A. Mixed. Bag.

Lessons learned AND stuff observed:

• YES, I DO say 'Ola' to everyone in my close proximity.   Tinto says, 'Stop stirring the locals!'  Whaaaaaat?  Tinto explains the English don't do that.  (Hmmmmm, well, I am not English.) We were putting things away on scooter and an old man pulls up in his even older truck and Hell, we are standing RIGHT next to him, so...what do you think I say?  Yep.  Rightio.  He smiles this big toothless grin, grabs a box from his truck and heads into store.  When he comes right back out, he holds up a finger as if to say 'Hold on a minute.'  Next thing we know...he is coming back towards us with 2 fists full and presents his fists to Tinto. His hands are filled with recently harvested ALMONDS!  We laugh, and smile, and say, 'Gracias!' and Tinto has SO many he has trouble getting them into his jacket pockets. The old man's gummy smile and twinkling blue eyes get even larger and he leaves us with 2 thumbs up!  I look right at Tinto.  He replies, 'Okay, okay, My Darling...I need to learn to be less English and more like you.'  He has been saying 'Ola' ever since...but, still - has won NO almonds!  We enjoyed those almonds for a week.  Tinto learned a lesson.  Does not cost a cent to say OLA!  Tinto even WAVES at passing motorhomes now.  THIS is a FIRST!  

• Walking through a tiny town centre and man yells loudly to me, 'Senora, your hat is on backwards!'  Yes, he had had a bit to drink, but...I looked at Tinto and said, 'You've been letting me walk around all night with my hat on BACKWARDS?  (Nice, English felt hat...reminds me of Tinto's Akubra.)  He retorts, 'Why was that man looking so closely at you that he knew your hat was on backwards?'  And, I said, 'Well, if you had been looking at me at all...we would not be having this conversation.'  (I switch from my helmet to my hat very quickly when we arrive at destination, but...STILL.)  I wondered if this was as bad as when I put my car keys in the fridge.  !??

• Tinto says every friggin' time we hop on scooter:  'We are ONE with the bike; lean with me; our bodies are ONE.'  BULL.  I will NOT go into full detail, but we leaned in Granada (our bodies as ONE)...scooter went one way...I did a somersault, went the other way.  Tinto down, but he shot right back up like a rocket.  How in the Hell did he DO that?  When Tinto instructs me to 'Lean' now, I say, 'Yeah, Yeah, Yeah.' Tinto swears it was the OLD, ROMAN roads with polished stone.  I am not convinced.  

• Now, I will say this:  There are just SO many times a wife, husband, lover, mate, friend can ask someone to STOP a motorhome OR a scooter to request photographic opportunities.  Lately, I have been receiving strange, weary looks...really it is a more of a glare than a look.  I think I have used up all my photo opportunity requests.

• Siesta time:  Understand/know the Siesta is ALIVE and WELL in Spain AND Portugal -  (2:00 - 5:00/12:00 - 3:00 respectively).  Don't be disappointed when you fav shop is in lock down.  You have been appropriately warned.

• As Co-Captain to Mr. Horace it is my responsibility to 'batten down the hatches' before we leave camp.  I do.  I wrap wine glasses in tissue, check to see crockery and cutlery are safely tucked away in drawers.  We have hard plastic wedges Tinto so brilliantly thought to buy to STOP the drawers from opening on rough roads.  Then, there is this area OVER our heads.  I DO check it before we depart; I truly do.  I do NOT know WHY strange items fall out and hit Tinto on the head.  ???  Why just the other day my laptop crashed on my head AND the ONLY hardback book we own in the motorhome hit me on my forehead yesterday.  I did NOT get as grumpy as Tinto did when stuff started falling on him.  ???  

• Tinto stated I am NOW 'A True Australian Sheila!'  Whaaaaaat?  He says, 'My Love, you order beer and drink it like a champion.'  I retorted that I was a true Australian Sheila the moment they handed me my passport.  He replied, 'No, the passport is NOT as important as the love of beer.'  Gheeeeeeez.  As if I even need to find ONE more beverage or food I enjoy to consume in MY older age!!!  Damn.  It IS GOOD, though - REALLY good.  What have I been doing all my life?  

• This was bizarre.  Tinto & I travelling along in Mr. Horace.  I am looking out my window; Tinto is looking ahead, yet we are both looking UP.  At the same time, we both see 4 or 5 huge clumps/NESTS on pylons.  I mean these nests are plump and large and there are 4 to 5 on each pylon and they appear to GO ON forever.  Then, we SEE baby birds with extremely long legs - HEAPS of them and, NO, before you even ask...we were drIving and in awe with our faces plastered against front windshield - NO pics.  White Storks inhabit Portugal.  I feel blessed.

• Coca-Cola, SADLY, has taken over Spain and Portugal.  No, it does NOT make me happy.  We have all seen what Coke products do to waistlines in America AND Australia.  There are Coca-Cola signs, Coca-Cola napkin holders, chairs, refrigerators.  People ordering Coca-Colas wherever you dine.  Coke's goal is to be in every country on the planet.  Apparently, they are meeting their goals.  Yes, yes, in the past I consumed Coca-Cola products.  Let's just say I became wise.  Hmmmmm...does it make the medical profession happy because now they are ensured of more patients...or SAD?  I hope sad AND angry. 

• One more observation...there are literally thousands of small (mostly small) dogs in Spain.  Some of these dogs have exceptionally long tails in comparison to their bodies   What does this mean?  I haven't a friggin' clue, but Tinto and I AND on one occasion, our new mate, noticed this, too.  Remember the movie, 'A Fish Called Wanda'?  Everytime I saw one of those miniature, perky eared dogs, I could only think of the piano scene.

We are not looking forward to entering the real world again, except to be with our loved ones.  We have not discovered a way out of the real world ...YET.

Roaming with LOVE and BRUISED Knees,

Tinto & Blanco

Be safe out there.