Josie and Elena celebrated their birthdays together again. The concept was that the guests had shrunk, so they played dutch blitz with a giant deck, and shared a birthday meal of one cupcake, one ‘slice’ of pizza, and a few peas and baby carrots b…
We rented tobogans at Pokagon State Park in late November. No snow, but the track is refrigerated!
646 trick or treaters stopped by this year.
Our hostel hosts pointed us towards the chapel of Santa Engracia. A short hike up from the road brought us to her chapel on top of the hill. Engrazia was a 4th century martyr of the occupying Romans, and if you look carefully, you can see grisly d…
We picked a youth hostel in Basque country south of San Sebastian as our last stop on the way back to Madrid. Reservations could not be made online–only telephone–and there was no finding the address on any mapping service. We had sketchy-soundi…
Before returning to Spain, we loaded up at a patisserie near Bordeaux to celebrate Benj’s birthday! in Chartres, we thought we had stumbled on the latest baking innovation: the drive-through boulangerie… But now we see this innovation (Guardian)…
The cathedral can be seen from kilometers outside the city. Unfortunately, it was undergoing restoration, and parts of the interior were inaccessible. In the already cleaned-up parts (last window picture) the walls are much lighter, and the glass …
We headed north to the valley of the Loire, staying in the youth hostel in Beaugency-in what felt like a garden cottage. Château de Chambord Huge, with exotic plasterwork, but austerely furnished. Château de Cheverny Smaller and more intimate, thi…
Leaving Barcelona, we headed up the coast, stopping first at Girona. The Banys Arabs (Arab baths) were built in the 12th century, but perhaps after any significant muslim population. From here, we ascended behind the cathedral to the city walls, a…
During the day we spent in Barcelona, we mostly gawped at two creations of Antonio Gaudi: The Parque Güell he arranged….