UNSEEN TRAVEL AGENCY

In order for me to feel like this story is complete, I must take you back to how our story began. Both my husband, Mike, and I grew up in Chewelah, a Northeastern Washington town of about 2000 people. We met in high school, shared the same circle of friends, and had Spanish and English classes together. Mike and I got stuck together as debate partners in English our junior year, having to debate in favor of the United States dropping the atomic bombs on Japan in World War 2. I rolled my eyes and told Mike to leave the project to me. I was a perfectionist in school, English was my favorite subject, and World War 2 was totally my thing. For days I did my research and the day of the debate I handed Mike a piece of paper and said, “Read this; this is your part.” He followed my directions and read it straight from the paper but I can’t remember if we won the debate or not. It’s not that Mike wasn’t smart, I just didn’t trust him because I knew he didn...

The Costa del Sol is the stretch of golden beaches that run along the southern coast of Spain in the Andalucía region (roughly) from Nerja to Estepona. My trip south was a much-needed break from the heat of Madrid (40°c in July-August). Walking on the beach, feeling the sand between my toes, while the waves lapped at my feet was just amazing. It’s still hot on the Costa del Sol, don’t get me wrong but the sea breeze and the opportunity to take a dip and cool down in the water was a great relief from summer in the city. There are beaches to cater for all needs on the Costa del Sol, from quiet little secluded coves to busy water sports havens. An amazing selection of beach-side bars and restaurants and lots of interesting towns and villages to wander through. There are also many day trips within easy reach of Malaga, so there is plenty going on in this part of Spain. Let me tell you a little bit more about what there is to see and do on the Costa del Sol and my trip south t...

Exploring Costa Rica’s Wild Side When I look out the window of my bedroom in California I see pigeons, seagulls, and the occasional crow.  As my house is located near a zoo, I can frequently hear the chirps and howls of monkeys in the morning. When I looked out the window of any of the hotels I stayed in during my trip to Costa Rica, I saw geckos, iguanas and the occasional toucan. I could still hear the chirps and howls of monkeys in the morning —but because they were swinging from branches nearby, not in captivity at a zoo. In addition to lizards, toucans and monkeys, Costa Rica is home to over 500,000 species of both animals and plants, making it a country with the one of the world’s highest levels of biodiversity. The many different types of ecosystems within Costa Rica – rainforests, deciduous forests, the coast – make it possible to sustain an astonishing number of plants and animals. Protecting the extraordinary biodiversity The first national parks in Costa Rica were e...

Belgium is full of hidden gems and Antwerp is no exception. This is Belgium’s second biggest city and commonly regarded as the capital of cool. It has a much more curated feel than the capital (Brussels) and a strong focus on art and fashion. Winter in Antwerp is cold but there are huge benefits in visiting off season. We were fortunate enough to experience Antwerp in winter this year. The best part about our visit: no crowds! Things to do in Antwerp in Winter The city of Antwerp is busy through the summer months, much like the rest of Europe. In winter the days are shorter, meaning you can indulge in a sleep in and make the most of a cozy hotel in the city. For our time in Antwerp, we checked in to De Witte Lelie. Your first port of call should be the Antwerp Main Train Station . This is undoubtedly one of the most beautiful train stations in all of Europe – so much so that I would recommend you stop here just to see the train station, eve...

Good news: Jedward lost at sea Bad news: Jedward no longer lost at sea X Factor stars (a loose term) Jedward have gone from being stranded in the musical wilderness to being stranded in the actual wilderness. Well, a sandbank in north Dublin to be precise, but you get the point. The driftwood – sorry, Jedward – duo were out walking with another family member when horror struck and their mother alerted the coast guard. After a helicopter managed to find the twins (which couldn’t have been difficult with that hair) ten rescuers bravely waded out to save them. We’re just going to let you process that scene for a moment. Speaking to the Irish Sun, Jedward's mother said her sons were "badly shaken" after their "terrifying experience", a condition anyone who has seen them perform will be able to relate to.

Glastonbury is Not Just a Festival! Stephanie reveals her 7 favourite things to do do in Glasto Whenever I tell people I’ve been to Glastonbury, most people assume that I’m talking about the festival, but it just so happens that the town of Glastonbury itself is one of my favourite places in England; it’s where I go if I need a peaceful and nourishing weekend away from London. It’s a sweet and friendly place and full of things to do to replenish the soul; with its ancient myths and magical nature, I can’t help but feel completely Zen whenever I’m there. Refreshing walks, pretty gardens and shops that sell incense, crystals, jewellery and books make it a pleasant place for a wander. And at night, the town has its own fun with local bands playing live music in pubs and late license cafes. Fun and interesting at anytime of the year but particularly best in the spring and summer, here are a few things to make sure you do during your stay: 1. Climb the Tor If you’ve got the lung capa...

New app reads the way Reading just got revolutionised A new app which will allow people to read up to 1,000 words per minute – quadruple the average pace – is about to hit the market. Spritz, the software developer behind the new technology, aims to have 15% of the world's population using it to read by 2016. To understand how the app works, it's first necessary to understand how our brains process words. Slightly left to the centre of each word we read is something called the Optimal Recognition Point (ORP). This is the exact point at which our brains decode the random letters into something which actually means something. Spritz has shown than by breaking down sentences into successive displays of individual words, and highlighting the ORP of each word in red, our brains can process text much faster. Incredulous? Try it for yourself, beginning at 250 words per minute, which is slightly quicker than the average reader. You can go all the way up t...