Culture
Cultural facts, history, traditions, events, festivals, foods and more from a location.
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Culture: Food – Fresh Farmers Markets of the West Coast
Whenever I travel, I always seek out the local farmers market. It’s the perfect place to not only pick up a snack or bite to eat, but also a great way to enjoy the local culture. It’s amazing how at each locale, you’ll instantly get a sense of not only the types of foods that are grown in this region, but also can see what is trendy in that city – from specialty foods, crafts and more. Here is a few popular Farmers Markets on the West Coast of the United States– each with their own flavor and all worth a visit. Ferry Plaza Farmers Market – San Francisco, California San Francisco’s…
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Culture: Fashion – A Day Out in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico
San Miguel de Allende is located in central Mexico. At over 6,000′ in altitude, and surrounded by Bajio mountains, it does not have the typical turquoise blue waters and white sand beach attractions that draw so many visitors to Mexico, yet it is definitely a Mexican city that should not be missed. Hilly cobblestone streets, colonial architecture, and a dreamy color palette of earth toned rusts, corals, olive greens and golden yellow make this city a visual fiesta for any visitor. It has long been a city that has attracted artists and expats who come visit and end up never leaving. It is said that San Miguel de Allende enjoys a “perpetual Spring” of…
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Culture: Food – Beignets in New Orleans
There’s no doubt– a trip to New Orleans just isn’t complete without at least one fluffy, powdered sugar covered beignet and bitter cup of chicory coffee. This signature treat of New Orleans is served in many restaurants across the city, but the true place to experience this is to take a pilgrimage to the famed Cafe du Monde located at the corner of Jackson Square and just a stones throw from the Mississippi River. Beignets are best served at breakfast time, but also can make a delicious desert. If your a morning person, I suggest waking up relatively early and heading out on a vigorous walk through the French quarter (this is also…
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Culture: Shopping – Harajuku, Shibuya, Takeshita Street & Cat Street in Tokyo
A trip to Tokyo is not complete without a shopping outing in 2 very trendy and youthful neighborhoods, Harajuku and Shibuya. Narrow streets snake behind the big roads and are filled with boutiques and shops brimming with the latest Tokyo fashions. Whether you are a kid or not, one must browse through Kiddyland, a several storied shop filled with iconic cartoon characters and Japanese pop culture. There is nothing subtle about Tokyo fashion! Bright colors with bold graphics were abound. Popular trends from other cultures were also seen– there were lots of clothes with references to Brooklyn, New York, cowboys, and British punk! Once you’ve browsed the main boulevards and small back streets of…
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Wanderlust Bookclub: Travel to the Jungles of New Guinea in Lily King’s Euphoria
It’s the early 1930’s and you are on a small canoe paddling alone through the jungles of the Sepik River in New Guinea in search of a native tribe you plan to observe. Some of the tribes in this area of the world are notorious head hunters, and most have never seen outsiders before. Now this is definitely adventure travel! Euphoria, by Lily King is loosely based on the early 20th century anthropologist Margaret Mead and her relationship with her first and second husband. The story follows anthropologists Nell Stone and her Australian husband Fen into the jungles of New Guinea (now Papua New Guinea) to research and observe native tribes and discover the details of their cultures that…
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Culture: Food – Cioppino A San Franciscan American-Italian Fish Stew
Although San Francisco is typically known for it’s incredible cracked Dungeness crab and sourdough bread, there’s another San Franciscan original that shouldn’t be missed – Cioppino, a delicious stew filled with the catch of the day swimming in a flavorful tomato based broth. Cioppino is said to have been originally created by Italian fishermen (mostly from Genoa) who settled in the North Beach neighborhood of San Francisco. It is said to have first been made on the boats for the fishermen to eat while out at sea, but quickly became a staple in the growing number of Italian restaurants in the area. Cioppino can still be found on many menus…
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Culture: Provencal Garden Inspiration
The smell of sweet lavender, the sound of tiny pebbles crunching beneath your sandals, the taste of chilled Rosé wine… I have such fond memories of lounging away warm summer afternoons in the Provençal garden of my parent’s mas they rented in St. Remy de Provence. We had many outdoor meals at their stone table (covered in Provençal fabric), and enjoyed cooling down from the blistering summer sun in their cerulean blue pool. The garden was by no means overly manicured, in fact it oozed with that carefree charm Provence is so well known for: the random stone pot planted with lavender, an ochre urn bursting with sun ripe tomatoes, an old olive…
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Culture: Spiritual – Discovering Traditions at a Shinto Shrine in Japan
Like many travelers, I find one of the best parts about exploring a new country is learning something new. Experiencing new traditions, religions, ceremonies, and rituals can not only be educational but also a perfect way to reflect on my own culture’s traditions and perhaps bring some new insight home with me. Before traveling to Japan, I did not know anything about the indigenous Shinto religion, the largest religion in Japan practiced by nearly 80% of the population. I was aware of the many shrines I was told to visit, but did not know of the varied rituals that take place within a Shinto shrine (jinja.) Fortunately, I was lucky to be toured through some…
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Culture: A World of Flavors – Irish Pickling Spice Mix Recipe
The art of pickling foods has been around for over 4000 years. The process has been instrumental in history by providing a way to preserve foods for longer periods of time yet also gives rich flavors to otherwise common foods. This cooking method allows for meats and/or vegetables to be eaten on long journeys. This was especially common during sea exploring days and/or times of war. During both World Wars, corned (or salted) beef that was then pickled was very popular because of both meat rationing and long months at sea. Corned Beef made in Ireland was heavily traded from the 1600’s through the 1800’s. It was a high priced exported commodity that ironically not…
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Type+Place: A Free Font Inspired by Ireland
I’ve been working on a few projects lately where I would love to use a Celtic inspired font. In the spirit of creating something everyday, instead of downloading one of the many on the internet, I decided to create my own. The wide lettering and calligraphic elements were fun to draw. Below is a sample of the font I created used in a famous Irish toast. Such a wonderful saying! Here is a sample of the font. Feel free to download it on iFontMaker’s website and be sure to use it on for your next Irish inspired project.