In the early morning hours of our first full day in Rome, Alex and I headed to the Vatican. Originally we had planned to attend a workshop, but it had been cancelled. Since we had already bought our train tickets, we decided to go anyways and made the most of our stay in Rome. One […]
Travel
Along the Coast
“The sea, once it casts its spell, holds one in its net of wonder forever.” Jacques Yves Cousteau Many happy moments of my life have been spent at the seaside. The sea has also soothed me when things haven’t been easy, and it has never failed to give me inner peace when I have needed […]
Huntington Gardens
On of my favorite gardens in California are the Huntington Botanical Gardens. The 120 acres feature 16 themed gardens and there is always something blooming. I can visit many times, and each time I’ll discover something new and enjoy the parts that I have fond memories of. This time, various camellias around the gardens, the […]
California Missions
The Spanish missions are part of California’s rich history. Before California became the 31st state in 1850, it was first colonized by the Spanish (1769 – 1821) and then became a part of Mexico (1821 – 1848). The 21 missions built between 1769 and 1833, were founded by Spanish Franciscan priests to try and convert […]
Postcard from San Francisco
San Francisco is a city which holds a certain fascination for many. It’s a vibrant city with several ethnic neighborhoods (I have fond memories of having Dim Sum in Chinatown on the weekends), many museums, a long history of being a LGBTQ-friendly city, plenty of sports options, famous bridges and much more. We spent the […]
Mustard and Burgundy
October rolled around and it was time for Alex and me to go on our annual “foodie weekend”. After Cheese in Bra, the Salone del Gusto in Turin and last year’s trip to Bologna, we decided it was time to enjoy French delights again. Interestingly enough, we started this annual tradition with our first trip […]