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At Least Ten Reasons to become a Portugal Global Volunteer

Are you considering becoming a Global Volunteer? Wondering which program is best for you? I’ve volunteered six times, in five different countries: St Lucia, Vietnam, the Cook Islands & Mexico, where I volunteered twice, and most recently Portugal. I’ve done blog posts about four of them, describing how each program was wonderful in its own way, and oh, so very rewarding.
Because I get sucked into all of the “top 10” lists, I decided to do one that will encourage you to consider spending two very worthwhile weeks in that fantastic part of the world known as Portugal.

Highly motivated, interesting students:
My assignment was English conversation at the Polytechnic Institute of Beja,My group, seven of the twenty four members of our class

where I spent evenings chatting with adults who already had an impressive grasp of English, but wanted the opportunity to practice and to improve their pronunciation.
Three of us taught together, breaking the students into smaller groups after the first forty five minutes of the two hour nightly class.
Other volunteers taught at the high school, middle schools and the prison. Some tutored restaurant owners and staff.
Interestingly, we each thought that WE had gotten the best assignment, which leads me to the next reason.

An Incredible team Leader:
Joe has been leading teams to Beja, Portugal for many years, and his extensive experience really shows. He quickly sized up the 10 of us and figured out which volunteer best matched which assignment. He’d give Match.com a run for their money, if he ever decided to get into the dating business!
Joe knows all Beja’s historical sights, the most fun restaurants, the best excursions for the weekend, the cultural events, where you can get your laundry inexpensively done…everything you need to know to thoroughly enjoy your non-volunteering hours.Our leader, Joe, in the black tee shirt, left front

Interaction with the Community:
When I say that Joe knows everybody in Beja, I’m not exaggerating. One night, we enjoyed dinner with Beja’s mayor and councilwoman. And yes, those are gifts the councilwoman is holding.

What was in the bag? Lots of local goodies, including my favorite–chocolate from the shop down the street.

Lasting friendships:
Laurie, Jeanne and I met when we volunteered in St. Lucia in 2012.
Although Jeanne and I volunteered together in Mexico in 2017, this was the first time since that first meeting that I had had the pleasure of spending time with Laurie. Having her as my “partner” at the University made it even more fun!
The best part? I now have SEVEN new volunteers who I would be thrilled to see on a future assignment.

Shared Experiences:
It almost felt like I was back in college. Because we pretty much took over the first floor of the Hotel Bejense, I knew just about everyone in every room on that floor. There was always someone to play with, just like back in the dorm. Want to have a chat over a cup of tea? No problem. Just walk down the hall, to the breakfast room and along the way, you are sure to bump into a buddy or two.
The hotel also had a cozy lounge, in which we gathered every night to share our experiences, before heading off to dinner. As you can see, experiences weren’t the ONLY things we were sharing! Our fee for Global Volunteers covers our housing, food, transportation to the work site but not wine. Again, no problem. We took turns purchasing wine, cheese and other snacks to make our evening meetings more enjoyable.

Serpa Cheese Festival:
Okay, so there is no guarantee that a future program will take place during the Cheese Festival. We just happened to luck out. (That cheese in the photo above was purchased at the festival by one of the volunteers.)
There were LOTS of free samples of cheese AND wine AND chocolate!
Not only that, but we got to experience “Cante Alentejano”. Okay, so I will never make my fortune as a videographer, but this 33 second clip will give you an idea of this very stylized art form.

Evora:
Global Volunteers are free to travel during the weekends. Because public transportation is reliable, comfortable and inexpensive, we took the bus on Sunday to the beautiful city of Evora, spending the day enjoying all that it had to offer, like the Roman Temple,

the Chapel of Bones.

and even more music!
Beja:

There is so much to say about this lovely place that I devoted an entire blog post just to Beja. Click here if you want a closer look at this delightful town. It is so worth visiting.

Lisbon
It is also impossible to list all that Lisbon has to offer as one entry in a 10 item list. So, Lisbon ALSO has its own post. But here’s the best part: It is SO easy to get from Beja to Lisbon by bus. The bus station is just a short walk from the hotel. I was surprised that it was so inexpensive–just 14 Euros to ride in comfort with access to free wifi. Notice the stop in Evora.
Venture Outside of Your Comfort Zone:
Why not stretch your limits? Try something new and exciting? You may make new friends, accumulate lots of memories and experience another culture in a way that is not possible when you are just passing through, visiting the usual tourist sites.

Is Lisbon on Your Bucket List?

If Lisbon isn’t on your bucket list, you need to get it on there. Right now.

Why? Great food, amazing history, beautiful sights, wonderful side trips, friendly people, affordable hotels, great public transportation, and relatively painless flights–what more could you want?

Our stay in Lisbon was just long enough to convince us that we have to return to spend more time taking in everything that it has to offer.

Although the weather wasn’t perfect during our visit, it certainly was better than what we are experiencing today, the day after Easter, here in New Jersey! But then, snow days are made for us retirees to look through our travel photos and blog about our sojourn. Am I right?

Because we were on a Grand Circle Tour (Sister company of Overseas Adventure) our time was planned for us, with a guided tour that included Lisbon’s more popular sights.

The Parque of Eduardo VII was a great vantage point, offering a panoramic view of the city and the Tagus River.

Of course, it wouldn’t be a European city tour unless you stopped at a cathedral. This one, at the Jeronimos Monastery, happens to be Vasco de Gama’s final resting spot. It is also the place where explorers and sailors went to pray before heading off on their journeys to the edge of the earth.

To honor those seamen, the cathedral roof was designed to resemble sailors ropes and knots. You can’t tell from the photo–you’ll just have to trust me on that one.

At the end of our visit, JuanJo, our tour guide, surprised us with a special treat, the custard tart for which Portugal is famous. This particular bakery is supposedly the one that does it best because it was the sole recipient of a super secret recipe, developed by monks. This recipe is as closely guarded as the coca cola formula, or so we were told. I didn’t have the heart to share that I had equally delicious custard tarts from a bakery in Beja. I was told the nuns developed THEIR recipe to use up egg yokes. Why? Because they used the egg whites to starch their colors and headgear, so had a mountain of excess yokes they didn’t want to waste. On our drive to Belem Tower, we passed this street art, made entirely of garbage. The raccoon’s eyes are discarded tires!

Sorry the photo is so pixilated–it was shot from the bus, with my iPhone. But I hope you can see that this is a beautiful and imaginative piece. The artist, Artur Bordalo, has created many murals throughout Lisbon. What I didn’t realize was that I had seen his work already, in beautiful Beja. Remember the rooster from my earlier post? Check out Bordalo’s signature at the bottom right. I loved that rooster even BEFORE I learned it was constructed out of cast off materials.

The Belem Tower was built in the early 1500’s near the mouth of the Tagus river to defend Lisbon from the bad guys. Really? THIS is what their fortress looks like? All decorative and ornate? It looks more like Cinderella’s Castle than Fort Apache!

The second landmark on this side of the Targus River is the Monument to the Discoveries, created in 1960 to commemorate the 500th anniversary of the death of Prince Henry the Navigator.

What is really cool is the pavement in front of the monument, a mosaic map of the world, complete with ships and mermaids.

Climbing the sides of the monument are important Portuguese historical figures, like Vasco da Gama, Magellan and of course, Prince Henry at the front. St Francis Xavier made it onto the monument, but not into my photo.

Across the Tagus you can see what looks like a cross. It is actually a statue of Christ, with arms outspread like the one in Brazil.
Also notice the bridge. Remind you of any place in the USA?

After hitting many of Lisbon’s “must see” attractions in the morning, we had the afternoon to wander. Our hotel, the Mundial, was ideally located near cafes, shops, restaurants, and beautiful squares, perfect for people watching while munching on one of those delightful pastries.

Believe it or not, this square is perfectly flat. Those “waves” are a pavement optical illusion!

Dinner that evening was in a former Moorish palace that was briefly a casino before becoming the restaurant– La Casa Do Alentejo. We dined in the gorgeous private room on the third floor.

Okay, so I had a little wine before taking this picture, but I at least I DID get the decorative ceiling and the mirrors on the walls!

The second floor was beautiful too, with tiled walls

The next day we visited the Royal Palace in Sintra. Sintra is a lovely little city an easy day trip from Lisbon.

As one would expect, the Royal Palace was filled with beautiful art and treasures of all kinds. I particularly liked this chandelier. Hard to believe, but my iPhone 7 took a better photo than my Panasonic Lumix.

The other unique item that caught my eye was this painting. That sure looks like a negligee that he’s (our guide said it was St. John the Baptist–but who knows) either wearing or holding in front of him, and is that a toy horse? If not, then what is it? This has to be one of the strangest paintings I’ve seen in a LOOOONG time!

On our way back to Lisbon, we stopped at Cascais, a lovely seaside town, which is even closer to Lisbon, and is serviced by frequent trains. We arrived just in time for the heavens to open in a colossal downpour, but no biggie. We were with 36 new friends, so several of us ducked into a restaurant where we enjoyed delicious roasted chicken, great wine and even better companionship. No photos of our bedraggled, sodden group will ever be posted. I promise!

Because I had spent two weeks with Global Volunteers before joining the tour, I was able to visit Evora, another great site about an hour by bus from Lisbon. But I’ll save that for another post.

Portugal in general and Lisbon in particular will not disappoint!

Spain Smorgasbord

By the 8th day of our Grand Circle tour, we had visited Madrid, Toledo, Granada, Cordoba, and Torremolinos, with a side trip to the very British Gibraltar. Next on our itinerary was Malaga, but Mike and I decided to engage in an Australian tradition and “Chuck A Sickie”. For those of you that didn’t have the pleasure of spending two weeks with an Australian Global Volunteer, that term roughly translates to “Playing Hooky”.

Although the Costa del Sol averages over 300 days of sunshine per year, today was the first time I needed to wear my sun hat.

I’m sure our fellow travelers had a perfectly marvelous day enjoying the sights of Malaga, and the home hosted lunch in a nearby village as much as Mike and I enjoyed spending the morning strolling along the beach, taking in sights like this.

I would have loved to see what this tribute to Elvis looked like before the rain decapitated him.

But what about those other glorious cities? Don’t worry, I’ll do a little flashback, with visuals.

We got just enough of a taste to determine that one of these days, we will be back to those lovely cities, and next time, we will linger.

Our time in Toledo was limited to a few hours enroute to Granada. The old city sits 6 escalator rides above the new city, and let me tell you, we were all very grateful we didn’t have to climb all the way up the hill in the rain.

89F0FDF4-3849-4C49-9C3B-456075D8304B — Even after we arrived at the “top”, we still had some hills to climb.

Our stroll through Toledo’s Jewish quarter ended at the oldest synagogue in Europe. This unique building was constructed by Moors, because at that time they were reputed to be the best builders. Of course, they were not familiar with synagogue construction, so the Jews ended up with a building that had a distinctive Muslim flavor.

E8355D59-2D68-482E-811D-B74CD818E62B — Notice the cross? This building is a reminder that at one time, all three religions were able to peacefully coexist—pre Ferdinand and Isabella reign.

For anyone planning a trip to Toledo, please be aware it is much more than amazing history, great food and panoramic vistas. Thrill seekers, take a look.

46619F4D-03D6-4F01-A66F-07326B9C9868 — Maybe next time, if it isn’t raining…

One of the many things that I love about traveling with Grand Circle and OAT is the unexpected stops along the way. We had a bathroom and refreshment break in Puerto Lápice, a little village in Castille La Mancha, where we discovered a three room Don Quixote museum.

I love that Don Quixote is sculptured out of words

Who would expect such art in a little village museum? Not me.

Because I spent so much time in the museum, I had to order my glass of wine “to go”, which I proudly did in Spanish. An important phrase: “para llevar”. But the effect was spoiled, just a bit, when the bartender started speaking to me in perfect English.

Not surprisingly, most of our time in Granada was spent at the Alhambra. Okay, so we all know that Washington Irving wrote “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow”, but how many know that he also was instrumental in saving the Alhambra from being destroyed? His “Tales of the Alhambra” caused the Spaniards to take a second look at what is now the most visited attraction in Spain.

Alhambra ( Al = “the” in Arabic ) is a palace, a fortress, a small city, overlooking Granada. Unfortunately, when Napoleon conquered Spain, his soldiers removed all of the furniture, rugs and tapestries, ( I believe the correct term is “looted”) but the walls, ceilings and courtyards give you a hint of the grandeur that once existed. Check out the ceiling in the women’s quarters.

The exteriors of Moorish buildings were very plain. All of the ornamentation was inside, in the private spaces, like these beautiful courtyards.

The Moors ruled Spain for almost 800 years, and their impact on the Spanish language continues today. Many places begin with “Gua”, like Guadalcanal, Guatemala, Guanajuato — all derived from the Arabic word for water.

Another city with beautiful Moslem architecture is Cordoba. The Roman temple/Church/Mosque/Cathedral is an architectural wonder. Walking through its spacious interior, you literally travel through time, starting with the preserved Roman tiles, below the existing floor—

to the former mosque, built with recycled columns, which was wisely preserved by the Catholics —

and now is in the center of the mosque.

6AA5DFC2-3591-4072-A721-B998D76F6B2C — In this photo, you can see the Mosque’s red and white arches next to the cathedral’s main altar.

Cordoba is magnificent!

888B3959-5065-4EB2-A63B-EE68B3F22773 — The church’s bell tower was constructed around the minaret.

I guess some place has to be the least favorite, and for me, Gibraltar gets that honor. Maybe it was because the limestone WW2 tunnels were dripping water, and were dark and gloomy,

10D2E378-922D-4EE3-8D99-55E710F3883D — One of the few places that wasn’t too dark or wet to photograph

as was the weather.

Whatever the reason, I was not as wowed as I was by the other places we’d visited. Even the Barbary apes were a disappointment. We only saw four.

Two more days in Spain, three in Portugal, and then we are back to the USA.

Goodbye Beja, Hello Madrid

It was raining when I boarded the bus in Beja for the two and a half ride to Lisbon. The weather matched my mood–I was sad to leave all the new friends I’d made in Beja: the wonderful students I’d gotten to know during our two weeks together, the great “Team of Ten” Volunteers, our fantastic team leader. There were lots and lots of goodbye hugs.

Note to future visitors to Portugal–it costs only 14 Euros for a bus ride from Lisbon to Beja, on a super comfortable bus with free Wi-Fi. If you are visiting Lisbon, why not spend a night or two in Beja? Escape the traffic and crowds, enjoy the history, archaeology and cultural treasure of this intriguing Alentejo town.

Two cab rides and a flight later, I was in Madrid, reunited with my main man.

Here’s where we will be traveling over the next two weeks. First stop is Madrid. ( I lifted the map off the Grand Circle website. THEY are the ones that cut Madrid a little too closely.) The star is my feeble attempt to show the approximate location of Beja. You now have a rough idea of where this “don’t miss” town is located. Okay, so I would never be a successful map maker, but I give myself an A for effort.

The long, unusually dry period Portugal and Spain had been going through ended during our second week in Beja. The rain is expected to continue during most of our remaining trip. Oh well. They need the water, so the rain is a blessing. Or at least that’s what I keep telling myself.

We spent the morning of our first full day in Madrid on a bus tour around the city. First stop, the Egyptian temple of Denbod. No, this was not stolen during a military campaign. Had it not been moved, stone by stone, when the Aswan Dam was created, it would have been under water, just like the Temple of Dendur, in New York’s Metropolitan Museum.

Next stop– the royal palace, where we arrived just in time for the changing of the guard.

Juanjo, our guide, had warned us to be on the lookout for pick pockets. He explained they usually look like tourists, holding maps or cameras with one hand and reaching into your backpack with the other. Well, Linda, a member of our group, saw one doing just that, to a Chinese tourist. She was close enough to slap the pick pocket’s hand away.

A lot of good those guards were! A sharp eyed American woman with quick reflexes foiled the thief. Did I witness any of the excitement? No, I was my usual oblivious self.

Unfortunately, we didn’t have time to wander through any of the 2,800 rooms in this Versailles inspired palace. Instead, we decided to spend the afternoon in the Prado Museum, ogling the artwork by Goya, el Greco, Rubens and others.

My only regret: I wish I had researched the Prado more thoroughly, so I could have focused on certain pieces, and figured out the most efficient way to get to them. Talk about sensory overload! No photos were allowed inside the museum. I just have to be content with the images inside my head.

Although we could have spent our second day exploring more of Madrid, we chose the optional guided tour to El Escorial. This palace/ monastery/ school/ church was constructed by King Francis II, son of Charles V, one of the Holy Roman Emperors. The Escorial is shaped like a grill (yes, as in George Forman) to honor Spain’s own St. Lawrence. Why a grill, you ask? Well, that is how he met his end, by being roasted to death. (Yes, humans are strange and savage creatures)

Philip II had the building designed so that he could lay in his bed and see the altar in the cathedral. All he had to do was open his bedroom door and he was in church. Because his bedroom was off to the side, the rest of the congregation couldn’t see HIM in his pajamas (or whatever Kings wore back then).

Philip’s chamber, including the bed he died in, and his chamber pot, were all part of the tour, in case you’re wondering, as is a huge painting of St. Lawrence on the griddle.

We also visited the Valley of the Fallen, a memorial to those who died during the Spanish Civil War. This was a truly impressive and very moving site.

The memorial consists of the largest cross in the world, under which a Basilica has been carved — out of the hillside. It is hard to gauge the size of the memorial from this photo, but to give you an idea, the cross alone is 500 feet high.

The bones of around 40,000 people are buried In the basilica. One more example of man’s inhumanity to man.

Time to move on, to Toledo and Granada, even though there was much more to see and do in the beautiful city of Madrid.

Beja, Portugal’s Hidden Gem

Tired of touristy places? Want an “authentic”experience, where the locals are friendly, gracious and actually happy to see you? Yet ANOTHER advantage of serving as a Global Volunteer is the organization finds these places FOR you –places I would probably never would have discovered on my own.

I feel like I’ve been dropped into a magical spot. The lovely city of Beja just oozes charm. Its cobblestone streets haphazardly lead in many different directions, much worse than in Boston. Who would have thought that was even possible? Fortunately, in Beja, you can WALK everywhere–to work assignments, to dinner, for coffee, to the bus station, to its many attractions.

Streets are pretty quiet before 9 AM, but things liven up around 10:30, the “official” coffee break time.

Art is EVERYWHERE. Here are just a few examples. This sculpture is controversial. It reminds me of trees. What do YOU see?]

In 1983, while excavating for a house’s foundation, Roman ruins were uncovered. The property’s owner was persuaded to build his house elsewhere, and voila, by 2004, this architecturally intriguing museum was created. Okay, so in Italy you can visit all kinds of ruins, but in Beja you can walk OVER them, atop a glass floor. For those whose eyes glaze over at the thought of another museum visit, this is the right place for you. Small, but oh so interesting.

I couldn’t figure out how to photograph the dwelling’s private bath. Here’s my poor attempt. Guess you’ll just have to go there.

Although the residents were aware of Pax Julia’s importance to the Romans, (Beja’s name back then), they didn’t know that the area had been inhabited much, much earlier. The museum contains artifacts dating back to 3000 BC. The Nucleo Muselogogico ( The name is almost as big as the museum) is free, as are the blue booties you wear to protect the glass floor.

Close by is the Regional Museum, which was originally a convent for women. Across the street is the theater, formerly the convent for men. The passageway that once ran between the two buildings (no doubt only used by the servants, to carry supplies back and forth), no longer exists.

The Regional Museum is the only one that charges a fee–just two Euros, and it is well worth it. In addition to all of the precious church items,

there is also a fine exhibit showing the process for restoring paintings. If seeing how St. Bartholomew was flayed is your thing, then you definitely need to find your way to the paintings room.

If instead, you are a literature buff, you can go upstairs to view the window through which Sr. Mariana gazed longingly, awaiting the return of her knight in shining armor. Yes, the author of the famous “Letters of a Portuguese Nun” lived in this very convent.

I mistakenly thought that being sent off to a convent was not a fate I would have desired. But that was BEFORE our guide pointed out its many advantages: unlike married women, who became their husband’s servants, rich girls got to bring THEIR servants WITH them to the convent. Freed from toil, they were educated, spending their days praying, reading and being waited on. I never thought of it quite like that. An additional bonus? You didn’t die in childbirth. Of course, there was always a chance you could be bricked into a wall, if you made a real good friend across the passageway, who got to know you in the biblical sense.

On the outskirts of town is the fortress (they refer to it as a castle) with the tallest tower on the Iberian peninsula. It has 198 steps and is 40 meters high (or 131 feet, but it is already on a hill, so it feels even higher).

Can you imagine trying to navigate these steps, wearing your armor while trying to dodge arrows and rocks, or whatever they were using back then?

I’ve been told you can see Spain from the top. But then, they could tell me I could see Russia from there, and I probably would have believed them.

The view from the top. Could that be Spain on the horizon?

The Hotel Bejense is a great choice if you are looking for the 3C’s: clean, comfortable, cheap. For about $57 a night, you get a small room, with a private bath (complete with hair dryer, and towel warmers), breakfast, great Wi-Fi, a flat screenTV with many English channels, on a pedestrian walkway. Right next door a pastry shop with incredibly delicious offerings. Good thing we walk so much, because we are visiting the pastry shop at least once a day, sometimes more.

If you want to splurge and spend almost $90 per night, (off season rate ) you can always stay at the nearby Pousada de Sao Francisco, another former convent.

Four of us opted to have lunch there and to conduct our own self guided tour. I know what my sisters are thinking, so I will answer the question. YES, we WERE allowed to wander through the convent.

Speaking of food, you won’t go hungry in Beja. You have LOTS of choices, from the rather expensive (non Global Volunteer lunch at the Pousada) to the incredibly affordable and everything in between. My favorite restaurant is Les Infantes, where we were served fantastic “Tuscan Pasta Salad”. Take my word for it, if you are in Beja, you HAVE to try it.

Les Infantes, early in the evening, before it got busy.

Beja—a small city with a big heart!

Beja, Week One

Our first week in Beja has concluded, and what a wonderful week it was!

I’ve been asked many times about the kind of person who does a Global Volunteer project, so here’s a brief description of the 10 fantastic people with whom I’ve had the pleasure of working, complete with a visual.

Cisco (front row) is the first Australian Global Volunteer I’ve ever encountered. (He could possibly be the first Australian in Global Volunteer’s history). We all LOVE this extremely creative and talented guy. A graphic art designer by training, he has done so many other things, it is hard to believe he is only 31 years old. I suspect his Beja students are most impressed by his disc jockey experience, but I love hearing about the awards he won while working on a Disney cruise ship. He is “bloody ripper”. (Yes, Cisco is teaching me to speak Aussie).

Also in the front row is our fearless leader, Joe. It feels like EVERYBODY in Beja knows Joe. Coming here for ten years, leading two teams per year (February and September), Joe knows all of the assignments, and has done an amazing job matching us up so everyone is happy.

Joe has sampled just about every eating establishment in the area, so we are enjoying a wide variety of delicious cuisines.

Weekends are usually free time, however Joe very graciously organized a guided tour of Beja on Saturday morning, followed by an excursion to the Serpa cheese festival in the afternoon. Sunday we spent the day visiting the historic town of Evora.

My dear friend Jeanne is in row 2. Jeanne has decades of middle school experience, so she was paired with Heidi ( back row), who is a first time volunteer. Any trip with Jeanne is guaranteed to be fun. Her positive outlook on life is the gift that keeps on giving.

Next to Jeanne is Cindy, from Connecticut. She is a retired Spanish teacher, who has spent last week working in a variety of schools with Dale (last row, Heidi’s husband). Cindy has done a number of GV trips, and is returning to Queretaro, Mexico this October. For those of you who wonder if you could volunteer as a single woman, Cindy is your role model.

Laurie is between Cindy and me. Jeanne, Laurie and I all met Continue reading Beja, Week One

One Month Travel With One Carry On??

Packing is one of my biggest travel challenges. I always intend to travel light, but sometimes I get carried away at the last minute.

I’ve been able to go for two weeks with just a carry on. But a month? Can I get everything I will need into my trusty eagle creek carry on and my backpack? I’m going to try. I hope others find my attempt helpful. If not, at least this post will allow ME to remember what the heck I stuck in my bag.

For the past couple of weeks, I’ve been “auditioning” my clothes to see whether they dry quickly, are versatile enough for weather that will vary between the 40’s and 70’s and, most importantly, can be crammed into my bag. I’ve tried out different combinations to see how comfortable I am at NJ’s current cooler temperatures. My discovery is that lightweight pants, when paired with silk long underwear work out just fine.

For past trips, I have either used local laundry facilities or I packed enough to get me through the entire trip.

P1150327 — In Pokhara, Nepal, doing the laundry was a cultural experience. The promised “tumble dry” only works if the government doesn’t shut off the electricity for several hours every day. Bet you know what happened while I was there.

THIS time, my plan is to wash as I go. I don’t normally hand wash clothes at home, so I gave it a whirl. I wanted to see how long it took for different items to dry, and I was also curious as to how my duds would look after I had sloshed and wrung them out. The verdict: I figured my technique needed a little work. Then I remembered a tip from a fellow traveler. She nixed the wringing, instead opting to gently squeeze, then wrap her garments in a microfiber towel. She swore her clothes were dry by the next morning. So, I ordered a microfiber towel from Amazon and gave it a try. My technique still needs work.

Because I expect to do a lot of walking, I wanted to make sure that I had comfortable shoes. I found a pair of Sketchers that should do the trick. Air cooled? Memory foam? My feet may be in better shape than my head.

I have super sensitive feet, so I am reluctant to put all my toes into one basket–or one pair of shoes– so I’ll be wearing my trusty Keens on the plane. Yes, I WILL wear those Keen sandals with a pair of socks, and YES, I DO know that is a huge fashion faux pas, but hey I’m old enough not to care.

Here’s how I started out:

Then I had to make some choices. One white knit top and pink bathing suit – out. (I found another bathing suit that squishes up smaller) Hanging toiletries bag, replaced by a zip lock bag, which also freed up space for my hair dryer and adaptors.

There are those that swear by rolling clothes, so I thought I’d give it a try. Some might think I am REALLY obsessive compulsive, to take everything out, and try to put it all back without rolling. Others would realize that I am completely committed to the scientific method. YOU can pick whichever explanation you prefer, but I’m going with the latter.

Want to know the result of my “science” project? Both methods produced the exact same result. Conclusion? Do whatever brings you joy. I wasn’t going to take everything out and roll it up again. I’m not THAT crazy, so I left everything packed flat. Here’s what made it into the bag.

6 long pants – 1 corduroy, 1 jeans, 4 quick drying (one lined, three lightweight)
6 long sleeved cotton tops. 1 knit, plus 2 short sleeve shirts
1 pajamas and 1 long underwear set that can double as pajamas
2 long underwear bottoms and 7 underwear, 2 bras, 8 socks
2 scarves
hair dryer (which I can use to dry clothes, if needed) and toiletries
laundry kit
1 Sketchers black air cooled shoes, with memory foam and flip flops for shower (or if I’m lucky, pool)
index cards (for teaching). According to our team leader, former volunteers have left supplies behind, so i don’t need to bring a white board or other teaching materials.
1 waterproof windbreaker with hood

Plus, of course, I’ll have the clothes I wear on the plane, like my fleece and the zip up sweater that would have fit in the bag if I had unzipped the expandable part. (But then, it might have been hard to get the bag into the overhead.)

My back pack will carry my money, credit cards, passport, travel info, iPhone, iPad, chargers, my mobile “pharmacy”, camera, , pens, snacks, sun glasses, water bottle and travel pillow.

Total weight of carry on–26.5 pounds, something I can easily hoist into that overhead bin. I think I’m all set. We shall see.

Going Global

One month from today, I’ll be heading off for my sixth Global Volunteer Experience. Timing is everything in life, and given recent political events, some think it is not the best time to go traipsing around other parts of the globe. My opinion differs. What better time to do something positive, to at least try to improve America’s image in other parts of the world, than now?

For those of you new to Global Volunteers, here’s a little background. We go where we are invited, and do whatever we are asked to do, working closely with members of the host community. We don’t proselytize — we have no political or religious agenda, other than to make friends and learn about a culture different from our own. The only stated goal is to “wage peace and promote justice”. I love that.

So far, I’ve worked in a preschool in Anse La Reye, St. Lucia, elementary schools in Hanoi, Vietnam and Rarotonga, Cook Islands and twice at a technical college in Queretaro, Mexico.

So, where to this time, you ask? Beja, Portugal, in the Alentejo region. Never heard of it? Neither had I until I signed up. And that’s one more thing to like about Global Volunteers: you get to live in areas you might never have thought of visiting.

Another Global Volunteer plus is the wonderful friendships that you make. This trip will be a mini-reunion for three of us that served on my very first project in St Lucia.

P1000382 — Jeanne, Norina, Laurie and I in the bar at JJ’s Paradise Hotel, on our last evening in St. Lucia. I will be joining Jeanne and Laurie in Beja.

Not only that, but during our stay, we will be celebrating the 10th anniversary of the start of GV’s Portugal project. Seems like perfect timing to me!

And that was the case for two of my other projects. In November of 2013, I was in Rarotonga when their new Queen was crowned. What a fantastic experience THAT was–the music, the food, the costumes–how lucky was I to be able to share this joyous celebration with the most gracious, friendly people on the planet!

Jeanne and I lucked out in February, 2017, by being in Queretaro for 100th Anniversary of the signing of their constitution.

Queretaro was the actual site for this historical event, so there were all kinds of special celebrations. How cool is it to use the side of a centuries old cathedral as a screen for an outdoor multi media show? We liked it so much, we saw the show twice. These photos don’t do the display justice. Let me just say it was really, really wonderful.

If that wasn’t enough, another evening got to hear this stirring rendition of Elvis Presley’s “Wooden Heart” played on bagpipes, in Mexico!! Here’s a little bit of the sound track for your viewing pleasure. Irresistible, no?

So, who knows what awaits us in Beja?

I hope you will check back next month and join me, Laurie and Jeanne for a virtual Global Volunteers adventure. Adeus e obrigado!

Ten Random Reasons to visit Malta

If you plan on vacationing in Italy, why not extend your visit a smidgen and hop over to Malta? This amazing little country has an abundance of things to see and do, especially if you are interested in history and archaeology. We spent five days there in late May, and felt that our timing was perfect…perfect weather, not too crowded, reasonably priced. Yep, there was a whole lot to like about Malta.

It is very easy to get to Malta from Italy. Although we could have taken a ferry from Catania, we opted for the less expensive, faster way, via Air Malta.

The title of this post is “RANDOM Reasons” to visit Malta and that’s exactly what you are getting. Not order of importance, or magnificence–just the order in which they popped into this lazy blogger’s head.

1. The Grand Excelsior Hotel

It’s beautiful, it’s just outside Valetta’s wall, it’s close to buses that can take you wherever you want to go, the service is great, the pool is fantastic, the views from the restaurant and bars are incredible, and it is relatively inexpensive (at least it was in May, with several months advance booking. )

Be forewarned, though. The hotel is located below street level. 88 steps below, to be exact. The steps aren’t steep, but you WILL get your exercise. Which can be a good thing, if you eat as much as WE did.

The hike up those stairs is so worth it, because where else can you find…

2. Flower Shaped Gelato

Although there is an abundance of gelaterias in Malta, Amorino was our favorite. You can’t miss it–it is on Republic Street (the main street), on the right, if you are coming through the city gates. Your flower can have as many flavors as you want.

It doesn’t get much better than that!

And since we are on the subject of food, we discovered this wonderful restaurant close to the Blue Grotto.

3. La Cucina de Bettina

The owner of the restaurant was also our waiter. That’s him, in the black tee, explaining the menu to customers.

I’m ordinarily not a HUGE seafood fan, but this was incredible–the best tuna I have ever tasted! Fresh? Well, the owner told us our lunch had been swimming in the ocean just a few hours before. Take a look.

No, that was not the serving size, but close.

We also had a wonderful antipasto platter, and a bottle of wine recommended by the owner/waiter. I should have made a note of what we spent for this feast. All I can remember was that it cost MUCH less than we ever expected!

I could go on and on about the Malta food, but I’m sure you get the idea. It was delicious, varied and affordable.

4. Valetta

Let’s just start with the festive Republic Street.

Yes, it does look a bit crowded, but if you want a more peaceful experience, all you need to do is duck down a side street. Cruise ships dock in Valetta, so when multiple ships are in town, you do get throngs, but after 5, the city is yours.

The Grand Master’s Palace is on Republic Street, and there IS a guard changing ceremony every day.

Other activities in Valetta definitely deserve their OWN number, like…

5. The Malta Experience

Perhaps you arrived in Malta without doing any research at all. You know NOTHING about its history or the history of its many invaders. Not to worry. All you need to do is buy a ticket to The Malta Experience, then sit back and enjoy. You will be quickly brought up to speed! There are other options on the island, including one that promised you a 5D experience (moving seats, water spray, air blasts and leg ticklers) but this was the one we chose and we were not disappointed. Now if we had been traveling with children, we probably would have opted for the multi-sensory extravaganza.

6. St John’s Co Cathedral

It is impossible to capture the majesty and magnificence of this building. It doesn’t look like much on the outside. In fact, we walked past it a couple of times without even noticing it. But walk inside and WOW!

We’ve hit a lot of churches and cathedrals throughout Europe, and the Americas, but this has to be the most jaw-dropping one I have ever encountered.

“The Beheading of John the Baptist by Caravaggio is in the Co-Cathedral, but just off to the side. I needed to ask directions to find it.

The painting is HUGE–it fills a wall. You can’t get close to it, so I was unable to verify whether Caravaggio’s signature was formed by the blood flowing from the Baptist’s neck. TIP: If you go, bring binoculars or opera glasses to get a better view.

You are not allowed to photograph the painting. If caught, supposedly they confiscate your photo card.

No, I did not break the rules. This is a photo of a postcard, purchased from the gift shop. A poor substitute, but better than nothing.

7. Transportation Alternatives

Here’s another tip: forget about the Hop On Hop Off buses here. You are better served riding the regular city buses. They are far less expensive, and more frequent. Normally we are huge fans of HOHO, but this one had a host of negatives. Its headsets were not reliable. Some worked–some didn’t, and the information they provided was not that great. There were long periods of silence, causing me to wonder whether the headset had stopped working. I was frequently consulting the brochure to try to figure out where we were.

We soon discovered the HOHO doesn’t necessarily stop in front of attractions listed in their brochure. But it DID stop at listed attractions that were closed.

We made the mistake of buying the two day, (red and blue) pass, so never tried out the city buses, but we sure saw a lot of them. Next time, city bus will be our preferred mode of transportation.

If you DO decide to go the way of the HOHO, you can get aboard near the bus station close to the Grand Excelsior.

8. Tarxien Temples

If you are into archaeology, you’ll love the Tarxien Temples. Full disclosure. We had wanted to see the Hypogeum, but that was completely booked. And the Tarxien Temples were supposedly on the HOHO route, (not exactly, as noted above, but we found our way), so why not?

These four temples date back to the Neolithic age (3600-2500 BC). The Romans, 2000 years later, used the site for agriculture. The original structures were discovered In 1913, when local farmers complained about the large blocks of stone they were striking while plowing.

There are other ruins for those that are really, REALLY into prehistory, but this was enough for us.

9. Gozo

We wanted to spend a day touring Gozo, and after our experience with HOHO, decided to book a private tour through the hotel. We were not disappointed with our choice. Marco picked us up at 8:30, drove us to and from the ferry and around Gozo, making sure we spent our time the way WE wanted.

We drove by Popeye’s village, now a tourist trap, formerly the set for Robin William’s 1980 movie, stopping just long enough to take a couple of photos.

I remember suffering through the Iliad and the Odyssey during my Freshman year in college. Maybe if I had known I’d be visiting the cave of the nymph who bewitched Odysseus, I would have enjoyed the books more. (But probably not). The cave was closed because of “geological movement”, so we could only look at a hole in the ground, partially hidden by bushes, but the view of the nearby beach with its red sand was quite lovely.

Gozo had lots of beautiful ocean vistas, a lovely cathedral, a great multimedia show in Rabat, (the old center also known as Victoria), fantastic food—AND this rather graphic painting of St. Agatha. Seems the Roman suitor she rejected got a bit miffed and decided to cut her breasts off in retaliation.

She looks remarkably unconcerned, maybe because the little angel hovering over her head (holding a crown) told her that in years to come, the Maltese and Sicilians would create a pastry in her honor. Think I’m kidding? Take a look. They are called “Minni di Sant Aita”. Honest.

The Azure Window would definitely have made the list had we traveled to Gozo in 2016. Unfortunately for us, in March of 2017, the arch tumbled into the sea, so we had to content ourselves with this post card image, and a view of the site where it once stood. Still a scenic and lovely area, though.

10. Mdina

The oldest city on the island of Malta, Mdina was built and inhabited by Arabs until they were expelled by the Christians in 1250. Another fortified city, it has the mandatory moat and gates.

It also has the requisite cathedral, old buildings repurposed as cafes and gift shops, but MY favorite thing was the Palazzo Falzone, a 13th century building loaded with an incredible collection of antiques and the very coolest sound system ever.

You just put on the headset, point the wand at a plaque on the wall and voila, you have a narrative about the article/ room you are viewing!

Olof Gollcher, a Swedish philanthropist and heir to a shipping fortune, purchased the building in 1927, and used it as a repository for his collections of art, silver, furniture, weapons and books.

There you have it. This lazy, random blogger got you started. These ten highlights barely scratch the surface of all that is wonderful and glorious about Malta. The rest is up to you!

Catania, Taormina, Mt Etna–Oh My!

Okay, be honest. Before the G7 meeting, had you ever heard of Taormina? If I had, it didn’t register, until we booked this trip.

But before heading to Taormina, we still had lots to see and do in Catania. I’ll tell ya, I was totally unprepared for how much I enjoyed Catania. What a pleasant surprise. It was easy to get around, with lots to see, and of course, with an abundance of great restaurants.

The city was conquered by the Romans in 263 BC, and as with other areas in their empire, the Romans left their mark, which the city has wisely preserved.

P1180542 — I love the way the old and modern structures coexist. This amphitheater lies beneath the modern city

Yes, Catania has the requisite number of churches, fountains and statues. It also has lots of interesting streets, like this one. It isn’t immediately apparent, but as you climb all those stairs,

you are rewarded with views like this.

As one would expect of a city smack dab on the ocean, Catania’s fish market was HUGE, as were its products. Check out that swordfish.

Coming from coastal Massachusetts, however, this girl wasn’t all that impressed.

I DID get excited about the market’s fruit, though, especially those cherries. I don’t know who was more excited about my purchase–him or me? To show his appreciation, he gave me a slice of the most delicious cantaloupe I’ve ever tasted. Fresh, delicious fruit… aah, that’s what I call quality of life!

But I didn’t fill up on cherries. Good thing because we had yet another incredible lunch at a little outdoor cafe off of the main square, across from the cathedral. You’d think by now I would remember to write the cafe’s name down or take a picture of the menu, but I did neither. Sorry, future visitors to Catania. I believe it was on the corner, facing the elephant’s behind, where the tan umbrellas are.

On to Taormina, where security was tight. Good thing our group was in great shape, because we had to walk quite a distance. Bus access into the town and to the amphitheater was limited, even though the leaders would not be arriving for another week.

Notice the two different uniforms of the military/security people in this photo. I think every country must have sent their own people. There were LOTS more milling about!

The amphitheater was the perfect spot for a group photo. And what a group we were! All seasoned travelers, everyone was considerate, friendly and easy to be with. Of course I had my favorites (and they know who they are), but I would be thrilled to see any of them on a future trip.

Great traveling companions! Back row: Tom, Maxine, Jane, Sharon, Ann, Carol. (Ann should have been in the front!) Middle row: Sue, Sue, Lavonne, Al, Joel and Henry Front row: Mike, me, Daniel (way in front), Shirley and Owen.

The Greek Amphitheater is still used for outdoor concerts, but those white plastic chairs are not normally in place. People usually sit on the stone steps, bleachers or the grassy sections. The plastic seats were set up for the following week’s G-7 conference.

The view from the site is unforgettable. See that cloud of smoke in the distance? That’s Mount Etna.

And that’s where we were headed on our last day in Catania. But first, one last shot of Taormina. Yes, the streets in the city are a bit steep, but none of our group needed a golf cart to get around. (I’m just sayin’…)

Okay, so I’ll admit it. I was absolutely thrilled to be able to hike on an active volcano. Of course, this being OAT, we were accompanied by Marco, our expert local guide who made sure we were safe at all times. Marco came equipped wth visual aids, walking sticks and hard hats!

We learned our group was unique, in that EVERYONE made the hike and descended into the lava tubes. Apparently this was a first for Marco. He said on all his other tours a couple of people waited at the base and didn’t take part in all the activities. Yay us!

Here’s one of our guide, Daniel’s, photos. As you can see from our clothing (and my hat) It was cold and windy on the volcano. I was glad I’d packed my fleece!

P1010680 — That’s not OUR group in the distance. I wasn’t that brave (foolhardy) to stay behind to get that shot! In fact, WE were up higher than they, as you can see from the angle of my shot.

So why did we need hard hats? Well, when you climbed down into a lava tube, it’s a good idea to protect your head and turn your head lamp on.

Yet another one of Daniel’s photos–the group inside the lava tube.

If you think this blog post was a whirlwind, you’d be right. And that’s how it felt to be on the trip. A very nice, interesting, FUN whirlwind. We definitely got a lot for our money!

We said good-bye to our new friends at that night’s farewell dinner.

IMG_20170516_195855 — Once again, thank you Daniel!

Most were headed home, but very early the following morning (5 AM), Mike, Owen, Shirley and I started our Malta adventure, which I’ll be posting about next.

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