Ryan's Annual Wee Epistle
OTRA (on the road again), Michael Me Boy (MMB) braved Bavaria’s breathtaking beauty with us’ns in O’gau, Garmisch, & Munich whilst parental pairings of personal pals pleased profusely. Oktoberfest, Zugspitze, and Andechs of course, but at the latter we sadly learned our dear Moonbeam finished all nine. Whilst MMB flew home, Michael the Elder (ME) and Graciously Gallavanting Gourmet Gloria (G4) dropped into Dover, UK (castle) for an OV.
Into the breach at Honfleur, then Le Havre, Bilbao and ah, Bordeaux docked downtown. Trois jours (3 days) of favorite French finds: Margaux, Saint Emilion, and old friends Chateau Lamothe de Haux, Canelé, et cous-cous (IA2tF). Santiago de Compostela next for the last 10km of the Camino (in the rain, but no complain) before Porto tasting Taylor’s 50 year old – WoW! Lisbon last, but not least a rental car to Termas de Sao Paolo do Sul for a real spa week with FL friends gave us freedom to see the Monastery of Alcobaça (I’m told Mass there is the same), Mateus Palace (had to be done), Castelo and Convento de Cristo in Tomar (must see), and a 3-bottle lunch on a Douro river cruise. Spa was my new happy place until we stopped at Fatima on our return on the day celebrating the 7th apparition of Our Lady (that Mass was not the same – Powerful!).
