Thanks for joining me on the journey.
I’m an American travel writer dividing my time between Seville, Spain and California. I travel the world seeking intriguing curiosities and outrageously delicious comfort food so I can have the fun of writing about them here. — Karen McCann
-
Can You Still Rely on the Kindness of Strangers?
Iranian family in Isfahan, Iran. Photo by David Stanley When American Jeff Greenwald went to Iran to photograph the solar eclipse in 1999, he didn’t seriously expect gunplay to erupt during the astrological event. True, Iran was a strict Islamic republic in the run-up to 9/11, but so far the Iranians had been helpful and…
-
The SOS File: Be Prepared for Medical Emergencies on the Road
A TRAVEL SKILL YOU MAY NEED SOMEDAY? Runaway camels. UFO abductions. Leeches. The world is full of catastrophes waiting to strike, and the sensible traveler is prepared to encounter pretty much anything. On my own journeys, I’ve dealt with tornados, snakes, earthquakes, inebriated Americans in Japanese karaoke bars, and broken bones when camping in deep…
-
11 Simple Steps to Faster, Easier, More Satisfying Packing
THIS SENTIMENT WAS NOT SHARED BY THE CROCODILE. Here’s a hot packing tip: leave your live reptiles at home . Unfortunately, one passenger didn’t get the memo on this, and he stuffed a crocodile into his duffle bag just before boarding a small plane in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The crocodile got loose…
-
Selfie + Alcohol + Travel = Epidemic of Recklessness
THIS WENT VIRAL WITH THE CAPTION “BEST SELFIE EVER?” Living in a destination city like Seville, I’ve had ample opportunity to observe tourists behaving badly. And before I go any further, let me just say that most visitors are perfectly delightful guests – energetic, cheerful, and appreciative, contributing to the city’s bonhomie as well as…
-
20 Ways to Use Your Staycation as Travel Practice
“Reading old travel books or novels set in faraway places,” writes Phil Cousineau in The Art of Pilgrimage , “spinning globes, unfolding maps, playing world music, eating in ethnic restaurants, meeting friends in cafés . . . all these things are part of never-ending travel practice, not unlike doing scales on a piano, shooting free-throws,…
-
10 Ways Travel Gets Better After 50
OK, I’ll admit that those of us who have passed our 50th birthdays (and then some) can rarely stay up all night partying with rowdy strangers, crash on the floor for a few hours, then bounce up feeling fit, fabulous, and raring to go. But unless that sort of evening is essential to your itinerary,…
-
Breaking Through Tourism’s Glass Wall
The Spanish siesta is, in my humble opinion, one of the greatest inventions of human civilization and justifiably famous around the world. What most people don’t know is that it’s usually followed by a small, delightful meal known as merienda , usually a coffee and pastry, often eaten in the company of family and friends…
-
4 Great Low-Tech, Low-Cost Travel Strategies
“Do you have any idea how hard it is to buy a guidebook for Albania?” I asked a friend recently. “I could almost hear the Amazon computers thinking, ‘Seriously? Why would you want to go there ?’” A response I’d been getting a lot lately from various humans of my acquaintance. “Albania I can understand,”…
-
How the Sharing Economy is Reinventing Travel
I knew something was wrong when our cab driver, a twitchy guy with glassy eyes, popped the clutch, stalled out, then tore off into traffic as if we were being pursued by the undead . Careening along Madrid’s freeways, he kept squirming, fidgeting, mumbling, and spitting out the window. When he wasn’t doing that… “Yikes!”…
-
How to Become Invisible When You Travel
Not everyone likes being invisible, but I often find it refreshing — and convenient, especially when I’m on the road. As “a woman of a certain age” — too old to require construction workers to launch into catcalls, too young to inspire Boy Scouts to assist me across the street — I can choose to…
TRAVEL with CURIOSITY
These days I’m cultivating curiosity, which science says will keeps my brain agile. I figure spending more time on the road and indulging my natural nosiness about the world will be good therapy and a cheerful counterpoint to today’s headlines. And I will never run out of quirky stuff to write about.
SUBSCRIBED BUT NOT GETTING POST ANNOUNCEMENTS?
Check your spam folder. If you still can’t find them, please let me know.
THIS BLOG IS A PROMOTION-FREE ZONE. As my regular readers know, I never get free or discounted goods or services for mentioning anything on this blog (or anywhere else). I only write about things I find interesting and/or useful.