It’s been a while, hasn’t it? Sometimes the best breaks are unplanned, and that’s exactly what’s been going on with us. For those of you who were concerned about the reasons for the radio silence at Gallivance, we’re both fine and life goes on. Like many people we’ve been busy, distracted, and engaged with other things; some joyful and others extremely sad.
Seasons pass and life happens right? But we’re back on track now, and in the coming weeks our plan is to turn the lights back on and crank up the blogging mill.
We just returned from a one-month trip to Malta, Switzerland, and France, and we still have a few fun things to discuss from 2023’s Round-the-World Trip, so there’s lots to talk about.
Stay tuned, and thanks for hanging in there while we’ve been walkabout.
Happy Trails,
James & Terri
GALLIVANCE 
This is spooky as just today I thought that it had been a long time since we heard from you and I was about to get worried. So thanks for putting my mind at rest. I look forward to your upcoming posts. I’m sure you loved Malta! xo
Thanks Darlene. As a full-time writer and long-term blogger, I’m sure you can relate to the ebbs and flows in inspiration in the midst of life events. Everything is going fine on our end, and we look forward to re-connecting with all our blogging buddies again. Take care. ~James
I certainly do understand. We have had some ups and downs ourselves this year which has stymied the creative flow.
It’s good to hear from you. Certainly lots of changes are afoot and seem to be the norm these days. That’s life and the only real certainty. But hope all is well and look forward to hearing more down the track. Happy weekend to you both!
Thanks Miriam. You’re right that change is the only certainty, and the trick is learning how to deal with it while keeping one’s priorities in mind. Thanks for dropping by the blog and all the best. ~James
my pet fungus is so beautiful!!! Glad you are going back and also back blogging!
Janet, if you didn’t already, click on the photo and see the title. BTW, I haven’t seen the fungus in a while. 🙂
Yes life happens! Glad you are back and love all of those pictures – so pretty!
Thanks Pam. One of the motivations for blogging is answering the question: “What am I going to do with all these photos I’ve keep taking?” Glad you like these – they’re some of our favorites. Hope you are well. ~James
Happy Fall!
Glad to see your post. Look forward to hearing about your travels.
Thanks Rebecca. We’ve had a few fun trips, and pulling together a blog post is always a good way to reminisce. Thanks for continuing to follow along. ~James
Hang in there. Sorry to here some of the reasons have been sad.
Thanks Peggy. As we get older we all face the reality that everyone around us gets older as well. I lost my brother this past summer, and it’s hit me pretty hard. It just takes time. ~James
It does take time. I lost a sister in February. And I know the difference between hear and here, but my fingers don’t always respond.
Welcome back, interestingly I was thinking about you guys recently and wondering what you were up to. I have also taken a break from blogging…not sure when I will return. I do enjoy this community and particularly having met some amazing people here.
I am looking forward to your future blog posts 😀
Thanks Gilda, and thanks for dropping by the blog. We’ve just started our 13th year of blogging, and by now it’s become a part of our lives. But as you know, life is nothing but a relentless series of changes which results in priority shifts. We’re glad to be back and in a creative frame of mind again. I hope that you and Brian are well. It’s good to hear from you. ~James
Welcome home! But it does look like you made a great choice.
Thanks GP. We both feel strongly that we know when it’s right, and forced creativity is never a good idea. So it feels good to be back. Thanks for continuing to follow along. We hope you are doing well. ~James
Yes, we are. Thankfully escaped both hurricanes!
Dear James and Terry
Like GP we say “Welcome Home!”
Thanks for sharing your beautiful pictures
The Fab Four of Cley
🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂
Thanks for the comment and for dropping by the blog. We’re looking forward to sharing our recent travel adventures appreciate your following along. All the best. ~James
Welcome back, you two! Yes, life gets in the way of our creative juices flowing and our regular blog updates. It’s normal. I’m sorry to read about the sad parts, but I’m glad there were some fun distractions this summer as well! Blogging has to remain enjoyable!
Thanks for checking in Liesbet. You’re right, we all go through these rough patches, and it’s normal, but it just takes time. We’re serious about our blog, but luckily, it runs on our schedule so it’s not something we stress about too much. We just finished a wonderful trip to Europe and the Med which was a great chance to regroup. I hope you and Mark are well, and we’ll catch up with your travel stories soon. All the best. ~James
It is so good to know that you are both doing well…..though I am sorry to hear that some events have also been sad. Life definitely has a way of surprising us, and challenging us. I look forward to all of your posts, but I am especially looking forward to what you have to share from Malta! My grandmother was Maltese, and my mother was born in Malta at the British Military Hospital in Imtarfa. Malta is one place I have not yet been able to visit, but always wanted to visit! I am hoping that the happy memories you have already experienced, will soften the sadness that was recently experienced. Take good care!
Thanks for dropping by the blog Anita. We spent time in Malta years ago, and have always vowed to return in more recent times to see how it has changed. Given its small size, Malta’s strategic location has given it an oversized role in history. I’m sure your Grandmother had lots of interesting tales. It’s gotten very popular with cruise ships so it can be crowded, but it certainly is an interesting place to see. One its advantages is its small size, making it easy to see all that the island has to offer. And its “fortress look” is right out of the Middle Ages. If you get a chance, it’s a great destination. ~James
Hello James! Thanks so much for sharing your experiences of visiting Malta, and recommending it as still a good place to visit! I do hope that I can get there one of these days! Looking forward to your upcoming posts!
Sorry about your loss, James. I hope that with the passage of time, your heartache lessens.
I look forward to reading especially of your Malta trip as we left there two days ago for Tunisia and I’m curious to reading about your experiences in the island nation.
Thanks Annie. We spent a month in Malta years ago, and have always talked about going back. It’s still as unique and interesting as it’s always been, and we really enjoyed our few days there. We stayed right in the heart of Valletta, and got outside town to visit Mdina. The only change from years ago were the crowds. Wow! I don’t know if we were just unlucky, but there were two HUGE cruise ships there a couple of days in a row and the crowds in Valletta were astounding. We’ll probably blog about mass tourism at some point in the future, but now we know what all the complaints in places like Amsterdam and Barcelona are all about. Glad we went, but we’re probably over it. How were the crowds when you were there? ~James
James, Sorry to hear about the intense crowds when you were there. We stayed in Senglea and had a car for 8 days so we were about to get away from the crowds and ventured all over the main island as well as bopping over to the Gozo for a few days. Had NO problem finding a parking spot anywhere so we were lucky.
It sounds like you’ve had a lot to deal with, and sometimes a blog is right at the bottom of the priorities, as it should be. I hope you had a wonderful month away and I can’t wait to hear all about it.
Thanks Hannah. As a long-term blogger, I’m sure you can relate to the ebbs and flows in priorities and creativity when it comes to writing posts. One of the hardest things for me is to “force” a post. The best ones take work of course, but they seem easier to do.
On our recent trip we traveled extremely light, enabling us to move around easily. We had lots of variety, which is perfect for us. Hope you are well, and thanks for dropping by the blog. ~James
God bless you both.
Thanks. We’re back on track now and doing fine. Hope you are well also. ~James
I’m sorry for your loss, James. I can imagine how hard it must have been for you regardless how close you were with your late brother. It’s never easy to lose a family member, but I’m glad to see you trying to embrace life again. Take care and hope you are well.
Thanks Bama. My brother was my last remaining sibling. And while I tried to mentally prepare myself for the day when I was the last, it’s not really possible. It just takes time. I hope you are well. ~James
My sympathy on the sadness you are going through, James. As you say above, life happens; in all sorts of ways. Look forward to hearing more of your accounts of it all.
Thanks for your kind thoughts Shane. We try to mentally prepare for these things, but I’m not sure it helps much when it finally happens. The great news is that I got to spend some quality time with my brother at the end, and we both got some closure – which is all we can ask for. ~James
How enlightening. I was in no way aware that the term “walkabout” was ubiquitous (or is it not, and you’re merely showing off your worldly knowledge and ways 😉 )?
A break can do wonders for the mind, as one never wants writing to become a chore!
I don’t think any of the English speakers have a lock on the use of clever terms that have a precise application, and walkabout just seemed perfect. And as we move around we keep an ear open for good ones.