May 14, 2016: Travel Shopping Memories and Future Days in Europe

Elisa's Daily Scoop

Love my Shopping Memories

Well, howdy!!! How is your weekend so far?

I have to say, mine is going famously!!  All in all I had a fantabulous week this past week!  Nothing like the week prior - YUCK!

I also had so much "personal" stuff to take care of that week and it hung a black cloud over my head.

Of course, the weather didn't help with all the rain. Boy, was I happy to have that gorgeous sunshine almost every day.  

My Birthday Girl

​And while rain was originally predicted for today, it turned out to be a really pretty day after all.  Once we got out to the barn the girls were so excited to see their friends and today will be having a little celebration at the barn for Gianna's 12th birthday

Well with today being shopping Saturday here on traveling cousins I wanted to highlight a couple of great passed stories we've done on the topic of shopping 

It's been a great week here reminiscing about the past two years writing our blog so why not look at some of the shopping adventures we've had since we started the daily scoop

​Tanya and I have never made any bones about the fact that we love love shopping. Whether it's for every day necessities at home or during our world excursions, for souvenirs, scouting the market for great purchases never gets old for these two cousins.

During our European Rail Trip last summer my dear cousin and I managed to pick up A few Momentos in the Jewish quarter in Prague Czech Republic   A very poignant visit through the quarter and the old Jewish cemetery left us touched. I bought bracelets with good luck and protective charms from my girls from this visit

Shopping in theJewish Quarter, Prague, Czech Republic - June, 2015 (c)travelincousins.com

Picking out bracelets for my girls (c)travelincousins.com

In Budapest at the Central Market Tanya and I enjoyed a full afternoon exploring several levels of merchandise in every category from food to clothing, toys, collectibles and everything in between, and managed to snag some wonderful spices for which Budapest is known.

Central Market, Budapest, Hungary - July, 2015 (c)travelincousins.com

Central Market, Budapest (c)travelincousins.com

Central Market, Budapest (c)travelincousins.com

Albuquerque's Old Town was a totally fun place to shop!  Lots of shops, Lots of hats, and lots of laughs.

Albuquerque, NM - Shopping - Nice Hat Gianna!! - October, 2014 (c)travelincousins.com

Albuquerque - October, 2014 (c)travelincousins.com

The Old Town in Bratislava, Slovakia, with its many shops and outdoor market was a bit o a wonderland for me and Tanya!

At St. Michael's Gate in Bratislava's Old Town - a day of strolling and shopping (c)travelincousins.com

Bratislava Market (c)travelincousins.com

A day of shopping in Bratislava! (c)travelincousins.com

Great memories of great purchases!

Back to the barn for some cupcakes and a special Happy Birthday celebration for Gianna!

See ya back here tomorrow!!
-E
xoxo

Tanya's Daily Scoop
NEXT TRIP DEPARTS IN: 5 DAYS

Lifes ups and downs

Hey Hey Hey!

It's the weekend - WooHoo!

We are off to the carnival. It's the kids last performance before our 8th Vacation of the year. 

Yup you read that correctly, we've already been on 7 other vacations in 2016 totaling 57 days.

Oh how I love vacations/traveling!

I'm also happy to announce that I finally did the majority of my packing. It took most of my day, but I got it (almost) done. 
And I also managed to get over to the mall to do a few returns and I of course found a few items while we were at it. That's always fun!

IN ACKNOWLEDGEMENT:
With a heavy heart, I have some sad news to share (and I hate being the bearer of bad news)...

My sister's 12 year old Basset Hound Sureluck past away last night. The good news is that she went in her sleep and without suffering, while being loved and comforted by her mommy (Jet). 

This however doesn't make it any easier to cope with or any less painful to realize that she is really gone. 

She was my favorite and I have teared up and shed more than a few tears over the course of this past week, as it became noticeable that she had become a weaker and frail version of her former self.
​
But no matter how weak or frail - she could never resist a good belly rub!  

SureLuck, January 2016 (c)travelincousins.com

SureLuck circa 2015 (c)travelincousins.com

As a pup circa 2004

She was a doll, and I'll always have many fond memories of the sweet dear girl niece dog that she was! 

I for one will certainly miss the old gal, and she will be in my heart forever.
​

Now to switch gears and hopefully life spirits, let's move on to what to expect on Days 7 & 8 of my upcoming trip to Europe!

Day 7: Andorra
Casa de la Vall
Andorra la Vella
La Margineda​ Bridge
Meals - Teresa Carles​ (Barcelona)

Andorra la Vella

Credit: travelindicator.com

Early on this 7th morning of our trip, we will be driving over the beautiful Pyrenees mountain range, which separates the Iberian Peninsula from the rest of Europe.

On this day we'll be crossing the border into Andorra! 

Officially the Principality of Andorra, a sovereign landlocked microstate in Southwestern Europe - between France and Spain. 
​It is the sixth-smallest nation in Europe, having an area of 181 sq mi (486 km).
The capital, Andorra la Vella is the highest capital city in Europe, at an elevation of 3,356 ft above sea level.

This was an exciting addition to the itinerary as I was booking it - as I love going to and checking out the world's smallest countries.

​After spending the day in Andorra, our drive will continue back into Spain and to Barcelona...

Day 8: Barcelona, Spain
Activities: 
Wander La Rambla to the Mirador de Colón
Mercat de la Boqoueria
Barri Gòtic
Barcelona Cathdral
La Pedrera/Casa Milà
Parc de la Ciutadella
Palau de la Musica Catalana
Meals - Dos Trece, Coco, Santoni Cafe, ​Almirall 1733, Sesamo

Barri Gòtic

Credit: spainattractions.com

The next few days are going to be BUSY ones, and filled with so many sights, so much information, lots of fun and plenty of food!

We'll be taking to the streets from the early hours of the morning and wandering about, taking tours, and diving into the culture well into the very late hours of the night. 

There is so much to see and do, that when it came to building the itinerary for these days - I really just couldn't stop!

On this 8th day of our travels, we will be exploring La Rambla, the Barri Gòthic, the waterfront, cathedrals, casas, parks, and concert halls. 

​Let's focus on just a few:

The Barri Gòtic is Barcelona’s most ancient neighborhood. Saturated by history, it is the centre of the old city. Stretching from La Rambla to Via Laietana, and from the Mediterranean seafront to Ronda de Sant Pere. 
Many of the buildings date from Medieval times, with some from as far back as the Roman settlement of Barcelona.

The Barri Gòtic retains a labyrinthine street plan, narrow alleys, concealed churches, with many small streets opening out into squares. 
​
Do you think we'll get lost???

BTW - have you read: 
If you're gonna get lost, why not do it in Venice!
​
​Palau de la Musica Catalana

Credit: viator.com

The Palau de la Música Catalana is a beautiful concert hall in Barcelona, Spain. 
Seating about 2,200 people, is the only auditorium in Europe that is illuminated during daylight hours entirely by natural light.
The walls on two sides consist primarily of stained-glass panes set in magnificent arches, and overhead is an enormous skylight of stained glass whose centerpiece is an inverted dome in shades of gold surrounded by blue that suggests the sun and the sky.

Credit: wiki

I can already tell that I'm going to have quite the heyday with snapping away at all the magnificent sights!!

​Well I've got to go now. Join me back here tomorrow for what to expect on Days 9 & 10.

Have a good one!
​-T