I grew up in Toronto, Canada. While Toronto is a tremendous city - boasting eclectic neighbourhoods, lush city parks and a vibrant cultural scene - it's also a place people get really practiced at leaving. Every Friday night in summer, the 400-series highways leading out of town are jammed with cars crawling towards the promise of fresher air and a lakeside cottage up north. I've left Hogtown for good and for the past six years have called … [Read more...]
Not Everyone’s Idea of a Family Vacation
'Where are you going this time?' my dad asked as he viewed the half packed cases lying on my living room floor. 'Barcelona.' I replied. He wrinkled up his nose. 'I've been there,' he said. 'Not really a place you'd take a holiday, is it?' Isn't it? I smiled at him, but I knew what he was trying to say. The same thing most of my friends and family say when I tell them where me, my husband and my two daughters are off to next. Not really … [Read more...]
Alta Moda in Rome
Although I think of Paris when thinking of European fashion capitals, as the fashion show in the French capital might be the most prestigious fashion show that exists, I can't help but notice a majority of the label names are Italian. The most important Italian cities when it comes to fashion are without a doubt Milan and Rome. I have never been to Milan, but I stayed in apartments in Rome twice. The first time I was there I went in to some … [Read more...]
“The Day I Was Born”
I take a deep blue look at the Mediterranean Sea. Barcelona is so beautiful in the summer. Everybody knows that; everybody's written about it. Oh no, am I one of them too? It's so beautiful here in Parc de Montjuic; I have the whole hill to myself. I walk inside the fortress, pretend there's still something to protect. I watch the port activity from up high while I eat my juicy nectarines. The containers look like Lego bricks, the cranes are … [Read more...]
Visit Barcelona a la L’Auberge Espagnole
Besides telling us about the adventures of a year abroad it takes us on a tour of magnificent Barcelona. So next time we are staying in Barcelona accommodation, let’s explore the city through the eyes of Xavier, the protagonist of the story. On his search for a place to stay Xavier, a French exchange student, ends up moving into an apartment in the Raval district with 6 other international students. As you can imagine, things could get a … [Read more...]
Once in a Lifetime
What did I know about birds? Enough to feed spinach greens, not stale muffins, to the domestic ducks at Recreation Park in my hometown of Long Beach, CA. Enough to avoid annoying the thirty-pound swans in London's Hyde Park. Enough to understand that silence was golden while trailing knowledgeable birdwatchers in the woods near The House of the Doves at Uxmal. And once, at my grandmother's house in Los Angeles when I was ten, I learned the hard … [Read more...]
Night at the Museum
I stood in front of the Galleria Borghese, my eyes darting between three lines that seemed to snake for equally infinite distances through the elaborate Baroque gardens before the villa, trying to decide which to join. It was Museum Night in Rome: the single night of the year when all of its fabled attractions are open to the public, and at 8:00 P.M., when the evening began, the most famous sights were mobbed. It was also my first night in Rome, … [Read more...]
The origin of Spanish stereotypes
When people hear the term "stereotype" it has somewhat of a bitter taste to it and one immediately assumes it is something negative and it slips into the meaning of "prejudice." However, if we are being accurate a stereotype is merely a popular belief about a specific group based on assumptions and conceptions. Curious about it, however, is that whether we condone them or not, we often use them as a point of orientation, when we don't know much … [Read more...]
Comida Madrilena
As the capital of Spain there is no doubt that Madrid delivers a great deal of excellent dining choices, but that doesn't necessarily mean that you get good food from the region everywhere you go. Like every other bigger city it is a melting pot for different regions where different cultures and with that different flavours get mixed together. So what are typical dishes from Madrid? If you're going to stay in apartments in Madrid you … [Read more...]
Old San Juan, Puerto Rico
It was nice to tour Old San Juan. The old part of this city is truly made for walking. At only 1x2 miles you can easily cover most of the old town in 1/2 a day. This is the location to the oldest "western" history in the New World. Buildings date back to the 1520's. The Cristobal Fort is a highlight with fantastic views overlooking the ocean especially when those big tropical billowing white clouds build up in the distance. Construction on this … [Read more...]
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