It was one year ago today that theTravelsketcher, Neville, and I arrived in France. Our retirement dream was to travel, and living in France has allowed us to do just that. It has been an eventful year to say the least, and on several occasions we considered giving up and moving back to the Pacific... Continue Reading →
Special Visitors
As many of you may know, our daughter and son-in-law came for a visit last week. It was so wonderful to be together in person, we have missed them immensely. We have frequent video chats, and communicate via WhatsApp at least several times per week, but being together, in person, was so special. theTravelsketcher and... Continue Reading →
Madeira, Portugal
The islands of Madeira, Portugal, also known as the Pearl of the Atlantic, are located 280 miles off the African coast, but more than 600 miles from Portugal. This cluster of four lush, green, tropical islands, two inhabited and two uninhabited, may remind you of Hawaii. Madeira and Porto Santo are the two inhabited islands... Continue Reading →
Sintra, Portugal
Sintra, Portugal is a magically beautiful place nestled in the mountains not far from Lisbon. The forests, groves, grottos, astronomical observation towers, and much more, will make you feel like you have somehow found your way into a magical forest or fairytale. Home to at least five palaces tucked in the hillsides, and on the... Continue Reading →
Lisbon, Portugal
Portugal has been on our bucket list for many years. In fact, it was one of the first places we ever talked about visiting when we first got together over 35 years ago. So theTravelsketcher and I were very excited about finally getting to visit this beautiful country. It certainly took us a long time... Continue Reading →
Another Trip to Paris
I have to admit, it feels quite surreal to live fairly close to Paris, and to visit whenever we want. So many people dream of visiting this iconic city, and get to experience it perhaps only once in their lifetime. We feel quite lucky and humbled to be able to visit pretty much whenever we... Continue Reading →
Humorous Travel Quote
I’ve been to almost as many places as my luggage. Bob Hope Bella Winery, Sonoma County, CA
Anniversary Road Trip
Last week I took a break from writing about European destinations and shared memories of my favorite hikes, mostly on the west coast of the USA. You can find that post here. Today I’m back with more on Europe, this time San Sebastián, Spain and Bordeaux, France. theTravelsketcher and I celebrated our 35th wedding anniversary... Continue Reading →
Rome, Italy, Part II
Last week, I posted the first installment of our recent trip to Rome, click here to read that post; today I’ll share more about this amazing city. As I mentioned last week, Rome has an overwhelming number of fascinating and historical points of interest, as well as hoards of tourists, even in November. But the... Continue Reading →