It’s early on a cold Sunday morning in Madrid. We join a group assembling on the street, half Spaniards, half Anglos. We’ll soon board a bus to an isolated hotel …
Spanish – English Conversation Exchanges: the struggles, the joys, and the beauty
When we planned our Spain move people repeatedly made two comments, “You’re so lucky to be immersed in the language every day,” or, “You’ll pick up Spanish so fast living …
Cycling Spain’s Via Verde Ojos Negros
View PostAn Independent, Family Owned Insurance Agency That’s Expat Friendly
Julija Roslova, English speaking associate, and Ángel Giron Descalzo, Technical Director. We just had our annual insurance review. I can’t describe how freeing it is to have nothing but health …
Beaches and Bays Along Spain’s Costa Verde
The weather gods favored us during an October trip to Spain’s Costa Verde. We explored the coastal zones of Cantabria and the Basque Country. We couldn’t decide whether we wanted …
Private Language Study with Elisa Valero, a Remarkable Teacher
We haven’t mastered Spanish yet, but 90 percent of the progress we have made has been with the consistent and friendly assistance of Elisa Valero Peris, our delightful Spanish teacher. …
A Quick Note on Renewing Your Padron de Habitantes in Valencia
After being in Spain for about two years, you’re going to get a letter from the Ayuntamiento that you probably ought not ignore. Basically, it contains words to the effect, …
Gone Vegan: The How, Why, and When of Our Gentle Diet
Going vegan is our idea of promoting a life of gentle living. It took us 20 years to get here but about three years ago we finally, fully adapted to …
Volunteering at Vaughan Day Town
Jamie and I just volunteered for the first time in Spain. Woohoo! We’ve been waiting for our Spanish to reach that “good enough” level and guess what? It hasn’t. So, …
Five Days on Two Wheels in Emilia Romagna, Italy
View PostFalling in Love with Ferrara
Ferrara was to be the beginning of a five-day, self organized cycle journey through the Po Delta Regional Park. We spent so much time focusing on planning the cycling, we …
A Couple of Days in Bologna
We kicked off our cycle tour of the Emilia-Romagna region from Bologna because, well, that’s where the plane landed. But, before we grabbed our bicycles and hit the road we …
A Friendly English/Spanish Conversation Group with Maria Hidalgo
One of the reasons we decided to live in Spain was to meet new people and learn the language. One way to do that, we thought, was to participate in …
How to Get a Senior Bus Pass in Valencia
We live car-free here in Valencia. The city is so compact we tend to walk almost everywhere we go. But in the hot weather or when heading to the airport, …
A Few Days in Porto
We went to Portugal to experience the Douro Valley and to learn about the process of creating the fine Port wines of the region. So, despite our usual attempt to …