London

London! Exciting city! Kat was waiting for us at Paddington Station in front of Burger King... She's VERY CLOSE to completing her thesis for her Masters Degree in Infectious Diseases . Just a few more edits and VOILA!

Beginning the celebration at the Victoria Pub!

A Toast to Kat!

The eternal navigator.

Touring the city atop a double decker bus.

We got two seats in the FIRST ROW on the same day of the show. A FABULOUS musical, great story and fantastic costumes. A MUST SEE!

The thesis is getting closer to being complete... just a few more hours... let the celebration begin!

Bilbao

Bilbao celebrates its Basque heritage with one of the most vibrant fiestas in Spain.








Over 100,000 people take part in the Aste Nagusia celebrations, which include the famous Strongman games, as well as nightly firework displays, with a different nation invited to stage the show each night. Last night we saw fireworks from the Czech Republic... very kool. Last week they had the same celebration in San Sebastian with a firworks competition... China won with strong competition from Germany.

























Music is key to the celebrations and there are free performances of all kinds on stages in squares and churches throughout the city. Two are particularly worth a visit; the stage in the Plaza Nueva (where you can also eat some fantastic tapas at the Café Bar Bilbao) and the quarry amphitheatre behind the town hall. Every night there is a major concert starting here at 12am and continuing well into the small hours.


















The festival runs right through the night for nine days and come the weekend it is not unusual to still see people weaving through the throng as the sun rises. The streets are lined with marquees from the various bars and societies and many are accompanied by booming sound systems. Shoppers be warned, many of the stores close down for the fiesta, so browsing boutiques is not really an option.

















View from our hotel balcony.

For those of you who think that all we're doing is eating... here is proof that we do have some CULTURE... We went to the Guggenheim Museum today... it's an architectual and a photographer's delight!

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This dog stands at the entrance to the Guggenheim... It is a living sculpture covered by living flowers.

Getaria, Spain

Getaria is a small Basque fishing town in Northern Spain. Check it out!

View from our hotel in Getaria...

Check out the view from the swimming pool!!!

The beach is absolutely gorgeous... sandy beaches and swimming in the refreshing waters of the Atlantic Ocean.

Hey Denise and Ron... check out the fishing boat! Maybe our next fishing trip can be from Getaria to catch Turbot or Seabass!

This is a very delicious light, refreshing white wine from the Basque region called Txakoli that you drink with tapas and fish.

Check out the view from our new hotel in Getaria... a 15th century building.

This was fabulous... grilled squid with a sauce made from its ink.

San Sebastian, Spain

San Sebastian, Spain... a day of strollers and Pinxtox (tapas). They have the best tapas in all of Spain here... Norm checked out 15 different Pinxtos bars before deciding where to eat. We went to 6 different bars (which were close together on two different streets) for dinner.















When we arrived, we saw this demonstration for Basque independence.














And on the next block, a 3 on 3 basketball tournament. Check out their moves, Jayce!















Check out the BMW of strollers here in France and Spain! Here's to all the new babies in the Gusner -Whang families.... Aston John, Alexander, and two on the way...




















Laura and Chris and Lisa and Remi!

Norm withdraws cash to pay for his next meal.























And the next pictures... not the for faint of stomach...



















Cidre and Txakoli (white wine) to accompany the tapas.























Jaylyn would love these tapas! Sliced raw white fish topped with anchovy and garlic and parsley.















Stuff red peppers with fish mousse.

















Blood sausage on serrano ham topped with grilled padron peppers... It was DELICIOUS!















Skewers of shrimp, octopus, white asparagus and small quail eggs in olive oil.














Norm left his head at the Pintxos bar!