There is no doubt that Madrid is a powerhouse when it comes to sports in Spain and Europe, especially in football and basketball. With 2 teams in the top league in Spain in both sports, a lot of athletic talent accumulates in the city. And this year's season has proven this yet again: Real Madrid Baloncesto was the only Spanish team this season to make it to the Final Four in the Euroleague. And the football club of Real Madrid won the Copa … [Read more...]
Madrid, Once Upon a Time
Maybe it was a bad omen that I'd memorized Cinderella before I could read. By winter 2004, I had to accept that my life was turning to ashes. Single, living alone in Manhattan, I found myself without steady income, and few, if any employment options. My seemingly endless supply of crazy ideas to otherwise help keep me clothed and sheltered had long gone up in smoke. Factor in frequent, lengthy illnesses and my lifelong propensity for being … [Read more...]
Colombia’s Coffee Boom
For inhabitants of Colombia, coffee production is an effective means for economic growth and prosperity. And the National Coffee Research Center (Cenicafe), located in Chinchiná and sponsored by the Colombian Coffee Grower's Federation, is working hard to highlight the influence of coffee on the economic development of the Cafe Triangle region in Colombia and countries like Guatemala and Honduras, says Fernando Gast, PhD, director of scientific … [Read more...]
The Perception of Time
The use of time is an important issue in understanding human behaviour. Among cultures the perception and understanding of punctuality can vary quite a bit. Where Germans are known for their strictness, accuracy and punctuality, I definitely have to register a deficit in the last category. I'm not the most punctual person. Anyways, some of my friends know me so well that they would rather tell me a different time to meet just so they wouldn't … [Read more...]
A Local’s Guide to Vancouver’s Top Ten Free Attractions
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...]
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