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...]
Archives for December 2011
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...]
Christmas in New York
The Christmas season is upon us and once again the streets are lit up and decorated beautifully to brighten up the winter season. Many cities celebrate the beginning of the Christmas season with an official tree lightning. You don't have to live in one of the apartments in New York to know that the tree lightning of the Christmas tree in front of the Rockefeller Center is one of the most famous lightning ceremonies. Every year the ceremony gets … [Read more...]
Time Flies – Hanging in LA, upcoming trips
Ooops another month just went by - and haven't updated the blog. Was in Los Angeles again last week enjoying a plethora of activities, very warm weather and very clear skies. See video below taking from Mulholland overlooking the valley. Have a press trip up in Napa starting this weekend - first press trip where I'm actually an expert on the destination - and could easily lead a few of the tours! Then back to town for a week and off on our … [Read more...]
Tales from the Desert Kuwait
Staring out at the blackened waters of the Persian Gulf from high atop our hotel room near old town Kuwait City. The sun has obviously set and we are free to go out on the streets and eat food. 8 more days of Ramadan await us and our daylight appetites. Upon flying in our flight attendant enthusiastically made an announcement, "If you would like to see a spectacular view of desert sand, please pull down your window shades". Based on her tone … [Read more...]
Petra, Jordan – December 2011
Petra, Jordan is one of the world's great historical regions and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Petra attracts visitors from around the world - especially since it was voted as one of the "New Seven Wonders" of the World in 2007. The original ruins date from over 2000 years ago and the most well preserved of the ruins on site is the amazing "treasury" or Al Khazneh (in Arabic). To reach this ruin, allow 20-30 minutes walking mostly all downhill … [Read more...]