It’s Sangria Season! Those fun-loving Spaniards know how to beat the heat. Sangria wasn’t always a party drink. A few thousand years ago, Roman soldiers marched through the Iberian peninsula–later to be called Spain–planting vineyards along the way. It...
Foreign Currency: Got Extra? Here Are Some Ideas…
What to do with extra foreign currency? If you’re like me, you hate to get rid of it. First of all, it’s much glitzier than U.S. money. Second, it’s a sweet and vivid memory of my trip. Still, what...
Hot Dog Throwdown: Sorry, Quebec City!
A hot dog throwdown? Why would this humble–and often maligned–sausage need to be compared? Especially since everyone knows the best hot dogs come from Chicago. Most of the world agrees, right? Okay, maybe not. And certainly not the good...
Volunteer Tourism: Is It for You? A Few Things to Consider…
Volunteer tourism: is it for you? Also called “voluntourism,” it’s a growing travel trend. About two million people a year–spending $2 billion–go abroad and donate their time to help a favorite cause. Given the world situation, volunteering certainly seems...
Naples Pizza: A UNESCO Cultural Treasure…and Treat
Pizza. It’s universal these days. But in Italy, where one of the world’s favorite foods was born, Naples pizza (pizza napoletana) is now officially recognized by UNESCO. Indeed, in December 2017, the pizzaiuoli–the skilled Neapolitans who spin and twirl...
Gallo Pinto: Cost Rica’s Delicious National Dish
Gallo Pinto: It’s more than rice and beans. It’s one of the best food memories of Costa Rica. Ticos–as Costa Rica citizens call themselves–have a saying: “Más tico que el gallo pinto,” which translates as “More Costa Rican than Gallo...
Cool–and Important–Things to Know about Your Passport
Got your passport? Good for you! Although the number is growing–latest estimates say that 42% of Americans have a passport–it still means that 58% have never left the country. Compare to the U.K., where 76% have a passport. In...
Airbnb: Growing Up and Scaring Hotels
Airbnb: A fairy tale come true. The only investment they could afford: Air mattresses! Once upon a time, in 2007, there were two broke guys in San Francisco. They had moved from New York, forgetting to get jobs first....
To Flush or Not to Flush…Let’s Answer That Question!
“To flush or not to flush…” Sorry Shakespeare, but sometimes this question is more urgent than pondering our existence. Americans don’t think twice about flushing toilet paper. We’re a young country and we have the sewage system to prove...
How to Eat Pasta: Instructions from a Sicilian
How to eat pasta? You mean there are rules? Assolutamente! Absolutely! Tommaso Pante, native Sicilian, licensed tour guide, and owner of Sunway, is adamant on the proper way to eat the pasta that is lovingly cooked by sisters, wives, mothers,...