Art and I were having a peanut butter and jelly sandwich for lunch the other day and that reminded us of our 2007 trip to Egypt and Jordan.
Yes, we do eat peanut butter and jelly sandwiches occasionally. Art used to pack it for his lunch all the time when we lived in Chicago.
Our trip was with a tour group called Imaginative Traveller. Yes, they spell it with two ls.
(I wonder if Brits spell it that way.)
There were fifteen of us from the U.S., England, Australia, Poland and Canada and we got to really enjoy each other's company. This was not a luxury tour AT ALL, hence the affordable price. They advised us to bring very small luggage, preferably duffle bags since we'd be carrying our own things all the time.
After Egypt, we went on to Petra in Jordan.
OK...OK... And this is where the peanut butter and jelly sandwiches come in.
We were to have a long bus ride to cross the Sinai desert in order to climb Mt. Sinai. We were told to go to the grocery store and buy supplies for our lunches since they would not be provided and we'd be staying on the bus the entire time.
We looked around and couldn't figure out what to get so finally decided on water, peanut butter, jelly and a loaf of bread. We figured they wouldn't need refrigeration.
Well, we had a lot of bread, jelly and peanut butter left so we offered it to everybody.
All our traveling buddies from other countries were rather astounded. The Canadians laughed saying it was breakfast food.
I can't remember who, but eventually somebody did have some.
I wrote in my journal that there was a night where we went to dinner in Alexandria at a French/Egyptian restaurant with tour friends from Canada, Poland and Australia, having a great time listening to Frank Sinatra on the restaurant speakers.
Yes, it was an awesome trip. I don't swim, but I did float on the Dead Sea. You really do float.
And that's what eating a peanut butter and jelly sandwich reminded us of.
Those are some amazing photos, Kay! I'm sure you & Art are ready to do some traveling again & I like the peanut butter & jelly connection--I could eat those for breakfast or lunch every day! (Though I must admit, I haven't eaten Skippy peanut butter since the 1960s... I am strictly a Jif man :^)
ReplyDeleteYou have had such interesting experiences!!
ReplyDeleteWhat a great trip. I know what you mean about bits of memories being triggered by something. We do that all that time, too.
ReplyDeleteInteresting memories and association with PBJ. You have had so many wonderful trips.
ReplyDeleteI like peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. It's been a long time since I've had one, though.
ReplyDeleteSomeday I would like to see all those things in person. I have seen them so many times via photographs.
ReplyDeleteI do like peanut butter and jelly but can't remember the last time I ate one. Perhaps today for lunch!
i never had a pbj until i was over 40 years old.
ReplyDeletePB&J best healthy sandwich you can eat...unless you are counting carbs.
ReplyDeleteSince I'm online schooling my eight year old grandson, I am making them a lot more frequently these days, and occasionally eating one with him.
ReplyDeleteI am 81 and have never had one. Perhaps tomorrow for breakfast. Never too late but sadly it won't trigger any cool memories like yours do.
ReplyDeleteWha wha what?!! Forgive my intruding on Kay's comments but Patti how in the world is this possible? I would advise you to go with Jif peanut butter, it has a nice roasted peanut taste--I would also suggest you butter the slice of bread that has the jam, and I'd go with strawberry preserves over too-sweet jelly. I just can't believe this, I've eaten 344,217 PB&J sammiches in my lifetime!
DeleteNice pics. We too did the Egypt tour in 2006. Haven’t done Jordan as yet.
ReplyDeleteInteresting connection to PBJ. Our grandkids in the US eat PBJ sandwiches all the time. The funny part is that after I retired in 2013 and went for a long stay to our kids in the US, my 7-year-old grandson was really surprised I could make PBJ sandwiches for his breakfast. He thought the only thing I knew was to work hard on the computer!
you have made so many wondrous trips and have the photos to remember it by. I have peanut butter on my toast every morning...
ReplyDeleteI used to have peanut butter and jelly a lot but haven't lately. My go to for breakfast when I worked was an Oroweat muffin with peanut butter. What a fantastic trip that must have been! I'm to the stage of life where I have to decide which places I'm fine with in pictures or TV visits, and which locales I still want to physically travel to.
ReplyDeleteFunny how goofy things bring back memories. I eat peanut butter an honey sandwiches. The Canadians you talked to don't know how to live!!!
ReplyDeleteA lovely look back.
ReplyDeleteHurray for peanut butter and jelly sandwiches! Somehow it tastes much better on plain white bread and not the healthier kinds of bread. Nice memories triggered by this warm and fuzzy.
ReplyDeleteWhat fun! Our kids used to live on them!
ReplyDeleteI think everyone but Americans write travellers with 2 Ls. We do anyway although we are so to The States, that we do sometimes get our rules mixed up. :)
ReplyDeleteI would have a hard time writing busses rather than buses. And plow is better than plough. :)
Your post brought back a memory for ME. It was a trip to Disney World with another family of three boys. Each morning the moms would make a loaf of bread's worth of sandwiches-half peanut butter/jelly and half bologna. We'd put them into bags and then put the bags back into the bread wrapper. At lunchtime that saved us a whole lot of money.
ReplyDeleteyou are rich because you have all these wonderful memories and photos to relive anytime you want! I know we all have really enjoyed your travels too. Stay healthy we love you
ReplyDeleteWhat a wonderful bunch of memories all triggered by peanut butter and jelly. I'll eat any kind of jelly, but George only likes grape. :)
ReplyDeleteI like how memories can be triggered by ordinary, daily things. "Oh, remember when....?"
ReplyDeleteI love PBJ's but I have to make them very thick with peanut butter and so they are very caloric, so I seldom treat myself to one.
I've been on trips like that. I like that everyone seemed able to secure their own lunch.
ReplyDeleteWhat a charming story amongst the famous sites. But I prefer peanut butter, mayonnaise and sliced banana sandwiches. Took them to day camp most every day.
ReplyDeleteMy favorite way to save when traveling is to have a room with a tiny fridge. Every other day, I'd go to a restaurant or have room service, then save half in the fridge to eat it for the next day. Even more fun is to go to Kauai's Foodland and buy 3 containers of different poke, fresh papayas and little limes. Makes a great breakfast or dinner, and less costly than buying every meal at a restaurant. Linda in cold baby blizzard Kansas
I laughed at Patti's admission that she's never had one. If I never had another one, it will be too soon. Not a fan.
ReplyDeleteA lot of my travels have been fueled with PB&J, and I loved your story. I was so excited when those little tubes of PB and almond butter came out in the stores, making my P so much more portable and less of a mess. When I had to stop eating wheat it was impossible to make a sandwich but I discovered it was delicious squeezed on apple slices and/or banana chunks and I was back in business!
ReplyDeleteWhat a wonderful look back :)
ReplyDeleteAll the best Jan