Monthly Archives: October 2023

Southwestern Holiday 2023, Day 1 — October 11, 2023

Southwestern Holiday 2023

Off we went to JFK Airport. Our Uber driver, who was from Bangladesh, told us about his travels and we told him about our upcoming trip. He said that life is too short, and we should  all see  as much of our beautiful earth as we could. We heartily agreed!

Our flight was fine until the final 90 minutes, when there was a lot of turbulence. Meanwhile,  Nicholas’ plane encountered so much  turbulence that the flight  attendants never left their  seats. Eventually  our planes landed, and the four of us met at the airport in Las Vegas, where the temperature was significantly warmer than it had been at home. Continue reading Southwestern Holiday 2023, Day 1 — October 11, 2023 →

Southwestern Holiday 2023, Day 0 — October 10, 2023

Southwestern Holiday 2023

In 2019, the four of us Pisarros thought we might like to take a family vacation together while seeing an area of the U.S. that was new to us. We decided on Austin, Texas, because it’s half way between Nicholas on the West Coast  and Nick, Carla and me on the East Coast. My niece, Dawn, was able to join us there for what was a very happy getaway.  After that trip, we thought about where we might go  together the following year. Continue reading Southwestern Holiday 2023, Day 0 — October 10, 2023 →

Basque Country, Day 14–16 — September 18–20, 2023

Basque Country 2023,

We awoke to a rainy, windy day, which we all thought was perfect  for reading. Nick and I took out our Kindles and settled in. After awhile, Agnès asked me what I was reading. She became very excited when I told her that it was one of the books in the No. 1  Ladies’ Detective Agency series, which are set in Botswana, and feature a charming group of regular characters . She told me that she has read every book in the series. Continue reading Basque Country, Day 14–16 — September 18–20, 2023 →

Basque Country, Day 13 — September 17, 2023

Basque Country 2023,

José-Maria walked to a nearby shop for fresh croissants for  our breakfast. Then he and Agnès took us to a nearby village. It, too, was a former fishermen’s village, and many of the houses had remained untouched from their original construction, while others have additions and fresh coats of paint. The primary catch now is oysters. The town has many cafes that serve only oysters. Nick enjoys oysters  very much. He insisted that I have tasted them previously, but I have no memory of eating them. Continue reading Basque Country, Day 13 — September 17, 2023 →

Basque Country, Day 11 — September 15, 2023

Basque Country 2023, , ,

The breakfast buffet featured eggs, cold cuts, breads, cereals, and desserts. There were also slices of  fresh pineapple and oranges. Then we had a walk though town. Todd led us to the mercado (market) where we had a “coffee break.”  I convinced Nick  that we needed a vegetable. We shared a slice of carrot cake. Continue reading Basque Country, Day 11 — September 15, 2023 →

Basque Country, Day 9 — September 13, 2023

Basque Country 2023, , ,

After breakfast, we met our local tour leader, whose name was pronounced “Jo-nay.” As were our previous local guides, she was extremely knowledgeable. She told us that people from her town love food, and they also love exercising, such as by participating in marathons, hiking, and swimming. In fact, she said she had swum across Concha Bay  and has hiked the entire Camino, but she did sections of it on different days rather than all at once. Continue reading Basque Country, Day 9 — September 13, 2023 →

Basque Country, Day 7 — September 11, 2023

Basque Country 2023, , ,

We began our day by learning that one member of our group had hurt her ankle while walking in the cobblestone streets. Fortunately, her ankle was not broken. Then we began walking in the rain.

We met Leo,  our tour guide for the city of Pamplona. He made a good impression by taking us to a cafe that enabled us to take shelter from the rain and to warm up with coffee, tea or hot chocolate, with Spanish cookies that are known in  New York as Italian cookies.

Continue reading Basque Country, Day 7 — September 11, 2023 →

Basque Country, Day 6 — September 10, 2023

Basque Country 2023, , ,

After breakfast, we  boarded our bus for Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port,  the town  in France from which  many Camino walkers begin their arduous journey.  Centuries ago, it was declared that remains found 500 miles away in Compostela, Spain, were those of the apostle James the Greater. For many centuries, pilgrims have walked the trail for religious reasons, but now we met walkers from several continents whose reasons for walking the Camino were as varied as they were. Continue reading Basque Country, Day 6 — September 10, 2023 →