Travel

For those who think we only sit around and complain about the weather, we are jubilado (retired), so we travel!

In August, we went to Santa Fe, New Mexico for the Opera Season.  One year - a few years back - we decided to go to Santa Fe for the opera.  We'd visited at the holidays before as we had doggie friends who lived in/around Santa Fe.  

So we bought some tickets, singed up for the preview buffet and turned up for dinner before the opera.  At that time they seated folks rather than letting them find their own places (they may still do, but as established opera-goers, we usually decline their seating services).  

So we were seated at a table for six and, being shy types, looked timerously as each party of two was led towards our table.  Each two-some was escorted past us - much to our relief) until two gentlemen were seated with us.  Well, we got on like a house afire.  The folks who do the seating are aces! We were living in Los Angeles at the time and the gentlemen frequently came to southern California for quick breaks so there were several meetings, dinners, concerts, et cetera.

We now go to Santa Fe annually and always share some time at the opera.

Santa Fe was swell, but a little complicated this year.  To take advantage of sales on Volaris, we arrived (and departed) through San Diego - via Tijuana - about 12 hours apart. Luckily most of the Volaris staff are bilingual.  [The first time we flew Volaris we nearly missed our flight, not understanding what was being announced!]  

I crossed the border at San Ysidro so I could take the trolley into San Diego (you know me and my alternate-forms-of-transportation thing) to meet my sister closer to their home; Michael crossed at Otay Mesa, from where he needed a pick-up.  Paula and Tim swear that Otay Mesa is no problem, so we'll be using that entry for both of us in the future:  closer to the TIJ airport, nearly a walk-thru situation with the Border Patrol as opposed to an hour or more shuffling in line at San Ysidro, and only a short walk to McDonald's where family/friends can wait for your arrival.  And there are factory stores nearby!  With staff who actually want to help you!! Yahoo!!!!!  We became fast friends of the Ralph Lauren Polo store there during this trip. We only went there because a friend here in San Miguel asked for a particular brand of sport shirt, but we'll certainly be back!

Paula and Tim's excellent friends, Scott and Christopher, were in town and also staying at their home part of the time, so there was a certain amount of bed/house swapping to accommodate everyone.  Hadn't seen Scott and Christopher in ages (they live in San Francisco now), so it was good to catch up with them!  Busy, talented kids who are working up a moveable cabaret with P/T.

Then off to Santa Fe via a flight to ABQ.  I love the San Diego airport: spacious, excellent crowd handling, pleasant atmosphere.  Once in New Mexico there were the usual summer thunderstorms (a bumpy plane arrival by plane), but they missed the opera showtimes, so that was good.  Other days it poured!  First visit - Target for those umbrellas we thought we'd brought with us....  

Stayed at La Quinta Inns within driving distance of downtown - much prefer walking to the square, but it's cheaper further out.  LQ was being remodeled, so internet service was spotty in our room.  Although Michael could sign on with his iPhone, my netbook could recognize the signal, but couldn't connect except between 3:00 and 4:00 AM!  I slept through some of those nights.

Next year I think we're looking at Buffalo Thunder, on the north side of town a few miles out, but probably downtown SF is as reachable as when staying on the south side 'cuz it's highway into town, instead of heavily traveled surface streets.  It might even be a quicker drive, too.

Met up with our friends from Santa Fe - Michael (another!) and Will - who own a business caring for homes (well, it's more than caring for homes: involves taking cars to other parts of the West if one of their Santa Fe customers wants the Rolls to be in San Francisco when they arrive from Dallas, et cetera) for one of the operas.  They prefer closer seats that we usually occupy, and they care for the homes of 2 opera divas who maintain houses there: Susan Graham and Joyce DiDonato.  Both will be singing in the 2013 season, so we'll have seats in the front of the house for those two operas with Michael and Will (The Grand Duchess of Gerolstein (Offenbach) with Susan Graham and La Donna del Lago (a Scottish opera by Rossini) with Joyce DiDonato, and seats towards the back for the other 3 operas (Marriage of Figaro (Mozart), La Traviata (Verdi) and a world premier, Oscar - yes, the Wilde man - (Morrison) with David Daniels, a fabulouso countertenor! 

Only saw 3 operas this year (we backed out of 2 to save tix, hotel, meals expenses), but are booked and paid for all 5 next year plus the two buffet dinners, so there won't be that temptation next year.  We had already bought our non-refundable plane tickets for the return to Mexico, so Paula and Tim got to host us for a few extra days of shopping!  Sat next to a lovely couple from Arkansas who were attending SFO for the first time.  The wife reminded us of our sister-in-law, Jane, and now if we turn up in Arkansas, we have a place to go.

A blow-by-blow description of the restaurants/operas/shopping must wait for a longer blog entry. Shortly: Pearl Fishers (Bizet) we knew only by the duet from the first act that one hears around; King Roger by Szysmanowski (I'm sure I've spelled that wrong - (later) fixed that spelling!) is a new favorite which we knew only through the Sydney Ballet's adaptation by Graeme Murphy (thank you, uTube); and Verdi's Tosca with Thomas Hampson (an L.A. Opera and Philharmonic stalwart) as Scarpia.  As usual, imaginative stagings, fine acting, and glorious music.  They just do things so well there - and in the middle of the desert (don't let them hear that remark).

Now we're prepping for a Hawai'i cruise on the Disney Wonder that comes up in mid-October.  Spreadsheets completed (except for pesky updates); packing lists made; formal wear tried on for sizes; some collaborative shuttle service arranged with others on Facebook/Disboards making the trip; port excursions arranged; last minute orders for our travel agent to deal with; all that sort of thing. 

There will also be times to arrange meet-ups with folks from past cruises who will be at DL while we're there between the cruise and our return to Mexico.  It's going to be a busy couple of days!  Old home week....

No more cruises until 2014: the Panama Canal on the Norwegian Star. We were booked on Disney for the PC cruise from Miami to Los Angeles (with a quickie Miami/Key West/Castaway Cay/Miami before it), but Norwegian is cheaper and they've got their 2014 schedule out already, so we could push the cruise back several months.  And we've sailed on the Star before and enjoy 'Anytime Dining' so it will be fine.  We're planning on flying to Orlando for WDW, then hopping down to Miami and cruising through the Canal back to L.A. in January '14.  

No cruises planned for 2013, though there is a placeholder ressie for December '13 that will probably  be moved forward or back.  Disney is sailing out of Galveston thru the Eastern Caribbean (with a stop in Port Canaveral that includes transport/park entry to WDW for a day) plus a stop in Key West (I've always wanted to visit there since seeing that Arnold Schwartzenegger/Jamie Lee Curtis spy movie - True Lies?) through May of 2013.  Still considering that possibility.

Otherwise, same-old, same-old.  Our SMA gurus - Carol Schmidt and Norma Hair (Falling in Love with San Miguel) - have moved back to the states after 10 years in San Miguel.  Carol's health was being affected by our altitude here and she was facing dragging an oxygen cylinder around town - NOT.  Now they're back in a suburb of Phoenix (if you can call 50 miles away a suburb) and she's doing much better with a normal oxygen reading of around 97%!  They were forlorn at leaving SMA, but it was for the best.  Not that we lived in each others' pockets, but it's odd to know that they're not here any longer. Something's missing in the air, ya know?

Between trips we made it through another celebration of the Revolution this last weekend.  Other than a lot of cuetes (aerial bombs), it was sort of quiet - at least in our part of the town.  Tons of people in Centro (many from Mexico City - for whom San Miguel is a reachable vacation/weekend spot), but quieter than in the past, I understand.  This is the first time we've been in San Miguel for the holiday but we didn't really get too involved.  San Miguel = good; crowds = bad.


And that's what we've been doing to keep us out of trouble!