What to do in Sintra, Portugal, Other than Eat Pastries
I went to Sintra, too, but I’m not going to be able to improve on Byron’s ode to it’s beauty. Poor, paltry slaves! yet born ‘midst noblest scenes— Why, Nature, … Read more
Eat Drink Stay
One Night in Lisbon, In Which we Eat and Listen to Fado
Probably the first thing you’ll notice about Lisbon, if you’ve just come from Madrid as we had, is that the heat is just as impressive. Except, that unlike the dry … Read more
A Beginner’s Mini Guide to Madrid
Here are five things I love about Madrid. I find myself going back to the same places over and over again, not because I’m lazy, but because they’re just that … Read more
Bangkok: 8 Things in 8 Days
I don’t know why I picked eight things to tell you about Bangkok. It’s an arbitrary number, I know. But, I’ve heard that eight is generally regarded as a lucky number in Asia. I was in Bangkok for eight days. That might have something to do with it, but I don’t like to read too much into these things.
The Two Most Important Things About Chiang Mai
For those who have never had a Thai massage, you’re in for something different. In contrast to the soothing, along-the-line-of-the-muscle Swedish style prevalent in the US, the Thais believe that they should rub hard across the grain of the muscle. This has the effect of stretching your connective tissues, such as tendons and ligaments, in directions they’ve probably never been in before. Honestly, it hurts. But, after it’s over, you’ll ask yourself why the hell haven’t I been doing this all my life?
A Sunday Walk in Madrid
Madrid, first of all, is a great walking city. If you are staying anywhere near the Puerta del Sol. you’ll perhaps first notice that Madrid got smart several years ago and banned all car traffic in the Puerta itself as well as all streets leading out of it for a distance of several blocks. Usually the only vehicle you’ll ever have to contend with is the occasional taxi that has received dispensation to come into the center to drop passengers at the hotels.
Spaniards love to walk. They do it all the time, but particularly in the early evenings and Sundays when they habitually dar un paseo with their girlfriends, or their extended families, or whomever. They don’t necessarily have any destination in mind, except perhaps a restaurant or bar. They just like to walk.
A Few Days in Medellin, Colombia
When I told an Ecuadorian friend that I was going to Medellín, Colombia for a week, she told me that she would never go to Medellín, because, “I’m afraid.”