Posts Categorized: Uncategorized

By Sue Lavene In the late 80s on two separate occasions, we witnessed two bullfights during our trips to Spain. Even though I would not go to see it again – because it was disturbing to me to see the bulls slowly tortured – I am glad to have seen this very Spanish tradition in… Read more »

By Beth Klemick The origins of Carnival (Carnaval, as it's spelled in Portuguese) are not well known, but have been thought to have originated as a pagan celebration in ancient Rome or Greece. From there Carnival was imported from Italy in nineteenth century to Rio, where the golden age and height of Carnival took place… Read more »

By Elizabeth Gregory So, most of us that have that special Valentine in our lives are making big plans for tonight. Although a recent poll suggested that the majority of Americans find Valentine's Day to be more of a "Hallmark holiday" than anything else, flowers and chocolates are flying off the shelves and the better… Read more »

By Connie Marianacci Capital of Uruguay, Montevideo is a beautiful city bordering the Rio de la Plata River. Even though it is not a location known for something that makes it stand out like tango in Buenos Aires it is still a great destination. The city has a very European feel, including the architecture and… Read more »

By Beth Klemick Summer certainly seems far away, but the Teenager Program Department here at AmeriSpan is in full swing preparing and booking teens to travel abroad this summer. As the Director of our Teenager programs, the number one questioned asked by parents is: what if something goes wrong? In the event of an emergency… Read more »

Yesterday was the first day of the Chinese New Year, marking the Year of the Dog. The Chinese New Year begins on the second New Moon after the winter solstice and ends on the full moon fifteen days later. The Chinese calendar has been in continuous use for centuries, predating the International Calendar we use,… Read more »

By Elizabeth Gregory I've been lucky enough to travel to Spain 5 different times. Each time, I've been to a different city. Over the course of my travels, I have found that nightlife in Spain is great anywhere, it is usually super easy to get around, and the people are great. Although I must admit… Read more »

By Sue Lavene In the beginning of my recent trip to Guatemala, I was amazed to see so many yellow school buses around Antigua. This instantly brought me right back to my childhood days as I wondered whether there was that many schoolchildren in and around Antigua needing to be transported somewhere. When I looked… Read more »

Here are some more fun facts from Country Reports. Portugal's natural resources include cork, tungsten, coal, iron, uranium, pyrite and marble. The busiest subway system in the world is in Russia. Spain's tradition of "el ratoncito Perez" is the character of a story for a young king who had fear of losing his baby teeth…. Read more »

I recently came across Country Reports and their interesting facts about different countries throughout the world. Here are some my favorites: The highest mountain peak in the Americas is Mount Aconcagua in the Andes Mountains in Argentina. Bolivia is named after Simón Bolivar, who led the struggle to free Bolivia and the rest of South… Read more »