Official Symbol of the Camino
One important subset of travel is the journey. Set out paths that have been travelled by thousands, even millions before. Religion often plays a strong part in this, assigning virtue to those who perform a pilgrimage, and even requiring it of those who are able (The Hajj). The most famous religious pilgrimage, however, remains the road to Santiago. more…
Yesterday, I wrote about the travel restriction on Cuba, and before that, Part I and Part II of my Grand Tour. Today, we switch to a current-event topic in the travel world.
Over the last weeks, there has been some fairly heated debate over what’s going on in travel blogging. The ongoing debate was as to the ethics surrounding writing for things gave away freebies. As a relatively new addition to the field, I’m not quite sure I understand what the controversy is about. more…
A few points. Firstly, this is not a political blog, this is a travel blog. I will not be delving into the political situation surrounding the Cuban Embargo. Secondly, I will disclose that my mother is a Cuban national, born there prior to the ‘59 revolution, and who left shortly thereafter. I intend to be as unbiased as possible, however, those are the facts.
One of the most famous stories surrounding Cuban-American relations comes from the Oval Office itself. As it became clear that Castro was a Marxist, and the political situation across the straits of Florida degraded, President Kennedy called his advisor Pierre Salinger into his office, and ordered him to scour Washington D.C. for his favorite cigars. Shortly thereafter, Salinger reported that he had found the cigars. President Kennedy opened his desk drawer, and signed the presidential order establishing the embargo on Cuban products. more…
Among travellers, one of the debates I hear most often is over how much planning should be going into a trip. What are the pros and cons of both? Everyone has their own rituals and habits when it comes to planning, or not planning a trip, as it may be. I’ll start out by saying that I’m a fairly rigid planner, and I’ll explain why. more…
How often do you find yourself asking this question of yourself or others? In any traveller’s mind, that has to be the operative question most of the time, other than maybe the 24 or so hours after you return from a trip. I’ve spent many months reading travel blogs, and following people on Twitter that really know travel. My goal here is short and sweet. Get the information I have out there about my experiences, and see where it goes from there. more…
