Dreaming of Paella

We’ve been talking for months about revisiting this restaurant by the beach for paella. There was plenty paella to feed the six of us at lunch, including two teenagers. In the foreground, shrimp are being rinsed in a sink, and chopped-up wooden pallets wait to fuel the fire.

Backpacking in Southern Spain and Portugal

On Monday we’ll meet our nephews, now 13 and 14, along with their mom and dad, at the Minneapolis/St. Paul Airport. We’ll take off on a backpacking adventure in Southern Spain and Portugal. The areas we’re visiting are familiar to me; dare I say they’re curated for this family trip. We’re traveling much as we’ve… Continue reading Backpacking in Southern Spain and Portugal

Dunston Staiths

On my walk along the River Tyne: Dunston Staiths, possibly the largest wooden structure in Europe. This was a shipping point for coal from 1893 to the 1970’s. Coal is no longer mined in the area, but a new electric car battery factory promises to provide up to 8,000 jobs.

Tynemouth to Whitley Bay

The northeast of England has some of the loveliest beaches I know. Walked past some of the beaches from Tynemouth to Whitley Bay, towns I knew well when I was a kid. The North Sea was untypically placid and blue today.

Geordie Bridges

Arrived in Newcastle upon Tyne, my home town, then went walkabout. At the Quayside, looked upriver at several road and rail bridges. The top bridge was a prototype for the Sydney Harbor Bridge. The bottom, swing bridge stands on a site that may have had bridges since Roman times.

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Ancient Octagonal Space

I’m in York, England with my brother for a couple days, a city I have explored so many times at various points in my life. Revisited York Minster’s Chapter House, an octagonal space dating from the 1280s. Took this (somewhat distorted) photo.