I’m going to attempt to squeeze our 2023 into this single post. The flash that was 2023 has ended and I have been amazed at how quickly it went by.
I think it’s safe to say at this point that I will never get to those old 2022 travel posts. If you follow us on Instagram, then you’re aware of places we’ve traveled to this year especially because I’ve been doing a better job there of posting.
Squeezing 2023 into one post: It’s a biggie:
I just find it harder and harder to set time aside for posts, and imagine, our lives are not really that exciting :-). Truthfully, we were having trouble recollecting where we’d been. Thank heavens for Google Photos.
January 2023 Escapade:
We started January off with a visit to Bologna, Parma, Modena, and Torino and it was a blast. I won’t bore you with the details again and will instead, link to the posts.
March Getaway:
For half of the month, we were in Valladolid, San Sebastian, and Zaragosa, three beautiful cities. San Sebastian, pretty as it was, was way too expensive, so no repeat visits there as we can get the same thing elsewhere. Peñiscola (view our YouTube video on it) is just an hour away from here.
Valladolid and Zaragosa are gorgeous and we both liked them very much. It’s amazing how much beauty there is in Spain. Seriously!
As far as Michelin restaurants are concerned, it’s no biggie since we don’t eat at those kinds of establishments :-). I think Bilbao is tons better, but that’s just my humble opinion.
June in Mallorca:
We spent a week in Palma de Mallorca and I was surprised at how much it reminded me of Valencia. I think I could live there if it wasn’t for the fact that it’s an island. Shades of Malta and we would get island fever at some point in time. Their cathedral is stunning.
July 2023 Getaway: London
July had us in London, and we enjoyed ten days there. It’s safe to say that neither of us will ever get tired of that city. I dragged him to see the show “Wicked” and much to his surprise, he enjoyed it.
Good thing too because I enjoy seeing shows and have been slacking off lately because of his reluctance. The weather mostly cooperated too which was great. We had only one day of a really heavy downpour.
Luckily we were close to a bridge underpass and were able to seek refuge with the others. Of course, we had left our packed umbrellas at the accommodation that day hedging our bets.
October in Italy:
We stayed put in Valencia until October, then got the itch to travel once again, so we headed to Rome (which I wrote about here) to visit with his sister and her kids.
Afterward, we went on to Florence and then Bologna after changing our minds several times, putting, then crossing off Pisa and Lucca and some other places I can’t remember and heading to our favorites in the region.
Neither one of us had regrets. It’d been four years since our last trip to Florence, so it felt fresh again.
November in Palermo:
Not two weeks after that trip, we left for Palermo on what was supposed to be a four-day trip that turned into nine nights because we’d tack on another night at the end of each day (thank goodness I hadn’t booked return tickets).
It was a whole lot of eating street food and traveling to neighboring places like Cefalu, Monreale, and even little villages high up in the mountains.
Never again. I am never, ever, going to visit a place more than 300 meters above sea level when there is no paved road or street lights :-). I don’t think I’ve ever prayed as much as I did going to Isnello.
On the way back down on a road that was barely one lane, there was construction on the other side and another bus was coming up and our driver had to back up the mountain.
It was a harrowing experience and he was so nonchalant while I was picturing us rolling down the mountain.
We both enjoyed Palermo and will return. It’s another place I could live in, him too, but maybe not in the city center where we stayed. It’s way too hectic. The food though, oh my, it’s worth the chaos. Street food rules.
London part 2 in December:
December? Yeah, we made another trip to London. What can I say? We love it. We visited Christmas markets and ate a whole lot more. I also talked him into seeing “Tina” (I’m on a roll 🙂 ) and he liked that one too.
He had no idea of her back story, much like me when l got a chance to see her in concert way, way back in Boston. I was in the same room while my friend interviewed her for the Globe. I had no idea who she was then either and I look back now and wish I’d known. I only cared about Billy Idol in those days :-).
How 2024 is shaping up:
What travels are in store for 2024? I don’t know. I plan on spontaneous travels but I think we would like to use the trains more. I like the thought of France via the efficient train service.
Depending on how things look in the States, we might visit. It’s been far too long and I miss my peeps.
My plan for this year also includes perhaps moving up a notch in the low-cost airline landscape. For instance, spring for British Airways tickets as opposed to Ryanair. We end up adding onto the initial price anyway and end up paying almost the same. The main reason is not wanting to feel like cattle anymore, even after paying for priority seats, etc.
Both of us feel guilty sometimes because we have more options to travel since the passing of the doggies.
We won’t be getting any replacements but sometimes our friends try to pressure us into getting new pets often. We can’t handle it right now. We make do by watching dogs on social media. Selfish maybe, but it’s the right thing for us. It’s nice to just lock up and go.
As I’ve said previously, Valencia continues to amaze us so we are not going anywhere. I’ve got my permanent residency also :-). The picture is the ugliest thing I’ve ever seen. EVER! You can’t even see me because they use a B/W scanner. Duh!
We had a birds-eye view of the fireworks from our balcony for New Year. First year I think I made it past midnight in a while.
So, what’s our grade for 2023?
I would give it a solid A-. Better than the previous year. Whew! I can’t believe I managed to get it all in one. Looking back on the year, we are thankful that we’re both in good health and that everything is going smoothly.
We are also thankful for you guys who have stuck with us over the years, almost 9 years I think. Mindboggling isn’t it? Might account for the fatigue.
How was your year? Care to share fun travels etc?
Happy New Year to you and Federico! Congratulations on getting your permanant residency – that a big step! Sorry to hear about the passing of your dogs but great that you were able to travel so much this year (FWIW, I didn´t think Palermo was as gritty as Naples and Marseille and enjoyed it more). Cheers.
Hola Kris! Happy New Year to you too! Thanks, it was a slug…but happy that it’s done and l hope to never use it aside from the airport :-). I truly can’t pick between those three places to be honest, but if my life depended on it, I would say a tie between Marseille and Palermo but you can’t go wrong.
Kem Kem – What a great year! You two have been hopping all over the place! Thank you for the reports from the front lines of European travel!
We officially took the plunge and closed on our new apartment in Cayamelar/Cabanyal in November! It needs work, but we are excited! We’ll be back in the spring for a couple months, but the details are still fuzzy until we know more about the reforma work and schedule. Meanwhile, I’ll keep reading what you post so I can plan for our wanderings around Europe! Hope to see you and Federico in 2024!
Happy New Year! Haha… yes, we have been on the go quite a lot and I didn’t realize it until putting it down. Congratulations on the flat! You must be thrilled and I’m sure it’s quite a big relief. I predict you’ll be happy you purchased now as the prices don’t look to be slowing. Here is the link to an article on my Valencia blog in case you dont have it where I go into more detail on what’s happening. https://expatinvalencia.com/9-ways-valencia-is-handling-expat-crush/
I am scouring train routes in anticipation as I write :-). Take care.
What a wonderful post. I am in awe of all your travels. After I move and settle in, I am hoping to start some traveling later this year. Train/bike/bus are my transport ideas so far. Happy New Year and thanks again for sharing your travels.
Thanks so much for reading it Maria! Food and travel, and not necessarily in that order :-). Yes, I would love to follow your travels but like I told you, you get enough exercise for all of us with that little compact bike of yours. I’m looking forward to more train travel for us too. See you on the road 🙂
It was a full year, indeed. I’m sure it’s great to lose track of the places you’ve visited, especially when they’re so amazing. It’s good that you got the chance to revisit places you enjoy. This way, you’re 100% sure you’re going to like it there.
I hope that 2024 will be even better, giving you the chance to enjoy more of the things you already like and discover a few new ones to add to that list 🙂
It really was. Haha! It’s either a good sign that we lost track, or that we’re both getting senile :-). Google Photos really came in handy because as you konw, I had been slacking off on the blogs. Yep, at this point in life, I am so okay to go back to places I love. I am not in any competition.
We wish the same for you this year, one which is already shaping up to be an odd one :-).
Happy New Year to you and Fedde, Kemkem. To many happy travels the coming year.
And yes that looks a ghastly dish. 😂😂
See you soon! Famke
Happy New Year to you too Famke. Haha! Yes, indeed, there is nothing like horrible, ghastly food :-). Here is to more travels this year for all of us, and thansk for dropping in. Hope to see you soon too.
Happy New Year to both of you! You had a great year with lots of short trips in Europe – especially to Italy. So, where can I get this devilish coffee thing with whipped cream and pistachio on top? If you come to Berlin, let us know!
Happy New Year to you too! Yes, there were plenty of short ones. That soothes us fine right now and Italy sure has called us and we’ve answered the hunger pangs :-). You have also been doing a lot of travel and we might even consider a longer trip now thanks to your adventures. That delicious treat was from a cafe in Florence really close to the Plaza Signorina called Minuto Bauli. Now you have me craving for it again. It was insanely good :-). If we do make it to Berlin again, we will surely let you know. Take care!