YIR2015

Another year has passed, and I again feel fortunate to have watched a great deal of the world pass below me out an airplane window on journeys east and west of Halifax. After a stretch of years traveling where food wasn’t as much of a focus, for a second year in a row, many of my favourite travel experiences have to do with food and drink or have a meal as a focal point to a memorable moment. The other unifying theme this year was “quiet” with many of my favourite experiences being unexpected, subtle, or reflective in nature. After time spent in British Columbia, Southern California, Mexico, Texas and Spain, here are my favourite travel experiences from 2015.

1. Tapas with my wife in Madrid – Thinking this would be a more difficult trip for my wife to enjoy the food culture of Spain (as she must eat a strict gluten-free diet on account of Celiac disease), we were both blown away by Taberna la Concha in the La Latina neighbourhood near our rented apartment. The dedicated gluten-free menu and the quality of the food gave my wife an authentic Spanish experience. It was so good, we went back another night and had a second amazing experience. To see her face light up on those two nights (like mine was for the other nights of the trip) was a great thing to see.