When do I use the Spanish tú or usted? This a very common question that comes up among expats learning Spanish. What Does Tú and Usted Mean in English? Both tú and usted are Spanish for the word: you. Unlike in English, the word “you” in Spanish comes in two varieties: tú (informal) and usted (formal). And while the rules might…
What is the best book to learn Spanish? Choosing the best book can help accelerate your learning process. In this post, you’ll read about 11 books for learning Spanish – and which one is our reader’s top choice in 2021. But first, a little about our methodology. How We Choose the Best Book To Learn…
The colour-changing leaves in fall are famous here in Nova Scotia! Here are my favorite photos: reflected in water, close up, aerial view, against blue sky, and more. Fall is such a beautiful time of year here in Atlantic Canada! The changing leaves steal the show for sure, but there is more to autumn in…
Here are the 6 steps you need to create a travel time-lapse video with your GoPro camera. I include the settings, gear, and tips for composition. While exploring Cuenca, Ecuador a few months ago, we were in a nostalgic mood. We had just decided to return to Canada after almost six years in Ecuador. And…
Are you planning on taking a scouting trip before you move? Have you traveled internationally? If not, there will be some new things to get used to. We went on a scouting trip to Margarita Island, Venezuela. It paid off. We decided not to move there. We learned a lot from that trip. The cost of…
To make the most of a trip to the Galápagos, research and planning should be a priority. With that in mind we’ve put together a list of the top 17 Galapagos books. 17 Best Galápagos Islands Books Here, in no particular order, is a list of our top 17 popular Galápagos Islands books. In this list,…
One week ago today we (along with 7 large bags of luggage, 2 bikes and our dog) left Ecuador, and not just for a vacation. It was very difficult and emotional for our whole family. This was first published in April, 2015. The Sunday before, we packed everything and sold off all our belongings. Many…
We recently spent some time in Azogues, a small city not far from Cuenca. It has a population of around 40,000 and, although it’s in a different province, is considered part of the Cuenca Metropolitan area. Visiting Azogues Ecuador Azogues is about a 40-minute drive from Cuenca, it’s the capital of Cañar Province. You’ll pass it on…
If you’re learning Spanish, you’ve probably heard of Madrigal’s Magic Key To Spanish. It’s our reader’s favorite Spanish learning book. We’ve seen 600+ purchases just from mentioning this book in an overview post. The week we arrived in Ecuador, someone loaned us their copy because they said it was the best book to get us started. It’s the book…
Have you ever eaten prickly pear (genus opuntia) cactus fruit? I never knew cactus plants produced edible fruit until we moved to Ecuador. The only cactus plants I had ever seen in Canada were in little pots, growing indoors. When researching this post I found out that some prickly pear cactus do grow in Canada,…