We have a small handful of very good friends from high school that have moved to Montana. I don’t like to use the word “old” friends because this is a young bunch of fifty year old people! They have left So Cal for good and started businesses or have found a haven from the hustle of LA. Either way they live there for all or part of the year and are truly enjoying it!
Glory is light, light gives joy & joy is the happiness of the spirit – Antoni Gaudí
The cosmopolitan city of Barcelona is one of my favorite (maybe even my most favorite) cities in the world! After returning from a spectacular trip to Spain, I wanted to share why I love it so much and to offer some suggestions for your next trip!
I think it is the allure of the Picasso Museum, the vibrancy of the people and a gorgeous dish of authentic seafood paella. It is also a glass of sangria, strolling the tree-lined streets and sitting in an outdoor cafe in the Gothic Quarter. On a larger scale, Barcelona his home to the architectural wonders created by Antoni Gaudí and it is a modern city with an interesting long history. The combination of old world and new gets me every time.
What is it? The Broad is a newish contemporary art museum founded by philanthropists Edy and Eli Broad that opened in September 2015. It is located in Downtown Los Angeles (DTLA) and sits right next door to the Disney Concert Hall. Craig and I were finally able to schedule a visit to The Broad and we just LOVED it. The building is unique and not too terribly large, so you can take a tour in a couple of hours or less. The collection consists of over 2,000 works of art, but the art gallery is only two floors of exhibits and the entrance is FREE. Yes, free and that is awesome.
When I set out to find a luxury hotel in Barcelona my first stop was American Express Travel. I had planned to use our travel points to pay for our upcoming hotel stay in Spain. We typically stay in Hyatt Hotels, but there aren’t any in this city, so I moved on to find something else.
The title of this post is a bit misleading. It should read “every day is a perfect day in Siena and Tuscan Women Cook”! Ask any traveler fortunate enough to have visited this remarkable city and they will tell you it is their favorite.
When I sat down to write about my experience attending an Italian cooking school called Tuscan Women Cook, I honestly struggled with where to begin. There were so many incredible experiences, new friends, Italian hospitality and food and wine so good it could make you cry, which makes describing it all a challenge! We visited historic churches and cathedrals, family wineries, cheese and wine shops, local restaurants, walled medieval cities and managed to take a shopping trip or two!
Hi Friends!
Tomorrow I take off for my adventure in Europe. If you recall, I was invited to attend Tuscan Women Cook, an Italian cooking school in the hills of Tuscany. Yes, it is a pinch me moment.
Searching for popular restaurants in the cities where we travel is one of my favorite activities! Every food and travel blogger likes to offer his or her own take on where to go, but more often than not, there are so many to choose from that their choices may not even be on my list. So… I wanted to share my current “favorites list” for the most amazing restaurants in San Francisco.
My husband Craig’s company is located in the Bay Area and working there is just part of his routine. So luckily for me, we have been traveling to San Francisco for quite some time. However, the restaurant scene of today is far more sophisticated and creative and dining out is more popular than it ever has been.
As hungry diners, our choices now are nearly infinite in the City by the Bay. Local chefs create original, tasty food that makes your heart sing and fulfills the current foodie frenzy. It seems that everyone is following the food and restaurant news and a laser-focused interest in popular cuisine is at an all time high.
Please welcome back Guest Adventurer, Angela Light, my college roommate and dear friend. She and her husband Jon are avid world travelers and the minute I heard about their most recent travel adventure, walking through Japan, I asked her to share it with you! Thank you Angela!
Last year my then-59-year-old husband announced, “I don’t want a big party for my 60th! I just want to go somewhere with you. “ Jon is an avid sushi fan and a lover of the Japanese culture, so Japan it was. We decided on a three-week journey around spring break that would include two weeks in Japan and a “relaxation” week in Hawaii on the way home.
We had hiked with Backroads in Iceland the summer of 2015 and absolutely loved it. Jon wanted to duplicate that kind of experience in Japan. We love resorts, cities, fancy restaurants and hotels, and lots of culture, but we had recently discovered that we also enjoy another kind of adventure.
“We are Outstanding In The Field: Setting tables at the source of ingredients, serving from farm to table across the country.”
Last year we attended an Outstanding in the Field farm to table dinner on the beach, at the Secret Sea Cove, in Santa Cruz, at the longest dinner table you have ever seen. The sunset unexpectedly turned bright pink as we ate crab and avocado salad, drank buttery Chardonnay and talked with guests from around the world.
“Since 1999 we have set the long table at rural farms and urban gardens, on mountain tops and in sea caves, on islands and ranches. Occasionally the table is set indoors: a beautiful refurbished barn, a cool greenhouse or a stately museum. Wherever the location, the theme of each dinner is to honor the people whose good work brings nourishment to the table.”
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