Algarve, the southernmost province in Portugal, was the first stop on our cruise around the Iberian peninsula and I have to admit I did zero research on the history before we left. That was a mistake. Besides being beautiful, the land has a truly interesting history....
After our recent cruise around the Iberian peninsula, the story I’ve told people the most concerns an unfortunate experience with a creative, foul-smelling pickpocket ruse in Málaga, Spain. However, what I personally hope to remember most from the trip was my wonder...
The Romans were the first people on record to celebrate Christmas on December 25. Why? After all, many scholars believe that the incidents around the nativity indicate that Jesus was most likely born during spring or late fall, rather than the darkest days of winter....
Halloween originated with the Celtic pagan rituals of Samhain, so it is not a Roman holiday. However, Romans celebrated two days in honor of the dead, and when the Catholic Church started imposing their own holidays on top of existing pagan holidays, they ended up...
Dogs often do not appear to enjoy the dog days of summer. It’s hot, and they’re stuck wearing a fur coat that they can only shed one hair at a time. They can’t even sweat to cool off. But the term “dog days” has nothing to do with fur or even dogs. The origin of the...
February 14 is a day associated with disappointed expectations and heart-shaped boxes of candy. I don’t think the disappointment needs any sort of explanation. Or, frankly, the chocolate (although you can check out my blogs about growing chocolate and the history of...
