There is a lilting quality to Budapest that changes to crashing crescendos as one visits different parts of this medieval city. Budapest has been prey to many conquerors...the Mongols, the Turks and more recently - the Germans and then the Russians. Now it has been restored to its own people, the Hungarians who arrived to create their first settlement early in the 9th century. This beautiful city straddling the Danube has much to offer to … [Read more...]
Enjoying downtown Napa
We spent the evening enjoying two fine Napa restaurants. Usually I'm perfectly satisfied with one meal but on this one evening we opted for two full course dinners at two different restaurants! First we popped into the new restaurant Charlie Palmer Steak at the Archer hotel but didn't eat anything. We then hit up Eiko's on 1st Street, downtown Napa. This is a restaurant that specializes in authentic Japanese cuisine including seasonal dishes … [Read more...]
Portuguese Christmas Traditions
Portugal is not a place that people associate with Christmas right away. The mild temperatures make a white winter wonderland for the holidays nearly impossible and for some it is hard to imagine Christmas without snow. And though the holiday traditions vary across countries, we have a certain Americanized image in mind of traditional Christmas festivities that the media promotes. But the idea of 10°C and sun during the wintertime is not … [Read more...]
Guidelines for a Paella Valenciana
The paella is arguably the Spanish national dish to many foreigners. The original paella, however, originates from Valencia. Staying in Valencia apartments you will definitely find the authentic paella valenciana, but unfortunately, in the touristic zones of any Spanish city the restaurants will sell you anything as the most authentic paella. The best solution to this problem is of course being hands on trying to cook a paella yourself, but being … [Read more...]
Maui’s Front Street Named one of “10 Great Streets” for 2011
The American Planning Association recognizes authenticity and economic opportunity Lahaina, MAUI, Hawaii - The American Planning Association (APA) announced the country's 10 Great Neighborhoods, 10 Great Streets, and 10 Great Public Spaces for 2011 through the organization's national program, Great Places in America. Maui's Front Street was named one of the top ten "Great Streets" along with others including Santa Monica Boulevard, West … [Read more...]
Exploring Sweden
Wooo - the day dawned CLEAR! We were told this was the first clear-partly cloudy day here in over a month. Luck is with us as we move further north in these latitudes. Today we visited the west coast north of Malmo and stumbled upon a Swedish Stonehenge equivalent - a circle of large stones placed in a grassy field overlooking the ocean placed their by the Nordics many years ago. The town below served up some expensive but tasty smoked fish and … [Read more...]
Wadi Mujib, Jordan – August 2011
Wadi Mujib, Jordan is located in a steep canyon that contains a very "wet and wild" river hiking experience. This wadi or canyon is in the lowest reserve on the planet as its water empties into the Dead Sea (almost 400 meters below sea level). A hike up the canyon is not for the faint of heart, rather it is an adrenaline producing experience. Sign the waiver at the main entrance, pay the admission fee and collect a life jacket. The entire hike is … [Read more...]
Key Largo Food and Wine Festival, July 29 through Aug. 7
Photo by Cheryl Gorski KEY LARGO, Florida Keys - The 'Sauce Boss' is preparing to cook up a jazz-laden gumbo onstage as a highlight of nearly 30 palate-pleasing events at Key Largo's Food and Wine Festival, set for July 29 through Aug. 7. Bill Wharton, known as the 'Sauce Boss,' is to craft his signature dish during the Night in New Orleans event set for Saturday, July 30, at Sundowners, mile marker (MM) 104 bayside. The special gumbo … [Read more...]
Squid on the Floor
At sunrise the buzz of motorbike traffic has not yet begun, and the street is oddly quiet. We come out of the alley and onto the sidewalk where shop owners are opening up and iced coffee vendors await their first customers. We're out here at this hour waiting for a van, which soon arrives. The four of us shove our bags in the back and groggily climb in. The previous afternoon we booked a Halong Bay tour from one of the hundreds of vendors in … [Read more...]
A Bunch of Rocks: The Environmental Gutting of Malta
As you look down from the hillside onto the apparent perfection of Malta's Blue Lagoon, you struggle to imagine it in any other condition. Land embraces lagoon like a protective parent. Water shines like a molten blending of sapphires and emeralds. The perpetually cloudless sky appears hazy against such brilliance. Craggy islets guard the entrance like dorsal spines on some mythic leviathan. But you walk the Malta of the modern world, a … [Read more...]
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