Category: Food and Beverage

 

Sharing photos and stories about my unique culinary and foody experiences.

Handmade and Artisanal – The Best Chocolate In Switzerland Comes From Lucerne

I discovered the best chocolate in Switzerland at a little boutique shop in Lucerne.

The Swiss are known for their banking, for their watches, and for their chocolate. The well known Swiss Lindt chocolate brand produces globally recognized treats that grace grocery store shelves around the world and duty free shops in every airport that I pass through.

Cocoa may have come to Switzerland from the Americas, but it was, in part, Swiss engineering and know how that resulted in the sweet and creamy milk chocolate treats we enjoy today. Since the early part of the 19th century, Swiss ingenuity contributed one innovation after another to the chocolate making process.

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An Intimate European Waterways Loire Valley Barge Cruise on the Renaissance

A week long Loire Valley barge cruise with European Waterways was a truly relaxing and slow paced journey with intimate service, gourmet food and wine, and visits to out of the ordinary sights in the French countryside.

Before there were planes, trains and automobiles, France developed a vast network of canals that were used to transport goods from one part of the country to another. These canals connected to the major rivers and also to the Mediterranean and the Atlantic. The canal network made it easy to move all manner of goods from one part of the country to the other, and in particular, allowed Parisians to easily taste the delicacies from all corners of their realm.

Today, the canals and their many locks are used primarily for recreation.  European Waterways expertly manages a fleet of 12 luxury barges that ply the many canals of France on a variety of itineraries. I had already experienced a wonderful cruise along the Burgundy Canal on the La Belle Epoque and was quite familiar with this unique way of touring France’s less visited countryside.

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My France Canal Cruise – Quiet Luxury in the French Countryside

Luxury barging in France on the Burgundy Canal with European Waterways has been one of my most memorable travel experiences. Discover why a France canal cruise should be at the top of your bucket list with this detailed review.

To have unique experiences is at the heart of why I travel. Recently I was privileged to have one of the most extraordinary luxury travel experiences that I have ever had. I was invited on a France canal cruise on the barge La Belle Epoque with European Waterways. For six days on my Burgundy, France Canal cruise, I had the ultimate slow travel cruising experience that included gourmet meals, amazing wines, impeccably attentive service and uniquely curated excursions.

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A Costa Rica Cooking Class – Forging Local Connections On An Atypical Cruise Excursion

A traditional Costa Rica cooking class showed me that I could still make local connections in a meaningful way on a cruise ship excursion.

I love cruising, but I am very picky about my cruise excursions. Typical ship excursion involve big busses and large tour groups that take passengers to the most popular sights. This may let you check off one more item on the “bucket list” but does nothing to provide a true connective experience to the local culture or the environment.

However, on my recent Princess Cruise through the Panama Canal, a ship excursion in Costa Rica billed as one of their “Local Connections” program had me intrigued. The tour promised to take us to the Macaw ecolodge high in the rainforest where we would take part in a cooking experience using locally grown ingredients. This sounded quite appealing and would not be something I could easily do on my own, so I signed up and hoped for unique glimpse into Costa Rican culture.

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Escape on a Getaway to the Finger Lakes in the Fall

A long weekend getaway to the Finger Lakes in the Fall is the best way to discover wines for every taste, cute small towns and plenty of history and scenery.

One of my favorite experiences was discovering the area around the Finger Lakes in the fall a few years ago. My husband and I chose a long Finger Lakes weekend getaway in mid October and found that to be a wonderful season to explore the region. Whether you are looking for a long weekend away, a scenic road trip, or just want a getaway that offers a variety of activities, I think the Finger Lakes has it all. There are wines for every taste, cute small towns to discover and plenty of history and scenery to enjoy.

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Fun Under the Midnight Sun – Experience 25 Summer Fairbanks Activities to Inspire Your Next Alaska Itinerary

Explore all the many Fairbanks activities on your next midnight sun adventure in Alaska.

You could say that Fairbanks, Alaska, is a location of extremes. Winters may be cold and dark, but it is exactly those conditions that lead to perfect northern lights viewing. Summers are just the opposite – they are not cold or dark – in fact, I think they are nearly perfect. With average temperatures in the low 70s and low humidity, it is my ideal climate. Good thing that there are two months of constant daylight because it gave me plenty of time to experience the long list of Fairbanks activities under the midnight sun.

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PhotoPOSTcard: A Taste of the Bubbly

I’ve tasted sparkling wines, but never true champagne from France. One of the special excursions on my European Waterways barge cruise on the Burgundy canal was a private and fascinating behind the scenes tour for our group of the Alexandre Bonnet champagne production process. Afterwards, we were treated to a tasting of four of their vintages which provided a delectable introduction to this bubbly version of Bacchus’ elixir, a taste I could definitely get used to.

Thanks for visiting.

Rose

Discovering a Patchwork of Experiences on the Tualatin Valley Quilt Barn Trail

I followed the Quilt Barn Trail in Tualatin Valley, Oregon, and discovered great places to eat global, drink local, play with Mother Nature and love my stay in a fun and quirky lodge. You do not have to be a quilter to experience and enjoy this destination that is barely 30 minutes west of Portland, OR.

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PhotoPOSTcard: A Balanced Breakfast

Simit is a common street food in Istanbul.  Dough is formed into a ring, dipped in grape molasses and sesame seeds and then baked. Vendors sell it from street carts, or, as in this case, by carrying a tower of freshly baked simit around the neighborhood to sell to local residents. This gives a whole new meaning to a balanced breakfast.

Thanks for visiting

Rose

PhotoPOSTcard: Traditional Turkish Tea – a True Istanbul Experience

My first visit to Istanbul was in the spring of 2016 with my husband. We were excited to experience all the great history and culture and came back with many great memories. But one of our most memorable moments was a quiet hour that we spent sipping Turkish tea at sunset, looking out over the Bosphorus.

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