REIMS and NORTH COAST OF FRANCE On our way to the north coast of France, we stopped in Reims for a couple of days. The city’s Cathedral of Notre Dame is to France what Westminster Abbey is to England. Begun in 1211, the cathedral was…

BRETAGNE (BRITTANY) FRANCE During the Dark Ages, Irish, Welsh and English immigrants crossed the sea to settle on a peninsula in the northwest of France. It wasn’t France way back then and didn’t become part of that country until 1532. The settlers called it Brittany…

WEST COAST OF FRANCE Atlantic Ocean, stretches of wide, white sandy beaches interspersed with rocky outcroppings, fishing villages and quaint beach towns compose the west coast of France.  We followed it from Brittany down to Spain making several stops along the way.  During that time,…

HONDARRIBIA, SANTANDER and SANTILLANA DEL MAR Our first stop in Spain was Hondarribia in the Basque region of Spain just over the border from France.  It is best known for its historic walled city atop a hill overlooking the city and bay.  While the rich lived within…

NORTHERN COAST OF SPAIN and A CORUNA The Green Coast runs along the northern border of Spain beside the Cantabrian Sea. Between the sea and the mountains is the lovely town of Llanes. It has a medieval center, beautiful beaches and a scenic cliff top…

SANTIAGO DE COMPOSTELA and SALAMANCA We visited many churches, cathedrals and basilicas on this trip but nothing compared to what we saw in Santiago de Compostela and Salamanca.  According to legend, the Apostle James brought Christianity to the Iberian peninsula in 44 AD. Upon his…

SEGOVIA and MADRID One of the most amazing structures we’ve seen in all our travels is the Aqueduct of Segovia. Built by the Romans in the 1st century, it is almost 3,000 feet long and 94 feet high at its highest point . It carried…

A FOND FAREWELL TO EUROPE (for now) Spain’s railway system includes high speed trains and we took one from Madrid to the Costa del Sol where we enjoyed a sunny month in Torremolinos. TRAVEL TIP: If traveling by train in Spain, book direct with Renfe…

AZAMARA TRANSATLANTIC CRUISE TO FRANCE ABOUT AZAMARA: Usually you find the amenities Azamara Club Cruises offer only on 6 star lines and at a considerably higher price. On the two Azamara ships, the Quest and the Journey, gratuities, water, soda and a variety of wines…

NICE, FRANCE We disembarked Azmara Quest on April 11 and moved into an apartment downtown Nice for 2 weeks. It was ideally located for exploring the city (old and new), the flower market and strolling along the Promenade des Anglais. In the 18th century the…