Essays · July 14, 2025

Five weeks in Zaragoza revealed a city with deep history and little interest in performing it. From Roman infrastructure to royal consolidation to a 2,000-year-old miracle, Zaragoza carries serious weight lightly—offering everyday livability, quiet museums, easy access to Madrid, and a pace that makes staying feel natural.

Essays · June 09, 2025

Bilbao isn’t interested in dazzling visitors. It’s a city built to function—shaped by industry, guided by durability, and confident enough to deploy spectacle only when it matters.

Essays · May 31, 2025

Barcelona is more than the sunny postcard people imagine. It’s a city shaped by Romans, merchants, foreign monarchs, and a long memory. Beautiful, reserved, and quietly self-possessed, Barcelona takes its time. It only lets you in when it’s sure you mean it.

Essays · April 12, 2025

San Juan’s history is written in stone. The old walls, angled ramparts, and Atlantic wind tell you the city was built to guard the Caribbean long before it became part of the U.S. Today the fortifications frame a working capital—Spanish in its bones, Caribbean in its energy, American in its paperwork. The city was shaped by empire, but it’s lived in with resilience, humor, and clarity.

Essays · March 25, 2025

There are three faces to Mérida— one carved in stone, one kept in memory, and one still playing out in the streets. And all three versions layer neatly on top of each other…

Dispatches · April 25, 2024

"Anzac Day" is Australian for "Memorial Day," though there are some differences, including a game called "two-up." They also make better memorials.