Where in the world would you go?

Our family dinner conversation tonight was super insightful and validated all the reasons we undertook this grand journey. The girls were recalling joyously how much fun Morocco was (while getting their hands messy rolling cous-cous balls).  Then Emma asked all of us, “if you could go anywhere in the world for 3 weeks, where would [...]

Javier Goes to the Bullfight

Somehow I’ve been given a new nickname, Javier de Jávea. Es un nombre muy fuerte y muy auténtico de España. Me gusta mi nombre nuevo. ¡Soy Javier!
Dee and I had the extreme fortune to leave behind our two beautiful children (thanks Caroline!) for 3 days and 2 nights of sheer madness in Valencia during Las Fallas. We headed out, for what has been billed [...]

Pyromania at Las Fallas!

I stood in complete childlike awe staring dumbfounded at la cremá (the burning), a massive bonfire, set intentionally, that rises 100+ feet in the air, in the middle of an intersection on Carrer de Sueca in Valencia, Spain (and there were hundreds more just like it burning throughout the city).  My senses could not have been more completely overwhelmed.  Plus, it felt [...]

Oz

I’m a bit weirded out.  Just got back last night from Emma’s choir performance at the Lady Elizabeth variety show for Comic Relief 2009.  There we were in Lliber Spain, at a British international school event, with families literally from all over the world, speaking Spanish during intermission, raising money for poverty in Africa and [...]

What I learned in Morocco

I just returned from an absolutely amazing week in Morocco with my family. It was one of those experiences that just blew me away! So, to get the blog posts going again, here is a very short list of the many, many things I came away with from this eye-opening journey to Marrakesh and the western edges of [...]

¡Estoy muy contento!

Tenemos amigos nuevos. Son una familia de españoles. Están de Valladolid. Está una ciudad aproximadamente una y media horas norte de Madríd. Pero viven en Jávea ahora cerca de l’Arenal. Está una familia de 4 personas, con una niña tiene 10 años y un niño tiene 6 años. Están amigos agradables, divertidos, y muy simpaticos. [...]

Happy Turkey Day!

Gobble, gobble, gobble!
Just a few of the things I am thankful for: my 3 beautiful girls, my dear family, good health, close friends, the opportunity to live life and not just watch it pass by, Spain, spicy Riojas, warm sun, new friendships, jalapeno stuffed olives, Hemingway, learning some new Spanish verbs (they are quite useful [...]

Update to post “Day 1 Again in Spain”

This is an update to my blog posted on 9 November 2008.
I just found the parking ticket!
I had put it in the car’s ashtray for some unknown reason. There it was, all along. Life is funny isn’t it!?!?!

Day 1 again in Spain

As many of you know our family went to Italy and Croatia over the girls’ mid-term break. It was a marvelous trip, but I’m not the best travel writer. I’m sure Dee will chronicle the adventure in more depth and richer detail on her travel blog (Dee, where’s the post with all the great pics?!?). What [...]

A Perfect Dinner in Bari Italy of All Places

I must tell you about the perfect Italian meal, or perhaps a travel dining experience that is very difficult to replicate. Dee, the kids and I had been in Italy for 5 days, having seen the Colosseum in Rome (a must see), the ruins in Pompeii (simply amazing), and the Almalfi coast (absolutely spectacular). We then [...]