From the category archives:

Cultural Experiences

Laughs in London

Queen's Guard in London and Laughing Children

The Queen’s guards in London are known for their serious faces that don’t move. My daughters discovered it was quite entertaining to try and make them laugh. Read on for their top five tips.

Octopus Out to Dry

These drying octopuses hanging on a clothesline was an unexpected discovery.

The music, smells and sights of the main square in Marrakesh, Morocco were overwhelming all of my senses. We had just left the shadows of the souks, the narrow lanes chock full of stalls serving the daily needs of the locals and tourists alike. I wondered what would overwhelm tourists to America?

Carnival of Cities

Public Art in San Francisco by Kirsten Alana

Join me on an around the world tour with a Carnival of Cities. Top travel bloggers share their favorite places and attractions from various cities, from public art in San Francisco to viking ships in Norway.

Top Three Travel Secrets

A good travel secret for me is one that gives me a strong sense of place. I want to feel like a local and have a glimpse of what life is like for them in their corner of the world. Read on to find three of my unexpected favorites.

Paella

This was the best paella ever in a year of sampling many in Spain. It was made from scratch by a local fisherman for a long Spanish lunch with new friends.

Time Off Clock Time

This was what our year in Spain meant to me. Time with my daughters, time with my husband. Time off the clock. We were hesitating to call our year abroad a sabbatical, as my husband would still be working some, and I intended to commit to my writing, but the idea of sabbath time, or at least more flexible time, sounded appealing.

Spain’s El Gordo Lottery

Ticket for El Gordo Spanish Christmas Lottery

The man at the folding table was there each morning in front of the bar as I walked past on my way to Spanish class. At first I paid him little attention, but as he was faithfully there each day, I eventually noticed that he was selling lottery tickets. The window advertised, “Jugamos con el numero 34802.”

Where is Timbuktu?

Growing up in 1970s Kansas, the exact middle of the United States, I always thought of Timbuktu as nothing more than an expression of distance, great distance. “It might as well be in Timbuktu!” Thirty years later, I learned different. Where do you think Timbuktu is?

Three Kings Celebration in Spain

Christians in Spain celebrate the eve of Epiphany each January 5th, when tradition says the three kings brought gifts to the infant Jesus. The festivities continue today with the tres reyes arriving in town, by boat or donkey, horse or camel, and parading through the streets.