One thing that is better in Europe than in the United States is hot chocolate. Hands. Down. This is not to say you can’t find delicious hot chocolate in the U.S., but the standard hot chocolate in this country is a far cry from the standard hot chocolate in countries like Spain and France. I particularly love ordering hot chocolate in Spain when it comes with a healthy serving of churros (fried dough) for dipping. And by “healthy” I mean “large,” just to clarify. Hot chocolate in Spain is mostly melted dark chocolate with a little milk and sugar mixed into it. Sometimes it’s so thick you need to drink…
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Park Güell, Barcelona
When I studied abroad in Barcelona in 2010, I visited Park Güell several times. It had nice gardens and walking paths, many examples of the architect Antoni Gaudí’s signature whimsy, a stunning view of the rest of the city stretching out towards the sea below you, and it was free. By the time I took E to Barcelona in 2015 to show him all my favorite places in my favorite city, Park Güell cost 7 euros and had ugly stanchions to keep people out. It’s not an exorbitant fee, and it’s still worth visiting despite the crowds, but it feels a little less magical than it used to.
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fall, autumn, otoño, tardor
Fall is my favorite season to travel. And it’s my favorite season to stay home. Sometimes this is a dilemma. When I studied abroad in Barcelona several years ago (that’s a polite way of saying, it’s been a while), I felt like I missed Fall. I enjoyed a seemingly endless Summer, but swimming in the Mediterranean Sea in October wasn’t enough for me. I’d never been away from New England for more than a week and here I was living in a place for months where the leaves didn’t seem to change. There was no crispness in the air. I anticipated my return to the misery that is Boston in…
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Travel Linkspiration: May 2013
During May, I roadtripped through the Southeastern United States, spent a weekend in rural Maine, and visited Canada for the second time in my life. I took a photo of this Moose Mountie in Toronto’s CN Tower. He looks like a fun guy, no? In case you missed it, here’s what else happened around the internet in May: Ever in Transit ponders how travelers hope to make deep connections with places and people, but admits this isn’t always possible. Remember what I learned in Amsterdam? Well, Ali’s Adventures learned a similar lesson and explains how she’s ignoring what she should do while traveling in favor of what she wants to…
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Weekly Travel Linkspiration: language learning tips, “off the beaten path” travel, and small backpacks
Here’s what you may have missed around the internet this month. terribleminds shares 25 Things Writers Should Know About Traveling, and makes me want to forget all about blogging in favor of writing fiction influenced by my travels. (Don’t worry, I’m going to keep blogging… I might start writing fiction on the side, though.) You know how my sidebar bio says, “I wish I were a polyglot,” well, Almost Fearless suggests we stop thinking about studying new languages as an obligation, and start doing things we love in the language we’re learning. She’s learning Spanish by reading magazines about cooking and celebrity gossip. Katie Aune says that common stereotypes about…
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Weekly Travel Linkspiration
Maybe I should stop trying to fit words into other words…. While I ponder my syntactical choices, you should check out these awesome links from around the travel blogosphere: Spain, How do I say goodbye? from The Big Travel Theory: Jessica waxes poetic on what sounds like an amazing 6 weeks living in Vilanova i la Geltrú, a small town outside of Barcelona, which I have had the privilege of visiting. Why I Decided to Travel Solo for a While from Keep Calm and Travel: Sometimes travel bloggers gloss over how big a decision it is to travel solo and jump straight to advising their readers to do it, but Klelia…
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Weekly Travel Inspiration: Here Comes the Sun
It has not been a “long, cold lonely winter” for me in Hawai’i, but Spain is experiencing its third consecutive year of recession, with unemployment at 26% for the general population, and over 50% for my age group, the under-30s. This flashmob orchestra, organized by a radio station in Madrid, endeavored to brighten Spaniards’ days by playing The Beatles’ “Here Comes the Sun” at an unemployment office in the country’s capital. The singer’s accented voice is lovely, and although times are hard right now in many places around the world, “it’s all right,” might be exactly what we need to be telling each other.
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Why Italy isn’t a part of the Great European Adventure
You may have noticed that Italy isn’t on my itinerary for the Great European Adventure, and that was a conscious decision. I’ve stressed to friends and family that I’m keeping my plans open; so, who knows, maybe I’ll end up spending weeks sunning myself on the Amalfi coast or gaining weight in Tuscany. However, there’s a reason that isn’t in the original plan. I have been to Italy once. When I was studying abroad in Barcelona, I challenged myself to stay in the city for the first month. I was giving myself time to adjust to my new home, and proving to myself that I could do this. I could…
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Top Ten Barcelona
A few weeks ago, Adventurous Kate panned Barcelona. She felt utterly ambivalent about one of my favorite cities in the world. If you follow me on twitter, (hello to all 12 of you!) you know I initially felt very defensive, but reminded myself that my first days in Barcelona were less than idyllic. Regardless, I grew to love Barcelona dearly, and, for that reason, I felt the need to compile a top ten list. I studied abroad there for five months, and while I am by no means an expert on the city, I feel qualified to give you a few recommendations in no particular order. One: Eat tapas Spanish…
