Weeks ago Denise and I began planning our trip to Antalya, Turkey. Unfortunately, our arrival was after those massive earthquakes, so we were powerless to prevent them.
Continue reading “Ante Up in Antalya”The Road to Cartagena
Denise and I once danced by Río Cauca, the river into which Pablo Escobar, kingpin for the Medellin drug cartel, disposed of bodies. We were on our way to Cartagena, or at least thought we were, and would not have been there at all if I had larger eye sockets.
Continue reading “The Road to Cartagena”Music on the Emerald Isle
This may sound strange, coming as it does from an American living in Europe, but I don’t get out much. For example, I do not drink in bars. I have liquor at home, and everyone there really does know my name. I don’t much go to restaurants because I can’t say that restaurant fare tastes any better than what I can rustle up at home. And I don’t go to the movies because I have Netflix and HBO.
The one thing Denise and I both love, and cannot get at home, is live music. That is why our first trip to Ireland was a little slice of heaven.
Continue reading “Music on the Emerald Isle”A Gaffe at The Gate Hotel
When in Dublin we usually stay with Clarity, and this trip was no exception. However, after a few days of inconveniencing Clarity and her roommates, not to mention her two hyperactive dogs, we opted for a hotel. Denise quickly found The Gate Hotel, which looked great.
Biding Time in Bayonne
You can drive from Bilbao to Bayonne in less than two hours, but we took a scenic route, along the coast. Unfortunately, it was a rainy day and we saw mostly fog, and mostly heard the thwap-thwap-thwap of windshield wipers.
Continue reading “Biding Time in Bayonne”Basquing in Bilbao and Bayonne
Today’s alliterative pun is brought to you by Basque Country.
The Basque Country extends from Northern Spain and into Southern France. The Basque people have Celtic roots. Scientists proved this through DNA testing, and by observing the Basques play bagpipes, an ancient Celtic tradition predating the inventions of rhythm and melody.
Continue reading “Basquing in Bilbao and Bayonne”Thanks to Saint James, We Discover Miranda
Why, given our mutual disinterest in spectator sports, were we going to watch college football in Dublin? We weren’t sure. When asked I invariably offered ambiguous rationales involving vague words like “spectacle” and “absurdity” and “cheerleaders.” But Terry had bought our tickets, making us like a little boy dancing outside a locked restroom: We had to go.
Continue reading “Thanks to Saint James, We Discover Miranda”The Naked Truth
Denise and I just returned from an excursion that included northern Spain, France and Ireland. The adventure involved dizzying heights, wonderful music, contact sports . . . and unexpected nudity.
Continue reading “The Naked Truth”Getting Hosed at Hogueras
Tomorrow would be the summer solstice and midnight, the hour when tomorrow becomes today, was a scant 30 minutes away. That was when all hell would break loose in Alicante. Denise did not want to see hell breaking loose, at least not all of it, and certainly not that late; but she is a trooper and so agreed to drive Clarity and me to the tram. We would take that conveyance to the heart of Alicante and glory in the spectacle of hell’s release.
Continue reading “Getting Hosed at Hogueras”Why Alicante?
Back in 1981 I had just graduated from law school. I planned to load my (at least) 15-year-old Pontiac Star Chief and drive to Southern California. I didn’t know a soul there and had no prospects. I was moving to Southern California for one reason only: Its Mediterranean climate.
Continue reading “Why Alicante?”