Rita Cook

Festivals in Spain

by Rita Cook on April 30, 2012

Las Fallas - Courtesy of Valencia Tourism Board

For festivals, look no further than the country of Spain for an exciting reason to celebrate.  With as many as 50 festivals to celebrate thoughout the year, a person could literally take in a festival somewhere in Spain just about any week of the year.  For me, I have my favorites for no particular reason other than when [...]

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Barcelona Art: The World of Gaudi

by Rita Cook on April 27, 2012

Architecture by Gaudi-Courtesy of Barcelona Turisme

When I think of Barcelona, Spain, the thought of Antoni Gaudi, the Catalonian architect born in 1852, always comes to mind. After all, the city is covered in the man’s work.  In fact, Gaudi’s work over the years has irrevocably influenced the face of Barcelona architecture like none other before or after. Influenced primarily by nature, [...]

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Legends and Myths on the Road to Santiago

by Rita Cook on April 26, 2012

Pilgrims-Courtesy Tourist Office of Spain in Miami

While many folks have heard of the Road to Santiago and it’s a to-do on many a  bucket list, the truth is that unless you have a lot of time on your hands you will likely not do the roughly 500-mile stretch of road in one trip.  Instead you might do it stages over the [...]

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Every Room is Different at This Madrid Hotel

by Rita Cook on April 2, 2012

White Room

Madrid’s Hotel Silken Puerta America is located in an Art Deco building about 15 minutes from the Madrid Barajas International Airport.  The 12-story building of red, purple, yellow, and orange, is the only hotel of its kind in the world and an art lover’s paradise.  The exterior of the hotel was designed by the French architect Jean [...]

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What Makes Belgian Chocolate So Good?

by Rita Cook on March 28, 2012

Wittamer chocolate, Brussels

Is Belgium the chocolate capital of the world?  Many say yes!  Last month on a trip to Brussels, Belgium I set out to find if that was true.  After all, every time I head to Belgium someone reminds me that I must bring back chocolate of some kind. Belgium actually got its reputation for chocolate [...]

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Cooking Classes in Belgium

by Rita Cook on March 22, 2012

Cooking Time in Belgium

I’m no cook and I will be the first to admit it. However, trying my hand at a cooking school in Brussels, Belgium, with a group of friends was too much to pass up. Keep in mind I am a person who can’t even boil water – but I was assured that by the end [...]

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Visiting Puglia: The High Heel of Italy’s Boot

by Rita Cook on February 20, 2012

Alberobella, Puglia, Italy

If you haven’t traveled south in Italy to the Adriatic then you really are missing out by not visiting the “high heel on the boot” of Italy.  It is an alternative to Tuscany, perhaps, and a good one.  Don’t visit the same old sights every time when you can head to Italy – head south to [...]

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A History of Pizza Straight From Naples, Italy

by Rita Cook on February 15, 2012

margherita pizza at Da Michele, Naples, Italy

Some folks eat pizza once a week, once a month, even once a day in some cases.  These days with the smorgasbord of pizza options out there, the history of a good pizza often gets lost. However, the truly modern pizza we eat today begins with the infamous Margherita pizza straight from the pizza capital [...]

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Marfa, Texas: Little Town With a Big Attitude

by Rita Cook on February 9, 2012

Donald Judd - Marfa, Texas

If folks outside of Texas have heard of Marfa the first thing they’ve likely heard about are the infamous “Marfa Lights.”  The second thing, an art community that rivals most big cities in the United States.  The town has also been featured in a number of movies over the years beginning with a visit by Rock [...]

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Historical Bars of Washington DC

by Rita Cook on January 25, 2012

Blues Alley Washignton DC

With an average age of about 35 years old, folks in Washington D.C. like their bars.  While there are numerous bars and lounges to consider when hitting the scene in the nation’s Capital, the eight bars below will take you through a smorgasbord of the city’s history one drink at a time.  If you don’t [...]

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