We meet locals in many different ways when we travel. Sometimes the people we connect with are friends of friends, sometimes we meet them in restaurants or bars, occasionally we meet them through the owners of the places we’re staying, and at other times we connect through social media channels such as Twitter. That’s how … Read more
The languid Pacific coast town of Manuel Antonio in Costa Rica is hot and humid. Stand still long enough here and you’ll see mould appearing on your body. The locals, however, have standing still down to an art. The laidback Costa Ricans take their time with everything. It’s common sense when just the act of … Read more
San Miguel de Allende, our second ‘home’ in Mexico, is renowned for its shopping. I was told it was possible to find anything here from anywhere in Mexico, and it seemed to be true. As I did the rounds of the stores, I saw every kind of Mexican handicraft and folk art conceivable, from the … Read more
It was on the Zócalo, the main square of Mexico City, that we met Fernando Revilla on our first trip to Mexico City (gulp) some years ago. We’d been watching, and Terence was photographing, a riotous demonstration by university students on the square. Terence had been getting a little too close for (my) comfort to the burning … Read more
Meeting locals when you travel has long been the most satisfying part of our travels, no more so than during the yearlong grand tour that launched Grantourismo. Not seeing the Sagrada Familia, the Eiffel Tower, the Empire State Building, or any other iconic monument or major sight. But engaging with people, because meeting locals is … Read more