Up and Down Dog
Finding balance in a topsy turvy world…
An Emigrant’s Thanksgiving
A couple of weeks ago we had lunch with our friends, Kieran and Eileen. At lunch, we met Eileen's sister Catherine who is from Edinburg, Scotland but lives part time in southern Spain. She observed that Americans and Brits living in Spain tend to call themselves...
Y2K, Alien Abductions and Rolling Black-outs
Last week I found myself whining about the cold, wet weather, and the fact that we did not have a clothes dryer or a car. Admittedly, it was not one of my finer moments. I may have even said, "I can't live here anymore!" Deep in my heart, though, I knew I was just...
A Broken Cord
I grabbed my necklace from the bathroom counter intending to put it on before going to the market. I noticed the leather cord was tangled so I gave it a little tug. Instead of straightening the cord, as I had hoped, I broke it in half. I stood staring at the two...
Many Paths to the Same Goal
This week we became sort of an albergue (hostel) on the Camino de Santiago (Way of St. James Pilgrimage) when we welcomed my nephew Ian and his girlfriend Alba to our apartment. We were so happy to feed them, and offer a place for them to do laundry, rest and shower....
Nan’s Story
This week Rocky and I are enjoying a rather unplanned personal retreat in the village of Liñero, near Villaviciosa. When we returned to Gijon following our Spain Hiking & Yoga Retreat we found out our elevator was going to be repaired for ten days and would be...
Raindrops on Roses
The Thursday before the Spain Hiking & Yoga Retreat was suposed to start, we woke up to the sound of our hammock hitting the side of our terrace. A tormenta (a storm), had blown in off the ocean. Our sun porch which also serves as our laundry drying room was...
Birthday Baptism
Last week our friends, Leah and Cliff, came to visit from Connecticut. Mid-week, I got a text from Judy, the adventurous owner-operator of Spanish Steps, asking if we wanted to join her for a cave hike in the beach town of Oviñana, less than an hour from Gijon. Judy...
Never Say Never
Yesterday, our friends Eileen and Kieran drove us to El Parque Natural de Redes so we could explore La Ruta de Albas (The Route of the Dawn), considered one of the top 23 trails in Asturias by some. This gorgeous path follows the Alba River and features waterfalls of...
Waiting for the Sun to Shine
From my desk, I look out on our terrace and the marina beyond. The sun is shining and the clouds are big, puffy and white, a postcard photographer's favorite kind of day. The wind is rhythmically blowing our rainbow colored hammock against the outside of our...
Semana Negra (Black Week) in Gijon
Last week, almost overnight, the benches that lined our quiet street were removed and wooden huts were erected in their place all along our street. At the same time, a big white tent resembling a circus tent and a long line of miniature white circus tents went up near...
Recent Comments