John M. Edwards pulls up his proverbial time machine into communist Slovakia (1989), where appearances are illusory and life is lived on a virtual movie set. . . . “I AM THE BEST ARTIST IN SLOVAKIA!” The Best Artist in Slovakia bruited. With a cavalier wave of his hand, curved like a grinning alligator shadow puppet, he added in slow mo, “I paint you a picture you would not believe!” “Oh, really?” I said with a terse forced smile. “I really … [Read more...]
Cesky Krumlov: The Real Bohemia
John M. Edwards checks out the new Czech Republic’s “Cesky Krumlov,” where real “Bohemians” come from. . . . On my first visit to communist Czechoslovakia in 1989 (right before the Velvet Revolution), I drove down in my rented and probably bugged Skoda car to the legendary Bohemian locus of magnetic Cesky Krumlov, the most stylish picturesque village in the country. I realized to be truly “Bohemian,” you had to actually be from the … [Read more...]
A Drinker’s Guide to Milwaukee
Milwaukee's history is steeped in beer. When German immigrants settled here, they brought with them old country recipes that tasted like home. For decades, Milwaukee was the number one beer-producing city in the world. It was home to the “Big Four” breweries: Blatz, Pabst, Schlitz and Miller. These breweries were major employers to generations of immigrants, and helped build the city's economic foundation. Before my recent visit to Milwaukee, I … [Read more...]
West Sweden & Skane: Volvo’s Car plus Vacation – Day 7-8 of 14
DAY 7 Drive to Helsingborg - explore this city Leave early from Villa Sjotorp and drive to Helsingborg Driving time: approximately 2 hours and 45 minutes. Check in at the Clarion Grand Hotel - this historic hotel is centrally located - minutes walking from the waterfront and nearby a number of Helsingborg's central attractions. There is a pay for parking garage as well as a select number of parking spots in front of the hotel … [Read more...]
West Sweden & Skane: Volvo’s Car plus Vacation – Day 13-14 of 14
DAY 13 Hallakra Vineyard, Angavallen Breakfast at Angavallen. Driving time: about 30 minutes. Hallakra Vineyard The thing about driving through the rural and agricultural Skåne countryside is vineyards are easily spotted – because they are so rare. Hallakra is located among fields of other agricultural crops including wheat and rapeseed. In the late 1990's, Proprietor Hakan Hansson left a long career as a successful International … [Read more...]
Wellington Plates up for New Zealand’s Largest Culinary Festival
“Visa Wellington on a Plate”, set for August 9 – 25, becoming the largest culinary festival in New Zealand Santa Monica, CA – July 2, 2013– Wellington, New Zealand’s capital city, has a boasting culinary scene led by stars such as Peter Gordon, a rapidly developing craft beer industry, and an edgy new world style that thrives on innovation. Thus, it is no wonder that it is about to host what is becoming the largest culinary festival in New … [Read more...]
Independence Days: The Firths of Fourth and Fourteenth
John M. Edwards switches two similar independence holidays around, “when” left intentionally vague, while storming the Bastille crowd on the 4th of July and watching the Hudson fireworks on the 14th of Juillet. In Paris, I finally managed to go by “bateau mouche” (boat fly) to one of my favorite sights on the Seine: the original little lady, a smaller prototype of “The Statue of Liberty”—a colossal gift from France which was shipped over to … [Read more...]
Kodagu (Coorg) Southwest Karnataka, India
PART ONE Nature’s show On long circuitous winding roads, close your eyes to keep away the tumultuous feeling that erupts as bile climbs the ravines of your own inner system. Suffer motion sickness on a mountain road or keep Avamin and lime ready. Or just stick your eyes out, arrest your breath and stare in awe. This is for what you’ve escaped the humdrum of your congested city life. Wide vistas of undulating green and inhabitation of small … [Read more...]
A Paranormal Papparazzo Stalks the Ghost of Copernicus
Time Traveling to Copernicus’s “Crib” in Torun (Poland) John M. Edwards stalks the heretical ghost of Polish astronomer Nicholaus Copernicus back to his hometown: Torun, Poland. Here is a question nobody, not even Steven Hawking (A Brief History of Time) nor Erich von Daniken (Chariots of the Gods), can answer: How large is the universe? How can it be infinite if it is at the same time also “expanding”? I decided the only scientist worth … [Read more...]
Touring Napa Valley: Tasting wine where it’s made
There’s something to be said for having an affordable bottle of rosé on a Friday night – particularly one that is low in calories but still tasty – Blossom Hill is a good example. But to learn more about appreciating wine, the best thing to do is visit the country where it was made – because like olives in Greece, biltong in South Africa or surf and turf in California – it just tastes better! Blossom Hill is made in California (and a bunch of … [Read more...]
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