See a Country in a Day: Our Daytrip to Andorra

The tiny country of Andorra sits about a three hour drive from Barcelona, landlocked between France in the north and Spain in the south.  The “microstate” is one of the smallest countries in the world by both population (fewer than 80,000 people) and landmass (180 square miles).  It is mainly known for its low tax shopping, skiing, and hiking that attract 10 million visitors each year.  (Yes, you read that right – 10 million visitors each year in a tiny country with only 80,000 citizens.)  

 

Frankly, not the kind of place where we’d normally want to hang out long-term, but as a day trip, why not? We had already booked several commitments in Barcelona (Sagrada Familia, the Picasso Museum, etc.) that required us to be in Barcelona all but one day of our time there, which happened to be the last full day of our trip.

Read More
She said, he said...month two.

This is the anniversary of our second month of full time travel.  We have some work that requires us to be in the United States for our coaching and consulting business, Apochromatik, for the next couple of weeks.  But don’t worry — RedDotBlueDot continues as we have several more international and domestic (USA) destinations on the docket before the end of the year.  (And many, many posts to write for the Blue Blog and photos to share on the Red Blog!) 

With that said, how was month two?  Aren’t you just dying to know?

Read More
Deadliest Food Tour: Tokyo Edition

In his book Kitchen Confidential: Adventures in the Culinary Underbelly, Anthony Bourdain confessed that for his very first meal on his first trip to Tokyo, in his jet-lagged and exhausted state, he was so intimidated by the soba restaurants and overwhelming nature of Tokyo that he went to Starbucks.  After considering his options, though, he bought a latte, rallied, and dove in to Tokyo.   

Read More
A Guide to Guides: 21 Questions to Ask and Tips to Make the Most of a Group Tour or Private Guide

On our most recent Facebook Live (you can see them all on our Facebook page if you missed one), one of the questions was about using guides.  It is important to us that RedDotBlueDot be a place where readers can learn from our mistakes and benefit from our experiences.  So a more detailed answer to this question is in order . . . .

Read More
A Traveler's Guide for Seoul, South Korea

When we were deciding where to go in Asia, Japan was our number one choice.  As we booked our tickets on Korean Airlines (using Ultimate Rewards points!) , we discovered that we could add a free stopover in Seoul, South Korea.  While we didn’t want to cut short our time in Japan, ultimately the prospect of being able to visit the DMZ and see another city weighed out, and we found ourselves (the two of us and Keith’s mom, Betty) arriving in Seoul at 4:00 a.m. one humid morning in July.  

Read More
She said, he said...month one.

With about 22,000 miles traveled so far, we each reflected on the last month of non-stop travel (July 1-August 1).  We didn't discuss our answers before combining them and hitting publish.  As you can see, it's been a great month, but we definitely have our own perspectives on it.  August has already included some amazing experiences -- stay tuned, and let us know in the comments if you have other questions we didn't answer.   

Read More