The Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela in northwestern Spain was believed to house the remains of St. John the apostle and in the 10th century became one of the three great pilgrimage sites of the Catholic church (Rome and Jerusalem…
Day 731 – Porto, Portugal – There’s no place like Porto
October 31, 2021
Porto. I’ve been here before. The once familiar caress of an old lover. The ghostly remembrances of younger explorations. Embarrassingly inexperienced. Ridiculous notions of what to do. Fears. Words left unsaid. A gnawing regret for not doing things right. And…
Day 712 – I’ve been traveling now for 2 years.
October 1, 2021
I’ve been continuously traveling now for 2 years. The coronavirus really threw us a curve but I think we adjusted the best we could with a bit of schedule shuffle. As soon as Portugal opened back up we started…
Day 701 – Vienna, Austria – Beethoven, Marie Antoinette, and Rococo
September 16, 2021
I didn’t know what to expect from Vienna. One of my favorite movies, Before Sunrise, paints a painfully romantic version of the city that I didn’t hope to be a true experience. But I have to say, the place is…
Day 687 – Krakow, Poland
September 9, 2021
I had no idea what to expect in Krakow. My polish food knowledge comes mostly from Chicago and I haven’t had many reports from fellow travelers. I came with an open mind, and what I found was a vibrant,…
Day 684 – Northern Ireland – Belfast and the Giant’s Causeway
September 4, 2021
Understanding Northern Ireland is in many ways understanding Ireland. In fact, the existence of Northern Ireland is a story that dates back before 1601 and you need at least a passing understanding of that history to understand what happened…
Day 682 – Cork, Ireland – Kissing the Blarney Stone
September 1, 2021
We only stayed in Cork for one full day and most of that time we spent in Blarney visiting the castle but we had a couple of nights walking around and enjoying the town. Cork was quite a bit…
Day 680 – Portmagee, Ireland – So close to Skellig Michael yet so far away
August 28, 2021
When we first arrived in Ireland we were both excited to visit Skellig Michael, the island in the extreme southwest of Ireland used in the new Star Wars trilogy where Luke Skywalker was hiding. But movie location aside, it’s…
Day 675 – Killarney, Ireland – Gateway to the Ring of Kerry
August 26, 2021
Killarney ended up being one of our favorite towns of the trip. A small town of under 15,000 people, but large enough to have loads of things to see and do without being overwhelmed by tourists or college kids….
Day 670 – Galway, Ireland – A fun college party town.
August 11, 2021
Galway is in many ways a traditional small Irish town but it’s also a college party town. The national University sits at the bottom of town and you can feel its influence throughout the general vibe of the city. It…