Ponferrada Hospitaleras and Beyond

Karen and I are both back home now, after 37 days for Karen, and 41 days for Brenda, on our adventures in Europe.  It’s been a great time with tons of memories that will likely take us some time to wrap our heads around.  From our time in Madrid to our service at St. Nicolas…

Siobhan had been keeping a secret. She told me a couple of days ago that she and I had plans for Friday night, but was  secretive about just what those plans were. So we got onto the train and headed into London.  And soon we were looking up at the Victoria Palace Theater  in the…

Martin, Siobhan, and I headed out the door at 6:15 yesterday morning and headed to France for the day.  An hour from their home is a town called Folkstone, on the northern bank of the English Channel.   I wondered how we were getting across the channel. There is the Channel Tunnel, which is a train…

On Wednesday, Siobhan and I took the train up to Cambridge to explore this medieval city and the university that bears  its name.  It rained softly most of the day, but the energy is this college town was vibrant.  Cambridge University was founded in 1209 and has about 23,000 students. It is a public research…

We arrived in London on Monday evening.  Yesterday, Tuesday, Siobhan and I took the train into London for a day in this beautiful city.  We started at the National Gallery, where we attended a tour with an art historian who really taught us how to look at a painting and piece together the story the…

A lovely, if cold and windy, last day in Paris. Checked in for my flight, and wandered the Latin Quarter taking photos. I have a reservation this evening at a recommended restaurant nearby. I’ve nervously scoped out the Metro to the airport, and where to get cafe au lait at 6am. Yep, I went and…

These nine days in Ireland have flown by.  We are off to London tomorrow. From Dublin to St. John’s Point, to Killybeggs, to Dunkineely, to Donegal town, to Derry, to Baleybofey, to Galway, to Cappataggle, to Glencolumcil and points in between, it’s been a grand adventure. Thank you, Martin and Siobhan, for sharing the magic…

I awoke in St. Jean de Luz (France) to a pouring rain for the first time this trip. It was gone by the time I conscientiously left early for my train to Paris. But when I got there, I found all the clocks, schedules, & even my phone were an hour behind my watch. When/where…

Ireland is well known for its stone walls, some of which are considered ancient.  Stone walls are seen throughout this island.  Most are “dry stone walls,” meaning they are built with no mortar or bonding agents at all.  They are built by hand by stone masons and last for centuries.  They are functional works of…

I feel a little wistful just saying it. But I have to admit it- after almost 6 weeks, I’m running out of gas. As usual, I stuffed a lot in. The bus connections out in the countryside were tricky, and even in the bigger cities were a thing (though BlaBlaCar twice saved the day- look…