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Ruben Arribas

About the Author: Ruben, co-founder of Gamintraveler.com since 2014, is a seasoned traveler from Spain who has explored over 100 countries since 2009. Known for his extensive travel adventures across South America, Europe, the US, Australia, New Zealand, Asia, and Africa, Ruben combines his passion for adventurous yet sustainable living with his love for cycling, highlighted by his remarkable 5-month bicycle journey from Spain to Norway. He currently resides in Spain, where he continues sharing his travel experiences with his partner, Rachel, and their son, Han.

The Crossword Keeps You Good at Crosswords: What Actually Builds Cognitive Reserve

Ask almost anyone how to keep their mind sharp into old age, and sooner or later someone will mention the crossword. Along with sudoku and word searches, the daily puzzle has become the single most popular symbol of brain health, the mental equivalent of a brisk morning jog, the reassuring thing that dutiful people do …

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How to Make Gallo Pinto: Authentic Costa Rican Rice and Beans Recipe

Our full recipe guide on how to make Gallo Pinto the most popular breakfast in Costa Rica. In Costa Rica, few dishes capture the essence of everyday life quite like Gallo Pinto. This simple yet flavorful mix of rice and beans isn’t just a meal it’s a cultural staple that finds its way onto breakfast, …

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What Chlorine Washing Actually Does to Chicken and Why Europe Said No

Few food topics stir up as much instinctive disgust as the phrase chlorine-washed chicken. It conjures images of poultry doused in swimming-pool chemicals, and for many Europeans it has become shorthand for everything wrong with the American food system. So it may come as a surprise that the real story is more complicated, and in …

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Where Can Americans Stay Longer Than 90 Days? 20 Countries Where Americans Can Stay for Up to a Year Without the Usual Visa Hassle

Because long-term travel shouldn’t require a mountain of paperwork. Long-term travel is the ultimate dream for many Americans, whether it’s working remotely in Europe, learning a new language in Latin America, or embracing a slow-paced beach life in Southeast Asia. But visa restrictions often cut those dreams short, forcing travelers to shuffle in and out …

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Americans Buy Anti-Aging Products: 10 Daily Habits French Women Over 60 Consider Non-Negotiable That Americans Forget After 50

The useful thing is not that French women age perfectly. They do not. The useful thing is that many of the habits Americans treat as optional after 50 are still treated in France as ordinary maintenance. A French woman over 60 does not need to announce that she is “prioritizing wellness.” She walks to the …

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Barcelona Calls Its Ham and Cheese Toastie a Bikini: The Story Behind the Name Is Better Than the Sandwich

Order a bikini in a bar in Barcelona and no one will bat an eye. You will get a hot pressed sandwich of ham and cheese, crisp and golden on the outside, molten within, one of the most ordinary and beloved snacks in the whole city. Order the same thing by that name anywhere else …

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Huevos Rotos Is Madrid on a Plate: Broken Eggs, Fried Potatoes, and Zero Technique Required

There is a dish in Madrid that looks, at first glance, like something went slightly wrong in the kitchen. A pile of fried potatoes, a couple of fried eggs slumped on top with their yolks split and running everywhere, maybe some salty cured ham thrown carelessly over the lot. It is not neat, it is …

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She Moved to Seville Alone at 67: The Solo Retirement Europe Makes Easier Than America Does

Picture a woman who, at sixty-seven and on her own, did something a lot of people only daydream about. She left the United States and moved by herself to Seville, in the south of Spain, to spend her retirement in a city she barely knew, without a partner to share the adventure or split the …

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The Underwear Difference Nobody Warns American Women About Before Dating in Europe

And what it reveals about comfort, grooming, and a quiet cultural confidence Americans still can’t understand If you’ve spent time traveling across Europe whether backpacking through Spain, vacationing in the Greek islands, or renting an apartment in Italy chances are, at some point, you’ve been caught off guard by what European men wear (or don’t …

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Americans Call It Chaos. Spaniards Call It Normal Social Life: 13 Spanish Social Rules That Completely Baffle Americans

From Two Kisses to Late-Night Dinners: What You Need to Know Before Visiting Spain Spain is known for its warm culture, late-night lifestyle, and deep traditions, but for Americans, navigating the social norms can sometimes be confusing or downright baffling. Whether you’re traveling, studying abroad, or moving to Spain, understanding these unspoken customs will help …

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Your American Income Doesn’t Count in Madrid: How Renters Get Approved Anyway in 2026

You have the money. Your bank balance is healthy, your American salary is more than enough to cover a Madrid apartment twice over, and you arrive expecting that to be obvious to any landlord who glances at your statements. Then you start applying, and you hit a wall that makes no sense at first. The …

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Late August Is When Fall Airfare to Europe Drops: The Booking Window, Explained

There is a rhythm to the price of a plane ticket to Europe, a seasonal tide that rises and falls with remarkable regularity, and for anyone hoping to cross the Atlantic without paying peak prices, understanding that rhythm is worth real money. The pattern that matters most for fall travelers begins in late August, when …

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