Understanding Europe We’ve been here over a month now, and today I was struck with a new level of understanding regarding culture on this continent. Spain In Spain, everyone keeps Iberian Time. They get up late, go to bed late, eat dinner late and then wonder why they all need a nap in the middle…
Read More What’s wrong with EuropeOn Thursday (May 11th) we left the downtown portion of the city and headed for the Valencia Oceanografic, the largest aquarium in Europe and one of the top four rated aquariums in the world. The Oceanogràfic de València (Valencia Oceanografic aquarium) and Museu de les Ciències Príncipe Felipe (science museum) are both part of the…
Read More Oceanogràfic de ValènciaWe were looking for a great day trip from Barcelona; something that would get us out of the city and into the countryside. We decided to head to Montserrat, a Benedictine abbey on a mountain about 30 miles northwest of Barcelona. We took a taxi over to the Julia Travel office where we got on…
Read More Barcelona – MontserratIf you’re going to Barcelona, you want to do everything you can to see Barcelona efficiently. We spent 10 days here and have some advice and tips that can make you get the most out of your time. Getting Around There are two secrets to getting around. First, have a good pair of walking shoes.…
Read More Barcelona efficiently – Traveling SmartLooking at several tour guides, they all seemed to have Classic Barcelona attraction that you’re told are must see. Once we had our legs underneath us we decided to take a look at some of these classic Barcelona sites. Sagrada Familia was first on our list. Sagrada Familia This is a church that’s been under…
Read More Classic Barcelona – Sagrada FamiliaHave I mentioned that I hate flying? We left Buffalo at 2:30 PM Monday afternoon and arrived in Barcelona at 10 AM Wednesday morning. I slept about 2 1/2 hours on the plane between JFK and Barcelona. Julie somehow slept about 6 hours on the same flight and I have no idea how she did…
Read More Barcelona – We arrived without coffeeLast night we gave astrophotography a whirl out in the Cape Hatteras National Seashore. We had mixed results, but I learned a great deal about technique and improving my planning and preparation. In addition to Julie, my brother and sister (Shawn and Colleen) came along to watch and get a chance to see the stars…
Read More AstrophotographyOuter Bank’s Day trip For a new adventure, you should try an Outer Banks day trip to Cape Hatteras. The drive from Nags Head to Cape Hatteras along North Carolina’s Outer Banks is a great way to spend a day and see some stunning scenery and get a feel for the isolation of Cape Hatteras…
Read More North Carolina’s Outer Banks Day TripSix words I’ve heard a lot these past several days are “No Grandpa, let me show you.” And here I thought that as Baby Boomers we knew more than a four-year-old. Unspecting Baby Boomers Julie and I are watching our ‘almost two’ and ‘almost five’-year-old grandkids while their parents take a well-earned vacation. Amongst the…
Read More Technology… huh?We headed south to escape the cold and snow of Western NY. For our troubles we landed in the middle of the worst snow storm of the season in Washington, DC. Now, I have to say that this ‘worst storm of the winter‘ was nothing by Western NY standards, but it virtually closed down the…
Read More Washington, DC Snow