Living in San Francisco, there's no dearth of restaurants to choose from on a Saturday evening. A few weekends ago, I was given the opportunity to dine in Oakland and wondered what on earth the food scene would be like - was there even a food scene?! The answer is a resounding yes!! From the Temescal area to the streets around Broadway and Telegraph, Oakland surprises with top notch chefs, hipster bars and a thriving food scene! Then there's … [Read more...]
On Location at the Napa Valley Film Festival
Wine, camera, action! Luscious wines and innovative independent movies in enticing venues on a gorgeous fall weekend in the Napa Valley? The Napa Valley Film Festival gets two thumbs up from my husband (“Mr. TWS”) and me! As film buffs and wine enthusiasts with a special affection for Northern California wine country, Mr. TWS and I indulged our senses at the third annual (but our first) Napa Valley Film Festival, which ran from November … [Read more...]
Please Pass the Pommes Frites: My Dinner with Martin Amis’s Son
Ex-expat John M. Edwards is invited as a “standby” to a sumptuous Parisian dinner party near Passy, where perforce playing the devil’s advocate comes with no pricetag at all. . . . “Hello John, how would you like to come to a dinner party tonight,” queried fair friend and picnic partner Julie, a fellow Servas member. A world peace organization affiliated with the United Nations, “Servas,” we joked with devil-may-care abandon, should … [Read more...]
Later “Louise”!: Hurricane Season in Tortola, BVI
John M. Edwards hunkers down in the hallway of his Caribbean concrete-block hotel to sit out a hurricane tempest more powerful than Peter Potamous’s “Hippo Hurricane Howler”! “BEE-HEE-HEE-HAW-HAW!” I impressively bellowed like Peter Potamous, the cartoon hippo on the Hana-Barbera animated series “Peter Potamous and So-So” (1964). I had every right to howl, now that almost all of the tourists on Tortola--in the British Virgin Islands (or … [Read more...]
Walking with Polar Bears: The Next Great Safari
You can’t drive here; you can’t boat here; you can’t even walk here...you’d be eaten. We’re somewhere in the back end of nowhere, some 300 kilometers from the closest paved road; 1500 kilometers from the nearest Whole Foods. If you cry wolf here, everyone believes you. It’s the third day of a week-long safari. Not in Tanzania, Botswana, Zambia or anywhere in Africa. We’re in the sub-Arctic, on Cape Tatnum, Hudson Bay, Manitoba, 57 degrees … [Read more...]
Full Moon Party on Ko Samet, Thailand
John M. Edwards survives a psychedelic breakdown--and hubris--on a backpacker’s hub off the coast of Thailand. . . . In Thailand, it is not necessary to have an actual full moon shining down on you in order to throw together a “Full Moon Party”—just loads and loads of magic mushrooms. The decidedly pagan, almost “Glastonberry,” Halloweeny atmosphere of the event, featuring a wild bunch of fragrant hippies—proud of their piercings, … [Read more...]
The Five Best Experiences in London
If you’re coming to London, there are certain experiences that must not be missed in order to make your trip truly spectacular. From the modern to the mysterious, savour all that London has to offer with these incredible experiences. London Eye Erected for the new millennium, the EDF Energy London Eye has by now become as much a part of the face of London as Westminster Palace. One of the biggest observation wheels in the world, riding the … [Read more...]
T Up: Thank God for the Oil Companies!
JOHN M. EDWARDS, part owner of a privately held oil and natural gas concern based in Houston and New Orleans, gushes on about one of nature’s most valuable resources: petroleum! You can’t get to a rainforest without any transport to get you there. Luckily most major oil companies like Chevron and Shell have absolutely no interest in damaging the primary rainforests of the Amazon and Congo, although there is always some drilling on the edges … [Read more...]
German Christmas Specialties
Many would agree that winter’s most glorious aspects are of the culinary variety. Celebratory food and drink that promise the return of light in the depth of chilly darkness differ in every culture, but epicurean indulgence is a common thread. In Germany, Christmas traditions border on magical. Snow blankets much of the landscape, lights sparkle amidst the frost and festive markets sell handmade crafts and ornaments. On a recent trip to … [Read more...]
Catalina Island: Crown Jewel of the Channel Islands
What: Santa Catalina Island, California When: Growing into a year round destination, but glorious in Spring/Summer Where: 22 miles (35 km) SouthWest of Los Angeles How: Private Boat, Helicopter, Jet Ski, or my favorite ferry… Catalina Express Ever visited the Channel Islands set conveniently off of Southern California? Then you may already be in-the-know. With a blended ambience of old hollywood meets quaint small town, … [Read more...]
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