-
Continue reading →: Let them Eat Cake: La Fête NationaleKnown as “Bastille Day” in English speaking countries, Le 14 Juillet (14th of July) or La Fête Nationale (the national holiday) celebrates France’s patriotism and democracy. In the lead up to our summer jaunt through France, I read one of Melissa’s old college textbooks: The Coming of the French Revolution…
-
Continue reading →: The Boss in MilanJust as we were planning our return to North America in 2024, Bruce Springsteen announced his European tour for the summer of our return. Melissa is an avid Bruce fan. Like addict level. We saw him in Denver several years ago when the Big Man (Clarence Clemons) was still on…
-
Continue reading →: Fado e FadoOur first sounds of Fado came to us, called to us, from the confines of a small bar. It was next to our first rented Airbnb apartment in the heart of the Alfama neighborhood and we ended each night sitting and listening to locals take the stage to sing their…
-
Continue reading →: Alfama’s Big Party Celebrating its Patron SaintA few years ago, we learned about Dia do Santo António, or Saint Anthony’s Day and had to go check it out. This year we returned, more experienced and ready for the celebrations. Anthony of Padua (Italy) is actually from Lisbon. He is the city’s patron saint as well as…
-
Continue reading →: Small VictoriesLast weekend, we scored a small victory. Life as an expat is full of them. And if you keep reading you’ll think, at the end, “yeah David, this one is really really small”. So, despite the risk of embarrassing ourselves, I will continue onward nonetheless. At the end of April…
-
Continue reading →: The Great Iberian Blackout of 2025Melissa was out walking and I was reading an article on my computer when the lights went out. There’s a lot of construction (always) near our apartment, so losing water or power isn’t super unusual. We aren’t on all of the notification lists (though that has been attempted with only…
-
Continue reading →: Celebrating FrancisIt was unplanned. In several ways. We had no idea it was a jubilee year in Rome when we booked. A Jubilee takes place in Rome every 25 years and is a period when Catholic pilgrims visit for a period of prayer, reflection and penance. But we had no clue.…
-
Continue reading →: Aboard the U.S.S. MidwayOn our recent trip to California, we had the opportunity to board the Midway in San Diego Harbor for a work event. We spent our day immersing in Navy culture with an afternoon on Coronado Island. After lunch, we strolled around the island, along the beach to the naval base…
-
Continue reading →: We Still Stand With UkraineMelissa wrote this post three years ago while we began our first long European road trip. It seems all the more relevant and meaningful today. God bless Ukraine and its people. By Melissa I am not Ukrainian. My mother was 100% Norwegian and my father, we don’t really know, but…
-
Continue reading →: Five Years OnThese past few weeks, Facebook and Photos Apps memories have been popping up with what I was doing five years ago. There was a lot going on. Five years ago, we were settling into our new home in Portugal. We had been incredibly naive. It was way harder than we…
The Traveling Ridleys
Welcome to the Sunday Journal, our sister blog about our experiences along the way.
Follow along
Stay updated with our latest Sunday Journal posts by joining our newsletter.
The Traveling Ridleys: Sunday Journal 