Four Bilbao Beaches and a Quest
Northern Spain Beaches Just to be clear, Bilbao, Spain is not on the coast, but the Atlantic Ocean is not far. Counterintuitively, we headed east not west to the beaches because the Spanish coast meanders east as it nears the French border. The beaches are dazzling,...
Spanish Immersion Program in California–Fantastico!
Lake Tahoe Intensive Spanish Summer Institute Don't have time to go to Cuernavaca or Guatemala to immerse yourself in Spanish? At Lake Tahoe Community College there is a five day Spanish immersion program called ISSI (Intensive Spanish Summer Institute) usually the...
Final Thoughts and Photos
Reflections I found the ISSI program to be a perfect blend of conversation, grammar, and breakouts. The first hour of each day I spent in my conversation class with Nelly, our fearless leader, and my five amigos. We shared some amazing stories, all in Spanish. I heard...
Bogotá
How do I love thee, Colombia Let me count the ways Visiting Colombia was my son Nick’s idea. He’d gone to Cartagena for a Triathlon and stayed in the colonial walled city. He told us it was perfect for us—charming, cultural, historical, and the Caribbean Sea to boot....
Bogotá Countryside, Zipaquira, Leyva, and Raquira
Zipaquira, Salt Mine Cathedral The next morning, we were picked up by Magda for our tour of the Bogota countryside. The first stop was Zipaquira, a salt mine with an underground Catholic cathedral. It’s even open for weddings although a gigantic cavern would...
Pereira: Lush Coffee Country
Hotel Sazaqua On to the Bogotá airport for a quick one hour flight to Pereira, located in the foothills of the Andes in the coffee producing region. It was evening when we arrived, but it was clear our boutique Hotel Sazaqua was special. Tranquil, secluded, and...
Medellin: Beyond Pablo Escobar
Santiago, our lanky, friendly Medellin enthusiast and guide, met us at the Medellin airport. Located in the Andes and built in a valley with steep hillside slums, the name Medellin comes with preset expectations made famous by the infamous drug lord Pablo Escobar (my...
Cinque Terre: Monterosso
Cinque Terre The romantic lure of Cinque Terre (Five Lands) on the Italian Riviera had been embedded in our subconscious for many years. Magical photos and over the top gushing from friends convinced us we had to travel there. We were going to Florence for a...
Top Ten of Bilbao and More
1. Rental Cars To rent or not to rent (a car that is) that is always a question in Europe. Three considerations: Public transportation, cost of parking and availability, and your itinerary. I would never rent a car in Paris. I regretted renting a car in Austin. Since...
Cinque Terre: Five Times the Fun
Village Hopping Each of the five villages has its own allure. Most people travel there to conquer the historic walking path that connects all five towns. Raphael had issues about taking this 10-mile walking trail. The primary issue being he didn’t want to. Also, the...