Travel

Sora arrives soon…(plus, an Ode to Türkiye)

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THE COUNTDOWN BEGINS… Happy Easter & Happy Passover to those who celebrate! Sora’s Seashells is ALMOST here!! We’re just moments away from the book’s birthday, May 9, 2023. After four years of waiting to see the book in physical form, I finally got to hold an early copy…and it is magical! The amazing illustrators (Stella… Read more »

Checking in & Egypt tips (pre-pandemic travel)

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Hello! How are you? I truly hope you’re well and staying safe. I haven’t blogged in a while, and the reason for my extended absence is simple: I like to keep things cheerful and lighthearted here, but because of everything going on in the world of late, I haven’t felt cheerful or lighthearted at all…. Read more »

Hotel Review: Four Seasons Sayan, Bali

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WOW. Just wow! We had the pleasure and privilege of staying at the Four Seasons Sayan in beautiful Bali. The resort blew me away with its beauty, elegance and harmony with nature. I think it may be one of the top ten hotels I’ve ever stayed in — perhaps one of the top five. We… Read more »

Travel tips: Southeast Asia

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This segment will focus on Vietnam and Cambodia. I’ll cover Thailand in a future post. TRAVEL TIPS FOR VIETNAM: We only had a week in Vietnam, but we could’ve happily spent a full month there. So much to see and do! We were there during the month of January, which meant the evenings in Hanoi… Read more »

An Introvert’s Perfect Paris

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LONG POST ALERT! You have been warned. Preface 1: The title of this post is a redundant phrase because Paris is basically an introvert’s paradise. The French in general are a lot more reserved and introverted than, say, Americans. But anyway, let’s carry on… Preface 2: The places mentioned below can get packed, but I… Read more »

Food tour in…Lucca, Italy!

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We went on a fantastic Flavors of Lucca food tour in Italy last month. The short review: It was super comprehensive and we made so many stops for tastings, viewings, etc.  We thought the tour was only supposed to last about 2.5 hours, but it lasted an entire 4 hours, full of delicious tastings that… Read more »

Hotel Review: Château de la Chèvre d’Or – Èze – French Riviera

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When I first went to the Côte d’Azur over fifteen years ago, I quickly realized which areas I loved and which areas I didn’t. I loved Saint Paul de Vence, Èze and St. Tropez. Notice I didn’t mention the big cities. So when we went last month, I already had the “dream itinerary” in mind…. Read more »

Alone time in Venice, California

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A few Saturdays ago, I decided to live like a tourist in my own city. So I went over to Abbot Kinney Blvd in Venice for some quality alone time. What an AMAZING afternoon! I started off with tea at Caudalie Spa while waiting for my facial appointment.  I love this place. Why is everyone… Read more »

Good eats in Italy (plus a fabulous garden)

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Get thee to these delectable spots in Rome and Tuscany: Rome: Bonci Pizza – Anthony Bourdain raved about this place, so we had to check it out. And oh my goodness, it totally lived up to his assessment.  I loved the cherry tomato pizza and the pizza with mortadella.  The Geno loved everything, even the… Read more »

Hotel Review: Lake Como, Italy – Villa d’Este vs. Grand Hotel Tremezzo

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(Villa d’Este with view of Lake Como) We were torn about where to stay during our visit to Lake Como, Italy.  There are so many gorgeous options, we simply couldn’t choose. Major flip-floppiness!  So we split our time between the Grand Hotel Tremezzo, and the famous Villa d’Este. Boy, am I glad we experienced both…. Read more »