We did it.  Setting out from Leon at about 8am, Ruth and I set a goal to reach one of two small towns about 20 – 25 km away…one on a more traveled route, the other on an alternate route described in our guidebook.  Understand that while there is an original Camino Frances, over many years… Read more

Sitting at the airport next to Ruth…all checked in and waiting for our gate to appear on the reader board. Are you going to blog?…she asks. Gee, on my phone? Why not, she asks…she with the flying texting fingers. Sure, why not. I will need to be short, sweet (usually) and descriptively fascinating. Tall order.… Read more

When I asked people in Spain – and even some Italian buddies – what Turin is like, what there is to do there, the reactions were at best lukewarm…It´s nice. It´s small. It´s a typical Italian town.  It´s nothing special. Hmmm. Well, to each his or her own, but I think those folks were wrong!  I… Read more

We sent Eitan off this morning to Ghana – a real milestone for him (and us) as we have wanted him to have the experience of doing developing country volunteer work and this is a golden opportunity.  The international school he attends has a partnership with Habitat for Humanity and a group of 10th and… Read more

The WordPress.com stats helper monkeys prepared a 2012 annual report for this blog. Here’s an excerpt: 600 people reached the top of Mt. Everest in 2012. This blog got about 2,500 views in 2012. If every person who reached the top of Mt. Everest viewed this blog, it would have taken 4 years to get… Read more

It´s so great having Ari with us for a couple of weeks in Barcelona!  Fortunately, all our respective businesses slow down around the holidays and Ari was able to take a chunk of vacation time from Microsoft to join us in Spain.  Adding to the merriment shortly will be Ruthie – even more fun!  Ruth… Read more

I have this warm fuzzing feeling now because my chickens are coming home to roost!  We picked Ari up at the airport last night and Ruthie is traveling around Israel and will be here in about a week.  Andrew and I have so been looking forward to having our whole brood together with us in… Read more

Obviously the American holiday of Thanksgiving does not have any intrinsic significance in Spain. No Pilgrims landed on the Barceloneta beachhead, there were no Indians to contend with, and turkey isn´t an indigenous bird here. However, with the incursion of transient expats like us, and the familial bonding that takes place during this national holiday… Read more