From our home base in Ettington we day tripped northwest, to the town of Stratford on the River Avon; Shakespeare Country. Shakespeare was born here in 1564, and here he died in 1616. He and his wife, Anne Hathaway, are buried in the Church of the Holy Trinity. The thatch-roofed cottage in which Anne Hathaway was born at Shottery has been turned into a museum. At Wilmcote, nearby, is the cottage where Shakespeare's mother, Mary Arden, is thought to have lived. Until recently thought to have been her home, new evidence has revealed that it is infact Adam Palmer's Farmhouse - [View Full Entry]

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After an eleven hour flight from San Francisco, we landed in London Heathrow Airport, took a bus to Victoria Station in central London to pick-up our car rental for a two hour drive to Ettington in Warwickshire. We stayed at The Leys B&B, our hosts were Brenda & Bob, the nicest people you will ever meet. Brenda is a very good looking petit blond with a wealth of knowledge about the local area, in particular, Stratford-upon-Avon, the birth place of Shakespeare where she is also a tour guide. From Ettington, we day tripped to Stratford-upon-Avon and the North Cotswolds. Our room [View Full Entry]

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Hello Family and Friends, This will be our last communication from California before our Europe travel adventure through England, Belgium, The Grand Duchy of Luxembourg and The Netherlands. We’ll be celebrating our 15th wedding anniversary. It’s early Monday morning April 11, 2005. We will be flying out of San Francisco Airport direct to London Heathrow this afternoon. We will post to our journal every few days (or at least will attempt to, photos will be posted later). So you may keep up with our travels, you will be notified by email that we have made a journal entry. I [View Full Entry]

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In April 2005 (for our 15th wedding anniversary) we'll visit England (again), Belgium, The Grand Duchy of Luxembourg and The Netherlands (again). Please keep visiting our TravelBlog for up-dates on "Where in the World is Al & Holly". [View Full Entry]

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Well, this is the end of this journey, there are many more to come. Exhausted after backpacking through Europe for 7 weeks, through 8 European countries, we are weary and worn out. Now its back to the good old United States of America. We are now planning another 4 week trip through England, Belgium, Luxembourg and Holland in April 2005. We'll keep everyone informed of our where abouts by email and this TravelBlog. [View Full Entry]

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Barcelona is Spain's second city and the capital of the proud and distinct region of Catalunya. The Ramblas is two different streets by day and by night. We stroll it from top to bottom, there is plenty of street entertainment going on all day & night. We took the cable car up to Montjuic (mon-joo-EEK) for a commanding view of Barcelona and its harbour. We spent 5 days in Barcelona and saw and toured plenty including: Picasso Museum, Sagrada Familia Cathedral, Parc Guell, Cable Car to Montjuic, Las Ramblas, Barcelona Cathedral and the Barri Gotic. [View Full Entry]

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Amid the marshy zone where the Ter flows into the sea, is the medieval village of Pals. The old quarter, known as El Pedro, contains many historic buildings: walls with towers, an old castle or Torre de les Hores, a Gothic church, and a monumental cross commanding a fine panorama. As well as views of the coastline and mountains, Pals has cobbled streets and ancient village walls and archways. Stroll through and explore the narrow streets which house a variety of restaurants and trinket shops selling everything from ceramics to jewelry. You’ll be charmed with Pals narrow pathways, ston [View Full Entry]

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Girona is outstanding amoung Catalan cities for its long history and its rich architectural heritage. It lies in the Ter valley, at the point where this river joins the Guell, the Galligants and the Onyar and for this reason has been called the "city of four rivers". The site is a strategic one, on the age old route linking the northern corner of the Iberian peninsula to the rest of Europe. [View Full Entry]

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Costa Brava is the name given to the northenmost stretch of the Catalan coast which runs from the Spanish-French border to the mouth of the Tordera, between the towns of Portbou and Blanes. It is the coastline of the Emporda and Selva regions. The city of Girona is an important feature of the hinterland. [View Full Entry]

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After a flight from London to Spain, we were greeted at the airport by Paul, who is Holly's cousin twice removed - I believe thats correct, anyway, I'm sure Paul or someone in the family will correct me on this if it proves to be incorrect. This was another highlight of our trip we will never forget. Thanks so much to Paul and his lovely wife Elunia. We appreciated the kindness and warm hospitality. Elunia was gracious and her cooking was the best, very delicious, very HEALTHY, its worth traveling for. Paul was constantly humorous and well natured, we love you [View Full Entry]

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