I have been making frequent pilgrimages to this semi-annual event since 1985, including today. Gone is the grandeur of the powerful German makes displaying their newest models and show cars, complete with engine models and tons of visitors crowding the stands. Back in 1985 - when Volkswagen unveiled the Golf Gen 2, the world stopped… Continue reading Ode to a bygone era – the IAA Frankfurt Car show is dead

A basket full of freshly baked pretzels... to go with delectable Bavarian treats like Obadtza (Brie, butter, & paprika), smoked meats and cheeses, best washed down with one of the five official Oktoberfest breweries special edition beers. That is what awaits you as one of many highlights on my exclusive tour of Switzerland and Germany… Continue reading Last chance – Oktoberfest calling!

A full day at sea later and we pulled into Port Amalie in St.Thomas. As this was my third visit to the island I chose to stay on board. Even two years after devastating hurricane Maria there is still damage visible in this tiny island. It is cruise ship guests that bring economic activity sustaining… Continue reading Caribbean in June – St. Thomas & St.Maarten

After a long rest overnight to sleep off my red-eye flight from the west coast, I woke up safely anchored off Princess Cays - the private island - offering a plethora of water sports; beach loungers and bars ashore. Of course, shopping is never far off on Princess with food trucks and a Caribbean market.… Continue reading Caribbean in June – Princess Cays

Home just long enough to do laundry and repack and now it is off to the Caribbean for a week aboard Caribbean Princess from Fort Lauderdale with stops in St Thomas and St Marten as well as the private island Princess Cays. This journey is a sort of homecoming for me as Greg and I… Continue reading Caribbean in June

An overnight short hop across the English Channel behind us and we are safely docked in Dover with views of the famous white cliffs right from our balcony. All packed, we are now ready to disembark the Crystal Serenity and board the bus to make our way to London Heathrow airport. Upon reflection, as this… Continue reading Farewell to Crystal Serenity

An early morning of country driving along Normandy coastal routes brought us to the town of Ouistreham where the British landed at the sector called Sword Beach. Views of a lovely chateau along the way inspired French country living dreams in me for a moment. All that movers into perspective as we digested the experience… Continue reading Aboard Crystal Serenity – Day 6

Safely docked in the picturesque French port town of Honfleur, we had prepared an activity filled day. First we picked up our rental car for tomorrow's drive to the Normandy landing beaches and then we walked through Honfleur and it's famous Saturday market with some of the most beautiful white asparagus I have ever seen.… Continue reading Aboard Crystal Serenity – Day 5

Strong stormy conditions - not unlike what the Allied troops encountered 75 years ago - made it necessary for our captain to change navigation. Instead of stopping in La Coruna, we sailed on across the Bay of Biscay toward tge tiny British island Guernsey. While disappointing, this change gave us more time for meetings and… Continue reading Aboard Crystal Serenity – Day 3 & 4

With a first rather wavy night (thank you Atlantic might) of rest behind us, the ship docked in Porto early morning or us to explore. Conveniently located at the mouth of the Douro River, this wealthy city of fortified wine fame is worth exploring. We started with a morning of business sessions and then left… Continue reading Aboard Crystal Serenity – Day 2

After a lovely day of riding the historic yellow trams and walking through rainy Lisbon, Julie and I enjoyed a bite of Portuguese pasteis de baccalau (fish fritter) at a spectacular local stand. Then we returned to our abode - The Lapa Palace Hotel to grab our stuff and headed boarded the Crystal Serenity docked… Continue reading Aboard Crystal Serenity – Day 1

Yes, there is such a thing as food tourism, meaning returning to a place simply for the pleasure of enjoying a particular dish or meal! That is exactly what I did yesterday myself. I have dreamt about this day for over 13 years since our discovery of this very special of bakeries in the Belém… Continue reading An ode to the world’s best custard tartlet

From one bridge to another - while it looks like a mirror image of the Golden Gate - this spectacular man made wonder is called the 25th of April bridge and it spans the Tagus River from Lisbon to its suburb of Almada. It is noteworthy that not only are both suspension bridges, they have… Continue reading Lisbon’s Charm revealed

A smooth 2-hour drive got us to the Park Hyatt Melbourne where the Virtuoso family awaited us for this year's edition of Symposium. Over 4 days, we met with suppliers, listened and participated in stimulating key notes and work shops, and tasted Melbourne's famous gourmet offerings. While the fall skies were predominantly great to black,… Continue reading Down Under adventure revisited – final post