Category: PLACES

- TRAVEL DIARYDaily NotesSpain

Memory of Asturias @Cabo Vidio, Asturias, Spain, November 7, 2018

Cabo de Vidio, Asturias Between the Vasco region and the Galicia region of Spain, I needed to drive through the Asturias region. When I realized this, I wanted to get to know the region at least for a couple hours although my itinerary was already quite tight. The name Asturias is special to me, because it is also the name of the famous classical guitar piece composed by Isaac Albeniz of Spain. And that was why the name of the student guitar club at my undergraduate...
- TRAVEL DIARY4 EuropeDaily NotesSpain

Albergue Santuario Nuestra Señora de Magallón, Leciñena, Spain, November 4, 2018

After a long and sweet break in Barcelona, I hit the road again. The first destination of my Iberian adventure was Zaragoza. To be exact, it was a very small town in the North of Zaragoza, Leciñena, with about one thousand habitants. In part, I was drawn to the unique hostel there. It was inside the 800-year-old sanctuary on the top of a hill. Being so old, the place has a long and complicated history. To the extent that I understood, the place was initially involved...
- LISTENING TO MYSELF3 South AmericaParaguay

What I think about when I leave Paraguay @ Salto del Monda-y, Paraguay, June 2, 2018

What I think about when I leave Paraguay In June this year, a day before leaving Paraguay, I took the time to reflect on my time in the country. About a decade ago, I had lived in Paraguay for around 2 years. In this video, I talked about the joy of re-discovery, the peacefulness of the people, and the reminder of the stories I had missed in my travels. @ Salto del Monda-y, Paraguay, June 2, 2018
- TRAVEL DIARYMoments Together (Friends)Spain

Hector (Spain) @ Barcelona, Spain, October 28, 2018

Hector is one of my friends living in Barcelona, but he’s the only one who’s born and raised there – a native Catalan! When we met the last time in Washington D.C., I was the resident and he was the visitor, and this time it was the other way around. Recently I had been educating myself on the complex nature of the relationships among different communities in Spain, not to mention on the recent developments between Madrid and Catalonia. Hearing about a local’s perspective was both...
- TRAVEL DIARY4 EuropeDaily NotesSpain

Three colors of Tenerife @ Tenerife, Canary Islands, Spain, October 23, 2018

Playa de Torviscas, South Tenerife   Teide National Park, Central Tenerife San Cristobal de La Laguna, North Tenerife   Three colors of Tenerife Canary islands is a Spanish archipelago, which is actually closer to West Sahara than continental Spain. Among other things, my general fondness for warm islands and the low-fare airline ticket helped me make the impulsive decision to visit there. In fact, the history of Korean immigration from the 1960s to 80s to La Palma, one of the seven main islands, had also intrigued me for...
- TRAVEL DIARYDaily NotesFrance

@ Lyon, France, October 16, 2018

Arrived in Lyon, France. I drove for 5 hours today from Luxembourg. Because Europe is densely populated with countries, I usually don’t need to drive as much as 5 hours a day, but I’m speeding up to catch a flight in Spain. I had a hostel reservation as a backup, but this street parking spot, which I’ve earned after a desperate search, has a nice view of the city. So I am camping tonight. @ Lyon, France, October 16, 2018
- TRAVEL DIARYDaily NotesNetherlands

the car came back @zaanse schans, the Netherlands, October 2, 2018

After 42 days, the car came back to me. It traveled in a container from Montevideo, Uruguay to Amsterdam, the Netherlands. The shipping process in Montevideo was almost hassle-free, but in the Netherlands, there were unexpected complications, time and money-wise. International container shipping procedures are complex and full of unfamiliar vocabulary, and in the end, individual customers usually have no other option but to accept unplanned delays or costs.   But I had not been particularly anxious while waiting. Although the vehicle has emotional value to...