After the wedding and the briefest tours of London, I rented a car and drove out to Wales with a couple of friends. Along the way, we stopped at the Goodrich Castle, named for its builder Godric Mappeson. Set above the River Wye, just outside of the town of Goodrich, this 11th century castle was destroyed during the Civil War in the 1700’s in a single night. Somewhere between the castle, its builder, and the surrounding village are the origins of my surname. We ended our long

There are so many sides to Barcelona, which is perhaps true of many coastal towns. My favorite part of the city is its walkability, and how quickly you find yourself in wildly different places. The small streets and neighborhoods of La Barceloneta are no exception as they suddenly spill onto beaches and hotels, with palm trees and clean, crisp lines. Staring at the sea, I found myself wishing I’d spent more time in the parks and gardens of Montjuic, and was happy to see a cab

I’m not even sure where to begin with Barcelona, it may very well be my favorite city on earth. So far. I didn’t have any particular expectations of it, but had I, they’d have been far surpassed. With its tree-lined streets, sleepy afternoon plazas, and the saturation of art and architecture; I spent three days just walking through the city, and could have easily spent three more. On Sunday, when I arrived, several of the museums were open for free during the afternoon hours,