Sleeping in a Castle

September 2, 2023

One of the joys of a nomadic lifestyle is checking off the bucket list.
Okay, so sleeping in a castle wasn’t exactly on my bucket list. Still, I have always wanted to stay in a historic building. And this was yet another experience that was better than expected.

The not-so-secret entrance to the castle dorm rooms!

You can reserve a room in Durham Castle in northeastern England during the summer when the university students are on break. You see, part of the castle has been converted into dorm rooms while other sections are open for tours during limited hours.

The rooms are nothing special, but you can get one with a private bath. Mine was on the tiny side, but that was fine with me. I also had to climb four and a half flights of stairs to get to the room, but that was okay, too.

Besides staying in a castle, overnight guests enjoy breakfast in the Grand Hall. This could also fulfill a bucket list item if you are a Harry Potter fan, as the hall has that feel. Just imagine the grand events that have been hosted here! The offerings are extensive, with everything you could want for breakfast, and a kind staff member ordered gluten-free croissants for me every morning. (If you are gluten-free, ask!)

Beyond the Castle, you will find that you are ideally situated in Durham’s quaint, historic city. Across the Palace Green is the Cathedral.

Down the hill are the historic town and market plaza.

The River Wear snakes its way around the city.

You can walk less than a mile to Crook Hall Gardens.

I highly recommend at least a couple of nights in Durham if you are planning a visit to northeastern England!

There Are No Busses on Sundays

September 24, 2023
Sometimes, the best days happen when things don’t go according to plan.
I have been traveling in Croatia with old friends, a married couple, for the past nine days. We are a compatible trio, all three active, outdoorsy types. In fact, it was during a cross-country ski and snowshoe trip last winter that we decided to plan an adventure together.
I was ecstatic when Nancy offered to help with the planning because, in my nomad life, I am constantly working on my itinerary.
We met up at the Dubrovnik airport just over a week ago, and the trip has gone exceptionally well until…

Yesterday afternoon, before we left Mljet Island, the rain came in with a vengeance. We had been enduring some feisty winds, but rain can really put a damper on the fun.
After trying to remain dry, we boarded the ferry for a 30-minute ride to Korcula. Our host generously offered to pick us up, and the rain had momentarily stopped when we arrived.
Then the thunder and lightning returned yesterday evening. So much for our plans to paddle board tomorrow.
Our power went out around 3:00 AM and didn’t come on until about 10:00 AM.
Our host felt terrible about the weather and the power outage. This morning, he brought us some candy and a bottle of wine as a consolation. (As if he could control the weather.) He also realized that a close lightning strike had blown out our modem and had a new one ready for us when we returned this evening. Such a nice man!

After a brief break early this morning, the thunder, lightning, and rain continued until about 11:00 AM.

Then the skies started to look hopeful.

We did have a couple of other issues, though.
Last night, we discovered that no public buses were running on Sundays.
Today, no Uber drivers responded to our request.
No problem. We are walkers. We could easily cover the three miles into town.

The weather was much more promising by noon, and we walked out the door.
Along the way, we stopped to inspect local plant life, saw a monument to World War I soldiers from the island, and visited a Marian shrine.

We ended up having a fabulous time exploring the old city of Korcula. It is a picture-perfect medieval town located on the beautiful Adriatic waters. The rain had cleared the air, making for an exceptional day.
After searching for the right restaurant to cater to my gluten-free diet, we enjoyed a scrumptious lunch by the old city gate. I had eggs benedict for the first time in many years, and we all enjoyed chocolate mousse cake with pistachios for dessert.

After lunch, we wandered through town and climbed the church tower for the best views of the day.

Then we walked along the waterfront, checking out the different buildings, sections of the old city walls, and the luxurious modern yachts in the harbor.

After stopping for groceries, we took the backroads home and saw things most tourists miss.

The 101 stone steps up to the Votive Chapel of Saint Anthony.

The cypress trees were planted in 1708 after the chapel was renovated (originally built in the 15th century).
The last leg of the journey back to our apartment took us through rural areas bound by stone walls with abundant olive trees.

What looked like a potential disaster of a day ended up being one of my best travel days yet!

Getting There, Exhaustion, and the Kindness of Strangers

August 30, 2023

I arrived in Durham, England, last night after a grueling day of travel from Seattle.
But first, let’s get something straight—my travel went remarkably smoothly, especially given my international flight history. My son says I’m about 50-50 for getting an on-time, smooth flight out of Seattle.
About a year ago, my flight to Spain was delayed 24 hours. A couple of other times, my luggage didn’t arrive with me. And there was that time when my sister and I spent seven hours at SeaTac Airport shopping, drinking wine, and getting pedicures.
On the day of my departure, there had been traffic control issues at Heathrow. I happened to be listening to BBC radio as I was driving around that day. I thought for sure my flight would be delayed for the second year in a row.
Miraculously, we departed on time. The plane was about 70% full, so the flight attendant switched my seat to one with extra legroom and an empty seat next to me. My window seat companion was amiable and slept most of the way. Couldn’t ask for better.
We arrived on time but had to wait for a spot to deplane. We were only minutes late, and I high-tailed it through the security checkpoint to baggage claim. I needed to get to King’s Cross Station on the tube to catch my 6:30 train to Durham. I’m sure I walked at least a mile through Heathrow, but I easily found the subway station and was on my way with time to spare.
When I arrived at King’s Cross at 6:00, I had to wait for the platform announcement. Phew! I had time to spare.
Once I boarded the train, I could relax and enjoy the three-hour journey. I watched the sunset from the window and fought to stay awake while munching on some local junk food.

Durham Train Station was quiet at 9:30 p.m., as no one was there. It was also well after dark.
I called the phone number posted for taxis and received a text back. In their reply, I was informed that a taxi would be available at 11:00 p.m.
As I was texting, a woman appeared. I shared my taxi woes with her, and she asked where I was going.
“I’ll share my Uber with you. The castle is on the way to my house.”
She lives in Durham and didn’t know that one could rent a dorm room in the converted castle during the summer months. She appreciated the information, and I was oh-so-grateful for the ride.
The driver dropped me off at Palace Green. Straight ahead was the beautifully lit Cathedral. But where was the Porters Lodge where I was to check in?

I spotted a young couple on a romantic stroll, and they offered to help. In fact, they said they would stay with me until we found it. I felt fortunate to experience the kindness of strangers in my exhausted state.
It was relatively easy to find, and I successfully checked in.
The porter then showed me where to enter the building and gave me the security code. He said I would need to “go up a few” and I would find my room.
You know how you feel when you are sleep-deprived, and you can’t quite think straight? There’s also a physical ache that comes with that exhaustion.
Well, I had to go up a “few” flights of stairs to get to my room. I left the suitcase at the bottom of the stairs to assess the situation. I’ve checked into a few unclean (and one occupied) rooms, and I didn’t want to lug up that suitcase twice.

I’m happy to report that all was well. Who wouldn’t want to sleep in an ancient castle with modern amenities?
I got to sleep before midnight and woke up around 7:30. Breakfast is served in the Great Hall from 8:00-10:00 and is included in the price of the stay. It’s an all-you-can-imagine-to-eat affair, and the Great Hall, built in the 13th century, has been the social hub of the castle for centuries. I love to walk through historic sites but rarely get to eat or sleep in them.

Looks like this adventure is off to a pretty good start!

Obsessed with Minimalism

July 3, 2023

My recent obsession with minimalism has become excessive.

Last year, I took an epic, life-changing trip to Europe, my first as a nomad. In fact, it was during that trip that I decided to live a nomadic life.

But my suitcase was too heavy. It was also too cheap, and I replaced it halfway through the journey. (The boots were an unnecessary purchase, but they’re pretty cute!) Lots of lessons learned.

I’m currently in my home state, Washington, enjoying the best house-sitting gig ever. My duties include watering plans and…well, that’s it. No pets. My friend is off on his own European adventure for a while, and I get to enjoy his beautiful home as a zero-cost Airbnb.

It’s good to have some time to unpack and assess my travel wardrobe. I am determined to take at least seven pounds out of my suitcase.

In eight weeks, I’ll embark on my longest nomad adventure yet. I’ll start in England and then head to Croatia, Greece, and the Canary Islands. The journey will end in mainland Spain in December, my favorite place to be at Christmastime. In total, I will be living out of my suitcase and daypack for 105 days. I expect to experience primarily warm weather and plan to use layers and my treasured down coat to cover the cooler days.

Thanks to the open closet design of my friend’s modern, eco-friendly house, I have been staring at this space a little too much.

The good news is that I have a couple of shorter trips, one this month and another next, where I can try out the wardrobe before committing to the long journey.

As far as toiletries and accessories go, I’m losing some weight there, too. I’m testing out laundry sheets and have decided that shampoo and conditioner bars will work for backup when staying at places where they are not provided.

Leave a comment if you have a great packing tip to share! I’ll let you know how it goes.

UPDATE: I’ve been back for a few weeks, so I guess I’d better confess that I am still no packing expert.

I intentionally decided to bring a few pieces of clothing that were getting a bit worn with the intention of discarding them as I traveled to lighten my load. That part did work out. I even discarded a pair of boots to make room for Christmas gifts.

I’ve decided on some favorite items and will replace them as needed before my next overseas journey.

And, as you would guess, my load got lighter as I used up certain items like disposable contact lenses and lotions.

The laundry sheets were adequate. I’m not a big fan of the shampoo and conditioner bars, though.

Nomad Life: How Did I Get Here?

June 20, 2023

Do you ever stop and wonder about the twists and turns of your life?

Mine has taken many in the past five years.

If you had told me in June 2018 that in five years, I would be homeless by choice and changing doggie diapers, I don’t know if I would have laughed, freaked out, or broken down in tears.

But here I am.

You see, I was one of those Type A people who liked to be in control and lead a tidy, secure life. I was a lifelong educator, and although I always found it challenging, I figured I would segway into a new career at some point.

In fact, I did make a change in 2018. I sold my condo in the Seattle area and moved to Montana’s Flathead Valley.

This is it! I thought. But it wasn’t.

Don’t get me wrong—there were a lot of wonderful outcomes from that move. I enjoyed a year of outdoor recreation and made tons of new friends. What I didn’t do was plan for a source of income. I was overly optimistic about finding a suitable job that would give me some income but still allow for ample time in the great outdoors. It just didn’t work out.

I have an old friend who firmly believes life is all about timing. I guess I didn’t time that one right.

After a year, I returned to my home state, Washington, and returned to my safe but stressful career teaching high school. I took a position in Eastern Washington, thinking that changing to a smaller rural school would be better and keep me closer to new friends in Montana.

Then, you know what happened: Pandemic. There’s nothing like being in a new job in a new location and then being locked up alone in your isolated home in the country.

A couple of months into the pandemic, a friend and colleague stopped by for an on-the-porch visit. She encouraged me to head back to the west side of the state to be closer to friends and family. It was May, and we still didn’t know what the following months and years would bring.

I got online, found an appropriate open position, arranged for a nontraditional interview, and got the job.

It was time to move again.

I bought a “fixer-upper” to have something to do. Ha! I would not recommend remodeling a house during a pandemic. Supply shortages, inflated prices…it was not a fun experience.

That’s the short version of what led me to my current lifestyle.

If you or someone close to you works in public education, you know how tough the past few years have been. We teachers have been dropping like flies.

A year ago, I decided to sell that newly remodeled house, got rid of most of my possessions, and quit my job. Another teacher down.

My initial plan was to retire in Spain, at least for a year or two. I had traveled there about a dozen times over the years, and two involved longer stays in educational programs. I had always loved Spain. Why not live the Spanish ex-pat life for a while?

After traveling around the Western US in the summer of 2022, I set out for a three-month trip to Europe in September. I had an apartment reserved in Valencia, Spain, for the month of October. It would be an excellent trial period to see if I wanted to live there for a year or two.

In the end, I realized that traveling was what gave me the most joy. Exploring new places fed my soul like nothing else in life.

I had been following the blog of a nomadic couple from Seattle for several months. Initially, I thought there was no way I would ever do it. Nine months later, I realized it was exactly what I wanted to do.

So here I am. My nomadic lifestyle continues to evolve.

Last December, I returned from Europe to find my sister in a poor state physically and emotionally. I instantly put the brakes on my life to take care of her. I rented a house for three months (negotiated an Airbnb) to allow us time to assess her health and make a plan. I was ready to go back to work, at least part-time.

Sadly, my sister passed away from pancreatic cancer in January.

I decided to keep the short-term rental through March, as planned, to grieve and help sort out my sister’s affairs. Looking back, it was the right move. I spent more time with my adult children than I had in years, and there were numerous visits with family and friends. I also bonded further with my niece and her husband and kids.

That experience made me realize that I needed a hybrid plan. I wanted to spend a chunk of the year in Western Washington near family and friends. In other words, this is still home. I don’t want to lose that.

After traveling throughout the western states again this spring, I arrived “home” on June first. I was able to arrange pet-sitting and house-sitting gigs in the area through mid-July.

One of the most important things I have learned over the past few years is to be flexible because changes will always arise.

And there are no rules to the nomadic lifestyle. You can make it what you want.

Who knows? I may go back to work one of these days. For now, I appreciate the freedom and joy that come with simplifying.

Can I Please Take This with Me?

November 24, 2022

Now that I have been travelling for five months, I can tell you some of the biggest challenges of moving from place-to-place and, well, not having my own home.

Number one: The bed. I am a girl who needs a good night’s sleep. Period. As I have gotten older (I’m in my 50s), I have come to appreciate a mattress with a bit of give. I’m not talking totally squishy, but I love a pillow top or some memory foam.

For the last five years, I had been spoiled with a Sleep Number bed, and I loved it. I loved putting my feet up and taking a rest after a good hike or a day of skiing. I loved making it a little softer when my body needed some recovery time. And I loved the massage feature; it could get me back to sleep when I had those random 3:00 AM wake ups.

As you can imagine, not every hotel or short-term rental apartment has the best bed. The worst are the firm ones. I can’t say I’ve had one that was too soft yet. When I stayed in Valencia for a month, I got lucky. I really couldn’t have asked for a better mattress. (Well, except for that Sleep Number.)

Number two: Low quality or missing utensils. I like to cook and bake. For some reason making a delicious dinner with few ingredients while travelling is highly satisfying. Sometimes, it’s just throwing in one more thing, like the chopped Italian pancetta that I added to the sauteed vegetables and chicken breast tonight.

The problem is that I rarely have a sharp knife to work with, and ugh, sometimes the cutting boards are far beyond the day they should have been replaced. Yuck. Do I really have to eat food that has been chopped on this bacteria-ridden nightmare?

I also don’t understand why so many places have metal spatulas with nonstick pans. Don’t people know better? Don’t they understand that’s why their pans are all scratched up?

Number three: Lack of little comforts. My current journey started in Portugal and Spain in September and October. The weather was fabulous, in the 70s and 80s with very little rain. Then Daylight Savings time ended, and I was in the mountains of Andorra a week later. It was nearly freezing and pouring rain the day I arrived. After that, the days continued to be colder and shorter. In the evenings, I was longing for my favorite throw, the one that is like sheepskin.

Bathtubs are a rarity in hotels and rentals these days. When I get one, I am a happy girl. That room in Andorra did have a tub. It was on the small side, but I didn’t care. A couple of week later, I spent the night in Barcelona before flying to meet a friend in Italy. I was grateful to have tub that night because I ended up walking more than expected that afternoon and evening.

Still, I wouldn’t trade the little annoyances or discomforts for the joy of my nomadic lifestyle.

True Confession

November 23, 2022

I don’t love Italy. I know, people rave about Italy. Okay, there are some beautiful places to see, but I have to believe those fans of Italy have never been to Spain or Portugal. I know I’m biased, but who isn’t? And this is about my experiences, so here goes…

I passed through Italy in the 1980s while doing the college kid-backpack-Eurail Pass thing. My friend and I were traveling from December through early February, so we were looking for warm weather after spending some time in France. (Christmas in Paris was amazing!)

We first passed through Italy on our way to Greece, taking a ferry from southern Italy. Didn’t really see much of Italy except what had passed by the train windows.

Then we made a point of stopping in Rome on the way back from Greece. The great snowstorm of the century hit Rome the day we arrived; On top of that, my friend had acquired a cold through our travels. She was absolutely miserable! I remember leaving our crappy little hotel room to find her some soup. Sadly, we didn’t get to see any of the sights. The city had shut down.

About 14 years ago, I traveled to Italy with my then-husband and two kids. We had a fabulous trip! We spent four days covering as much of Rome as possible by foot. We splurged on a private tour of the Vatican. We stayed at an Airbnb that had a view of the Pantheon. Then we drove along the Amalfi Coast and spent a day in Pompeii. It was a short but sweet sampling of Italy.

Eating was problematic with my celiac disease, but everything else made up for that.

The Tuscan countryside is gorgeous, no doubt about that.

On my current journey, I had the opportunity to rent a one-bedroom condo in Tuscany for a great price. Everyone raves about Tuscany. How could I pass up the opportunity to finally see it? A friend who had been to Tuscany before offered to drive. Great! I absolutely, positively will not drive in Italy.

We made the most of our six days in Tuscany. The scenery was picture-perfect. The hilltop towns are enchanting despite the sometimes-treacherous narrow roads one must drive to get to and from them. I completely understand why people love it.
What I didn’t like was that I felt everyone was after my pocketbook. Prices were high compared to Spain and Portugal. Gluten-free restaurant food was challenging to find. And I swear we sometimes paid the “tourist price.”
Most Italian restaurants add a service charge of anywhere from one Euro to 3.50 per person. You’re basically paying for your utensils and bread, and it doesn’t matter if you don’t eat the bread.

Then it got worse: Venice. Okay, Venice is unique and full of beautiful buildings. It’s delightful to watch the gondolas making their way through the canals. But do you know how much a gondola ride costs? Eighty Euros for thirty minutes! Yes, that is for up to five people in a boat, but thirty minutes? That’s it? No thanks. I can live without ever riding in a gondola.

Seeing the gondolas was good enough for me.

Restaurants are expensive, and some pull some ridiculous moves. We encountered heavy rain and 50-mile-per-hour winds on the second day in Venice. It wasn’t the best day for sightseeing. We first went to the Doge’s Palace. Then we saw a café advertising hot chocolate (I’m a huge fan of Spanish and Italian stuff—dark, rich, and not too sweet.) We walked up and asked for one. The nicely dressed waiter told us to come in and sit down. It was a swanky café with red velvet cushions on the seats. My friend figured she would order a cup of tea. Then we saw the menu. Hot chocolate with a cookie: ten euros. What??? I asked the waiter. He said without the cookie, it was only eight euros. I asked about the 3.50 price posted by the door. He said that was takeaway only. We got up, and I took that hot chocolate away in the pouring rain.

That same day, we decided we needed to continue to brave the cold and sideways rain to get a hot lunch. We tried our luck at the nearest restaurant. They had some gluten-free items. Okay. We noticed that a man was eating some soup and asked about it. No gluten. Great! It was a traditional Italian broth-based soup with beef, cabbage, onion, cauliflower, and kale. I would call it peasant soup. It was simple and delicious. We each had a bowl and shared an entrée of chicken and vegetables in a white wine sauce. Also, very good!

Then we got the bill. He charged us 16 euros each for the soup! What? I can’t think of a gourmet restaurant in the US that would demand that much for soup. And the chicken entrée was 17 euros. It didn’t make sense. I asked the waiter if it was correct. He gave me that look, like, of course it is, you stupid tourist. I wonder if that other guy paid 16 Euros for his soup.

And the final “I can’t believe you are charging that much” price was the cost of climbing the San Marco Tower. Ten Euros! Nope. I can get my exercise in other ways.

I understand that costs may be higher in Venice because of its location, but groceries were inexpensive. Just saying…
I’ll stick with Spain and Portugal, or at least I won’t return to Venice anytime soon.

A beautiful day in Murano! Okay, Italy wasn’t so bad after all.

Here are some more photos of Italy. My friend and I had a fantastic time despite the few instances of price gouging.

The Leaning Tower of Pisa. Bucket List checked. Climbed it. Very cool experience!

Vicari, a cute Tuscan town with a castle in the middle

The best and reasonably priced food we ate in Italy, at a French restaurant! Bacciomeo in Palaiia

The World’s tiniest toilet and bidet in our Venice hotel room!

If You Love Botanical Gardens, Go to Blanes, Spain

November 13, 2022

This post is another photo dump. Even though I was not happy with my accommodations in Blanes, I did enjoy the town, beach, castle, and botanical garden.

Blanes is a beach town in Catalonia, Spain, a mere 43 miles (69 kilometers) north of Barcelona. It is known as the “Gateway to the Costa Brava,” a popular tourist destination, but not crowded for this off-season traveler.

Besides its location, I picked it because I read that it was a good walking town with a boardwalk and trails, and there was a castle on the hilltop. Throughout town there are historic sights, too.

I was pleasantly surprised to find a gorgeous botanical garden, one of my favorite sights of my three-month European trip. Enjoy the sights!

And walking down some more…it was a combination of roads and stairs.

The following photos are of Marimurtra Botanical Garden.

Sometimes It’s Just Shabby

November 12, 2022

I’ve been traveling for about four and a half months. Yesterday, I thought I was feeling travel weary. I arrived in a new town, and I wasn’t that excited. I walked into the building where I was renting an apartment, and it just didn’t feel right. I got up to my apartment and got a little excited that it had a partial view of the Mediterranean. And it was relatively spacious for a short-term rental. It may be alright after all.

Don’t let this post throw you off; Blanes is a lovely seaside town!

Then I started to notice little things, not-so-good things. The towel bar in the bathroom was broken and hanging rustily from its one screw. The white-painted kitchen chairs were grubby and in need of a good cleaning. The sofa had uneven back cushions and was ripped in one corner. There was a flat white sheet lying on it. I initially thought it might be a set of sheets for a fold-out mattress. No, it was one flat sheet, presumably to cover the crappy sofa.

Then there were other little things. The batteries were dead in the television remote. I couldn’t release the stopper when I stopped up the bathroom sink to wash some underwear. But it got worse; there was no hair dryer! No hair dryer? Every single place I have been since June has provided a hair dryer.

Then there was one bizarre thing. Once I manually turned on the TV (dead batteries in the remote), I noticed all the stations were in French! Blanes is on the Costa Brava of Spain—at least 100 kilometers from France. Usually, I wouldn’t fuss about the TV, but it was Friday night, and I wanted to watch La Voz (Spain’s version of The Voice).

This morning, I was dreading the trip to the front desk. I actually had a list so I would remember everything. I’m not fond of confrontation, and complaining is not my style. But I’m here for two more nights, and it would be nice to stop washing my hands and brushing my teeth in the kitchen sink. And my hair looks like crap. I’d rather not go with the ponytail and hat look for the next three days.

Most of the issues were quickly remedied. The front desk clerk handed me two batteries and called housekeeping to bring up a hairdryer and check on the sink drain. It was one of those press-down and pop-up deals. She had to press a few times, and it finally popped up. She assured me she would send maintenance a note about the towel bar. I breathed a sigh of relief and got out for a day of exploring.

Still, I wouldn’t say I like this place—not the town—this apartment. I tried to talk myself into liking it. The bed is comfortable, and the sheets are clean. There is even a rain head in the shower. But it lacks coziness and comfort. The walls have a rough texture. The décor is lacking, except for the cute basket-style lampshade over the kitchen table. It feels like it was done in the most minimally acceptable way, as no one cares. It lacks warmth. No one should have to pay to sit on a worn and tattered sofa! Shabby is the best word to describe it.

The cute basket-style lampshade was about all the kitchen had going for it.

Charming Andorra

November 6, 2022

Between my month-long stay in Valencia, Spain, and the date that I was to meet a friend in Italy, I had a two-week window. I initially thought I would go up the coast north of Barcelona.
Then I changed my mind and my itinerary. When visiting with some Spaniards, they mentioned skiing in Andorra. Who doesn’t love a tiny country? I had previously visited Luxembourg, such a cute, pint-sized country. Andorra had been on my to-do list. Time to go there.
The beginning of November was too early for skiing, but being shoulder season, it was a great time to get a bargain rate on a hotel room. Hotel de L’Isard is located on Avenida Meritxell, one of the main drags in Andorra la Vella.
After the three-hour bus ride from Barcelona and a steep climb up the hill, I arrived at the cozy, family-owned hotel. Remember, I mostly stay in small rental apartments, but sometimes the change to a hotel is refreshing.
The remainder of this post is a photo dump of Andorra la Vella. I highly recommend a stop if you are in northeastern Spain.