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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 Italian Soup Americans Always Get Wrong: How to Master Real Minestrone

Minestrone soup is one of Italy’s most beloved comfort foods — a hearty, rustic dish that has warmed tables across the country for centuries. Known for its medley of vegetables, beans, pasta, and rich broth, Minestrone perfectly captures the heart of Italian home cooking: simple ingredients, slow cooking, and flavors that deepen with every spoonful. …

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How to Make Real Spanish Tapas at Home: 5 Recipes Everyone Loves)

We will write a guide on the best Spanish Tapas. Apart from dishes like paella, we will try to write about our favorite tapas in Spain. Spain is a country that knows how to celebrate food in its simplest, most communal form. Nowhere is this clearer than in its tapas culture. Tapas are not just …

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13 Swiss Breakfasts You Should Try at Least Once in Your Life

Switzerland is famous for its mountains, chocolate, and trains that run with perfect precision, but its breakfast culture is one of the country’s most overlooked treasures. Swiss mornings are built around simple, honest food that highlights regional ingredients and a long tradition of seasonal eating. Whether enjoyed in a lakeside café, an Alpine chalet, or …

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Why €30,000 in Europe Feels Richer Than $100,000 in America

And what it reveals about net life, not gross pay You meet a teacher in Valencia who earns around €30,000 and somehow lives ten minutes from the beach, eats well, sees a doctor without stress, and takes a real two-week holiday. Then you call a friend in Austin on a $100,000 salary who is delaying …

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I Lived on a Spanish Budget for 90 Days, Now I Can’t Go Back to American Spending

So here is the quiet thing that happens when you copy a Spanish budget with boring discipline. Your bills get smaller, your days get slower, and you realize half your “needs” were habits you never questioned. When rent, food, transport, and fun live inside a rhythm, money stops arguing with you. After ninety days of …

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What This Open Bathroom Door Says About Spanish Culture (And Why It Shocks Americans)

And What It Reveals About Privacy, Presence, and a Different Understanding of Personal Space In the United States, a closed bathroom door sends one clear message: occupied. Whether you’re in your own home, a friend’s apartment, or a public space, the etiquette is automatic. You close the door. You lock it. You double-check it. Because …

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Why Pani Puri Is India’s Most Addictive Street Food (And How to Make It at Home)

Pani Puri, also known as Golgappa or Puchka depending on where you are in India, isn’t just a street food—it’s a cultural obsession. With its crisp shell, tangy-spicy water, and potato or chickpea filling, it hits every flavor note: crunchy, spicy, sour, and utterly refreshing. It’s one of the few dishes that delivers a full …

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How to Pack for a 3-Week Vacation in a Carry-On (Yes, It’s Possible)

Yes, you can pack for three whole weeks abroad (or domestically) using just a carry-on. The secret? Smart planning, a capsule wardrobe approach, and the right suitcase. Overstuffing huge luggage only weighs you down. Travel pros swear by minimalism: fewer items, more freedom. Below, we’ll map out how to do it plus share why we …

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Avoid These 13 Packing Mistakes or Risk Ruining Your Entire Flight

Packing for a flight should be simple but more often than not, it becomes a chaotic rush of stuffing bags, forgetting essentials, and stressing about baggage fees. Whether you’re a seasoned jet-setter or an occasional traveler, packing mistakes can lead to unnecessary stress, unexpected costs, and even ruined travel plans. To help you avoid these …

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The Airbnb Cleaning Fee Trap in Paris That Most Americans Don’t See Coming

You book a pretty flat in the Marais, open the price breakdown, and swear the cleaning fee only shows up for you. It does not. Something else is happening. The idea that Paris listings sneak in a cleaning fee only for Americans makes great outrage and bad planning. Cleaning fees on Airbnb are set by …

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Why Spanish Families Preserve Wealth While Americans Keep Losing It

You arrive at a sprawling Andalusian hacienda—white stucco walls framed by orange trees, a faded family crest carved above the arched doorway—and learn that this estate has belonged to the same lineage since the 1400s. Inside, descendants recount how an 800-year-old charter still governs property transfers. Across the Atlantic, most American dynasties vanish by generation …

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Italian Couples Ignore These Hot-Button Topics Americans Turn Them Into Fights

And What It Reveals About Boundaries, Unspoken Agreements, and a Culture That Doesn’t Confuse Clarity With Control Spend time around Italian couples — married or not, young or old — and you’ll notice something curious. They argue. They bicker. They tease. They talk, often over each other. But they don’t obsessively negotiate every detail of …

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