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Category: Argentina

Argentina’s Unusual Money Situation

Argentina’s Unusual Money Situation

December 15, 2022December 20, 2022

Argentina’s money conversion situation is complicated. It’s best to understand before you arrive so you can get the most out of your foreign currency.

nomoreofficedoor

Basel, Switzerland was our last stop on our Christ Basel, Switzerland was our last stop on our Christmas Market tour! And the only one in Switzerland. I don’t know if we’re special or if they do this for everyone, but our hotel room came with a free transportation pass for our whole stay, so we got to ride the trams everywhere!  Which was great since one of the markets was right next to a big tram stop. We also walked to a second nearby market which was less commercial with more unique offerings. We went in search of a third market across the river but it wasn’t where it said it would be, but no matter. We had a nice little tour of the city. We also had some great Vietnamese food, which I’ll save for another post, and of course fondue!

And that ends our Christmas Market adventure! I’m back in the US for a few weeks now, so if you’re in and around Maryland, let me know!

#ChristmasMarkets2025
#baselswitzerland
#BaselChristmasMarket
What was really interesting about Colmar was that What was really interesting about Colmar was that the actual Christmas markets closed down around 6pm. So all the nighttime decorations were just that: decorations. The markets were open during the day, and spread throughout the Old City. Here they were more clustered like for like— there was a food market, a children’s market, a hand-made market (mom did some damage there!). 

We learned some interesting history too. The sculptor who carved the Statue of Liberty was from Colmar, which explained the images of Lady Liberty all over the city. And we stumbled upon a unique war memorial which doubled as a respite from the busy city.
Colmar was our last stop in France, only about 30 Colmar was our last stop in France, only about 30 minutes from Strasbourg by train. The markets were smaller and spread throughout the Old Town, but the real highlight was the light show Colmar put on at night. We walked out of dinner to the city lit up beautifully, and walked the long way home to take it all in (also, I may hav gotten turned around and walked us in a big circle).

#colmarfrance
#colmarchristmasmarket
#ChristmasMarkets2025
So much to do in Strasbourg in addition to visitin So much to do in Strasbourg in addition to visiting Christmas markets!  The city is beautiful and we wandered around taking in the decorations and scenic views in between the markets. We also spent a day “riding the rails” as Sheldon Cooper would say; i.e. riding the tram to the very end of the line. 

We made some fun discoveries, including the Strasbourg center of the EU operations, with the European Court of Human Rights (which we could only see from outside) and the European Parliament, where we could enter for free with our passports. Unfortunately, after goin through security we only had about five minutes inside before we had to rush back to catch a tram, so we only saw the entrance and atrium. 

We were rushing back to tour on of the largest synagogues in Europe; someone had offered us a tour when he was done with work for the day, and we didn’t want to keep him waiting. The synagogue is more of a massive community center, with both Ashkenazi and Sephardic synagogues inside, as well as day care, Hebrew school, and community activities and classes. We were told that Strasbourg has a large Jewish community, an they people relocate here from other parts of France because of the support from the surrounding communities. 

We finished up our time in Strasbourg meeting up with some friends I’ve made in my travels the last four years. One couple I met on my cruise from Vancouver to Sydney last year, another couple I met in Chiang Mai and saw again in Kuala Lumpur, and the last couple weeks hadn’t yet met, but we had chatted and discovered we grew up in the same town. All of us are connected through an active Facebook group which helps people meet up IRL all over the world. It was a fun way to end our time here before heading out the next morning!

Happy Hanukkah everyone!

#strasbourgchristmasmarket
#ChristmasMarkets2025
#strasbourg
#strasbourgfrance
Strasbourg is known as the Christmas Capital of th Strasbourg is known as the Christmas Capital of the World, and they take that title to heart. There are about 12 separate markets scattered around the city center, and where there’s no market, there are still stellar decorations. I don’t think we managed to see all of the markets, but we did our best! 

#christmas2025
#strasbourgchristmasmarket
Some more scenes from Esslingen, with a little mor Some more scenes from Esslingen, with a little more focus on the different vendors and entertainers who were there. Food will (for the most part) have to wait. One of the things we enjoyed most here was the variety and creativity of the clearly handmade works.

Bye for now Germany! On to France!

#esslingen
#ChristmasMarkets2025
When we told people we were going to Esslingen’s X When we told people we were going to Esslingen’s Xmas market, we were universally asked “why?” The town is right outside the much larger Stuttgart, and it seems that thisenonnXmas market tours and locals around Nuremberg had never visited, it wasn’t on their radar. THEIR LOSS. We loved it. There’s a whole medieval section, lots of unique and handmade crafts, so…much…food, and the town is beautiful. The old town is largebsjbrhe market is spread throughout. Here are some photos of the overall vibe at night and during the day…more to come!

#ChristmasMarkets2025
#esslingenamneckar
Nuremberg has one of the oldest and best Christmas Nuremberg has one of the oldest and best Christmas Markets and they are very proud to hold those titles. One vendor told us that we shouldn’t have started here, because nothing else will compare. Though, when we said where else were going, he conceded Strasbourg was pretty good, but…French. We’ll see in a couple days!

Had our first gluhwein of the trip, which is hot, spiced wine. Every city makes it a little differently. We bought a few souvenirs that I won’t show since some are gifts. But mostly we just took in all of the stalls in the main markets the kids market (with the carousel and demonstrations for kids), and the partner market, where Nuremberg’s sister cities around the world had stalls with goods from their countries. 

#ChristmasMarkets2025  #Nuremberg2025 #christmasmarketgermany
Christmas Market tour is ON! Starting off with som Christmas Market tour is ON! Starting off with some non-Christmas market sightseeing in Nuremberg. I was here almost 30 years ago with my grandparents and my cousin. I was excited come back! And, because Ronnie Edelman and I are both former criminal law attorneys, we both wanted to see where the Nuremberg Trials were held. It was a fascinating exhibit and I highly recommend it to everyone. We also explored the Old Town on our own, and did a walking tour. Don’t worry, Christmas Market photos are coming!
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My view for the next 2 months! Expect many sunset My view for the next 2 months! Expect many sunset photos…
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Happy Mother’s Day to my favorite mommy, Ronnie. Happy Mother’s Day to my favorite mommy, Ronnie. 

…And the rest of your mothers out there too.
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Cut/pasted this from Alessandro Terenzoni to make Cut/pasted this from Alessandro Terenzoni to make sure all my friends can see it.  I’ll also add that the other candidates for president and treasurer (the ones not endorsed here) are Trump supporters. Do with that info what you will. https://www.nbcnews.com/news/amp/rcna195253

DC BAR ELECTIONS ARE HAPPENING NOW! The leadership of the D.C. Bar sets the priorities for the largest unified bar association in the country. Now more than ever, it's critical that the people we elect are champions of the rule of law. 

Use the “Vote Now” button in your member profile and cast your vote ASAP. 

The D.C. Bar has more than 120,000 members. Last year, just over 7,000 members voted in the election. That is only 6% of the membership. Bar President elections have been determined by as few as 730 votes, so your vote matters.

DC's voluntary public interest and pro bono bar association conducts an exhaustive review of all candidates for its endorsements. I invite you to look into candidates yourselves, but I stand by Washington Council of Lawyers' vetting process and picks, included below. Please don't forget to vote (and share the endorsements with your contacts)!
ncan
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Camino #2 Day 6: Viana to Navarrete + REST DAY! Le Camino #2 Day 6: Viana to Navarrete + REST DAY!
Learning lessons from previous days, Robyn and I started our day with coffee and breakfast before leaving our hotel. She left first, intent on getting to Navarrete. When I started walking I hasn’t decided if I’d stop for the night in Logroño, or push on to Navarrete. Well, the walk to Logroño was somewhat unremarkable. I left a little later than usual planning to have a nice long lunch in Logroño, so I didn’t want to arrive there too early. Apparently 1pm is still too early for lunch in Spain, but I was able to find something and take a nice, long break. 

I decided to continue on to Navarrete. Robyn messaged me when she arrived there first and told me where she was staying, which was the same Albergue I planned to go to. Maria and Bianca were also there, so they saved me a bed. What seemed like a good idea at 1pm no longer seemed that way as I dragged into Navarrete at 5pm. But it was good to see familiar faces and we had a good pilgrims meal at the restaurant attached to the Albergue. 

I decided as I dragged into town that Sunday was a rest day for me. Two women from upstate New York, Fay and Becky, were also planning to spend a rest day in Navarrete. After a nice relaxing day of laundry, grocery shopping, and sitting in the town square in the sun, we had another pilgrims meal at the same restaurant (the only place open on Sunday) before preparing to walk again Monday.

#peregrinosasantiago #CaminoDeSantiago #thewayofsaintjames #caminofrances #navarrete #Viana #logroño
Camino #2 Day 5: Los Arcos to Viana. Happily the r Camino #2 Day 5: Los Arcos to Viana. Happily the rain stopped overnight and today was a sunny, crisp day, perfect walking weather. I left Los Arcos with another pilgrim, who quickly realized I was slow and took off, never to be seen again. I planned to get breakfast on a I left town but again, didn’t see any place to stop. Finally in Sansol there was a little store that had coffee and some prepackaged muffins (I a if they had croissants and the snowplow looked at me like I had two heads). So that kept me going. I ran into Robyn, who I met yesterday under rainy circumstances, and she suggested sharing a room in Viana I’d we both decided to stop there. I hadn’t settled in my plan for the day so we said we’d just stay in touch about it. Eventually Katarina and Bianca caught up to me and we walked the last few miles together to Viana. They decided to eat something and keep going to Logroño, but I decided to take Robyn up on her suggestion and stay in Viana. After dropping off my bag in our double room with private bathroom (!), I went to get a late lunch. I ran into Maria who I met in Estella on my way out, she was staying at the same hotel.  And then whenu found place open during siesta to get food, there were Katarina and Bianca! After we ate they kept walking and I had some time to relax. Ruben and I met up with Maria for dinner and ended up at the same place I had lunch; everywhere else wasn’t serving dinner yet. It was so nice to have a private room that we were in no hurry to leave in the morning. 

#LosArcos #Viana #peregrinosasantiago #caminodesantiago #thewayofsaintjames #caminofrances
Camino #2, Day 4: Estella to Los Arcos Well, toda Camino #2, Day 4: Estella to Los Arcos

Well, today didn’t go entirely to plan, but it worked out in the end. After caffeinating on the way out of Estella, my first stop was the wine fountain.  Yes, you read that right, wine fountain

I intended  to stop at Villamayor de Monjardin. With my ankle feeling better but not 100%, and knowing there was a 12km stretch with no breaks between Monjardin and Los Arcos, and the sky looking like it could open up any minute, I planned on a short day today. But when I got to Monjardin the town was completely dead, and the Albergue that was supposed to be opened clearly was not. 

So I pushed on, counting in the fact that it was early in the year and even if I rolled into Los Arcos in the evening I’d be able to find a bed. I was really dragging the last 5km, and the sky finally did let loose, so by the time I limped into my Albergue my feet were killing new and I was dripping wet. I decided to go to the same Albergue as Camino #1, which luckily still had plenty of space. I also seem to have chosen the right spot.  I ran into Katarina again, as well as a Czech woman, Lucy, I met briefly yesterday, and Romanian Bianca, who I’d seen a few times in the trail as well. As added bonus; the host of this Albergue is a massage therapist and offers €15 30 minutes massages! So that definitely happened. But after walking 12km more than I planned I’m wiped, we’ll see what tomorrow holds. Hopefully less rain! 

#peregrinosasantiago #caminodesantiago #thewayofsaintjames #caminofrances #Estella #LosArcos #winefountain #irache
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