Enjoy Living Abroad
  • Start Here
  • My Blog
  • My Travel Books
    • My San Francisco >
      • SF BOOK CONTENTS
      • SF BOOK SAMPLE
    • GREAT MED COMFORT FOOD BOOK
    • MOVING TO SEVILLE
    • EASTERN EUROPE BY RAIL
    • PACK LIGHT
    • Seville's New Normal
  • FINDING HOPE
  • The Amigos Project
  • Cheap & Cheerful San Francisco
    • My Picks: Best of SF
  • Cozy Places to Eat in Seville
    • Romantic Restaurants
    • Tapas Bars
    • Cocktail Bars
    • Breakfast
    • Sweet Indulgences
  • The Nutters' Tour
  • Med Comfort Food Tour
  • Mediterranean Recipes
  • Dive Bars
  • Travel Tips
    • Packing
    • Enjoy the Best of Seville
  • About
    • PRESS
  • Contact

Finding hope

The Accordion Is Hip Again. Yes, It Is!

8/22/2023

 
Cotati Accordion Festival 2023 / Nutters World Tour / California / Karen McCann / EnjoyLivingAbroad.com
"If I had been sitting on a chair, wearing black pants, some old shoes, a white shirt, and an uncovered accordion just playing polkas, I wouldn’t have lasted," said The Great Morgani (aka Frank Lima), shown here at the Cotati Accordion Festival. "People want to see the spectacle.”

I once got into a hot dispute with an accordionist, and it didn’t end well. Around the time of our tenth anniversary, Rich and I often went dancing in a small club in Cleveland’s Little Italy, where local bands played ballads made popular by Rat Pack crooners. On a whim, we hired their best band — accordion and all — to play at our anniversary party. A few weeks before the festivities, we dropped in to listen to the band only to discover, to our horror, that the accordion player had made his new girlfriend lead vocalist, and her screechy voice had caused the rest of the band to walk out.
 
We couldn’t inflict the girlfriend’s ghastly voice on our guests, but the accordion player refused to take “You’re fired” seriously, insisting he’d show up and play, refusing to return our hefty deposit. 
 
What to do? A Sicilian-American friend said, “What you need is a fifty-dollar man.”
 
“What’s that?” asked Rich.
 
“What instrument does he play?”
 
“The accordion.”
 
“Well, he’s going to have a hard time playing the accordion with ten broken fingers.”
 
Yikes! “For five dollars,” asked Rich, “will he just break the keys of the accordion?”

Cotati Accordion Festival 2023 / Nutters World Tour / California / Karen McCann / EnjoyLivingAbroad.com
Accordions are hand-made instruments ranging from $600 to $6000 and up.

​Not to keep you in suspense, we didn’t hire a fifty-dollar man to harm man nor instrument. We let the musician keep the deposit, figuring that having to perform with his no-talent girlfriend was punishment enough for his sins. To my surprise, few of my guests seemed sorry to hear there would be no accordion music at the festivities. It seems the instrument isn’t universally held in high esteem.
 
“A gentleman,” remarked Tom Waits, “is someone who can play the accordion but doesn’t.” Ambrose Bierce called it “an instrument in harmony with the sentiments of an assassin.” My brother Mike, a jazz musician, says, “In heaven they play harps. In Hell they play accordions.” General Norman Schwarzkopf weighed in with the remark, “Going to war without France is like hunting without an accordion.” Huh?

Cotati Accordion Festival 2023 / Nutters World Tour / California / Karen McCann / EnjoyLivingAbroad.com

​But the world didn’t always sneer at the box-shaped, bellows-driven instrument. In fact, when it burst on the scene in 1822 Berlin, it was quickly embraced with rapture in just about every nation and musical genre, finding its way into folk tunes, music hall numbers, classical compositions, and later jazz and pop. In America, its popularity peaked in the 1950s, in large part thanks to Dick “the Legend” Contino, the “Rudolph Valentino of the accordion.”
 
Think the accordion can’t be sexy? I saw Dick Contino play one night at that club in Little Italy, and let me tell you, it was steamy stuff. He sported thick, wavy silver hair and a satin shirt which, as the first tune really began heating up, he suddenly ripped off and flung aside. This revealed a form-fitting sleeveless t-shirt and an abundance of chest hair; everyone leaned forward with baited breath, sure that he’d catch that hair in the accordion’s bellows. Of course, he never did, and pretty soon we forgot all about it as we lost ourselves in his passionate music. By the time he got to “Flight of the Bumblebee” his fingers were moving so fast they became a blur.

Cotati Accordion Festival 2023 / Nutters World Tour / California / Karen McCann / EnjoyLivingAbroad.com
Dick "the Legend" Contino in performance, after ripping off his tear-away shirt

​It was rock ‘n roll that killed the accordion’s popularity. Suddenly the guitar was king, and the accordion was downgraded from cool to quaint. Oh sure, it cropped up in a few hit songs by the Beatles, the Beach Boys, Bruce Springsteen, and Bob Dylan, but mostly it languished as a novelty, kept alive by old-school music venues and celebrations such as the Cotati Accordion Festival, which I attended this weekend.
 
“I go every year,” said a women who’d danced at the festival despite a dislocated shoulder and mild concussion. “I always tell people how much fun it is. I say, ‘It’s really great. You should come too.” And they always say —” Here she imitated their condescending tone. “‘Uh, you go. And, uh, enjoy yourself.’” We both laughed. Because the Cotati Accordion Festival is a total hoot and her friends and family (like mine) had no idea how much fun they were missing.
 
This was its 32nd year, and the festival has never been more popular, drawing dozens of top performers from around the world, a crowd of several thousand a day, and vendors selling everything from kettle corn to kitsch figurines. There was an ongoing musical jam session in one tent, a polka dance hall in another, a zydeco dance party at a nearby bar, and two stages filling the air with music guaranteed to make everyone smile and tap their feet.


Are accordions finally making a comeback? Absolutely, says Canadian Martin Hergt, owner of Tempo Trend in Victoria, British Columbia. And it’s all thanks to a phenomena some are calling “the accordivirus,” a sudden outbreak of accordion fever that became highly contagious during the pandemic lockdown.
 
“People were home,” he told me. “They pulled out their old accordions and started playing again. They ended up wanting lighter ones, or something different. Their kids started taking lessons. We got emails from all over the world. We’d never shipped so many accordions. And it’s still going strong.”

Cotati Accordion Festival 2023 / Nutters World Tour / California / Karen McCann / EnjoyLivingAbroad.com
Martin Hergt says the pandemic may be over but "the accordivirus" (a sudden outbreak of accordion fever) is still going strong.

​In the early afternoon, all the female accordionists were invited onto the main stage to play “Lady of Spain,” the song that launched Dick Contino’s career, became a signature tune on the Lawrence Welk Show, and has been sung by everyone from Bing Crosby to the Muppets. The audience, sitting on hay bales, folding chairs, and the grass, cheered them on, and when they followed up with "Beer Barrel Polka," we all sang along. Yes, even Rich and I joined in; with a crowd that large, I figured no one would notice how off-tune we were.
 
“If this isn’t nice, I don’t know what is,” said Rich.
 
As the musicians packed away their instruments, an announcer from an adjacent stage said, “And now, presenting the annual Dick and Judy Contino Accordion Scholarship, we welcome Judy Contino.” My head whipped around. And there she was — the widow of “the Legend,” who passed on to the Great Music Stage in the Sky in 2017. Later I introduced myself and told her how much I loved her husband’s music. We agreed the festival was a great way to help keep accordion music, and his memory, fresh.

Judy Contino / Cotati Accordion Festival 2023 / Nutters World Tour / California / Karen McCann / EnjoyLivingAbroad.com
I was lucky enough to meet Judy Contino at the Cotati Accordion Festival 2023.

So OK, I’ll admit the accordion may never again be mega-hip. It won’t garner lavish praise from music critics at Rolling Stone, Billboard, or Mojo. Fashionistas won’t have themselves photographed holding one in an amusingly provocative manner. And even if they read this post, my family and friends will not speak in awe and envy of my good fortune in attending this year's Cotati Accordion Festival. But I know what it’s like to sit on the grass, belt out an old favorite tune with thousands of other voices raised with mine, and embrace the whimsical, cheerful world of accordion music. And that’s hip enough for me.

Cotati Accordion Festival 2023 / Nutters World Tour / California / Karen McCann / EnjoyLivingAbroad.com
In the end, it's all about how the music makes you feel.

​JUST JOINING US? THE NUTTERS' WORLD TOUR SO FAR

IN PROGRESS: THE NUTTERS' TOUR OF CALIFORNIA
The Accordion Is Hip Again. Yes, It Is! (Cotati)
Boonville: A Town So Remote It Has Its Own Language (Anderson Valley)
Can't Stop the Madness, But Let's Slow It Down a Bit (Thrift Shops)
It's Only a Movie. Or Is It? (Bodega Bay)
Why I Spray-Painted My Shoes (Theme Weddings)
Please, Please, Please Don't Ask Me to Sing Karaoke (San Anselmo)
Keeping It Strange & Wonderful for Future Generations (Fairfax Festival)
Why Isn't Anyone Banning My Books? (Alameda)
When Pigs Fly (Yes, They Can!) (Sacramento Pig Races)
Do You Believe in Magic? (Macabre Market)
My Close Encounter with the Skeptic Society (Outer Space)
The Nutters' Guide to Modern Comfort Food (My Kitchen)

Relationships: Do Humans Stand a Ghost of a Chance? (Hangtown)
For Nutters, There's No Place Like California (Petaluma Chicken & Egg Day)
Can Artificial Intelligence Help Me Plan the Next Nutters Tour?


SPRING 2023: THE NUTTERS' TOUR OF SPAIN
Spain Never Runs Out of Offbeat Curiosities (Zaragoza, Barcelona, Tarragona)
I Travel Deep into the Heart of Nuttiness (Palencia & Pamplona)
Road Warriors: Let the Good Times Roar (Léon & Oviedo)
​Travel Alert: You Can't Always Get What You Want... (Madrid & Burgos)
​
Gobsmacked at Every Turn but Embracing the Chaos (Jaén & Valdepeñas) 
All Aboard for the Nutters Tour of Spain (Packing & Organizing)

WANT TO STAY IN THE LOOP?
Subscribe to receive notices when I publish my weekly posts.
Just send me an email and I'll take it from there.
[email protected]

And check out my best selling travel memoirs & guide books here.

PLANNING A TRIP?
Enter any destination or topic, such as packing light or road food, in the search box below. If I've written about it, you'll find it.
Betsy White
8/22/2023 05:02:32 pm

Great article. It was our 3rd fest and I too can't convince people that it's a blast. I thought the Sunday group Mariposa stole the show. Will follow them around Oakland.
The Accordion festival , full of fashion. Too bad you didn't get a photo of the great dancer in a kilt or the guy with the tie dye prosthetic.

Karen McCann
8/22/2023 08:27:36 pm

Betsy, I was only there on Saturday, so I missed all the great Sunday stuff. I did see the guy in the kilt — he wore it well — but didn't see him dance. And I'm equally sorry to have missed the tie dye prosthetic — sounds perfect for this event. In fact, I'll be spending all year contemplating clothing and accessories that might do the Cotati Accordion Festival justice. Hope to see you there next summer!

Jodee Upjohn
8/22/2023 05:10:13 pm

Hi Karen,
Having majored in "music history", I found this blog particularly interesting and enjoyable. I wish I had know about this Cotati Fest in advance and been able to go. Another fun August fest is the Sebastopol Apple fair, which besides apples, showcases talented bands that started out locally and now perform all over.
Keep on a polka-ing and hope to see you soon.
Jodee Upjohn

Karen McCann
8/22/2023 08:29:45 pm

Jodee, you'd have loved this loony festival and the colorful crowd attending it. They hold it every August, so think about it for 2024. I was sorry to miss out on the Gravenstein Apple Fair in Sebastopol; so many nutter events, so little time. Maybe next year!

Catherine Hutchison
8/22/2023 09:24:15 pm

This sounds perfect for fans of the tango. I love that music and dance. SO many great things you are doing in CA this summer!

Karen McCann
8/24/2023 06:59:33 pm

Yes, an accordion festival is a natural for tango fans. Such lively and passionate music! I feel lucky to be here in CA for all these colorful summer activities, although having lived in other parts of the country, I know there is great nutter stuff everywhere. Enjoy the rest of your summer, Catherine!

Richard L Faris
8/23/2023 04:35:36 am

(As inferred above- accordion (“bandoneón)
never left scene for Tamgo music/dancers)
See Astor Piazolla

Karen McCann
8/24/2023 07:04:14 pm

Ah, Richard, you of course are referring to the late, great Astor Piazolla, tango accordion player extraordinaire. So true that tango continued to love the accordion long after other genres had abandoned it. A great example is Piazolla's Libertango: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mOlJcWt6JbI

Vera Marie Badertscher link
8/23/2023 05:24:41 am

Fun festival!

Next time you are in Italy, check out Castlefidardo, accordion capital of well, everywhere. They have a museum and a yearly festival that features whole orchestras of accordions playing classical music among other things. The main occupation of the town is making—you guessed it—accordions. We learned about Castlefidardo from professional Cajun accordionists in Louisiana. One of the performers said he made most of his own accordions, but some parts were ordered from Castlefidardo, the only place in the world that still produces them.

Karen McCann
8/24/2023 07:08:03 pm

Thanks for the hot tip, Vera Marie! I'd never heard of Castlefidardo and now that I know it's the international capital of accordion builders I am adding it to my life list of must-see destinations. Their accordion festival is coming up next month, Sept. 17, but sadly I will be in another part of Italy altogether. Maybe next year!


Comments are closed.
    This blog is a promotion-free zone.
    As my regular readers know, I never get free or discounted goods or services for mentioning anything on this blog (or anywhere else). I only write about things I find interesting and/or useful.

    Picture
    Picture
    Paperback now available from independent seller ​Rebound Bookstore!
    LEARN MORE​
    Picture
    I'm an American travel writer dividing my time between California and Seville, Spain. I travel the world seeking intriguing people, quirky places, and outrageously delicious food so I can have the fun of writing about them here.

    Don't miss out!
    SIGN UP HERE
    to be notified when I publish new posts.

    ​Planning a trip?

    Use the search box below to find out about other places I've written about.
    And check out my other bestselling travel books
    Picture
    ​Winner of the Firebird Book Award for Travel
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture

    BLOG ARCHIVES 

    May 2025
    April 2025
    March 2025
    February 2025
    January 2025
    December 2024
    November 2024
    October 2024
    September 2024
    August 2024
    July 2024
    June 2024
    May 2024
    April 2024
    March 2024
    February 2024
    January 2024
    December 2023
    November 2023
    October 2023
    September 2023
    August 2023
    July 2023
    June 2023
    May 2023
    April 2023
    March 2023
    February 2023
    January 2023
    December 2022
    November 2022
    October 2022
    September 2022
    August 2022
    July 2022
    June 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013
    June 2013
    May 2013
    April 2013
    March 2013
    February 2013
    January 2013
    December 2012
    November 2012
    October 2012
    September 2012
    August 2012
    July 2012
    June 2012
    May 2012
    April 2012
    March 2012
    February 2012
    January 2012
    December 2011

    CATEGORIES

    All
    100 Days On The Road
    1950s Sci-Fi
    2020
    2021 Holiday Tips
    2021 Puzzle Craze
    2024
    32 Years Together
    3 Food Tribes
    7 Best Travel Tips
    826 Valencia
    Abacería Puerta Carmona
    Accordion Festival
    Acupuncture
    Address To A Haggis
    Adriatic Sea
    African-American Disaspora
    Aging Gracefully
    Agrigento
    AirBnB
    Air Travel
    Air Travel Myths
    Alameda
    Albania
    Albanian Farm Food
    Alcalá De Guadaíra
    Alicia Bay Laurel
    Ali Kali
    Amazon
    American Resistance France
    American Taboos
    Amigos Project
    A Month Of Italy
    Amsterdam
    Angel Island
    Animal Artists
    Anthony Hopkins
    Anxious Traveler
    Any Book Book Club
    Apocalypse Chow
    Apps
    Arizona
    Armadillos
    Artichokes
    Artificial Intelligence
    Arts & Customs Museum
    Artwalk
    Atomic Bunker Museum
    Attention Test
    Austria
    Authentic Travel
    Automation = Apocalypse?
    A Year Of Travel
    Bad Art
    Bagpipe Music
    Balsamic Vinegar
    Baltasar
    Banana Bread
    Banned Book Club
    Banned Books
    Bari
    Barletta
    Bar Plata
    Barrio Abierto
    Bar Santa Ana
    Bathroom
    Batman
    Bears
    Beastly Spasm
    Becherovka
    Bed Bugs
    Beer
    Belgrade
    Best Apps 2016
    Best Foodie City
    Best & Worst
    Bet
    Better Homes And Gardens Cook Book
    Betty Soskin
    Betty White
    Bev's Peach Pie
    Bey's Soup
    Bhutan
    Bigfoot Museum
    Big Rail Trip 2016
    Biohazard Bag
    Biosphere 2
    Bird
    Black Angels
    Blogger Robots
    Blogs & Websites
    Bodega Bay
    Bong Appétit
    Book Banning
    Book Club
    Book Cover
    Books
    Bookstores
    Bosnia
    Botiza
    Brain-enhanced Chimps
    Brains Of The Pig
    Breakfast In Seville
    Bruce Lee
    Bucharest
    Budapest
    Budget
    Bulgaria
    Bullfighting Museum
    Bull's Head
    Burgos
    Burns Supper
    Buzzworthy Words
    CA
    Cabalgata
    CA Cheese Trail
    Ca ‘de Anime
    Caganer
    Cagliari
    Calvin Trillin
    Camels
    Carbon-Conscious Rail Travel
    Car Crazy
    Cars Vs. Trains
    Casa Fabiola
    Castle Houska
    Castro District
    České Budějovice
    České Budějovice
    Chained Wallet
    Chakra Stone
    Chatbots
    Chef Lenny The Lizard
    Chickens
    Chocolate Nativity Scene
    Chocolatour
    Chris Brady
    Christmas
    Christmas In Seville
    Christmas Traditions
    Chulalongkorn University
    Clara Bensen
    Climate Change
    Coca-Cola
    Coffee
    Coit Tower SF
    Collywobbles
    Comfort Food
    Communism Museum
    Community Fridges
    Compassion
    Consular Agent
    Controversial Poster
    Cooking With Weed
    Coping With Pandemic
    Coronavirus
    Coronavirus & Travel
    Costa Women
    Covid Insurance
    Covid Weddings
    Cowgirls & Cowboys
    Cows Come Home
    Crete
    Croatia
    Cruz De Mayo In Seville
    Cuba: 10 Tips
    Cuba: Legendary Snafu
    Cultural Deforestation
    Curated Reality
    Czech Please
    Czech Republic
    Dan Brown's Inspiration
    Dance
    Dancing In The Fountain
    Dancing In The Foutnain
    Dancing On Bars
    Dark Chocolate
    Dark Tourism
    Date Nights
    Death Café
    Debunking Travel Myths
    Detours & Delays
    Devil's Museum
    De Young Museum
    Digital Nomad Visas
    Diners
    Disappointing Destinations
    Disaster Survival Tips
    Dive Bars
    Dive Bars Of Italy
    Dive Bars Of Seville
    Dive Bars SF
    Doga (Dog Yoga)
    Dog-friendly Bars
    Dogs
    Doing Good
    Doing It
    Donna Red Wing
    Dragon
    Dragon Bridge
    Dragonpit
    Drink-Ease
    Driverless Cars
    Duck Plaza
    Duquesa De Alba
    Earthquakes
    EatWith
    Emergency Measures
    Emergency Preparedness
    Empathy Museum
    Endangered
    Enjoy Moving Abroad
    Enna
    Entrails Soup
    Epiphany
    E-readers
    Erratic Boulder
    Estonia
    Eurail
    European Dinner Plate
    European Food
    European Pandemic
    Evernote
    Exercise On The Road
    Expat In Dark Times
    Expats In America2.0
    Expect Delays
    Eye-popping Landmarks
    Failure Museum
    Fairfax Festival
    Fake Art Masterpieces
    Fake Wallet
    Family
    Family Reunion
    Farruquito
    Fellini
    Feria De Abril
    Finland
    First Aid Kit
    Five Meals A Day
    Flat-Earthers
    Flea Market
    Flophouses
    Fondu
    Food Fetishes
    Food Photo Secrets
    Food Tours
    Foreign
    Foreigners
    Forgetfulness
    Fork In The Road
    Fountain
    Free Wi-Fi Finder
    French Bistro
    French Women Don't Get Fat
    Fried Flies
    Full Catastrophe Living
    Fully Vaccinated!
    Galileo Offline
    Game Of Thrones
    Gaslighting
    Gates Of Hell
    Gazpacho Recipe
    Genoa
    Genova
    George Floyd Protests
    George Takei
    Georgia
    Georgian Grey Bear
    Germany
    Ghost Stories
    Gin Joints
    Glass Wall Of Tourism
    Gluten-free Italian Recipes
    Going Spiral
    Good News
    Good Samaritan Scammer
    Google-glass
    Google Translate
    ​Gourounopoula
    Gps
    Grandma Cooper
    Granola Recipe
    Grapes
    Gratitude
    Greece
    Greek Coffee
    Greek Coffee Culture
    Greek Wines
    Group Tours
    Grumpiness Course
    Grumpiness Seminar
    Guest Blog
    Guest Etiquette
    Guests
    Haggis
    Halloween
    Handyman's Guide
    Hangtown
    Hannibal Lecter
    Happiest Cities In US
    Happiest Jobs In US
    Happiness Course
    Harvard
    Harvey Milk
    Helsinki
    Heraklion
    Herzeg Novi
    Hitchhikers Guide To The Galaxy291cb11256
    Holiday Lights
    Holiday Shopping
    Holidays In France
    Holidays In Seville
    Holiday Survival Guide
    Hollidays
    Holy Grail
    Home For The Holidays
    Home Improvements
    HonorSnacks
    Horse
    Hospitals
    Hot As Hades
    Houseguest
    House Hunting
    House Of The Spirits
    Houska Castle
    How Normal Am I?
    How To Meet People
    Hrad Houska
    Human Towers
    Hungary
    Hydration
    Hygge
    Iberian Lynx
    Ibrik
    Icloud
    Ikaria
    Ikaria Solution
    Immigrants
    India
    Indiana Jones
    Indy Booksellers
    In Search Of America Tour
    International Pet Travel
    Ipad
    IPhone Photos
    Irail
    Is SF Doomed?
    Italy
    Jacket
    Jaén
    Jan The Beachcomber
    Japan
    Jet Lag
    Jet Lag Apps
    John The Baptist
    Jo Maeder
    Joseph Campbell
    Joya Shoes
    July 4th In USA
    Justice Course
    Kalamata
    Katka Lapelosa
    Keep Going!
    Kgb
    Kgb Muzeum
    Kindle
    King Wenceslas
    Kitchen For The Mind
    Korçë
    Kotor
    Koyono Jacket
    Krakow
    Krakow's Dragon
    Ladies Room
    Lady And The Tramp
    La Font De La Figuera
    Laptop Ban
    Larissa Olenicoff
    Latvia
    Laughter Project
    Learning Spanish
    Lederhosen
    Legal
    Legal Marijuana
    Legend
    Léon
    Lesbos Refugees
    LGBTQ Seville
    LGBTQ US Military
    LGBT Rights
    Library
    Lindsay Lake
    Lithuania
    Little White Lie
    Little Women
    Live Longer
    Live To 100
    Local Food
    Lockdown Survival Tips
    Longevity
    Lord Peter Wimsey
    Low-Tech Travel Tips
    Lübeck
    Lucky Grapes
    Lucky Red Underwear
    Luggage
    Luggage-free Travel
    Luggage-Free Travel? Try It
    Lviv
    Lynne And Tim Martin
    Madrid
    Magellan
    Maps
    Marijuana
    Mars One
    Mask War
    Matrimony
    Mbt Shoes
    Meal Schedules
    Meal Sharing
    Meaning Of Home
    Medical Emergencies
    Mediterranean Dive Bars
    Memory Course
    Menlo Park Library
    Mentally Unpack Your Bags
    Mermaids
    Metropol Parasol Building
    Me Worry?
    Miracle Tile Of Vilnius
    Mobilize America
    Modern Art
    Modern Comfort Food
    Modern Witchcraft
    Money
    Money Handling
    Monster Of Milpitas
    Montenegro
    Mood Food
    Most Dangerous Woman In America
    Moussaka
    Move Abroad Checklist
    Museum Of Communism
    Muskrat Love
    My Octopus Teacher
    Mystery Spot
    Naples
    Napoli
    National Lampoon's European Vacation
    Nativity Scene
    Nepal
    Neurodiversity
    New
    Newark Of Italy
    New Orleans
    New Roaring 20s
    New Year's Eve
    New Year's Eve Abroad
    New Year's In Seville
    New York Times
    No Cancelling The Holidays
    No-Jet-Lag
    Nomad Eating
    NORCs
    Not A Good Week
    Novelty Weddings
    Nutter California
    Nutters Tour
    Obatzda
    Offbeat Roadside Attractions
    Off The Grid
    Olive Oil
    Optimism & Survival
    Orichiette Pasta
    Osuna
    Outhouse
    Overlook Effect
    Oviedo
    Pack For 4 Months
    Packing
    Packing Demonstration
    Packing For 161 Days
    Packing Tips
    Pad Thai Cooking Class
    Paella
    Painting
    Painting Disasters
    Palacio De Las Dueñas
    Palencia
    Palermo
    Pamplona
    Pandemic Endgame
    Pandemic Humor
    Pandemic Infodemic
    Pandemic Makes Us Better
    Pandemic Solutions
    Pandemic Travel
    Pandemic Travel Story
    Pan Y Circo
    Parlor Games On The Road
    Parma
    Parma Ham
    Parmigiano-Reggiano
    Part-Time Expat Living
    Passport Issue
    Pasta
    Pasta Recipe
    Patriotism. US
    Peaceful Resistance
    Pécs
    Peruvian Pavilion
    Pesto Sauce
    Petaluma Butter & Egg Day
    Photography
    Picking Tapas Bars
    PIzza
    Platter Of Salome
    Plaza De España
    Plaza De Pato
    Plumbing Nightmare
    Podgorica
    Poet Billy Collins
    Poltergeist
    Pop-culture Museum
    Pope Benedict
    Pop-up Restaurants
    Portugal
    Post-pandemic Predictions
    Post-pandemic Travel
    Prague
    Predictions
    Presidio
    Print On Demand
    Project 2025
    Propaganda Museum
    Pub Culture
    Public Library
    Purgatory
    Purpose-driven Travel
    Pussyhats
    Quarantine
    Quarantine Bar Hopping
    Quarantine Mini-Vacation
    Quarantine Nostalgia?
    Quarantine Thanksgiving
    Queen's Gambit
    Quirky Travel Pix
    Racing Pigs
    Rainbow Flag
    Ramona Langley
    Reading Group
    Ready To Move Abroad?
    Rebounding Seville
    Recipe
    Recombobulation
    Recycling
    Red's Java House
    Red Underwear
    Rennes-le-Chateau
    Reptilians
    Republic Of Užupis
    Rescue Dogs
    Residency Visas
    Resistance School
    Resistance Summer 2017
    Retire Abroad
    Retire Where?
    Revisited
    Reyes Magos In Seville
    Rfidblocking Rogue Money Clipb4d0c62eac
    Rich Interview 2020
    Rich-on-packing
    Riga
    Risotto
    Road House
    Roadhouses
    Roadrunner
    Roadside Attractions
    Robert Mugabe
    Rocket Scientists
    Rodeo
    Rolling Stones
    Romania
    Romería Del Rocío In Seville
    Romesco Sauce Recipe
    Rooster Recipe
    Rosie The Riveter
    Ross Williams
    Rota
    Rube Goldberg
    Rural Romania
    Ruse
    Russian Mafia
    Sacramento
    San Anselmo Flooding
    San Ildefonso Church
    San Jose
    Sarajevo
    Sardinia
    Sassari
    Science Museum
    Scottevest
    Scottevest 8-pocket Pants
    Search For ET
    Second Breakfast Seville
    Secret Supper Clubs
    Security On The Road
    Seinfeld Episode
    Semana Santa
    Senior Gypsies
    Senior Nomads
    Sephardic Search
    Serbia
    Setas
    Seville
    Seville 2022 Update
    Seville Dining Customs
    Seville Holidays
    Seville Holidays 2021
    Seville In Pandemic
    Seville In Winter
    Seville's Best Cod
    Seville's Best Tapas 2021
    Seville's Tapas Bars
    Sex Shops
    SF
    SF Chinatown
    SF Ferry Building
    SF Fort Mason
    SF Sea Lions
    Shackleton Ad A Myth
    Shared Dining
    Shoe Bomb
    Shoes
    Shoestring Travel
    Short Story Vending Machine
    Šiauliai
    Sicilian Grandmothers
    Sicily
    Siestas
    Silicon Valley
    Singularity
    Six-word Stories
    Skeptics Society
    Skunk Remedy
    Skype Wifi7994daf88f
    Sleep/Insomnia
    Slovakia
    Slow Fashion
    Smart Pigeons
    Snack Foods
    Snail
    Snail Museum
    Snail On The Rails
    Snails In Slime LIght
    Snail Slime Skin Cream
    Snakes
    Snowed In
    Social Distancing
    Sofia
    Sophia Loren
    SOS File
    Space Tourism
    Space Travel For Pets
    Spaghetti
    Spain
    Spain Savvy
    Spain's Cold Soups
    Spam
    Spanish Wisdom
    Spark Social SF
    Spicy Shrimp In Mango Salsa Recipe
    Spiritual Path To Resistance
    Spiritual Weightlifter
    Springtime For Hitler
    Stanford Prison Experiment
    Staycation
    Stephen King
    Still Expecting Delays
    Stockholm Disaster
    Stone Lifter
    Strange
    Strawberries
    St. Tecla
    Suitcase
    Survival Food
    Survival Songs
    Survive October 2020
    Surviving Catastrophes
    Surviving Pandemic Holidays
    Swiss Cheese Solution
    Switzerland
    Symbolic Thinking
    Syracuse
    Tango Lessons
    Tapas
    Tapenade Recipe
    Tapeo
    Taxi
    Tblisi
    Teenagers In The Kitchen
    Teen Vs. Squirrel
    Telegraph Hill SF
    Temple
    Thanksgiving Games
    The Balkans
    The Big Tomato
    The Blonde Gypsy
    The Exorcist
    The Joy Of Eating
    The Long Now
    The Mothership
    The Next Big Thing
    The Other Turkey
    The Power Of Myth
    The Producers
    The Return 2021
    Thessaloniki
    The Wave
    Three Kings
    Tiger House
    Time Travel
    Toad Jam
    Tomares
    Tonga Room
    Tortilla De España
    Track My Tour
    Train Lag
    Train Travel
    Transylvania
    Travel
    Travel As Political Act
    Travel Boosts Your Brain
    Travel Clothes
    Travel Companions
    Travel Destinations
    Travel Experiments
    Travel Fashion
    Travel Photography Tricks
    Travel Photos
    Travel Prep For Pandemic
    Travel Vest
    Travel With
    Triana Ceramics
    Triposo
    True Cross
    Tsa
    Twelve Days Of Christmas
    Tyrolian Alps
    Uber
    Uc Berkeley
    UFOs & Ghosts 2020
    Ukraine
    Ultra-Light Luggage
    Underrated Extras
    Upotonek
    Utrera
    Valdepeñas
    Valencia
    Vampires
    Veliko Tarnovo
    Verona
    Vest
    Victoria Twead
    Villages Movement
    Vilnius
    Virgin Of The Napkin
    Virtual Tax March
    Visitors
    Vodka
    Vodka & Pickles
    Voodoo Cooking
    Wall Street Journal
    Wandering Earl
    Warsaw
    Washington
    Water
    Watermelon Gazpacho
    Weasel Coffee
    Wedding Disaster
    Weird At The Holidays
    Weird Gifts
    Wenceslas Square
    What
    Whiskey Every Day
    Wild Goat Recipe
    Winchester Mystery House
    Winner
    Winter In Seville
    Wireless Generation
    Wolf's Lair
    Women Of Seville
    Working Abroad
    World Chocolate
    Worst
    Worst Travel Moment
    Wow Finish To Long Trip
    Writing
    Xe Currency
    Yerba Buena Gardens
    Yoda
    Yodeling
    Yoga
    Zagreb
    Zigzag Fountain953a67c066
    Zimbabwe
    Zombie Viruses
    Zurich

  • Start Here
  • My Blog
  • My Travel Books
    • My San Francisco >
      • SF BOOK CONTENTS
      • SF BOOK SAMPLE
    • GREAT MED COMFORT FOOD BOOK
    • MOVING TO SEVILLE
    • EASTERN EUROPE BY RAIL
    • PACK LIGHT
    • Seville's New Normal
  • FINDING HOPE
  • The Amigos Project
  • Cheap & Cheerful San Francisco
    • My Picks: Best of SF
  • Cozy Places to Eat in Seville
    • Romantic Restaurants
    • Tapas Bars
    • Cocktail Bars
    • Breakfast
    • Sweet Indulgences
  • The Nutters' Tour
  • Med Comfort Food Tour
  • Mediterranean Recipes
  • Dive Bars
  • Travel Tips
    • Packing
    • Enjoy the Best of Seville
  • About
    • PRESS
  • Contact