Europe

Before our Christmas vacation starts at Cairo American College, there are six unique facts about Cyprus to know before traveling there.

In the hustle and bustle of a spirited day in the Vatican, we strode up inconspicuously to the very friendly Eugenio. A grandstand of L’Espresso and Guerin Sportivo magazines surrounded him. Quickly glancing to his left and right, he handed over an unmarked envelope with two tickets inside. Two tickets to the Papal audience this day.

The popular intercity hike through the five Cinque Terre towns was the activity of choice for the three Bissonnette girls, and being outnumbered, that is what this White boy had to do.

Nadine and kids knocked slushy snow off their ski boots in Güéjar Sierra. The crew had to travel to Valencia before the Spanish New Year.

Cautiously excavating the Peugeot from an overpriced underground parking unit into the early morning sun, our brief time here was over. It was time for skiing Sierra Nevada, the mountains looming over Granada.

Does Rudolph have a sixth sense? Does GPS guide Santa’s sleigh? How do all those Christmas presents make their way around so quickly and accurately? Does he know we’re here in Spain? These were some of the kid’s questions for a Christmas in Spain.

You can imagine my surprise when I saw the dessert menu after gorging on delicious paella. Listed in red on the menu was a dessert interestingly named “fartó”! Out of sheer curiosity, I had to order the fartó.

In 2012, I decided to spend my 40th birthday doing some things that I love. Thus the idea of cycling around Belgium to various Trappist monasteries and drinking their delicious homemade brew was born.