Saying our Goodbyes...

We are wrapping up our Spain tour...sad to leave this wonderful, sunny place. We spent our last full night in Granada at the San Nicolas mirador overlooking a reddened Alhambra listening to the hippies and gypsies sing the tantilizing songs of flamenco. Can´t wait to share our stories of our new favorite country...Adios!

It's Been a While...

...and it will still be a little longer before I post a long note. It has been very busy at the Castro B&B these past few months as several friends and family have graced us with their smiles and love here in Richmond. Edgar and I are leaving for Spain in about 8 hours to spend 10 glorious days in the sunshine, drink some sangria, and eat some tapas. I promise when we get back I will update our last few trips, chronicle our adventures with the guests, and begin a more normal routine of keeping in touch.

Many of you sent me best wishes for my birthday last week and I want to send a big THANK YOU and hug to everyone who thought about me on my special day. It was a very good birthday...in France with our best friends sipping the best wine in the world (in my humble opinion).

We'll be back on Tuesday the 29th...so until then, enjoy your summer and have a great weekend!

Freedom in Colombia!

I am so happy right now I can hardly type. In an unprecedented intelligence operation better than a James Bond movie, the Colombian military has RESCUED 15 FARC held hostages, including 3 American contractors held for 5 years, and Ingrid Betancourt, a French-Colombian who was kidnapped 6 years ago while campaigning for the Colombian presidency. The FARC were duped, plain and simple. No shots were fired, no one was killed. Please go to cnn.com and read all you can about it.

Colombia is such a beautiful country and it is very unfortunate that a small corner of this paradise is home to such an evil enterprise. This really hits home with me. My husband is Colombian and I have visited Colombia twice. On my most recent visit to Bogota, the capital, I witnessed the public outrage in what is happening. Signs hung all over the city expressing the desire to "Stop the Kidnappings". I have visited France numerous times and saw the vigils for Mrs. Betancourt everywhere from Paris to the small villages. In London, I have seen public peace rallies in Trafalgar Square demonstrating the desire for a peaceful Colombia. I am so grateful to everyone involved in this operation. I remember reading about the American contractors in Time magazine 2 years ago and vowing to follow their story. I remember thinking what a great day it would be for them and their families upon their release. I truly cannot believe this day has come.

We're Still Here and the Trip Was Great!

Just wanted to put up a short post to let everyone know we made it back from our trip safe and sound. We had a really great time, saw some amazing things, and put many miles on the car. It's hard to believe, but Mom and Dad are already leaving on Sunday!!! :( I haven't had time to do the trip report or photo album because I've just been enjoying these last few days with them. We were gone all day today to Stonehenge and Salisbury, where we saw the cathedral and the Magna Carta. Tomorrow and Saturday will be spent winding down and enjoying the last days in Richmond with them. So, the blog may be quiet for the next few days, but check back on Sunday or Monday when I hope to have some more interesting things posted.

The Potatoes and Camembert Tour

We are off on the vacation-within-a-vacation in about an hour. Edgar is on his way home and we will let him change clothes and grab a bit to eat before we begin our journey to Wales, and ultimately Ireland and then Normandy, France. We will return on Monday, June 23rd with lots of good stories, I'm sure.

Right now, we are marvelling at just how much stuff our little hatchback can hold, and reminding ourselves that souvenirs will have to be far and few between. I love road trips and I think this will be the ultimate! I don't know if I will be able to blog from the road, but check back just in case. In any case, I'll post as soon as I can upon our return. Have a great week!

Tuesday, June 10

Tuesday was a recovery day from the big day on Monday. Our feet ached and our bodies were tired. So, we slept in, had a late coffee, and enjoyed Richmond. Mom and I made a grocery store run and did laundry all day. We also took a nice walk through town and along the river. Once Edgar arrived home, we grabbed the bottle of wine I had chilled and we all headed back to the Hill to watch the sun go down. We had dinner very late and called it a night around 11pm.

Monday, June 9-Big Day in the City

We saw so many major sites today. We landed at Waterloo station and exited along the river where Mom and Dad got their first glimpse of the London Eye..."the biggest ferris wheel I've ever seen" as quoted by Mom. We then rounded the corner and gawked at the beautiful skyline of Parliament, the Clock Tower (Big Ben), and Westminster Abbey. We wandered through the Abbey for about 2 hours marvelling at the architecture and tombs of Kings and Queens from way, way back. I still get excited when I see the tomb of Queens Mary and Elizabeth. Then it was pass Sting's house (yes, you read that correctly), through St. James Park where we had lunch, and up the Pall Mall to Buckingham Palace. We missed the big changing of the guard, but we saw a minor one while peeking through the iron fence. Mom was in absolute heaven, as this has always been a dream of hers. Dad...well, I'm not too sure he's that impressed with the royal family. But he was a trooper nonetheless and plowed on through with us. Monday was officially the hottest day of the year so far, so we took a taxi back to Waterloo and collapsed on the couches from exhaustion.