Travel

A couple decades ago, when I was just out of college, I moved to Italy to work as an au pair. Unlike most travelers, I did not end up in a city like Florence or Rome but rather a small town in the region of Piedmont where no one spoke English. I knew nothing about wine at the time but everyday day I would meet my new Italian friends at the local bar for aperitivi and they would do the ordering. And, each day a glass would be placed in front of me filled with a red wine that was slightly sweet and slightly sparkling and very delicious.  It was Brachetto d’Acqui. A recent trip took me back to Piedmont, to the heart of where Brachetto is from, Acqui Terme. This ancient Roman town, an 1 ½ hour southeast from Milan, became my home base for three days.   We settled in at the Grand Hotel Nuove Terme which overlooks the town square and began the tour of eating and drinking and eating and drinking some more.        
21 March, 2014
While Acqui Terme is in the heart of Piemont, Italy, surrounded by some of the most famous vineyards, Acqui Terme is also known for its hot sulpher springs.  After all, the name "Acqui Terme" means "Thermal Waters."  The hot sulpher springs, which bubble up at 167°F, date back to the Roman town Aquae Statiellae.  You can head into the center of town where the little pavilion known as La Bollente ("the boiling source"), designed by Giovanni Ceruti  in 1870, is a central attraction to locals and visitors alike.     The natural thermal waters rise up from underground in two places in Acqui Terme - The Bollente, which feeds the spa at the Grand Hotel, and on the other side of the Bormida River at the Lago delle Sorgenti (Lake of Hot Springs).
14 March, 2014
While visiting Spain, I found myself with two extra days between my visit to Ribera del Duero in the north and Sevilla in the south.  There were so many places that I wanted to go as I hadn't been to Spain in many many years. Looking at the map, Granada seemed like the perfect place to go for a couple days and it was the best decision I made. From the moment I got into a taxi at the train station, I began to fall in love with Granada.  It was 10pm at night and the city was alive. People were walking along the streets and the lights were lit up (afterall, it was early December so the holiday season was in full swing).
07 March, 2014
Sometimes all you need is a weekend getaway to escape the weekly grind. My recent getaway to Alisal Guest Ranch & Resort in Solvang, California, the heart of wine country, was the perfect destination. After a long week, we left Los Angeles after dark, and after traffic, to drive up to Santa Barbara. Two hours later we drove down a dark country road and found the driveway into Alisal Guest Ranch.    We settled into our private guest cottage, one of 73 in total. With no telephones or televisions, it was a well-needed escape from reality. Only a few minutes from the touristy streets of Solvang, Alisal Guest Ranch & Resort is a secluded hideaway that has been a full-service guest ranch since 1946.  From horseback riding and a petting zoo to two 18-hole championship golf courses, a huge spa and fitness center and tennis courts to a 100-acre spring-fed lake for kayaking, canoeing and fly fishing to, of course, wine tasting, there are activities for everyone!
28 February, 2014
Aside from all of the history and beauty of Granada, there is one more thing that makes it unique......FREE Tapas! Granada is one of the last spots in Spain in which tapas are served for free when you order a drink. Tapas come in a variety of sizes and can be hot or cold. And, with each successive drink, the tapas get more elaborate. 'El tapeo' is what the Spanish call going from bar to bar to eat tapas and it is one of the best ways to get to know Granada. It's a great way to try out the specialties while exploring the streets. Tapa crawling is much more than having a beer, it's an art. It's a way to understand the Granadian way of life, to understand the people and their traditions. Tapas Crawls can happen in any area of the city and I started mine on the Campo de Principe in the Realejo, Granada's old Jewish Quarter. Stop 1:
21 February, 2014
Spaniards have elevated the Gin & Tonic (aka Gin Tonics) to an art form. Each gin is paired with a specific tonic, as well as a complementary botanical, citrus peel or other garnish, and then served in a goblet glass filled with large ice cubes. On a recent trip to Granada, Spain, I wanted to explore the Spanish obsession with Gin & Tonics first hand. While Madrid and Barcelona are the two cities most known for Gin Tonics, I found two great bars in Granada serving up Gin Tonics of note.
06 February, 2014
Finding good food in Italy isn't hard to do. But, occasionally a special place is visited that is different from the rest.  And we found that very one on our recent trip to Pavia....at Erbaluce. Next to the Duomo in Pavia, we happened upon Erbaluce, a modern and warm restaurant owned by chef Antonia Plati. A self-taught chef, Plati was a lawyer in Milan when she gave it up to open her first restaurant in 2006. Her husband acts as wine buyer and server when not working as a doctor. The style of the food is a modern Italian interpretation with a French twist, and the dishes are inspired by her family home in Basilicata, near the sea.
25 November, 2013
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