The Douro (pronounced Douroo) Valley is such a magical area and the Quinta de la Rosa, where we stayed, overlooks the fork of the Douro and Pinhao rivers where quite a few river boat cruise ships stop at the nearby town of Pinhao. The Douro is known for Port wine and like other regions in the world, such as Champagne, Cognac, Bordeau etc, there are strict regulations on making Port and a DOC designation is used for approved products. For example, irrigation is prohibited on Port vines and is actually against the law. Reducing the water forces the vine roots to penetrate the shale soil by as much as 30-40ft. The basic difference between Port and regular table wine is the addition of brandy which slows the fermentation process leaving a higher sugar content, therefore a ... read more

After picking up our rental car at the Lisbon airport, we’re off to Spain. Santiago de Compostela is about a 5 hour drive from Lisbon on good highways but lots of tolls which costs EU 44.00 (appx $60.00 CDN). Gas prices in Europe are around $2.70/litre CDN so driving is expensive. Santiago de Compostela is a final destination for those taking the Camino trail pilgrimage. Many of these routes(from various locations) follow the paths Saint James took during his many journey‘s to the area in his efforts to spread Christianity. After being martyred by King Herod, James’s body was eventually transported to Santiago de Compostela and remains there to this day in the Cathedral. With the increasing control of Muslims in the Middle East, Jews and Christians were reluctant to travel to Jerusalem as their main ... read more

Hello Everyone: After over 2 years of being grounded, there is only one thing better than writing this blog… that’s actually being able to travel. We are so looking forward to our trip to Portugal and North/Western Spain from May 18th to June 18th. We start in Lisbon and area, then head to Northern Spain, back to Porto/Douro Valley and finish in the Algarve. This will be our first visit to Portugal and it promises to be an interesting and educational adventure. With a population of around 11 million, the country has a deep history and from what we can determine, there have been numerous influences that will give us a unique cultural experience. In particular, the food with it’s array of seafood, sausage, stews etc should be absolutely delightful. Of course there is also Port ... read more

We’re off to Grantown on Spey in Moray with our first stop at Scone Palace (actually pronounce Scoon for reasons unknown) which is the home of the Earl of Mansfield and was the original location of the “stone of destiny”, on which numerous early Scottish Kings were crowned including Robert the Bruce. The Palace and grounds are beautifully maintained and contain many pieces of antique furniture from centuries ago. After a brief stop at Pitlochry to view the Salmon ladders at the power station, we rushed off to catch a sheep dog demonstration late in the afternoon. This was an amazing performance!! The trainer had 6 dogs each with their own set of commands and under full control of their master. Hearing what appeared to be the slightest of sounds, the dogs maneuvered the sheep with ... read more

After landing at 6:30 am and before settling into our apartment in Edinburgh, we strike out on the “hop on, hop off” bus for an overview of the city. There are 3 routes available and it’s best to buy a pass that also includes entrance fees to the Royal Yacht Brittania, Edinburgh Castle and Holyrood Castle. Edinburgh is a city of appx 500,000 people and there has been a number of festivals in August including the “fringe festival” which is one of the largest gatherings (primarily performing arts, especially comedy) in Europe. So it is estimate another 1/2 million people converge on the city. Needless to say, parts of Edinburgh was “jammed” with people. Walking around made touring Times Square in New York seem like a walk in the country. There are over 5,000 performances spread ... read more