Travel
Polar Nights and Northern Lights of Tromsø
Since I was a child listening to my mother’s stories about the boats that would weave their way through the fjords to bring letters and necessary goods to little towns and villages up north where Santa lived, I have wanted to visit northern Norway. This Christmas, I did.
Nazaré, Portugal – why you should visit the land of big waves and long sandy beaches
Nazaré A two-and-a-half-hour cork and eucalyptus tree-lined drive north of Lisbon lies the seaside town of Nazaré. Nestled along the Costa da Prata (Silver Coast) sits this vibrant and lively oceanside fishing village turned resort. Nazaré consists of three...
5 Reasons to Visit Medellin, Colombia
The plane lined up for its approach for landing, flying down through the clouds and into a heavenly mountain oasis. We made it through customs quickly, into a hired car, and soon we were winding our way through the high altitude tropical lushness of the countryside...
4 Days in Phuket
I could feel and hear the plane give that hot weather rumble. It is a sound that comes from the thermal waves pushing upwards toward the plane. Even though we took the early morning flight out of Singapore, the heat was extraordinary – a swelter I had never...
Andalusia & The White Hill Villages
From Seville, we rented a car and drove through the Andalusian Mountains, visiting a couple of the White Hill Villages. The color of the green grass covering the rolling mountains was almost unreal looking, as was the crisp blue sky; everywhere we looked we saw a...
Spain: Barcelona & Seville
One of the first things I noticed upon arriving in Barcelona, the capital of the Spanish region of Catalonia, was the contrast between the medieval, contemporary and Catalan modernist architecture which is so striking in this city of fantastic and iconic buildings....
Like Diamonds in the Sky ~ Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta
Last week I made a quick trip to Santa Fe. When I heard that the Albuquerque balloon fiesta would be going on while I was there, I knew it was something I had to see. A couple of friends joined me on the early expedition - up at 4:45 AM and out the door at 5:00AM....
Firecracker Salad in the Big Easy (part one)
New Orleans, it’s gritty, friendly and the land of amazing music, art and good eating. My husband and I both have history in this town. Ric was born here and lived here for the first four years of his life. His grandfather who lived in the French Quarter in the 1960's...
Envy, Cheese and My Swiss Experience
Being that we have been snow challenged this ski season here in the Rockies, I'm feeling a little envious and nostalgic when I see the reports of snow sweeping across Europe. Skiing was and is a big deal in my family. Raised by a Norwegian mother whose main form of...
Chili Cheese Omelet
There is a little restaurant in Newport Beach, California, right at the bottom of the Newport Pier that serves up one of the meanest breakfasts that can be found. Charlie's Chili, a Newport Beach landmark, serves breakfast all day to local surfers and tourist alike....
Garlic and Cheese Grits – Southern Style
So many birthdays in August that it seems as if we have been celebrating and traveling all month! Actually, we have traveled to thirteen states in thirty days! A couple of weeks ago we were back in North Carolina. We were met in the driveway by Nate, one bad-ass...
Creamy Polenta with Spicy Summer Vegetable Ragu
Slow to get moving, we had a cup of hotel coffee that wasn’t entirely unpalatable and then a walk on the overcast beach before pointing the car towards the hills where more vineyards awaited us. Having driven this coastline before, I remembered a little sandwich shop...
Success and the City
A couple of weeks ago we had dinner in Baltimore with my two nieces - one who lives in New York and the other who recently moved to Baltimore. We were chatting about how these two beauties were feeling about where they are in their lives, when one of the girls said,...