Semana Santa, or Holy Week, the most sacred week for Christians around the world leading to Easter, is fast approaching, falling between April 2 and April 8, 2023. Semana Santa in Spain is a special time, with celebrations and festivities just about every where you turn. When I found a fantastically priced trip to Spain…
In Which I Knit All The Socks
I have been having a lot of fun knitting recently, as you know, but one thing I’ve been having particular fun with is knitting socks. I first ventured, intrepidly, into sock making in December 2020 to make my mother a pair for Christmas. Up until this point I had only made pretty simple things, like…
Tales of the Alhambra in Granada, Spain
I was fortunate to have my family come and visit me for Semana Santa (Holy Week, Easter) when I lived in Madrid from 2011 to 2012. We spent a packed week touring around southern Spain and one of the first places we hit was Granada. I had been wanting to see El Alhambra since moving…
Fado and Port in Porto, Portugal!
Taking advantage of our close proximity to Portugal while living in Spain in 2012, my friend Jenn and I decided to take a weekend trip to Porto (Oporto), Portugal. While it is the second largest city in Portugal, you wouldn’t notice as it is one of the most tranquil, peaceful cities I have visited. Porto…
Exploring The World of Fiber
No one explained to me when I got into knitting and fiber arts that I would become completely addicted to yarns of all fibers. It’s a dangerous addiction that you do have to temper…or maybe not. Lol 😉 I had a lot to learn about different yarns and what they were best used for, as…
Travel and Genealogy: The Perfect Pair
Another passion of mine, apart from travel, is genealogy. I have spent years doing research on my family background and found tons of interesting stories buried in ancestral records. There’s nothing I love more than when I can combine my love of travel with the opportunity to visit some place that I am connected to…
The Many Delights of Edinburgh, Scotland
When I was in the UK for a summer study abroad course I simply had to make it a point to get up to Edinburgh, Scotland, which is a mere 4.5 hour train ride from London. You can book your train tickets ahead of time online, which I highly recommend. Today, ticket prices can be…
Pinxtos vs. Tapas In Spain
I recently was watching a series the renowned chef José Andrés, of World Central Kitchen fame, did with his daughters called José Andrés and Family in Spain. Throughout the episodes they tour the various culinary delights of the different regions of Spain. It made me think of my time teaching English in Madrid and had…
In Which I Learn to Knit in The Round
One of the first skills that I wanted to learn as I moved beyond straight, flat knitting things like scarfs and such was knitting in the round or circular knitting. This is when you use circular needles (needles that are connected with a cord) or double pointed needles, and your project is connected. This technique…
In Which I Become a Knitter
I came to the craft of knitting very ambitious and naive. I had tried a time or two to pick up knitting and crocheting and quickly got sidetracked or disinterested. As the COVID pandemic of 2020 began and I was looking for something to occupy my time and mind, knitting seemed the perfect thing. I…