I no longer live in Madrid. This is a sad fact that I’ll just have to deal with. But as a temporary resident of that beautiful city, I’ve been called on now and then to provide recommendations for those visiting. So I figured I’d put back on my Dame in Spain hat and present to […]
Category: Posts from Spain
Blog entries from Spain
Searching For My Perfect Coffee Shop in Madrid
For the better part of my twenty-one months living in Madrid, I visited heaps of coffee shops in the hopes of writing a blog called “Madrid’s Top Five Work-Friendly Coffee Shops” And as I finally write this post from one of Washington DC’s dozens of coffee shops (where everyone is engrossed in either a business […]
One Night in Colorful, Lively Porto
From the moment I arrived in Porto, I was delighted with the city’s colorful old buildings, sparkling river, steep streets, and possession of a lively, but peaceful charm. I knew I made the right call for a quick overnight trip. Situated along the Douro River in northern Portugal, Porto is one of Europe’s oldest cities. […]
The Exercise Habit
One of the first things I do when I move to a new place is figure out a new workout routine. In Yemen, it was running from bullets. Just kidding, it was swimming laps and doing Crossfit in the hyper-masculine hotel gym with Marines who blasted death metal. Before that, in Washington DC, it was […]
What I Won’t Miss About Madrid
There is a trend among Foreign Service bloggers right now to write about the pros and cons of their posts. It’s summer bidding season, which means this is the time when Foreign Service Officers and their families pore over lists of open jobs in countries far and wide. We “bid” on a different cycle so […]
Writing Lessons from Paris
I recently returned from Paris after completing my third residency as part of New York University’s Paris Writers Program. Another year – and two more residencies to go – and hopefully I’ll have an MFA, and more importantly, a decent draft of my novel. Residencies in Paris are inspiring and exhausting. I love every minute […]
What I’ll Miss Most About Madrid
Our Spanish tour is on its last legs. Soon, it’ll be hummus and ancient history in Jerusalem in lieu of siestas and tapas. I’ve got two months left here, and you can bet I’ll be savoring my favorite Spanish things during that time. Here’s what I’ll miss most when I leave: 1. Cheap (and Good) […]
The Supermarket Rescue
One of the more interesting parts of this moving around all the time thing (or, really, one of the more interesting parts of travel) is the markets and grocery stores. Everywhere I go, the grocery stores are so different – different products, different ways of paying, different people – and yet, in many ways, they […]
And Our Next Post Is…
…Jerusalem! Surprised? Remember back when I painstakingly outlined all the pros and cons of moving to seven different cities and asked ya’ll to vote? Well, the winner, Lima, Peru, and all the rest of the places for that matter — London and Papau New Guinea among them — didn’t pan out. We were without […]
How to Be a Vegetarian in Spain’s Foodie Capital
It’s not easy being a vegetarian foodie in Spain. Or at least, it’s not all that fun. In terms of veg options, most restaurants feature the same players: Tortilla, pimientos padrones, salmorejo (minus the ham), salad with goat cheese, a grilled veggie plate. These dishes are all perfectly yummy, but after the twentieth time eating […]
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