SPAIN: We learned about the dynastic cultural footprints left…from Visigoths, to Moors, to Romans…that formed the evolutionary history of today’s Espana.

Also, deeper dives into actions during the Spanish Inquisition under Ferdinand and Isabella…as well as, more recently, the Civil War and Franco regime of the 20th century…were impactful. We came away from this trip with a sense of the affinities…and the affections…the locals proudly place on the richness of their respective regional heritages; muy bueno!

SPAIN: We delighted on sampling a variety of tapas in both Madrid and Sevilla, to trying suckling pig in Segovia and…finally…to preparing (and feasting upon) paella under the guidance of an award-winning chef in Barcelona; maravilloso!

SPAIN: You can check out our Photo Gallery for a variety of pics from this trip.

NORTHERN IRELAND: You can check out our Photo Gallery for a variety of pics from this trip.

IRELAND: Lotsa learning experiences while in and around Dublin: The folklore of Molly Malone; the ‘Angel’s Share’ explanation for naturally aspired in-barrel loss during aging before any scientific method could explain why there was always less whiskey than they expected; the origin of the term ‘shitfaced’ after the great 1875 whiskey fire in Dublin; the size, scope & monetary influence of the Guinness Brewery…including the reason why the Irish harp is depicted one way by Guiness and the opposite way on official images by the Republic of Ireland government.

NORTHERN IRELAND: This was our first visit to Belfast and we started it with a Black Taxi Tour to learn about the Troubles from a local resident who, as a young lad, grew up during some of the most violent clashes between the Republicans and the Loyalists; the atrocities…committed by both sides…were horrific. We later learned the term ‘hillbilly’ was coined north of Belfast where Catholic Republicans drove the Presbyterian Loyalists…who supported ‘Billy’, the nickname for King William of Orange…far away into the hilly countryside. We were fortunate to have beautiful weather for our daylong excursion to the Giant’s Causeway and the Old Bushmills Distillery. Finally, we ended our visit with the Titanic museum; it is an amazing sequential and immersive experience that left many lasting impressions.