An Addition to the Family
Posted February 8, 2021
on:- In: animals | Dot | Family
- 90 Comments
Although some of you already know about this, I´m so excited to share this news. After some consideration, we adopted another dog, a little sister for Dot! Her name is Lia, she is three years old and a bodeguero, the same breed as our Dot. She is a bundle of energy and a real sweetheart. Dot is starting to get used to having her around. Like all new parents, we have taken tons of pictures.









Having fun at the beach.




You can be sure there will be more pictures!
Travel Challenge Round Up
Posted January 30, 2021
on:- In: Travel
- 32 Comments
Over the course of 18 days I posted ten of my favourite travel photos and invited you to guess where the picture was taken and/or comment on it. I was amazed at how many of you were interested in my pictures. Thanks so much for the comments and guesses. Day 10 was a picture of the Drumheller hoodoos in Alberta, Canada. A number of you guessed it and some even remembered this location from my book, Amanda in Alberta: The Writing on the Stone.
I enjoyed this challenge as it gave me an opportunity to review my photos and remember fondly all the places I have been to over the years. Of course, there are many more and it was difficult to choose. I miss travel right now, but I´m grateful that I have seen as much of the world I have.
In case you missed some of the answers, here is a recap:
Day 1 Tofino, BC, Canada
Day 2 Casa Batllo, Barcelona, Spain
Day 3 Clifford´s Tower, York, England
Day 4 Entrance to the Grand Harbour, Valletta, Malta
Day 5 The flowers of Kuekenhof Gardens, Holland
Day 6 Taos Pueblo, New Mexico
Day 7 A sunflower field in Provence, France
Day 8 Pompeii, Italy
Day 9 The glockenspiel in Nuremberg, Germany
Day 10 The hoodoos at Drumheller, Alberta, Canada
Thank you Geoff Lepard for nominating me for this Travel Challenge and thanks all of you for playing along. Congratulations to Andrew Petcher, who guessed the location of every picture. Check out his interesting blog, Have Bag, Will Travel where he describes his many travels with wit and honesty. If I didn´t nominate you and you would like to do this, jump right in. It´s good fun and an opportunity to travel while staying at home!
Travel Challenge – Day 10
Posted January 29, 2021
on:- In: Memories | Travel
- 61 Comments
It´s the last day of the challenge. It´s been fun for me to go through my photos and post some of my favourites. So many great memories and I´m so grateful to have been able to visit these awesome places. Thanks so much for following along with me.
The photo from Day 9 is from Nuremberg, Germany which Andrew, Donna and Pam guessed. Others guessed Germany which is great! It is a picture of the glockenspiel displayed on the Church of Our Lady in the Hauptmarkt, (town square.) I wrote about it in Amanda on the Danube.
Here is the excerpt from Amanda on the Danube: The Sounds of Music
The vendor pointed to the church and said, “The glockenspiel! Watch!”
Bing! Bong! Bing! Bong!
The huge blue and gold mechanical clock with a sun painted in the middle, chimed twelve times. A large figurine, wearing a gold robe and a crown, sat in an alcove below the clock. Seven smaller medieval figures in red robes, trimmed in fur, came out of a side door. They slowly circled around the larger figure, bowing and then leaving through a door on the other side. Throughout the performance, the sound of bells played a pleasant tune.
“That was totally awesome!” remarked Amanda. “It’s like a giant music box. It says under the figure, 1509. That is so incredibly old. I’m so glad we got to see it.”
“The figure, in the middle, is the Holy Roman Emperor Karl IV. The seven electors come out to pay homage to him every day at noon,” explained the hat seller with a strong German accent.
I was nominated by my blogging friend Geoff LePard at TanGental to post one favourite travel picture a day for ten days without explanation, then to nominate someone else to participate. That’s 10 days, 10 travel pictures, and 10 nominations. It doesn´t have to be 10 consecutive days. Thanks, Geoff and thanks to everyone for playing along. In these times, vicarious travel is a great escape.
Today I nominate Rebecca at Fake Flamenco. Rebecca is a bi-lingual author who writes interesting articles about her travels in South America and Spain.
If I nominate you and you don’t want to participate, please do not feel obliged, but if you do, please link back to me so that I can see your post. I would love to see what you choose to post.
This is my picture for day 10. If you want to guess where this is, leave your answer in the comments or just comment on the picture.

Travel Challenge – Day 9
Posted January 27, 2021
on:- In: Travel
- 44 Comments
I am delighted with the response to my travel challenge series. Thanks for all the comments and guesses.
The photo from Day 8 was from Pompeii, Italy which many of you guessed. When I was in elementary school, I read a book about the eruption of Mount Vesuvius that buried the city of Pompeii under volcanic ash. Since then I always wanted to visit the site of the disaster that has been uncovered almost intact. I was not disappointed as I wandered amongst the ruins and envisioned the people living there two thousand years ago. Here is a blog post I wrote about my visit, along with more pictures. (not easy to get pictures without other tourists in them but I managed)
https://darlenefoster.wordpress.com/2016/02/06/walking-with-the-dead-through-the-ruins-of-pompeii/
I was nominated by my blogging friend Geoff LePard at TanGental to post one favourite travel picture a day for ten days without explanation, then to nominate someone else to participate. That’s 10 days, 10 travel pictures, and 10 nominations. It doesn´t have to be 10 consecutive days. Thanks, Geoff and thanks to everyone for playing along. In these times, vicarious travel is a great escape.
Today I nominate Three Sisters Abroad. This interesting blog follows three Australian sisters as they enjoy travelling together.
If I nominate you and you don’t want to participate, please do not feel obliged, but if you do, please link back to me so that I can see your post. I would love to see what you choose to post.
This is my picture for day 9. If you want to guess where this is, leave your answer in the comments or just comment on the picture.

Travel Challenge – Day 8
Posted January 22, 2021
on:- In: Travel
- 53 Comments
I was nominated by my blogging friend Geoff LePard at TanGental to post one favourite travel picture a day for ten days without explanation, then to nominate someone else to participate. That’s 10 days, 10 travel pictures, and 10 nominations. It doesn´t have to be 10 consecutive days. Thanks, Geoff and thanks to everyone for playing along. In these times, vicarious travel is a great escape.
The photo from Day 7 was from Provence, France which Andrew from Have Bag, Will Travel guessed immediately. Sunflower fields can be found in many places but I will always associate them with Provence. My friend and I were searching for a destination when the GPS took us on a small road right through this amazing sunflower patch. We had to stop and take a few pictures. One of my best memories of that trip. Here are a few more memories of Provence including a wonderful cooking class.
https://darlenefoster.wordpress.com/2016/07/29/five-days-in-provence/
https://darlenefoster.wordpress.com/2016/08/08/learning-to-cook-the-cuisine-de-provence/
Today I nominate Cindy Knoke. On her blog, she features the most amazing animal photos from around the world. You really must check it out.
If I nominate you and you don’t want to participate, please do not feel obliged, but if you do, please link back to me so that I can see your post. I would love to see what you choose to post.
This is my picture for day 8. If you want to guess where this is, leave your answer in the comments or just comment on the picture.

Travel Challenge – Day 7
Posted January 21, 2021
on:- In: Travel
- 41 Comments
I was nominated by my blogging friend Geoff LePard at TanGental to post one favourite travel picture a day for ten days without explanation, then to nominate someone else to participate. That’s 10 days, 10 travel pictures, and 10 nominations. It doesn´t have to be 10 consecutive days. Thanks, Geoff!
The photo from Day 6 was of Taos Pueblo in New Mexico which Andrew easily guessed. I really hope I can stump him one day. Many of you guessed New Mexico, so well done. I visited Taos, New Mexico a few years ago with my dear aunt, who is a great travelling buddy. Taos Pueblo was amazing. It is considered to be the oldest continuously inhabited community in the USA and is a UNESCO World Heritage site, people have been living there for over 1000 years! I write more about it on the following blog post and it is featured in Amanda in New Mexico: Ghosts in the Wind
https://darlenefoster.wordpress.com/2014/05/23/taos-pueblo/
Today I nominate Susie Lindau at Susie Lindau’s Wild Ride On her blog she shares inspiration, travel tips, and entertaining posts about her adventures and misadventures in Boulder, Colorado.
If I nominate you and you don’t want to participate, please do not feel obliged, but if you do, please link back to me so that I can see your post. In these times vicarious travel is a great escape, I would love to see what you choose to post.
This is my picture for day 7. If you want to guess where this is, leave your answer in the comments or just comment on the picture.

Travel Challenge – Day 6
Posted January 19, 2021
on:- In: Travel
- 47 Comments
I was nominated by my blogging friend Geoff LePard at TanGental to post one favourite travel picture a day for ten days without explanation, then to nominate someone else to participate. That’s 10 days, 10 travel pictures, and 10 nominations. It doesn´t have to be 10 consecutive days. Thanks, Geoff!
The photo from Day 5 is from the Keukenhof Gardens in the Netherlands which Andrew guessed right away. Many of you guessed Holland/The Netherlands, a country renowned for its beautiful flowers. I had wanted to visit Holland for a long time and was delighted to be invited by a friend living there to visit. She surprised me with a trip to these amazing gardens. Here is a post with tons more pictures of the flowers. These amazing gardens are featured in Amanda in Holland: Missing in Action.
https://darlenefoster.wordpress.com/2016/05/03/tiptoeing-through-the-tulips-at-keukenhof/
Today I nominate Karen from Backroad Journal On her blog she shares mouth watering recipes, interesting places and enjoyable pastimes that she finds no matter where in the world she happens to be.
If I nominate you and you don’t want to participate, please do not feel obliged, but if you do, please link back to me so that I can see your post. In these times vicarious travel is a great escape, I would love to see what you choose to post.
This is my picture for day 6. If you want to guess where this is, leave your answer in the comments or just comment on the picture.
