Europe

Iceland Interlude: Amazing Geologic Wonders

My daughter Andrea has been an avid traveler for some time. I have referred to her on numerous occasions. She has traveled with my wife and me to Spain & Portugal, Ireland, New England, Taiwan, Hawaii, and most recently Alaska. She is a second grade teacher living near San Jose so her summers have given her the opportunity to travel. I tell you this because this series is about our first father/daughter trip that we have taken. Last spring the…

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Revealing The Walls of Two Cities in Switzerland

In 2017 we spent my spring break in Switzerland. Switzerland had never been at the top of our bucket list of places to visit, however the airfare was compelling. We found a bargain price to Zurich and decided to go for it. What we didn’t realize at the time was Zurich is the most expensive city in Europe. Perhaps it was not as much of a bargain as we originally thought. While we did spend time exploring Zurich, we went…

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A Monastery in the Sky, Montserrat, Spain

As we are nearing the end of the Lenten season, I thought it would be appropriate to share about one of the more interesting religious sites that we have visited. When we visit major cities, we often look for opportunities to take day trips out into the surrounding area. When we visited Barcelona, we took a trip out to a well known monastery, Montserrat. The Montserrat Mountains near Barcelona give their name to the monastery built into its side. The…

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Visiting Ireland’s Cliffs of Moher and More

For Americans traveling overseas for the first time, a great place to begin is a visit to Ireland, and a visit to Ireland is not complete without a visit to the Cliffs of Moher. Our visit there in 2015 is one of our great memories from our Ireland trip. Before we talk about the cliffs, let’s talk about Ireland itself. Ireland is a great country to go for one’s first overseas travel for a number of reasons. First they speak…

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Gaudí: the Man Who Changed the Skyline of Barcelona

Architects bring their own ideas and significance to the work they do. Some have gone on to have a major influence in the cities they worked in. Such is true of Antoni Gaudí, a remarkable architect who had a significant influence in Barcelona. To visit Barcelona requires that one experience the works of Gaudí. They are among the city’s most popular attractions. Born in 1852, Gaudí began to study architecture in Barcelona at the age of 18. He was influenced…

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