Last week I was sitting down at a bar with an acquaintance and over a pint of beer we chatted about life overseas. Simultaneously, we hit each other with a broad yet hard to summarize question, “what are your favorite cities?” I stewed over that question for a little too long and my answers went in circles. Finally, I landed on my top five and rambled off versions of the following reasons. Tokyo I was…
In the heart of Spanish Andalusia are the white washed hillside villages known as the pueblos blancos. Tucked deep into the Sierra De Grazalema mountains, with centuries old tile roofed buildings, cathedrals, and vineyards, it’s hard to imagine a more fantastical setting. Although there’s dozens of these magical communities, each holding their own unique charms, the town of Ronda is where I chose to stay for several days of galavanting for tapas, exploring history, and…
California, Mexico, Chile, Cuba; no matter where you travel in Latin America or any former Spanish territory you will be exposed to some part of Seville or some remnant of old Seville, preserved in architecture, food, music, and art. The timeless city is the capital of Andalusia in Southeastern Spain and the area’s economic and cultural hub. Few cities share the same breadth of historic landmarks and cultural infusions as this beautiful regional capital. It…
The fortified city of Granada is a timeless urban landscape encapsulating the history of the Andalusian region of Spain. Al Andalus, as it was known during the reign of the powerful Caliphate of Cordoba, feels like a different country. The scents of roses and orange blossoms, the sounds of flamenco and robustious tapas bars, the lonely white villages tucked into dry hillsides, medieval islamic palaces, and the tastes of North African influenced cuisine sets up…
I know four days isn’t enough to truly experience Spain’s cosmopolitan capital and the Castilian heartland. And to write about such a short stay in what many of my friends call, “their favorite city in Europe” is fairly absurd. However, I had a blast, and there will probably be others who read this with unfortunately as little time to spare in this amazing city. My itinerary was straight forward: three days in…