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Saturday, November 19, 2011
Wine, Food, Beer & Cheese.....uh?
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Monday, September 26, 2011
The Best Concierge in the World
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I just interviewed Frank Laino. Not only is he the Head Concierge at the Stafford, but he's been voted "The Best Concierge in the World" by Virtuoso for the past five years! How cool is that?! Not only does he give me tips on what to see and do in London and how to best do it, he gets me and John (and our friend's Jeff and Kelly) reservations for TONIGHT into the hottest restaurant in London: Heston Blumenthal's "Dinner." I can't believe it! The wait list is usually three months. Running up to the Suite now to get ready...
The Stafford. Our Residence Whilst in London.
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The Stafford London is A.M.A.Z.I.N.G!
We're Staying at the Stafford. Where?
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We've taken the train from Stansted into London's Liverpool station. Being the adventure travellers we are, we decide during this 45 minute ride we're gonna take the Underground from the station to the hotel. It can't be that difficult, right?
Difficult Jet
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Sunday, September 25, 2011
Berets (pronounced like ferets)
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Friday, September 23, 2011
Chupito!
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Teamwork
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Thursday, September 22, 2011
Compartamento #41
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After the initial shock of boarding the train, realizing we were the only Americans, and the only people under 70, we were lead to our living quarters. For the next three nights and four days, Compartamento #41 would be our home. (Note: photo does not do justice.)
Our LUXURY (ummm) awaits!
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A Not So Beautiful Day for the Incline
Our claim to fame with the Guggenheim
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Wednesday, September 21, 2011
Can we just stay in San Sebastian forever, please!
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Shopping in Bilboa
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Churros con chocolato!
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The hot chocolate in Spain is rather thick--almost like pudding. A great place to try this yummy dessert is Avemay Cafe.
Tuesday, September 20, 2011
No more Pintxos!
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Throw all ideas of what you think Spain is like, out the window. You've arrived in Basque Country! No tourists. No flamenco dancing. No sangria. The wine list is simple, "red or white." And the local white wine is "txakoli". And if you think "tapas" is a type of restaurant--think again. "Tapa" means "cover" and it's a way of serving the food. And they don't even use the word "tapa"....in Basque country it's "pintxos". (The "tx is pronounced like "ch") And after eating these "pintos" for breakfast, lunch, and dinner for three days, you may never want to see a pintxos again! And if you're a fan of fried eggs, you'll be happy to know they are quite popular at breakfast time and you'll notice straight away that the yolks are very orange.
Bilbao here we come!
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In the heart of Basque country is Bilbao: the home of the Guggenheim. In this modern, working city there are few tourists. (Which means no English.) Bilbao is small enough to explore on foot in one day, and easily navigable. Even John and I, who both have NO sense of direction, found our way easily...
We tackled the old city (referred to as the casca vieja) where we wandered through narrow cobblestone streets, grabbed pintxos and a beer at a Berton (more or less a pintxos chain). I really enjoyed photographing the Zubizuri Bridge (which means "white bridge" in Basque). Of course, no visit to Bilbao would be complete without a visit to the Guggenheim. Even if you're not a museum person, the place is cool. There is just as much cool art outside, as there is inside. We snapped up some pics of Puppy and took some "illegal" pics inside of the Serra exhibit.
Tuesday, August 30, 2011
Glacial Pot Holes, and Flowers, O' My!
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Why are we driving two hours east of Boston today to a tiny Mayberry-esque town called Shelburne Falls? To see Glacial Pot Holes and the World Famous Bridge of Flowers, of course.
Saturday, July 30, 2011
Zip Lining Through the Berkshires
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In my never-ending quest to try new things, I can now check "zip lining" off the list. Inspired, I must admit, by a recent episode of "Expedition Impossible", We set out to have our breath taken away and live on the dangerous side.
Sunday, June 12, 2011
Rhode Island. Check!
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It's true, I've been to some pretty cool places around the world. Every year I swear, "I'm gonna explore my own country more this year." Well, check off Rhode Island from my list! That's right, I finally made it to The Ocean State.
Wednesday, June 8, 2011
It's Sunny in Boston. Really!
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It's a great time to be in Boston. It's early June, it's in the 90's, and the Bruins are in the Stanley Cup Finals for the first time since 1972!
Sunday, May 22, 2011
Chihuly!
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When I was looking for a fun "indoor" activity for us on a cold, rainy Sunday afternoon in Boston, I thought a "hand blown glass exhibit" sounds cool. (Remember, I did live in Italy for some time) I never dreamed I'm be amazed as much as I was! It takes a lot to impress me these days. And I was impressed. The exhibit is at the Boston Museum of Fine Arts until August, so you still have time to catch it! My favorite, was the "Ikebana Boat" (pictured here). Some other pieces of note: Reeds and Spears and the Persian Ceiling. The "Baskets" series is really cool too.
Friday, May 6, 2011
Jazz, Paint, and Love in the Desert
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Thursday, April 28, 2011
On the Red Carpet with Michael C. Hall
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For the third year now I have had the opportunity to be on the Red Carpet for the Newport Beach Film Festival. This year's opening film, EAST FIFTH BLISS, directed and produced by Michael Knowles (who I interviewed), starred Peter Fonda and Michael C. Hall. While at the festival, I called the Balboa Bay Club & Resort home. It's an amazing property right on the water in Newport Beach. A few films I saw that are of note include: FORT MCCOY, SILVER TONGUES, and NIGHT CLUB.
Sunday, April 17, 2011
The Racing Chef
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Monday, March 7, 2011
Beauty in Death (Valley)
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While I am loving my hobby of photography, I'm always looking for fun, interesting ways to learn more and take better pictures. On March 2, I embarked on a 5-day workshop in Death Valley, CA that was like "Photography Boot Camp." We were up at 5am to shoot sunrise, and stayed up well past 2am to shoot star trails. This workshop was lead by Scotty Stullberg and Jennifer Wu. If you ever have a chance to take any of their classes--do! They are educational and so much fun. (Just don't plan to get any sleep.)