Iâm thrilled to share that my childrenâs book, Have You Seen Frenchie?, is officially self-published and out in the world! This project has been a true labor of love, filled with fun adventures, lovable characters, and meaningful lessons for young readers.
What happens when a family of potatoes embarks on a daring adventure to find their missing relative? In “HAVE YOU SEEN FRENCHIE?,” Mama Potato, Papa Potato, and their youngest son Tater set off on a road trip to search for Frenchie. Along the way, they encounter quirky potato relatives like Cousin Chip and Uncle Mash with the stash. This vibrant story is filled with unforgettable characters and vivid settings, complemented by captivating illustrations, conveying valuable themes of family and perseverance.
I hope this story sparks imagination, joy, and a little wonder in the hearts of kids (and grown-ups too)!
I couldnât have done this without the amazing support of friends and familyâthank you all! If you know any young readers (or young at heart!), Iâd be so grateful if youâd spread the word. The book is available on Amazon in most countries. Here is the USA link if you click HERE FOR – HAVE YOU SEEN FRENCHIE?
I’ve written this before but I try to go to a new place at least once a year. This year so far, that would be Scotland. And it did not disappoint.
We flew direct from Mallorca to Prestwick, about a three hour flight. Prestwick is a super small airport but close to our first stop which was Troon, a small seaside town in Ayrshire that overlooks the Isle of Arran. And it was so lovely!
We stayed at The Marine hotel. We really loved this hotel – view of the beach out our window, a golf course for all you golfers, Felix said his hamburger there at The Rabbit restaurant was one of the best he’s ever had and a great bar with a large whiskey selection. It was a bit too warm in our room but that really isn’t the hotel’s fault, they did bring us a fan which helped a bit. No air conditioning in many hotels in Scotland.
But we weren’t in Troon to golf. No sirree. We were there to celebrate the wedding of my cousin Jessica and her new husband Colin. My parents flew in from Arizona for it too. So a big family celebration with Felix getting to meet my cousins and aunt for the first time. Lots of love! And lots of kilts! The celebration was a full day event, with the bride and groom arriving in a Rolls Royce and then onto cocktails and photos. Later a dinner with me getting to sit by one of the Queen’s former chaplains – very cool! And then we ended the evening with dancing. Troon, we will be back.
Next stop was Pitlochry. I tried to find a nice hotel around the Cairngorms National Park so we could do some sightseeing in that area plus a whiskey tasting at Tomatin. The Fonab Castle Hotelwas absolutely perfect, right on a loch, we ordered breakfast to our room (for a charge of 10 pounds) and it was a great location for the next day’s plans. We had dinner at their restaurant there the first night. Great food! A bit expensive but it seemed all restaurants were a bit on the expensive side.
We headed north to see some sights before our whiskey tour in the afternoon. First stop was the Ruthven Barracks which are the best preserved of the four barracks built in 1719 after the 1715 Jacobite rising. Set on an old castle mound, the complex comprises two large three-storey blocks occupying two sides of the enclosure, each with two rooms per floor. The barracks and enclosing walls were built with loopholes for musket firing, and bastion towers were built at opposite corners. It was destroyed by Jacobites following their retreat after the Battle of Culloden in 1746.
On the way to Tomatin it started pouring rain. And was still pouring when we got to the whiskey distillery, needless to say we got drenched when we tried to sprint the fifty feet to the front door. Just makes it more fun, right? Felix likes whiskey so I wanted to fit in a tour and tasting while we were in Scotland. He had never heard of Tomatin whiskey before but now it is one of his favorites. I can even find the Legacy one here in Mallorca. A very informative tour (we did the Legacy tour for 15 pounds per person) and then a tasting of three of their whiskeys at the end. Since I was driving I got the tastings to go. And of course, we had to buy a bottle before leaving, Felix chose the Tomatin 18 year old and WOW, it is dang good.
Afterwards, we drove up to the northern part of Loch Ness – about a 20 minute drive from Tomatin. I just knew I would be the one to spot Nessie! It was still quite rainy so I never got a great picture and sadly never spotted Nessie but we drove all the way down the eastern side of it on a very curvy and hilly road. Fantastic!
The next day we left for Edinburgh. My dad is a golf fanatic so a stop at St. Andrews was a must. St. Andrews is regarded as the “Home of Golf.” It has one of the oldest courses in the world, where the game has been played since the 15th century. It was a great experience and hopefully was a highlight for my dad to see. We walked around a little, you can walk the course if you stay out of the way. We just walked past the 1st hole on the Old Course and then you could cut across in the middle and be on the other side where the 18th hole was. We grabbed a quick bite to eat and watched some of the golfers. It is also right next to a gorgeous beach where “Chariots of Fire” was filmed.
Time for Edinburgh! As I said, I was the driver, and being in the UK the driver’s steering wheel is on the right side and of course you drive on the left side of the road. It was quite an experience! The first day was a bit nerve-wracking, I really had to concentrate but slowly I got used to it. Driving in Edinburgh was a challenge but in the end it all worked out. We stayed at The Intercontinental The George Hotel in Edinburgh. It was my least favorite of the three hotels and I doubt we will stay there again. The check-in people weren’t helpful at all and there really wasn’t anything extra special about the hotel. It was in a great location, right smack dab around everything. The next day was our Hop On Hop Off bus tour. My mom had knee surgery and needs a cane to walk to this was really our best option to be able to see most of the city. Sadly, it didn’t go to the castle but hopefully next time we will make it. Some pics from the day of Edinburgh.
And that was a wrap! I think we fit in a lot of fabulous things in the week we were there. We drove my parents to Glasgow where they were spending two more days, then we decided to go back to The Marine in Troon for a beer before having to drop off the rental. Thanks Scotland! We will definitely be returning soon.
It had been over two years since I have traveled up to last month. Of course, you know the main reason – Covid. But even when restrictions were released I didnât travel. I didnât understand this immediate need to get back out there. Sure I missed seeing new places and going back to my favorite spots but why the rush? Covid was (is) still a big problem. There were a new surge of Covid cases in Mallorca when tourists were allowed back (naturally) and I just didnât get it the immediate need to get away.
Anyways, I turned the big half a century last month and I wanted to go somewhere to celebrate the big 5-0. I felt so bad for the people who turned 50 or had any huge celebration during 2020. I know that had to have sucked. We looked into fun places that would hopefully be somewhat warm. Felix, being European, still wasnât allowed into the USA so we couldnât go there. We looked into a cruise but after REALLY looking into it we found out that our stops, mostly in Italy, we wouldnât be able to get off the boat just ourselves. We HAD TO go with a group. Well, thatâs not what we wanted to do. In the end, we decided on Tenerife. Felix had been when he was eight (how cute!) and the flight there was a direct flight. So, alright Tenerife, show us what you got.Â
View from our room
We chose the Gran Melia Palacio de Isora hotel which I may do a separate blog post about but just be careful if you choose this one, or it may be just the way things are in Tenerife. There are a few pros – friendly staff, the Bali beds looking over the Atlantic are nice and I liked the Clarins products in the room but sadly, the cons outweighed the pros – the restaurant situation is horrific, you need to book 2 or 3 days in advance if you want a table at a decent time, the service is slowwwwwww, the bars close at 6 except for the big main one which takes forever to get a drink. Again, a possible blog post. But I really didnât want this one to be negative. But seems like it is so far, so letâs change that, shall we?Â
Alright, we enjoyed a few relaxing days renting a Bali bed, drinking some cervezas and swimming in Europeâs largest salt water pool. The lizards were fun to watch and I loved the red dragonflies buzzing around.
The cool breeze coming off the Atlantico was a nice feeling against the hot sun tanning our skin. One night we ventured out to a local Italian restaurant with great service and yummy food – Pepi Vintage Room Tenerife in Puerto de Santiago. Great food, wine and service. It is a bit small so I would call for a reservation at 673 72 56 61.
Close to the hotel was a black sand beach which seemed pretty hip with the locals.
After a few days of completely vegging out on the beds and swimming we decided to take a break from the Bali beds and rent a car to check out Teide and Masca.
Beer and Bali Bed. RELAX.
The rental car was booked at the hotel, it was super easy and 60 euro for the day. Off onto our best day of the trip.Â
Teide National Park took us about an hour from our hotel. Teide is an active volcano but the last eruption was in 1909. I must add to this post that we were in Tenerife at the time the La Palma volcano was erupting. We tried to get a view of it but alas, it wasnât meant to be. My heart goes out to the people who have lost their homes and belongings from the erupting volcano.
Teide National Park is the biggest park on the Canary Islands. A trip that should be at the top of the must-see list of everyone who visits Tenerife. And the island was busy! It was a four day weekend for the Spanish (un puente as they call it), plus a two week school break for the Germans, lots of people had descended onto the island. And the closer we got into the park the more you could see it. All photo opportunity spots were full and when we got to the area where you could take a cable car to the top, forget about it! There were at least 200 cars lined up. And you do need tickets for the cable car so book in advance if thatâs what you really want to do. We drove a bit further and found a spot that seriously looked like Mars – so cool. We got out and walked around and took some advantage of photo ops.
o Getting up to the timberline
Next we decided to check out Masca. Be prepared, the road to Masca is tight! If you are afraid of heights or get car sick, it might not be the drive for you. But the views are beautiful.
Until the 1960s, the picturesque mountain hamlet of Masca was only accessible on foot or by donkey. Nowadays, it is well connected to the rest of Tenerife by road. Winding roads lead to exciting hairpin bends and narrow corners. The trip will take you through deep ravines covered with lush green vegetation.
There werenât any parking spots for a restaurant when we arrived in Masca so we continued on the curvy road and soon came across a cute restaurant overlooking the gorge. You canât miss it, after passing Masca you will see it when the road starts heading back up. We stopped for a glass of wine and some roasted potatoes with mojo sauce. Super yummy.
It was so nice to get away from the hotel madness and actually have people attentively serve food and drinks! Seriously Gran Melia, you need to figure some problems out!
One more day at the hotel and we were looking forward to home and all the comforts one has at their home. And our six cats. đ
But one more thing.
When we first arrived there were a lot of plants under big tents that were on large plantations. I kept wondering what it was, they were even right outside our hotel window (see first pic). And then it hit me, BANANAS! B-A-N-A-N-A-S. This shit is bananas. Bananas are a particularly important crop, as Tenerife grows more bananas than the other Canary Islands, with a current annual production of about 150,000 tons. Nice.
See them bananas?
In the end, everyone that we encountered in Tenerife were really friendly and the sights in Masca and Teide were gorgeous. I am glad to have experienced the island and seen the sights. I’d give it at least a chance if your travel plans allow for a stop there. It’s always a nice to change your scenery view even with a few bumps in the road.
There is never a bad trip! Unless you took some bad LSD. Don’t do that.
I have been quite patient. I really have. But as the days tick by with this complete vaccine fiasco here in the EU, I am getting angry. And I’m not the only one. What the hell is going on? We aren’t getting any answers just more restrictions, another lockdown, more negative news. Hey I have an idea. How about instead of spending all your time on new restrictions, why don’t you figure out how to speed up the vaccinations? Smart, right?
WHERE ARE THE VACCINES?
The U.S. is vaccinating people left and right! My parents who are 75 and over are vaccinated. Hallelujah! My brother, my sister-in-law, my friends in TX, NY, OR, CA, OK, KS are vaccinated! Don’t get me wrong, I am very happy for them. Some were very emotional to be vaccinated and even more so with their parents being vaccinated.
And the EU? I live in Mallorca. Armengol is our Balearic President and she just makes me laugh more and more ever day. But not happy laughter, more like maniacal laughter. Everything she says and does just gets worse and worse. The vaccines? Only 4% of our population in Mallorca has been vaccinated. This started in December! And here we are in April with only 4% vaccinated. Lord help us. They started with people in elderly homes and hospital staff. I read a report yesterday that “a record number of people” were vaccinated last week. Who knows what this “record number” is, but I’m sure it’s not much. I know a few people who have received theirs, they are doctors and some teachers. But the grandparents are still waiting. We are still waiting.
In Germany, it’s the same. My parents-in-law are over 75 and have no news when a vaccine will be available to them. It’s so frustrating for them, for us, for the family members who so desperately want to get together.
It’s not like the vaccines are “new” anymore. These have been available since the end of 2020. And here we are, starting the fourth month of 2021 with nobody doing anything to help the situation. Get your act together EU! What are you doing? Here is the latest as of March 13, 2021.
And every day there is a new regulation. Last week it was face masks at the beach. Even if you have enough distance to be safe. And then two days later it was overturned. They open the restaurants, the next week they close the restaurants. We were able to have an Easter paella at 3pm (because all restaurants close at 5pm) outside (because all indoor seating is closed) with about 75 other people all in close contact. While if the restaurants were open longer, for actual dinner, it most likely wouldn’t be as crowded because there are more times for people to go. And let’s not forget that our lovely Balearic President, Armengol, was caught a few months ago for drinking at a bar after closing hours. breaking her own laws that she is enforcing.
Don’t even get me started on the fact that Germans could fly here for Easter holidays but Spaniards from the mainland CANNOT. WHAT?!? People are getting tired of this rigmarole and Mallorca is going to lose all those tourists they are so badly wanting, needing. Greece is ready for you, tourists!
Even the WHO has said this is a serious problem. “The World Health Organization (WHO) has raised the alarm on Europeâs âunacceptably slowâ rollout of COVID-19 vaccines as it warned of a âworryingâ surge in coronavirus infections.”
EU what can you do? I don’t know but maybe ask the U.S. for money or how they are doing it so quickly. To the so called leaders of the EU, do the job you were hired to do. Because at the moment all we are seeing is failure.
I know that Covid is real. I believe in science and I am very thankful for all of the frontline people who have been working so hard and putting their lives on the line to fight this. I have been following protocol since day one, I think masks are important, social distancing is important but VACCINATING your people is extremely important as well. EU we are waiting. And not patiently anymore.
This project has been a true labor of love, filled with fun adventures, lovable characters, and meaningful lessons for young readers.
If you know any young readers (or young at heart!), Iâd be so grateful if youâd spread the word. The book is available on Amazon in most countries. Here is the USA link if you click HERE FOR – HAVE YOU SEEN FRENCHIE?
GOING NINETY MILES 