This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of The Nature Conservancy. All opinions are 100% mine. It is that time of year again everyone. The time where we forget our old 2018 selves and move into our new good habits starting in 2019. It’s January and so that means it is time to start making and fulfilling our New Year’s Resolutions if
Ecuador is famous for its colorful indigenous markets. The most famous of them is in Otavalo, northwest of Quito. The Otavalo Market takes place every Saturday. This Ecuador market has hundreds of stalls where locals sell their goods. This indigenous market is well known for weaving, thus selling scarves, hats, and sweaters. However, there are many indigenous markets in Ecuador, with Otavalo being the most
In South America, there is a tiny sliver of a country nestled between the Andes and the Pacific Ocean known as the Republic of Chile. There are many legends as to why this country was named Chile including a derivation from the Mapuche word that means “where the land ends”. Others might think it has to do with Chilean food or red chili. However, regardless
Petra, Jordan By Night - A Practical Guide Petra by night is an after-dark, guided excursion down the Siq to the Treasury in Jordan's famous carved city. It gets mixed reviews on the travel forums and Tripadvisor about whether or not it is worth it to go while visiting Jordan. I thought it was an amazing experience and one worth doing, so don't let the
If you would have asked me a month ago what I know about Dutch food, I would have answered in 4 words...Black licorice!n Gouda cheese! Thankfully, my curiosity is always at peak levels, so when the opportunity came up to get the skinny on what’s cooking in this region with Eating Amsterdam Tours, I was all over that. This specific tour, the Jordaan Food and
I watched out the large rectangular window and the massive television screen blaring Italian on the wall at the same time. Glancing back and forth, I could see where each frame of the movie had been filmed. The main actor would walk into the door that I had just walked through and then up the stairs to the very room I was standing in. However,
A Toast to the Champagne Houses of France (Image by Points and Travel) French Wine Regions: Champagne Region of France Did you know that there are 10 major French wine regions in France? For hundreds of years, France has lead the way for being the world's greatest producer of wines. The ten main regions are Alsace, Bordeaux, Burgundy, Beaujolais, Champagne, Côtes du Rhone,
Cesenatico is a port city located on the Adriatic coast of Italy. It is in the province of Forlì-Cesena, which is in the region of Emilia-Romagna, south of Ravenna. If you have not had a chance to visit the Emilia-Romagna region of Italy, then have I got a treat for you! It's called Cesenatico and I had a chance to stay at the gorgeous Hotel
Recently, I was invited to be a part of the Nordic Blogger Experience and as a result, was invited to go to Finland. I wrote about my amazing Finnish Sauna Experience and the Scandinavian Design Houses that I visited, but there is this one thing I haven’t mentioned yet: I took a day trip to Tallinn, Estonia!! One Day Itinerary in Tallinn, Estonia Tallinn,
Having Spanish tapas is so much fun for foodies in Spain to do. There may be a bit of misunderstanding about what exactly tapas means, but regardless of that, you have to try them! The Spanish tapas I tried were bite-sized morsels of food that ranged from tiny serrano ham sandwiches to prawn cones to quail eggs, as well as amazing desserts. So many of the
Amita Thai Cooking Class, Bangkok, Thailand ✦ Cooking Class Bangkok When traveling, honestly, I never really think about taking a cooking class. I mean, I like to eat as much as the next guy, but just generally don't think of cooking it myself. Well, that all changed when the Tourism Authority of Thailand invited me to a special Thai cooking class. And
When I found myself with the better part of a day to explore the medieval city of Perugia, I stumbled across a Perugia food tour. It was offered by Via Del Vino Food & Wine Tours. This four-hour tour, created by Susan Guerra, seemed just the ticket for the perfect places to eat in Italy. Now I confess to not being a connoisseur of great
The Champagne region of France is like no other wine region in the world. The nearest vineyards are only an hour from Paris’ Charles de Gaulle airport (CDG) on the fast TGV train to Reims. Reims is a perfect justification for a tour of the Champagne Houses in Reims, but don’t forget to walk around the city and enjoy its Gothic Cathedral, a UNESCO world
No matter what region you are in Italy, there’s one Italian treat that never fails to please the entire group: Gelato in Italy! But what is this Italian Gelato? Is Gelato Italian? Where did it come from? And what makes it so different than ice cream? Is gelato Italian ice cream? Let's dig into this fun frozen treat and see what makes it so special. First
I recently was on a trip to Lake Charles, Lousiana for Mardi Gras where I encountered the making of a King Cake! "A what, I asked?" Being from the South, you would think I would have heard of all the desserts out there but never had I heard those words before. There are some words related to food that we eat knowing nothing more than it tastes delicious!
How will you be celebrating Día del Niño this year? I love to cook with my Ninos - Diego and Christian, to help celebrate them and in a small way, pass down some authentic Mexican traditions, even though they are not Mexican, but Chilean. Since we live in Arizona and have such a close connection to the Mexicans and the Mexicans traditions, this holiday means so
If there is one thing I love about my travels, it is the architecture that I get to see in different countries. I love to see the shape and form of places and how families live within them. I am fascinated by texture and old world looks, with peeling paint, fauxed walls (whether intentional or not), old doors and the vines growing up the walls.
Cogevi-Collet Champagne House I spotted him as he came through the stone-white door carrying a giant, sparkling tuba (really a sousaphone) high upon his back. He was with his friends: the saxophone and the tenor sax. They were casually walking down the street as I entered the museum of Cogevi-Collet Champagne House in the champagne region of Ay, France. Little did I know, that hours
Academia del Padlòt at Palazzo Donati kitchen Homemade, handmade pasta Coradella – lamb’s liver with garlic Deep in the caverns of a palatial kitchen, we sang and laughed, as we tasted the flavorful homemade food, high in the hills of Mercatello sul Metauro, Italy. I heard the sounds of many languages, laughter, and songs, as I popped fava
AtlaVita Winery, Cesena, Italy Altavita Winery - The High Life of Cesena, Italy Sometimes in my life and in my travels, I meet people who are living their life to the fullest. I immediately get a sense that they know what they want and go after it. And Alessandra Giunchi of Cesena, Italy was no exception. Handsome, smart and from a family
Shhh! I need to let you in on a little secret! Even though I travel around the world at the drop of a hat, I know about a place that is so spectacular that even I thought about canceling my travel plans when I received the invitation to try out the newly transformed Jade Bar at Sanctuary on Camelback Mountain Resort and Spa. It is
The Gentle Women of Faenza, Italy I had a wonderful opportunity to visit a winery while on my visit to the Emilia-Romagna region of Italy. It still amazes me that a woman, Ruenza Santandrea, is the “Presidente” of Gruppo Cevico vini Romagnoli, the company that owns this winery in the area of Castel Bolognese called Tenuta Masselina. And soon I will tell you why. Ceramic
Chuflay Restaurant, Portofino, Italy Shoo fly! Shoo fly! ChuFlay! Fly, fly away… not once did I have to shoo a fly away from here! Not here at the ChuFlay Bar and Restaurant in Portofino, Italy! Here they had fine Italian waiters in snow-white uniforms to do it for me, if, in fact, there was even a fly within 1000 meters of our
LaRune RestaurantGenoa, ItalyBW City Hotel You know a restaurant is good when you show up with a reservation and there is not a single seat available in the house. LeRune RestaurantGenoa, ItalyBW City Hotel The place was abuzz when I arrived at Le Rune, in Genoa. Italy, it is the flagship restaurant to the BW City Hotel. The downstairs was
By Cacinda Maloney The Distillery Historic District, Toronto, Canada The Distillery Historic District, Toronto, Canada The shock thundered through him like cold blood running across the floor, he couldn't believe it, as he heard the terrible news. She is gone. The grief overtook him, so much so, that he climbed up in the tower and jumped from the company well. He
Gelato in Rome Gelato in Rome Looking for the Best Gelato in Rome! We headed down Via dei Coronari knowing it was around here somewhere. We had been here before and knew we had to find it again. We were somewhere near Piazza Navona when we ended up finding it tucked in an alleyway beside a stone stairway with a secret-like entrance next to the Il
Apples in the countryside of Spain, Costa Brava I was zipping along on my electric bike in the countryside of Catalonia Spain between Peratallada and Pals. I was way ahead of the rest of the group. The wind was breezing thru my hair, putting little wisps of strands of hair on my face. I felt like a kid again! Pump, pump, pump,
La Boqueria Barcelona Tour of La Boqueria Barcelona: Sweet and Salty The tour I took in Barcelona was called: Farm to Fork, La Boqueria Barcelona, and Beyond. It began at the intersection of Carrer de la Boqueria and La Rambla, which was founded in the 12th century, making it one of Europe’s oldest markets. La Boqueria Barcelona If you haven't heard of La
