Continents

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.

Every January, people around the world, in a sense of self improvement, create personal goals. Eat better. Lose weight. My 2020 goal is be more present. Present to my wife. Present to my kids. Present to the people that are around me. A digital detox light.

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.

Situated along the Atlantic Coast, Cité Portugaise longed, and might I say, begged for a family of six to stroll the ancient Portuguese fort in El Jadida, Morocco. 31 hours in Morocco because of an extended Royal Air Maroc layover provided just that opportunity.

Moving to the Middle East in late July is never considered the ideal time to relocate your family with Qatari heat. At this point in the year, the relocation was bound to be hotter than almost every single spot in the world, except for maybe Kuwait.

A move to the Middle doesn’t elicit festive times like the Napa Valley or a German pub. Yet in Qatar, an exception is made for non-Muslims, but one needs a liquor permit, and getting this permit requires a bit of persistence. This is how to buy alcohol in Qatar.