Trafton’s European Tour 2024-2025

Greetings from beautiful Cadiz, Spain! The weather here continues to be spectacular! Highs in the mid 60’s but a little windy occasionally. Yes, it’s winter coat time in Spain!

Team C&K decided to take one last trip together as Kate is going on to Lisbon, Portugal, then home.

So off to Seville, Spain they go.

I’ve been to Seville several times before so I stayed in Cadiz and the team took the train to Seville from Cadiz, it’s roughly a two hour trip.

Cindy’s talking now,

Greetings from Seville, Spain! Katie and I had an uneventful train ride here and dropped her luggage off at her hotel. Off we went for one last tour together. Let’s go!

Yes, Bull fighting is very much alive in Spain and a huge part of the Spanish lifestyle.

Ok, walking now.

Built as a military watchtower in the early 13th century and was also used as a prison during the Middle Ages.

Continuing our walk, we walked to the Plaza de Espana. This was built for the 1929 Worlds Fair and is a celebration of each region of Spain.

Walking towards the city center. We can feel a 30,000 step day in our future…

Barrio Santa Cruz was formerly the city’s famous Jewish Quarter of the medieval city. We enjoyed walking through the maze of narrow streets and admiring the beautiful architecture. The steps are piling up now!

Seville is famous for its flamenco dancing and has a long history here.

Okay, 33,000 steps later, that’s a rap. Now a walk back to the train station for Katie to see me off. We had to say our goodbyes as Katie will fly to Lisbon, and I’m headed back to Cadiz! Our time traveling with Katie has been so much fun and memorable!

Seville is a beautiful city, but wow, the crowds were massive. I’ve been here a few times, but this was even more crazy than before. Must be the holiday travelers. Now, back to Mike…

Wow, what a last trip by team C&K! 33,000 steps later, massive crowds, sorry I missed all of that😉

TGC and I are in Cadiz until Thursday when we move to Lagos, Portugal.

Strong chance I won’t blog again until then, so Adios and Happy New Year for now!

Greetings from beautiful and sunny Cadiz, Spain!

Team C&K made the long trip from outside London to Cadiz successfully, flying into Madrid and picking up the lease car.

Let’s take a tour of old town Cadiz, all decorated for Christmas. Before we start a few words about Cadiz so you can frame the pictures in your mind.

Cadiz is a very old city, founded by Phoenicians and has had many, many lives. The current city was built in the late 1800’s and has very narrow streets and buildings 3-5 stories high. The city is mainly residential and is very busy all the time.

Cadiz also has developed a busy tourism business with beaches, cruise ships and shopping. It’s quite the happening city😎

Cadiz goes all out for the holidays and believe me, it’s a show. Let’s take a tour!

Walking the streets, it’s packed!

Ha, didn’t think I would forget a food pic😜

That’s it from Cadiz, 28,500 on the steps yesterday 👊 Good thing I know where the hydration stations are!

Merry Christmas to you and your family and friends!

Greetings from sunny and warm ( mid 60s) Cadiz. Yes the Spaniards are still in the wool and down coats😎

Team C&K are on the move, let’s check in!

Cindy’s speaking

Greetings again from jolly old England! We’ve left Edinburgh, Scotland behind under sunny skies. Our drive took us through Jedburgh, where we stopped to take a look at the Jedburgh Abbey, which was founded in the 12th century. 

Crossing back into England

We made our way to Harrogate, which is close to York, our next stop on our tour. We are staying in the lovely, Harrogate Inn. 

We can see why the Brits and Scots love their inn and pubs. They’re very welcoming and lively! 

This morning we headed to York for a walking tour of this historic city. We utilized a Park and Ride outside of the city which worked great and glad we did because many of York’s streets were under construction. 

The city was founded by the Romans in 71AD. Portions of the city walls still remain

First up was The Shambles, which is a very famous street with preserved medieval buildings, some dating back to the 14th century. Shambles means “meat market” which is what this street served as at one point. Very fun and interesting place as this neighborhood was said to be the inspiration for parts of the Harry Potter movies.

Also famous is the Shambles Market. Numerous produce stands, butchers and seafood stands (but nothing like Michael is enjoying in Cadiz). York Minster, a cathedral in the center of York, originated in the 7th century. Just beautiful!After walking for several hours we decided to return to a Lebanese restaurant we had passed. We shared Shish Tawook, a chicken kabab with unique seasonings. Wow, was it delicious and very flavorful. Okay, we walked through the Christmas Market and by this time the crowds were getting bigger. Our fun meters were full and we headed back to catch the bus to take us to our car. Thoroughly enjoyed our time here in Harrogate and York. 

Well, that’s it for us. We are heading back to Stansted, will return our rental car and fly to Madrid on Sunday where we’ll pick up a leased car and drive to Cadiz to be with Michael. 

It’s been a whirlwind of 2 1/2 weeks and we thoroughly enjoyed ourselves. A few wrap up thoughts: everyone was so friendly and kind to us foreigners, driving on the wrong side of the car (and road) wasn’t nearly as terrifying as we thought it would be, and sheep are prevalent everywhere! With all the changes we had to make, the theme of the trip was…pivot! But, we loved every minute of it! 

That’s it from jolly old England 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 and C&K! Back to Michael in Cadiz, Spain. 🇪🇸 

Meanwhile, back in Spain we are full speed ahead with Christmas!

Keep team C&K in your thoughts, tomorrow they have a very crazy day, flying from outside London to Madrid. Picking up the lease car, than driving 7 hours to Cadiz.

We’ll give them a special treat

Merry Christmas from Spain!

Greetings from sunny and beautiful Spain, great weather here in last couple of days! Blue skies and mid 60s, yes that’s freezing to the Spaniards😜

Let’s check in on team C&K who are in Mighty Scotland

Cindy’s talking now!

Halò from Edinburgh, Scotland! We had a lovely stay on the Isle of Skye and our hosts Gloria and Willie were so welcoming. We thoroughly enjoyed our fires! 🔥 

We left yesterday morning under heavy rain and dark clouds to our new destination here in Edinburgh. Arrived safely to our new Airbnb and planned out our next day. 

We are staying out of the downtown area and took a double decker bus into the city center. Always fun!

We arrived into the city and look at the first thing we see…

The Johnnie Walker Experience! Well too early for that so on we went. 

St Cuthbert’s Kirkyard (church and cemetery) with the Edinburgh Castle in the background. We hiked up to the castle and enjoyed the vibe. 

I’ve toured the castle before and Kate said she’s okay without the tour so off we headed down the Royal Mile (also known as the Whisky Mile). Also known as the Royal Mile for ya Tea Toters😜

Yes, I’m beginning to see why they call it the Whisky Mile. They could have also called it the Cashmere Mile. Dozens of shops specializing in Cashmere and Lambs wool apparel. 

We are thoroughly enjoying the sunshine we are having (and don’t mind the wind). We continued our walk down this historic road and came to the Palace of Holyroodhouse. This is the official residence of the British Monarch of Scotland, since the 16th century. Still used as a working palace and is used for state occasions, etc. 

The palace is surrounded by Arthur’s Seat which is an ancient extinct volcano, well known for its hiking trails. Stories about this area relate back to King Arthur. 

We decided not to partake, but instead went over and hiked up Calton Hill. Beautiful views and lots of history. (The tour groups were out in full force now.) 

Next up, we headed to the Edinburgh Christmas Market, which is located in the West Princes Street Gardens, right below the castle. A very popular annual event and filled with people on a Wednesday afternoon, one week before Christmas! 

They had a lot of unique gift booths but nothing jumped out at us and said “Buy me!”

Well, we still had time to stop in to a fun little pub right on the Whisky Mile and enjoy a pint. (A little side note, we had a group of men all dressed in their full Scottish regalia next to us. One at a time they would disappear out into the street and 15-20 minutes later would reappear and another one would disappear doing the same. As we left the pub, there one was, out in the street playing the bagpipes for the people passing by. So funny, after each shift they would go and enjoy another pint with their bros! We contributed to their fun! 🤣🍺🎄

That was a full day, so we headed for our bus and back home to get reorganized for tomorrow’s journey. Heading back into jolly old England! 

Slainte (cheers in Gaelic) for now!!

Wow, that’s a full day, TGC reports over 28,000 steps, sure glad I missed that!

Happy to report all is well and looking for to the ladies joining me late Sunday night!

Stay tuned, more to come! From sunny Cadiz,

God save the King,

Adios Amigos

Greetings from beautiful and sunny Cadiz!

We are having a beautiful stretch of weather here but unfortunately the wind is really blowing! So, even though it’s 64 in the afternoon everyone still has the down jackets on!

Ok, let check in with team C&K who were on the move to Scotland last time we talked.

Cindy is talking now,

That’s a tough Cow!

Halò from Isle of Skye, Scotland. The official language of Scotland is Scots Gaelic and this is Hello! This was a very handsome (or pretty, as both male and female have horns) Highland Cattle. 

We left Stirling, Scotland yesterday morning amid some heavy rain and wind that pretty much followed us the whole way. We did see some beautiful sights but difficult to photograph. 

Eilean Donan Castle, originally built in the thirteenth century, destroyed in the early eighteenth century and reconstructed in the 20th century. 

Fire in Scotland ✔️

We arrived to our new home in Broadford, on the Isle of Skye, (or Skye as they call it), and immediately started a fire 🔥! 

Because of the forecast for the next day of rain and wind intermittently we planned an abbreviated tour of the island. 

The Scottish Highlands are very rugged, but so beautiful. We made a stop in Portree, which is very recognizable because it is frequently photographed. 

We made our way north to hopefully see The Old Man of Storr but he was hiding in the low cloud coverage. So here’s a picture (not ours) of what it looks like.

Then, of course, we headed to do a Scottish Whisky tasting at Talisker Distillery. Not our cup of tea, but still a fun experience! Slainte! (That’s Cheers in Scots Gaelic) 

Headed for Edinburgh, Scotland tomorrow for a couple of nights and some great sightseeing. Looking forward to it! 

Mar sin leat (Goodbye) for now!

Wow, team C&K braving the elements in Scotland, couple of brave Lassies those two👍

Back in sunny Spain

Yes, parrots live in the wild here, I have a whole flock that lives in a tree outside my balcony. They are so active and man can they make noise!

Yes I’m still on my seafood mission, shrimp, mussels, swordfish and tuna, but i did treat myself to a little chorizo tasting, delicious!

Ok, that’s it today

God save the King and all that!

Adios Amigos

Greetings from sunny and beautiful Cadiz, where Christmas is in full swing!

Yesterday in the Plaza below my balcony, a Christmas Party for kids, fantastic!

Ok, let’s chat with team C&K, I believe they’re on the move to Scotland!

Cindy T talking now,

Hello from Scotland! 

It was our last night in Ambleside and they sent us out with a bang! When we checked in a couple of days ago to our inn they told us that every Friday night they had a live band for entertainment. We said, “oh that’s nice” not realizing our room was immediately above where the band was set up. Needless to say, this inn was built in the 1800’s with minimal insulation. Need I say more? There was no sleep to be had until after 11:00 PM. The highlight was the bands lead singer actually sang well and it was 80’s music!!

We said goodbye to our sweet hostess, Allie, who posed for us behind the bar. It’s the people that you meet on your adventure that really make it special. 

We shared the drive to Stirling, Scotland, our halfway point to the Isle of Skye where we are headed. After checking in (our hotel is right in the heart of the historical area), we did a short walking tour. 

The Church of the Holy Rude, was founded in 1129 during the reign of David the 1st of Scotland. It is one of three churches still in use in Britain that have been the sites of coronations.  

Tomorrow we’re off to the Isle of Skye, where unfortunately, we’ll be greeted with rain. Well, we are in Great Britain in December!!

“ Hae s guid journey “ Scottish for have a safe journey!

Back to Mike

Wow sirs, looks like quite an adventure!

“Bobs your uncle” that’s British for have a good day!

Adios Amigos

Greetings from beautiful but partly cloudy Spain!

We had quite the storm move through Cadiz Wednesday night into Thursday afternoon. It rained over 1 inch with thunder! No problems however,and afterwards, beautiful blue sky!

It’s quite interesting in Cadiz, the weather is vey Mediterranean and usually quite nice, but in the morning it’s in the low 50s. The folks here wear winter gear like they are in Idaho! Wool coats, down 3/4 jackets, wool scarves and knit caps all around! Even gloves!

Team C&K are on the move let’s check in!

Cindy is writing now,

Greetings from the Lake District in England!

We left the Peak District under cloudy skies, but no rain or wind! We enjoyed our stay at the Pack Horse Inn. The owner was lovely and treated us so well. Upon asking if we could have a picture of her and her staff for the blog, she insisted, instead, for us to get behind the bar for a photo! What a hoot!

Our drive to our new home in Ambleside was uneventful. In fact, Katie drove the last 40 miles (her first experience in driving in England). She did great! I have to say it’s just as bizarre being a front seat passenger in an English designed car as it is the driver! 

The Lakes District is famous for all their hiking trails. We had done some research and one of the more popular ones, from Ambleside to Grasmere includes a portion called The Coffin Road. This route is notable as it passes two of the poet, William Wordsworth’s homes. Parts of the route are quite rugged and other parts just plain beautiful. It is also famous for Beatrix Potter, author of The Tale of Peter Rabbit. She is credited for helping to preserve The Lake District National Park. Our nine mile hike took us just over four hours and we couldn’t wipe the smiles off our faces! Just beautiful!

Love these English mail boxes!

Last night here, then we’re off to Scotland. Remember, our ferries got cancelled so we’re doing some revamping of our trip and will get to explore a little more of Scotland and England than originally planned. The people have been so friendly and we just keep pinching ourselves. 

Stay tuned!

Back to Mike,

Wow, I’m not much of a hiker, but that’s beautiful!

Ok, there’s rumors of a Guinness beer shortage in England, Team C&K went on an investigation reconnaissance.

Team C&K in England, and reports of a beer shortage 🤔

Meanwhile, in Cadiz I’m doing my best to keep the the economy moving!

That’s it for now,

God save the King!

Adios Amigos!

And Metty Christmas

Greetings from beautiful if cold, windy and rainy Cadiz! Yes, the weather moved in late yesterday and it’s forecast to rain all day here.

However, the forecast for the next 10 days is beautiful, so push on!

Before we get to team C&Ks adventure, a few words from me on Wales.

The Welsh people are very proud of Wales and while it’s part of England and the UK, don’t ever forget they have a long and prideful history. They have talked of independence a few times as have the Scottish people.

If you are interested, Netflix has a great series on the uniting of England “ The Last Kingdom“ it does a great job explaining how England was unified after purging the Vikings.

Ok TGC is now in control!

Greetings from the Peak District of England. 

We enjoyed our stay in Wales. It was so unique to see the Welsh language on all the signs.

After our ferries to Dublin had been cancelled, we put our heads together to come up with a new game plan. We decided to reverse our trip and leave Wales and head back into England and head north. 

We’ve arrived in New Mills, to our new inn, The Pack Horse Inn which is SW of Manchester. 

It is close to numerous pretty villages and beautiful scenery but we decided to take a tour of the Chatsworth House and Gardens. It is the seat of the Duke of Devonshire. Construction began in 1687. For those Pride and Prejudice movie fans you will recognize the pictures from the movie. It was all decorated for Christmas and was incredibly beautiful. We kept pinching ourselves!

England has these wonderful Farm shops, fantastic shops !

Tomorrow we head for the Lake District for a couple of days of sightseeing and laundry!! 

Driving continues to be very adventurous and at times stressful, for both driver and navigator!

While we had no sunshine, we were without rain and wind. 👏🏻 

That’s it from team C&K for today! Looks like they’re having a great time.

You know me, just kind of hanging out😜

That’s it for now, got my rain jacket out and ready to carry on !

Until later, God save the King

Adios AmigoS

Greetings from beautiful and warm Cadiz, Spain.

Beautiful winter weather here, lows 50s,, highs 60s and lots of sunshine.

Unfortunately for team C&K things have not been going as smoothly. Remember they were scheduled to take the ferry across to Ireland.

I’ll let TGC ( Tour Guide Cindy) take over

Greetings from Beaumaris, Wales. Let’s get you caught up on our topsy turvy adventure. As you may remember, we had a massive storm that hit the UK while we were in Bath. Well, unfortunately  that storm affected all the ferry crossings to Ireland. We had planned a one night stay here in Beaumaris, Wales in an absolutely lovely Inn, with an early ferry crossing to Dublin on the morning of the 9th. 

On our way here we received an email stating all the ferries were cancelled. 😫 The next scheduled ferry would have been this evening, the 10th. So we added an extra night and spent the day enjoying Beaumaris and visited the “Greatest Castle Never Built” a block away. It was begun by King Edward I in 1295 and after about five years he ran out of money as he was having a war in Scotland!😧 It was amazing and interesting. That evening we spoke with some locals in our pub (right here in our inn..pinch us!) and they recommended a great hike into the Cwm Idwl National Nature Reserve a half hour away. Well, as we had plenty of time to kill, this morning we got some things done then headed for our hike. Beautiful sunny morning, we had just begun our hike when we received an email (thank goodness we had reception 😁) that our ferry for Tuesday evening was cancelled. The next ferry would be the next night (Wednesday). We turned around, and headed for the Inn to figure out our plan of action!😆 

Well, we’d now lost two of our three nights in Dublin, and not knowing if, or when, we’d get there, would we get stuck over there with our rental car?? So, being disappointed, but realizing we have many options, we pivoted, cancelled our trip to Ireland and Northern Ireland and rerouted our trip up through England and Scotland! 

So, stay tuned…

Cwm Idwl National Nature Reserve 

Ok, big changes for team C&K, but being professionals they’ll overcome!

I’m enjoying my favorite City and making the most of the seafood!

That’s it for now, God save the King and all that

Adios Amigo 😎

Greetings from beautiful Cadiz, Spain

Lovely weather here in Spain, 67 and partly sunny! Unfortunately, team C&K were not so lucky in England! A huge storm Darragh moved across England with wind and rain close to 100 mph!

Thousands lost power and downed trees closed roads. Let’s check in with the team.

Cindy’s writing now!

We had a terrible wind and rain storm that started last night and continued throughout today. We decided to cut our tour down by a couple of hours and glad we did. Debris and downed trees were everywhere causing many delays and rerouting!😟 

So, first stop Bibury, crazy busy by 11:00. The weather didn’t stop the tourists that’s for sure. 

Ok, on to Clarkson’s Farm

Any “Clarkson Farm” fans out there? We stopped at “The Diddly Squat Farm Shop” which is featured on Prime Video. It had a huge line so unfortunately not enough time to stand in line. Found a parking spot and took a few photos. Made us smile. 

We drove through some other beautiful little villages but unfortunately the crowds were huge and no parking. So our last stop was Bourton-on-the-Water. Michael and I had been there once before but in the summer. Found a parking spot and took in some sights. Beautiful!

We headed for home and that’s when it got a little crazy with down trees and road closers, as I mentioned before. But we made it home safely. 

Tomorrow we drive to Wales for an overnighter and then a ferry to Dublin! Cheerio for now!

PS December 7 is Pearl Harbor day🙏🏻

That looks a bit nasty didn’t it😬

What’s a guy supposed to do in Spain! Well!

Ok that’s it for now, adios Amigos!