FEATURE STORIES

Picture a dark blue crystalline sea that winds through narrow passages flanked by virtually vertical rocky cliffs rising some 4,000 feet high, where isolated, historic wooden farmhouses dot leaf-green meadows. magine a small coastal island city where almost all of its...

By Ron James So far, I've gushed about all of the great dining Spanish and Portuguese establishments reviewed in this feature. And no wonder – these are the best of the best we experienced in the land of delicious and innovative dining. This brings me to Le Moi and...

It was a beautiful day as we began our ascent up the coastal mountains from the Costa Brava city of Roses near the border with France. We were on a mission.
We had eaten our way from Portugal across Spain, sampling endless small plates of tapas, pintxos, and petiscos...

By Amy Laughinghouse As my airplane swoops down towards Lanzarote, the scene growing ever larger outside the cabin windows isn’t really what I was expecting. With its barren, brownish-red surface pockmarked by tall, conical peaks, it looks less like an island beach...

We’ve always been high on college towns in our travels. We can always count on an interesting and lively community, big on culture and the arts, and overflowing with interesting eateries that students, professors, and travel writers can afford. Coimbra’s beauty and...

When I first visited Ireland more than 30 years ago, I didn’t have the slightest idea that Irish blood flowed through my veins. Nor did I care since I was there to party and have fun with a small group of friends celebrating St. Patrick’s Day in Ireland. In America,...

There’s no doubt that searching for your family roots is much like a detective novel, only you know that there’s going to be a case solved at the end of the novel… not always the case in genealogy.  You may not always find exactly what you’re looking for, but the...

By Ron James It’s been more than three decades since I last set foot on Irish soil. I have many fond memories of that visit; however hard as I try, I can’t remember what I ate – although I do remember drinking a fair bit of Guinness. I’m sure I filled up on pub food –...

For a few seconds, I was back home in San Diego looking up the coast from the cliffs of Torrey Pines. In front and a bit above of me, paragliders rode the currents in their aerial ballet. Beyond, and somewhat lower was an expanse of broad sandy beach – virtually empty...