Most travelers heading to Spain think of Barcelona, Madrid, or the sunny Mediterranean coast. But along Spain’s northern coast is Asturias, a lush, green region with dramatic cliffs, beautiful fishing villages, distinctive food traditions, and a culture all its own.

In this episode, Christopher and Ashleigh continue their Spanish adventure in Gijón, a coastal city on the Bay of Biscay, where they’ve traveled to experience a total solar eclipse and spend time with local friends.

Their visit offers a different side of Spain, where cider is poured dramatically from overhead, hearty regional dishes are everywhere, and evenings unfold in lively neighborhood plazas. Along the way, they discover both the rewards and occasional frustrations of exploring a destination that sees relatively few American visitors.

In this episode:

• Discovering Gijón: Exploring the beachfront, historic Cimavilla neighborhood, scenic coastal walks, and the everyday rhythm of northern Spain.
• Eclipse Travel on a budget: How booking a hotel well ahead of the eclipse saved more than $1,000, plus practical experiences using local buses and trains.
• A region devoted to cider: Visiting traditional sidrerías, learning the art of pouring Asturian sidra, and sampling regional specialties like cachopo and fabada.
• Chasing a solar eclipse: An improvised road trip through the Asturian countryside as changing cloud cover threatens their carefully planned eclipse experience.
• A day in Oviedo: Exploring Asturias’ capital, its historic streets, free museums, and a memorable lunch on a street filled with cider houses.
• The beauty of Cudillero: Visiting a picturesque fishing village built into the hills above the sea and enjoying a leisurely seafood dinner with local friends.
• Travel lessons learned: Why dinner timing matters, what to expect from hotels without air conditioning, and how personal connections can transform a trip.

During the Wine Break, Christopher and Ashleigh open a bottle of Spanish cava, explain what distinguishes it from Champagne and Prosecco, and make the case for this often-overlooked sparkling wine.

From an eclipse hidden behind the clouds to a spontaneous village picnic, this trip is a reminder that the most memorable moments aren’t always the ones you planned.

Join us for an exploration of northern Spain and a conversation about traveling thoughtfully, finding good value, and discovering the places and experiences that make a destination special.

Go See Do Explore: Travel more thoughtfully. Discover more along the way.

A trip to Spain gets off to a much rougher start than planned when a delayed LEVEL flight from New York to Barcelona turns into an overnight airport stay, a cancellation, and nearly a full day of uncertainty about whether the trip will happen at all.

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We share the full story of getting stranded at JFK, what we learned about dealing with a canceled international flight, why being a “displaced passenger” matters, and how European passenger protections and travel insurance can change the equation when things go wrong.

Then, finally, Barcelona.

With our planned two-and-a-half days cut down to about a day and a half, we make the most of the time we have: Sagrada Família, a Gaudí walking tour, the Gothic Quarter, an excellent metro system, vermut straight from the barrel, Spanish wine, a memorable food tour, and plenty of reasons to come back.

Next time, we head north to Asturias for a very different side of Spain.

What happens when the port you booked a cruise for disappears from the itinerary?

Christopher and Ashleigh continue their Rhapsody of the Seas trip recap with a port-by-port journey through the Caribbean. After Dominica is unexpectedly replaced with La Romana, they explore a mix of familiar islands, new destinations, excellent private tours, disappointing cruise-port experiences, and places that completely changed their opinions.

In St. Thomas, they kayak through mangroves, learn about the dangerously poisonous manchineel tree, and confront the cost and limitations of getting around the island as a cruise passenger. Check out this excursion on Viator.

St. Croix becomes an unexpected highlight thanks to a visit to Prosperity Farm Distillery, where sugarcane is being grown and transformed into unusual locally made spirits. They also explain why cruise-line excursions are not always the safest, easiest, or best-value option they appear to be.

A private tour takes them around both sides of St. Maarten, from the planes at Maho Beach to Marigot, Grand Case, Orient Bay, local food, and handmade jewelry. For more information about this tour, check out Viator.

Then Antigua delivers one of the best tours of the trip, with sweeping overlooks, island history, an excellent guide, and perhaps the best rum punch Christopher has ever had. Book your tour of Antigua on Viator.

Their replacement port, La Romana, offers a very different experience: a heavily controlled cruise complex that leaves them wondering whether they can honestly say they have visited the Dominican Republic at all.

After the cruise, a major water outage forces them to cancel their stay in Old San Juan and improvise a return to Luquillo. Along the way, they accidentally take a coffee plantation tour entirely in Spanish, eat lechón in Guavate, rediscover a revitalized side of Luquillo, get caught in a beach downpour, and navigate a stressful Frontier Airlines trip home.

It is an honest look at what cruise travel can offer when the ports are the destination—and why flexibility, research, and realistic expectations matter just as much as the itinerary.