River Cruise on the Douro River
June 11, 2026
Madrid It was nice to be back in Madrid again! We met 40 of the 80 passengers that would be on our River Cruise the first evening in Madrid. We were split up into two groups and in two hotels; we eventually met more when we merged later on the ship. The bus tour… View Article
Pamplona, Haro, Laguardia (Rioja) and Zaragoza
May 30, 2026
Pamplona Pamplona (Spanish) or Iruña (Basque) is the capital of Navarre province in northern Spain with a population of 210k. This was our first non coastal city on our tour and the first to bring warm weather with the sunshine. You never saw two people pack up their winter woolies faster than we did…. View Article
Bilbao and San Sebastián
May 20, 2026
Bilbao, a city in northern Spain, has a population of 359,000. It is the vibrant capital of the Basque Country. The Basque language is a unique language spoken by approximately 800,000 in northern Spain and southwestern France. It is not related to any other known language in the world, including Spanish and French. Luckily, most… View Article
Gijon and Santander, Northern Spain
May 14, 2026
Gijon Gijon was a cool little coastal city of 270,000. The city’s local name is actually Xixón, pronounced hee-hon, which comes from the Asturian language. Our hotel was close to the Marina, a lively area for dining and walking, with modern touches and great sea views. Saturday night that place was rocking and the evening… View Article
Santiago and La Coruna
May 9, 2026
Santiago de Compostela, Spain We loved Santiago de Compostela, the capital of Galicia in northwest of Spain. It is famous for being the final destination of the Camino de Santiago pilgrimage route. The Camino is a network of routes, not just a single route. The most popular route, the Camino Francés, runs about 800 kilometers…. View Article
PORTUGAL AND NORTHERN SPAIN
May 4, 2026
Hello family and friends! Thanks are joining us again this year as we explore more of Portugal and Nothern Spain, ending with an 11 Day River Cruise down the Douro River. We are excited to see what the next 6 weeks will bring us. The two flights over and a long stopover were exhausting but… View Article
Rimini, Ancona and Foggia, Italy
June 17, 2025
Rimini Rimini is home to a 15k stretch of sandy beach along the Adriatic Sea. We were shocked at how long and dense with umbrellas it was. Holidayers were sunbathing, swimming, and enjoying water sports. From our hotel room window, it looked and sounded busy day and night. Rimini has an annual influx of 16.2… View Article
Verona and Bologna
June 8, 2025
Verona As soon as we got off the train in Verona, we knew we were going to love it here. Quieter vibe and much smaller city. However, I spotted a Louis Vuitton store and a Maserati minutes after stepping into the old town. Small but wealthy lol! Two of Shakespeare’s plays are set in Verona:… View Article
Milano and Genova
May 31, 2025
Milan Milano! We loved Milan immensely. Our Airbnb was smack dab in the middle of the action and we had four days to regroup, get organized and enjoy the city. The construction on the Milan Cathedral or ‘Piazza del Duomo’, began in 1386 and took nearly six centuries to complete: the final details were just… View Article
Sicily: May 17 – 25, 2025
May 25, 2025
Palermo Hello from Sicily! We are happy to be back on our own schedule for a while. Palermo, home to the Godfather franchise and season 2 of White Lotus. The food and markets were a welcomed change. The city is a little gritty and dirty, but with the title of ‘the most conquered city… View Article