We are home and back into our routines. The trip back went well - everything was on time and no problems with flight to Houston and then to Mexico City. We only had an hour between flights in Houston but taking the tram from one terminal to the other was a breeze, especially since we did not have to go through security again.
It was almost 10 p.m. by the time we cleared customs in Mexico City - which was simple and we didn't have our luggage inspected - darn, I could have brought that russet potato back with me like I was tempted to do. There is basically only one kind of potato here - white. It's good but boring. How nice it would be if John could grow some Russets - but it is not to be - yet.
In the Mexico City airport there was a little office for the Ramada where we had reservations. It's right by the airport but you have to take a shuttle to get there. The woman in the office called them and we waited there comfortably until it arrived. The hotel was very nice and we had a little bite to eat in the restaurant before retiring.
In the morning we had no schedule as the buses to San Miguel from the airport run every 50 min. So, we went down for breakfast and were pleasantly surprised to find a huge breakfast buffet included in the price of the room. We had lovely custom made omelettes - among other things. The shuttle took us back to the airport where we boarded a bus for the trip back home - well actually to Queretaro and then a taxi ride to our house. That was the worst part of the trip - it was hot and the taxi had no a/c and he drove too fast. Oh well, we made it. The doggies were thrilled to see us and we them. It's always good to be home.
We would have to say that this was an excellent home exchange and our exchange partners also had a great time in San Miguel.
Seattle Skyline
Friday, June 17, 2011
Monday, June 6, 2011
Back to Seattle with a Stop on Bainbridge
On Sunday we had a leisurely morning before heading back to Seattle in warm but cloudy weather. Friends Zan and Paul who we met in San Miguel, live on Bainbridge Island. They also have a home in San Miguel and hope to spend more time there in the future. Zan is a fellow horse enthusiast. They invited us to stop at their home for dinner on the way back and we did. They have a lovely home right on the beach with a fabulous view. We sat on the patio overlooking the water visiting and drinking a glass or two of wine and then had a very nice salmonburger dinner. The time flew by and we realized it was time to head to the ferry. We were trying for the 8:10 sailing but got there just a couple of minutes too late but no problem - the next one was 8:55 so not long to wait. All went well and we enjoyed a pleasant 25 minute crossing to downtown Seattle with the sun setting behind us and a nice view of the Seattle skyline. From there it was just short drive home.
Tomorrow we will will tidying up and packing for the trip home on Tuesday.
Tomorrow we will will tidying up and packing for the trip home on Tuesday.
Sunday, June 5, 2011
A Trip to Portland for a Family Visit
Friday morning we headed south to Portland for a visit with John's nieces, Becky (& husband John) and Ruth (& husband Chuck and 3 boys Jack, Joe and Michael), his sisters, Mary and Ruth and Mary's husband, Curly. The sisters live in southern California and the nieces both live in Portland.
We left after rush hour so the traffic wasn't too bad. I had booked a room on line at the Rodeway Inn near niece Becky's house but when we told her, she thought it might not be too nice - they drove by a couple of days ago and said we probably shouldn't stay there - it was right next door to a Strip Club. So, I cancelled and re-booked at one of the places Becky recommended - Homewood Suites by Hilton. The price was good and included full breakfast.
The drive down was mostly Interstate and it was gloriously sunny all the way and WARM. Finally, the temperatures were in the 70's and 80's. We arrived and settled into our suite which was very nice. We headed out to buy a new laptop for John - checked out Best Buy and Costco - bought it at Costco. The nice thing about shopping in Oregon is that there is no sales tax.
We went to niece Ruth's home and had a happy reunion with the family - who we had not seen in a number of years. We shared a few bottles of wine and Ruth made a nice dinner. It was a very pleasant evening of catching up and reliving memories.
Saturday morning we enjoyed a big breakfast at our hotel and then found our way to Alpenrose - a big commercial dairy who does a lot for the community including building and maintaining a beautiful Little League ballpark. We all watched young Michael and his teammates lose a baseball game. The weather was fabulous - clear blue skies and warm temperatures. All the pale Oregonians were trying to add a little color to their skin. From there we went out to lunch and then consolidated into Ruth's van for a drive up to the Pittock Mansion for a view of the mountains. Due to the fabulous weather we had a beautiful view of Mt Hood, the port of Portland and we could see several other mountains.
Later we gathered for our final dinner at Becky and John's home. Again we enjoyed a little wine and a delicious meal. Another old friend from John's past, Herb, was invited over and we enjoyed the addition of his cheerful company.
All in all, it was a wonderful family visit and we're hoping that we can all get together again soon.
We left after rush hour so the traffic wasn't too bad. I had booked a room on line at the Rodeway Inn near niece Becky's house but when we told her, she thought it might not be too nice - they drove by a couple of days ago and said we probably shouldn't stay there - it was right next door to a Strip Club. So, I cancelled and re-booked at one of the places Becky recommended - Homewood Suites by Hilton. The price was good and included full breakfast.
The drive down was mostly Interstate and it was gloriously sunny all the way and WARM. Finally, the temperatures were in the 70's and 80's. We arrived and settled into our suite which was very nice. We headed out to buy a new laptop for John - checked out Best Buy and Costco - bought it at Costco. The nice thing about shopping in Oregon is that there is no sales tax.
We went to niece Ruth's home and had a happy reunion with the family - who we had not seen in a number of years. We shared a few bottles of wine and Ruth made a nice dinner. It was a very pleasant evening of catching up and reliving memories.
Saturday morning we enjoyed a big breakfast at our hotel and then found our way to Alpenrose - a big commercial dairy who does a lot for the community including building and maintaining a beautiful Little League ballpark. We all watched young Michael and his teammates lose a baseball game. The weather was fabulous - clear blue skies and warm temperatures. All the pale Oregonians were trying to add a little color to their skin. From there we went out to lunch and then consolidated into Ruth's van for a drive up to the Pittock Mansion for a view of the mountains. Due to the fabulous weather we had a beautiful view of Mt Hood, the port of Portland and we could see several other mountains.
Later we gathered for our final dinner at Becky and John's home. Again we enjoyed a little wine and a delicious meal. Another old friend from John's past, Herb, was invited over and we enjoyed the addition of his cheerful company.
All in all, it was a wonderful family visit and we're hoping that we can all get together again soon.
Trip to BC via Ferry - Anacortes to Sidney
We had to set the alarm clock for 5 a.m. because the ferry leaves Anacortes to Sidney at 8:30 a.m. (only one a day) and we needed to be there about an hour early, we thought, to park and buy our tickets. It was about an an hour and a half to Anacortes and we drove through a fair amount of rain but it stopped near our destination. There was a good secure parking lot right at the ferry entrance for $20 for 48 hours. We purchased our tickets - could only buy one-way because of customs and immigration coming back. Senior fare was 1/2 price so it was about $8 each for the nearly 3 hour trip.
The ferry was run by the State of Washington - the Chelan. There were plenty of seats and lots of big windows to see the scenery. There was a cafeteria and a duty free shop. We settled in for the ride through the San Juan Islands with one stop - Friday Harbor - along the way. The seas were very calm so it was a comfortable trip with lots of clouds but no rain. We enjoyed the scenery and arrived on time in Sidney. We cleared immigration and our friends, Nan and John were there to greet us. Nan and John used to spend their winters in their San Miguel de Allende home and I got to know Nan because of horsey connections. About 5 years ago, they sold their home in SMA and then stayed in Canada to be near their grandchildren and family.
Their Sidney home was just a few minutes from the ferry dock so we went there first and they showed us to their lovely apartment that they normally rent out long term but it was vacant for a couple of days so we were invited to stay there. Then John and Nan drove us all over Sidney and to Victoria to see the sights. The beaches are all public so we stopped at a couple of places and walked to the beach to enjoy the views. We went to a Cajun restaurant right on the water for lunch. There was even alligator on the menu (imported from LA) but we passed on that. The sun actually came out during our lunch.
After our touring we went back to the house and had a very nice visit and a little wine. For dinner we went to another restaurant on the water and enjoyed a nice fresh fish meal (ahi tuna). It was delicious.
John and Nan made a lovely big breakfast the next morning and we visited some more before our return to the ferry dock for the trip back to Anacortes. It was still cloudy but no rain. We did the trip in reverse and enjoyed the scenery again. We played a little Scrabble on my Kindle.
Back in Anacortes we headed for home with a stop at our favorite grocery store for a piece of Sockeye salmon for dinner. It was very nice but I've now decided that I like the King salmon better than the Copper River sockeye. Who would have guessed that there were such differences in salmon?
The ferry was run by the State of Washington - the Chelan. There were plenty of seats and lots of big windows to see the scenery. There was a cafeteria and a duty free shop. We settled in for the ride through the San Juan Islands with one stop - Friday Harbor - along the way. The seas were very calm so it was a comfortable trip with lots of clouds but no rain. We enjoyed the scenery and arrived on time in Sidney. We cleared immigration and our friends, Nan and John were there to greet us. Nan and John used to spend their winters in their San Miguel de Allende home and I got to know Nan because of horsey connections. About 5 years ago, they sold their home in SMA and then stayed in Canada to be near their grandchildren and family.
Their Sidney home was just a few minutes from the ferry dock so we went there first and they showed us to their lovely apartment that they normally rent out long term but it was vacant for a couple of days so we were invited to stay there. Then John and Nan drove us all over Sidney and to Victoria to see the sights. The beaches are all public so we stopped at a couple of places and walked to the beach to enjoy the views. We went to a Cajun restaurant right on the water for lunch. There was even alligator on the menu (imported from LA) but we passed on that. The sun actually came out during our lunch.
After our touring we went back to the house and had a very nice visit and a little wine. For dinner we went to another restaurant on the water and enjoyed a nice fresh fish meal (ahi tuna). It was delicious.
John and Nan made a lovely big breakfast the next morning and we visited some more before our return to the ferry dock for the trip back to Anacortes. It was still cloudy but no rain. We did the trip in reverse and enjoyed the scenery again. We played a little Scrabble on my Kindle.
Back in Anacortes we headed for home with a stop at our favorite grocery store for a piece of Sockeye salmon for dinner. It was very nice but I've now decided that I like the King salmon better than the Copper River sockeye. Who would have guessed that there were such differences in salmon?
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