Santa Fe and art go together like Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers. This northern New Mexico town has been attracting artists for decades. Like magnets, they are drawn to the magical light, turquoise sky and starkly stunning landscape. Galleries galore and top-notch museums attract art appreciators like bees to honey. Georgia O’Keeffe was deeply inspired by Santa Fe. At her namesake museum, you’ll find plenty of examples of her sensual, … [Read more...]
Truly a Special Place, Chamonix in the French Alps
I have been fortunate to have visited France a number of times - but by far the trip that has stood out in my mind over the years was a trip to Chamonix in the summer with my brother as part of a longer trip backpacking through parts of Europe. Traveling on train from near Geneva to Chamonix is anywhere from 2 to 4 hours - we felt good because we had a Eurorail pass which covered most train travel within Europe for 30 days. But at the time we … [Read more...]
Enoversity: The Best Wine Tasting Class in Chicago
Chicago is Bon Appetit's 2017 Restaurant City of the Year. While the magazine gives a list of multiple restaurants worth visiting, it makes no mention of cocktails or drinks. Perhaps it is because I live here and am spoiled by the great food, but I am always on the hunt for a well-priced wine or cocktail bar. For people like Dave who is trying to visit every winery in the world famous Napa Valley, finding a decent wine tasting is not a … [Read more...]
Wine Tasting in Thies Senegal
With only two wineries in the country, our wine tasting options during our visit were somewhat limited. I reached out to both producers – one a grape producer with a small vineyard outside of Dakar (Le Clos des Baobabs) and the other a fruit wine producer (Vin du Sahel Winery) in Thies, the “second city” of Senegal – about 90 mins by car from Dakar. The founders of Vin du Sahel Winery, Joe Sambou (along with his wife Kim) have multicultural … [Read more...]
A long weekend exploring Geneva
My idea of a good way to spend a bank holiday weekend is none other than jet setting off to a foreign land. My best friend was traveling in Italy and Switzerland, so I decided to meet her in Geneva for 3 days. Let me start off by saying that Geneva is not cheap. Ranked as the most expensive city in Europe, anywhere you go for food or drinks, is generally overpriced. So if you’re a backpacker on a budget, Geneva (and the majority of … [Read more...]
Place du Casino in Monte Carlo – a gambler’s paradise
Monaco may be the second-smallest country in the world, but it's one that many people have on their list of places they simply have to visit. The rich and the famous have been attracted to Monaco since the early 20th century, with its beautiful setting offering one of the most iconic views on the planet. Surrounded on three sides by France and occupying just under 0.75 square miles of the Cote d'Azur, the principality hosts the Monaco Grand … [Read more...]
My Thoughts on Cruising
I've been on a number of cruises over the years from a wine-centric river cruise in Bordeaux France, to an adventure cruise in Antarctica to a more relaxing tropical cruise in the Caribbean. However one cruise that has eluded me to date is a cruise around the world. I remember as a young child visiting with my grandparents at one of our local ports - just before they were set to embark around the world on a several month trip of a lifetime, … [Read more...]
My Time Exploring the Baltics
While exploring Eastern Europe with a friend a few years back, I decided to visit Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania. Each country is relatively small and the highlights seen in a few days. And the nice part is this part of Europe is really not that far from the UK. I stopped over at Heathrow Airport on my way to Helsinki - I remember the flight time was only a few hours. After spending a few days in Helsinki - including a memorable stay in a … [Read more...]
The 7 Wonders of Provence
If you’re looking for a sensational experience, Provence in southern France will not disappoint. With its seemingly never-ending lavender fields, its sun-drenched landscapes, a rich diversity of wildlife and mouth-watering delicacies from the region’s olive groves and vineyards, it is a real feast for the senses. It is also rich in heritage, with Roman remains, castles, churches and synagogues to be explored. Whether your priority is … [Read more...]
The Magic of the Morvan
We, northern Europeans envy the French. Their country has it all: it ranges from endless vineyards, rolling hills, impressive mountains to charming villages, nostalgic Mediterranean resorts, Provençal colours and of course elegant Paris. But we discovered there was even more, Magic Morvan. We escaped our own flat and rainy country for a brief break and jumped in the car without much of a clue where we were headed. South in any case but not too … [Read more...]
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