Portugal – June/July 2022

After over two years of trying to return to Portugal (with the trip planned four times…and cancelled), we finally made it there! Instead of cycling and birding, the original plan, we decided to be “regular tourists” – as much as we ever are – and get to some places missed on a 2017 visit, south to north (see map below). This trip was also an opportunity to meet up with Robert’s cousins Rob and Linda from Maryland and a few of their friends.

Continue reading “Portugal – June/July 2022”

Spain (Andalucía) – Sept 2021

We (finally) made our long-awaited return to Spain, after a couple of years of being thwarted by the pandemic on a combined Portugal/Spain itinerary. The trip focused solely on Andalucía, for cycling with Bike Spain Tours, and birding with Wild Andalucía (Álvaro Peral) and Doñana Wings (Vicent Esteller). Keeping the trip all in Andalucía meant no pesky border crossings and thus only one set of rules/restrictions to keep in mind. Although we didn’t actually know for certain that we would get there until less than a week before we flew, as the guidance kept changing!

Continue reading “Spain (Andalucía) – Sept 2021”

Norway: Oslo and the Bergen Railway – June 2018

After a wonderful cycling tour along the Elbe from Dresden to Magdeburg, and visiting Berlin, the four of us (Liza, Robert, and Tom and Diane) flew from Berlin-Schoenefeld to Oslo for a week in Norway. We spent a whirlwind day and a half in Oslo before embarking on one of the great railroad journeys of the world, the Bergen Railway. This is the second of three posts.


If you want to skip the narrative and just look at lots of photos, click here.
You can also visit Liza’s food blog here.

Continue reading “Norway: Oslo and the Bergen Railway – June 2018”

Germany: Cycling the Elbe; Dresden and Berlin – May 2018

In May we set off for Germany to cycle the Elbe Radweg, to visit the great cities of Dresden and Berlin, and to visit some Weissler family history sites. While planning the trip, Robert said, “you want to go to Norway, right?” 🙂 Yes! the Bergen Railway from Oslo to Bergen is something he did back in 1976, but was definitely on my own bucket list (routinely ranked as one of the “great railroad journeys of the world”). And finally, we were able to fly with IcelandAir and get the “free” layover on Reykjavik. So off we went! This is the first of three posts.

Continue reading “Germany: Cycling the Elbe; Dresden and Berlin – May 2018”

Spain and Portugal – June 2017

“Spain…didn’t you go there last year?” Well, yes, but it’s a big country and there’s much more to see (and we’re not done, either!). This trip included a week of cycling the Camino de Santiago from Burgos to Santiago de Compostela, bracketed by birding in the Sierra de Gredos west of Madrid plus a little bit in Extremadura, and the Picos de Europa up north in Asturias and Cantabria.

Continue reading “Spain and Portugal – June 2017”