most of the afternoon looking at Portugal videos and articles to plan our trip.
Since we have a federal election coming up, we had a Liberal party representative knock on our door, no problem for us. Normally no one is allowed to go door to door in the building but the The Condominium Act section 118 is clear : Condo corporations cannot restrict reasonable access to the property by candidates (or their representatives) who are running for election to:
The House of Commons,
The Legislative Assembly,
An office in a municipal government,
A school board.
The access to be granted is limited to:
reasonable access;
access to common elements (naturally, owners can let them in their unit if they so chose); and,
access that is necessary for the purpose of canvassing or distributing election material.
This week's The "Eh" List - Made in Canada )and some ranting)
Sunday I made French toast with mixed berries compote for breakfast. Then I did a couple of loads of laundry. Made a pot of pea soup with some leftovers.
I booked our handyman, Vlad, for a couple of tasks.
Repotted a plant and threw a dead one away.
I did a backup of my backup external drive, yeah, I'm OCD like that.
I had to do a post about the Penguins and tariffs, and Andrew From the High Rise posted a link to it on his blog, thanks, Andrew!
Monday
Monday Mural is at Little Canada.
I caught the 9:35 bus and did some errands. I picked up a Portuguese tour book, usually I just cut and paste and print things we're interested in, but a book seemed a better idea.
I also went looking for a black summer pair of pants, I ended up with two pair, but will return one of them as they are not quite what I want.
It is still so cold out!!
I was glad I cut through the Royal York Hotel. Made me think of Alice in Bloomland.
Rabbit with a monocle.
Tuesday and the never ending winter continues. It was seriously cold out with a light dusting of snow overnight when we headed out to the Eaton Centre.
I wanted to return one pair of pants I had bought and John was looking for jeans that were a little narrower than the ones he has. No luck. We had time to kill on the way back so we thought we'd try the new Jersey Mikes's (American) subs in Union made by Canadian employees (jobs, taxes) on Canadian premises.
Delicious! Much better than Subway (American) or Mr.Sub (Canadian).
We shared a large original Italian - provolone, ham, prosciuttini, cappacuolo, salami and pepperoni. All the meats were freshly cut as ordered.
Finally had a catchup chat with my cousin. She is applying for her Irish passport and I am renewing mine.
Wednesday it was a little warmer as we headed out but traffic was even heavier than yesterday. We went to College Park but John didn't like their jeans either.
We went to Farm Boy (Canadian) as they had shrimp for $5 a bag! I also found ponzu and fresh pineapple (Costa Rica). We also stopped in Rexall and $ store for a couple of things.
We got some Canadian made hummus as well and it is much nicer than Costco's and without any preservatives or artificial colouring. I also found these new to us, gluten free buns.
We caught the subway but there were signal problems at Union so the train we were on turned back north at King. We walked underground to the Royal York to catch the bus.
I showed John the new display (above) and took a video.
We did all sorts of administrivia in the afternoon. We both tried applying for UK Visas using their app. But neither of us could get an acceptable digital photo to meet their requirements, it tells you it is not acceptable. It was impossible to find a blank shadowless wall to pose, and you have to be a contortionist to take a selfie with your face in the circle and with your shoulders.
We updated our Portugal itinerary with the updated information provided.
I renewed my AGO membership as they have revised (raised prices) on their levels of membership but offered me the same price as last year.
For dinner we met our ex-BIL for wings and beer. It was interesting as everyone ensured they ordered non-American beer, although that is not a problem as most Canadians equate American beer to water.
It was fun catching up although like most conversations these days tRump and his antics dominated, especially today with the markets bouncing back.
Thursday winter is determined to hang on!! I was on a roll. I went and got my digital Irish passport photo ($40), went to the bank for some more euros, picked up items at Rexall and redeemed $10 in points, and then to Longo's for some groceries.
John sent me this while I was out, he is avidly watching the Masters.
Friday we drove over to Cloverdale Mall as John had something to pick up, I ran into Metro for a few items for the weekend and we went to Winner's for a new suitcase for John. We noticed yesterday, while searching for something, in vain, that his was ripping. He is happy because it is bigger than his old one.
John had the simulator booked for 1-3.
I started packing to determine if my new suitcase is big enough, no, I will use my old one! The new suitcase will replace our old overnighter as it has wheels.
I tried to find an earlier flight on the way home LIS - AMS but there was only 11:40 which didn't buy us anything.
Then I activated a new credit card, no problem, but the other wouldn't. I had no patience today to deal with customer service.
Then I tried to cancel the replacement water cooler from Wal-Mart as it was delayed. I chatted with someone somewhere in India, they couldn't do it so had to escalate it. Now I have to follow up on that!
COOKING
Saturday fish chowder
Sunday leftover fish chowder
Monday stuffed flank steak roast potatoes carrots
Tuesday CROCKPOT Thai peanut chicken (NEW) this was pretty good especially since you just throw it all in. The sauce could have more ginger and garlic as well as something to spice it up.
Wednesday out
Thursday pork chops mashed potatoes and beans because sometimes you just want comfort food.
Friday steak sandwich green peppers and onions with Portuguese wine
LA TEJANA
April 2025 - Toronto ON
Pecos TX
Saturday I made French toast for breakfast.
Vlad (handyman) came and looked at the job, but it would make noise and gawd forbid we did that on a Saturday. He also looked at the plug. So we will reschedule to Wednesday.
I have a feeling that my birth certificate copy won't satisfy the passport office so I ordered a new one just in case.
We did a quick tidy up for our visitors on Sunday.
I did laundry. I prepped some food for Sunday (potatoes and cauliflower), defrosted ham and sausages.
We also finally hung the kitchen pictures.
Sunday the morning was spent getting ready as we had our nephew and his girlfriend for brunch. John ran out to get beer.
Brunch was fun and we covered a multitude of topics.
We've been doing the NYT mini-crossword since the pandemic, a friendly rivalry. However as of Monday it is only available through their app, for a fee, of course. Count us out! But the LA Times has a free one that we'll try.
Monday Mural is the many faces of the Cameron.
Finally a somewhat decent day to go for a mani-pedi!!! Booked for 10:15.
John booked the golf simulator for the afternoon. I headed downtown to get some more Euros (we decided on having more). I changed the PINs on my new cards. I got a haircut.
I checked on spring covid booster shots. Recommended high-risk populations for COVID-19 immunization (spring 2025) An additional dose of COVID-19 vaccine is recommended, as detailed in the immunization schedules section below, for previously vaccinated individuals who have completed their primary series and are at increased risk of SARS-CoV-2 infection including: • Adults 65 years of age and older. o NACI recommends that those 80 years and older should receive an additional dose of vaccine while those 65 to 79 years of age may receive an additional dose of vaccine.
UPDATE - we spoke to the pharmacist on Friday and she said it is the same dose as last fall and there really isn't any need for us to get a booster.
I tried to cancel the second water cooler from Walmart. Funny how they can take my money on Apr 3 but it is soooooooo difficult to get it cancelled after they have a delay on their end and I had to escalate on Apr 11 and 14. April 15 and I'm still waiting...
Apr 16 I got an email that "my order was on the move", sure, check the delivery date!! 2026, I want my money back!!!
A little Irish humour about tariffs.
Since we had already had the Liberals knock at our door last week, we didn't bother answering a knock today as it would have been either the conservatives or NDP volunteers (shudder). Not to worry, they only knocked once and when I looked through the peephole they were scurrying off to other doors.
Tuesday
The building engaged a company to do a 2025 Resident Survey, I completed it today.
I met my friend who lives in a retirement home for a good ole chinwag.
Since I ordered a new birth certificate I will wait until we get back to finalize my Irish passport renewal package to mail.
A cute Toronto news story today.
Hundreds Of Women At Romance Novel Event Go Crazy When Fire Alarm Goes Off & “A Bunch Of Hot Firemen Showed Up”
Wednesday John golf. Cancelled.
I discovered a new (to me) Canadian book blogger via a comment, Library Matters.
We were expecting the handyman but he had an emergency, no problem we'll get it done when we get back.
So since that was cancelled along with golf we went out for a lunch at Cabano's for burgers up at Yonge and Bloor. I ran into an old workmate, Kevin!
Never noticed this before on the corner of St. Nicholas. Untitled Robert Bowers 1987.
Then we walked down to Bulk Barn (Canadian) for some peanuts and ginger. Then across to Farm Boy for a steak but ended up with more of those Brazilian buns, cherry strudels and English bangers. Then John's CC got declined!
The rest of the day was customer service hell! John spoke to M/C and they blocked his card because they had called me (which we didn't answer as no one answers unknown calls!) because I had a new card on his account and they wanted to verify it was me that changed the PIN on Monday...FIXED. We will test it tomorrow!
I tried, once again, see above, to cancel the Walmart water cooler. "Someone" is supposed to call me.
This really was me as the bot kept asking me the same questions!!!
I did check my credit card and the payment is sitting in Pending, kind of weird.
I cleaned out the bag of bags that grew in the hall closet. You know, those bags you have to buy because you either forgot your bags or bought more than you planned. The owner of our convenience store is happy to take them.
I also cleaned out the fridge.
Packed up the Portuguese language tapes a resident in the building had lent me.
Thursday we headed out for the pharmacy re: covid shots, see above.
We both tested our credit cards after yesterday's kerfuffle.
We also got some waterproofing for our shoes, which John did in the afternoon.
Set up eSims, Airalo. Here is a great video about buying and setting it up.
Schiphol airport (day of flight) app, ArriveCan (both set up) and Bolt (we'll stick with Uber) app.
Printed our documents and frequent flyer cards.
Ordered an Uber for Friday.
Put a couple of envelopes aside for our trip, Euros for entrance fees (45€ each) and the tip envelope (2-5€ per person/day).
LORDY LORDY LORDY
The Water cooler arrived - the one they didn't have, then rescheduled to Apr 2026!!!!!!!
It is staying packed until we get home!!!
Friday Good Friday and everything is closed.
We have new signage in the building.
We spent the day finalizing packing and trip details. We got checked in and our boarding passes in the morning.
Uber was scheduled for 6:50. Here is our Portugal itinerary.
Pizza Pizza (Canadian) ad filmed in our neighbourhood!
COOKING
Saturday shrimp moqueca Brazilian coconut stew. I had coconut milk and tomato sauce to use up. This recipe was good but it needed some spice. I'd add gochujang.
Sunday VISITORS brunch - Italian sausages, ham, potato and cauliflower au gratin, Brussel sprouts. Toblerone for dessert
Monday leftovers
Tuesday quiche and salad
Wednesday leftover quiche
Thursday steak frites Portuguese wine
Friday airport
April 18 - May 4 PORTUGAL
I didn’t do weekly recaps while we were away. The daily posts are in the next post below. There is also a Google Docs recap.
LISBON
Our lovely flight home.
MAY
RUBY
May 2025 - Toronto ON
Lisbon Airport, Portugal
My last weekly post was April 18 as we were leaving for Lisbon! We had a wonderful trip!! Weather wasn't perfect but that didn't stop us. All our flights were smooth and on time or only delayed by minutes. Toronto - Amsterdam - Lisbon - Madeira - Lisbon - Amsterdam - Toronto.
Even though we took a package it was semi-organized so really the time spent with a group (a large one - 46 plus guide and driver) was only 2 half day city tours in Lisbon and Porto and 4 full days touring. The rest of the time we were on our own.
All breakfasts were included at the hotels. One lunch was included in the Douro Valley and we paid for one optional dinner and fado show.
Our daily posts are here:
Day 1 April 18-19 Toronto to Lisbon Turim Marquês Hotel
Day 2 April 20 Lisbon EASTER SUNDAY Turim Marquês Hotel
Day 3 April 21 Lisbon EASTER MONDAY Turim Marquês Hotel
Day 4 April 22 Lisbon City Tour Turim Marquês Hotel
Day 5 April 23 Lisbon– Sintra – Cascais – Lisbon Turim Marquês Hotel
Day 6 April 24 Lisbon – Tomar – Fatima – Batalha – Porto HF Ipanema Hotel
Day 7 April 25 Porto city tour DIA DA LIBERDADE HF Ipanema Hotel
Day 8 April 26 Douro Valley - Porto HF Ipanema Hotel
Day 9 April 27 Porto - Aveiro - Nazare - Obidos - Lisbon Turim Marquês Hotel
Day 10 April 28 - Lisbon - Madeira Orca Praia Hotel
Day 11 April 29 - Madeira Orca Praia Hotel
Day 12 April 30 - Madeira Orca Praia Hotel
Day 13 May 1 - Madeira DIA DO TRABALHADOR Orca Praia Hotel
Day 14 May 2 Madeira - Lisbon Hotel Marquês de Pombal
Day 15-16 May 3-4 Lisbon - Amsterdam - Toronto
Saturday we were in Lisbon until 4 PM. It was pouring rain and we had planned to meet up with a cousin and husband, however he had vertigo so we couldn't. We wandered around and found a new sign.
We flew to Amsterdam and spent the night at the Mercure Hotel within the airport. It was not easy to find, no signage except for a tiny HOTEL on a couple of other signs.
Sunday we were up at 7:30 and had breakfast in the KLM lounge before our 11:20 AM flight home, 8 hours. It was a very pleasant flight with plenty of food.
KLM is the oldest airline in the world continuously operating under one name. We now have our own collection of KLM Delft miniature houses.
Each one depicts a real Dutch building. These unique gifts have been around since the 1950s and are a true collector’s item!
YEAR NUMBER ADDRESS TOWN YEAR BUILT
1972 40 De Rode Hoed (Vrijburg) Keizersgracht 104 Amsterdam 1642
1985 54 Warehouse Frankfort Prinsengracht 773 Amsterdam 1671
1989 58 Herengracht 101 Amsterdam 1871
1994 73 De Posthoorn Dijk 11 Alkmaar 1575
58 40 73 54
We were home by 3:30 PM and whiled away the afternoon trying not to go to bed too early.
Monday
Monday Mural Tucson AZ March 2025
Jetlag kicked in, it is always worse coming home, probably because you are flying during the day so no sleeping.
I was up at 3:15 and John followed at 4. We did have an afternoon nap.
While catching up on our recorded shows, we watched Law and Order Toronto and saw the episode filmed next to our building.
Tuesday we were both up at 5 so the jetlag is getting better.
The handyman arrived to remove the floor under the new water cooler (yes, the one that suddenly arrived the day we were leaving) and an electric plug.
The luggage was unpacked and a couple of loads of laundry were done.
Wednesday John picked up the mail and I can't believe I was selected for jury duty AGAIN! I had done it in June 2023 so I am ineligible (2 years) and returned my forms.
John had his first men's league golf game. I went downtown and got some bargains in Rexall. Picked up a couple of food items in Longo's. Hockey fever is rampant with the second game taking place here in Toronto, Maple Leafs vs Florida Panthers tonight. UPDATE Toronto won 4-3!!!!
Thursday it was a beautiful spring day yesterday and today was like winter again. The weather has just been crazy.
We caught the 9:35 bus and walked to St. Lawrence Market. There is a movie shoot taking place on Market St. It was decorated for a Christmas Market with flags saying "London Christmas Market" although the market booths appear to be German. I'm sure they'll be snow scattered around at some point.
The Terminal List Season 2 (Chris Pratt) filming in Toronto, at St Lawrence Market
“We will be filming EXTERIOR scenes on Market Street, between The Esplanade and Front Street
May 7th and 8th from 7pm -7am the following day(s)
WRAP: May 9th from 7am-5pm
Please note we are filming a terrorist attack scene and the aftermath of it on Market St, filming will involve late night SPFX gunfire and explosions with smoke, SPFX will occur until lam on May 7th and 8th overnight.
Late night filming activity and noise will occur past lam to 7am on both filming nights.
Filming will involve background actors running and crowds of approx. 200 people.
Filming will be under the supervision of Toronto Police."
In the market.
AND I found these sweet drops that I had been raving about on our flight home. They were in my salad above.
These small tear shaped peppers originate from the Peruvian Amazon. They have an exceptional taste that balances sweet and sour, making them a great addition to pizza, pasta and salads.
We went back to our old butcher and got steaks, pork butt, roast beef and ground beef.
Then at our favourite fruit and veg stand, asparagus, broccolini, mango, living lettuce, potatoes came to $18 and she said $16, she always does this!
Some funny posters at York and Front for Mother's Day.
Friday and we're both up before 7!! After a lunch of homemade beef soup we headed to Yorkville for Fleurs de Villes.
John enjoying the sunshine. Can you see the window cleaner at the top left?
Click here for a photo filled post.
We've had many an outside beverage since January but this is our first at home in Toronto, finally patio season may be here!
But holy $hit, call it sticker shock after Portugal, but really $26 for a glass of wine???? That is 17€, I could buy 4 BOTTLES of wine for that in Portugal. John laughed himself silly. His pint was $11.
Hockey fever prevails, Toronto are leading 2-0 but are playing the Florida Panthers in Florida tonight, fingers crossed. UPDATE we lost...
I haven't seen this guy since 2021. Seems he's known as Cross Man.
COOKING
Saturday LISBON garlic shrimps and fries
Sunday IN TRANSIT KLM
Monday pork chops mashed potatoes and beans
Tuesday spaghetti and homemade (frozen) sauce with cheese buns (frozen)
Wednesday curry chicken
Thursday chips and eggs (John's request)
Friday steak baked potato and asparagus
STATION CAFE
May 2025 - Toronto ON - Ottawa ON
Funchal Madeira
Saturday and Sunday - we really enjoyed our first weekend home. John did a grocery run to Metro. Strawberries - grown in Canada $3. Butter was $5!! 6 pork chops for $8, will make 3 dinners for us.
Traffic was crazy on Saturday.
We are leaving on Friday for a 4 day trip to the Ottawa Tulip Festival so I made dinner reservations for Friday and Sunday for our friends and us. Yes, I'm that person, wanting everything organized. I hate when everyone stands around saying, "I don't know, what do you want to do???"
I also planned out some other activities for John and I in Ottawa.
I ordered rain pants for myself and foldable water bottles for our trip to Iceland and booked a Food Walk for when we arrive.
Monday Mural from Camara de Lobos Portugal
We had mani-pedis ($35/50) booked for 10:15. Spring has sprung in the neighbourhood.
I went for a haircut and then I went to the bank to cash in our leftover Euros and got $600 CAD.
I tried to buy/order some Iceland ISK kronas but BMO doesn't carry them. It seems TD does, hmmm, I have a friend who works for TD.
I decided to check out the "new" Union Hotel, it is disappointing that they still have a temporary building sign.
Union Hotel is an independent boutique property in the heart of the financial district.
It began as the Strathcona Hotel in 1933, operating as a popular lodging spot for nearly nine decades until closing during the early COVID-19 pandemic. In 2020, it was temporarily leased by the City of Toronto to provide shelter for people experiencing homelessness, before reopening in February 2025 as the Union Hotel.
I would come back to check out their cute cafe/bar.
John went to get some wine and used his Aeroplan points so he only paid $4.50! We need to work on using our points.
Tuesday - Food signs from Lisbon Portugal last month.
As I headed out the door I got an email (almost trashed it as spam) with a title Order Reference Number NNNNAA but saw an Irish name. It seems "Unfortunately we cannot process your application at this time as we are unable to trace a record of this event" referring to my request for a copy of my birth certificate...a little odd, considering I have had a couple of Irish passports.
Anyhoo...I sent her a JPG of the copy I have and she said that would be helpful.
I started the day with only one operational elevator that then had trouble getting the doors closed, I was going to walk down to the 25th floor, but then we were on our way. Then caught the 10:30 bus to go out to Burlington to meet with a friend for some lunch and shopping therapy. We pulled out of Bronte station, my stop was next, with a whine and a stutter. We then sat for 30 minutes being told we had "operational issues". Eventually we were told to walk to the back of the train as it slowly backed into Bronte where we disembarked. We were told that the 1:05 train was on its way and we got into Appleby around 1:15. Then I caught the 3:19 back to Toronto, which was on time, and arrived at 4:15. My bus was at 4:45 and traffic was heavy. The driver, who drives like an old woman, took 30 minutes to get onto the Gardiner, 2 blocks!! I got home at 5:42!!
John went golfing and had the same kind of traffic nightmares, on and off the course, leaving on the 13th hole due to rain!
He did find a mural on his way.
Wednesday I went to the Eaton Centre just to check things out. I bought a hat and had some sushi for lunch.
John's scotch order arrived.
I chatted with Teresa about Portugal. Then I did some administrivia (MNBA, Amex, Priority Pass, Away cards, Telus device care/watch).
Thursday and this is the forecast for Ottawa as we pack to leave tomorrow morning!
I caught the 9:30 downtown. I spoke to Richard at Telus (Canadian telecommunications) about John's Samsung watch not holding a charge and cancelled the device care on it. Richard and I also chatted about Lisbon as he was there when we were, but his was a company Outstanding employee perk trip.
I went to Winners and scored some Talbot t-shirts for $15 each. Then to Purdy's (Canadian) for some chocolate for the weekend.
Then I picked up Jersey Mike's subs, I know an American company, but at least the employees are Canadian and they are paying local rent.
Then we got packed for a very rainy weekend!
Friday we were awakened by a fierce storm and then the power went out! My brain immediately went into contingency mode.we were on our way to Burlington to meet our friends at their house and leave our car there. Their daughter drove us to the bus meeting point.The sun came out as we boarded. It was a great drive to Ottawa. We did one bio break and one lunch break before arriving at 4.
Click here for Day 1 recap. Google Docs also has a recap.
John's new Canada cap.
Vince, one of the guides, snapped our photo as we were having a Guinness on Sparks St.
COOKING/EATING
Saturday carnitas with pork butt on tortillas sour cream tomatoes scallions lettuce
Sunday leftovers
Monday , mashed cauliflower/potatoes and asparagus
Tuesday meatloaf stuffed with broccolini and cheesy broccolini potatoes
Wednesday salad cold cuts eggs cheese
Thursday spicy Brazilian coconut chicken very good. I would add more spices. We had it with bread to use it up.
Friday OTTAWA Johnny Farina's veal scaloppini and GF pizza
BYWARD CAFE
May 2025 - Ottawa ON - Toronto ON
Ottawa ON
Saturday Day 2 Ottawa
It was meant to be a totally rainy washout, but we lucked out.
It was pouring at 9 but as we were doing a city bus tour we didn't mind. We had one stop at the Canadian War Museum.
Some photos from the bus.
Maman, the spider at the Art Gallery of Canada. John immediately thought of the Barcelona spider which I happened to post last Weekend Roundup!!
The rain stopped when we reached the Tulip Festival!
The Canadian Tulip Festival (French: Festival Canadien des Tulipes; Dutch: Canadees Festival van de Tulp) is a tulip festival held annually each May. The festival claims to be the world's largest tulip festival, displaying over one million tulips, with attendance of over 650,000 visitors annually. Large displays of tulips are planted throughout the city, the largest of which are often in Commissioners Park on the shores of Dow's Lake, and along the Rideau Canal with 300,000 tulips planted there alone.
The festival is a cultural and historical aspect of the special Canada–Netherlands relationship, having originated with commemorative donations of tulips to Canada from the Netherlands for Canadian actions during World War II, when Canadian forces led the liberation of the Netherlands and hosted the Dutch royal family in exile. The Netherlands continues to send 20,000 bulbs to Canada each year (10,000 from the royal family and 10,000 from the Dutch Bulb Growers Association).
Back on the bus for ByWard Market where we have the afternoon to ourselves, the bus took some back to the hotel immediately and also came back at 1:30 for any others wanting a ride.
The ByWard Market (French: Marché By), is a retail and entertainment district in the downtown core of Ottawa. We had lunch and then strolled around.
We took the bus back and then went for a stroll AND the sun came out.
We stepped into the Supreme Court of Canada, after a vigorous security screening, John even had to drink from his water bottle.
We visited the Bank of Canada Museum.
As we left for the included Oh Canada Eh dinner and show the skies opened again with torrential downpours.
The show was the highlight of the evening. In the middle is Vince, one of our guides, they always get their man!!
Sunday Day 3 Ottawa
Surprise! It was raining but it was also cold! But, again, we were spending the morning indoors at a museum.
Back at the hotel we grabbed a quick lunch before heading out for a river cruise, and it stopped raining! BUT it is COLD, feeling like 2 C or 36 F!!!
Being suckers for punishment we went for a walk when we got back.
On our way it had gotten so windy and cold that we cancelled our Joey's reservation and settled for something close by. We have Joey's in Toronto so can go there anytime. We had a delicious dinner at Brown Social House.
Monday Day 4 Ottawa
Monday Mural Camara de Lobos Portugal.
The bus pulled away from the hotel at 11:45 AM, no rain!
It would be 7:15 PM when we pulled into the Burlington parking lot.
We had a 30 minute coffee/bathroom break and a 45 minute break at the Big Apple. It is the first long weekend of summer and the sun finally came out so it was packed!! We've been here before.
We picked up our car and were home around 8.
Tuesday we treated IT like our usual Saturday and lazed around. We started watching MC Australia and had apple pie and ice cream for lunch!
Wednesday it is STILL raining so golf was cancelled. John took a trip to Longo's with me.
More binge watching, this time with chips and coke!
Thursday RAINING.
I was fooling around and up popped Gemini, a generative artificial intelligence chatbot developed by Google. These drive me crazy. Instead of writing what I really wanted to say, I said "go away".
This was Gemini's response, we laughed and laughed.
Friday some rain and a picket line, CUPE union, I'm guessing postal workers as I headed to Longo's for vegetables.
COOKING/EATING
Saturday OTTAWA Oh Canada Eh dinner
Sunday OTTAWA Brown Social House
Monday OTTAWA toasted sandwiches
Tuesday chicken a la orange
Wednesday frozen gluten free sole chips and coleslaw
Thursday hamburger patties, gravy, mashed potatoes and beans. TIP I used packaged gravy but instead of water, I used red wine beef stock.
Friday steak baked potato chimichurri and roasted fennel . No chimichurri, I bought parsley instead!
HAPPY GOAT COFFEE COMPANY
May 2025 - Toronto ON
Ottawa ON
Saturday and it isn't sunny but it's not raining! Scratch that, it poured mid afternoon.
We both looked forward to our lazy Saturday, after chores got done. Laundry, vacuum (technically Parnell the robot does that), mail a postcard, book a show, fill soap containers, clean the kitchen, sorted the freezer, you get the idea.
Sunday
We tried this recipe for gluten free egg noodles and it did not work! I ordered some (expensive) gluten free Italian flour.
I worked on some posts and booked our whales and puffins tour.
Monday Mural was from Ottawa last weekend.
John was up and made bangers and eggs for his breakfast and a sandwich to go for lunch as he headed out to meet a friend to go golfing in St. George ON.
I hadn't seen this plaque before, outside Winner's at College Park. I wrote a post about this Eaton's store. I was waiting for the streetcar to Allan Gardens.
I can't believe I haven't been here since December 2019!!
The iconic Palm House at Allan Gardens Conservatory reopened to the public mid May after closing for vital restoration work to preserve the structure's architectural heritage.
Construction began in October 2022 on the historic conservatory building, one of Toronto's oldest attractions. The Palm House, designed by City of Toronto architect Robert McCallum, opened in 1910 and is the third horticultural pavilion on site.
The Palm House features a wide array of palms, banana plants and other tall specimens. It showcases a variety of palm trees and other tropical plants like cycads, gingers, hibiscus and seasonal exotics.
They were busy removing the spring flowers.
Okuda's mural is peeking out in these two shots.
I walked back to the Bulk Barn and was quicker than the streetcar. I picked up peanuts (NOT Virginia) and popcorn.
This plaque was outside the old Maple Leaf Gardens.
Tuesday I had intended to go out early, however, we got caught up on the King's Speech from the Throne.
Mark Carney is a man who is respected globally which will serve him well as PM!
He's also pretty damn smart and strategic for bringing King Charles III to deliver the throne speech. 🇨🇦🍁
After lunch we lost our desire to go out and instead watched the latest three MasterChef Australia episodes.
I also bought tickets for The Sound of Our Nation at the Canadian Stage Company on June 14. We haven't been there in ages!
Wednesday John's golf was rained out again (last week also). I did some decluttering in the middle room (2 pillows, decorative umbrella (I bought in California and did nothing with), glass battery candle - all went to T). We threw out 2 covers for headsets, and a couple of posters.
I only went to Longo's for some items on special and chicken quarters for dinner. I was going to make fish coconut lime soup if John had been golfing and the weather was better.
I've never seen this before.
John booked golf for Friday.
Thursday we got this note:
Dear Residents,
Effective today, a combination lock is installed on the entrance gate to the tennis court. This measure is being implemented due to repeated incidents of non-residents from neighbouring condominiums accessing and using the court without authorization.
John bottled his wine and then we went to St. Lawrence Market and picked up steaks, ground lamb, and some vegetables. I also picked up those sweet drops that I had mentioned a few weeks ago.
Some interesting fish options.
We went to Balzac's on Market St. for a white flat.
Friday John golfed at Remington. I went to the Reference Library to see their display of old Toronto postcards.
Longo's lies, the price tag says "product of Mexico" but the boxes say "Product of USA.". I sent them a note.
I bought some balsamic vinegar, not the usual one, this was twice the price for half the size. But we don't use it a lot and shouldn't skimp on some things.
My birth certificate arrived!
COOKING
I usually have a loose menu plan for the week ahead. However, not really for this week.
I do enjoy those days when I have no idea what to have for dinner and then a plan comes together.
Instead we had four new recipes that we enjoyed and are adding to our rotation. I have already added the fried chicken and Mexican pulled pork to My Recipe Box.
On Monday I felt I had to do something with the pork butt we bought on sale at Longo's with plans to make slow cooked Mexican pulled pork. I had thought to use pork chops to make the pork schnitzel but then cut two pork slices from the butt instead. Pork butt is also on the cheaper cut.
On Tuesday, I realized we had our last package of chicken thighs, looked at Pinterest and decided to try the paprikash, which led me to the one lone sausage in the freezer which I added.
I don't often buy chicken quarters, I don't know why, as they are a relatively inexpensive meal. Five chicken quarters were $10 so that would be five dinners for us. Then on Thursday I still had no ideas until we were at the market and I saw three pounds of ground lamb for $20 and made koftas/kaftas.
Saturday roast beef, potatoes, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts
Sunday leftover beef, green peppers onions stir fry with rice (since the noodles didn't work out)
Monday pork schnitzel with Dijon gravy(NEW/ADDED) mashed cauliflower/sprouts potatoes and fennel. Delicious!!! Perfect pork schnitzel GF!
Tuesday chicken Paprikash(NEW) I added a hot Italian sausage that was languishing in the freezer.
Wednesday oven fried GF chicken quarters (NEW/ADDED) and salad
Thursday lamb koftas (NEW) with tomatoes, tzatziki, salad and flatbread
Friday steak baked potato asparagus (roasted with balsamic vinegar and parmesan) and chimichurri
JUNE
ISABELLA’S DONUTS
June 2025 - Toronto ON
Union Station - Toronto ON
Well, I guess spring will never come this year. I sure am glad for our time in Palm Springs and Las Vegas this winter, as well as Portugal in April, otherwise I don't think we would have seen any sun. Even in Ottawa in May we had rain, although we lucked out when we needed a respite.
Saturday was another gloomy day.
The History of the Old Spaghetti Factory
Sunday was also gloomy until about 5 PM. No worries here, we had our usual weekend with some chores thrown in. We had a Teams session with John's son. They will be here in mid July so I booked a guest suite in the building.
John was watching golf and commented on a building in Erin WI and said it looked like somewhere we had been.
It was the Milwaukee Art Museum!
He was right, and the building he was referring to was close by in Milwaukee WI!
John did a Costco run. Crazy how prices have increased.
Good deals - limes are $6 for about 15 so 40¢ each compared to $1 each at Longo's. Lemons are $8 for at least 12 so around 67¢.
Rotisserie chickens are always a good deal, as they are a loss leader for Costco $8.
Coffee pods are now at $50 for 80 - 63¢ a cup. I looked at August 2024 and we paid $44.
Sour cream 2 for $6 Longo's on special this week $3 regular $3.50.
Yogurt Oikos is regular Longo's $8 we only buy it on sale at $6. However, Costco (which I like) is 3 for $11.50 or $3.84 each.
Butter this week was $5.79 best elsewhere was $6 and T&T was $9!!
Schwartz smoked meat (we buy once a year) was $25 or $4.16 a sandwich, better than $15 at Druxy's.
Chicken thighs $25 will make us 6X2 meals at $2 a meal.
I had no real plans so while John was using the golf simulator I made a lemon blueberry cheese cake (NEW). I also started the chicken stock with the rotisserie carcass and frozen vegetable scraps.
Took a bite!
Tuesday
We went for our covid shots, however, we were told that it is the same dose as last fall and if we did get this booster then we would have to wait 6 months for the new strain that will be combined with the flu shot. Since we may want to travel in November/December it would be better to wait until the shots are available late September.
So we went shopping instead and John got 3 new golf shirts, a hoodie (on sale - for Iceland) and a Canada ball cap.
Home for lunch and we are now up to date on MasterChef Australia 17.
Wednesday and the smoke was blanketing the city again.
There are fires blazing across parts of northwestern Ontario and the Prairies, heading as far west as northern British Columbia, prompting hundreds of people to leave behind their homes and evacuate to another province.
Environment Canada meteorologist Barbara Lapido tells CTV News Toronto that many people across southern Ontario might see some hazy skies and red-hued sunrises and sunsets for the next couple of days. FireSmoke Canada, a portal monitoring wildfire and its smoke patterns, also forecasts plumes from the ongoing fires will billow over the GTA through Thursday.
John did get his weekly golf game with an 87.
I decided to go to T&T, a local Asian grocery store.
Some interesting items. Durian cut up, so much pricier.
I always wondered what this is, it comes in beef, lamb etc. B/S roll?? Finally figured it out! Boneless skinless!!
T&T advertisement:
Succulent and juicy lamb shoulder roll, perfect for hearty homemade meals. Ideal for slow-cooking or roasting, bringing out rich, savory flavors. Expertly trimmed and portioned to ensure tender, mouth-watering bites.
Bus shelter on Dundas, pretty fancy. Ah, it's an ad for Cirque du Soleil.
Unusual couple during rush hour at Union.
Royal York Hotel June display.
Some purchases, all gluten free! The curry gravy is for John, he wants to have fries/chips with curry.
Thursday and John wanted to be up early as he had tickets for the RBC Canadian Open Golf (Rory is here!!! BUT he didn't make the cut!). I made him scrambled eggs for breakfast. He said I am in charge of the scrambled eggs in future (he usually does them).
WELL that turned out to be an experience. They couldn't get any parking, the lots were closed. According to the RBC Open it was due to rain overnight. They issued an apology and will offer refunds. Twitter is not pleased!!!!
I did a bunch of administrivia (reviewed Iceland documents received and updated our schedule), CVS, Away condo card for office, backed up Portugal/Ottawa photos, sorted some linens (some decluttered) Palm Springs mug etc). I only bought this in February at the Palm Springs Visitors' Centre, I sent them a note but I don't expect a response.
I also cleared out the freezer and made a pot of beef soup, skimmed the chicken stock and added the remaining chicken to it before freezing.
Tidied up, made the bed (usually John does). Tidied up.
I went to Longo's, I did have other plans but rain was in the forecast (surprise!). I redeemed $10 in points. I picked up a rosemary plant.
Friday
We still have some haze due to wildfire smoke from the Prairies. Airport Duty Manager Damian Boucaud was live on CP24 to talk about what that smoke means for operations and those working outdoors at the airport.
Smoke update from Pearson Airport
John is nursing a sore big toe (bone had surgery years ago due to pitching baseball) so I only went downtown to get sushi for lunch from Sushi Shop in Union.
Smoky, smoky, from the bus, yes, that is a military helicopter in the middle, it was circling all day.
COOKING
I am trying very hard not to waste food. I used the end of the frozen fruit as a coulis on French toast on Saturday. I had bought a bag of coleslaw for something last week which we then also used as hot dog toppings during the week. It would then usually languish in the fridge, but I took it out of the bag, wrapped it in a paper towel and used it in the rice paper rolls.
I used some of the cauliflower in the mash on the shepherd's pie. I finished the rest as a side to the leftover pie.
The rotisserie chicken was lunch on Monday, dinner Monday, Lunch (me) Tuesday and chicken salad for John on Wednesday and the carcass in soup.
Saturday lamb shepherd's pie with cauliflower mashed topping
Sunday Roasted pork belly, rice and ginger chili bok choy (NEW). I went back to my original pork belly recipe. It was a little overcooked, as we were on a Teams call with John's son but John really liked it that way.
Monday rotisserie chicken Alfredo
Tuesday leftover shepherd's pie, cauliflower (to finish) and salad
Wednesday fish chowder Iceland cod and shrimp
Thursday French onion smothered pork chops(NEW) colcannon. Was good, not exceptional.
I tried these for the first time, on the colcannon, they are good. And I used this cheese on the chops, we had bought it in Ottawa.
Friday beef tataki with ponzu sauce (NEW) and bok choy. I will find a better tataki recipe, this was underwhelming.
20 STREET COFFEE BLEND
June 2025 - Toronto ON
Belem Lisbon Portugal
We were up at 6 so that John could avoid Thursday's parking fiasco at the RBC Canadian Open. He messaged at 8:20 that they were on the shuttle bus!! However, coming home, they waited over 90 minutes for a shuttle bus.
Marshalls
John's video at The Rink when Canadian Conners arrives.
I did this and that before I headed out and took the streetcar to Queen and Ossington and then walked up to Dundas.
I took the 501 streetcar and was looking at the fare machines, besides the Presto tap on at the doors. Effective June 1 tickets, tokens and day passes are no longer accepted, however, the machines are not updated/removed. At the least there should be a sign.
UPDATE someone tweeted to the TTC that they were able to insert a token and get a transfer after June 1 deadline.
Do West Fest is Toronto’s start to the summer, in the heart of Little Portugal (Little Portugal Toronto BIA).
This parkette showcases artwork by Indigenous artist and young elder Philip Cote, which acknowledges Toronto as 'the meeting place.' His visuals draw on the narrative of the thunderbird and the first man and woman, serving as a reminder to honor the ancestral gifts and talents passed down through generations.
I shared the story of the Barcelos Rooster in a recent post from our recent trip to Portugal.
Madri (Spanish) beer sample.
Typical Portuguese blue tile. A new urban park commemorates the history and contributions of Azorean immigrants to Canada.
We ate here in 2021, I had ceviche then also.
Hen party, their tiaras said "Team Bride".
It seems on Friday the smoke was so bad. Air Quality is usually measured on a scale of 1 to 10, with 10 being the worst. This afternoon Windsor hit 10.2, making it the Worst Air Quality in the world, even worse than India.
When I got home I made a small batch of mini cheesecakes. I used gluten free graham cracker crumbs. Her recipe said it would make 8-10 but I only got 7, however she doesn't mention what size muffin pan she used. I also think I didn't put as thick a base as she did.
I would definitely make this again, it is so much easier than trying to slice a pie. I would double and triple the recipe.
Or even make mini mini ones. How about mango-lime? Chocolate, Oreo cookie…
Sunday was a lazy day. We reviewed and finalized our Iceland plans. Itinerary here.
John watched the recording of yesterday's golf and we caught sight of him and a friend, they're the two with beige hat and blue hat. John in a beige hat taking a photo.
Monday's Mural(s) were found on Saturday when I was in Little Portugal.
Monday
Thank you!
It was cooler than I expected and drizzling. On my way to get a haircut, this is part of Luminato 2025.
Having just made chowder the other day I think this is a little pricey, but then everything in Mark McEwan's (Canadian celebrity chef) store is expensive.
John did a couple of errands, car wash, kitchen lightbulb replacement from Rona (Canadian).
Tuesday Signs were from Saturday's Do West Fest.
Tuesday I had grandiose plans to go out but then I got busy cleaning the kitchen and sorting the fridge, froze soup stock, froze some of the rosemary that was getting out of hand, wrote a postcard, got my passport stuff together etc.
I also sent a note to our friends in San Diego to ask if they were okay and if it is as crazy as the news is showing. She says she doesn't believe what the news is reporting either. But did say "The number of police, State Guards, and now active duty Marines being sent to LA is real. The ICE raids are real and terrifying for all of us. The agents refuse to identify themselves and just snatch people - how do you know if you are being kidnapped by a psycho or being taken prisoner by a psycho president? I don't know which is worse".
I did a rant on the LA situation.
John took the car to the dealer as the horn wasn't working!! It was under warranty so no charge.
I had mentioned last week that I had sent a note to Longo's pointing out their mislabelling of American (boycott) strawberries. I didn't expect a response, but got one, although it is a bit of a form letter.
We whiled the afternoon away catching up on Season 17 MasterChef Australia, so we are up to date.
🏳️🌈The Prime Minister of Canada raised the rainbow flag on Parliament Hill for Pride Month, because "We are Canadian" and everyone deserves respect. 🌈🏳️🌈🌈
Can you please keep Trump from attending the summit?
1. He's a 34x convicted felon
2. He continues his threats to annex Canada.
3. He can't be trusted
I bet I speak for most Canadians when I say we don't want that trash in our country. He can use Zoom.
Wednesday I spent the morning finalizing dinner reservations for Reykjavik.
Then I headed out (9000 steps).
More Luminato, in First Canadian Place.
Bay Adelaide Centre
Ah the joys of the city. Construction at King and Church.
The park beside St. James Anglican Church.
However, the construction meant no traffic and I was finally able to get a photo of St. Lawrence Hall.
It was created to be Toronto's public meeting hall home to public gatherings, concerts, and exhibitions. Its main feature was a thousand-seat amphitheatre. For decades the hall was the centre of Toronto's social life before larger venues took over much of this business. Today the hall continues as a venue for events including weddings, conferences, and art shows.
The location was previously part of the Market Square area and had been the site of the first permanent market buildings as well as site of Joseph Bloor's Farmer's Arms Inn from 1824 to 1831.
The Great Fire of Toronto in 1849 caused the northern portions of this building to be pulled down, leading to the building of the current St. Lawrence Market in 1850 a block south at what was then Palace Street, and today is known as Front Street.
I stopped at the Market to get a couple of steaks. New bench in the market.
Our regular fruit and veg stand. The fruit section is to the right.
Then I went to Henry's Camera to see what the problem was with my lens. Long story short, something is broken inside, repair or buy a new one???
I almost didn't know where I was on Queen St. This used to be a parking lot.
This corner in 2011 and 2018!
The vibrant yellow facade at 60 Queen St E once housed Thrifty’s Sport Shop and later accommodated various businesses such as Public Optical, Gino’s Pizza, and Shawarma’s King.
Plans are underway to integrate the building’s historic facade and those of neighbouring structures into a new 57-storey tower known as 60 Queen St East Condos. According to the linked article the building will be restored to its Toronto Heritage Register appearance.
The existing three-storey red-brick building (currently over clad with metal siding on the upper storeys) was completed in 1901 with a Mansard roof on the Church Street (west) elevation and distinctive corner turret including a conical roof. The latter feature is rare in the city, in general, and a landmark within the local neighbourhood, in particular. Located across the street from the open space flanking the Metropolitan United Church (1872), the building is a visible, familiar site as viewed from the high traffic Queen Street streetcar. While both the red brick cladding and several windows on the second floor of the south elevation are currently covered up with metal siding, this treatment is reversible and does not diminish the integrity of the building and its design features.
Jackie Shane was an American soul and rhythm and blues singer, who was most prominent in the jazz music scene of Toronto, Ontario, Canada, in the 1960s. Considered to be a pioneer transgender performer, she was a contributor to the Toronto Sound and is best known for the single "Any Other Way", which was a regional Top 10 hit in Toronto in 1963 and a modest national chart hit across Canada in 1967, reaching number 68.
There is a movie about her life, Any Other Way. Any Other Way: The Jackie Shane Story is streaming on Crave (Canadian).
Friday I went to Best Buy, prepared to buy a new lens (70-325mm), but a telephoto as the current lens is fine as long as you don't try to zoom it (18-250mm).
The sales clerk ticked me off to start with. When he finally found the lens, I wanted to make sure it would fit my older camera and determine the weight and feel of it, and was told they couldn't open the box. I said okay I can return if it doesn't fit. I was told there would be a 15% restocking fee if returned. Needless to say, I didn't buy it.
I wrote to Best Buy and they basically said that's their policy.
Anyway, I saved the money as I decided I didn't need it.
June 14 is going to be a busy day in downtown Toronto. Police are expecting tRump protesters in support of 50501. There are street festivals everywhere including this one at Sankofa Square.
The annual Taste of Little Italy is back and College Street will be closed between Bathurst and Shaw streets from 3 p.m. Friday to 3 a.m. Monday. The event attracts an estimated 250,000 people each year and will run from 7 p.m. to 1 a.m. on Friday, 11 a.m. to 1 a.m. on Saturday, and 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. on Sunday.
Lake Shore W Blvd will be closed from Windermere Avenue to Bathurst Street on Saturday from 4 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. for the Under Armour Toronto 10K Run.
It’s expected there will be more than 8,000 registered runners, with an additional 250 children participating in an 800m kids race, Toronto police say.
In a news release issued Thursday, the TTC says there will be “no subway service on the portion of Line 2 Bloor-Danforth between Jane and Keele stations to accommodate planned signal upgrades” on Saturday.
In addtion, Runnymede and High Park stations will also be closed. GOOD THING we're taking the streetcar on Saturday!
Lake Shore Boulevard East will be closed between Cherry Street to Carlaw Avenue starting at 2 a.m. Saturday, until 3 a.m. Monday.
DESIFEST Now in its 19th year, DESIFEST is more than a music festival — it’s a celebration of culture, identity, and sound that brings together communities from across the South Asian diaspora. From Bollywood tributes to Tamil beats, Punjabi bangers to underground fusion, and everything in between — we proudly spotlight the diverse voices and sounds that shape the South Asian experience in Canada.
Toronto joins NO TYRANTS Worldwide Demonstrations, appropriately they will be meeting after the rally for Post Protest Pints and Politics at 2:30 at the Village Idiot Pub!!!
A few notes: We've changed the "No Kings" theme of other events around the world to "No Tyrants," so as not to mix messages in a country with a monarchy. We're also swapping out "No Crowns!" in favor of "No Clowns!"
BMO's training Centre replaces the IFL that we both have fond memories of.
Friday the 13th is a big day in Port Dover ON.
Police estimate more than 100,000 people converged on Port Dover for Friday the 13th.
I worked on our 6 month recap (why, why, why don't I do this monthly?????)
I just went to Longo's to get some items for the weekend.
I asked the tour company if they could adjust the day of our hop on bus tour.
I had ordered cases with lanyards for our phones, but I ordered the wrist holders by mistake so I rectified that. We have cases now, but these are for Iceland so we can't drop them accidently into the water!
COOKING
I'm happy to report that the frozen donuts and Danish (gluten) are finished.
Saturday ham, Brussel sprouts and mashed potatoes.
Sunday ham and colcannon
Monday chicken wings and fries
Tuesday hamburger stew to use up some dodgy vegetables
Wednesday potato chip haddock (NEW) and salad. I did the haddock in a pan and it was nice and crispy. I usually do it in the oven.
Thursday chips, beans and eggs (John's request)
Friday steak, shrimp w/ dipping sauce, sauteed bean sprouts, peppers, mushrooms, onions
ROST
June 2025 - Toronto ON - Reykjavik Iceland
REYKJAVIK ICELAND
Saturday we headed out at 11:15 to catch the streetcar downtown. We stopped at Union Station to try Jersey Mike's Philly cheesesteaks. John loved it, I thought it was a little one note and preferred the cold cuts.
Then we walked over to Canadian Stage Company, too early, so we enjoyed the sun in Berczy Park, where the dog fountain is.
Heading out.
For the first act, all seven performers sat informally on the stage. In the second act, they dressed up to perform individually or in pairs or trios.
Performed by an illustrious line-up of Canadian musical theatre stars including Thom Allison, Ben Carlson, Janelle Cooper, Joe Matheson, Tracy Michailidis, Daren A. Herbert and Julia Pulo, audiences will travel the country and the decades through music. Highlighting the brilliance of some of Canada's greatest songwriters, this nostalgic concert is our tribute to the artists and stories that have helped to shape our nation's cultural identity. It’s a reflection of who we are, who we’ve been, and who we want to become, presented with feeling, fun, and a deep love for the true north.
We had never heard the song, Miss Chatelaine!! Written by k. d. lang.
The title refers to the Canadian magazine Chatelaine, which named lang Woman of the Year in 1988.
We caught sight of a couple of neighbours (Jim and ?) ahead of as we walked to Richmond to catch the streetcar. They had really enjoyed the show too.
Our phone lanyards arrived along with some new reading glasses for me.
Sunday
The history behind Toronto's own version of "Stonewall" event.
An English friend received my postcards, but not the one I mailed in Madeira (yet).
Monday Murals are from the LX Factory in Lisbon Portugal in April.
John attempted to get a walk in at a dermatologist but they were fully booked.
While he was out I did a good tidy up and was taking the green bin to the recycling when the bottom fell out in front of the elevators! What a mess, eggshells, mushy vegetables, table scraps, ugh, I got it all cleaned up but of course a neighbour came out and a worker to witness it.
I went to Bay and Bloor to get John a couple of lightweight (not winter) scarves for Iceland (black and blue). Then I picked up a couple of items at Mr. Grocer's (Loblaws).
He returned the wrong items we received to Purolator. And he rehung the kitchen pictures that fell last night, well, one fell and knocked the other one down too.
I had asked the tour company to rebook our Day 2 Hop On to Day 4, however they said they couldn't. Then I thought why not rebook our whales and puffins on Day 2 and split it, whales Day 2 so we can do the Hop On after lunch. Then we can do Puffins (1 hr) on Day 4 where we had no big plans! I cancelled the combined tour.
Tuesday Signs are additions to my Chip Off the Ole Block potato chips post.
Happy Icelandic National Day – or as we say in Icelandic, Gleðilegan þjóðhátíðardag! 🇮🇸 Today we’re celebrating our heritage across the country, and also in the skies above. On June 17, 1944, Iceland officially became an independent republic, and the date has been honored ever since with parades, music, and plenty of flag-waving. You might spot marching bands, street performers, and even Fjallkonan (the Lady of the Mountain) reciting poetry in traditional dress.
Tuesday we were up at 6 so that John could drive to the walk in, still no joy, he couldn't find parking and they were already lined up at 6:30.
New plan, Uber booked for tomorrow morning at 6:15. Our first shuttle is 6:35 so that wouldn't work.
John used the golf simulator while I went to Rexall, Winners, $ store and Longos. Then I had a long chat catching up with my cousin.
Wednesday we were up at 5:30. John's Uber came at 6:15 and he was at the clinic at 6:30 and the line up was already 10-15 ahead of him. Basically they do triage and arrange an appointment for you. He took the bus back to Union to get the shuttle at 9 when he got a call and headed back. They did a biopsy and prescribed an antibiotic. No swimming next week.
I went to the Eaton Centre and basically returned empty handed other than the lunch I had.
The condo has done some work and installation of artificial turf in the far west dog park is now complete.
Next week is underground garage power wash so the valets have our car keys to move it.
The mandatory annual fire safety inspection at Palace Pier begins Monday June 23rd and will take approximately 10 days to complete. Dunwell Fire Protection Services will access all suites as noted below between the hours of 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. to carry out the required in-suite inspections. Members of our staff will accompany the fire safety technicians into the suites. They have permission to enter our suite.
Kindly ensure that all chain locks, double locks and alarm systems are turned off to avoid a “no access” situation.
Thursday
It's Juneteenth, a federal holiday (for now) commemorating the end of slavery in the US. Canada has many links to the Underground Railway including this church in St. Catherine's ON with links to Harriet Tubman.
I was up at 6:30 and got us checked in with Icelandic Air and installed the app. I continued working on our 6 month recap and realized I hadn't done a Portugal recap so worked on that.
10 AM mani-pedis for both of us then home and we began packing. We headed out for lunch on the 12:10. John suggested Indian so went to Aroma, all you can eat (AYCE) buffet. We tried a new beer.
Back home, we got organized and finished packing.
Ubers are ordered for tonight and our return flight on Tuesday.
Uber picked us up at 7:35 and we headed to check in which was quick and easy. Security was busy and then to the lounge, however it was filled to capacity so we found a bar near our gate. Crazy, overpriced.
Finally on board. Interesting, we haven't seen this before. Two MedVac guys board, the flight attendants ask some solo passengers if they would change seats, all said no. Two wheel chairs are brought on board. It is clear one woman has a foot injury and they get her seated. A solo passenger then says he would change seats so that the MedVac guy can sit with the patient. As the Toronto staff board the passenger, the MedVac says he will seat her as she has no mobility. They are in the row in front of us. I realize the women are Scottish mother and daughter. I can only assume they were in an accident and heading home. They were in good spirits and very engaged with the attendants.
It dawned on us that many people take advantage of Icelandic Air's offer of a free stopover to the UK and Ireland.
On board. The flight is announced as 4 hours and 40 minutes.
Safety instructions.
Surprised that the cod was served cold.
You can buy your duty free when you land!!
Landing, customs, duty free, baggage pick up, bus to BSI terminal, transfer to your (green) bus to stop 14 to hotel. Start to end 2 hours.
Our bus stop is only a few minutes, uphill to our hotel.
We checked in, rooms not yet available, so we headed for coffee at Brennan's at the corner.
From there we headed to Harpa Concert to meet up for our Food Walk. That will be covered in our Day 1 Reykjavik post. OMG it will take me a whole day to do that post. We did so much, plus it got us grounded and we didn't need dinner!
After the food tour we made our way to the hotel, checked in (4 PM) got a little organized and had a nap (we were up on June 19 around 7, had a couple of hours sleep on the way, and it is only noon at home), and got up at 7 PM to do some wandering.
The rooms are small but good, location is fantastic, on their most famous street. There are enough plugs to charge everything so who needs more?
We headed out after 7 in the sprinkling rain to determine where we needed to meet up in the morning for the whale tour. Then we just wandered.
Rainbow Street
Typical food stand.
It's raining.
9 PM and we may have found our "local". Perfect Guinness at The Irishman's Pub.
10 PM June 20 2025
Back at the hotel around 11, and we had a nightcap of local whisky and I wrote this post.
COOKING
Saturday roast pork, potatoes, carrots, onions and roasted celery (NEW) John didn't care for it.
Sunday leftover pork in garlic sauce with rice
Monday pork schnitzel with Dijon gravy, mashed potatoes and broccolini. I posted the recipe here.
Tuesday easy beef chow mein (NEW)
Wednesday roasted chicken legs, potatoes and honey carrots
Thursday TRANSIT
Friday Rejkjavik food walk
TE AND KAFFI
June 2025 - Reykjavik Iceland - Toronto
Day 1 June 19 (TRANSIT) - 20 2025 Reykjavik Iceland Thursday - Friday
Last week's summary included our Thursday flight and Friday's Food Walk is included in Day 1 link above. However, here is a collage of what we ate!
Drinks are not included in the price. The tour was €121 per person. Considering, for example, the donut is $20 CAD, it wasn't bad. The guide was fun and we wouldn't have tried all these places on our own. It also gave us our bearings around town.
SATURDAY
≈14,000 steps
After a very European breakfast, cold cuts, cheeses, tomatoes, cucumbers, yogurt, pastries and the worst coffee ever, and it didn't improve.
We geared up for our whale watching tour at 9 AM.
John with our reusable water bottles with water straight from the tap, how amazing is that!
Coffee stop after that deplorable hotel coffee.
All Aboard! Told you we were bundled up!
We did get glimpses of whales and spotted a number of blowholes.
On Thursday I received the photos that the tour had taken on our trip.
We laughed when John was searching for a location and it knew we were in the North Atlantic Ocean and "can't seem to find a way there"!!
It was raining when we got back and it continued all day long.
But we headed out to find a good lunch, only a couple of blocks from our hotel.
We spent the rainy, chilly afternoon wandering and it is covered in the Day 2 post. We even visited the Penis Museum!
The collection begins when our founder and original curator, Sigurður Hjartarson, is given a bull penis pizzle as a joke by his teaching staff when he worked as a headmaster in the small town of Akranes. Giving him a phallus became an ongoing joke and as some of the teachers had summer jobs at a whaling station, Sigurður got some interesting specimens, and an interest in collecting more mammal species developed.
American artist Cynthia Albritton (1947- 2022) from Chicago, Illinois, is best known for making plaster casts of rockstar phalluses. Her ingenious use of the substance alginate made for a solid cast which would later soften and safely exit the mould. Her phallological contribution to popular culture is invaluable and her work has inspired artists across various fields.
One of her first casts was Jimi Hendrix, but after moving to Los Angeles, by patronage of Frank Zappa (1940-1993), she was able to make many more. Her first exhibition was in 2000, in New York. In 2022 she donated, the Jimi "Display Model", from the series 'Dice' to the museum. Donation was facilitated by friends John Culver, Kathy Tynus, Chris Kellner and Babette Novak.
Jimi met Cynthia Albritton in 1968. She had intended to make a cast of his bass player, Noel Redding (1945-2003), but his erection failed him and then Jimi stepped in to fill his shoes. The result was what may be the most famous penis cast in history.
Some more wandering.
Heading out to our dinner splurge, we stopped into a convenience store.
The oldest bookstore in Reykjavik, Iceland, is Eymundsson, established in 1872. It was founded by Sigfús Eymundsson, who was a photographer and bookbinder. Initially named "Bókaverslun Sigfúsar Eymundsson", it has remained at the same location on Austurstræti, though the building was rebuilt in 1960. Eymundsson is known for its extensive collection of Icelandic and foreign literature, stationery, and gifts, and often hosts literary events.
What an incredible meal at The Fish Company.
How cute is this!! The bill was presented in a change purse.
This photo was taken at 10 PM. For 3 hours of twilight, the sun sits just below the horizon and delivers lingering natural light.
Day 3 Sun June 22 2025 Reykjavik
≈17,000 steps
This was supposed to be our Golden Circle tour day but I didn't feel great and we both went back to bed and slept until 12:30!!! We are good at pivoting and by the end of the day had developed another plan that allowed us to do everything we wanted.
We went for crepes (gluten free!) and coffee $68 CAD. Then we spent the day strolling around town.
We went to the church.
Lundi is the Icelandic word for puffin, making the name as short and easy to remember as the lovable creature it refers to. Although they aren’t the national animal of Iceland, you might get the impression that they are, especially when walking along the shopping streets in Reykjavík. This cute little bird is the superstar of all the local gift shops! When you want a puffin shop, “Lundinn” is the name to look for!
Coffee shop - hygge means quality of coziness and comfortable conviviality that engenders a feeling of contentment or well-being (regarded as a defining characteristic of Danish culture).
The Kingdom of Iceland (Icelandic: Konungsríkið Ísland; Danish: Kongeriget Island) was a sovereign and independent country under a constitutional and hereditary monarchy that was established by the Act of Union with Denmark signed on 1 December 1918. It lasted until 17 June 1944 when a national referendum established the republic of Iceland in its place.
Typical snack food.
We wandered down to the harbour.
Refilling our water bottles. You can drink directly from public water fountains and taps, as the tap water is exceptionally clean and safe to drink. Locals often refer to it as "kranavatn," and it's considered a premium quality, environmentally friendly option. Many tourists are encouraged to bring reusable bottles and fill them up at these fountains, reducing plastic waste.
Icelandic tap water is known for its purity as the water undergoes natural filtration through lava rock, resulting in a clean and safe source.
Waiting for my hot dog. It was funny that an American woman said to me “oh, you smell so good, what is your perfume” at a hot dog stand!!
Across the street.
Pósthustræti 2 — one of the relatively few buildings in Reykjavík that has simply stood, more or less unaltered, since 1919. The building was designed by Iceland’s State Architect Guðjón Samúelsson, who managed during his 30 year tenure to build the bulk of Reykjavík’s most prominent buildings, including Hallgrímskirkja, the main building of the University of Iceland, Hotel Borg, The Iceland Art Museum, The National Museum, the old Hospital building and the first indoor swimming pool in Reykjavík, to name a few.
It was originally built as the offices of Iceland’s first shipping company Eimskip, founded in 1914. It became a hotel in 2004, but until then the front of the building featured Eimskip’s original logo; a swastika. Because the building was on the list of historical sites in Iceland, the symbol could not be destroyed, so it was simply covered up when Radisson SAS renovated the building into a hotel. The shipping company stopped using the building during World War 2, but why the swastika was displayed until 2004, we have no clue.
Eimskip adopted the logo some years earlier than an at-the-time obscure political party in Weimar era Germany. Prior to the Nazi’s adopting it, the symbol was used for various purposes by various parties all over the world, from an Irish laundry company to the Finnish Air Force. Nobody cared who used it first, because it was stigmatized beyond repair — making the fact that the symbol remained for so long even less comprehensible.
Back to prices, here is a typical breakfast menu. John is blown away by a single egg costing $7. But then 2 eggs plus bacon and bagel is $32.
Chips (dedicated GF fryer) for dinner and Gull makes gluten free beer.
≈21,000 steps
We went to the puffin tour office at the harbour and they were very obliging and moved our puffin tour until tomorrow which meant we could do the Golden Circle tour at 12:30 from the bus terminal. We grabbed pizza slices.
It cost John 200 kr to go to the bathroom, credit card accepted, no cash accepted.
The Golden Circle bus tour takes you on a day trip to see the world-famous Geysir geothermal area and Gullfoss, the queen of Icelandic waterfalls, as well as Thingvellir National Park.
Geysir Geothermal Park
The Geysir geothermal area boasts spouting springs, including Strokkur, the most active geyser in Iceland.
If you don't want to be drenched, stay up-wind.
Gullfoss Waterfall
At Gullfoss you are given the opportunity to stand next to the amazing waterfall, watching enormous quantities of water tumble violently into a deep, meandering gorge.
Thingvellir National Park
Whether you take the morning or the afternoon tour, you will spend your time encountering a cross-section of Iceland's natural wonders and geological phenomena at Thingvellir National Park, an area of historical and geological significance.
This was a real favourite of ours.
Bonus was getting dropped off in town by the church, saving us a taxi from the bus terminal.
We went for a beer at the Viking bar. Divide by ten to get an approximate CAD $ price.
Dinner Tres Locos $108 CAD for 2 beer and 4 tacos! Lamb and cod.
Day 5: Tuesday June 24 2025 Reykjavik and TRANSIT
≈10000 steps
We dressed for the puffin tour at 10 AM and left our luggage at the hotel after checking out.
From there we grabbed an early lunch of fish and chips.
Then dessert at Hresso.
We headed back to the hotel, changed and headed to the airport for our 5 PM flight. We misread the bus instructions and thought our pick up was at 1:30, but when we got to the bus stop we realized it said to be there 30-45 minutes before that time…we walked over to a Center hotel and they called a cab for us, don’t ask about the cost!
And just like that we're home! And a new dot on the map!
I found this great Youtube video - walking downtown Reykjavik. Walking video
Wednesday and we didn't have any jetlag. John headed out to his weekly golf game. I went to Longo's for some groceries. Then I worked on my blog and sorted photos. I took John's videos and converted them to MP4s.
The annual fire inspection was done while we were away.
The underground garage power wash was also done while we were away.
Thursday we had a lazy day at home. We started the certified exit to get rid of our timeshare. We'll see how that goes as we have no plans to go to the States and the maintenance fee payments are in US $ so we do not want to contribute to the US economy.
I finished my daily Iceland recaps. I received the photos from the whale watching tour, their photos were not much better than ours.
Friday I did some laundry (John needed his hat for golf)! I went to Longo's for weekend vegetables and ice cream as we want to make date shakes on the weekend!
I made some small batch mini cheesecakes, lime, this time.
EATING/COOKING
Saturday Reykjavik
Sunday Reykjavik
Monday Reykavik
Tuesday Transit
Wednesday cheeseburgers and potato chips
Thursday lamb Shepherd's pie using Jamie's recipe from his Comfort Food cookbook
Friday steak, sauteed mushrooms, green peppers, onions and a (shared) baked potato
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