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A VERY tardy final report from Ireland: Storm Amy arrives during the night.  The stone castle is solid and has no issues with this kind of storm.  However, some of the roads are flooding, the ferry is cancelled, the Kilkee Cliffs and Cliffs of Moher are all closed.  Since that is our planned path to […]

Conor Pass translates to An Chonair, which means “The Path”.  After seeing photos of the narrow, twisting road I feel compelled to try it.  Isn’t it beautiful?  Although it’s wild to think this is actually a two way road!!! In the morning the rain is blowing sideways, not unlike the Oregon coast.  We are both

We’ve had remarkable weather this first week, mostly sunny days with a few clouds and the temps are in the mid 60s.  Ideal for these two Portland girls.  But today we’ve finally got our first “spitting” rains.  I was wondering if we’d get to use our rain gear – finally! Our last full day in

The Ring of Kerry & Dingle Town.  Just the sound of that brings thoughts of magical landscapes, elvish mischief or wee folk.  We start out from Kenmare after filling up the gas tank at an old time gas station.  They definitely have antiquated gas pumps.  Unfortunately they have 2025 prices.   Our drive starts easy and

After another delicious breakfast at our hotel in Dublin, we taxi to pick up our rental car out near the airport.  Since driving on the left is the mode in Ireland, I opt for an automatic.  I learned to drive when I was 13 on a stick shift; however, in the US  we drive on

This is my first blog post traveling without Tom.  This time, my travel companion is my beautiful daughter Melanie.  We are celebrating her milestone birthday and she chose Ireland as our destination.  Lucky me! After sharing ideas about waterproof clothing and shoes, packable toiletries, and carry-on-only ideas my daughter and I schedule a day to

<my musings> At home we typically eat our evening meal around 6 PM and typically at our place for the evening by 7:30.  Bedtime is usually around 10:30 or 11 PM.   Naps are atypical, for me anyway. We adjust.  Course correct.  Go with the flow. In Spain a siesta is typical.  And a good

<my musings> This week there is a heat wave in Spain. The heat is different here.  It always feels about 10 degrees hotter than in Oregon.  When in the direct sun, it feels even hotter.  So 95 here feels like 105 does at home.  And I get over heated, always have.  Even when I lived

<my musings> Both Tom and I enjoy conversations with other travelers.  It seems the shared interest in exploring this beautiful world enables the flow of lively discussions and the potential formation of dear friends. </my musings> To leave Segovia, we take a taxi back to the train station out in the middle of the cow

<my musings> Have you ever arrived in a completely new environment and felt immediately at home and relaxed?  Me neither.  Until we traveled to Salamanca, Spain. What is it about Salamanca?  It’s not the activities, although we are both impressed by the Art Deco Museum just around the corner from our hotel.  Nor is it

<my musings> One thing the US has is more space.  Homes, shops, restaurants are all spread out farther than they are in Europe.  At home, we get in the car and drive a mile or more to the grocery store.  Here in Europe we go out the door, walk a block or two to the

<my musings> Most of my life I lived with a sense of homesickness.  I recall my first experience of this when our family moved from Louisiana to Oregon when I was a young child.  I felt a deep sadness, a knot in my stomach, whenever I thought about my friends Kelly and Nanny-Boo, neither of

<my musings> I’ve heard it said the middle finger gesture is actually the Massachusetts state bird.  Maybe it’s a more universal gesture and, in case you don’t have great eyesight, it’s often accompanied by multiple horn honks (& those ain’t tweets).   </my musings> We have a car to drive from Lagos to Sintra, but

<my musings> Anyone who knows us, knows we enjoy golf.  Golf courses are typically situated in the most scenic areas of any location and in many cases kept in pristine condition.  The course in Dunas Comporta is a perfect example of this. </my musings> While traveling we often encounter like minded explorers.  Case in point:

<my musings> Mom used to say, “If you don’t have something nice to say, then don’t say anything at all.”  I’d say it all depends on how you ask.  Be kind and understanding, but it’s also okay to be a little bit of a squeaky wheel. </my musings> We start our travel day with a

<my musings> How is it we’ve become accustomed, even spoiled, by the miracle of air travel?  Five hundred years ago, the Portuguese explorers sailed off into the west.  They expected to encounter India or else sail off the edge of the earth.  The trip took months and at least some died of scurvy along the

<musings>I love olives. Green, black, kalamata, with or without pits.  Olive oil too. So of course I love Olvera.  It’s surrounded by one billion olive trees.  That’s what one writer asserted although who could have counted them?  Many assume that is where the town got its name, although there is some debate.  Regardless, we certainly

<my musings> Planning for travel is something I really enjoy.  However, I found myself agonizing over which Andalusian hill town to use as a base for exploring the Pueblos Blancos.  I opted to split four nights between Granada and Montefrio. No plan is perfect.   Enter the jester, spontaneity. On the ride from the Granada

<my musings> Twenty-eight thousand shuffling cruise ship tourists pour out of the seven cruise ships, flooding Ramblas, spilling over the small streets of the Gothic quarter, trickling into quaint shops, only to recede as sunset nears and the cruise ship dinner bell rings, leaving behind flotsam stained cobblestones and a frustrated city. Despite the highly

Apologies for formatting issues.  Wordpress isn’t playing well on my iPad (again). Planning for a long trip might seem daunting, but it’s easier when broke up into manageable tasks.  Long gone are the days of showing up at The Louvre, Muse d’Orsey, or Sagrada Familia without a pre-purchased ticket.  Arriving in a city without lodging

Hello friends and family. It’s been too long since I’ve had any travels to write about.  Last year was a busy year, with a journey of an unfortunate variety.  Definitely not the sort of journey anyone ever hopes for, the kind that require prescriptions rather than passports.  Nevertheless, we course corrected and traversed the paths