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!! You must do this if you visit Helsinki.
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 Italiano! But what is this Italian Gelato? Where did it come from? And what makes it so different than ice cream? Let's dig into this frozen treat and see what makes it so special. First of all, frozen creamy treats aren’t new. In ancient Roman times, Italians
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!
Authenticity in food is a very fluid concept, especially when looking for authentic food from a specific country. Authentic Italian food to the baker on the corner in Tuscany could be different to the pastry chef down the street, much less the difference in different regions of Italy. In fact, the same recipe can taste different from chef to chef and all of them will
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
I had a wonderful opportunity to visit a winery while on my visit to the Emilia-Romagna region of Italy. It still amazes me, even today, that a woman, Ruenza Santandrea, is the “Presidente” of Gruppo Cevico vini Romagnoli, the company that owns the winery in the area of Castel Bolognese called Tenuta Masselina. Since I was fascinated by the ceramic logo on the wine bottles
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 and Ramblas Barcelona Take A Tour of 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, and was founded in the 12th century, making it one of Europe’s oldest markets. La Boqueria Barcelona If you haven't heard
