one couple's tale of life, love and adventure
In these pages you’ll find a random collection of musings on life, discovery and adventure. We like to share tales of how our little family tries to connect our experiences with the world at large, and maybe have some fun along the way.
We drop our bags, check on our digital lives and head out on the first leg of our pintxo crawl. I don't know much about these pintxos before tonight - they're Northern Spain's version of the tapas in the South, but we hear they're superior to tapas and a must try. Armed with a shortlist of the best-rated stops in the area, we stroll through the tiny pedestrian-only streets seeking our first taste of Spain.
Read MoreAt first I was numb. Then struck with disbelief. We made it. Holy shit, we're in France.
It seems like a wonderful problem to have, arriving at the home of a lovely English couple who have asked us to come help them out for a couple weeks. They have a small bed and breakfast they run from their 18th century manor house just south of Normandy on a couple hectacres of land and are building another home to rent as a gite. There's a lot to be done before season picks up, and they can use another couple hands.
Read MoreWow. It's the one word to sum up the extreme beauty of the Scottish Highlands. Never have we encountered such dramatic sweeping vistas - lush green hills rolling into the sea backed by craggy, snow-capped peaks and landscapes reflected in perfectly still waters. We passed time on the train predicting what natural stunner would come next - rushing waterfall, grazing sheep, lichen-covered stone wall, sunning deer - we sighed in relief every time we would pass through a tunnel and give our senses a chance to recover.
Read MoreGlasgow may be one of those cities for us that are better left to a few photographs and memories of a soothing last meal. Albeit beautiful, half of our one day there was spent sitting in a clinic trying to score a round of antibiotics to clear up an oncoming ear infection. The other half was a mad dash to the other side of town in a bone chilling rain to check out the Glasgow Cathedral and Necropolis.
Read MoreDalhousie Castle was one of those incredibly special moments you hope for on a journey. We reserved time with their Falconry extension in the morning, and found our way in the cold, windy rain to their camp out back of the hotel. Tom, our birds of prey expert, was a great kid who clearly loves the animals. He gave us as much time as the weather permitted with two amazing owls and the smallest of the raptors on property (the Kestrel) before we had to call it quits. We were both a little dejected that we didn't have the chance to fly the massive African eagle, the Peregrine Falcon (THE fastest animal in the world) or the Red-tailed Hawk, but it'll be our excuse to return to Dalhousie for a stay one summer very soon.
Read MoreIt's a cold and dreary Monday in Chicago - the coldest temperatures on record move through the area today. Last week the city was pounded with snow. Highways are a mess, the high is -29 with the wind chill, hypothermia can set in within a matter of just minutes and it's early January yet. The forecasts call it a polar vortex. Watching it on the news is an uncanny experience.
We just woke up. Bill's finishing packing his bag before we head down to breakfast. It's cold where we are, too, and damp - a high of 48. We left our coats in Chicago. Even Scotland is not that cold.
December 17th we sat at Midway, in the Irish pub near our gate, sharing a hot dog, each with a split of champage. We waited for our flight to New Orleans, and were giddy for the adventure. Just three weeks later we're here, in Edinburgh, on the first real leg of our travels.
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