The Rising Influence of the Hispanic Vote: A Growing Force Shaping America’s Elections
  Whether you are celebrating or mourning the results of Tuesday’s election, one thing is for certain. The Hispanic vote continues to be an ever-increasing driving force influencing final election outcomes.  There’s Strength in Numbers Accordin...
Californianos Quieren más Seguridad: Aprueban Prop 36 para Endurecer Sentencias
Los californianos apoyaron abrumadoramente la Propuesta 36 para alargar las sentencias penales por ciertos delitos de robo y drogas, y para dirigir a más personas a tratamientos contra las drogas después de las condenas. Las opiniones de los votant...
La Influencia del Voto Hispano: Fuerza Creciente que Moldea las Elecciones Estadounidenses
  Tanto si estás celebrando como lamentando los resultados de las elecciones del pasado martes, una cosa es segura: el voto hispano sigue siendo una fuerza impulsora con una influencia cada vez mayor en los resultados finales de las elecciones.  ...
Latinos’ Views of and Experiences with the Spanish Language
Over half of U.S. Latinos who do not speak Spanish have been shamed by other Latinos for it. Language plays a foundational role in shaping human experience, connecting people to their heritage and offering a sense of pride. However, for many U.S. ...
Perspectivas y Experiencias de los Latinos sobre el Idioma Español
Si bien la mayoría de los latinos en EE.UU. hablan español, no todos lo hacen. El 24 por ciento de todos los adultos latinos dicen que solo pueden mantener un poco o nada una conversación en español.   Más de la mitad de los latinos en EE.UU. que...

Viajes / Travel

Escaping to a luxury heritage villa in small town Europe

Information
30 June 2013 Darren Ballegeer Print Email
Villa Tripalo is referred to as a ‘luxury heritage villa’ by Orvas Hotels

Luxury is its own escape, whether it is the simple luxury of being in a tranquil place or the five-star kind that soothes senses and indulges pleasures. A recent visit to a luxury heritage villa in Sinj, Croatia was an experience in both kinds of luxury.

Sinj is a pretty and tranquil place of escape from the larger, more crowded, and more commercialized tourist centers of wonderful Croatia (See our article about Sinj here).

TouristLand vs. Hinterland: Experiencing small-town Croatia

Information
18 May 2013 Darren Ballegeer Print Email
The town of Sinj in central Croatia is a prime example of how tourists are rewarded for traveling ‘out of the box’.
 
Breaking from your travel habits is always rewarding, especially when you go against the crowd. Avoiding tourist crowds, though, is not a goal of most tourists, who choose to visit the familiar, recommended, or most popular places. They are often looking for certain comforts and attractions instead of thinking about the overall experience. People generally know that the most popular travel destinations are neither the most authentic nor the best value for their tourist money.

Dubrovnik: A traveler’s jewelry box delivered with Croatian hospitality

Information
16 April 2013 Darren Ballegeer Print Email

View of Dubrovnik from the ancient wall.

Arriving to the postcard city of Dubrovnik a few weeks ago, I saw a calm, tranquil community that was still enjoying a rest before the tourist crowds start arriving for another season of urban archaeological explorations and food/wine recreation, all served with old-world hospitality of a most gracious flavor. The hospitality of the Croatian people is exceptional, even by European standards.

Ancient bath therapy reborn

Information
07 February 2013 Darren Ballegeer Print Email

Photos of Hammam Baths, Athens. Photo: Courtesy of TripAdvisor

A healing and history lesson at a modern bath house --- 

Most tourists and locals in Athens, Greece discover the Hammam Baths by chance – only a relatively small (but growing) number of people are aware of hamam, either in word or concept. It is not something that people search for, but it should be.

A hamam combines the functionality and structural elements of the Roman baths with the Central Asian Turkic tradition of steam bathing, ritual cleansing and respect of water. Hamam is also known as a Turkish bath, and naturally so –