At the beginning of my journey my name is Abhain Dubh meaning “black river” in Scottish Gaelic. I tumble down the mountain to Duchray Water and then into Loch Chon, much appreciated for its sheltered water after my hurtle down the hillside. I can relax in this magical place and enjoy the playfulness…

Could there be any better way to be challenged than to have an actual, honest conversation face-to-face with people towards whom you would not normally gravitate because they do not sound or look like you? When information is available in a safe setting, you are able to make your own decisions. Building bridges is more constructive than building walls.

I realize that I am blessed to have been born in the US (thank you , Mom and Dad, for seeking and working for a better life). I realize that I enjoy great privilege in being able to travel and learn from experiences and cultures from all over the world, and I do not ever want to take any of that for granted.

This is the moment of truth. The matador will try with his dance to make the bull look like the perfect creature that it is. It is, to me, the most beautiful moment of the corrida. The two in the ring become one soul. A good matador will be the bull’s shadow, will be his breath, they unite.

A cremation day is characterized more by fun and laughter than mourning. The community is helping to achieve their sacred duty: liberating the soul of the departed and freeing them to reincarnate. In Bali’s unique form of Hinduism, the body is only a shell—the vessel of the soul.  After death, the soul lingers near the body until being liberated by fire. Through cremation, the soul is released to be reborn.

One of America’s most prolific and celebrated writers to change the literary landscape is undeniably Ernest Hemingway. While it’s always a challenge to capture a work of writing and adequately refashion it for the silver screen, here are five worthwhile adaptations of works by the incomparable Ernest Hemingway.

Here in Spain, getting your driver’s licencse is a big deal. One of the things that shocks foreigners is that we have to wait until we are 18 years old, and you are not allowed to practice at all before that day.

It’s Christmastime and that means Christmas cookies! You probably have your own traditions and favorites, but might I encourage you to add something new to your holiday treats?

Pushkar attracts Rajasthanis from far and wide, all of them wearing their best, brightest saris, turbans, and traditional costumes, creating a festive energy and a surging sea of visual splendor. There are carnival rides, food booths, and plenty of entertainment. It’s a busker’s paradise.

The moment I set a foot in that magical place, I realized what she meant. I was Basque, I was home. That smoky smell, the music, the long family-style tables, the Pelota Fronton (pelota court), the wrinkled faces of those old men playing cards (mus, a Basque card game, to be exact) reminded me of my grandpa. It didn't just look like home, it felt like home, it was home. I still get goosebumps when I think about it.

Maybe it’s the climate with long, cold, dark nights. Maybe it’s just the psyche of the people. Whatever the reason, we Scots are never slow to turn a celebration into a party. The winter months in Scotland are scattered with festivities—Halloween, Guy Fawkes (or Bonfire) Night, St Andrew’s Day, Burns Night, not to mention Christmas! But when it comes to celebrations, aboon them a’ (above them all), is Hogmanay.

When we think about witches, what normally comes to mind is an ugly, old woman with a wart on the tip of her nose, casting spells over a boiling pot. At least, this is the way Hollywood has portrayed them. It is 100% different from what we consider a witch in the Basque culture. We call them “sorguiñe”, which means “the one that gives life”.

If we read the newspaper headlines, and watch the TV news it certainly seems like there isn't much to be cheerful about; all we seem to hear about are wars, terrorism, the exodus of populations, hunger and now the Covid-19 pandemic. But are we able to see what is right in front of us from an objective perspective?

There are records that show wine production in Otazu dating back to the 800s AD. It was the most relevant moment of the Camino De Santiago. This is the Saint James Pilgrimage—one of the three most important Christian pilgrimages in the world—and it used to cross Otazu´s property.

 People from across Scotland and the rest of the UK, Europe and increasingly the wider world, are prepared to pay thousands of pounds per day for the experience of participating in a grouse shoot on a Highland estate. For some it’s the thrill of the chase, the opportunity to test their skills and to enjoy the camaraderie of like-minded friends in an iconic setting. For others, it’s the opportunity to join in a ritual which for so long has been the preserve of the elite, the landed gentry.

Andrew Villone of Savor the Experience Tours welcomes guest Alexandra Chirila of Roaring Romania Tours to discuss her experiences in politics as she runs for a seat on Bucharest's second district city council.

I stand there for a while, thinking about the poet's words that changed modern poetry, words that have been accompanying me through the city, taking me into his life, mind, and travels.  And I have combined my love for Patti Smith's and Rimbaud's work; it has been a perfect day. 

In 2016 the Accademia had a special exhibit of the Flemish painter Hieronymus Bosch, who apparently spent some time in Venice. He was a successful late 15th-century Flemish artist. That success seems to defy all reason for me. It’s not that his art is not fascinating, arresting, and thought provoking (all good things in art), but rather that it was successful 500 years ago.

In Italian the word for “bread” is pane, the etymological root for which is pà meaning “nourishment.” We find the same root in the translation of “meal”, pasto. I personally love our idiom for describing a very good, honest, humble and true man: “buono come il pane” (“as good as bread').

Few places in Europe are as diverse and spectacular as Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia and the rest of the Balkans. But there is also a lot of recent history here from the spark of the First World War in Sarajevo, to the partisan’s guerrilla warfare against Hitler, and onto the 24-hr news cycle of the wars here in the 1990s.