Emilia-Romagna Is for Eating

How much would life suck without the existence of the following foods?

• Parmigiano-Reggiano 
• Bolognese sauce
• Mortadella
• Balsamic vinegar
• Tortellini 
• Tagliatelle 
• Lasagna alla Bolognese
• Prosciutto

A lot! Life would suck a lot. To the Emilia-Romagna region of Italy, the birthplace of these culinary wonders, I say grazie.

Fredericksburg: An All-American German Town

During my recent visit to Austin, Texas, I took a day trip to the charming town of Fredericksburg. When I arrived, all the Main Street-esque quaintness made me feel as though I were in a Disney version of small-town America. Thing is, Fredericksburg is actually quite German. It is called Fredericksburg, after all.

After my trip, I looked into the history behind this German settlement and found it fascinating. The Atlantic Times, an English-language German newspaper,  explains:

In Austin, Ain't Nothin' Wrong with Weird

"Keep Austin Weird" is more than just a city slogan; it's an invitation to embrace difference. Austinites adopted the slogan in 2000 in a effort to promote small, independent businesses, but the phrase has come to reflect the spirit of Austin, Texas, a city that encourages individuality and artistic expression. On my first visit, I was charmed by Austin's laid-back, quirky character. Below are a few photos that capture some of that quirk.

Good Eating in Porto

Although our time in Porto was short, my friends and I made the best of the city’s varied dining scene. We opted for one trendy restaurant, one elegant, and one casual. All were yum (which is what matters).

Bugo Art Burgers

Fado and Falling for Coimbra

To me, there's no better souvenir from a foreign country than a CD. I like to pop into a record store, grab some music off the shelves, plant myself at a listening station, and go for the ride. Usually, I feel like I gain insight into a culture by listening to its traditional and popular music, even if I can't understand the lyrics.

Portugal is famous for fado, a musical genre that typically features mournful lyrics and an emotional, expressive singing style. I tend to find beauty in all things melancholy and was therefore eager to learn more about fado. On a hop-on-hop-off bus tour of Lisbon, I discovered Portuguese fado singer Cristina Branco, whose songs played between historical anecdotes on my headset. I learned the singer's name from the bus driver and now own one of her albums. It turns out that Cristina Branco is one of the most popular current-day interpreters of the fado style. Below is a taste.

Allies

- "In New York, people don't throw up on the streets"

I spent New Year's Eve in the UK with a small group of Americans and Londoners. After a few drinks, the friendly conversation turned into a full-on debate. The topic? New York vs. London. This might've become quite combative were it not for the fact that the Americans favored London and the Londoners favored New York. The argument went something like this: