Author Archives: lydia
Post Pope Lourdes
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
Sunday Mass with the Pope
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
Lourdes and Beyond
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
On to Lourdes
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
Slowing down for the moment
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
Gotta Go, but Hate to Go
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
Shifting Gears: France to Spain
Time to shift gears both literally and figuratively. Another language, another culture and over 400 miles to go in a stick shift. Joe drove to Artajona (near Pamplona) Spain yesterday for our next adventure. Miguel Banales, our host for the … Continue reading
From US to London to the Camargue in 24 hours 2008
Flamingos in the Camargue First of all, all the connections worked. I didn’t sleep for about 30 hours, but all went as planned. We met Tracy and Peter Bonfiglio/Clark and Alexis in their London flat then had a delicious Turkish … Continue reading
Almost ready
Now we’re really down to the wire. Just one more thing to do – print address labels for my famous postcards. We’ve weighed our luggage and shifted stuff from one case to another. We’ve copied passports and other stuff and … Continue reading
The Mavericks Are Off Again!
Family Gathering: Hello, Goodbye, Happy Birthday Day before departure, the family gathered to celebrate us – Allan and Chris’ birthdays, our trip, Dan and Andrew’s upcoming Brazilian adventure and the UCLA game. Lots of fun and laughs. Lots of techno … Continue reading