Here is today’s list of special things about March 27: Manatee Appreciation Day · National Spanish Paella Day · American Red Cross Giving Day · Celebrate Exchange Day · Holy Wednesday · International Whiskey Day · Little Red Wagon Day. And I am sure there were others. I can say that I love paella and whiskey. I never had a red wagon though. There are no manatees where I live, so while I think they are great, there are none to see here.
The paellas I have had varied from awesome to poorly seasoned saffron rice without many shrimp or other meats. Most were here or in Mexico. We went to Spain during a trans-Atlantic cruise. We stopped in Cadiz and later in Barcelona. What I remember most was the sherry in Jerez de la Frontera, and the central market in Barcelona. I had watched a travel show about Barcelona. When we were there, we went to the same bar in the middle of the market. The same owner was there who had been on the show. He was a little old man with more energy than most of us. Quite a trip.
On a business trip, I did go to Dublin where we were given a taste testing that compared Irish Whiskey to Scotch. Irish Whiskey is definitely smoother than Scotch (it is triple-distilled). Even though I have not had any in years, I always appreciated the super-peaty Scotch Whiskeys from the islands off the coast. I had wanted to venture there years ago, but it was never at the top of our list. Transiting the Panama Canal was definitely more exciting than sitting in a bar in Scotland. We took ten cruises during our marriage.
Once again, it is still Holy Week. Today is the day Judas agreed to identify Jesus to the Romans. That did not turn out well or him.
All of the authors working on the 30-Day blogging challenge are approaching the finish line. Just three more days after today. I am thrilled that all are still involved and posting daily. Do yourself a favor by using the link below to see what they have been up to. I wish you all the best.
Hey Karl. Just stopping in to cheer you on to the finish line.
Have a great day!
Thank you, Shirley. It looks like all of us are going to make it to the end. It has required some work, but in the end, it proves we can do what we planned. Frankly, I’m looking forward to doing something else in April.
Hi, Karl,
We love cruising, and someday I’d like to do a trans-Atlantic cruise. My mom and her sister took several and, although I enjoyed looking at the pictures, I wanted to be there.
As for manatees, we do have them in Florida. No one is supposed to touch one, but what if you’re minding your own business, swimming in a little bay in the intracoastal, and a young manatee the size of our dinner table (with leaves in) decides he wants to play? It happened to me and my kids. When the critter surfaced right in front of one son, he shrieked. But then he reached out, tickled the young one’s whiskers, and the “little” manatee smiled. That broke the ice. Under the mama’s watchful gaze, that little one cavorted with us until THIS mama called a halt and we swam to land to dry out. What are the chances?
Blessings,
Patty
Patty, i have always heard that manatees are very gentle souls. I’m not surprised that young manatees want to play. They are not so different from us. I bet those memories will last a lifetime. Thanks for stopping by.
I have never been on a cruise, Karl. Being in the middle of the ocean does not appeal to me, but I have friends who absolutely love it.
I do, however, have a little red wagon and I like Irish whiskey!
Karen, cruising is unique. We loved it for the places we were able to visit. We only took the one cross-Atlantic cruise. The ship was not very posh, but we always had a good time because my wife was friends with everyone. She’s the extrovert in our family. Most of our cruises were down to different cities in Mexico. We did take one Alaska cruise. Even in June, it was too cold for her. Gorgeous scenery but cold. Thanks for your comment.
National Manatee Day…I loved seeing them when I was in Florida. They’re so peaceful. Gentle giants of the sea. I saw a mother and calf in at the Ding Darling Wildlife Preserve. They are so quiet.
I did have a little red wagon when I was young, and I passed it on to my siblings. It rusted away by the time my sister Ginny received it. She was eleven-and-a-half years younger than me.
Thanks for this post, Karl. Always interesting. Three more days!
Wanda, thanks for the comment. I was the youngest in my family, so I had no one to pass things down. My parents did not like clutter, so most everything was trashed as we grew up. I still think about my Teddy Bear. I loved that thing so much. Alas, time passes by.
Hi, Karl,
I love Paella. I go to a Spanish restaurant that is in Hanau and the people there are the best cooks I know for making paella. I also love Scotch whiskey. I don’t drink it often but on a Friday evening, sitting before my fireplace in the winter time is heavenly.
Ten cruises! Wow! That is a lot of cruises. I have crossed the Channel three or four time but I have never been on a cruise. I am quite sure you enjoyed it very much.
Yes, today is the day that Judas agreed to turn Jesus over to the Romans. It wasn’t good for him. Jesus didn’t do what Judas thought he would and therefore lost his place as a disciple and forever damned in hell.
Take care and have a charming day.
Shalom shalom
We’ve been on two cruises (10th and 25th anniversary) and loved them both. On the second cruise, we stopped at seven islands which we will never do again – it was too rushed. One kid’s t-shirt read, “Different Island…Same Sh!t!” Which was very true – even getting away from the more civilized areas where people lived in straw huts and dirt floors. However, they had satellite dishes and microwaves! Still, we want to do another one in the near future and get treated like royalty.
If you travel on a good line, the trips are extra memorable, but a bit more pricey. None of our trips had that many stops, although the Panama Canal cruise came close.It was a two week cruise though. Thanks for the comment, John.
I love cruising Karl, we have been on a few but I believe our cruising days are over as Mike finds the insurance more than the price of his cruise. A great shame. Not having tried the Irish whiskey only the Scots. Must give the Irish a go as you make it sound delicious.
Joy, cruising was great, but like you, I am not certain I will do so again. Most of our cruises were along the Pacific coast to Mexico (my ex is Mexican). It was like having our own professional tour guide. My favorite Irish whiskey was Tullamore Dew. It is a bit sweeter than the others. I haven’t purchased any in years.