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The Mission Inn

Be enchanted by the history and the ambiance of The Mission Inn of Riverside, California.

Osechi Ryora

The Holiday Foods of Tokyo   

Food is central to every holiday celebration and Japan is no exception. The fresh, seasonal ingredients, precise preparation and the complete visual aesthetic—color, balance and design—of traditional Japanese cuisine represent thousands of years of traditions, stories and symbolism.  But it’s not just traditional Japanese foods that make this country a … Read more

Maritime Flair in Hamburg

Fish, and the waters where they swim, both come to mind when I think of Hamburg, Germany’s second largest city and largest port.  Although the waters of the North Sea are 65 miles from this maritime city, it is water that imbues the city with a distinctive, enticing flair. It … Read more

Hotel La Bourdonnais

Hotel La Bourdonnais, Paris

Expect the unexpected in this boutique hotel in Paris. From the decor to the design, it’s all about romance.

Cruising the Mediterranean

It’s not that high I tell myself after committing to be the first to climb a rope ladder to the crow’s nest of a tall sailing ship – my home on water for a week. Not one to break my word (at least not with so many witnesses), I’m secured … Read more

Essential London Food & Lodging

London is hopping during the summer. There are numerous choices for where to bunk from The Rosewood and Claridges to the Hotel Café Royal and the Ritz. I can personally recommend all of the above but let’s take a deeper dive into Andre Balazs’ Chiltern Firehouse and the refurbished Goring, … Read more

Le Boutique Hotel, Bordeaux, France

The first thing on my mind after stepping foot into Le Boutique Hotel in Bordeaux, France was that I had walked onto a location set for the movie, “Les Miz”. The little property nestled among the narrow streets of a city set in the 1800’s was seriously channeling the past.  … Read more

Incredible India

Intriguing and Incredible India

In April I joined a small group of German tourists (12) on a 15-day tour of northern India and Kashmir.  An ad campaign for the destination touts the country as “Incredible India.”  It is – as well as intriguing.  Following are some aspects I found incredibly intriguing during my travels. … Read more

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Latvia: Jewel of the Baltics

Latvia offers everything: wild shorelines, dense forests, deep blue lakes, to cities rich in history, architecture and culture, it’s the jewel of the Baltics.

The Dunes, Nordeney

Norderney, Queen of the North Sea

Nordeney, Germany, proudly called “The Queen of the North Sea” by the Germans is not known to foreigners who do not venture off the beaten track in Germany.

Sweater Weather Cocktails

Now that the dog days of summer have transitioned to chilly autumn days, our tastes have changed along with the temperatures. Fall is the perfect season to explore the myriad of flavor profiles offered up in the increasingly popular craft cocktail bars around the globe.

Vintage Postcard of Hotel Itsas Mendia Bidart France

Hotel Itsas Mendia, Bidart, France

A stay at the Hotel Itsas Mendia, in the quaint town of Bidart just a few miles down the coast from Biarritz, France, is like a visit to your rich uncle’s seaside villa.