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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.

Spain Doesn’t Stand in Line: The Invisible Queue That Runs on One Question

You walk into a Spanish bakery, or a pharmacy, or the deli counter at the market, and it can look at first like pure chaos. There is no line, no rope, no orderly single file, just a loose scatter of people standing around, leaning on the wall, browsing the shelves, chatting to one another. To …

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This Italian Lemon Cake Is Light, Moist, and Ridiculously Easy

Italian Lemon Cake, known as Torta al Limone, is a classic dessert that embodies the bright, refreshing flavors of Southern Italy, particularly the Amalfi Coast where lemons are prized for their intense aroma and sweetness. This cake is light, moist, and bursting with zesty lemon flavor, often topped with a simple glaze or dusting of …

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Why Month Nine Is When Americans Abroad Want to Go Home: The Pattern in Every Story We’ve Covered

After enough of these stories, you start to notice the same shadow falling at the same point. We have profiled a lot of Americans who moved to Europe, the widowed nurse who chose the rainy Portuguese north, the woman who landed in Lisbon divorced at fifty-three, the couple carefully stretching two thousand dollars a month, …

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Cheap Houses in Rural Spain Look Incredible Until the Repair Bills Arrive: The Truth About Buying a €19,000 House in Spain

On Idealista, Spain’s biggest property site, a stone house in a Teruel village can be had for €8,000, about $8,600. It will be a ruin. For €19,000, roughly $20,500, you can find one with walls that still stand true and a roof that has not entirely given up. Either way you are buying into one …

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The Simple Mediterranean Habit Doctors Recommend That Americans Think Is Unhealthy

(And Why It Might Be the Key to Better Digestion, Energy, and Mood) If you were raised in the U.S., you’ve probably heard this your whole life: “Don’t lie down after eating.” In American health culture, the rule is practically sacred. Lying down or worse, napping after a meal is considered a recipe for weight …

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The Viennese Schnitzel Rules: It’s Veal, It’s Thin, and the Pan Matters More Than You Think

Everyone thinks they know schnitzel, a breaded, fried cutlet, so how hard could it possibly be. But the true Wiener schnitzel, the great pride of Vienna and the national dish of all Austria, is a far more particular and more wonderful thing than the generic fried cutlet most people picture, and getting it right comes …

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The French Make Soup From a Whole Pumpkin and Serve It in the Shell: Soupe au Potiron

There is a way the French serve pumpkin soup in October that turns a humble bowl of vegetables into the centerpiece of the whole table. Instead of ladling it out of a pot, they hollow out a whole pumpkin, fill it with a silky, creamy soup made from its own flesh, and carry the entire …

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We Moved to Granada at 59 With $185,000: This Is What 7 Years Cost

Granada can make a modest retirement feel calmer, but only when the savings account is treated like a guardrail, not the engine. At 59, the move looked reckless from the outside. A couple with $185,000 in savings does not sound like the obvious candidate for a European retirement. Not to Americans trained to believe retirement …

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Spain Is Europe’s Fertility Clinic: Why Women Fly In From Every Country to Get Pregnant

Every week, planes land in Barcelona, Madrid, and Alicante carrying a particular kind of traveler, women and couples who have come not for the beaches or the art but to try to have a baby. They arrive from France, Italy, Germany, Britain, and beyond. They come because Spain has become, in effect, the fertility clinic …

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9 Hygiene Habits Italian Women Would Never Skip That Americans Barely Think About

Not every Italian woman does all nine every day, and not every American skips them all. Spend enough time in Italian homes, bathrooms, pharmacies, and supermarkets, though, and a pattern appears fast. Americans usually notice Italian hygiene culture in the wrong place first. They notice the bidet. That is fair. The bidet is sitting right …

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The Creamy Indian Chicken Dish That Converts People Who Think They Don’t Like Curry: How To Make Authentic Butter Chicken

Butter Chicken locally known as Murgh Makhani is one of India’s most iconic and beloved dishes. With its velvety tomato-based sauce, tender chunks of marinated chicken, and perfectly balanced spices, it’s no surprise this dish has won hearts across the globe. While often associated with restaurant dining, butter chicken is surprisingly easy to make at …

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Before You Buy Travel Insurance, Read This: Travel Insurance Can Save Your Trip Or Be a Complete Waste of Money

For many travelers, buying travel insurance feels like an optional add-on something you might check off at the end of a booking process without really knowing what you’re getting. It’s easy to assume that nothing will go wrong, especially on short trips or when you’re feeling confident in your planning. But as seasoned travelers and …

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