Author: Claire

Week 181 September 16, 2017

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After resting up and looking around a bit in Santiago this week, Loren and I were on the move again in Spain. Somehow, we booked a flight to Bilbao, through Barcelona… In retrospect we flew clear across the country, and, nearly all the way back in the process. What a lesson in planning we have learned. However, the kicker was that my backpack did not show up in Bilbao. It was my turn, given that Loren had had the same experience on arriving in Marrakech, Morocco last July. So, we filed the necessary paperwork and received their apologies in a letter in English. As we left I kept my fingers crossed…
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As is often the case but usually left unsaid we need to express our thanks to family and friends who contribute ideas of where to go and what to see. This week especially, family and friends come to mind in that we briefly visited Bilbao – only long enough to see the Guggenheim Bilbao Museum that was recommended. It is unique, extremely different from my 30+ memories of the New York City site. Guggenheim architecture brought a bizarre, quaint redesign to a former unattractive part of this town. For some reason, I could not stop thinking of Bilbo in J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Hobbit while we were there…
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From Bilbao we went to the amazing Picos de Europa mountains, again recommended to us. As I drove the meandering then winding landscape, it elicited such remarks from Loren as “charming,” “picturesque,” “scenic,” and “spectacular,” for the beaches, valleys and mountains we passed. As dusk turned dark, he added several “Wow!” exclamations for the discernible outlines of pyramidal peaks and narrow canyons. We are so glad that we chose to visit this area for a few days to see more of it during daylight.
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I had written recently on this blog of how, when we were in Portugal’s Duoro region, I could not shift out of second gear for the curves in the roads. This week I must report that I could barely shift out of first gear for some of the mountainous turns in the Picos! One day we drove high up in the area, and, after a picnic lunch we took a leisurely hike in the vast mountains.
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We found ourselves among cows, mules and donkeys, not far from herds of sheep and some goats. We visited a refugio – pronounced re-few–hee-oh, for a refreshing drink, where we learned the name of one young donkey is Pepa, and that she is a señorita. After checking out the interior of the refugio, she decidedly checked us out! Loren and I had first encountered a refugio in Italy with our friends near Verona, where it is pronounced re-few-gee-oh. As Pepa trotted off again, it was entertaining to see her kick up her hind heels. By that evening we had heard nothing from the airline about my backpack. They said it could take 48 hours…
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The next day we started out early in the morning by foot for a strenuous hike. We had a time limit – to meet up with a tour company at the far end of the canyon for a 4 wheel drive excursion through farm roads in the area. Loren and I pushed ourselves about halfway through to the end to make our commitment, only to find that the tour had been rescheduled for a 45 minute later departure.
We appreciated the frequently heard Spanish advice, tranquillo – relax, and indulged in a beer with our hiking boots off while we waited. That evening there was still no word from the airline at our hostal, and we were all set to get help with calling them after dinner since it was now more than 48 hours, but, to my delight, during dinner we had the good news that my bag would arrive by 10pm. Bueno! Good! Thankfully just as in Morocco we had stayed in the same area long enough for it to be found and delivered.
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Our last full day in the Picos was spent driving around the area, which included seeing a cave chapel and taking a short hike.
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Today on leaving, we took take the return long beautiful drive towards Bilbao, mainly in rain or heavy clouds, to spend the night closer to the airport for an early morning flight to southern Spain. We took photos at the lovely beach of Orinon, then, after stopping in Castro Urdiales to see if we could have a massage but found the place closed for a holiday, we drove on to San Sebastian. We still had too little time there to walk the promenade or take a boat ride to Santa Clara island to hike, which is right in the harbor, so this is yet another place that I hope we might return to someday…
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Week 180 September 9, 2017

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Dear Family and Friends, thank you for reaching out to us here and via email or other ways to contact us, Loren and I always appreciate hearing from you! 

An extra overnight in Tui was just what we had needed, given the time change from Portugal to Spain which cost us a lost hour. We spent a most enjoyable evening with Arturo, our AirBnB host, who took us to a friend’s finca (farm) to see veinte vaca y un toro – 20 cows and a bull, as well as a prized stallion and 3 young mares.

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Arturo then drove us to his parents’ home. Here we toured their finca including goats and fruit trees, had a light meal with his father Tomas’ delicious homemade wine, and, finished the evening with a treat of an ancient Galician custom of after dinner liqueurs. The atmosphere changed from one of light chatter to a serious urgency of closing shutters and lowering of lights. Loren read the instructed incantation in Spanish, while Arthur put flame to a pot of alcohol, at the same time his mother Dori and sister Noami feverishly chopped and added fresh fruits to it. It was very tasty! Spain is known as the California of Europe and the region Galicia is nicknamed Galifornia. We felt so at home!
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Then we embarked on a milestone adventure. Back in 2014 when Loren and I were in Missoula, Montana we saw the movie, Walking the Camino: Six Ways to Santiago, at a theater. I wrote then on this blog, “Here is another possible goal for down our journey road!” Who knew that my wistful comment would become reality? Recent yoga classes, hikes in New York and in Portugal were good physical prep. We hired a travel company to transport our backpacks and arrange accommodation each night. We are among the nearly 300,000 who arrived in Santiago, and of 14% who traveled the Portuguese Way.
The best way to describe our experience is to share my poem with a few photos:
Divine Distractions
A plethora of scallop shell markers, yellow wooden arrows nailed to trees, pointers of yellow and blue paint on pavement and poles, leading to Saint James’ remains.
Chapels, churches, church bells, cathedrals, cathedral bells, a convent, a monastery. A Sunday mass amplified over the countryside. The lure to finish for noon’s Pilgrim Mass.
Statues, tributes, memorials, monuments. Via Romana XIX ancient route indicators. Any number of signposts, street signs, roadside progress maps. A glass or more of wine.
Scooters, cars, motorcycles, trucks, tractors, trailers, trains. Houses, farms, businesses, buildings. Stone structures of the ages. A 1906 Reserva Especial cerveza.
Forest paths, country lanes, city streets – dirt, gravel, cobblestone, tarmac. Stray dogs, cats. Barking dogs inside gated fences. Hungry cats meowing. A taste of Albariño wine.
Multitudes of grape or kiwi vines propped on historic granite pillars, providing arbors for shade. Blue grapes, red grapes, green grapes, white grapes, hang in bunches on the vines.
Laden fruit trees – apple, peach, pear prevalent; fig, and quince, too. Low rock walls covered with moss. Beautiful flowers. Delightful songbirds. A bottle of wine.
Abundant vegetable gardens of squash, kale, beans, melons, peppers, tomatoes, protected by creative, entertaining scarecrows. Vegetation of all sorts. Another bottle of wine.
Varied landscapes. Scents of mint, eucalyptus. Flowing waters in brooks, creeks, rivers, ponds, the Atlantic ocean. Silent counting, recounting, to 100 on steep uphill climbs.
Coops full of clucking chickens. Crowing of roosters, even the sighting of some. Elevated concrete or wooden corn cribs, both new and ancient. An Estrella Galicia Cerveza Especial.
The occasional horse in a grassy field. Herds of sheep. Bleating of goats. A single donkey. A gaggle of geese. Unexpected hunters’ gunfire. Fireworks. A 1906 Red Vintage cerveza.
Solo bicyclists, in pairs, even groups. Once 16: first 8, then 1, then 5 including one boy, then 2 including one lone woman – almost all clad in the same outfit. Yet another bottle of wine.
Locals, some with dogs on or off leash. Sounds of others’ singing, chanting, cheering, even raucous revelry. A gift of ear plugs. Comfort in the cantor’s sweet voice and song leading.
Numerous other walkers, pilgrims. Words spoken in accents from dialects of Spanish, Portuguese, German, Irish, Italian, American English, Dutch, Slovene, likely some others.
Camaraderie at rest stops on benches, at picnic tables, in cafes, bars, hotel restaurants. More connection while obtaining required stamps, or soaking of feet in caldas termas.
Making new friends, sharing advice, exchanging ideas, meaningful conversations, and, so many Buen Camino’s of encouragement given and received from friendly well-wishers.
All divinely distracting our minds from aches, pains and tender feet, from hiking Tui to Porrino, Arcade to Pontevedra, Caldas de Reis to Padron, Rua de Francos to Santiago.
Culminating in the Certificates commemorating the over 100 memorable kilometers walked on the Portuguese Way of the Camino de Santiago de Compostela, with my best friend.
Claire Adalyn Wright
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P.S. Our Pilgrim Mass at Catedral de Santiago included the swinging of the Botafumeiro. As it is not always used, we were privileged to witness the several priests offering it!
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P.P.S. Loren and I celebrated 26 years of marriage on September 1, and, we celebrated Loren’s birthday on the 5th with fun help from special friends on the Camino.
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Week 179 September 2, 2017

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When Loren and I left Rio Caldo, Portugal, we drove on a gorgeous, long, windy road up a mountain to Parque Nacional da Peneda-Geres, which is a border park to Spain’s Baixa Limia Serra do Xures Parque Natural. We are uncertain if our four hour hike across seven bridges – and one natural bridge that I found – took us over the border, but for certain we drove through the park in Espana afterwards, for a shorter route to reach our AirBnB, Casa do Preto – House of Black, in Portugal. There was no need to show our passaportas anyway, as both countries are within the European Union.

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Contrary to what our friends Marisa and Vieira advised about Pitões das Junias: “There is nothing there!” – we enjoyed visiting a growing community. We understand from new hiking friends there that in the past few years it has been named among the top 10 villages of Portugal. On our first day in Pitões (said p-tosh) we took a long day hike – down one mountain and up another, to see an igreja – church and back. On the way there, we stopped at a swimming hole where Loren dove in for a refreshing respite.

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The next day, a group of more than thirty members of the nearby Vila Real city hiking club showed up en masse at the restaurant at our overnight accommodation.

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Loren befriended them and we had the fortune to join in their day hike to an abandoned mosteiro – monastery, a cascata – waterfall, and then a little bit more walking with them around Pitões. I counted 217 stairs on the way back up from one of the viewpoints of the cascata.

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Afterwards, they bestowed us gifts from their club and a pair of hand made hiking poles, saying this represents a connection between America and Portugal. Very special!

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Loren and I took another, shorter walk before leaving Pitões, then drove on to the Douro region. It was like driving to Napa in California, except that the vineyards are planted on extremely steep, terraced mountainsides, offering dramatic views into canyons with each turn of the winding road. We drove through Alijo, stopped in Favaios for a tour and tasting at Cooperativa Adega winery, then, drove on to our AirBnB in Pinhão (peen-yow).

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Our studio apartment here was in a home high on a steep incline from the main street where we had parked our car. I counted 69 stairs back down. We were greeted with the news that “This week will be tropical,” and learned how lucky we are in that their recent heat wave of 50 degrees celsius, which is 122 degrees Fahrenheit, had just passed with the day’s thunderstorm. We were grateful for the abundance of ripe, flavorful figs and several green bell peppers offered to us from the rear yard. The tomatoes sadly were scorched in the heat, and the pears and peaches not quite ready to enjoy. One day we hiked way up a mountain behind our house to Quinta do Jalloto, (Jalloto Winery), after enjoying a cup of Galone (coffee light) at our hosts’ cafe.

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On our hike, Loren picked ripe grapes that were growing alongside the road, then he found sweet peaches for us to taste! We also collected some ripe almonds that were popping out of their skins to take back to crack open later. Olives, apricots, and citrus trees were plentiful too, though the olives and fruits were not yet ready other than some of the oranges. All these varieties are familiar to us from the San Francisco Bay Area. At Jalloto, we tasted more wine varieties. My question is: How does one taste wines, find a flavor one likes, and not buy oneself a bottle? Even with the hiking here, and the Bikram yoga and hiking that we did in New England and New York, I am still carrying too many excess pounds… no wonder.

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On our last full day in Portugal, we were slow to leave the apartment, which turned out to be a good thing… There came a knock at our door from one of our hosts who asked if we were ready to leave. Leave? She then told us that we had agreed to move to a different apartment for the last night, and she needed us to move within the hour as new guests were arriving! Loren vaguely remembered that he had agreed to this some time ago, but I was totally surprised. I had completely settled in… Fortunately with traveling light we were moved in an hour, and, to our pleasure the second accommodation seemed a bit nicer. We had only 49 stairs to the main street front this one.

Even with our delayed departure for the day, we still had time to drive a lovely windy road from Pinhão to the town of Regua, then on to the city of Lamego where we had a delightful afternoon observing and participating in some activities for Festa Nossa Senhora dos Remédios. We parked our car, hiked down to the city center, then up the few hundred steps at the far end of town to the Santuario Nossa Senhora dos Remédios cathedral.

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We had been told that there are nearly 700 steps up to the cathedral, but, they seemed way too easy – I was sure it was maybe 200 or so. However, later I confirmed it online to be almost 700. Inside the church was beautiful. We took a peaceful dirt path back down to the city center, bought some delectable cheese, olives, beans and pastries, then hiked back up to our car for the delightful return drive.

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On our way to return the rental car, we took another exquisite scenic drive on roads so full of curves that I could barely take my eyes off the road or even shift out of 2nd gear – I would no sooner put the car in 3rd then have to immediately downshift for the next curve. I am leaving Portugal with – as is true of almost every place that we have traveled – a hope and desire to return. For now, what I take with me is the memory of how friendly, kind, honest and helpful the people are. I also have the new knowledge that Portugal is the largest exporter of cork in the world from the bark of their cork trees. And, that Portuguese is among the top 10 spoken world languages, per lists topped by Mandarin, Spanish and English.

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A quick afternoon bus ride has brought us to Spain – I say quick because it arrived in Tui or Tuy – it appears that you can choose either of these as your preferred spelling, same as with Porto or Oporto in Portugal – more than an hour earlier than scheduled, and no, the driver was not exceeding the speed limit. We hiked a quarter of a mile uphill from the gas station where we were dropped off, with all our belongings strapped on us or carried in our hands.

We have two nights at Arturo’s AirBnB; from here we will begin our weeklong sojourn on a part of the Camino de Santiago de Compostela – the Walk to Santiago of the Field of Stars, also known as Saint James Way. We spotted our first scallop shell image in Lamego, Portugal, being one of the yellow directional pointers which we will be seeking many more of during this coming week. It is said that the lines represent the different routes that people travel from all over the world, to arrive at the end point: the believed tomb of Saint James in Santiago, Spain.

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Week 178 August 26, 2017

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I discovered this meaningful quote and translation on the back of the tickets from our visit to the Tower of Belem last week, and thought it worthy to share this week:

   Gil Eanes, Navegador
      Valeu a pena? Tudo vale a pena
      Se a alma não e pequena.
      Quem quer passar alem do Bojador
      Tem que passar alem da dor.
      Deus ao mar o perigo e o abismo deu,
      Mas nele e que espelhou o ceu.
         Was it worth doing? Everything is worth doing
         If the soul of the doer is not small.
         Whoever would go beyond the Cape
         Must go beyond sorrow.
         God placed danger and the abyss in the sea,
         But he also made it heaven’s mirror.

On our last day in Lisbon, Loren and I went on a long, full day tour. Of all the tours we have taken, this one appealed to us the least. So, we acknowledged our disappointment to ourselves and made the best of it. We visited Obidos, where we walked the wall around a medieval town and had a view of an ancient Roman aqueduct, then Nazaré – where we ate lunch in a touristy fishing town, on to Batalha – to see a cathedral, and, the famed Fatima – where three children had experienced an apparition of the Virgin Mary. An impressive new cathedral with elaborate grounds celebrate it. Earlier this year Pope Francis came to mark the 100th anniversary. Loren and I appreciated returning to Lisbon even more because we learned how really hot it can be inland – I am still suffering from an itchy prickly heat rash on my calves. 

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That evening we were still able to be on time for a classical guitar concert in the Cloister of Se Cathedral, the one we had had tickets for on the previous evening but was canceled. It was well worth making it an even longer day to attend it.

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Loren and I then took a train to Aveiro for three nights. We needed help with finding our AirBnB, and Marisa, owner of a cafe with her husband, Vieira, came to our rescued. We developed a friendship with them both, and enjoyed an evening out to dinner together. Loren and I tasted our first Leitao Assado – suckling pig, at their suggestion. It was good!

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Aveiro’s nickname is “the Venice of Portugal,” for its many bridges over the water that runs through town, and, the many gondola-like motorized boats for tourists to enjoy.

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Loren and I preferred to spend our time walking and bicycling in Aveiro’s quaint streets over riding in a boat. We found that the townspeople grace their overhead walkways, and even some of their bicycles, with colorful crocheted images of fish among other designs, as well as painting some of the benches around town with delightful artwork.

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Another style of art that we have seen in several places in Portugal are the beautiful intricate tile sidewalk designs,

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and, we have seen impressive blue tile artwork that grace the outside of homes, churches, and buildings. The tile is both decorative and practical in that it needs less maintenance than other forms of building materials.

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We so appreciate how many people speak English. Loren recognizes how many more people do these days compared to during his travels here of 40 years ago – he remembers, “No one spoke English!” We are also especially grateful for Loren’s fluency in Italian and Spanish, because even with some English speakers, it makes such a difference in learning more about the people we meet and the local cultures. In addition to a few Portuguese words, we learned a saying from our new friends: mano da vaca – hand of the cow, which means one does not like to spend money, and, the belief that, “Seeing a spider is a sign of money.”

On one of the other two evenings we saw a memorable sunset over the salt fields. The other evening we rode a bus to Costa Nova to see the colorful Pahleiro – former barns for hay for horses, or for housing boats, that are now converted into decorative homes.

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Then we rode the train to Porto and took the metro to the airport where we rented a Peugeot. We first drove north to see Guimaraes. At the suggestion of Marisa y Vieira, we visited the Castle from the time of the birth of Portugal where Afonso the 1st king of Portugal’s life is detailed, and, the Paco dos Duques – a palace residence of former Kings of Portugal. We also stumbled upon an outstanding jardim – garden.

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I have been working on a poem about Portugal which is still in the works and perhaps I will post here when it is done. I was also inspired to write this Haiku:

My Prominent Portuguese Memories
   Blue tile, Castles, and
   Coastline; Cod and Cork, Custard
   Pastry, Pork, and Port
Claire Adalyn Wright

Today we will be leaving Rio Caldo after an overnight stay, where a chorus of church bells and a cage of chatty birds at our accommodation have added to our enjoyment. We are on our way to visit the mountains for a few days. While what I write next in ending this week is not a proper farewell, it is a phrase that I learned from a friend in the Bay Area with Portuguese heritage: Beige meh cou! or, Kiss my a.. Why do we often learn the bad words of another language first? Really, what I am trying to say but do not have the Portuguese words for and will send via another painted bench image, are our affectionate kisses to Portugal!

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Week 177 August 19, 2017

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I have had one foot in family genealogy this week, the other foot in packing and preparing to again leave the United States. It has been a very full week. Loren and I took a break from packing to see part of a Bruce Springsteen tribute band concert in a local park while we were still in New York. We arrived to find little parking, but a policeman I asked who was standing near several cars parked near “No Parking” signs said they were “Overlooking the signs for a couple of hours, so long as cars are not blocking traffic.” “Great,” I thought. We spent less than an hour enjoying our picnic dinner, only to find a ticket on our car when we left! We decided to stop in at Police HQ to complain, and, later that evening the officer called to say that he had ripped up his copy of the ticket. Nice!
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Our final errands included having Flu shots… thanks to my cousin who insisted we should have them. Have you had yours this year? We read this in an email from an MD: “Patients who don’t get the flu vaccine have more heart attacks, strokes, and other serious illnesses.” That said, the wildlife we saw in New York included: bat, muskrat, and wild turkey. I must mention how Loren was keenly aware of the multitude of cicada singing and cricket chirping – pointing out sounds I rarely notice for their continual background presence throughout my childhood. Farewell, New York, for now.
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After a last evening with my brother and his family, we rode in an Uber taxi to JFK airport. Here we found our packing work had paid off: Loren’s checked backpack was an allowable 21kg, while mine was just 18kg – less than 50 and 40 lbs respectively. I was grateful for the onboard movies as I could not sleep on the overnight flight. I enjoyed United Kingdom and Wild. I highly recommend them both! A gorgeous Mediterranean day greeted us at the edge of Lisbon, Portugal. From the airport we took a bus to walking distance to our AirBnB – which is coincidentally off Rua de Sao Jose – San Jose Street.
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We checked in, then quickly walked the several blocks to arrive just in time for our scheduled e-bike tour. Lisbon is similar to San Francisco in that it is near the ocean and hilly in parts. It was my first electric bike ride. It was dangerous -only- in that I would like to have my own e-bike when we return home. The appeal is for the boost it has for climbing hills. On our outing, guides Yann and Philippe took us and four fun young adult Persians who now live in London, to our first miradouro – terrace with a view: Senhora-do-Monte. We also rode up and down through the very, very narrow streets of Alfama – the oldest section – meaning neighborhood, because it survived the 1755 earthquake, and resultant fires and tsunami. We also saw other less noteworthy sites of their Lisboa.
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Loren pre-booked several outings for us to start off being in Europe again. The next day we took a Walk, Food and Wine Tastings tour. I learned so much more, and spent the good part of a day with another great group of people. I especially learned from our guide Pedro (said P-eh-dro, not the usual Pay-dro, or P-a-dro), about the Carnation Revolution, Portugal’s recent nearly completely nonviolent coup to end the longest dictatorship of the twentieth century. The event is memorialized by the 25th of April bridge, designed like San Francisco’s Golden Gate because of its ability to withstand ‘quakes. I was also introduced to The Lusiads, an epic poem of Luiz de Camoes to celebrate Vasco de Gama’s discovery of a sailing route to India. And, we learned that Nossa – meaning, to us, or, Saúde – health, are the ways to toast our Portuguese drinks.
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Over the course of a few hours we had the equivalent of a progressive meal – beginning with tasting Portuguese coffee. Fortunately a dear cousin’s friend had warned us of the strong espresso and pointed us to a lighter alternative called Galone. This we had with the bakery’s best pastry. We also tasted Ginjinha – Cherry Port, served with “Romeo and Juliet” which a square of white cheddar-like cheese topped with a square of cheerful marmalade made of quince fruit, which provided a delectable sweet and savory complement to the wine. Later we enjoyed a glass of Bohemia – an historical beer. We finished with a glass of champagne to go with dishes of shrimp and tasty beans.
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That evening, Loren and I saw a Fado performance. The advert describes it this way: “Fado is Portuguese and was born in Lisbon. A symbol of the nation, it tells stories of the sea, the people and nostalgia.” Another quote, more melancholy, that was displayed during the performance by Domingos Goncalves Castro also touched us:

   You ask me the meaning of
   Nostalgia, to you I say
   Nostalgia is what is left
   When all has passed away.
The next day we had a tour to Sintra, which we already knew had mixed reviews: Lord Byron in the 18th century wrote that the town was, “Perhaps in every respect the most delightful in Europe.” Maybe that was the case then. A friend of ours who visited more recently suggested it is, “Crowded with tourist buses, warnings about pick pockets, and very noisy.” I think our experience was in between those two reports, and, again we had a lovely group of co-travelers with our competent and very knowledgeable guide, Filipa escorting and educating us. We first visited Parque Pena to see the elaborate castle there. Then, we walked through Quinta do Regaleira – I wish my grandfather had been there, as it is full of Freemasonry symbols, and included an “Initiation Well.”
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We also stopped at Capo da Roca, where the R in the Portuguese language is pronounced much more like an H, to see the westernmost point on continental Europe. Last, we were at Cascais, (said Cash-case) to soak up a walk along the beach with gelato. Loren and I later finished our day with pork ribs that simply melted in our mouths and Bacalau – a type of cod found only in these Portuguese waters. To conclude our week, Loren and I rode a tram to nearby Belém to see the magnificent Jerónimos Mosteiro – Monastery.
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Afterwards, we had a snack of famous custard pastry that a friend had suggested we try, at Pasteis de Belem. And, after that, we saw the Tower of Belém, for another miradouro.
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Sadly our guitar concerto at a church that evening was canceled due to a car accident, so we hope to go tomorrow instead. Our trip to the cathedral was not all in vain as we saw two different memorable views of the setting sun over the 25th of April bridge.
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I have enjoyed hearing the calls of what must be a neighbor’s exotic bird – our AirBnB apartment butts up against buildings on either side, and our windows and outside patio are very close to the neighboring buildings on the opposite side of a quite narrow street. So, the echoes of muffled conversation and other sounds are quite delightful and entertaining – except when dogs fight or a neighbor has a party, like was the case this past Friday night. Wishing you Boa Noite – Good Night, for now!

 

Week 176 August 12, 2017

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You may notice a tiny different look to our blog this week – tiny, but with a big change in viewing our site. I discovered “Categories,” thanks to a friend who asked for a way to see only the posts from when we were in Ireland. So now you, too, if you want, can select a Category like Alberta, Europe, Italy, New York, or South Africa, for example, to see what we wrote for when we were there. Just scroll down on the right side under Where In the World Have We Been? for Categories organized by Continent, then Country, and where applicable State/Province or Territory.  Then just click on whichever one you want to see.
In addition to making that change, this week included other highlights. First, we celebrated my brother’s wife’s birthday with a fun dinner out, just before my brother and his family left for a vacation in Florida. This is the first time that Loren and I have been in New York for her birthday. We have now, fairly recently, been here for both their daughters’ Sweet 16s, my brother’s 50th, and now a special day of hers. Very special!
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Next, I reached out by email then phone to another cousin who I had never met. I learned about him from contacts made through research in Albany, New York about my family heritage. I am so glad that I talked with him! He is a third cousin, once removed as I understand it – meaning that he and my mother have the same great-grandparents. This cousin actually has their Bible from 1865 which documents family Marriages, Births and Deaths. He lives in Louisiana, so it will be some time before we can visit in person.
This week Loren and I attended a UU Sunday Worship Service which was different, in that it included several good reminders for attending to the health of the mind, and, how to live in the present moment to stave off worry and regret – using positive humor. Three mantras I took away are:
   Your life is your garden, your thoughts are the seeds.
   If you life isn’t awesome, you’re watering the weeds!
   this moment
   this breath, and
   The grass is green, right here.
Speaking of UUs, we received from a dear friend brother this link to “Wonderful World” a video collage in memory of the beauty of our friend’s photography. We were invited to  feel free to forward the link for others to enjoy:
Otherwise our week included running errands, hiking – when the weather permitted, and Bikram yoga classes, which included my first silent class in a long time. One day an errand took us to Yonkers, said Yahn-kiz if you are a local. I have not been there in probably 30 years or more. When we passed by Nathan’s, Loren indulged me in turning around for a nostalgic hot dog lunch. He agreed, it was yummy, just like I remembered!
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Then, we stopped at a lemonade stand. I remember a motivational speaker once saying, “When you see kids with a lemonade stand, stop and buy something. It helps them start to develop their entrepreneurial skills.” So I try to do that when I can, paying forward from when people stopped for my childhood lemonade stand. This particular one had choices – lemonade or yummy sweet iced tea. Loren captured the moment for posterity…

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On one of our hikes I went off trail to photo a sunset – sometimes my photos do not do justice to the scene. Nonetheless, it was worth it though because when I looked down I noticed pachysandra growing. This is a ground cover that I have such fond memories of my Mom cultivating and tending it amidst our front yard shrubbery when I was a wee one. Another nostalgic moment this week.
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The wildlife we saw on this hike included a hawk flying near us – with effort – because it was carrying a rabbit off in its claws! We had noticed that the geese had left the lake since we returned last week, now we have enjoyed a pair of ducks in their place.
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And, near a school playground where we hiked, I was happy to see the US map, given our  recent travels across the states. And, we were privileged to receive some of the bounty of the summer gardeners who were pulling the remains of flat-leaf- and curly-kale, as well as Swiss chard. We have enjoyed kale chips, kale salad, and a veggie side dish this week!
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What else we saw that was inspiring were four helpful charts along the trail for identifying butterflies, trees, flowers and birds of the world or North America. How nice!
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Otherwise, travel planning, sorting and beginning packing rounded out our week. After nine months in the US, it is amazing that we will again head overseas next week. In our planning, we have had to remember to decipher hours and days from the notation that most of the rest of the world uses. For example time is expressed with the 24 hour clock, so 1600 hours is 4pm, and, days come before months – like 1/10/17 is October 1st, not January 10th. We could not have a lovelier place to be working on our plans! Even if every day is not gorgeous, it is usually peaceful. We will very much miss our time here.
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I will finish with what one of my cousins wrote a year ago:
“Will you ever return? … One saying goes ‘If you stay away more than 3 years you will never return,’ Soooo come home soon! … Please save Asia, India, China etc. for your next trip before travel fatigue takes over. We miss you and love you both. I have already had my say.”
Thanks dear cousin! I wonder, does our eight month sojourn in the US count for coming home? We did spend two months in California, just not in our own house… If all goes as we hope, Loren and I will see Egypt, India, Oceania, and southeast Asia this time, after Portugal, Spain and Italy again. We expect to be returning to the US in two years or so…

Week 175 August 5, 2017

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I first want to say how nice it always is to hear from our family and friends, thank you for following us on our blog and keeping in touch with us! We appreciate hearing comments like, “You both have such a gift for sharing what your eyes see and your minds interpret,” and other encouraging and supportive words. Thank you! We especially love learning about what is going on in your lives, it helps us to keep feeling connected with you as we travel on this journey of ours.
We began this week still near Albany visiting dear friends with their newest family member – their cute dog. The doggie’s favorite toy is the adorable Lamb Chop from our childhood memories of the Shari Lewis show. I want to point out that in New York, this city’s name is pronounced All-bany, unlike the Albany of California that I hear pronounced more like Owl-bany. 
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Our friends’ brother and his wife came over too and we enjoyed their refreshing homemade sangrias, then we had a delicious BBQ dinner all together.
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And, as always, they have such beautiful plants growing in their lovely yard.
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Loren and I had a late night discussion with our friend about life and her beliefs on spirituality and scripture, which we always appreciate and gave us more to reflect on. Then we enjoyed a lovely Sunday Brunch with both of them with a beautiful view overlooking the Hudson River to bid them our fond farewell.
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On the way back to Mahopac, Loren and I visited 8th President Martin Van Buren’s home,
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and learning some about the history of his day.
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Afterwards we had a good hike on a nearby trail.
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Now we are back at my brother and sister-in-law’s lake house, enjoying the new blooms here. We had a fun BBQ with them and their girls, but where was my camera?

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A major appointment this week was for Loren’s new crown, to address the integrity of his tooth that broke in mid-July. I am excited too that I submitted the paperwork for my pension! Small as it is, I earned every penny of it, and am grateful to begin receiving payouts at 60 years of age. The rest of the week has been devoted to hiking, daily yoga and looking at family history. The wildlife we saw included an owl, bats, snapping turtles, a few fawns, a rabbit, and a squirrel.
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What is taking most of our time is planning, firming up minor travel details – like confirming our upcoming hike on the Camino, attending to loose ends – like obtaining more vaccines and travel medications, taking care of DMV records, car insurance, computer care, banking, IRS, etc.! In addition we are beginning to sort out our belongings and pare down again to just our backpacks and daypacks for when we leave the United States. We hope you are enjoying your August too!
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Week 174 July 29, 2017

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This week’s highlights began with my teaching a Bikram yoga class in Merrimack Valley, Massachusetts. That evening Loren and I watched the 1937 movie Snow White with our hosts and studio owner, their two beautiful young nieces, and another visiting yoga teacher houseguest. It was endearing to see it together. I always enjoy catching up with familiar other instructors when I visit, both those who are local and other traveling teachers, one who I first met when taking class in Edinburgh Scotland, as well as meeting others new to me each time that I come to visit.
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Another day I “did a double” – I took 2 90 minute yoga classes in one day while Loren visited a coffee shop during the second class. I do love this Bikram style of yoga! After our last class at this studio for now, our dear owner friend led a half hour long meditation group which was also delightful. At her suggestion – knowing we were heading to Springfield, Massachusetts – we visited the brand new Dr. Seuss Museum and its Memorial Sculpture Garden. What a trip down memory lane for us, with a little inspirational quote for our ongoing travels!
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Afterwards we sought out another Peter “Wolf” Toth Whispering Giants Trail statue, making it another of several we have seen in different states. Loren and I spent this night at an AirBnB where we had a lovely evening talking with the home owner. One thing we learned is how the name Mohammad spelled with “ad” at the end is the Pakistani version of this name. 
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What had brought us to Springfield was to see the Basketball Hall of Fame, where we spent several hours the next day immersing ourselves in its history and glory.

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Then, we drove to Mount Holyoke College. My father’s uncle had made a generous donation in 1951 when he died. So, Loren indulged me in looking over the lecture rooms in Cleveland Hall, which was built from his gift at this impressive campus.
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After we returned to New York State, we stopped at the Albany Rural Cemetary to see the graves of my great-great-grandparents and their family plot. For the first time, I also found the graves of my great-great-great-grandparents nearby. And, for the first time too, we stopped to see President Chester Arthur’s grave, in the same cemetery.
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Many small towns surround the cemetery that I had heard my grandmother mention so many times – Loudonville where she was born, Menands, Niskayuna where her grandmother was born, Renssalaer, Watervliet – such familiar names yet at the same time such foreign places to me.
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Then Loren and I spent another full day at the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, New York. I kept looking for but did not find my favorite NY Yankees from my young adulthood – Thurman Munson, Lou Piniella, Bucky Dent, Willie Randolph, and others from their memorable team – who should all be honored, in my opinion! Who I did find were “Goose” Gossage, Rickey Henderson, and some of my father’s heroes. What we also found was the complete video of Abbott and Costello’s hilarious Who’s on First routine…
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On the way between our campground and Cooperstown, which are both in and among rural farmland and lush rolling hills, Loren decided we should stop at the middle-of- nowhere yet impressive Opera house to see what was playing. It was incredible that the opera I have been most interested in seeing – Porgy and Bess, was playing that evening. What a treat it was to see it, making another most memorable time. This troupe of actors sang their hearts out. Rain had chased away all the other campers, leaving our entire loop of the campground all to us that night. then in the morning we were able to convey our appreciation for the performance directly to a few of the actors as we all ate breakfast at one of only two local cafes in the rural area.
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Now we are near Albany, visiting dear friends and their newly summer-shorn West Highland White Terrier, as well as their son and new daughter-in-law. Whenever we visit, our friend – a culinary school trained Jill of many Trades, outdoes herself in making appetizing meals. It is such a pleasure to spend more time with all of them again.
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Week 173 July 22, 2017

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Our biggest highlight this week was seeing my cousin again in New Hampshire. She and her husband treated us to another wonderful stay at their home, and, we had a delightful time together. From delicious meals, great conversations, gardening, a dunk in the pool, a dinner out,

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to celebrating a sibling cousin’s birthday with their sibling – my cousin and cousin-in-law, and, their Mom too,
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and, a potluck dinner with my cousin’s friends to talk about Portugal travels,
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to just hanging out in their comfy home and yard. All wonderful times!
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In addition, Loren and I attended Sunday service at their neighborhood UU church. Later Loren and my cousin’s husband had a hike up Mount Major with grand-dog, Sully while my cousin and I had a great visit together. A meaningful memorable long weekend in all!
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Afterwards, Loren and I camped a couple of nights on Lake Winnipesaukee. We stopped to see another of Peter “Wolf” Toth’s Whispering Giants Trail statue at Opechee Park in Laconia. Then the weather was perfect for a boat ride on Squam Lake, where On Golden Pond was filmed, and, where we saw nesting loons. Then we went for a hike up West Rattlesnake mountain for a different view of the lake. Another gorgeous day made for a fun half day kayak ride on the lake, with a picnic lunch on one of the islands. Here we learned the name Winnipesaukee means “Smile of the Great Spirit,” to Native Americans.
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Before leaving New Hampshire, Loren and I visited The Loon Center, where we learned more about this protected species. Also, we had a good hike out to see another of their nests. I must mention how during our nights camping and a few times during the days we were fortunate to hear their unique seeming doleful calls. Very special treats!
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Last week ended and this one began with me reciting the wildlife we had seen in New York, and I am surprised at the list I can now share about the different wildlife we saw while in New Hampshire: loon, wild turkey, what we had thought was a wolf crossing the road in the dark of night but later learned from our Massachusetts friends was more likely a Fisher when I described how much more like a hyena it had seemed in my bright headlights because of its hunched back – another learning on this amazing journey of ours, and, three deer – who had long white tails that stuck straight up as they ran, looking almost like the tails were wagging on tall, graceful dogs…
Now we are in Massachusetts, taking yoga with our dear studio owner friend and her fabulous community. It feels good to be back in the hot room since I had not taken a yoga class since my extreme reaction to the poison ivy…
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Week 172 July 15, 2017

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Our week began with seeing a most complete rainbow over the beautiful Lake in New York as we were returning from a hike. 
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Another highlight this week included a weekend BBQ with my brother and sister-in-law at their lake house. Being in New York is invaluable for the memorable times we have been able to spend together, though this one will have to be stored simply in my memory, as I forgot to record it with my camera. So I will insert a copy of the professional photo I have from the memorable evening spent celebrating my brother’s birthday last month. 
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This week too I discovered the difference between Eastern and Western Blue Jays. I kept insisting that the beautiful blue bird we were seeing was not a Jay as my sister-in-law said, as I was looking for the telltale black hood that I am used to in California. Later I looked online and found I was wrong. By the way, birds are not easy to photograph. Then, that evening I went to Urgent Care because my poison ivy reaction continued to erupt and had started to spread to my face. So, I am on a regimen of steroids and cortisone cream, and the rash has been abating since that began. We also enjoyed a FaceTime with Loren’s Mom and sister, and this time Loren recorded it with a photo. 
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One evening Loren and I took a picnic to a popular summer concert venue locally where we heard Desert Highway, an Eagles Tribute Band entertaining us with tunes from our teen years. Fortunately the weather was nice that evening. Had it been the day before we would have been inside at a rain venue.
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We also took in a great movie, The Big Sick at a small theater local to the lake house – a true story with a lot of laughs and touching experiences. Well worth seeing in our view.
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When it is not storming here it is incredibly pleasant and peaceful, though even the hours-long downpours can be lulling. Sometimes there is a cooling breeze when we sit on the deck, being entertained naturally by the sights and sounds of life around us. We often see kids off from school for summer, fishing on the few large rocks on the uninhabited opposite side of the lake. Sometimes neighbors in row boats, paddle boats or standup paddle boats float by. We also have seen a flock of 16 geese – or at times just 15 and just 1, and other waterfowl swim or fly low over the lake. As I write I must have seen 5 chipmunks – or the same one 5 times? – dart across the deck as if to say, “What about me? You forgot to mention me!” This prompted me to recall too that we had also seen some deer in the neighborhood in the evenings, as well as chipmunks. 
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We often hear the trills of song birds, the occasional barking of a dog or two, a few distant voices, and the croaking of frogs – these being especially prevalent at night. We also see numerous sparrows, Eastern Jays, a stunning Cardinal, hawks, herons, a couple of gophers, some scampering squirrels, and neighborhood cats – one a Tomcat for sure. It is idyllic here! We are so very grateful and feel so very blessed to have this place to stay.
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If there has to be a downside here, then it would be the raccoon who was unexpectedly caught in the gopher trap. Oh, and the alligator scare – yes, in New York, that had the neighborhood in a frenzy for a couple of days, We are fairly certain it turned out to be just floating algae, but there are certainly those who take on exotic pets, cannot care for them and just let them loose…
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A last highlight includes having dinner with my sister-in-law’s father at the Veteran’s home. My camera forgot to come out for this occasion too, but it was after an especially intense thunderstorm earlier in the day. Fortunately Loren and I had taken our near daily hike earlier on this day. The Veteran’s facility is the same one where my father spent the last few months of his life. It was nice that both fathers were living here at the same time. I have a cloth bag that my father had hand decorated before he went to the Veteran’s home that I treasure, with the simple message that I consider learning how to do to be the entire purpose of life. On our way home the sunset was breathtaking.
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Loren and I are still in New York, leaving later for New Hampshire than we originally planned today, because last evening Loren broke a tooth. Thankfully my brother’s dentist could take him for an emergency visit in the morning. When we return to New York Loren will receive a new crown… While I sat in the waiting room, I was drawn to this Van Gogh image on the wall. 
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I will finish this by saying how much we enjoy keeping in touch with family and friends, and that includes new friends who we have met on our travels, this family being from a memorable visit we had in Argentina with them opening their home through AirBnB.
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