Some 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
Pretty much everything about this year has been unexpected, including major health problems for both my aunt & uncle… at the same time. We’re a family of three people only, so I went in February to Cedar Rapids to help however I could. Almost 25 years had passed since I’d last visited! Normally I would have looked forward to the trip, but I was in crisis mode with very few days available. Plus a wind chill of -25°F prevented me from exploring more. About the only memories that come to mind are yummy smells from the Quaker Oats factory plus a couple of beautiful, cold weather sunsets.
Read More »usa: cedar rapids
I know… it’s taken forever to write this. Almost as long as it took me to get to Romania! 🙂 The country had long been on my radar, especially after watching the 1989 Revolution unfold on tv. Images of the Ceauşescus’ execution were shockingly graphic in those pre-internet days. I may have been only 19, but I wanted to know more & knew that I’d be in Romania one day.
Read More »romania: bucureşti
