We have been back in the states for about a month and the delight of our trip is still with us. I have been wrestling with the blog, however, as I struggle to encapsulate the experience. As I cleaned up photos to share I knew that the saying, “A picture is worth a thousand words.” didn’t fit in this case as no picture (or pictures) can really do justice to our visit. Moreover, the words.. Read More
First of all: an apology. This post should have been completed weeks ago. It tells of our final stops in France and return home to Nevada. At first I used the excuses of resettling into our house, getting back into a Reno rhythm, and then turning around to prepare for Mexico. Then there were the holidays, setting up our Queretaro flat, and family visits. Truth be told, though I had my photos selected and cleaned.. Read More
Hauts-de-France with Meurival as our base Burgundy with Dijon as our base Provence with Molleges as our base
Greetings from France, where we have had an amazing three weeks. Our plan: stay in eight different regions using one city as our lily pad and jumping about as the spirit moved us. So much to see! Upfront apology: this blog is long on photos so I am keeping the narratives shorter. Pictures > 1000 words. Also note: Rather than trying to document every detail of a place I am primarily sharing sights that struck.. Read More
Quebec City This destination was added to our list due to Bob’s recall of a wonderful visit there when he was just out of college. And, as memories go, those first-time experiences we have while young don’t always age well. Additionally, we had a rental that had more than it’s share of kinks: the owner lived there part-time so many areas were locked off to us and we had limited access to living spaces and.. Read More
Halifax, Nova Scotia Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island Full disclosure: We had not originally put PEI on our list for a full week visit. We had planned to stay in Stormont, a small village along the northeast coast of Nova Scotia. Always looking for things that might tempt or intrigue us, I was doing some online research and found a website for a theater festival in Charlottetown, PEI. This sounded too good to miss. We did.. Read More
Southington, CT Bob found us an Airbnb not far from Hartford and, more importantly, only an hour from Niantic and my dear niece, Emily, and her lovely family. I got to officially celebrate my bday with loved ones! As for the rental, well…it was an historic home from the 1890s and had its quirks. We typically like unique but this particular residence needed some TLC and a deep clean. This was a rare lodging disappointment.. Read More
Wilmington, NC Wilmington is a lovely town with a busy waterfront and beautiful beaches. We spent a week here with dear friends, Laurel and Dick Mazziotti, doing all sorts of fun stuff. It is so nice to have locals provide recommendations. First on the agenda : a horse-drawn trolley ride through the historic section of town followed by lunch on the wharf – fish and chips of course. The next day we drove over to.. Read More
It was a marvelous three months of investigation and adventures. As many of you dear readers know, our recent trip to Portugal was to figure out if this would be a country we could live in long-term. That premise shaped our choice of city, our daily agenda, and the practical matters of just doing life (shopping, dining, entertainment, weather, activities, etc.). The short answer to “Could we live here?” is yes…but…. We came to realize.. Read More
Braga, the third largest city in Portugal, is home to a great number of cultural attractions. First in abundance are religious edifices – churches, cathedrals, monasteries. In fact, Braga has the highest concentration of religious buildings in any Portuguese city. The first cathedral of Portugal was constructed here in 1089 and was the seat of power of Pedro de Braga, the first bishop of Portugal. And though we do enjoy a good cathedral (Bom Jesus.. Read More