Author: Ms. R.

When the Spanish encountered cacao in Mexico in the early 16th century, Barcelona became an important transit point for the ingredient when it arrived in Europe. But xocolata, as processed chocolate is known in Catalan, didn’t become mainstream in the city until a couple hundred years later.  Eventually, the ingredient came to be included in dishes both savory and sweet, and Barcelona gained a strong reputation for both its chocolate consumption and production. In particular, Carrer Petritxol, in the……

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In Spain, going to the beach is as much about eating as it is about sunbathing. As such, most beaches have chiringuitos, semi-open-air beachside bar-restaurants specializing in seafood dishes. Barcelona is no exception to this, and with several sandy beaches within the city limits, the city is home to several xiringuitos, as they’re known in Catalan. Head north from the portside La Barceloneta neighborhood, and you’ll encounter a string of sandy urban beaches. Platja del Bogatell, one such strip,……

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The Tomioka Silk Mill is a kind of historical site that every child learns about at school in Japan, but despite its UNESCO World Heritage status, it’s not among the country’s top tourist destinations. Which is a shame, since the site offers plenty of incredible views and well-preserved architecture, a glimpse into the dawn of industrial Japan. The Silk Mill’s story starts with the end of Japan’s feudal isolationism in 1853, which then sent it running to catch up……

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Many people flock to the private beaches and bougie restaurants of this Athens suburb, but beyond the glitz and glamor of the big brand names and the five-star hotels lies a crumbling folly of a chapel.  The construction materials were brought by boat each day and the entire construction was thanks to local fisherman and sculptor Nikolaos Xenos in 1947. A passion project for a local man, that took many years to complete, the chapel is tiny but packed……

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The Norwegian capital’s tributes to American political figures are usually grand and symbolic—Abraham Lincoln, Franklin D. Roosevelt, and George Marshall all have statues and memorials. But what about Donald Trump? He has a bench at the bus station. If you’re waiting for a coach in central Oslo, you might come across an unlikely nod to the NYC property tycoon who later became a U.S. President. The dark stone bench is etched with “Donald T.” alongside names like “Waldorf Astoria”……

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In 2013, teacher John Ssentamu sat in a sun-drenched bus on a route he regularly rode between Masaka, a city west of Lake Victoria, to Kampala, the capital of Uganda. He peered over his neighbor’s shoulder, reading a page of the book he was holding: Harry Potter and Sorcerers Stone. Ssentamu was immediately enthralled with the fantasy world. In particular, he noticed a strange word that didn’t look like English: “quidditch.” and asked the stranger if he could take……

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Chicken paired with lobster; veal meatballs braised with cuttlefish; rice dishes that blend shellfish and chicken: these are some of the most classic examples of mar i muntanya, a style of Catalan cooking that blends proteins from the sea and the land. Although a hallmark of Catalan cuisine, these dishes are getting increasingly harder to find, especially in Barcelona. But at La Pubilla, a restaurant in the city’s Gràcia neighborhood, the tradition lives on. Originally opened in 1912, nearly……

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Las vegas means “the meadows” in Spanish, though the sprawling desert metropolis might seem at odds with such a bucolic name. But the answer to how it got such a name can be found at the Springs Preserve. The site was originally named for the fields of vegetation surrounding a large spring on the Old Spanish Trail connecting Santa Fe, now in New Mexico, with Los Angeles. A major part of this trade was the export of horses and mules……

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The Porzellangässchen, or “Porcelain Alley,” in Selb, Germany, is a distinctive pedestrian passageway showcasing porcelain mosaics that line the pavement and walls. Originally installed in 1970, it was revamped in 2003 by artist Barbara Flügel. She used around 55,000 porcelain tiles to create intricate patterns along the alley, making it a unique tribute to Selb’s long history as a center of porcelain production. The alley connects Ludwigstraße with Gerberplatz, giving visitors a scenic, immersive experience that celebrates Selb’s cultural……

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In the old days, a bowl of Cheerios wouldn’t have cut it. If you were a laborer in Barcelona in the early 20th century, you would likely have begun the day with an esmorzar de forquilla, or “fork breakfast.” The term refers to hearty, heavy, meaty breakfasts typically paired with wine.  Many of the places in Barcelona that used to serve esmorzar de forquilla have closed, but a few cling to the legacy. Every morning, from 9 a.m. to……

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Nestled in the Mukojima neighborhood in the shadow of the towering Tokyo Skytree, Mimeguri Shrine is an unassuming Shinto place of worship, but the first thing you’ll see as you enter the grounds is a bronze statue of a lion couchant. It’s a replica of the Trafalgar Square lion—but what’s it doing in a shrine far from London? The lion, to the general Japanese public, is better known as a symbol of Mitsukoshi, the oldest department store in Japan…….

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