Portugal was a tough nut to crack. After (largely) confidently and extremely successfully scheduling travel and accommodations for our first two months, master planner Dan was kinda stumped. Here were the challenges posed by this leg of the journey: Timing: We had about 10 days to play with between wrapping up our Spanish adventures and… Continue reading Perplexed by Portugal

Starting in late April, Fiona spent three weeks in Spain, the first country on the European portion of our trip. Building on the numbers and songs she’d practiced at school with Teacher Maria, Fiona learned to speak a bit more Spanish, mostly remembering to say “hola” (hello), “adios” (goodbye), “por favor” (please), “gracias” (thank you)… Continue reading Where in the World is Fiona? Spain!

Dan and I made a conscious decision to avoid the news during this sabbatical. As it turns out, not sitting in front of a computer all day makes it much easier to avoid the inevitable daily link-clicking and doomscrolling. And after the dread and anxiety that pervaded the last two years—obsessively following the latest about… Continue reading There’s No Place Like Home

Donostia-San Sebastian is a favorite among visitors to Spain—at least three friends told us it was a can’t-miss stop if we were going to be anywhere in the vicinity. It’s largely beloved for its beautiful beaches and vibrant culinary scene (the town has 11 Michelin-Star Restaurants—the most per square meter in Europe). Being there over a… Continue reading A Smidgen of San Sebastian

The Background I have to admit to feeling a bit apprehensive about the post-Bali piece of our itinerary. Due to some flight-scheduling factors beyond our control, the plan we made in our heads for what we’d do after the four-hour drive from west Bali back to Sanur (four more leisurely days at Tandjung Sari, three… Continue reading The Big City x 2: Adventures in Singapore and Barcelona

Our hotel proprietor in Pekutatan told me they had recently hosted a couple who had fled Ukraine, leaving behind a thriving chain of 30-some shawarma restaurants. The pair was regrouping in Bali, deciding where to live and eventually rebuild their restaurant empire. They considered Bali, but the proprietor dismissed the idea, telling them, “you know,… Continue reading Bali – The Best Stuff We Ate

A note on our Australia itinerary: I realize that our dispatches from this leg of the trip have been a bit out of order (and delayed!). For those of you following along at home, our journey went thusly: Sydney, Wollongong, #vanlife (with overnight stops in Jervis Bay, Broulee, Eden, Kosciuszko National Park, Khancoban, Bright and… Continue reading The Only Thing That Isn’t “Too Easy” About Australia? Saying Goodbye.

Hello, friends and family! A quick update: While our most recent post has us stuck in Australia (not a bad place to be stuck, to be honest), our actual travels have since taken us to Bali, Singapore and now Spain, where we’re currently traveling via train from Barcelona to San Sebastian. While we figured out… Continue reading An Update: The Train in Spain

Our last day in Melbourne was not Fi’s best. There were endless delays getting out of the house and tricky transitions once we were out and generally lots of less-than stable emotions in between. Then, right before tucking into a delicious and low-key dinner at our friends’ house, something small set her off and boom,… Continue reading In Praise of Lazy Days

After leaving Wollongong, we road-tripped our way southwest in a three-person campervan with overnight stops in Jervis Bay, Broulee, Eden, Kosciuszko National Park, Khancoban, Bright and Whitfield. We dropped the van in Melbourne, where Fiona’s Dad’s friend Anna lives with her partner Sim and their daughter Aelie (8). We spent three lovely nights with them… Continue reading Where in the World is Fiona? On the Road in Australia: Jervis Bay to Melbourne!