This is a story about brilliant branding. It’s about Ireland, but it begins in Chile. In the early 90s one had to head to the far south of South America to sample the tasty, thick, snow-white fillets of a large, deep-water cod called the Patagonian toothfish . No eatery in the U.S. wanted to serve a fish with that name. But when marketers came up with the alluring but meaningless name, “Chilean sea bass,” the fish was on its way to … [Read more...]
A Memorable Visit to Chateau Siaurac in Lalande de Pomerol, Bordeaux
There are wine regions that hang on the tip of the tongue of serious wine enthusiasts - those regions that quickly come up in conversation when discussing good wines from around the world. One of those is Bordeaux and all of its accompanying appellations. Working in the wine business for the past 10 years I've heard so much about this part of France, its history, the quality of wines, and vineyard practices. As a result upon personally … [Read more...]
Cruising Bordeaux with Viking River Cruises
Viking River Cruises was established in 1977 as a fairly small operation with just four ships offering Russian River cruises marketed to Europeans. The company has expanded quickly over the years - entering the US market in 2000. They are now the world's largest river cruise company offering a variety of trips in Europe, Russia, China, Southeast Asia and Egypt. In addition to their main cruise offerings, Viking can arrange airfare and post and … [Read more...]
Exploring the Memorable Lombrives Cave in Ariege France
We woke up early, and after a quick breakfast departed the Viking Cruise Ship (the past 8 days we were on a Bordeaux River Cruise) and promptly picked up a car at the Bordeaux airport. We tried to extend it a single day but were utterly shocked when we were quoted an extra €2,500 for just this one extra day! We experienced further agitation when we found the car completely dirty as well as a window covered with dead bugs. We headed out of … [Read more...]
Rio for Partiers by Cristiano Nogueira
This slightly larger than a pocket book size full color guide is ground zero for visitors to Rio seeking fun, food and plenty of party experiences including information about trendy pubs, the nightclub scene and street parties. Cool photogrpahy is a big part of the book - while the book size is not large, it is approximately 200 pages and packs quite a bit of information. Capirinhas, crowds and cool parties - reference 'Rio for Partiers' for all … [Read more...]
Cyclepaths in Cuba
My father, usually a quiet man, burst through the door and hustled the family in front of the television set. He said we were on the verge of something terrible and we needed to see and understand. It was October 22, 1962. My father, a career officer at the C.I.A., seemed distressed with things he knew that others did not. We then watched in horror as John Kennedy described the Russian missiles west of Havana, capable of reaching our home in … [Read more...]
The Beauty of Bordeaux Revealed
Today was arguably the highlight of our visit to Bordeaux as part of our Viking River Cruise, Château, Rivers & Win). We spent the day touring the Left Bank (Gironde River) of Bordeaux including Medoc and Pauillac, Saint-Julien, and Margaux. I don't think I've ever seen as much white river cobble as I have in the vineyards of the Medoc region. It seems the higher the volume of these rocks in the soil, the higher the quality of wines and the … [Read more...]
Redondo Beach, Plenty to Do Despite the Drizzle
The morning that I woke up to go to Redondo Beach, I checked the weather. Rain and lightning storms. I thought about canceling my plans, but luckily I didn't. I knew it wasn't a long drive, so I decided to go for it. Redondo Beach is only 40 minutes south of where I live in LA, and I was dying to get back on a paddleboard. When I arrived at the Redondo Beach Hotel, the sky was blue and it was surprisingly warm. I hoped the storm had blown past. I … [Read more...]
Road trip to Lompoc … Discover what’s Around the Bend
Lompoc, CA – An emerging destination on Highway 1 along the California Central Coast, Lompoc blooms big in spring and summer with fields of flowers, vineyard vistas, and scenic backroads for visitors to explore. With premium quality wines, larger-than-life outdoor murals, an awe-inspiring mission, and festive seasonal events, Lompoc awaits, and is rolling out the welcome mat for travelers to discover the uniqueness of the Lompoc Valley and what’s … [Read more...]
Crossing the Pond, Start of Bordeaux Viking Cruise
Usually when I have a bulkhead seat I end up with families seated nearby; I have always referred to these seats as 'bulkhead babies' as a number of flights I've been seated here next to crying babies. Fortunately there were no crying babies seated next to me. The only eventful happening was about half through the flight in the darkened cabin - I jumped up in my seat startled by a loud noise. It turns out a woman had fainted and crashed to the … [Read more...]
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