Today is my soul brother´s birthday and he doesn’t like cheese. I still love him even though he doesn’t like cheese. One time I had a boss who didn’t drink coffee or alcohol. But, I really didn’t like him. I have never understood how one can live without cheese. I guess I did when I was a vegan for a few years but I didn’t know anything about life back then.  My soul brother knows a lot about life and he still won’t eat cheese. Who orders a ham and cheese omelet without the cheese? My soul brother does.  If it were someone else, I would definitely question this or find it extremely ..read more

I have grown to love the Minho river on the northern border of Spain and Portugal. Maybe it is strange to love a river but I really don’t care about that. I also love the Genil river in Granada which runs down from the Sierra Nevada mountains and passes right next to my home. It is my sanctuary and where I find, as my Nana would say, peace of mind. My relationship with the Minho is different. Working, I have crossed it many times on the bus. I have never lost that excitement of seeing this beautiful river that naturally marks the border between Spain and Portugal. Two countries that share a v ..read more

Inside garden of the Parador in Úbeda My first semester in Granada 30 years ago I had a friend with whom I would spend time speaking a mixture of Spanish and English and wandering about the streets stopping here and there for a caña and tapa or two, or ten. MariAngeles was her name, Mary of the Angels. In retrospect she was anything but an angel. She could have been named Maritraviesa* or Marimarchosa*. She loved to party and flirt and take life to the limit. MariAngeles explained to me that she was from a town unlike any other in Andalucia. Úbeda, somewhere up in the mountains of the province ..read more

There is only one thing that can really pull me out of a dark place when life gets to be a bit too much, and that is a long walk. I don’t mean a stroll along the river which I do almost daily or even a few hour hike with my dear friend Wendy. But a considerable one that leaves me with a blister or two and that hell yeah feeling in my whole body. A couple of weeks ago my partner saw me plunging deeply after the worst few months that life could throw at me and suggested we do a hike that has been in our back pockets for a few months. Parador in Úbeda Last fall we had spent a night in Úbeda and ..read more

The morning had started out perfectly in our little hotel. We enjoyed the entertainment of the other breakfasting guests who were still swaying from the previous night at a wedding as we took advantage of the owner’s offer to make to go sandwiches for our camino. The coffee was hot and the bread was fresh. With our boots tied, backpacks balanced and shells dangling we were off into the blue skied morning. But, as we passed through the town towards the path along the sea we noticed the clouds rolling in and the wind picking up its pace. By the time we crossed paths with a heeding friend there ..read more

We really don’t need to leave our neighbourhood for great tapas. We have “La Noticia” which is always the perfect choice when we want to keep it local. I will write about them one day soon! But, when we are downtown we always go to “Los Diamantes”. I have been having tapas at Los Diamantes since I moved to Granada. Thirty years ago there was only one location on Calle Navas and the people would overflow into the back and side alleys with beers and small plates in hand. They would close when they ran out of fresh fish. Now, there are seven locations in Granada and in a small adjoining town. Th ..read more

We took the train to Viana so we could begin our walk the next morning. We only had a certain amount of time to get to Santiago and wanted to reserve a few days at the end to enjoy the Galician coast before heading back home. The last time we were in Viana was a few years ago traveling in our van with Luna, and I was excited to walk the streets and relive those memories. One that we especially wanted to relive was the great restaurant that we had stumbled upon that day where we enjoyed a fantastic meal of swordfish with rice! My door knocker obsession…… Viana do Castelo is not just one of the ..read more

If I could turn back time I would love to see the look on my face when two amazing people invited me to lunch at the 3 Michelin Star Arzak in San Sebastián. Even better, the look on their faces when my original response was a no. I must have had some type of momentary mental lapses or something of the like. Good thing I quickly came to my senses and accepted their extremely generous invitation. Chinese Bread with AjiEar of Blue Corn Sunflower Shot with CodSardine with Absinthe Juan Mari Arzak celebrated his 80th birthday on July 31st. I still can’t believe that just a few months ago I was act ..read more

Bacalao Frito/Fried salt cod with local Vermouth Last August we had a 50th birthday celebration for one of my dearest friends in Granada. It was very special on many levels. We celebrated her 50 years on earth and also celebrated being together for the first time in so long! Darn Covid . My close friends, Javier and Charo, made the trip from Reus in Catalunya to be here for the occasion! Javier greeted me with his huge smile and hug as always and he also held two bottles of golden Vermouth in his hands! He had brought the best of the best. Vermouth from the town of Reus, where this beverage wa ..read more

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