Maybe it’s my Celtic ancestry, but I adore northwest Spain. The air is clean, the grass is lush, and I just want to take deep breaths off all the crisp goodness. And I know this is controversial: But I find the terrain around the Atlantic Ocean more beautiful than that around the Mediterranean (which isContinue reading “Ah, Asturias”
Author Archives: The Next Dinner Party
‘It’s Like They Don’t Want Our Money’
Three friends and I walked into a clothing boutique a few minutes before two on a Saturday afternoon. We oohed over the cute dresses in the shop, and grabbed a bunch to try on, just as the shop girl told us “Ladies, we close in three minutes.” We continued to take clothes off the rackContinue reading “‘It’s Like They Don’t Want Our Money’”
Moorish History, Flamenco and Recycled Glass in Granada
This past week, Mr. Dame in Spain and I motored down south to meet up with visiting family. (We didn’t manage to escape the gray drizzle that seems to have blanketed all of Spain for the past week). We arrived very late at night, GPS was no help at all, and I was not aContinue reading “Moorish History, Flamenco and Recycled Glass in Granada”
Dinner with Strangers
Recently I’ve become taken with the idea of hosting dinner parties for a bunch of strangers. There’s a new movement in “social dining.” Think AirBnB, but for dinner parties. For instance, if you’re traveling to say, Rome, instead of eating at a restaurant one night, you’d pay to go to a Roman’s apartment, eat aContinue reading “Dinner with Strangers”
Something’s Afoot in Spain
I first noticed it at the gym. When women get changed in the locker room, they never let their bare feet touch the ground. They’ll peel off shoes and socks, stand on a towel on the ground, and then slip their feet into flip-flops and walk to the shower, One time, back when I wentContinue reading “Something’s Afoot in Spain”
Raising My Glass to the End of a Dry Month
Well, it’s finally over. On Feb. 13 seconds before the stroke of midnight, I had a glass of Spanish red wine in one hand, and a Negroni in the other. (And then I drank them). Aggressive, I know. But it was a long month without alcohol. I’ve previously posted about some things I learned duringContinue reading “Raising My Glass to the End of a Dry Month”
Vote on Our Next Post!
It’s Bidding Season! In Foreign Service land, this is the time of year when a list comes out with all the places Mr. Dame in Spain, and myself by association, could be posted to next. Imagine seeing a list of cities, some of which you’ve never even heard, and knowing “One of these will beContinue reading “Vote on Our Next Post!”
Five Important Lessons From a Month With No Booze
They say if you love something, let it go. Well, I did that with booze. I’m currently three weeks in to an alcohol-free month. I stupidly chose Jan. 14 through Feb. 13 as the dry month — a one-month chunk that contains a remarkable number of days. I cut out alcohol on a Wednesday, andContinue reading “Five Important Lessons From a Month With No Booze”
How a Spanish Onion Pulled Me Out of My Restaurant Funk
I’ve been a little down on restaurants in Spain lately. Maybe it was spending two weeks in Paris, where you’d have to try really, really hard to eat something that isn’t delicious. Or maybe it was the two-night trip north through Bilbao and Pamplona where the omnipresence of pinxtos (thought by many Spaniards to beContinue reading “How a Spanish Onion Pulled Me Out of My Restaurant Funk”
Quirky, Traveled Foyer
The foyer: It’s the first space that greets you and your visitors when the door opens. And it’s what your neighbors catch a glimpse of when you chase after an escaped fat cat as it jiggles down the hallway. I wanted an entryway that set the tone for the house: Comfy, stylish, and fun. ButContinue reading “Quirky, Traveled Foyer”