I’m finally able to reveal it to you all — my big summer plans involve festival-hopping all over Europe! Must Love Festivals Must Love Festivals is a campaign highlighting quirky, unusual, lesser-known festivals in Europe. You won’t see us running with bulls, throwing tomatoes, or hitting up the festivals that get all the attention. Instead, you’ll see a […]
This Summer: Quirky Festival-Hopping in Europe! Read More »
New Orleans enchanted me from the moment I arrived. This was my first stop on the #SouthUSA road trip and my first real stop in the South. I knew I would love it, and right away, I was fascinated by the musical city before me. After arriving late the night before, I set out in
Mardi Gras: Magic, Music, and Mayhem in New Orleans Read More »
While the world revels in excitement over the birth of Prince George, I thought I’d share photos of another George: St. George, venerated dragon-slayer and one of the patron saints of Qormi, Malta. Each summer, Malta explodes with festas — celebrations of the patron saints of each town. Each town has its own festa, or
Celebrating the Festa of St. George in Qormi, Malta Read More »
The Isle of Skye has long held a place in my imagination. Off the west coast, it’s been known as one of the most beautiful places in all of Scotland. It’s home to countless legends. My cousin, who adores Scotland, even dreams of getting married on Skye! So you can understand that I had high
On a Skye High in Scotland Read More »
Looking back over the years, my New Year’s celebrations have been mostly low-key, largely unexceptional. Oh, I’ve had some good ones — my Bangkok New Year’s was so much fun, and I’ve had a few memorable nights in Boston — but most of the time the night hasn’t lived up to the hype. It’s hard
Hogmanay: Bringing in the New Year in Edinburgh Read More »
With Christmas freshly finished, I’ve got my next trip planned: Blogmanay! I’ll be celebrating New Year’s in Edinburgh, Scotland. Edinburgh, which I’ve long extolled as one of my favorite cities, has one of the world’s best New Year’s celebrations. People come from all over the world to celebrate Hogmanay. I’ve been invited to be part
New Year’s in Scotland — It’s Time for BLOGMANAY! Read More »
This past weekend, I got to experience a delightful festival for the first time: Lyon’s Fête des Lumières, or Festival of Lights. Every year from December 8-11, Lyon’s nights are filled with brilliant light shows that are as technologically savvy as they are artistically scintillating. Despite my lifelong francophilia, I had never heard of this
Lyon’s Festival of Lights Read More »
If you’re going to Las Fallas, you’ve pretty much signed up to be surrounded by both fire and explosions for five days straight. Know this, and embrace it early on. And it’s not just ordinary fire — those crafty Valencians have figured out several diverse ways to bring more fire into the festival. Here are
Adventurous Kate Plays with Fire Read More »
My biggest reason for visiting Spain? Attending the Las Fallas festival in Valencia — the festival filled with a week of fireworks, explosions, and giant burning effigies! And it almost ended in disaster. Read through to the end of this piece to see how I averted one of the most horrifying calamities that I can
Las Fallas: Spain’s Festival of Fire Read More »
Up Helly Aa is all about the explosions of fire and burning torches, the parades and Viking songs. What is less known is that it’s ALSO about some legendary after-parties. After the burning of the galley, there are 10 official Up Helly Aa parties around town. These parties last from 9:00 PM to roughly 9:00
Up Helly Aa: The Epic After-Party Read More »