Europe Travel
Sidetracked In The Pyrenees
Shifting into fourth gear I started to wonder if the world was coming to an end. The ray of sunshine shadowing my car had gone, suddenly replaced by a large black cloud that loomed almost directly over head. A shot of lightning streaked across the horizon followed by an earth-shattering boom. The heavens broke and rain clattered […]
Mercat de Santa Caterina: Barcelona’s Best Untouristy Market
As anyone who has visited La Boqueria knows, the famed market in Barecelona located just off Las Ramblas is not just one of the city’s most well-known destinations, but also one of its most touristy. Sure, if you get there around 5 a.m. before the visitors wake up, you’ll likely be the only non-Spainard wadering […]
Amsterdam Set To End Ganja Tourism?
The Netherlands — apparently long a haven for visitors looking to partake in illegal drugs — is set to ban foreigners from entering the country’s famed cannabis cafes by the end of the year. Interestingly, the proposed ban will not affect locals who will be issued one-year membership cards — so-called “Dope Passes” — that […]
6 Best Places To Eat Dessert In Paris
Paris may be known for its decadent, mutli-course meals, but nothing says delicacy like the grand finale: dessert. Actually, it’s not unusual in Paris to mosey into a patisserie or chocolaterie for a midday snack, but one so fantastic that you’d hardly believe it was just a quick bite. The following list includes some of […]
Images Of Barcelona
Barcelona is probably better suited than most cities in the world to be described in images rather than words. Save for some technology that could transport the smells of an early-morning market or send the rays of warmth one experiences sipping sangria in a sunny plaza in the late afternoon, the iconic images of Gaudí […]
What’s Next For Spain’s Foodie Scene?
With Ferran Adria closing shop in December, Spain is shutting the door on what will surely be looked upon as a storied moment in culinary history, as well as looking forward to what is to come in a country where food and wine are treated with the kind of respect (rightly so) that retirement accounts […]
In The Footsteps Of Twain (Up A Mountain In Switzerland)
Back in 1880, Mark Twain wrote that, “the Rigi-Kulm is an imposing Alpine mass, six thousand feet high, which stands by itself, and commands a mighty prospect of blue lakes, green valleys, and snowy mountains.” Whether Twain himself really was a tramp — as he refers to himself in A Tramp Abroad, his travel memoir […]
Barcelona Dispatch: I’m On A Mountain
One of the main conundrums for travel bloggers is this: if you’re traveling you’re not on the computer, thus, not much of a blogger. This would be a pretty accurate description of my stay so far in Barcelona. Between the immense amount of everything — tapas, world-class architecture, people, great wine — there has been […]
Turin Steps Up As A Destination City
Earlier this month Turin, Italy, went off. The red carpet was rolled out for the Italian president, fireworks were lit, two museums opened, and a portion of new metro started rolling. All that was just the pre-party. Similar bashes happened on March 17, 1911, and 1961 — the anniversary of the Italian unification deeming Turin the […]
Barcelona Food: Worth Waiting Up Late To Eat
Is it me or do you notice how there seems to be an onslaught of articles published about a destination you’re traveling to just before you go? I understand, this is completely unscientific, irrational, and probably a tad ego-centric to think this, but I swear, there are some sort of travel writing gurus in the […]