BUCKET LIST TRAVEL

In Southern Spain it's a tradition during the Christmas season to eat doughnuts called ROSCO'S NAVIDENOS.  ROSCO'S NAVIDENOS 1 liter of olive oil 2 kg of flour 1/4 litro of Aguardiente 1/4 litro of orange juice 1/4 litro of white wine 1/4 kg of sugar 1 stick of cinnamon 150 grams of anis seeds rind of one lemon and one orange 2 tablespoons of baking powder Fry oil with half of the anise seeds along with lemon and orange rinds. Heat cinnamon stick in a pan and then grind it up. Add to the mixture. Strain the oil and add flour, Aguardiente, white wine, orange juice, baking powder and sugar. Once all the ingredients are mixed together knead the dough into a tight ball. Form the dough into doughnut circles. Place doughnuts on a baking sheet and bake 20-25 minutes at an oven temperature of 175 degrees. Use the remaining anise seeds to add to hot water. The anise seeds and hot water should be like a herbal tea. Dip each doughnut into the tea then ice each dou...

                                          An "Ancient Castle" in Tarifa We never know in our travels what lies ahead of us especially when we're traveling solo to a destination for the first time with no exact itinerary. For me Tarifa, Spain was supposed to just be a stopover before sailing across the Straits of Gibralter on my way to North Africa's Tangler, Morocco. However when the bus from Sevilla arrived in Tarifa it was too late for me to catch a ferry to Morocco. I was fortunate to find a cozy place to stay for only 26 Euro's and the apartment was right on the beach. (Thanks to an AIRBNB host). Tarifa, Espana (Tarifa, Spain) is the kind of place that you want to call home. It's laid back, the people are friendly, the beaches are gorgeous, there's an abundance of bakeries, cafe's, shops, and restaurants to choose from, and the weather...

HALLOWEEN which is celebrated on October 31 in many parts of the world got it 's start thousands of years ago by the Celts. Long ago the Celts celebrated Samhain "the Feast of the Dead" whe n the dead revisited the mortal world and it was the end of Summer. This took place in what is now the present "Ireland." The BONFIRE represented the end of summer. The Celts would gather together and light huge fires to ward off bad fortune for the coming year. It was believed that the bonfire encouraged dreams especially of a future husband or wife. Halloween costumes originated when the community of Celtics would gather around the bonfire dressed in animal skins and heads. If the spirits were wandering the earth and bumped into a living Celt they though that the living Celt was a spirit too and let them go free. The "Jack-o-Lantern" originated from an Irish myth about a man named "Stingy Jack." The "Jack-o-Lantern" was first car...

Tea, is one of the most popular beverages in the world and we have China to thank for that. In China tea consumption is a practice of daily life. According to legend tea was discovered many centuries ago by Shen Nung whose name means Divine Farmer. Shen Nung who was a Chinese Emperor always liked to drink his water boiled because he felt that boiled water was cleaner. While on a distant trip, Emperor Shen Nung stopped to rest. A servant began boiling water for the emperor to drink and dried leaves from a nearby bush fell into the boiling water and a brown substance was infused into the water. Being a scientist Emperor Shen Nung tried the liquid and found it to taste very refreshing. Thus tea (cha) was created in 2737 BC. Originally tea leaves were processed into compressed cake forms. The dried teacake (called brick tea) was ground in a stone mortar. Hot water was added to the powdered tea cakes and was boiled in earthenware kettles than consumed as a hot beverage. Then in the mid ...

Michigan is an industrial state, there's no doubt about it but in the northwest corridor of the Great Lakes State is a stunning oasis known as Leelanau County. A combination of the Irish countryside and the Portuguese coast of Europe, Leelanau County is a vacationer's paradise. A real standout in Leelanau County is Leland (Fishtown). Leland is the kind of place where you can fish for answers you're seeking and feel disconnected from the stresses of a high tech, fast paced society. Leland has pocketfuls of idyllic spots to just relax and recharge. Upon your arrival to Leland head to Neadows Bay Beach on Lake Leelanau for a swim and sit on the sandy beach and just daydream. The lake is so calm and soothing that you might just decide to hang out at Neadows Bay Beach the rest of the day. However there's the mighty pure and unsalted Lake Michigan on the other side of town and Lake Michigan is a real crown jewel.  On Lake MIchigan you can hang out at either North Bea...

The Spanish have many wonderful things to boast about and one of them is their extraordinary tapas.  Eating tapas in Espana is the best culinary experience in the world.  TORTILLATAS DE CAMARONES (SHRIMP FRITTERS) 1/2 pound small shrimp, peeled 1 1/2 cups chick pea flour 1 tablespoon chopped parsley 3 scallions, finely chopped 1/2 teaspoon sweet pimenton a pinch of salt Spanish extra virgin olive oil In a saucepan combine the shrimp in water. Cover the saucepan and bring the shrimp to a boil over high heat. When water starts boiling lift out the shrimp with a slotted spoon. Set aside the shrimp let them cool and then refrigerate the shrimp. Also set aside one cup of the boiling water that the shrimp was boiled in and allow the water to cool down. Combine chick pea flour, parsley, scallions, and sweet pimenton in a bowl. Add a pinch of salt and the cooled cooking water used earlier for the shrimp. Mix well then cover and refrigerate for on...

I'll never forget the first day that I came to Stowe, Vermont. There was a feeling of acceptance so I knew it was meant for me to stay, so I cherished each day that came my way in sweet quaint little Stowe and had the grandest summer of them all.     Adrianna June 29, 1989 is a date that will always be significant to me because for many days Stowe, Vermont was beckoning for me to come and I finally followed my intuition and boarded an Amtrak train to Stowe, Vermont on the 29th of June and was blessed with the most beautiful and memorable summer of my life. In those days college kids like myself could land a summer job as easy as downloading an app these days. Within one day of arriving in Stowe, Vermont I got a job working at an adorable bed and breakfast. Not only did I get to live in the bed and breakfast and enjoy an array of job duties but I also got to work with the most adventurous and coolest guy ever. There were lots of interesting guests that I got to tak...