Our 2nd Visit to Medellín, Colombia, August 1-30, 2025

As it was cheaper to fly from Lisbon to Medellín, rather than to Panama City, we decided to spend a month in Colombia. Robin was still healing her broken wrist, so we kept a relaxed schedule, yet full of fun adventures. Our driver and tour guide, Juan, picked us up from the airport and took us on 2 tours later in the month. We met a man in the immigration line, Kristofer, from Texas, who we connected with for a few outings. We met locals, Michelangelo and his wife, Carolina,on an airport bus in Rome and they were kind enough to show us their hometown of Sabaneta, Colombia. We met new friends and Senior Nomads (Facebook group) Kenny and Wendy, who brought another friend, Bruce, and late in the month we reconnected with Rose and Bob (also Senior Nomads), who we first met in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico.

The view from our 6th floor unit was outstanding both day and night.

We were centrally located with a pharmacy on the ground floor, an ice cream store next door, Chinese food and barber shop across the street and grocery stores all around.

The La Floresta Park with Silletero statue and a Spot Breasted Woodpecker at our window.

La Floresta Park was a few blocks away, with numerous cafes surrounding it.

Piso 10 rooftop bar (above and below) was a short Uber ride away. Great drinks and a scenic view.

Flower Festival Vintage Car Parade

The flower festival in Medellín has its full parade on Sunday, but on Thursday, we went to the car parade. It was a fun event which lasted for hours. It was a short and cheap Uber ride to the route. We purchased 2 small stools for $4 USD which made watching the parade far more comfortable.

Fidelina’s, our favorite meetup spot

We first discovered Fidelina’s over a year ago on our first visit to Medellín, when David and Valerie took us there for Sangria. Since then we have met up with other Senior Nomads as it is a fun and comfortable venue to have a drink and get acquainted.

We first met Rose and Bob in San Miguel de Allende 3 years ago.

A lovely evening with Kenny and Wendy, who brought Bruce along. Followed by a lovely dinner at La Pampa Argentine Grille across the street.

Flower Farms and Silletero Tour

Our driver and tour guide, Juan, took us to Santa Elena to see a flower farm and meet a Silletero. A silletero is a craftsman and bearer of a floral chair, a structure carried on the back with flower arrangements. It is a cultural symbol and heritage of the Antioquia region in Colombia. Every year, they participate in the iconic Silleteros parade in Medellín during the Flower Festival. We enjoyed the informative tour and a typical lunch.

Juan plans multiple stops in his tour, to pause and try a local drink and snack.

The front of the farm and house and the ribbons won over the years.

Santa Fe Mall Displays

Connections with Kristofer

We met Kristofer in the immigration line when we landed in Medellín. He was from Lubbock, Texas, but was spending a few months in Colombia. We walked through Comuna 13 one day together and Laureles on another.

Tour to Guatapé and El Peñol

Juan took us on an amazing tour to Guatapé. He likes to stop and show us local sights along the way, so the first stop was for strawberries and cream. The next stop was Alto del Chocho, a petting zoo where you can feed llamas, alpacas, sheep, pigs and horses. Finally we made it to El Peñon, an enormous rock (721 ft) with a built in stairway. At 700+ steps, we decided to pass, but enjoyed taking pictures and admire the views. We ended up in Guatapé, a fun, touristy town and took a boat ride around a section of the man made lak, admiring homes previously owned by Escobar and Griselda Blanco.

Michelangelo and Carolina in Sabaneta

We met this couple on an airport shuttle bus in May at the Rome airport as it ferried us to the terminal. Turns out they live in Sabaneta area of Medellin, so we exchanged information and told them we would see them in August. Robin and I took the Metro south to the very last stop. Michelangelo met us and gave us a walking tour. We met up with Carolina a bit later and we all had a delightful lunch at a restaurant on top of a hill overlooking the area.

We really enjoyed Medellín again and plan on returning in the future. Our Airbnb in La Floresta really worked for us with its location and view. We love the zoo, the Metro, the dining options, the affordability and Juan, our personal guide. Next time we want to return to the Botanical Garden, Parque Arvi and the Metrocable, Piso 10 and Fidelina’s for drinks. We want to take a tour to both El Retiro and Jardin (an overnight). We need to visit Envigado on a day trip as well as visit the Casa de Memoria, a museum dedicated to the victims of Colombia’s armed conflict. We also look forward to spending a week or so in Sabaneta, to visit our new friends and to explore.

Next, a quick stay at our home base in Playa Blanca, Panama before going to the States for Thanksgiving. Our blog will continue with Chiang Mai, Thailand in January 2026.

Happy Holidays to all of you.

Almada, Portugal for the whole birthday month of July 2025.

Yes, we have stayed in Almada before, just across the Tagus River from Lisbon. We are actually in part of the Cacilhas area, close to the waterfront. We were scheduled to stay in the same 13th floor apartment, but the remodeled 12th floor unit was available, so we stayed there instead. We really love this area. We have an amazing view, loads of restaurants, wonderful public transportation, Lisbon a short water taxi ride away and cheap prices.

We have a good friend in Lisbon, named Kendall, who we make a point to see every visit. We met our new neighbors, Tom and Janny, who showed us some lovely sunset viewpoints. We now have an excellent dental clinic as well as an orthopedic surgeon if ever needed again. We ran into our Stanley Tucci doppleganger again, João, who greeted us every time we passed his cafe.

View from our 12th floor unit.

Our visit this time included a lot of doctor appointments, as Robin had broken her wrist in Orvieto, Italy, and needed surgery in Portugal to install a plate. The Metro was amazing as it took us almost to the front door of the hospital in Lisbon. Our Airbnb owner, Susanna, gave us an orthopedic surgeon referral,so everything went smoothly. Robin was in a lot of pain for most of our birthday month,but Almada and Lisbon were a great place to chill out and enjoy little pleasures of day to day life.

Our unit and our daytime view

Our favorite waiter João, Stanley Tucci lookalike.

Lisbon Excursions

Since the water taxi is only about 2€ and 8 minutes to Lisbon, we had a few adventures over there.

Praça do Comércio

Great get together with Kendall and Sueli.

The Earthquake museum was quite an adventure on Randy’s birthday.

Sunsets with Tom and Janny

Tom and Janny were our next door neighbors, who warned us about the crazy screaming neighbor. They were from Brazil, but have lived in Portugal for 3 years. They took us out to watch the sunset, once to Costa da Caparica overlooking the beaches and once to Espichel, by a lighthouse on the edge of Europe.

Overlooking Costa da Caparica beaches

Espichel

Cape Espichel, is on one of the westernmost points of Portugal, overlooking the Atlantic Ocean. The lighthouse was built in 1790.

Costa da Caparica

The beaches on this side of south side of the Tagus are beautiful. We spent only one day trip this time.

We just love Almada, especially the Cacilhas area. We have everything we need, prices are low, great transit options, we have a lot of contacts and we just enjoy the slow pace.

Next stop… Medellín, Colombia

Orvieto, Italy June 17-30, 2025

The Duomo was spectacular both inside and out.

We really loved Orvieto, the medieval town elevated above the surrounding area. Our Airbnb was perfectly in the center of the village, with excellent access to historical sites, groceries, cafes and pharmacies. We were witness to the Corpus Domini celebration including a parade and performance. Unfortunately, Robin broke her wrist here, but did receive prompt medical care.

Narrow streets of Orvieto

Entrance to our Airbnb

Building just behind our Airbnb in the Piazza del Popolo

Umbricelli with pistacios

Tagliatelle with asparagus

A glass of Orvieto Classico

The Incredible Duomo of Orvieto

The duomo construction began in 1290 and went through many building phases, completing in 1591.

Exterior sculpture on front facade of duomo

The Necropoli of Etruscan Tombs

We enjoyed a lovely walk one morning, seeing very few people on the trail to the tombs and back around to the center. The tombs (over 200) date back to the 8th century B.C., so close to 2800 years ago. You can even read the names inscribed on the headway of the tombs.

It was a very pleasant walk down this trail.

Overhead view of the tombs

Small museum displays relics found in the tombs.

Name inscribed reads from right to left.

Corpus Domini

This festival was fortunately during our short visit to Orvieto. It is a historic and religious event with a historical parade of medieval costumes.

Interesting characters appearing medieval

There was also an evening performance

The Albornoz Fortress and St. Patrick’s Well

One of the benefits of longer stays, is the opportunity to see more of the less popular sites. We took a pleasant walk through the Albornoz Fortress, majestically situated above the surrounding region. The St. Patrick’s Well was built in 1527 and is 53 meters deep. It was built with 2 spiral staircases, permitting mule-drawn carts carrying water bags to descend on one side and ascend on the other without colliding. There are nearly 250 steps on each staircase.

The well entrance

Orvieto Underground

We took an interesting tour of the Orvieto Underground. It was a large area where homeowners could store wine and also keep house pigeons. They would be able to sell the eggs and pigeon meat. They had no overhead costs as the pigeons would leave, feed themselves and always return.

Pigeon hole nests in the walls and stairway to enter the home above ground

” The Accident”

We made it to the top of the Torre del Moro, the clocktower built in the year 1200 in the center of town. We were admiring the view from the observation deck, which was totally flat on 3 sides, but the 4th side had a few steps down. Robin was filming the glorious view when she missed a step, almost caught herself, then went down hard and broke her wrist. I helped her down 170 or so steps to the elevator, and took it the remainder of the way down. We had an ambulance called and rode to the local hospital. Robin had multiple Xrays and got a cast put on, but there are no real pain meds in Italy, just Ibuprofen and Acetaminophen. At our next destination, Portugal, she would get surgery to place a metal plate in her wrist.

Before

View from the top.

After

Robin is one of the strongest people I know and has a extremely high pain threshold. She was amazing during and after this traumatic experience. The story continues in our next location…

…Almada, Portugal!

Bologna, Italy May 7-June 17, 2025

Bologna was simply amazing. It is a vibrant university city, full of historical monuments, museums, porticos, cafes and more. We stayed on the west side of the city, yet still within the center walls. We were able to walk just about everywhere, which was fortunate as Uber was only available as Uber Black and quite expensive. Taxis were challenging to get ahold of, yet were slightly less than Uber.

The Fountain of Neptune in Piazza Maggiore was completed in 1566. According to legend, the artist, Giambologna, made Neptune’s penis too big for the Cardinal. So in response, he made it smaller, but when you view at an angle, his thumb looks like an erect penis.

The facade of San Petronio in Piazza Maggiore.

The 2 towers were closed due to leaning. They were constructed 1109-1119.

There is a September 11th park in Bologna

At the Osteria del Sole (a bar since 1465) with our food tour.

San Luca and the procession of the Icon of the Madonna and Child.

We were surprised to find out that we were in Bologna during a special celebration. The Icon of the Madonna and child was first brought to Bologna around 1160 AD and given to 2 nuns. It later found a home in the Sanctuary of San Luca. In 1433, after severe rains, it was suggested to bring the Madonna down into the city seeking divine intervention. When it entered the city, the rains stopped, considered a miracle, they have continued the procession every year since. It came down on May 24th and went back to San Luca on May 31st of this year. It is held yearly during ascension week The procession starts from the Sanctuary on a hill and continues down to the Cathedral of San Pietro, where it is on display for the week. The procession goes through the longest porticos in the world at 2.4 miles and containing 666 archways (built in 1674-1793 to protect the icon). The present San Luca was constructed in 1723.

The Icon in the church of San Pietro

The procession returning to San Luca

The Sanctuary of the Madonna of San Luca

The Icon returned to its home.

The view of the porticos from the top.

We rode the San Luca Express up and back.

Music Museum

One of the first museums we visited was a music museum comprised of harpsichords and clavichords.

Medieval Museum

This was a fascinating museum and we spent a few hours here. The art and science from this era were amazing.

Archeology Museum

They had a complete Egyptian floor in this museum along with Roman artifacts on other floors.

Bust of Nero was discovered in 1513.

The 7 Churches

The basilica of Santo Stefano encompasses a complex of religious edifices. It is locally known as Sette Chiese (“Seven Churches”). The different complexes were built from the 4th to the 8th century A.D.

Day trip to Florence

We took a high speed train from Bologna to Florence for a day trip. Florence was very busy, with loads of tourists. We did not see David, nor any of the museums. We just enjoyed a leisurely day, strolling the piazza and the Ponte Vecchio and making a list of things to do when we return someday.

The immense Duomo was constructed from 1296-1436.

These bronze doors are a replica, the originals are in a museum. Known as the Gates of Paradise” by Lorenzo Ghiberti, we actually saw the originals at The Seattle Art Museum in 2008.

Ponte Vecchio

Ya gotta love lasagna!

Certosa Cemetery

As our cab driver said, this is more of a museum than a cemetery. Known as one of the older cemeteries in Europe, it opened in 1801, yet during the 1870’s, archeological excavation found Etruscan tombs here from 6th century B.C.

I recognized the name Marconi, as the discoverer of radio waves. Turns out, this was his father.

Meeting up with fellow Senior Nomads

Generally when we travel we put out word on our Facebook group “Senior Nomads” to meet up. We were fortunate to meet 3 different couples during our month in Bologna. It is fascinating to connect with these people who are all so different and all with different travel styles and strategies.

We met up with Don and Monica twice

Jim and Angie connected with us.

Alessandra is from Bologna and Martin from the UK.

Pinacoteca Art Museum

This one was actually from the Museum of Modern Art

Farewell to Bologna and all the great food.

Next stop… off to Orvieto, Italy for 2 weeks.

Rome, Italy May 7-May 16, 2025

Rome was a whirlwind of tours, activities and sightseeing. Perhaps our most memorable event was our dinner with our Airbnb host, Lorenzo, wife Emma and daughters, Carolina and Sophie. What a wonderful evening of antipasto, delicious homecooked pasta amatriciana, enlightening conversation, and of course, a few card tricks.

Our Airbnb was very unique,very Roman. We are by the Pyramide Metro Station, right next to the pyramid.

Emma made us an apricot tort as a welcome gift 🎁

Aperitif of Amaro from Calabria

Carolina and Sophie

We had a number of chill days, strolling the local neighborhood, eating at cafes, coffee shops and seeing nearby sights.

Lovely lunch at Piazza Navona after riding the Hop On Hop Off bus.

Fountain of 4 Rivers and the Pantheon

Our local coffee bar for a morning drink and croissant

Pyramid of Caius Cestius was built from 18-12 BC.

Bull Steak where you chose the meat, the amount and how you want it cooked.

I love good lasagna and this one was outstanding.

Vatican Tour

We took a guided Vatican tour about 2 days after the new pope was chosen. Unfortunately, the Sistine Chapel was not open to the public. The Vatican Museums are huge and filled with incredible art masterpieces that really have to be seen to be appreciated.

Pope Leo says “hi” everyone.

Guided Vatican tour courtesy of Francesca

The entry door to the closed Sistine Chapel

The famous School of Athens fresco by Raphael painted between 1509-1511.

A relaxing drink with my gorgeous wife before walking to the metro station.

Sunday Morning at the Spanish Steps, Villa Borghese (park) and the Galleria Borghese (museum/gallery).

First a morning coffee and tea outside at Anticaroma.

Views at the base of the Spanish Steps including the boat fountain or Fontana della Barcaccia (1626-1629).

View from the midpoint of the steps.

The majestic Borghese Gallery, a country villa of the nephew of Pope Paul V. The pope appointed his nephew to the position, and this is where the word nepotism was derived (Italian nipote for nephew).

The Bernini sculptures are my favorite.

Daphne being turned into a tree is a masterpiece.

Napoleon’s sister, Pauline depicted as Venus by Canova has incredible detail in the folds of the couch.

Colosseum, Palatine Hill and Forum Tour

We have found that many times a guided tour is the best way to see high profile attractions. We don’t always do it, but the benefits of skip-the-line, expert commentary and the ability to ask questions throughout the tour can make for a pleasant and memorable experience.

Arch of Constatine and Arch of Titus

The Baths of Caracalla

Fortunately, this immense attraction was a short walking distance from our Airbnb and did not have the huge tourist crowds. In fact, it was a quiet and peaceful visit.

The baths were 2nd largest in ancient Rome behind the Baths of Diocletian and were built 212-217 AD. There were hot baths (calidarium), warm baths (tepidarium) and cold baths (frigidarium). There was also a library and a gym.

Fine detail in the mosaic tile work.

Testaccio Market and Trastevere

One morning, we walked to the Testaccio market a large city square with an indoor market full of cured meats, fish, vegetables, clothing and leather goods, as well as coffee cafes and eateries.

Robin’s favorite purchases, wine and cheese.

Randy’s favorite Limonata and a filled pastry.

After the market, we caught an Uber (Not cheap here!), and walked across the oldest bridge in Rome to Isola Tiberina and then the Trastevere neighborhood.

Tiber River

Trastevere is all about the food and this is my favorite, spaghetti alle Vongole, or spaghetti with clams.

Yes, Rome was a whirlwind for us as we usually take travel at a slower pace, especially with the need for adapting to the time change. However, with a lot to see in our 8 days, we made a valiant effort to see many sights without being too overwhelmed.

Next stop… Bologna, Italy for a slower pace

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Panajachel, Guatemala Nov 21-Dec 10,2024.

We took a private shuttle from Antigua to Panajachel, which is on Lake Atitlán. Only 45 miles, but it takes over 2 hours with the twisting and turning roads. The population is only 20,000, but there are many restaurants and shops. From Pana, you can take a boat or “lancha” to the neighboring towns. We visited San Marcos and San Juan.

The volcanoes of Lake Atitlán, San Pedro, Atitlán and Tolimán

We visited the Sunday market at Chichicastenango.

Robin bought wine from a 12 year old.

Kids are on mopeds everywhere.

We enjoy playing cards while waiting for food and drinks.

We had an amazing ride on an ATV after our bird watching tour with Juan Carlos.

Several beautiful volcanoes can be seen across the lake. We enjoyed our time in Panajachel. We found several favorite restaurants including Guajimbo’s (we loved the chicken soup), The Little Spoon (great califlower tacos) and La Laterna (wonderful Italian food). The shopping was plentiful with reasonable prices. It was a very walkable town with easy access to tuk tuks and Uber.

Next up….

We headed back to Panama and then made a stop in Las Vegas in January/Feb before coming back to Panama. Our next post will be about Italy in May!!

Antigua, Guatemala Oct 9-Nov 21, 2024. We Love it Here!

Antigua has exceeded our expectations. We came here as it was a cheaper flight than to Mexico or Costa Rica, but we are so glad we did. A friendly town of 60,000 people, a UNESCO Heritage site, and with the year round weather of eternal spring. We chose an excellent location, adjacent to a nursery and cafe.

View of Agua volcano from our rooftop. It has only been this visible for several days of our 6 weeks here.

Cafe de la Escalonia was a delightful locale, very close to our Airbnb. Great for breakfast, lunch or a later afternoon tea while playing cards or reading.

We were fortunate to connect with Adam, son of Robin’s best friend, Debra Jean.

Iglesia San Pedro

Museum, churches and ruins are spread throughout the town.

Iglesia de La Merced

Deet is the Ambassador of Antigua. The 86 year old has lived here for 34 years, and greets everyone and invites them to local get togethers.

Catedral San José

Celestino took us on a walking tour of Antigua, filled with history and culture.

Cathedral of Santiago

Quincieras are very often celebrated on the scenic streets.

We joined a local gym.

Meet up group (left)

Fuego Volcano is still active.

Marvin at King’s Barber Shop gave Randy the most incredible shave and haircut, complete with aromatherapy, hot face towel wrap and shoulder and neck massage.

Fuego volcanowould poof every 15 minutes or so.

Cerro de la Cruz

400 year old public laundry. We saw some still being used in another town.

Christmas was on full display from mid November here in Antigua.

Halloween Party at Caoba Farm

We were surprised to find a Halloween celebration and even more surprised to find it had a kinky BDSM theme 😆.

Flower Festival

The flower festival is a recent phenomenon where all the businesses come together to celebrate. The theme this year was Alice in Wonderland.

Giant Kite Festival

The giant festival is held annually in both Santiago and Sumpango. We went to the larger one in Sumpango, but would suggest the smaller one as there was an insane amount of people. The kites are supposed to connect with the souls of the dead.

Tombs at the local cemetery, decorated for Day of the Dead

We are already planning our next trip to Antigua. The food was amazing, the people, cheerful and friendly and a very budget friendly location.

Next stop… Panajachel, Guatemala

Back in Panama (November 2023 off and on to Oct 2024)

This post represents our last several returns to Panama, so off and on visits from November 2023 to the present. Rainy season is from May to December, but living in the dry arc, it is not as rainy as other areas of the country.

We got a new king size bed!!!

Christmas is a popular holiday time for locals as well as tourists.

Carnival is celebrated nationwide. We went to Buenaventura Resort with David and Sheila to kick off the Jazz Festival.

Cala, our local beach bar

Buffet at Italiano in Playa Blanca Resort

Entertainment (left) at Mansa in the Buenaventura Resort

Sarith and Ishmail shaking up salsa.

Madonna, Frank and Bogda celebrating birthdays.

A variety of entertainment from local birthday celebrations at the Cala Beach Bar, to performances at Mansa at Buenaventura Resort.

Our little pony born recently

Happy hours are smaller in the rainy season with most of the Canadians gone.

Robin is contantly creating new artwork.

Yolanda’s amazing mermaid project.

The Wilded Women met on Wednesdays to help craft the mosaic mermaid and drink wine, or vice versa 😀 .

Oh Toro in Penenomé is our new favorite restaurant and have excellent mojitos.

Happy birthday Lenore

View from our front window on the 6th floor

After lunch at Buenaventura (above) and visiting the stables next to the zoo.

Loki is 5 months old

With Lenore at Karaoke at the Bench

Our neighbor, Alejandra has a duck named Lulu.

Robin absolutely loves the french onion soup at Los Camisones

Mansa is another of our favorites. Robin celebrating her birthday.

Nico’s Beach Bar at Farallón Beach

We dog sat Molly one day. Faint rainbow.

Short trip to Casco Viejo area of Panama City

Our Airbnb was a block from the Panama Canal Museum

Anniversary in El Valle

We borrowed a friend’s car and it broke down as we entered El Valle. Fortunately, street mechanics and locals all helped us get it repaired for $30. We had a lovely stay at the Golden Frog Inn.

We bought a serendipitous sign. Rana Dorada means golden frog (our hotel’s name) and Aug 14th is our anniversary, which is also Golden Frog Day in Panama.

More adventures back in Playa Blanca

Many great happy hours with our large contingent of friends.

Sami, our Zumba instructor, and her husband, Greg, cameover for Robin’s ice cream social.

Hungarian family made goulash for the water aerobics group.

Line dancing class

We enjoy the street dogs here.

Robin and Lenore enjoying Jeanette’s terrace view.

Las Vegas in May 2024 with a short stop in Sacramento

We had an incredible visit to Las Vegas, staying with daughter Katy, seeing the sights, going to medical and dental appointments. Mid month, we flew to Sacramento and spent 4 wonderful days visiting my sister, Kathie and husband, Charlie and catching up with her family. When we returned to Vegas, my daughter, Rikka and her boyfriend, Joseph flew down from Seattle to celebrate her birthday with us. For our last week, we checked into our timeshare exchange at the Carriage House, just off the strip.

We went to see Carrot Top at the Luxor and were surprised at how funny he was. We enjoyed daily strolls on the walking path.

Ice Age Fossils State Park, north of Vegas, recently opened.

We saw the magic of Jen Kramer at the Westgate Hotel and made a new friend, Daniel.

The new Durango Hotel on the west side has lots of dining choices and a fun pool area.

Mother’s Day was a blast starting with mini golf at the new Popstroke, followed by burgers at In-N-Out.

Happy Mom’s Day!!!

We took off for Sacramento and had a lovely Airbnb room in Elk Grove, located conveniently right between my sister, Kathie and my niece, Ashley and her family.

We drove to Stockton on one day and met with a longtime friend, Monica for lunch at a greek restaurant. Flaming saganaki above at Papapavlov’s.

Great to see my sister again.

Willie and Bella

Ashley and her 3 kiddos.

Nolan aka “Baby Head”

Sacramento Zoo is always a fun walking experience. Thanks to Kathie for treating us and we got to see niece, Catey as well. We met up with cousin Gary in Loomis, CA for a delightful lunch at the High Hands Cafe. We finished Sacramento with a visit to Old Sacramento.

Charlie really enjoys the animals.

Cousin Gary Mcknight came down to meet us for lunch at the High Hands Cafe in Loomis, California.

We got back to Vegas to connect with my daughter, Rikka and her boyfriend, Joseph, to celebrate her birthday. We had a lovely birthday dinner at Diablo’s in the Luxor (below). We spent a wonderful day trip in Boulder City.

We had to show Joseph the bighorn sheep at Hemenway Park and man were they close today.

The Bellagio Conservatory is always a wondrous sight.

18-hole indoor Mini golf at the Twilight Zone course at the Horseshoe Hotel: a total kick if you’re a TZ fan, and only $12.00!!

Our home on the strip just down from the Miracle Mile Shops, and a glass of sangria at House of Blues where the BBQ ribs did not dissappoint!

It was an amazingly rewarding trip, seeing family and friends, enjoying the low humidity (compared to Panama), taking advantage of entertainment options and experiencing the luxury of having real stores like Walmart and Albertsons, and Amazon delivery!

Next stop…. Home sweet home, Panama

Medellín, Colombia Jan 9-Feb 7, 2024

After a 2 month respite at our home base in Playa Blanca, Panama, we are off to Colombia. Our Airbnb is a lovely unit in Punta de Piedra apartments. We are in the La Candelaria area, just north of El Poblado. We have easy access to malls, grocery stores, street food and restaurants. The City of Eternal Spring currently has temperatures from lows of upper 50’s to highs of mid 80’s, requiring neither AC, nor heat.

      View from our footbridge at Punta de Piedra Apartments

Footbridge from back of our apartment complex to elevator, which takes you to Premium Plaza Mall. If we walk out the front entrance of our complex, the El Indio Mall has shops and cafes like Mi Arepa and La Gloria.

Churros at our close by Premium Plaza mall (left) and relaxing on our deck where we watch the birds and squirrels.

Colombian chachalaca- a noisey bird!

       Comuna 13

No trip to Medellín is complete without a trip to Comuna 13 and best completed with a guide. This is one of poorest areas in town, previously one of the most dangerous neighborhoods in the world. The urban renewal here, with tourism, escalators, shops, cafes, art and vendors, has been amazing.

    Juan bought us churros

      Food and Drink

An arepa – ground maize tortilla with chicken, corn and cheese. An iced coffee lemonade.

Fresh, warm churro and a cherry lemonade.

Grilled chicken with butter and criollos potatoes- a skillet arepa with chicken and shrooms.

A Brazilian steakhouse a short walk away.

Scrumptious burger at Chef Burger in Laureles and full lunch at La Gloria, including soup and juice.

Plaza Minorista Market (left) and smoked salmon salad (right).

       Adventures

From the zoo, the Botanical Garden, planetarium, Barrio Transformation tour, the Museo de Antioquia (art), food tour, a separate exotic fruit tour to meet-up with fellow Senior Nomads, we have been busy here. We tend to pace ourselves by alternating activity days with leisure days.

  Disney sponsored an incredible lighting exhibit for Christmas by the Medellin River.

Bolero Plaza celebrates the Colombian artist, Fernando Botero, who donated a multitude of sculptures.

There are 6 different cable cars, all accessed with your Metro card. Not just for tourists, they enable access for locals as well.

Great new friends, Valerie and David from the Washington DC area. Fellow members of Senior Nomads.

The Botanical Garden is a lovely walking area with birds and plants. We went twice as it is free, just need to show ID. A first class restaurant, In Situ, with our amazing waiter, Juan.

Randy spotted a small scorpion on a walk.     Flowering plant at the garden.

After the Botanical Garden, we went to Chef Burger in Laureles, then Fidelina’s for Sangria.

Getting to Parque Arví requires taking the Metro and then 2 cable cars to arrive at 8,000 ft. Unfortunately, the first cable car was out of service, so we had to take a circuitous bus ride. On the way back, we opted for a taxi to save time and motion sickness.

We met a fellow American, Erika, from Ohio.

Awesome visit with fellow Senior Nomad Facebook group members, Georganna and Tom (from Southern California), and Rick and Chris(from Calgary, Canada). We toured El Castillo museum and gardens and enjoyed conversation at the cafeteria afterwards. Nomads are so interesting and unique and we learn so much from each other.

Our farewell to Medellin is here. We had an incredible month of adventures, learning and relaxation. We will come back here. Next time we would like to stay in the Laureles area. We also will make it to Guatapé next time. We avoided the 2 hour drive this trip in order to spend our time exploring the Metro area. No regrets. Now back to Panama for a few months before heading to Las Vegas to visit Katy and Sacramento to visit Kathie and Charlie.