I’ve been driving around Europe for over 2 months now through 8 countries and finally feel ready to make some general observations about driving in Europe. Here is a taste of what we’ve been experiencing. Route Planning Once we’ve decided where we want to go (an entirely different process), we Continue Reading
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The Spanish Schedule
On the whole, Spanish people wake later than North Americans. They don’t eat a big breakfast, perhaps coffee and some toast, before beginning their work day around 9 AM. Later in the morning, around 11 AM, they take a break and have a snack, often accompanied by some wine. They Continue Reading
Andorra
Leaving France on our way to Spain we decided to visit the Principality of Andorra on the way. It’s a tiny, land-locked, mountainous ‘country’ surrounded by Spain except for its northern border with France. We set out from Limoux, France after a night of enjoying Blanquette and then sleeping in Continue Reading
The Trim
Diane and I stopped for the afternoon in the quaint French town of L’Isle sur la Sorgue, located on a small island in the Sorgue River in the Provence region of southern France. L’Isle sur la Sorgue is known for its antiques, markets, and working water wheels. In this town Continue Reading
Impressions of France
The stereotype of French people as snobbish hasn’t been our experience. Most are nice to us. French people kiss when they greet and say goodbye. Usually an alternating kiss on both cheeks, with an optional third kiss on the initial cheek. Both men and women do this, with members of Continue Reading
European Handball
We had the opportunity to attend a game of European Handball in the German town of Baudsen. My friend’s first cousin (once-removed) plays on a men’s team there, but is currently out of action after knee surgery required to repair a handball injury. He and his family continue to support Continue Reading
My Struggle with Stuff
I’m a hoarder by nature. Not a ‘reality television, can’t move around in my house and as a result they are taking me away’ kind of hoarder, but a ‘you never know when you might need it’ type. I’m hesitant to get rid of things for an abundance of reasons, Continue Reading
G-20 Summit in Cannes
We arrived in Cannes 2 days before the 2011 G-20 Cannes Summit was scheduled to begin. The G-20 is a group of finance ministers and central bank governors from 20 major economies (currently 19 countries plus the European Union) which has been in existence since 1999. The G-20 was proposed Continue Reading
Impressions of Italy
We spent the last 3 weeks in northern and central Italy, arriving in the south of France a couple of days ago. Here are some of our impressions of Italy. Much of the landscape appears dry and rocky, but it’s still green. Not the rich, dark, rainforest green of British Continue Reading
The Dom of Bautzen
In the city of Bautzen in the Saxony region of Germany stands St. Peter’s Cathedral. It was built between 1456 and 1463, and had major restorations in 1634 after much of the town was destroyed by fire. What I find most intriguing about this church is that it is shared Continue Reading