Strap yourself in for a wild ride of emotion. One that encompasses the five stages of grief — as well as an almost comedic lack of awareness.  It would be funny if it were not so damn stupid. Two weeks ago, we went looking for a place to kick out the jams — senior style. […]

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Yes, I am one of those guys who looks at some abstract art and says, “a chimp could do that.” Talking about paint thrown at a canvas … a couple of random shapes swimming in space … a bucket, a hammer and a broom entitled “Young Man”, or something of the sort. I readily concede […]

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We tried for six years to get a reservation at Tickets, the well-known (and Michelin-starred) Barcelona tapas restaurant based on molecular gastronomy. We have tended to stay in the Barcelona neighborhood named Poble Sec, where Tickets is located, and when we discovered that … the building seemed to sort of taunt us whenever we walked […]

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So, back in Barcelona. Hard to avoid the place when it remains one of the world’s great cities … and when visiting friends and family (from the U.S.) stage through the Spanish town on visits to Europe. But it also has that one major problem that has not been resolved. And this is not about […]

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This is as good as it gets, in world sports. More diverse than an Olympics. Far wider global interest than in cricket or rugby or basketball. The first two rounds of the Fifa World Cup soccer group stage. Eleven consecutive days, this time around, at the 2018 Russia World Cup, of 32 teams still with […]

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Final notes and thoughts on our spring 2018 pilgrimage along the Camino Frances to the cathedral at Santiago de Compostela …

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The final day of our medium-sized pilgrimage to Santiago featured two threads of action. One thread was three of us up at dawn, driving our senior/middle-aged bodies as hard as we could to walk 20 kilometers to the cathedral near the northwest corner of Spain, arriving in time to see the special noon pilgrim’s mass. […]

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When treading the path of the western world’s greatest pilgrimage, the typical walker cannot help but peek — OK, stare — at the sandy-gray “mileage” markers that helpfully guide everyone along. They serve three functions for those headed to Santiago de Compestela, and the cathedral there.

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Both Leah and I had vivid memories of the events of Day 3 during our 2017 pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela. It was a difficult day for both of us, for different reasons, and both of us had to overcome some trepidation. And did. What was curious about the events of yesterday? Each of us […]

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I fear today’s walk. I have from the start. Back before I knew I could make it through the first three days. It fills me with dread. It is not particularly famous for being difficult. But this is the day, most likely, that will determine if we get through the final few days of the […]

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