road trip: midwest again

Our fourth trip to Iowa together may have been quick, but we managed to do a lot in short time. Our sixth wedding anniversary even had a few surprises for Rafa… what’s up for this visit??
Read More »road trip: midwest againOur fourth trip to Iowa together may have been quick, but we managed to do a lot in short time. Our sixth wedding anniversary even had a few surprises for Rafa… what’s up for this visit??
Read More »road trip: midwest againAt the beginning of our trip to Boston, we had a difficult time keeping city limits straight. Fantastic public transportation that seamlessly covers the entire area had us asking ourselves: is this a Boston neighborhood or is it a separate city? I think we have it figured out now 😉
Let’s continue the visit by city…
Read More »usa: beyond bostonIs it still a road trip if you don’t use a car? In this case, I’ll say yes because Boston’s fantastic public transportation made car rental 100% unnecessary. And honestly, I don’t know how we could have seen more. This two-week trip was our first visit to New England, & what an introduction! We had a major mishap at the last minute, but the travel gods worked their magic & off we went. I’ve grouped our sightseeing below into neighborhoods for easy reference. We’ll get on the road after a bumpy start…
Read More »usa: bostonWe’re racking up the miles slowly; my fifth trip to the US with Rafa & his third time in Iowa. Our first international travel since COVID, we had to use flight vouchers that would expire soon to see my 84-year old aunt. Mission accomplished. But we drove a bit north for some sightseeing instead of going straight across Illinois. As always, Rafa & I discovered some fascinating sights along the way…
Read More »road trip: more midwestThe ongoing book research saga continues, but this time with an all-new destination: Italia! That’s right… a country where I don’t speak much of the language & to places I’d never visited before. Uh-oh. My mood often ran between excited & apprehensive, so to laugh about the day’s events I tweeted once daily as I tend to do. Really anything to maintain a bit of connection with the real world. Come along as I relive those crazy two & a half weeks.
Read More »italy: guidebook research 2019Some of you might remember I have a Master’s degree in China Studies, but I’ve never been to China! I assure you that’s a long story no one wants to hear. My first Asian trip was to Japan instead… & it couldn’t have been better.
Read More »japan: friends & funOur second trip to the US together packed with as much Americana as possible! The main objective was to visit my aunt & uncle, but also to see how much of my mom’s stuff I’d have to ship to Spain. This involved a trip to the heart of Iowa; however, we also took a week to explore Chicago since we were already there. Let’s get on the road…
Read More »road trip: midwestRafa’s first visit to the US & our first road trip together… how would this go? The original idea had been to take Rafa to Vancouver & give him a taste of Canada. But some big event at the end of July meant most hotels were full, & those with rooms available were charging crazy, expensive rates. Change of plan; let’s go south instead!
Read More »road trip: pacific northwestSome photos from a week in France with friends while I was between tours. Our collective western France knowledge was nil, so we met in Nantes then drove south… stopping in La Rochelle, Île de Ré, Blaye, & Saint-Émilion before ending in Bordeaux. Great fun, relaxing & just what I needed before seeing the Running of the Bulls in Pamplona. Bisous!
Read More »photo essay: nantes to bordeaux