No Regrets!

Out the door at 5am.

Dave’s flight was the first to leave, so we dropped him at departures and sent him on his way before returning the rental car. A couple of hugs, and he was off. And then there were two.

A confusing maze of bad signs and roundabouts had Matt and me circling the airport a few times, trying to figure out where to return the car. We had plenty of time before our flights, so it wasn’t a big deal, but it was annoying. We finally found the lot, parked the car, dropped off the key, and headed into the airport. Read the rest of this entry »

Like every other morning, this one began with a crossfire of snoring accusations. With our flights home early tomorrow, the morning also featured a display of pre-flight anxiety from Dave, complete with second- and third-guessing his check-in, travel documents, flight notifications, packing, and baggage handling.

While Matt stayed behind to get some work done in the hotel room, Dave and I set off to explore Palma’s cathedral. Known as La Seu, it was completed in 1601 and is one of the tallest cathedrals in the world. Read the rest of this entry »

I woke up in the morning with my right nostril in full compliance.

Our RedLevel hotel privileges entitled us to an extended breakfast menu, so I put together a lovely meal of eggs Benedict, an açaí bowl, and rooibos tea. The only thing weird about this hotel are the impossibly skinny and uncomfortably bright elevators, making rides with more than two people uncomfortable, even if you know them. Farts make it funnier.

Due to yesterday’s travel drama and today’s late start, we had to rejigger our schedule. I hastily led us on an organized walking tour of Palma’s old town, using my phone to navigate. We wandered through beautiful alleys that felt so much like Italy or Greece, stopping at historic buildings and churches to hear some facts and learn more about the island’s shared Muslim and Christian history. Things are so much more interesting when we know the history of what we’re looking at. There’s such a rich history here, making Mallorca a much more interesting cultural stop than Ibiza. Read the rest of this entry »

After our final hotel breakfast in Ibiza, we headed to the airport. That’s when the rain started coming down. We got really lucky with the weather in Ibiza.

Checking in for our Air Europa flight, there were no baggage fees. I was ready to proclaim that Air Europa kicks Vueling’s ass, but I had no idea what drama was about to unfold.

What was a light rain in Ibiza was apparently a storm in Mallorca and something catastrophic in Barcelona, with all flights to Mallorca delayed and all flights to Barcelona canceled outright. Our 1:30pm departure was delayed, but eventually we boarded, a fun little prop plane for Dave. Which turned out not to matter, as shortly after boarding, we were asked to get off the plane, return to the gate, and await further instructions. Read the rest of this entry »

Woke up to accusations from both Matt and Dave that I’d been snoring like a chainsaw. The boys were a little salty about it, but I reiterated my longstanding policy: wake me up. That gives them the sleep they need and saves my throat the next morning. In any case, top priority was heading back to the pharmacy for some earplugs.

Despite the snoring drama, Dave announced that he was finally over the hump and feeling better! And a light schedule this morning meant this was our first chance to enjoy the hotel breakfast. An exquisite buffet-style spread. I stuffed my face.

We walked over to Dalt Vila, the fortified old town dominating the skyline of Ibiza Town. Passing through the massive gate, the walls opened up to a bustling promenade of shops and restaurants. We wandered around, and as Dave said, not all who wander are lost. Read the rest of this entry »

Dave woke up feeling horrible, unable to move, and pussed out on the sailing trip. So Matt and I headed out for our Ibiza Boat Club “Formentera with Benefits” day trip. I was pretty excited about this one. The itinerary made it sound like we’d spend the day on a lively party boat, with drinks, music, and paella, cruising around Formentera, a beautiful island off the coast of Ibiza.

We met Tony at the dock and boarded. The priority tickets we’d paid extra for, meant to give us first choice of seating, turned out to be useless since the boat was only about half full. Once aboard, we were offered watered-down drinks, followed by some bread, cake, and melon. Due to some sort of regulation about being near a wildlife preserve, there could be no loud music. Half the passengers, including Tony, promptly lay down and went to sleep. Read the rest of this entry »

This morning, I played some Vengaboys’ “We’re Going to Ibiza!” for Jerry in the room as he packed his stuff, gave him a giant hug, put him into a cab, and sent him on his way to catch his flight back to Norway. We’ll miss him.

And then there were four.

Even though we’d only spent a couple of days in Barcelona, I felt like we’d gotten a really good feel for the city. Historically, culturally, and architecturally interesting, with a great easygoing, social vibe. Everybody liked it. Read the rest of this entry »

Up at a decent hour. Jet lag didn’t take its toll as badly as it could have. Getting to bed early after a long travel day was key.

Matt’s flight arrived early, and he met us at the hotel. Big hugs all around. Matt was full of energy and ready to go, thanks to a good sleep on the plane. Lucky guy.

We gathered our things and headed out to explore Barcelona on foot. Beautiful morning for a walk, and we stopped for coffee, juice, and sandwiches, something that would become a daily tradition for us. Read the rest of this entry »

Heading to the airport, I got a text from an anxious Dave boarding his flight, including a photo of himself wearing a winter hat on a trip from Florida to Ibiza. Also came news that Tony was dealing with a series of delayed and canceled flights from the West Coast and might not be getting to Barcelona anytime soon.

But I had my own mission: to get to Barcelona in time for a 7:30pm dinner with Dave and Jerry at Disfrutar, the #1 rated restaurant in the world. A reservation we were lucky to get, and an experience bougie Dave had been looking forward to for months. Read the rest of this entry »

In the fall of 2024, as part of a 50th birthday celebration, Dave, Scott, and I went to Hawaii for 11 days. Great memories, and a realization that these are pretty awesome guys to travel with.

In the fall of 2025, as part of a 50th birthday celebration, Dave and I went to Japan for 18 days. Great memories again, along with a commitment from Dave that we should do this every year.

This is the year I turn 50. With a list of friends ready to join me for some sort of trip to celebrate, all eyes were on me to choose the destination. Where to go? Read the rest of this entry »