30 Comments

We really do need to get you on the Camino. 🚶

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I'm in the UK visiting a donkey sanctuary, I suppose we can call this a pilgrimage of sorts. :)

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It sounds like such an interesting place to live. And I guess that means that sometimes interesting has to include 30 syllable house numbering.

This made me laugh so hard - “(I shudder to think of the man for whom this was probably the artist’s most flattering depiction. Bless.)”

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Glad you were tickled, Michael! Good ol' Carlos - even "the Bewitched" was generous! 🤣

It's definitely been an adventure, moving to Spain - we have no idea if we'll stay, though we're almost certain we won't be moving back to the SF/Bay Area.

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I haven’t lived in either place (I’ve visited SF) but if I had a choice Spain would beat SF.

Maybe you will move onto more adventures when the time is right... If that’s the case I have no doubt those adventures will be hilarious too.

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The trick is to bring your own barrel of monkeys... 🐒

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😂😂🤔

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How cool to live somewhere with so much history. In my part of the US the past is sort of a bummer, same with California I suppose. I imagine the inside of that former chapel to be sleek and modern, with good wifi and a big tv and a roomba.

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Good wifi in Spain, ha! That would be a minor miracle worthy of St. Mouse ::)) But the history part is pretty cool...

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Troy, I so loved learning about Saint Mus - what a scamp! Altar destruction, smh…

Seriously though, what a joy to be living amongst such rich history. I love the kitten-like lion, gently clawing at Mouse’s robes in the tiled shrine! That is some serious saint celebrating that you guys have to organise your calendar around, how wonderful, though, that the history is still so alive there. I’ve only recently started to learn a little about the pre-Roman tribes that made up what is now the UK, I really feel as though knowing the history of a place allows you to inhabit it in a different way, can’t quite put my finger on how, exactly, but…

(Also, the “Bless”, after “I shudder to think of the man for whom this was probably the artist’s most flattering depiction” is the most scathing thing I have ever read & I enjoyed it so very much.)

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I absolutely hated history in school, but learning about it on TV documentaries and by visiting the places in question has seriously turned my head toward the interconnectedness of our world. Up UK way, I'm especially fascinated by the idea of areas now underwater which once were teeming with floras and faunas, it feels very Atlantis-y to me. ::)) I love a good scathe, it's true - poor King Carlos... 🤣👻😈 Have a blessed day, Chloe!

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I had a legitimate vendetta against my history teacher at school, so actively rejected anything historical for a time, but now it’s a fave. I really enjoy dropping into the fact that there is so so much that we still don’t know, it’s nice that the past can feel rich with possibly in that way.

I too, love a good scathe, it’s good for the spirit 😈 Always a joy to read you, Troy 💗

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My Italian husband assures me that ALL vendettas are legitimate. ;)

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Your Italian husband is a wise and generous man

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You knew Neil Armstrong was a Catalan, right?

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So I'm told... ;)

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Finally, mystery solved! I always wondered where Columbus and Da Vinci REALLY came from.

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We should set them on the trail of Bigfoot and Nessie, I'm sure they'd have an interesting take... xo

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ah, j'adore! what an amazing experience it must be to live in a place filled with such interesting stories, history...

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Thanks Pan - it has been both interesting and challenging - I absolutely recommend moving to a foreign country if you are tired of your comfort zone. :)

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Great history and delving, Troy, loved learning and reading all of that. As Ben says, it must be great to live in an area with buildings that date back so far. It's one of the main things I miss living over in Australia. The houses/buildings just don't have the history that some do in the UK or elsewhere in Europe.

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I hear you, Nathan - America and Australia have that in common. It's wonderful to be able to hop on a train and tour Roman ruins before lunch. They say: In America, 100 years is a long time; in Europe, 100 miles is a long way. Thanks for stopping by, brother!

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That's a great saying!

In Australia, 100 miles gets you 0.0000000000000001% distance across the country 😅

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So many resonances between the two...

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Interesting, Troy.

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I've been to Catalonia many times but never visited Sitges... will have to remedy that. The thought that popped into my head reading this was: "of course, the mouse that roared!" - It was irresistible. Love your posts, Troy!

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Thanks Martine! There's a glass of cava with your name on it standing by...

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Thank you! My favorite birthday meal is homemade California burgers with Cava... as the foodies say: a perfect pairing!

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It must be so cool to live in a place with historical roots that go so deep. Thanks for sharing the story. I love how your wry wit is always there, working under the surface of anything you write.

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It certainly has its moments - just the other day we "accidentally" visited an Iron Age settlement in a nearby town, complete with re-creation of a later Roman-era siege tower. Thanks for stopping by, Ben!

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