Raul
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What to Do in Santa Barbara? Check out El Presidio
More Details: What to Do in Santa Barbara? Check out El PresidioI have been to California a few times but mainly to the areas around San Francisco and, less so, around Los Angeles (plus a business trip to Sacramento). This past summer, though, I got to sample some of the “other” Californias. I got to spend a few days in lovely Santa Barbara. We had a nice…
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On the Camino de Santiago: Day 6 from Salceda to Lavacolla
More Details: On the Camino de Santiago: Day 6 from Salceda to LavacollaDay 6 saw our last full day of our walk along the Camino de Santiago as Day 7 would be a short day. Day 6’s walk took about 5 hours (perhaps about 18 km) not including our lunch stop at Amenal. I felt both excited at getting close to the finish line and also a…
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Trekking for Kids and the Bayti Centre in Essaouira
More Details: Trekking for Kids and the Bayti Centre in EssaouiraIn the summer of 2014, I decided to do another trek with Trekking for Kids (TFK) with whom I have trekked in Romania in 2012 and climbed Mt. Kilimanjaro in 2013. When I learned TFK was going to go to the Camino de Santiago, something I’ve wanted to do since I learned about it, I…
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2014: A Year of Travel and Food in Review
More Details: 2014: A Year of Travel and Food in ReviewWell, 2014 is now for the history books. Lots happened in this crazy world of ours and, likely, lots in each of our worlds. My year started planning my big trips for the year: Iceland and doing the Camino de Santiago in Spain (the latter with Trekking for Kids, a charity I am involved with…
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Iceland’s South Shore: The Dyrhólaey Peninsula and Vik
More Details: Iceland’s South Shore: The Dyrhólaey Peninsula and VikThe south shore of Iceland is a popular route for visitors to the island. One can do a day trek from Reykjavik (though, arguably, a long day) to see the major sights along the ring road on the south (e.g., waterfalls, glaciers, black sandy beaches). The south shore deserves more than one write-up so I…
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Panther Creek: A Challenging and Rewarding Hike in North Georgia
More Details: Panther Creek: A Challenging and Rewarding Hike in North GeorgiaI was looking for a hike that I could do within 4 hours that was not right on the outskirts of Atlanta. A friend and I were looking for a more challenging hike than the usual so after selecting a few finalists, we settled on Panther Creek, about an hour and a half north of…
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Hallgrímskirkja Church: The Young Icon of Reykjavik
More Details: Hallgrímskirkja Church: The Young Icon of ReykjavikHallgrímskirkja Church in the heart of Reykjavik is a “young” building. It was completed in 1986 but took close to 40 years to erect. Its design, driving up in a pointed way to the sky with its tower, reflects on the landscape of the island country with its lava flows. The structure is not the…
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On the Camino de Santiago: Day 5 from Boente to Salceda
More Details: On the Camino de Santiago: Day 5 from Boente to SalcedaDay 5 would have us walk about 19 km (12 miles) in around a 4.5 hour period, leaving Boente to head to our next overnight stop in Salceda. The group left together every morning and, generally, stayed in proximity of each other but a few of us would generally spend part of the morning walking…
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An Unplanned Stop in a Rural Cemetery in Moldova
More Details: An Unplanned Stop in a Rural Cemetery in MoldovaCemeteries always have a draw. Not quite sure if it is purely the inclination to the morbid or something else but, when I drove past this cemetery in Moldova (on my way back to Chisinau after visiting Soroca in the north) and noticed the colorful and unique crosses, I went back to get a quick walk…
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A Stroll around Reykjavik
More Details: A Stroll around ReykjavikOne of the pluses of going to Iceland, besides witnessing the magnificent statement nature makes there, is enjoying visiting somewhere that is manageable in size. One can cross the island in one day from coast to coast thanks for a great ring road that is in pretty good condition (especially, when one considers the climate). …
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On the Camino de Santiago: Day 4 from Palas del Rei to Boente
More Details: On the Camino de Santiago: Day 4 from Palas del Rei to BoenteAfter a great dinner in Palas del Rei and a nice comfortable stay overnight, we left the town on Day 4 to head to Boente, a tiny town and our next overnight. On this day, I would walk 21 km (about 13 miles) in around 5 hours to get to my destination. But we would…
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I Have a Mission for You: in Santa Barbara!
More Details: I Have a Mission for You: in Santa Barbara!Among the many beautiful things to enjoy in Santa Barbara, California, one of my favorite ones is the Old Mission. Its architecture, its setting, its history all make it a neat place to visit but what I like the most is that it is still in use by the monks and the locals; in other…