Monthly Archives: September 2008

I’m sitting on my terrace at the Eden Roc hotel in San Filieu, Spain on the Costa Brava trying to keep my eyes on this paper to write while the deep blue Mediterranean crashes against the rocks just a few … Continue reading →

We met our Banales “cousins” in Cognac and toured the town with them. A little discreet cognac purchasing may have taken place! After another pleasant dinner (fish in a gazpacho sauce, a shrimp starter, and another round of the delicious … Continue reading →

chart rolls out to 9 meters long While Lydia was volunteering at Lourdes, I continued to search my Bañales family roots in the “Pais Vasco”, the Basque Country in an area near Bilbao, Spain. This is where the Bañales surname … Continue reading →

First of all, typing on a French keyboard is challenging. Secondly, just finding a computer is challenging in some places. Like in Congac, for instance, there are no cyber cafes so the hotel is letting me use theirs. I wonder … Continue reading →

The best part of today was handing out free flags and booklets to the pilgrims as they were leaving the Pope’s Mass. There were so many that were just going to be thrown away and the people loved getting something free.   I had to change rooms … Continue reading →

I don.t mean to complain but… We had to report at 2 a m. So I dragged myself out of bed and arrived at the meeting point exactly on time. After a bowl of coffee into which I dumped a … Continue reading →

I’ll start with “beyond”. Joe is in ValladolidM the former capitol of Spain where he hopes to find records of Banales ancestors. He said that when he arrived there all hotel rooms were full as they were having a huge … Continue reading →

I just wrote the most engaging post and managed to erase it with one slip of the thumb. So I’ll try again. I must be hungry because I was describing those delightful pinxos (tapas) available in most of the bars … Continue reading →

Donostia San Sebastian is a beautiful city, especially when you are staying at one of the classiest hotels in town with a balcony overlooking the beach and the sound of the surf wafting in the window as the curtain gently … Continue reading →

There is no where else in my life that people fight over who can make me the most comfortable. The Banales family in Navarra define the word gracious. We were wined, dined, entertained, looked after. They absolutely will not let … Continue reading →