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Upper Left Pacific Northwest USA: Prepare for Adventure!

My July trip to the upper left Pacific northwest in the state of Washington, USA was to include a short stay in Port Angeles then a 4-day backpacking trip through the Hoh Rain Forest of Olympic National Park! I chose the Dungeness/Greyhound bus to travel from Seattle to Port Angeles, about four hours with stops…

by Gayla McBride Edwards July 22, 2025August 6, 2025

Belgium: Mons and Brussels

I visited Mons and also Brussels while in Belgium with one of my daughters. Mons: A Charming City Mons is in southwestern Belgium, about 45 miles south of Brussels. It is a charming city, noticeably clean and very pretty, with a city center that is downright charming. French is the spoken language in Mons. Belgian…

by Gayla McBride Edwards August 2, 2024August 2, 2024

London

Buckingham Palace Buckingham Palace is the royal residence in London, which is the capital city both of England and of the entire UK. According to my research, it is unlikely that any of the royal family actually reside here, although there are rumors to the contrary, so who knows! In addition to being considered the…

by Gayla McBride Edwards August 2, 2024August 2, 2024

Mount Magazine, Arkansas USA

I was lucky enough to grow up at the foot of majestic Magazine Mountain in Arkansas USA. I wanted to share a little bit of the reason, to me, that it’s so special to so many! “Winter Wonderland” Mount Magazine, located in the Ozarks mountain range of north central Arkansas in the United States, is…

by Gayla McBride Edwards July 10, 2024July 12, 2024

Day Trip: Finisterre and Muxia

My daughter and I booked a day trip from Santiago de Compostela, Spain to Finisterre and Muxia after finishing the Ingles Way of the Camino de Santiago. We wanted to see the “End of the World” (as the ancient Romans thought Finisterre and Muxia were)! Our 9 1/2 hour bus tour, booked through Get Your…

by Gayla McBride Edwards June 27, 2024June 28, 2024

Beautiful Santiago de Compostela

Arriving in Santiago de Compostela: We arrived in Santiago de Compostela the first of June in order to ride by bus to our starting point for the Ingles Way of the Camino de Santiago, which was the port city of Ferrol. We would be returning to Santiago de Compostela a week later to end our…

by Gayla McBride Edwards June 19, 2024June 20, 2024

The Ingles Way: The Goodness of Galicia

I walked the Ingles Way of the Camino de Santiago trail with my daughter in June of 2024. The Ingles (English) Way is so named from the British pilgrims long ago who arrived by boat to Spain from Northern Europe. The route leads through rural Galicia, taking its pilgrims along winding roads and pathways to…

by Gayla McBride Edwards June 14, 2024June 20, 2024

Pensacola Beach, Florida USA

This is such a magical place for me, with my family, a wonderful tradition that to me is unparalleled in beauty, peace, and rejuvenation. The sugar-sand beaches are perfect, the climate mild to hot depending on time of year, but most of the year consistently and beautifully nice with the soft coastal breeze blowing. One…

by Gayla McBride Edwards May 10, 2024

Pompeii

Be yourself; Everyone else is already taken. — Oscar Wilde. Subscribe below to get notified when I post new updates.

by Gayla McBride Edwards October 19, 2023

The Island Life: Tenerife

Tenerife is one of the eight Canary Islands. It is the largest of the islands, and very popular with tourists, especially those from European countries. My daughter teaches English there, and after our Camino hike and time in Bilbao, we spent the last week of our summer adventure in Tenerife. Fun Fact: Even though the…

by Gayla McBride Edwards July 23, 2023September 10, 2023

A Week in Bilbao, Spain

A Week in Bilbao, Spain

Day 1: After arriving in Bilbao and surveying our airbnb, my daughter and I walked to Old Town Bilbao for Pintxos—fun! So many different things to try, and ending with cheesecake and cafe con leche. A delicious evening in Bilbao. Pintxos in Bilbao Day 2: Playas de Arrietara y Atxabiribil in Sopela With several beaches…

by Gayla McBride Edwards July 18, 2023September 10, 2023

North Route- Irun to Bilbao

(A week hiking the foothills of the Pyrenees Mountains in the Basque Country of Spain) The Camino de Santiago, or the “Way of St. James” is a pilgrimage to where the apostle from the Bible James’ bones are said to be buried in Santiago in Spain. Pilgrims have made their way there for over a…

by Gayla McBride Edwards July 5, 2023September 10, 2023

Santorini

Skaros Rock The trail to Skaros Rock started with a long hike down many, many steps before then going up many, many more steps. We went, as do many others, to watch the sunset. We got lost on the way back, and ended up on the wrong trail, which we discovered was part of the…

by Gayla McBride Edwards November 21, 2021December 3, 2021

Crete

Malia The beach at Malia made for a relaxing day after the whirlwind of Athens. A favorite Cretan food was barley rusks— a double-baked bread made with barley flour and sometimes whole wheat flour. Also called a dakos, it is served drizzled with olive oil, sprinkled with oregano, and topped with cheese, tomatoes and olives.…

by Gayla McBride Edwards November 13, 2021November 25, 2021

ATHENS

The Acropolis There’s no recorded history of what happened at the Acropolis before the Mycenaeans cultivated it during the end of the Bronze Age. Historians believe the Mycenaeans built a massive compound surrounded by a great wall (almost 15 feet thick and 20 feet high) on top of the Acropolis to house the local ruler and…

by Gayla McBride Edwards November 11, 2021November 25, 2021

Magnificent Madrid

The Plaza de la Armería is a square in Madrid that is located between the Almudena Cathedral and the Royal Palace. We enjoyed our time atop the Cathedral with the statues, glad that we had decided to tour the cathedral, as we had happened on it 15 minutes before it closed to tours for the…

by Gayla McBride Edwards September 30, 2020May 11, 2021

Porto, Portugal

Oh how I love this place! Hiking the cobblestone streets up and down through the city each day… ascending steep hills to be rewarded with views like none imagined… I’m in love with Porto’s beautiful unique vibe! Douro River Archaeologists believe trade at the mouth of the Douro River in Porto may date back to…

by Gayla McBride Edwards August 9, 2020August 20, 2020

Leon to Gijon

We travelled from Leon to Gijon in Spain by bus to see Gijon. Little did I know that the scenery along the way would be so completely breathtakingly beautiful! Now I must say that riding on the bus on that narrow and winding road made this unexposed tourist too nervous to think about snapping photos!…

by Gayla McBride Edwards May 17, 2020

Beautiful Historical Lovely LEON, Spain

My daughter and I went to visit my daughter who was attending school in Leon, and I spent three weeks in this captivating city. It holds a special charm for me, as it was the first place I ever traveled in Europe, and especially because I was there with both my daughters. Unforgettable times, lovely…

by Gayla McBride Edwards May 6, 2020

Palace of Versailles

Versailles, France The Palace of Versailles was the principal royal residence of France from 1682, under Louis XIV, until the start of the French Revolution in 1789, under Louis XVI. It is the biggest, and considered by many to be the most beautiful, palace ever built. Louis XIV gathered around him the most important figures…

by Gayla McBride Edwards April 20, 2020April 20, 2020

Paris… La Ville de l’Amour!

Paris… La Ville de l’Amour!

Paris is a global center for art, fashion, gastronomy and culture. Its 19th-century cityscape is crisscrossed by wide boulevards and the River Seine. Beyond such landmarks as the Eiffel Tower and the Notre-Dame cathedral, the city is known for its cafe culture and designer boutiques.It was a whirlwind few days for my daughters and me…

by Gayla McBride Edwards April 6, 2020April 30, 2021

Roman Forum

The Roman Forum is an area of the city of Rome around which the ancient city developed.It was for centuries the center of Roman public life. It was the site of triumphal processions and elections; the venue for public speeches, criminal trials, and gladiatorial matches. It was also the heart of commerce. Historians estimate that the rise of public events in the Roman Forum…

by Gayla McBride Edwards April 3, 2020

St. Peter’s Basilica Posted byJan EdwardsMarch 28, 2020Posted inUncategorizedEditSt. Peter’s Basilica Door to St. Peter’s Tomb- Located on the right side of the entrance into St. Peter’s Basilica The Holy Door or ‘Porta Sancta’ is only open during a Holy Year (Jubilee), which occurs every 25 years (the last one in 2000).On the first day…

by Gayla McBride Edwards March 30, 2020

Rome- Colosseum at Night

Rome- Colosseum at Night

Construction on the Colosseum was started in 72 AD by the emperor Vespasian. It was finished eight years later in 80 AD The Colosseum could seat 50,000 people. It covers around 6 acres of land and is 620 feet long, 512 feet wide, and 158 feet tall. It took more than 1.1 million tons of…

by Gayla McBride Edwards March 30, 2020

St. Peter’s Basilica

St. Peter’s Basilica, located in Vatican City, is believed to be the burial place of Saint Peter, who was one of the twelve apostles of Jesus. It is believed that Saint Peter was the first Bishop of Rome. Roman Christians who were alive in the 1st century AD have written about him. It is believed that after Peter was killed, his…

by Gayla McBride Edwards March 28, 2020March 31, 2020

The Anne Frank House

Anne Frank was a 14 year old Jewish girl who began keeping a diary shortly before her family went into hiding from the Nazis during World War II. For two years, she and seven others lived in a “Secret Annex” in Amsterdam before being discovered and sent to concentration camps. Anne died in the Bergen-Belsen…

by Gayla McBride Edwards December 10, 2019December 10, 2019

Naples- Mount Vesuvius

Mt. Vesuvius, a still-active volcano, looms over the Bay of Naples. Mount Vesuvius is about 4,190 feet high and measures about 30 miles around its base. Geologists estimate it to be about 17,000 years old. Vesuvius is the only volcano on the European mainland that has erupted during the last century and is still active. It has erupted over 50…

by Gayla McBride Edwards December 7, 2019

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