Planning on moving to or visiting Córdoba? Congrats, it’s a great little city! Here’s a quick guide of where to live if you’re looking for new home, or if you’re just curious and feel like wandering. For the sake of brevity and readability, I’ve grouped some neighborhoods that are technically independent into one area. Keep in mind that…
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Nostalgia, She’s a Cruel Mistress
As the new school year starts, I’ve started to feel the unwelcome pangs of nostalgia again. It’s got me scrolling through old photos and presentations; looking out the window and sighing wistfully as I imagine an orange-tree filled plaza far away. What’s the hardest part of moving on? Is it the leaving or the remembering?…
That Damn Rusty Lock: A Story of Personal Growth
This is the door that leads to the rooftop of my old apartment building. See that rusty lock there? It was the bane of my existence. It’s safe to say that I was incapable of opening this door. No matter how many times I tried, I couldn’t get it. I would yell, kick the door, and…
Innocent Racism?
I normally delight in the absurdities and humor of life and travel and my blog certainly reflects that. But today, I want to talk about something a little more serious. Unfortunately, there are still some things in life that aren’t funny at all. In case you didn’t know, International Peace Day is at the end…
3.5 Ways to Callejear like a Boss
You may be wondering – what the hell does “callejear” mean? It’s one of those wonderful Spanish words that defies translation. The closest we can get in English is “to wander down streets” – in Spanish “calle” means “street”; hence “callejear” is the verb. (Unfortunately this doesn’t apply to all nouns—I’ve tried to make “fiestaear”…
The Biggest Chocolate Nativity Scene in the World
“We don’t just make pastries, we also make dreams.” I knew it was a quest the moment the bus driver stopped the bus in the middle of the road to get out and deliver a package to the warehouse across the street. We exchanged bewildered glances with the other passengers as the door of the…
5 Spanish Phrases and How to Use Them
You’ve moved to Spain and you’ve learned Spanish. So you think. My biggest complaint with what I call “textbook” Spanish is that it doesn’t prepare you for an actual conversation. When I graduated high school I could write you an essay on the effects of climate change, but my friend-making ability didn’t extend far beyond…
Pies de gato
The province of Córdoba is bordered by two major mountain ranges to the north and south; the Sierra Morena and the Sierra Subbética. Dozens of little villages (pueblos) are nestled amongst the mountains and in the valley of the Guadalquivir River, connected with a network of bike trails and hiking trails. This makes Córdoba province a paradise…
Dar la Vuelta
There’s really only so much pasta and garbanzo beans that a person can eat. Today, I decided to give the good ol’ tortilla de patatas a try. For those of you who don’t know, a tortilla is essentially a “potato omelette,” which consists of potatoes, eggs, and onion. This is a staple of the Spanish diet and can be…
The House of Three Languages
You may as well call us the Tower of Babel, because at any given moment, there are at least three languages thriving in my apartment. Spanish, Italian, English; and sometimes all three mixed together in what we like to call Monicasolani, thusly named for its main employer, my roommate. I am the only North American…
The Empress of the Universe 