Spain: You don’t gotta. In nicer restaurants, it’s appropriate to leave 5-10%, but skip it at bars and such (the management often keeps the tips). If you feel bad not tipping, just some extra change. A Euro or less will still be more than totally sufficient.
Italy: You won’t see the locals do it, and you [...]

Wednesday, October 31, 2007 | travel tips | 11 Comments

Montserrat is the mountain home of a famous Benedictine abbey, about an hour’s train ride from Barcelona. It’s also home to some pretty kick-ass hiking. Which is what lured me. Barcelona is wonderful, but I needed a little time out of the city.

According to my trusty pedometer, at its summit (San Jeroni, pictured at bottom [...]

Tuesday, October 30, 2007 | day trips | 5 Comments

I’m pretty sure I smell like feet. Oooh, hey! Isn’t that a pretty picture from the botanical garden? See, even you weren’t distracted enough by the beauty of Barcelona not to notice how much I smell like feet. And it isn’t even my feet. My socks are clean and smell strongly of that super harsh, [...]

Friday, October 26, 2007 | stories | 8 Comments

Even after visiting it twice, I can’t decide if The Rambla is fascinating or repulsive. Maybe it’s both, in equal measure.
Some of the street performers are magnetic - drawing crowds of tourists, cranky old Spaniards, and a few drunks. Others are simply sad. Painted head-to-toe in suffocating metallic paints, squawking or jerking robotically, hoping for [...]

Thursday, October 25, 2007 | general | 9 Comments

There is no country I love so much as Spain. Of course, God Bless America and all that, but Spain posses a certain magic that appeals deeply to the eater, thinker, napper and explorer in me.
It wasn’t love at first sight, though. It took me a good month to get comfortable living in [...]

Wednesday, October 24, 2007 | general | 13 Comments

“Are ya insured?”
His wife had already blown by us on her way up the stone steps, but the man in the green jacket paused briefly, to grin widely and crack a joke.
“Unfortunately not,” I answered, shaking my head.
“Brave girl then!”
I laughed. He was right - about the insurance thing. The view from Arthur’s Seat [...]

Monday, October 22, 2007 | stories | 6 Comments

Edinburgh (pronounced Eh-din-brrrrruh, obviously) was absolutely brim-full with charm. The Royal Mile, which runs from Holyrood Castle to Edinburgh Castle is lined with the expected tourist trap shops. But ducking into the alley ways (closes), we found a wealth of unusual treasures.
Edinburgh Castle was good for two or so hours of wandering, and our [...]

Wednesday, October 17, 2007 | photo albums | 8 Comments

The hostel website encouraged us to take the airbus from Heathrow to King’s Cross. Fast! Convenient! Scenic!
My friends, the airbus does not exist. At least, not anymore. Good thing London’s Underground is just as conveniently located at Heathrow airport, costs not too terribly much (though compared to New York City’s subway, it’s exorbitant), and goes [...]

Wednesday, October 17, 2007 | travel tips | 2 Comments

Perfect. Just absolutely perfect.
The hostel is small (I only ever saw five other guests) and manned by Daniel, a friendly, dry-witted guy with the skinny on the neighborhood’s best food. He sent us to The Basement, a local joint, where the fish was out of this world and the fresh veggies were a god-send.
Hot [...]

Wednesday, October 17, 2007 | hostels | No Comments

“Well, this is sort of anticlimactic.”
“Keep reminding yourself how much the stones weigh and how ancient and mysterious this all is.”
“Right.”
We looped the ring of standing stones, snapping the obligatory photos, and I wondered if any of the other tourists were feeling disappointed. Maybe it’s a whole lot of build-up, only to realize that this [...]

Tuesday, October 16, 2007 | photo albums | 13 Comments