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Going with the flow at Seville, Spain’s “Feria” celebration

Although I am thousands of miles away, every April my heart goes right back to the dirt streets of Feria, where horses are ridden down temporary paths, skirts swish and drinks are poured by the dozen. I’ve never seen anything like it in person before – in the middle of nowhere on a massive abandoned lot in Seville, Spain, a pop-up tent city is erected and filled with traditional dancing, meals, music and lights that flicker until dawn. Every year the massive archway, that is dozens of feet high, marks…

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Smack Dab in the Middle of Texas, Part Three: History & the Kitchen Sink

When this mini-series was started, I thought Texas might be my last stop on a line of trips I had been taking, so there’d be a slew of time to really dig into it. Wrong. But I still want to do it proper justice and wrap this up right. Fredericksburg has a big German history. Apparently a ton of German settlers made their way to Texas in the 1800s and left their mark. This might be the best tour guide ever, and of course I can’t remember his name. He brought us through the Lyndon B. Johnson ranch, complete…

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Smack dab in the middle of Texas, Part Two: Music and Culture

Back on track! Wondering a bit more about Fredericksburg, Texas? Get ready: Fredericksburg has such a vibrant and successful community that they represent a wide rainbow of faiths with beautiful places of worship. We took a peek inside St. Mary’s Catholic Church, which was built out of the popular and special stonework seen on many buildings downtown. The stone is seen here too at the cute Pioneer Museum. You can stroll through the complex and hang out in some wonderfully re-created and restored period houses full of antiques and charm. I…

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Smack dab in the middle of Texas, Part One: Food and Art

I’ll be doing a brief three-part series on the culture of Fredericksburg, Texas, getting into the real nitty-gritty when the spring issue of Canadian World Traveller is released! You think by now I would get used to be blowing away by new places but it really never gets old. Like many Yanks, I had plenty of predispositions about Texas in my head before I ever stepped foot in the state. Luckily, all these ideas were totally smashed by such a hospitable, humble group of people. Texans really are a rare…

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Travel Musings and Discussing Forever in Boston

Although I held on with my perfectly manicured talons as long as I could, the summer escaped me. I hopped on planes and schmoozed and maybe even got married (hence the nails). It’s been a wild ride. But back to work. To begin picking up the pieces and getting back into the game, I met up with a fellow travel lover at the Russell House Tavern in Harvard Square. Although I have a little adventure/mini-moon squared away for this weekend in Nova Scotia, beyond that my state of satisfying wanderlust…

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Independent, Classy & Strong: The Breakers, Palm Beach

There’s brunch, and then there’s brunch on the beach. It’s little details like this that make The Breakers in Palm Beach, Florida stand the test of time – in fact, it has been an iconic hotel for more than one hundred years. A bow and smile from all the staff, fresh flowers everyday and perfectly crafted cocktails all set the tone for a glamorous and indulgent experience. As far as Palm Beach hotels go, this is the only one right on the water and near downtown. There are several high-end…

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The Beautiful La Bellasera – Paso Robles, CA

Does driving all day for hours and hours seem like a nightmare to you? No way Jose. Any chance I get I’m all about the open road, wind in my hair, cheesy music on full blast. Bring it. Even better when the destination is a high class hotel with a hot tub in the living room. After an adventure of a day sightseeing, exploring the Pacific Coast Highway and oh, getting engaged, I needed an epic nap to end all naps. Our stop next was Paso Robles, halfway between Monterey…

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A Cultural Uprise in Arkansas

I know very little of the South. Or, I was unaware until my venture into Arkansas – a deeply welcoming and passionate place I never thought would delight and fascinate me as a native northerner. Instead of being met with dusty streets and wary stares, my time spent there was totally opposite – everything is bright, cheerful, green; people love newcomers and I was never left wanting for great food and incredible art. So if you want to witness it yourself, view art print wall decor available here. Right away…

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Childhood Dreams: Seeing the Lipizzaner Stallions Perform in Essex, MA

Lipizzaner Stallion - Crooked Flight

Not too long ago I was a freak about horses. Before the internet went viral, I clipped photos of the Kentucky Derby out of the newspaper and snipped apart horse-themed magazines I had saved all my allowance to buy. One of my fondest memories was the Lipizzaner Stallions – a pale gray and white horse breed hailing from Austria used in the military for centuries. They are based in the elegant and breathtaking Spanish Riding School while they train for special dressage moves, like moving in rhythm to music, jumping…

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Jake’s Whirlwind Block Island Tour Part Two: Surprises and the Sea

C/o Anthony Cannistra (Flickr)

After checking in at the Hotel Manisses we decided to go and see if there was anything left of the wine and hors d’oeuvre hour a short walk up the street at the 1661 Inn. Stepping out the back door to walk up the hill towards the inn we came across, a giant turkey – no, that’s not right, it had to be something that escaped from a Doctor Seuss book I think, or maybe some sort of strange mutated creature only known to this island.  Obviously I’m wrong, and it’s…

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