Arguably the Napa Valley is the most well-known wine region in the entire country. I am fortunate to spend significant time in the area. In my "other" life I am a wine writer focusing on the Napa Valley. I'm working on a project in which I am trying to visit, taste with and write about nearly all wineries and commercial producers in the Napa Valley. This project has also opened up some additional wine writing gigs, recently for the Four Seasons … [Read more...]
Taking Advantage of Bright Sun in Belfast Before the Rain Sets In
Upon landing in Belfast, Northern Ireland (or as some might say, 'Nord Iron') I was pleasantly surprised to see some sun peeking through the clouds. Coming from bright sunny days in Spain this past week with warm temperatures I had braced myself for brisk cloudy days and bone chilling nights. I felt welcomed on the bus ride into town; a gentleman facing me in another seat kept smiling my way - talking to the lady he was with and nodding in my … [Read more...]
The Blue Lagoon Experience, Iceland
As I pulled out of the airport I saw steam in the distance - making a mental note to come back here I later realized this must be the "sign" of the infamous Blue Lagoon. I returned in the afternoon driving through what at a quick glance looks like a barren wasteland with volcanic rock strewn all about. As you glance across this stark landscape you see no trees - but if you look closer in certain sheltered rock plateaus, there are in fact small … [Read more...]
Crawling Around Dublin from Pub to Pub
The only thing I figured out how to do during my short stay in Dublin was crawl from pub to pub. In fact I am writing this now from the standing room only interior of Grogans Castle Pub. Everyone is drinking beer out of Guinness glasses but I am drinking a Swedish Cider. And apparently a cheap one at that. Speaking of cider I've finally discovered a country that can give Sweden a run for the money on the matters of quality cider; that would be … [Read more...]
The Grandeur of Montserrat Spain
When I find a place such as Montserrat in Spain that combines an inspirational human element with certainly a natural one, I pause for reflection. I try to absorb as much of this beauty as I can through all my senses. When visiting places like this it helps to be alone (not always possible at places of such grandeur). But fortunately I arrived late in the day mid week and the buses and most of the tourists had already left. The drive on the … [Read more...]
Collbató, Spain – a Town to Explore at your Own Pace
I find myself walking along the sun drenched walkways in the town of Collbató. A solitary horn echoes down the narrow alleyways. The pitch is not perfect and it is disjointed in sound. Perhaps it comes from a young student. Or maybe an older person wanting to explore a musical passion for the first time in their life. Irregardless of who is playing, I follow the sound and spend a few minutes listening under the second story window while … [Read more...]
Notes of a Curious Traveler, Exploring Northeast Spain
After leaving my brothers friend's Catamaran dry docked in the port of Canet France - I drove several hours to Barcelona. I arrived in the center of town - which was very crowded with narrow streets and no parking spots. One must have nerves of steel to drive here - I finally found an underground parking garage, one of the smallest I've ever been in - I had to make a 10-point turn or something numerically similar to that - just to get into and … [Read more...]
Saskatchewan, Moldovan Wine Cave & a Saskatoon Restaurant: How do they all Connect?
As we descended onto the twinkling lights of Saskatoon below we flew next to a significant lightning storm. Jagged bolts of lightning lit up massive thunderheads for a moment - alternating between bright white and pink light. This lightning is the cause of hundreds of fires that are burning out of control in the northern part of the province having displaced some 13,000 people. The economy seems to be doing well here according to my driver … [Read more...]
In Love With Pint-Sized Andorra
We stood on the rocky outcrop above the tiny parking lot next to the consul generals office in old Andorra la Vella and heard the distinctive sound of a rooster crowing in the distance. The shrill came from across the narrow valley high up on the steep hillsides. It echoed in clear contrast to the continuous low thrum of the city. We followed the bird's call until we were soon climbing narrow stone walkways leaving us high above the valley … [Read more...]
A Few Interesting Notes About the Country of Andorra
The population of Andorra is only approximately 85,000 people. We can see why; much of this small country is mountainous with steep hillsides and equally steep gorges. The engineering on their road system is rather impressive; we drove through several large round abouts raised entirely above steep gorges with several tunnels joining from various rock cliffs in a number of directions - all meeting in one particular roundabout. We drove several … [Read more...]
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