Contributions
The Castle that Odysseus Built: The Castelo de Sao Jorge in Lisbon
Created on November 01, 2010 by Jeff McCreight, WriterIf you find yourself in Lisbon, one of the oldest cities in the world, a visit to the Castelo de São Jorge (Castle of Saint George) allows you to step into the shoes of eons of rulers and to ponder the same view that they had. The ruins of the Castelo de São Jorge in Lisbon sit on a tall hill in the middle of the city, and conjure up all the magic and myth of the castles in storybooks. The Castelo de São Jorge is the castle you were drawing with crayons as a kid: up on the hill over the town with the banners flapping and the princess in the tower. It is one of the originators of the cultural memory of mystical ...
Rent a Scooter in Rome
Created on November 01, 2010 by Jeff McCreight, WriterYou know you want to! Alright, so you're scared of the notorious Roman traffic. Understandable—but it looks worse than it is. Bottom line: Vespas are awesome little machines, and they were built for this city. Your sightseeing trip will receive a thrill injection, and more importantly, you can take in all the sights at your own pace when you scooter around Rome. As with a visit to any big city, Rome covers a huge area and has a whole lot to see. It's simple math to figure out that on foot you see much less. Granted, you can stop and smell the flowers while you're walking, but this argument wears thin by mid-afternoon. If you're travelling as a couple, just wait until you're both hungry ...
If You Want to Eat Real Pizza, Go to Naples
Created on November 01, 2010 by Jeff McCreight, WriterLet me describe to you what real pizza is like. The crust is thin and surprisingly soft: foldable. The sauce is delicious. Cheese, buffalo mozzarella, is an afterthought; maybe just two or three thin discs on a whole pie. I’m mentioning this because there seems to be some confusion. I’ve been to NYC, so I thought I’d seen the top, but now I know that to find a real pie, you have to go to Napoli. Napoli/Naples is renowned for three things: Pompeii, thievery, and pizza. Walking into the sunshine from the train station you will immediately encounter cold-eyed street hustlers pushing iPhones and cigarettes under your nose. The ubiquitous street markets are mafia-influenced and otherwise lawless. Buying things on the street here is perilous, ...
The Festival of Saint Isidro in Madrid
Created on November 01, 2010 by Jeff McCreight, WriterShould you find yourself in Madrid around the middle of May each year, you might notice that a healthy portion of the populace is traditionally dressed with red carnations stuck in their vest buttonholes or pinned to their hoop skirts. This is for the Festival of Saint Isidro, the Patron Saint of Madrid, Spain, and of La Ceiba in Honduras. Should you follow a mass of these folks, who will occasionally cluster together to sing choral arrangements, you will undoubtedly find yourself (eventually) at some street party or another where thousands of Madrid’s inhabitants have come to talk and drink long into the evening. To the residents of Madrid, this late spring Festival of Saint Isidro marks the beginning of the long hot summer, and ...
Scale the Hanging Houses of Cuenca, Spain
Created on November 01, 2010 by Jeff McCreight, WriterA visit to the small Spanish town of Cuenca makes a great day trip from Madrid. Cuenca is famous for its “hanging houses,” and you will find in Cuenca an intact Medieval village hewn from stone and built onto a high bluff in the middle of a canyon. You can see traces of the Moorish culture that originally settled the area, and enough ruins, fortress walls and stone arches to ignite your imagination. The modern part of the village is a charming seat of local culture. The downtown part offers sidewalk bars and cafés, and all the friendly ambiance and semi-nocturnal social life you would expect from a Castilian town. But up the hill in the old town you'll find the real reason for your ...
Don't worry, It's Just Semana Santa in Spain
Created on November 01, 2010 by Jeff McCreight, WriterThe Spanish are very social people, and a great many of the things they do are done in groups, socially. The big Spanish holidays reflect this strong flare for community, and Spain's Holy Week leading up to Easter every year showcases a very strong and ancient civic tradition, one that appears downright sinister to the casual North American observer. But don't be afraid, it's all very wholesome. It's just Semana Santa in Spain. For Semana Santa holy week, the potential shock-factor for North Americans comes from the costume adopted by the masses as they process through the streets celebrating Jesus's last days. The costume clothing known as Capirote is identical to, and was in fact the inspiration for, the blood-chilling outfits that the Ku Klux ...
Take in 2,000 Years of History Strolling Around Segovia
Created on November 01, 2010 by Jeff McCreight, WriterMadrid has old churches and historic plazas, but it's all mixed in with the daily grind of the metropolitan Spanish capital. Many visitors choose to explore Segovia next door where you can see an aqueduct, a castle, and a cathedral all within the historic city's defensive walls. The Segovia aqueduct alone is worth the visit. Casting its shadow over the Plaza Azoguejo, this massive Roman structure stands straight and true after 2,000 years without a drop of mortar. And it still works, bringing Segovia much of its water from the Fuente Fría River in the nearby foothills. Passing among the arches, it's easy to get dreamy about civilizations long gone. Climbing the hill into town, examples of Moorish-inspired Medieval Catholic architecture line the streets made ...
The Alhambra: Perhaps the World's Best Preserved Moorish Fortress
Created on November 01, 2010 by Jeff McCreight, WriterMany people who only have a brief time in Spain put Granada on their short list of places to visit. This is because Granada is a beautiful, hilly town in the southern state of Andalucía that charmingly represents some of the most exotic and beautiful elements of Spanish culture. Here you find winding roads through ancient Moorish neighbourhoods, plentiful shade from orange and lemon trees, flamenco culture, an elegant cathedral, and the world-famous Alhambra Palace: perhaps the world's best preserved Moorish fortress. Any visit to Granada should include a few days for sightseeing and at least one full day for a visit to the Alhambra. This is not a single building but an expansive complex including battlements, a palace, a royal garden and various state ...
Learn the Art of Capoeira in Bahia, Salvador
Created on November 01, 2010 by Jeff McCreight, WriterOne of the most notable Brazilian exports to have taken root globally is the martial art/dance tradition of Capoeira. Organized into academies like Karate or Tae Kwon Do, Capoeira schools are peppered throughout Europe and the U.S. For many people, Capoeira dance is their first introduction to Brazilian culture. Increasingly, many of them decide to make a pilgrimage to Salvador de Bahia in Brazil, considered by many to be the cradle of the art. The story goes that during slave times the African and indigenous slaves were forbidden to fight or organize. Cleverly, they masked their battle practice as an African tribal dance. The overlords were happy that the slaves were pacified, and their slaves stayed fit and ready to resist when the opportunity arose. ...
Boipeba; One of the World's Best Beaches
Created on October 27, 2010 by Jeff McCreight, WriterIt's not easy to get to, but once you get there you won't want to leave. This just might be the beach you go to in your mind when you need to relax. Here at Boipeba the Inferno river cuts through a vast mangrove estuary carving a palm-covered island out of the tropical Atlantic coast. The climate is perfect, the water is warm, and the locals are cool. Crowds are non-existent (this is a protected area so no roads) but the conveniences you find here are quaint, affordable, and local. Back to the beach: though it's all smooth white sand and coconut palms, you'll find more to do here than just sunbathe. The confluence of the waters where the river meets the ocean and the ...
Scout Musical Talent in Recife, Brazil.
Created on October 27, 2010 by Jeff McCreight, WriterLike Rio de Janeiro and Salvador de Bahia, Recife in Brazil is best known for it's jubilant carnival. But Recife, the fourth largest metropolitan area in Brazil, deserves a closer look after all the crowds have left. There is plenty to see in Recife, but the most appealing thing about the city is the easygoing and modernist attitude of its residents. Unlike Salvador: rooted in the past, or Rio: trying hard to be glamorous, Recife is laid back and open-minded. It's full of youth organizations, graffiti artists, innovative musicians and otherwise friendly and interesting folk. Recife feels like a place where stuff is happening. The best thing to do upon arriving in Recife is to find a cultural program guide in a hostel, hotel or ...
Experience Brazilian Folk Music at Festa de Sao Benedito
Created on October 27, 2010 by Jeff McCreight, WriterBrazil in mid-summer is hot. My wife and I needed to escape the summer doldrums, and so we found a place up the highway where the folks are making music the old way. After reading about a festival of Congo musicians in the local paper, a trip to Timbui up the highway was in store to check it out. In front of the country church, a converging marching band were preparing to parade. Around a street fire, men began playing heavy rhythms, and women started to twirl in white dresses and wave big flags. A shout chorus of Portuguese lyrics lifted into the air telling of religious and agricultural folklore. Among the bands, burly men in harnesses rolled a huge fake boat through the streets ...
Dance Through the Streets During the World's Largest Street Party: Salvador's Carnival
Created on October 27, 2010 by Jeff McCreight, WriterThe carnival in Salvador de Bahia is recognized by Guinness World Records to be the largest street party in the world. This is truly a massive week of partying, attended by hundreds of thousands of foreign visitors, and literally millions of Brazilians. The secret to surviving and having a good time is to learn some background before you arrive; and then travel light and go with the flow. Do some research ahead of time so that you'll understand what going on when the party flares up! Salvador's Carnival centers around local schools, or blocos, that organize massive marching bands complete with dancers and costumes. If you know a little about the key players, it will help you clue in to the action. Besides having a ...
The Best Catholic Party in the World: Bahia's Lavagem do Bonfim
Created on October 27, 2010 by Jeff McCreight, WriterA dominant image of the Brazilian street party is being swept up in a crowd of joyful participants, abandoning restrictions, and living in the moment. There are throbbing crowds, tropical music, and a beach backdrop. Carnival can be too big for some, so there is a Catholic celebration every January in Salvador de Bahia that offers all that Carnival brings, and more. The Lavagem do Bonfim in Salvador will be the best and craziest Catholic party, if not the best all around party you've ever been to. The roots of the Lavagem do Bonfim festival are tied to an old Baroque church built by the Portuguese in the 1750s in lower Salvador: The Church of Nosso Senhor do Bonfim. During this time Salvador was experiencing ...
Exploring Paradise at Central Brazil's Chapada Diamantina
Created on October 27, 2010 by Jeff McCreight, WriterIn the middle of the poor and dusty central plains of the Brazilian state of Bahia, there arises a highland plateau that can only be described as a natural paradise. Chapada Diamantina National Park is about 1,500 square kilometers, including hills, valleys, monoliths and mountains. Here you will find rivers rambling through the semi-arid tropical forest where fruit trees overhang the banks. Waterfalls and natural slides abound. On the forest floor you'll encounter crystals, and underground are caves where gold and diamonds have been discovered. “Chapada” means a region of steep cliffs near a plateau. The name Diamantina stuck after diamonds were discovered here in the mid 19th century. There are parts of the park that look like a green Arizona. Other parts are covered ...
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