Little toiletries

Sometimes I find myself indulged by small toiletries, like the ones you might get in shopping gifts or hotel rooms.  I have collected a few this past year.  There's something luxurious about lathering yourself in a different scent or product every night just because you can.  I'm one girl who marries a product until they stop selling it or simply I just move on without looking back. So to have a few days of changing things up a bit without breaking the bank is pure luxury.  Like staying in a hotel, sort of.

Worthy of note:

Chamomile Shampoo by Klorane
Molton's travel set, for her
Eau d' orage verte by Hermes, for him

Adventure: Camino de Santiago (Part 1)

I first learned of the Way of St. James (El Camino de Santiago) a system of historic pilgrimage routes to the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela in Galicia, almost 20 years ago from one of Paulo Coehlo's books. Tradition says that Saint James, one of Jesus' disciples, is buried there.  It's been one of the most important pilgrimage routes since early medieval times.  Some of the earliest records indicate that the route has been traveled since around the 8th century. 

There are different routes to reach the Cathedral in Santiago. The French Way  starts off from the French Pyrenees through the interior of northern Spain .  It’s the most famous and followed route of El Camino de Santiago. Then there's The Northern Way which starts off at the Basque Country follows the northern coast of Spain  (along the Atlantic ocean) and the mountains of Asturias until Santiago. It has breathtaking landscapes and it’s less crowded. Another route is The Silver Way  starting from Seville in Andalusia, and following an ancient Roman route which merges with El Camino Frances in its final part. If you enjoy a good hike then The Primitive Way or Original Way (Camino de Santiago Primitivo) crossing the high mountains of Asturias, is the ideal route. And The Portuguese Way (Camino de Santiago Portugues) from the Portuguese city of Porto.

The pilgrimage to Santiago has been one of my dreams.  In my bucket list, if you would.  Some of my friends have  made the long month pilgrimage, and is something that changes your life's perspective. When my kids are old enough, and I have reached that age where solitude and reflection become permanent guests in your house, I will walk to St. James Cathedral.

For some, it's a reflective walk, consecrated entirely to the spirit and surrounding nature.  For others, is a way to explore afoot the geography and culture of the region.  Both ways are acceptable as long as you take it to heart and know how to transcend your experience.  The road is filled with physical and mental challenges. The views are both magnificent and humble. You might walk past medieval dirt roads and creeks or Roman bridges and centuries old ruins, along side old monasteries, family-run farms, millennial forests, as well as through major town roads, crowded beaches, miles long prairies and rolling hills.   There are rest stops along the way. Old monasteries or abbeys that now cater to the pilgrim, as well as cafes to calm your hunger and thirst.  I love the names of some of these places, such as La Taberna de Gaia a medieval style tavern in Leon, right at the foot of a magical place with breathtaking views. These are places were spirits whisper in your ears, where ghosts might roam free, and where your warrior goes to battle with its ego. At the end, a new man is reborn.  A transformational journey that is worth considering.

I'm speechless amidst all this beauty! I admit that sometimes my adventures are more ethereal than terrestrial, but this is one adventure I would take in a snap. Just thinking that millions of people all the way from medieval times have walked these routes is mind blowing. What sort of things did they experience? What were their loads? These roads tell thousands of stories, nation states were being born, war and peace were clenched in battle with each other, and people's destinies were being forged as they walked these paths. I would love to be part of that. How about you? Would you take this adventure?

All photos by Jose Ant. Gil Martinez used with permission.

Chinatown,{the other} Little Italy and the West Village

One of the things I enjoyed the most was staying at the Hilton Millennium in downtown. It's right in front of the once WTC and now Freedom Tower and 9/11 Memorial. I enjoyed being within walking distance of Broadway's shopping, Chinatown, Little Italy and Battery Park. I definitely recommend staying around this area. It's much livelier, but you see NYC in full action.

Home companion: Bookscases

Sometimes a bookshelf is just a bookshelf. But, other times, it's a statement.  And this one says ...my adventure side dictates how my classic side behaves. And I agree.  We all have very opposite tastes sometimes, and by marrying them together we can satisfy our desires.  For example, I love that I can pull my favorite poems anthology from this bookshelf and marvel at the small pair of elephants carved from onyx I recently acquired from Madagascar.  Wait there are no elephants in Madagascar, are they?  Oh well, you get the drift. 

Image via

Expats + other musings and links

Look around and tell me how many people you know are from another part of the world.  You are probably one of them.  For many, the call to roam extends beyond just a holiday – it’s about creating a new work-life balance, and finding fulfillment in a different country.  More than half of all my childhood friends, and relatives are living abroad, scattered around the globe.  They have left behind family and a way of life that they thought would be with them until the end of their days.  Whether this [population] mobility is driven by social, economic, or personal reasons, it's happening everywhere, and our generation is living proof. 

When I was younger, the mere talk of living abroad was sure to bring oohs and aahhs  around the room.  We heard stories of blissful snowy days, and huge super malls, long spreads of beautiful parks, flower markets and street cars, where theaters played back to back movie premieres and even the water tasted differently. Almost everyone had a family friend, a close relative or a neighbor living abroad whose return visit was always filled with anticipation. 

Most of us have adapted (assimilated) so well to living abroad, we can't fathom returning to our place of origin.  We even consider the legal adoption of our host country. We like it where we are, and are proud of what we have accomplished.  We participate fully in our communities abroad and have made life commitments in this new place we call home.  Anthropologists call this "acculturation." Nevertheless, some of us still see our families and friends back home, and even look forward to visiting our beloved land as periodically as we can.  Often, in situations where assimilation is inevitable or just the next reasonable course of action, we end up as chameleons, rather than as proper  expats.

But what happens when you find yourself experiencing a growing sensation of identity confusion?   Most of our lives we have been taught that identity is nontransferable, spawning from our mother land, our family rituals and our unique ethnicity. How do you fuse this acculturation into your identity?  Some of us think about these issues at some point in our abroad lives.  By having children, and raising that generation, we unwillingly step further away from our parent's generation.  At some point, you start thinking about family plots, wills, and what the future would look like without the place you come from as the point of reference.  That's a question in mind lately. Suddenly, putting down roots seems intensely nerve wracking. 

Anyway, did you know that the UK, and not the US, has the greatest number of expats around the world -about 3 million.  The Expat Dilemma is one we have all faced at one point in our lives. And sometimes, the expats are our parents.  Speaking of expats, have you seen this witty movie about young expats living in Barcelona? And this book comes highly recommended if you want to cure the tingling sensation of eternal wanderlust.  But if you prefer crime thrillers, then this expat book is for you.


~Credits~
Image 1: Pinterest (source:  www. frenchcx.com)
Image 2: Photo of Lost Girl Lindsey Tramuta, Photo by Elena Rossini
Image 3:  The Talented Mr. Ripley, 1999 (Paramount Pictures & Miramax Films via Word & Film)

Summer travel: Hoboken + a pier playground

About three weeks ago we went up to NY to visit my brother and his wife.  Early on Saturday morning, the temperature was above the triple digits, but we crossed two rivers (from Brooklyn to Hoboken, NJ) and skipped Manhattan this time.  And although it was extremely hot, we managed to enjoy the view.  

The really cool playground, called Pier C is on a small pier across from Manhattan's Battery Park area.  Although the skies were hazy with heat, lower Manhattan was still very visible. The eco-friendly playground is surrounded by tall trees and other vegetation, which helps in keeping it cooler than its surroundings. 

So long, Hoboken, stay pretty!