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On top of Rigi Kulm
I would never just show up and demand anything, no matter how American I might be
Marbella
Marbella is a Mediterranean coastal town that has been around since Roman times (don't let the modern tourist-friendly name fool you). It is a mix of many things - ancient and beautiful Spanish architecture, elegant seaside restaurants, tacky tourist traps, high-end shops, too many Brits, not enough Spaniards, and a healthy dose of Middle East oil money
Eating San Francisco
The lesson today? Variety is good. Food trucks are a beautiful invention. Getting out of your own neighborhood and trying something new is always rewarding. But most importantly, there is always room for ice cream.
The mother of all road trips: UT-CA
…our eyes grew misty with the realization that we now lived across the street from this little strip mall, with its Chinese bakery, its boba tea shop, its Malaysian and Vietnamese joints, and its taqueria. We sat in stunned silence at the fact that we were here at all, let alone to stay.
The mother of all road trips: WY-UT
I know it looks like Scotland, but that, my friends, is Eastern Utah, after an unusually cool, wet Spring. I don't know if I have ever seen it more beautiful.
The mother of all road trips: IA-NE-WY
It was a Sunday evening and everything was shut down. Everything, that is, that wasn't serving alcohol and red meat. There were plenty of those open.
The Big Move
From over 70 inches of snow to just around 70 degrees and sunny. From wild turkeys in the parking lot to a choice between Korean, Japanese, Chinese, Malaysian or Mexican cuisine just across the street.
The mother of all road trips: OH - IA
Cleveland, Ohio to Des Moines, Iowa. One long-ass drive, but not without its beautiful moments.
La nostra casa
…About 45 minutes north of Rome and situated among olive orchards and farms and hilltowns. Not that the location mattered that much, because this destination was lovely enough not to leave.
Rome and Jesus
I also love the irony - these masterpieces that were/are meant to glorify our supposed creator, without whom we are nothing, are actually celebrations of our own human potential. We created them to celebrate the myth of our own creation.
The Sweet Chaos of Rome
People everywhere, rushing when you are not and standing still when you need to move. Italians gesticulating like every sentence is the most important thing they have ever said. American tourists, dressed like children, watching them like they might a bar fight, with a mixture of fear and primitive excitement.
Gung Hay Fat Choy!
It was an unexpectedly fine little trip - a day filled with interesting people, fascinating rituals, pyrotechnics, pork, Kung-Fu, chicken feet and sunny weather. It was a great way to begin the Year of the Rabbit.
New England Winter
Plowed snow piled over two stories high. Temperatures so frigid I am wearing long underwear to bed, with a down comforter, flannel sheets and two blankets.
Happy New Year
Soon it was midnight, and the sparkling wine flowed and more phone calls were made. I didn't get to talk to everyone I wanted to, but I did reach many of the people I love. That always feels good, whether there is chocolate and alcohol coursing through your veins or not.
Merci, Montreal!
With the Jean-Talon market, a great Little Italy, many other diverse neighborhoods, excellent bagels and great beer, this is a place I could live.
Sex. Love. Death. Music. Opera.
I knew the singing was going to be spectacular, but I did not realize it would be happening simultaneously with so much acting and action: knife fights, dancing, lovemaking - all while singing opera! At one point Ms. Garanča gets hoisted into the air and carried around, nearly upside down, all the while holding a long, high note. Encroyable!
Slideshow
…it's the modern version of your nerdy friend's vacation slides. The good thing about the modern version, however, is that you aren't trapped in my living room and can walk away whenever you wish.
Boston Freedom Trail
If you ever go to Boston you have to walk the Freedom Trail, a line that takes you from the Boston Common to Faneuil Hall and beyond the North End. Along the way you see much of the origins and evolution of the United States - from the earliest colonists to the waves of immigrants who came after to the ones who are coming still.
New York City Tasting Menu
How do you cover such a city in one day? We tried a tasting menu approach - small bites of some of our favorite things that New York has to offer.
Vermont Barbecue
I was daydreaming of smoked meats and sticky bones as I drove through your lovely, rolling hills.
The Weirdness of the American Fair
The fair is a long-time American tradition and I think everyone should go to at least one during their lifetime.
Will Clint Eastwood be waiting for us,
an open bottle of whiskey in his hand?
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There is no way to get to where we think we need to be without swimming through that crowd.