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

Spain’s Subterranean Cheese Kingdom

Sally Pederson

a dream realm for cheese lovers
A dream realm for cheese lovers, Asturias’ cheese caves showcase the region’s most famous food.
©JEANNE EMMEL/iSTOCK

Come to Asturias in northern Spain, and you’ll see rolling green valleys and rugged cliffs plunging into the royal blue sea.

Go deeper still, into the natural limestone caves below the earth’s surface, and you’ll witness a centuries-old process that harnesses the cool and humid cave environment to create distinctive, delicious Asturian cheeses.

Asturias is home to over 100 different varieties of artisanal cheese, but the most famous is Queso de Cabrales.

Made from a blend of unpasteurized cow, goat, and sheep milk, this rich cheese is aged in the natural caves of Asturia for a minimum of two months.

It has a distinct, strong flavor that is both tangy and slightly spicy, with a pungent aroma that reflects its robust character. The texture of Queso de Cabrales is crumbly and creamy, with blue veins running throughout. When eaten, it has a buttery taste that is balanced by the sharpness of the blue veins.

Other cheeses include Queso Afuega’l Pitu, a soft and creamy variety with a tangy flavor, and Queso de Gamoneu, a blue-veined cheese with a slightly spicy taste.

Cheese caves of various sizes dot the area (and some of the cheese-making factories have their own caves you can visit), but for a fully immersive cheese experience, check out the Cueva del Queso in Arenas de Cabrales, located just outside the town of Arenas. You’ll get to see how the cheese is made from start to finish, followed by the all-important tasting.

These caves are usually quite dark, with uneven floors and high ceilings, although some areas are illuminated with man-made lighting. Along the cave walls are shelves where the cheese is placed to age for several months or even years.

There are seven daily sessions (check the website for times) and entry fee is just €5 ($5.40).

If you’re a true cheese lover and want to go all in, plan your visit to the area for the end of August, when the Cabrales Cheese Contest is held. It happens on the last Sunday of August (for 2023, that’s August 27).

Learn a New Skill in Return for a Free Bed

help with community projects
Help with community projects or work with animals in exchange for free bed and board. 
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One of the biggest traveling costs is accommodations. But there’s a way to beat this drain on your wallet… while staying in some of the most beautiful places on earth.

Workaway is a platform that allows you to arrange homestays and volunteering opportunities around the world. Stay in an ethical tourism sanctuary for elephants in Thailand… care for Malamute sled dogs in the snowy plains of Norway… or work in a community library in Uganda… you’ll get free accommodation and meals in exchange for a few hours of your time each day.

If you’d like to learn a new language, or brush up on your Spanish, French, or any other language, Workaway also has options for staying with host families for a totally immersive experience.

To get started, you’ll need to sign up on the website and pay an annual fee—$49 for a single person and $59 for a couple/two friends. Workaway will help set you up with hosts, and if you’re looking to connect with other travelers, they’ll help you find a travel buddy to join your adventures. —John Wallace

An Update on Europe’s Visa Waiver Program

need only your passport
For now, you’ll need only your passport to explore the sights of Europe.
©NICOLA FORENZA/iSTOCK

Right now, U.S. citizens can visit Europe for up to 90 days without a visa.

But, there’s been a lot of coverage in the travel press about the European Travel Information and Authorization System (ETIAS)—a visa waiver program that will require non-European passport holders to get pre-trip permission to enter the EU, no matter how long they’re staying for.

Modeled on the U.S. ESTA program, travelers will have to register their details on the ETIAS website, pay a €7 application fee, and (barring any complications) approval will be given within a couple of minutes. An electronic code will be attached directly to your passport. The ETIAS must be renewed every three years.

Earlier this year, the EU announced that U.S. citizens would have to start applying for ETIAS starting in November 2023. But at time of writing, the EU has postponed the launch until an unknown date in 2024.

The postponement is due to a delay in another European security measure, the Entry/Exit System (EES). In short, ETIAS cannot operate without a fully functional EES.

So the good news is, if you’re planning a trip (of less than 90 days) to Europe in the next year, you don’t need to worry about applying for an ETIAS… all you’ll need is your passport. —John Wallace

An Ancient Site Built on Human Sacrifice

San Pablo Villa de Mitla’s spectacular archaeological ruins reveal a gruesome history. Originally built by Mexico’s indigenous Zapotec people in the 1st century A.D., and later inhabited by the Mixtec people from around 1,000 A.D., Mitla was once an important religious and ceremonial center that involved human sacrifice.

The ancient priests performed elaborate rites that often included removing the living heart of their victims as an offering to their gods. Tombs were built underneath the floors of the various structures in Mitla; local folklore suggested that the city was the entrance to the underworld.

The ruins you see today feature intricately carved mosaic fretworks, in the form of unique geometric designs made from tiny individual polished stone pieces, fitted without the use of mortar—no other archeological site in Mexico shares this characteristic. Mosaics cover entire walls, tombs, and panels. Due to the area’s arid climate, patches of the original red paint are still visible on more than 150 panels.

When the Spanish conquered Mitla in 1553, they ordered the destruction of much of the site. Mitla’s Church of San Pablo was constructed on top of the ruins of the former town. Stone blocks and materials from the existing buildings were removed to build other Spanish churches.

The town itself has a charming zócalo (plaza) and a nearby rug and textile market selling traditional clothing and textiles. Most visitors come on a day trip from Oaxaca (27 miles away.) Book a group tour or take the public bus. You’ll find the entrance to the ruins less than half a mile from the town’s main church. —Wendy Justice

Global Diversification Canine Style

we have more tips for taking
We have more tips for taking your pets overseas here. 
©ADITYA PHALSWAL/iSTOCK

This past March, my family and I moved from Atlanta to Cape Town, and our beloved Jack Russell Max came with us. Getting him there was more complicated than shipping our household goods… so we got some help.

Pet import requirements vary from country to country (and South Africa isn’t too bad), but we still needed lots of paperwork and specialized tests. And everything had to be timed perfectly.

Early on, I realized this wasn’t something that I could handle on my own. So, I hired an Atlanta-based company called Animal Land Pet Movers. They prepared all the paperwork, booked appointments with vets specializing in overseas travel, and hired a company in South Africa to handle arrangements there. In the end, all we had to do was take Max back and forth for his tests, get medications that had to travel with him, and pay for the customs and shipping service.

Thanks to South African regulations, Max had to fly from the U.S. to South Africa in the cargo hold. He had his favorite blankets and bowls for food and water. We flew through Amsterdam, where there was an overnight layover at a specialized “pet hotel” at Schiphol Airport. Of course, we were worried about him—he’s getting on in years—but he arrived safely and has settled into life here in the Fairest Cape! —Ted Baumann

Zipline Across a European Border

travel back in time when
Travel back in time when you cross the river at Alcoutim, Portugal and land in Spain.
©URF/iSTOCK

The fastest way to get across the Spanish-Portuguese border is by zipline.

Starting in the whitewashed village of Sanlúcar de Guadiana in Andalucia, LimiteZero zips you over the majestic Guadiana River—a natural border between the two countries—at 45 to 50 miles per hour. The zipline covers a distance of 2,362 feet, and whizzes past groves of olive and cork oaks. When you land in Alcoutim, Portugal, you’ll even travel back an hour (Portugal is on Greenwich Mean Time while Spain is GMT+1).

Visitors are driven from Sanlúcar de Guadiana to the departure platform, where they’re fitted with safety equipment, then treated to an experience offered nowhere else in the world.

After the adrenaline-filled ride is over, visitors are free to explore the village of Alcoutim on the Portuguese side or hop aboard a ferry for a short ride back across the river to Spain.

The zipline experience can be booked in advance on the LimiteZero website. It costs €20 ($21.50) per person for ages 14 and up, with a maximum weight limit of 243 pounds. People with disabilities can be accommodated, but you must mention this when making your booking. —Terry Coles

Deep Fried Frog and a Private Cooking Class in Chiang Mai

northern thai food is healthy
Northern Thai food is healthy, full of flavor, and not as spicy as southern Thai dishes.
©CHOOCHART CHOOCHAIKUPT/iSTOCK

There’s no better place than Chiang Mai in northern Thailand to explore Thai cuisine.

This city is both cosmopolitan and historic, popular with expats and tourists, eateries abound… ranging from Michelin-rated restaurants and bistros, to inexpensive noodle shops, to bustling street market stalls. Plus, the cuisine is typically not as spicy as in the south, making it a little easier on Western palates.

My husband Michael and I are currently housesitting around Asia. No trip to Thailand is complete without a visit to Chiang Mai. We wanted to learn more about northern Thai cuisine, so we started our foodie exploration in the Mae Hia fresh food market, a favorite spot for locals to pick up ingredients.

The meat section of Mae Hia had its share of fascinating ingredients used extensively in local dishes. (If you aren’t fond of intestines, or blood pudding, check all dish descriptions carefully.) In the fresh fish section, we found fish, octopus, prawns, and bags of still flapping tilapia, plus bowls of live catfish and carp. But there was also a securely covered bowl of live frogs. Here, unlike France, you don’t just eat the legs… Deep fried whole frogs can be found in street vendors’ stalls.

The markets here can be exhilarating, but also overwhelming and confusing to the uninitiated. Considering the vast array of dishes and unfamiliar ingredients, the best way to understand the markets and Thai food is to take a cooking class. We booked one with Chef Benny, an incredibly knowledgeable culinary savant with over 12 years of experience. For a private class (just the two of us), we paid 2,200 baht ($65) each, and this included transport to and from the Mae Hia market, all the ingredients, and a Thai recipe book.

Visiting a local market with a knowledgeable guide is an eye opener. They can explain what the different types of vegetables are used for, such as the pea-sized eggplant used in curries, and the types of watercress used for stir-fried Morning Glory (a popular dish of water spinach seasoned with garlic, red chilis, soy, and oyster sauce). They also let you taste the different herbs, which play a vital role in creating the rich flavors and balance so intrinsic to Thai cuisine.

Thankfully, our menu for our cooking class contained nothing as “exotic” as frogs… We made an incredibly delicious and aromatic arrangement of curry pastes, soups, pad Thai, drunken noodles, stir fried Morning Glory, Panang, and jungle curries, along with dessert.

All the dishes were made with ingredients from the market or harvested from Chef Benny’s own garden, like the butterfly pea flowers that give purple sticky rice (topped with mango) its glorious color and taste.

Armed with all the tips and advice from our chef, we ordered at restaurants and from vendors many more dishes over the following weeks. Banana flower salad is a must try. A popular and inexpensive dish is Khao Soi Gai, a soft noodle dish made with its own unique curry paste and topped with crispy fried noodles. Chili, pickled greens, onion, and lime are served on the side so you can adjust it to your personal taste. Two bowls and a soft drink cost less than $5 in local noodle shops. I’d recommend Malee Noodle Bar in the Plaza 89 shopping center. —Yvonne Bauche

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