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As of today, Chip & Michelle’s Winter 2022-2023 Most Excellent Junket has officially come to it’s close.
Was good to have gone and we’re glad to be back. We’ll tell you about it.
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Before we get to the junket, we begin, dear reader, by asking for your help.
Language evolves to help us manage our concerns with brevity and clarity.
Help us coin a word we need.
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The Background
Now that we’ve returned, we naturally have a backlog of things to get done. But today, we put all outside work on hold. Why? Because our driveway has become a 1/3rd mile river of gleaming ice. One needs snowshoes to simply stand on it without butt planting.
The Challenge.
What should we call such unplanned holidays?
This happens a couple of times a year, usually at the bookends of winter when temps drop below freezing at night then rise above it during the day. It’s unexpected in January.
This is like a snow day for an adult Mainiac. Although, I’m not actually sure the kids here get snow days, given how generally unbothered folks here are by snow.
Choices:
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An Ahtohallan Holiday: Fans of Frozen may remember that Ahtohallan is a frozen magical river that knows everything about the past.
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A WTCWSSODIWAWWSOWLLFIITS Day: “When the Car Will Slide Sideways off the Driveway Into the Woods and We Will Say ‘Oh Well, Let’s Look for It in the Spring.’”
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NNN Day (No Name Needed): Why name it? What’s there to talk about? It’s a day off. Just declare it and go back for a nice nap.
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Reader’s choice: Write in what you think we should call it.
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So you may have heard of the Slow Food Movement. Well, Michelle and I hereby launch The Slow Travel Movement.
Some travelers enjoy seeing a new city each day. We in the Slow Travel Movement feel rushed giving it a week.
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Below are highlights from our multi-stage 2022-2023 Winter Slow Travel Boondoggle
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Stage 1: Beach Town (Oct 31 - Nov 27)
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We started off in Tavira, Portugal.
This is a town of maybe 10,000 tucked down in Portugal’s southeast corner, a bike ride from the border with Spain.
Michelle had just retired. We got to just hang out every day. Hadn’t done that since Michelle had a sabbatical ~7 years ago. Was pretty great.
You know, time to smell the flowers.
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Highlight: Portugal coffee culture. One must go no farther than two blocks from any point in Tavira to get to a pasteleria. Maybe 5 tables. One sits and has an espresso drink and maybe a little pastry. No one takes away; not done.
Mostly, they’re not actually very good. But they are neighborly.
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Stage 2: Tourist Playground (Nov 28 - Dec 27)
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Next, we spent a month in Lisbon, the town that has a thing or two to teach San Francisco about hills.
Lisbon is booming … a bit overrun with tourists. AirBnb conversions are driving rents through the roof.
Lots to do; high energy; activities for twenty-something party people through cruise ship day-trippers.
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Highlight: Portuguese diner food. Yes, we had an awesome tour of Lisbon’s amazing street art. Yes, there is a fab tile industry. Yes, we visited with an adorable couple starting an urban winery. Nevertheless, what stood out (at least to Chip) was that the Portuguese know how to do diner food.
FWIW, it did feel slightly weird to be in such a big city that was so tourist-oriented (500k population). Kind of like everyone collaboratively crowdsourced a Disney park, where we all agree to hang out together and “have experiences.”
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Stage 3: Zora & Chip Bike Trip (Dec 28 - Jan 4)
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Now things get complicated, logistics-wise. Michelle heads back to Maine. Zora had arrived a few days earlier, having finished her first semester of law school.
Chip and Zora head out for a week-long bike trip. Instead of making a loop, we pick a hometown (Evora) and do day trips from it.
Here, Zora maps out our route.
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Highlight: The Bone Chapel in Evora. Yep, it’s what it sounds like. If a chapel should create a reflective atmosphere, gee, this one works.
To set the stage, over the entrance, it says: “We bones that are here await yours.”
How would you like to conduct your weekly religious celebration shouldering up this way to past generations?
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Stage 4: Chip Solo in the Big City (Jan 5 - Jan 10)
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Given the logistics, I end up with a spare week on my hands before heading back.
What to do? Why not hang out in Madrid and plug away on A Special Project to Be Announced In a Later Digest?
Madrid is an old European city that combines small, curvy, walkable streets with big city amenities like an amazing central park.
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Highlight: High density leads to high quirkiness.
Big cities are pretty great. While we’re currently loving being up in the hills, I could also see living well in an old city center.
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Stage 5: Zora and Michelle in Paris (Jan 11 - Jan 17)
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As the grand finale, Zora and Michelle end up in Paris for a week.
Don’t ask me, I never did quite figure out how this came to pass.
Apparently, the croissants lived up to expectations.
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And so concludes our Winter 2022-2023 Most Excellent Junket.
We’re grateful for having had the chance to do this. And, at the same time, we love being back sipping our coffee while looking out at our view over the lakes.
Best to you for 2023, Dear Reader!
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