Erika Bisbocci
Erika is an avid traveler and explorer of over ninety countries on six different continents. Since 2011, she has spent time studying Arabic in the Middle East, teaching English in Namibia and working as a flight attendant for a major US airline. When not traveling overseas, she loves exploring her own backyard in the beautiful Pacific Northwest.
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Traveling the Oregon Outback Scenic Byway
Oregon often conjures images of lush rain-soaked forests and snowcapped mountains. But towering trees and dizzying shades of green only paint a small picture of the state’s beauty and intrigue. What if I were to tell you that Oregon is two thirds desert? Or that, in the Oregon Outback, cowboy country is alive and well? Growing up, I didn’t give much thought to the barren eastern half of the state. Like most people, I assumed that there wasn’t much to see amongst the nothingness. However, I’ve recently begun to realize…
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A Perfect Toledo Day Trip from Madrid
Toledo is one of Spain’s most magnificent and storied cities. Positioned on a hill overlooking the Tagus River, the attraction-packed gem is a popular day trip from Madrid and a highlight of travel to Central Spain. Much of Toledo’s beauty lies in its pretty church-speckled streets, its decorated synagogue walls and its tucked-away mosques. With its monument-laden core, Toledo is a testament to the harmony which once existed between the world’s three monotheistic faiths. As a result, mosques, cathedrals and synagogues cram into the city’s dense and compact core. Walking…
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Visiting the Montserrat Monastery in Spain
Montserrat Mountain lies at the heart of Catalan identity. Sculpted over millennia by wind and frost, the mountain is instantly recognizable. Its knobs and rock formations protrude skyward, like gnarled fingers that extend from weathered hands. Amidst its jumble of rocky turrets and spires, Montserrat conceals some of Spain’s most revered icons, paintings, and scenic vistas. MONTSERRAT IN SPAIN: AN OVERVIEW Montserrat lies 50km northeast of Barcelona and 150km south of Andorra, in the Spanish breakaway region of Catalonia. Its name, ‘serrated mountain’ in Catalan, describes the rock spires…
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Three Days in Barcelona: What to See and Do
With whimsical fabled architecture and some of the liveliest streets in Europe, Barcelona lures party-seekers, history enthusiasts, and everyone in between. The city houses a staggering wealth of architectural masterpieces and cultural highlights—weaving a tapestry of iconic buildings, resplendent plazas and winding alleyways. As the largest city in Catalonia, it represents the best of Spain’s breakaway region in a nutshell. It is boisterous yet classy, worldly yet idiosyncratic. THREE DAY BARCELONA ITINERARY Following a brief side-trip to Andorra, I met my mother-in-law in Barcelona for a three day visit…
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Day Trip to France and Andorra from Barcelona
Renowned for its plethora of banks and high end shopping malls, the minuscule nation of Andorra seems an unlikely destination for lovers of nature and the outdoors. The country is a tax haven and a duty-free shopping mecca. In summer months, it lures hoards of day trippers from France and Spain with its favorable prices and luxurious escapes. But beyond its bustling capital, Andorra la Vella, the country’s idyllic landscapes reveal an astounding wealth of natural splendor. Situated at the heart of the Pyrenees Mountains and sandwiched between Spain and…
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Alvord Desert and Steens Mountain: A Southeast Oregon Road Trip
Southeastern Oregon is a special place. And not just because it is where Dan proposed to me under a blanket of stars during our brief Oregon road trip in 2018. It is special because it is one of the last outposts of off-the-beaten-path wilderness in the continental United States. Driving through the lower-right corner of Oregon is like navigating the surface of the moon. It is desolate. It is stark. It is parched. It is often viewed as a wasteland; a barren stretch of flyover country that is defined by…
