We knew the storm was approaching! We decided to get out and walk to a new area in São Paulo before the rain. We came upon a luxury mall.
We didn’t have much time before we were hit by severe weather. We were about 2 miles from our hotel, when the ferocious rain came down.
We found shelter! The rain was coming down so heavy. We decided we needed to call an Uber to take us back to our hotel. It took Uber 30 minutes to pick us up!
Once we were in the Uber, the traffic was at a standstill. It took us over an hour to go 2 miles back to our hotel. We were tempted to jump out of the Uber and just walk in the rain.
To our delight, we finally arrived back to our hotel and came upon a fabulous band playing in the hotel lounge. We also were so happy to run into another SFO family member, Kim, who is now based in Dallas.
Marianne and I woke up the next morning to brilliant sunshine. We could not resist a walk through the neighbor before we had to fly back to New York!
Life isn’t about waiting for the storm to pass.. It’s about learning to dance in the rain.❤️
No miles or time can keep us girls apart from having fun together! Girls Weekend in New Hampshire was full of entertainment, adventure and unstoppable laughter. So thankful for the new memories we’ve made.
It was a beautiful fall day to enjoy walking the Main Street of North Conway, going in and out of all the shops. North Conway, NH, a town with broad appeal makes it a standout White Mountains destination. It has a lot of shops, outlets and many fun restaurants and bars to venture into.
We went on a walk to see the beautiful fall foliage and enjoy the great outdoors.
After shopping and a brisk walk, it was time to enjoy a cold beverage.
The veranda of the North Conway Golf Course is our special place to enjoy a drink.
It was still early in the day. Donna was done doing her work, so we were off now to explore a nearby charming town, Jackson, NH.
After enjoying browsing in the unique shops, it was time to restore our energy.
Back at the house, we had a surprise birthday celebration for Donna’s birthday!
Maryellen made the most delicious cupcakes for the party. She even made cupcakes to celebrate Gail’s precious dog Brody, who had just turned 2.
Our enchanted evening was not over yet. These girls have a true passion for golf. We went outside to take in the backyard’s beauty and where the girls got to practice their golf swings.
It was a magical night, taking in the view and feeling blessed that we were all together again.
I love after all the years, we still have unstoppable crazy laughs!
After a great night sleep, our second day started off by challenging ourselves by going through a corn maze.
It was a successful morning, navigating twists and turns in the corn maze. At times, we felt like we were lost in the sea of corn. We all conquered the corn maze, one stalk at a time. Now we were ready for shopping and a late lunch.
We enjoyed delicious chocolate martinis.
Cheers to the good times and fabulous friends!
Before heading back to the house, I still wanted to capture the beautiful autumn leaves. The vibrant colors are visually captivating giving me feelings of warmth, coziness and nostalgia.
It was a fun filled day. We were ready to head back to the house and get cozy and play some fun games.
Happiness was sitting around the warm fire and just being together.
Big Wishes
As we grow old, we have stopped chasing the big things and started valuing the small things! Time and good friends are two things that become more valuable the older we get. We are so blessed to have each other! Our laughs…Limitless, Our memories…Countless, Our friendship…Endless!
What a trip Marianne and I just had. I thought I would never get up the nerve to fly a 15 hour trip to India. Marianne finally convinced me that it was imperative that we visit the Taj Mahal. She was absolutely correct. The Taj Mahal is one of the 7 wonders of the world.
Working the flight to Delhi was actually better than expected. A few passengers could not sleep, so they roamed the cabin all night. Our passengers’ drinks of choice were marsala tea and Jack Daniel. We did 3 meal services and in between the services we each were given a 6 hour rest break.
Upon arriving in Delhi’s baggage claim, we encountered so many beautiful dogs hanging in and outside the baggage claim area. I was told these dogs live at Delhi’s baggage claim due to many reasons, lack of widespread pet owner ship, uncontrolled breeding and legal protections that prevent the removal of dogs from their area. Some of these sweet dogs walked with us to our bus. We were told that the flight attendants have brought treats to these special dogs on numerous occasions. Unfortunately, I didn’t get a photo of this unique experience.
We got to our beautiful hotel around 11pm. Before walking into the hotel, we were instructed to put all our luggage in a scanner. I was told they were scanning for evidence of bombs. 🤪
Marianne and I had to go quickly to our rooms. We were meeting downstairs at 4:45am to go to the Taj Mahal. We were hoping to get a few hours of sleep!
4:45am came quickly! The hotel packed us a to-go-lunch for our 3 hour drive to the Taj Mahal. Sabash, our hired driver was superb. He had a well maintained SUV. Sabash explained to us that he used to be a priest. He had to get the bishop to release him from being a priest when his father died, in order for him to take over his father’s duties taking care of the family.
Comfy and cozy, we were ready for our adventure. I noticed, every time Sabash passed a car, he beeped. He said, it’s a friendly beep, letting the other car know that you are passing them. . You can just imagine, how many times he did his friendly beeping! We were lucky that the traffic was not too bad due to being a Sunday. Delhi’s traffic can be horrific.
I knew it was going to be a grand day when I saw the pink sunrise.
We arrived! Vinny our tour guide/photographer was waiting for us. He told us we had to hurry and put us in a cart to drive us to the entrance of the Taj Mahal . I was taken aback, when we drove by a huge cow walking down the street with other pedestrians. The cow owned the street. Cows are common sight in Delhi, India, and can be found in residential areas, on roads, and in dairy colonies. Cows are sacred in the Hindu religion and are revered as givers of life and symbols of prosperity.
The race was on. Marianne and I were running behind Vinny. He first brought us into a building to go through security and have our purses checked. Feeling embarrassed, the guard emptied out my entire purse. He took my altoids and candy. I didn’t realize they would be so strict on what you carried in. This is how they keep the Taj Mahal so beautiful.
When you walk into the entrance, you are definitely awestruck by the Taj Mahal’s beauty. The Taj Mahal is an ivory-white marble mausoleum on the south bank of the Yamuna river in the Indian city of Agra. It was commissioned in 1632 by the Mughal emperor, Shah Jahan to house the tomb of his favorite wife, Mumtaz Mahal, who died while giving birth to their 14th child, It took 22 years to build.
Vinny our tour guide and photographer was fabulous. Vinny, carrying both our purses and sweater had us running to each spectacular spot so he could take our photos before the crowds had accumulated. It definitely was amusing seeing how he was able to move people, so Marianne and I would get perfect memory photos. These are a few of our photos taken by Vinny at the Taj Mahal.
This is the famous bench at the Taj Mahal. It was on this bench in 1992 that Princess Diana posed for one of her most iconic photos.
The Taj Mahal is a perfect symmetrical planned building, with an emphasis of bilateral symmetry along a central axis on which the main features are placed. In addition to the stunning marble work, the Taj Mahal also features intricate inlaid designs made from precious stones such as lapis, lazuli, jasper, and jade.
It sure was a whirlwind day experiencing the breathtaking, well preserved Taj Mahal. Now, we understand why the Taj Mahal is one of the 7 wonders of the world. It is a masterpiece with its unique aesthetic qualities in balance, symmetry and harmonious blending of various elements. It gives you a sense of ease and tranquility. The Taj Mahal is also known as a timeless symbol of love.
Marianne and I were so happy that we were given this gift of experiencing the Taj Mahal because we are flight attendants for American Airlines. I know I would never have traveled to India on my own. I thank Marianne for taking me out of my comfort zone to experience such a beauty.
“The hardest thing to do it’s leaving your comfort zone. But you have to let go of the life you’re familiar with and take the risk to live the life you dream about.”
Another opportunity for us to take in the beauty of Rome! It was a gorgeous day for walking. We had plans in the evening to go to The Three Tenor Concert.
We love starting our day in Rome, by walking down the Spanish steps. We just set out to explore new streets, which always leads us to fabulous finds.
We enjoyed our fabulous walk through the streets of Rome. Now it was time to go to The Three Tenor Concert at the St Paul’s Church in Rome.
After getting our tickets, we went next door to enjoy a cold drink before the concert. Lori, a flight attendant from our crew, joined us at the concert.
We had front row seats in this beautiful church to enjoy the brilliant performance.
THE THREE TENORS
The Three Tenors are an operatic singing group. The original group consisted of the Italian great Pavarotti and great Spaniards Domingo and Carreras. The Three Tenors repertoire range from Broadway Opera to Neapolitan songs along with pop hits.
While The Three Tenors sang, a beautiful ballerina performed. It just enhanced the whole experience.
After the brilliant performance, we stopped at an Italian restaurant for some delicious pasta and pizza.
No matter how many times we visit Rome, we come away with more love for this great City!
Marianne and I were so elated to be back in London, no better place to celebrate friendship with dear friends.
Up and at it, we were ready to enjoy the day with friends that were in London at the same time as us.
Before meeting up with friends, we enjoyed walking over the London Bridge and the Tower Bridge.
We truly enjoyed walking the walkway, from one bridge to another taking in the stunning panoramic views.
The Tower Bridge is the most iconic bridge in London. It is famous for its striking design. Tower Bridge was built in 1894 to ease road traffic while maintaining river access to the busy London docks.
We loved walking over this famous bridge. It was a fabulous experience soaking up London’s skyline.
BOROUGH MARKET
Now it was time to meet up with Marianne’s dear friends at the Borough Market in London. Veronique and Chantel showed us around Borough Market
Borough Market is considered London’s oldest retail and wholesale food market. We could not resist the chocolate -smothering strawberry operation. We shared a cup of strawberries drenched in delicious mouth watering chocolate.
Wow! What a treat! We then walked around and we stopped at a tapas place for something to eat. The food and drinks were delicious, but the company was outstanding, full of laughter and fun.
Sadly, we needed to say good bye. The memories we made today will keep us smiling for a long time.
Marianne and I still had more fun to be had. We were meeting up with flight attendants that used to be based in San Francisco that were now based in, New York, Los Angeles and Philadelphia. We all had a London layover at the same time.
We could not have planned this reunion any better. We were trying to get in touch with the girls. To our amazement, when we crossed the street at a busy intersection… we ran into our SFO family!
Off to The Ivy to have a drink. It is a haven of style that shows a dedication to food that has set the standard for British dining since its foundation in 1917.
It was a grand time catching up with Beth, Veshla and Elaine. Time flies, new bases, but our SFO bond remains strong.
Marianne and I had a good night sleep. We had the morning free before heading back to the airport. To our good fortune, our special friend Allen Le had texted us and wanted us to meet up for breakfast. We had not seen him since SFO closed. He just arrived in London. Allen is a foodie and loves to adventure out and he always finds the best places for delicious food.
Allen sure had a healthy appetite. Fish and chips for breakfast!!!
Thanks to Allen, we had a great morning with good company and yummy food. Time to fly back to New York.
Reconnecting with old friends is a beautiful reminder of where we’ve been and how far we’ve come.
WE ARE TRULY BLESSED WITH THE FABULOUS PEOPLE IN OUR LIFES!
No matter how many times we visit São Paulo, we come away with more love for this vibrant city. Our favorite day to be in São Paulo is Sunday! We enjoy strolling Paulista Avenue. To our delight, Paulista Avenue is closed to cars on Sundays. It is a fabulous time for people watching; so many families, dogs and interesting characters walking the street. All sorts of musicians are entertaining the crowds at every corner, with people dancing to their own tune. One must be alert to their surroundings, so you won’t miss seeing all the abundance of art on the street, along with lots of vendors selling their goods.
ART OF LOVE
The Art of Love exhibition spreads giant hearts across the streets of São Paulo. There are 49 works of art, created by 42 artists under the theme “Love for São Paulo.” São Paulo is the largest city in Latin America that has transformed into an open-air art gallery. Marianne and I had a lot of fun, when we unexpectedly came across one of these beautiful hearts.
Being true to ourselves, after walking a few miles, it was time to hunker down and have a cold beverage. We were on the hunt for a fun place. We walked down welcoming alleys and streets to find the ideal place.
Going around a corner, I spotted the perfect place.. a roof top bar!
BARBAN
Marianne and I were determined to get a drink at the Barban’s rooftop. We entered and there was no host, so we walked up a dark stairway and voila, we were on the rooftop that had a table waiting for us.
To our delight the beers were ice cold and the grilled meat platter was delicious. It’s our new favorite place in São Paulo.
It was time to walk back to our hotel before it got dark. I think we walked around 7 miles today. We had the whole next day to again enjoy São Paulo.
To celebrate our fun day, we stopped at our hotel bar before heading to bed to enjoy the famous Brazilian cocktail… Caipirinha!
After a good night sleep and indulging at the hotel’s buffet breakfast, we were ready to go for a walk. It wouldn’t be too long til we had to get back to the hotel for a nap and then work the 11pm flight back to New York.
Ibirapuera Park
We are so fortunate that a 10 minute walk from our hotel brings us to the Sao Paula Ibirapuera Park. It gives you the feel of being in New York City’s Central Park, but on a smaller scale. Walking and biking paths snake through the lawns. The scenery is absolutely extraordinary. We loved seeing the wildlife walking around the beautiful lake.
It certainly was a grand walk through Ibirapuera Park. Being in nature definitely relaxed us and promoted a sense of fulfillment and wellbeing. We were now ready to tackle the world and fly 273 passengers back to New York this evening! The possibility for unknown adventures while away on our layovers is one of the best things about our job!
All excited to board the train to a new destination, Bergamo. Marianne and I were so happy to have our friend Cori along for the ride. We arrived in Milan and quickly got changed to get to the train station. No time for the weary to get any sleep.
We are off to find the hidden gem one hour outside of Milan.
BERGAMO
Bergamo is known as the medieval heart with contemporary soul with towers, historic villages, churches, funicular railways and stairways climbing through greenery and unexpected views of the surrounding plains and mountain. We were so thrilled to engulf ourselves with the beauty and history of Bergamo.
Citta Alta Bergamo
Bergamo is a two-tiered city: up on the hill is the Citta Alta (Upper Town) with a medieval center, while down below is the Citta Bassa (Lower Town) which is the modern town. We mostly explored Citta Alta. We took the funicular up.
As soon as we got off the funicular, we found the streets charming, the shops inviting and lots to see.
After a little bit of shopping, we decided to stop for a refresher! It was about 90 degrees out. We were so lucky that restaurants and shops were open. Today was August 15, which is The Ferragosto celebration. It marks the height of summer in Italy. Italians celebrate Ferragosta by downing tools, taking the day off, and heading for the coast or the cool mountain air. As soon as we arrived at our hotel, we knew something was different. It felt like a ghost town, no on was on the streets, everything was closed.
After a cold drink, we set out to see Alta Citta.
Citta Alta is a tangle of narrow streets lined by ancient buildings. It is surrounded by the 16th-century Venetian Walls.
From the photos above, you might think we were by ourselves, you would be mistaken. Citta Alta was very crowded. We enjoy walking the streets off the beaten path.
Basilica di Santa Maria Maggiore
Basilica di Santa Maria Maggiore is a beautiful church in the middle of the historical Citta Alta. The church certainly had a stunning interior.
After visiting this beautiful church and walking the streets, we decided to take another funicular up to see the fabulous view from the top of Bergamo.
It certainly was a great way to end the day at Bergamo by enjoying the magnificent panoramic view from above.
Bergamo was a constant surprise with every turn. It definitely was one of the hidden gems of Italy.
We had a full happy day in Bergamo. A city with two hearts and one soul: it combines Italian charm with modern elegance. The train ride back to Milan was just what we needed!
It’s been a crazy week in the travel industry because of weather. Marianne and I flew in Saturday morning to work a Buenos Aires flight on Saturday night. We were so excited to be flying with our friend Jennifer. We went to the airport and boarded the flight for our 11pm departure. Immediately, we were notified we were delayed and now we would be flying out the next morning at 9am. We all headed back to the crashpad in the pouring rain to gear up for our morning departure.
The next morning, we headed back to the airport to work our flight to Buenos Aires. We again boarded our flight and started our preflight duties. Moments later, we got the dreaded word that our flight was cancelled.
What should we do now?! Jennifer did not have another trip so she flew home. Marianne and I had a trip on Tuesday, so we needed to stay. We decided let’s make the most of it and have some fun. So we decided to head in to New York City.
Our first challenge was tackling the bus and train schedule and making sure we were on the right side of the street for the correct bus!
Success! We made it to New York City! When we were based in San Francisco, New York was like our home away from home. We had missed the vibrant energy that New York City offers.
Famous Original Ray’s Pizza
We could not resist stopping by Ray’s Pizza to indulge in a New York style slice of pizza. It was delicious, especially the foldable crispy crust!
Marianne and I had the whole day ahead of us, so we decided to treat ourselves and go to a matinee of a broadway play.
Book Of Mormon
Great cast, great music and full of so many laughs. It’s just what us girls needed!
There is definitely something special about seeing a broadway play. You are immersed in the theater’s enchanting settings and the excitement of the crowd.
After the play, we walked out to the street to be accosted by a torrential downpour. It did not dampen our spirits, we carried on to meet our dear friend Camaryn at a near by pub.
We certainly enjoyed a fun day in the city. Now it was time to maneuver the train and bus schedule back to our special place the Overhead Inn.
SECOND DAY IN NEW YORK CITY
We still had another free day before we needed to go to work, so again we decided to trek back into New York City!
We were ready for a new day of adventure. Our first stop was to the Tenement Museum in the Lower Eastside.
The Tenement Museum
The Tenement Museum is a nonprofit cultural institution that welcomes you into the historical recreated homes of immigrants, migrants and refugees. We had an excellent tour guide that showed us the homes of 2 families who lived in the tenement in the 1910s. It was so fascinating to see how they lived in small spaces and showed resilience in the face of adversity.
After the Tenement Museum, Marianne took me to a special place that brought back fun memories of her times in Sweden.
Marianne introduced me to a few of her favorite sweet and savory treats at a Swedish Candy Co.
Since, we were on the lower east side. We decided to explore some of our favorite places.
Charging Bull
The 7,100 pound bronze sculpture standing 11 feet tall and measuring 16 feet long, depicts a bull, the symbol of financial optimism and prosperity in the Wall Street and the Financial District in New York!
Being down at the lower east side brought make many fabulous memories, that I had shared with my son Justin. Justin used to live in the Wall Street area. I stopped in at his building where he used to live. Afterwards, we continued on down to Stone Street where Justin and I would always enjoy a cold beverage and a bite to eat.
Cheers to Justin for creating so many special memories with me in New York!!
Staten Island Ferry
Marianne and I love riding the Staten Island Ferry! The Staten Island Ferry is a free passenger ferry that goes back and forth from Lower Manhattan to Staten Island. The panoramic views of the Verrazano Bridge, the Statue of Liberty, and New York City skyline makes this mode of transportation truly one of a kind.
Statue Of Liberty
No matter how many times I have seen the Statue of Liberty, it still takes my breath away. “The Statue of Liberty Enlightening the World” was a gift of friendship from the people of France to the United States and is recognized as a universal symbol of freedom and democracy.
The ferry ride never disappoints. It’s about a 30 minute ride each way. Well worth a ferry ride for free to see the Statue of Liberty and New York’s beautiful skyline.
After our wonderful ferry ride, it was time for dinner. We picked up some Mediterranean food and ate it on a bench over looking the East River. It was so relaxing watching all the boats go by and helicopters land.
We had a grand time in New York City. We were swept up in the City’s vibrant energy.
Marianne and I never expected to be given a gift of getting to spend time in the city that we love. From delays to cancellations, we certainly made the best of it! ”Don’t wait for the perfect time, you will wait forever. Always take advantage of the time that your given and make it perfect”
Back to one of my favorite places, Barcelona. We had no plans. We were just going to go out and enjoy the day!
Marianne and I decided to do some shopping, then enjoy some fun in the sun at the beach.
We can always find some great shops in Barcelona to browse in.
As one of the most fashion-forward cities in Europe, Barcelona’s shopping culture is vibrant, diverse and has plenty to offer.
With our shopping complete, it was time to stop for a cold beverage and a bite to eat.
With some energy under our belt, it was time to head to the beach!
I love hanging out at the beach in Barcelona. Barcelona is a city by the sea with 3 miles of wide beaches with fine, golden sand and shallow waters. The beaches have become hotspots for locals and tourists.
In addition to the great beaches, I love the sheds on the sand that are packed with beach goers enjoying cold beverages and food. It’s a great place to people watch. That being the case, Marianne and I had a blast checking out the scene on the beach. So MUCH to look at.😁
We had a grand afternoon enjoying fun in the sun. Being at the beach certainly stirs my heart and brings joy to my soul.
Marianne and I left the beach to find a place for dinner. Our goal was to find a place where the locals dined. We found an outdoor restaurant in a quaint neighborhood.
Marianne likes fish and boy did she get to indulge!
Marianne and I definitely had a fun full day. It was time to take the train back to our hotel.
Tired but content, we were ready to get a good night’s sleep. “ Give every day the chance to become a beautiful day!”
In my wildest dreams, I never expected to relish in the beauty of Switzerland. It all happened because of a nice flight attendant, Stephen, whom we were working to Milan with. He asked Marianne and I if we had plans on our Milan layover and we said no. He invited us to come with him to Lake Lugano in Switzerland where he was meeting his friends for lunch. Without hesitation, we jumped on this fabulous excursion, not knowing the beauty that lied ahead.
Without any sleep, we hustled to the metro station to get to the main train station to embark on this journey. We were so excited.
We were now ready for our 1 hour and 15 minute ride to Lake Lugano.
LAKE LUGANO
Lake Lugano is a glacial lake which is situated on the border between southern Switzerland and northern Italy.
The train ride was a great way to soak up the stunning views of the tip of Lake Como to the picturesque Swiss city of Lugano.
We arrived at Lake Lugano to take in its beauty, character and charm. Once arriving in Lugano, we took a funicular down to Lugano’s center and to the walkable water’s edge of Lake Lugano.
It was a beautiful day to walk the lakeside path and take in all its beauty. After enjoying the walk around the lake, we ventured into the center of Lugano to take in its charm.
Lugano is a popular destination for its lovely scenery and its laid back lifestyles. The center was filled with upscale shopping and restaurants.
One must indulge in Switzerland’s creamy Swiss chocolate.
A true gift on this trip was getting to meet Stephen’s kind and sweet friends, Renata and Monica. They welcomed us with open arms. We wish we could have spent more time with them.
Our visit to Lake Lugano will always be a day we will cherish! It’s charm and beauty will always be remembered. “We travel not to escape life, but for life not to escape us.”
Come Fly With Me 