Our escape from Las Fallas, version 2020, started with a week in the Spanish Pyrenees followed up with a week in the Basque Country. We planned for our third and …
Sabando, a remote village in the Basque Country of northern Spain
Late last year our friends Mat and Kathryn suggested we escape the noise and crowds of Valencia’s bacchanal, better known as Las Fallas. We spent the first week of our …
Fiscal, Aragón: A Quiet Village In the Spanish Pyrenees
Late last year when our friends Mat and Kat asked if we’d like to escape from Valencia with them for three weeks in March, we jumped at the chance. Not …
I’ll be using idioms until the cows come home.
Something I’ve learned during my time in Spain is that my speech is full of idioms. When Jamie called me out on this, I thought, well maybe I use these …
Before the sun: A photo project
It was early Sunday morning, the 29th day of December 2019. Lizzie, the best dog ever, and I were walking through the park. It was dark. Valencia had just begun …
Why not a self-organized family yoga retreat?
(Cats, dogs and a hippo, included) We decided to do something a little different with this post. We each independently wrote up the experiences and reactions we had to our …
Six Jam Packed Days at VaughanTown, Gredos
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, …