What would a visit to Spain be without sampling the tapas? Incomplete we’d say. But then tapas are a culinary style that is right up our alley, kind of a national tradition of appy crawling.We were determined to get our mitts on every type of tapa we could during our stay in Barcelona. We believe we achieved greatness.
The tradition of appetizers in the afternoon has several stories pertaining to its origin, but they all… CONTINUE READING >>
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The GypsyNesters eat as many tapas they can get their mitts… CONTINUE READING or leave a comment! >>
Unfortunately, we’ve hit a snag. We can’t decide on our own which trip to take. And, yes, there has been some “heated discussion.” After WEEKS of exploring the opportunities, we’ve narrowed our choices down to three trips. Please help us decide which one to take!
Where would you go? Which would you… CONTINUE READING >>
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Our first impression was definitely dominated by the enormous scale of the building, but on closer inspection, it’s the details that make this structure even more… CONTINUE READING >>
@DianaHayes “Tell me why when a person says they enjoy the empty nest another person counters with – Oh, but I am close to my kids. ARGH”Receiving this sort of frustrated Tweet is not uncommon for us, this one came while sitting with our morning coffee in a hotel cafe. I had just returned from using the lobby bathroom where I overheard a cell phone conversation in the stall next to me.
Yes, I admit I was eavesdropping – but I have two lame excuses.
1) We had just… CONTINUE READING >>
Barcelona has many treasures, but one stood out to us above all the others, literally and figuratively, Sagrada Família.
The massive church is without a doubt the pinnacle of architect and designer Antoni Gaudí’s incredible career. And we do mean pinnacle. Huge spires rise into the sky over fifty stories high – and it’s not even finished yet… CONTINUE READING >>
Check us out! We landed on the front page of Huffington Post 50!The Huffington Post Ann Brenoff
They are the anti-empty nesters. When David and Veronica James’ last child left for college, they metaphorically stripped down to their underwear and did a happy dance. Job done; case closed; new life chapter about to be written.
Today, they are best-known as the Gypsy Nesters — the married-for-almost-three-decades couple who gave up their brick-and-mortar home for a virtual home on the road. They are semi-retired boomers who roam the globe full-time, approaching each day as an adventure and celebrating the freedom of being unshackled from the responsibilities of parenthood.
Their motto: Our only plan is to not have a plan.
The Jameses see themselves as both… CONTINUE READING >>
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The style of Sagrada Familia in Barcelona is so fanciful that we felt like we had stepped into a Dr. Seuss… CONTINUE READING >>
Live longer, feel better and perhaps even keep your original knees and hips…blah, blah, blah. We’ve all heard the healthy reasons we should get off our rumps and out in the world.In case your joints aren’t that important to you, here are some not-so-healthy rewards that might inspire you to take that first step.
The GypsyNesters are glad to share some of the reasons that walking is such a substantial part our lives (in the ever popular… CONTINUE READING >>
We have an affinity for quirky architecture. The Cathedral San Lorenzo is as quirky as it gets.The facade, with the black and white layered stripes of marble and slate is typical of Genoa (or Genova to the Italians), was finished in 1312.
AND a bomb is housed… CONTINUE READING >>
My New Year resolution is to make everyone I come in contact with smile. You are forewarned. I WILL crack you.Sharing smiles with strangers has long been a personal philosophy of mine, at times to the occasional chagrin of David and the embarrassment of my former teenaged kids, but this year I want to… CONTINUE READING >>
New Year’s Eve in The Big Apple and your GypsyNesters were seriously contemplating a Times Square, ball-dropping extravaganza. After a bit of research and chatting up of locals, we felt that wading into a crowd of a million people, getting frisked and herded into little fenced-in safety areas, then standing for hours with no restrooms, food or libation is no way to ring in a new year. Even an article entitled “Fear Conquering & Ball Dropping,” as hilarious as that would be, could not entice us to spend that much time needing to pee.
So, what to do?… CONTINUE READING >>
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Forget Times Square! Fireworks for days! Countdown with the Watchtower Clock! Sights and sounds and parties on the… CONTINUE READING >>
When we hear the name Genoa it harkens thoughts of dry salami. That’s soooo not what this city is all about.Our latest Italian adventure would open our eyes to an often overlooked region of Il Bel Paese (The Beautiful Country) — the Italian Riviera along the Ligurian Sea… CONTINUE READING >>
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Our Holiday Wish for you is… CONTINUE READING >>
“Mom. You are going to get owned.”
My, how the tables have turned. I’m not going to lie, I was getting a bit of pleasure out of worrying The Spawn.
The reason for their concern was not without merit — I was about to attend Roller Derby Camp. Or as the Killamazoo Derby Darlins call it, a “Fresh Meat Event”.
In our never-ending quest to find quirky things to do … CONTINUE READING >>
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Veronica becomes “Helln Hotflash” and embeds herself with the Killamazoo Derby Darlins — not quite the brightest move for a “woman of a certain age”! She survived – barely – and it wasn’t until… CONTINUE READING >>
We’re pretty sure that rock & roll concerts on the steps of a cathedral housing the relics of a martyred saint is a uniquely Italian experience. With the exception of a few old ladies exiting Mass, and us, everyone seemed to think it was… CONTINUE READING >>
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We came to Castelletto d’Orba for Rassegna Dei Vini e Dei Sapori Dell’Alto Monferrato, which is the “Review of wines and… CONTINUE READING >>
Selling the nest and becoming GypsyNesters has given our adult chicks the joy of being the hosts in their homes for the holidays.Christmas is the one time we allow ourselves to hands-down spoil our kids – and, boy, do we ever! As thrifty as we are during the non-Jesus-being-born part of the year, we let loose the coffers when we visit our spawn during that “most wonderful time of the year.”
Oh, the anticipation! The joy!… CONTINUE READING >>
We must admit, we were certainly apprehensive the first time we took off across Italy in a rented vehicle. So we decided to offer a few GypsyNester tips that might quell some of the anxiety.Many of the trans-European rules… CONTINUE READING >>
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Most anything needed along the Autostrada, including a really good meal, can be found at many of the service areas, or area servizio. All of these stops have… CONTINUE READING >>
When our nest emptied, it emptied it not only of kids, but of pets too. We have nothing against pets. We’ve had both dogs and cats and loved them, but the GypsyNester lifestyle of no-plans and go-anywhere isn’t very conducive to taking an animal along. So, for now at least, we are finished with being pet parents.But pets are often a part of parenting and I got to thinking about some of the colorful characters that were a part of my family through the years. When I was a little kid, our first pet configuration was a… CONTINUE READING >>
Thank you! Thank YOU! THANK YOU!To celebrate another GREAT year, we are giving away a gift a day for three days!
To enter simply answer the following question:
“The BEST place to celebrate the Holidays is ______________.” CLICK TO ENTER >>
The Riviera is synonymous with playground for the rich and famous.
First royalty, then artsy types like Picasso, Matisse, Aldous Huxley arrived, and nowadays Elton John, Bono, Johnny Depp, Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie have all bought homes and frequent the seaside resorts. Of course two road weary GypsyNesters in a tiny rented economy car felt… CONTINUE READING >>
The author of “The Benefits Of Being A Boomerang Kid” lists three reasons that full grown adults should continue to force their parents to support them and, consequently, avoid contributing to the economy and society at large.
On the top of his list, spending Mom and Pop’s money instead of his own.
“Saving Up- With no rent or utilities, you can build up your nest egg as long as you’re disciplined.”
Gee that’s right Kid, no worries. Has it occurred to you that while you’re “building up your nest egg” that you’re depleting your parents’… CONTINUE READING >>
