winifredcreamer

New on the Street

My horizons are a bit smaller in Barranca than elsewhere, since my universe is my neighborhood. It was pretty exciting to have a new food truck cafe. A pleasant Colombian couple is selling coffee drinks and the back of their van has two beautiful old-fashioned looking expresso machines. The two wear traditional Colombian outfits andContinue reading “New on the Street”

Bringing In 2018

We had a wonderful New Year’s Eve considering that at noon on Dec. 31 we had no idea what would happen. A couple of conversations later and a quick trip to the store we were set. (Jonathan shopped while I stood in the long line. Serendipity smiled, and he turned up just as I gotContinue reading “Bringing In 2018”

Transitions

It’s time again for resolutions that we would like to keep, those we might keep, and a few that we keep making even though know we will never keep them. Hope is boundless, so let’s all put a big scoop of it in our resolutions and head on in to the New Year. Our holidayContinue reading “Transitions”

Farewell to Illinois and Hello, Summer!

Our extended stay in Illinois wasn’t all we might have hoped for, after all, it included a hospital stay for Jonathan (only overnight). After all the waiting for tests, the surgery itself went smoothly and he was home and sore the next day. Now, a week later, he is largely back to normal. WeContinue reading “Farewell to Illinois and Hello, Summer!”

Beachcombing Treasures

A great pleasure of being retired is having the time to dabble. I am a great putterer and after beachcombing extensively in Italy, I wanted to make something of my finds. I took the plunge and bought a Dremel. For the uninitiated, this is a tool that can be used like a drill, a polisher,Continue reading “Beachcombing Treasures”

Thanksgiving in the Heartland

The weather moderated for Thanksgiving. It was mild and pleasant, and we shared our feast with our friend Peggy and with Lyra, visiting from New York. You won’t see Lyra in any of the photos because she was sick on Thanksgiving Day, and we let her sit out the pictures. I am thankful for myContinue reading “Thanksgiving in the Heartland”

Inadvertent Visitors

We are held captive by the winds of fate, and have settled for the month of November in Wheaton, IL, our former home. When we arrived here (11/3 and 11/8 respectively), we planned to stay for a week, visit doctors, stock up on odds and ends not readily available in Peru and leave for pointsContinue reading “Inadvertent Visitors”

Something new: the toe of Manhattan

I thought I knew about Manhattan, having visited quite a bit while growing up and having lived in couple of neighborhoods. I’ve ridden on the Staten Island Ferry and been to the Statue of Liberty. Both require you to go to the toe of Manhattan. What I skipped over until this trip was the neighborhoodContinue reading “Something new: the toe of Manhattan”

Good to Know About Italy

It is impossible to generalize about Italy. Every region has its own customs, traditions, holidays, food, music, language. We’ve enjoyed our time in Italy this year, seeing many places that figure in the history and archaeology. The spectacular art in many museums has been wonderful to see.There is a cost to visiting Italy. All ofContinue reading “Good to Know About Italy”

Fiumicino is not Rome, or even Italy

The official name of the airport is Fiumicino – Aeroporto Internazionale Leonardo da Vinci though most people call it the Fiumicino or Rome airport. It’s 21 miles from the center of Rome, about a €40 cab ride. There are also train and bus links to the city. We were connecting from Palermo so we stayed overnightContinue reading “Fiumicino is not Rome, or even Italy”