Curiosities, Quirky Tidbits, Travel Hacks

Each month, we bring you recommendations, odd notes, and useful tools to help you better navigate an interesting world.

Paella, Parades, and Folksy Fun at Spain’s Fiestas del Pilar

Every October in Zaragoza, Spain, thousands of pilgrims, foodies, and maños (natives to the city) come out to honor the city’s patron saint, the Virgen del Pilar (Our Lady of the Pillar), in the Fiestas del Pilar.

Legend has it that almost two thousand years ago, the Apostle Santiago (Saint James) was visited by the Virgin Mary. She appeared to him upon a stone pillar that still stands, protecting the city from within the holy walls of the ornate Basílica de Nuestra Señora del Pilar.

During the Fiestas del Pilar, visitors leave fruits, flowers and gifts at the base of the Basílica del Pilar as a show of their gratitude to the Virgin Mary. Locals transform into gigantes y cabezudos, or “giants and big heads,” taking to the town with massive papier-mache heads. Vendors line the streets of the Rio Ebro with paella cookware larger than a smart car, and chorizos sizzle on open-air grills. Through the narrow alleyways of El Tubo, tapas bars serve up montaditos (toast topped with anchovies, meats, or cheeses) by the dozens, small cups of beer called cañas, and a jovial atmosphere full of laughter, musical street performers, and the occasional shout of “Viva España!” Especially here, festivalgoers will often be found wearing black and red checkered neck scarves called cachirulos to show their pride for the city.

Don’t miss the school groups that take to the main stage in the Plaza del Pilar, dancing and singing la jota—the regional tradition of storytelling. You’ll also find modern musical acts, politicians, and other figureheads attracting crowds.

Though most of the festival is celebratory, the solemn parade of Rosario de Cristal floats is not to be missed. All-glass floats depicting iconic Aragonese history remain on display throughout the year.

The massive celebration finishes with a bang, with a fireworks display over the river.
—Maria DiCicco

When: October 7th–12th, 2023

Where: Plaza del Pilar, Zaragoza, Spain

Admission: Events are free to the public

Opportunities

The Truth About Ireland’s $90,000 Island Retirement

The Irish government will pay you $90,000 to move to Ireland!” Multiple outlets reported this news with the giddiness of a kid let loose in a candy store. Get $90,000 to settle on a quaint island just off the coast of the glistening Emerald Isle… sounds too good to be true, right?

That’s because it is.

Here’s the reality: On June 7, 2023, the Irish government announced the “Our Living Islands” initiative. The policy aims to “maximize the unique strengths and assets” of islands off the west coast of Ireland, with a focus on “strengthening our island communities and economies as well as resolving issues created by their separation from the mainland.” (You can read the full report here.)

The populations of these islands vary from a handful to about 700. Consequently, the islands generally boast tightly-woven communities and are arguably the safest places to raise children you’ll ever find.

Keep in mind, though, that your tranquility comes at a cost.

You’ll be reliant on a ferry service to return to the mainland, and there’s a distinct lack of facilities—particularly medical facilities—on some of the smaller islands.

A key part of the initiative is the “Vacant Property Refurbishment Grant,” offering either €64,000 ($69,000) to purchase and renovate a vacant home, or €84,000 ($91,000) for a derelict house. The grant isn’t a cash incentive to move to one of the islands—the grant must be used in the renovation of an island property. That property must then be used as your permanent residence, or registered only as a long-term rental property.

Don’t get me wrong… it’s a juicy incentive to fix up a house off Irish shores. But it’s not a $90,000 paycheck.

Applications have been open since July 1. Click this link to check it out.
—John Wallace

Tech Tips

Boost Your Miles and Fly for Less with Going

What if you could fly from Baltimore to Paris for $260, or from Chicago to Cancun for $166, or from New York to Barcelona for $262?

Fares that cheap aren’t fantasy.

Going, formerly Scott’s Cheap Flights, finds travelers flight deals from U.S. departure airports to 900-plus destinations around the world.

Going’s biggest selling point is that it flags “mistake fares,” when airlines accidentally publish too-low prices. (For example, knocking a zero off of a $1,200 flight so you can buy it for $120 instead.)

And although it was once aimed at millennial backpackers, Going’s recent rebrand exudes a more sophisticated air.

Now, spurred on by recommendations from The New York Times and The Today Show, some two million travelers use it with rave reviews.

I’m one of them.

Last issue, you might have seen my review of the Aktun Chen cenote on Mexico’s Yucatán Peninsula. I was there because I’d landed a $165 round trip ticket from Miami to Cancún.

It was my first time flying through Going… but it certainly won’t be my last.

Going has since found me a $628 round-trip ticket to Tokyo; a $496 round-trip ticket to Porto or Prague; and round-trip travel for about $150 to various destinations throughout Latin America and the Caribbean.

Going offers memberships in addition to its free basic service, Limited, which will land you deals but won’t pass along mistake fares. I subscribed to Premium (current pricing is $54.99 for two years) which lands me access to mistake fares plus deals in economy.

Elite, Going’s most expensive service at $124.99 annually, offers first class, business class, and premium economy deals as well as deals for points and miles.—Megan Ritchie

Buon Appetito

The Prohibitions-ERA Negroni Spritz

When it comes to midafternoon cocktails, the Spanish and Italians know what they’re doing. The Spanish sip and savor their sweet vermouth in tapas bars… while the Italians linger over bitter Aperol Spritzes in sidewalk cafes.

Known as a digestivo to put hair on your chest, the Italian liqueur Campari does wonders for the body. Digestivos are traditionally served after dinner or midstride through a several hours-long drinking affair. (Some believe that they settle your stomach with natural properties and break down the carbs in your appetizers… making more room for meals and that inevitable pasta or paella plate to follow!)

Because of the strength of Campari’s palate-forward flavors, Italians started diluting it with club soda and sweet vermouth to make what eventually became known as the americano cocktail. The classic Negroni—Italy’s iconic cocktail—swaps the soda for gin. En vogue bars are even trading gin for smoky mezcal to further cut the bitter Campari, making the Campari revolution an ever-evolving one.

So what do you do when an American-Italian-Spaniard walks into a bar? Add it all to the same glass! Combining a perfect marriage of Spain’s vermouth, Italy’s Campari, the americano’s club soda, and a good dose of gin, there you have it: the birth of the Negroni Spritz.

It may help you feel less full before diving into a meal, and the kapow punch of three hard-hitting alcohols will set the tone for what is surely to be a long afternoon of enjoyment.

Negroni Spritz Recipe

Total Time: 5 minutes
Serves: 2

Ingredients:

• 1 oz. Sweet Vermouth
• 1 oz. Campari
• 1 oz. Gin
• 2-4 oz. Club Soda (depending on preferred dilution)
• Ice (for shaking, or optionally in the drink)

Directions:

1. Shake or stir the sweet vermouth, Campari, and gin with ice.
2. Top with club soda. (Make it as strong as you’d like.)
3. Serve straight up in a small martini glass, or in a wine goblet with ice.

Drinking this cocktail, any italiano, español, or americano can enjoy the opulence of a slightly regal, slightly “meet me in a smoky lounge” kind of refreshment with friends.

Impress those friends by knowing that the Negroni, made famous after Count Negroni’s homecoming to Italy from America in 1919, has a cool Prohibition-era past.

Supposedly the count, Camillo Negroni, sauntered into a bar in Florence after roving the U.S. for some time as a rodeo cowboy and avid gambler on riverboats, and made a simple request to the bartender…

Could he get an americano, but swap the gin for soda?

Whether he was the first to try to trade flavors, or just the most infamous, the origin story is good fodder for conversation over the next round.

Whether ordering a “negroni with club soda,” an “americano with gin,” or hoping the bartender understands “negroni spritz,” any bargoer will surely get an appreciative nod from behind the bar for having such good taste.

Cheers, salud, and salute.—Maria diCicco