It’s not a secret that I love chocolate. When I travel, I try to find the best local chocolate shops which can be easy or impossible (see Bruges Chocolate Shops). On a recent trip to London, I even tried my hand at making chocolates at Melt Chocolate in Notting Hill. […]
As I exited the elevator to find my room, I noticed what looked like a draft beer bar in the hallway. Of course, it wasn’t free beer, although I’m sure that hotel amenity would get lots of folks to book, it was a water station. With three pulls representing tap, […]
I returned to Paris solo last year and wanted to explore the city differently this time. As much as I love the Louvre and Musee D’Orsay, I wanted a new experience for my three days in Paris. While my cooking skills are severely lacking, I figured learning how to make […]
When I decided to take the train from Barcelona to Paris it was to relax and recharge as my first trip to Europe since the pandemic was a whirlwind of great cities (London, Madrid, Barcelona). With no plans for Paris, I thought it was best to stay again at Hotel […]
I don’t remember how I discovered the Praktik Hotels in Barcelona, however, after my stay at the Praktik Bakery Hotel, I was hooked. For my recent trip to Barcelona, I considered another stay at the Bakery, however, my family is gluten free and it seemed wrong to revel in the […]
I’ve taken so many art classes over the years in the hope that one will magically unlock the secret artistic skills I possess. Despite no magic occurring, I keep trying new, and often frustrating, art classes to see if maybe my talents are hidden deep down just in case there’s […]
My strongest memories of Spain have always been food & wine – tapas with friends and family, wine tastings and discoveries of new desserts. So it’s not a surprise when I saw the “Iberico Ham Experience” on Airbnb Experience, I was intrigued. I love Iberian ham but what was there […]
When I turned the corner and saw the plethora of gondolas and people surrounded by shops and a Hard Rock Café, for a moment, I thought I was in the Las Vegas Venetian Hotel. However, I was in Venice, Italy, the original gondola city. It was a popular spot near […]
One day in any city is a tough call – there’s so much to see, do and eat how can you squeeze it all in? The answer is you don’t. Consider the “one day only” visit an appetizer to the city which may (or may not) tempt you to return. […]
[updated March 2022] Whenever I’m asked for London Travel Tips, I tend to talk really fast, excited that folks are going to the city that I’ve been enamored with for more than twenty years. They look at me and say “can you send those to me?” as they back away […]