Elephant Riding in Rajasthan: Good Idea, Bad Idea?
"Ok, you have one minute to decide: ride elephant, walk." Ali swung around, eyebrows raised. His heavily-decorated tuk tuk's engine shivered as it halted to a stop and he used…
Is Neuschwanstein Castle Worth It?
Sometimes, as a traveler, I struggle with taking the road less traveled and getting off the beaten path. I also struggle with not using idioms because I not-so-secretly love them.…
How Bratislava Surprised Me
There was nervous anticipation on the boat. "And tomorrow," Marek said shrilly, "we tour the greatest country in the world, my home of Slovakia!" I didn't share his enthusiasm, though…
Tapa Thursdays: Apple Strudel at Buda Castle
While Spanish food is one of my biggest loves, I am not one to turn down local fare in any of the places I visit. This meant wild boar tortellini…
Revisiting Gran Canaria: Driving the Miniature Continent of the Canary Islands
As I prepare for my upcoming Christmas trip, I've realized something: for as many years as I've run Sunshine and Siestas, there are loads of places I have never written…
Paddle Surfing in Calpe
I don't know what I was more afraid of - the translucent jellyfish that floated near the surface of the water, or the fact that pictures of me in a…