Greetings from...

quote:

Originally posted by DoubleD:
EWR to MXP, then a train to Venice Santa Lucia station, hopped on a water taxi to hotel, and finally two box seats at La Fenice. It was a very long day but well worth the effort. The venue was simply stunning.

Stay dry!

Palm Desert

lake tahoe

quote:

Originally posted by DoubleD:
EWR to MXP, then a train to Venice Santa Lucia station, hopped on a water taxi to hotel, and finally two box seats at La Fenice. It was a very long day but well worth the effort. The venue was simply stunning.

i did almost the exact trip in 2006... enjoy my friend.

quote:

Originally posted by DoubleD:
EWR to MXP, then a train to Venice Santa Lucia station, hopped on a water taxi to hotel, and finally two box seats at La Fenice. It was a very long day but well worth the effort. The venue was simply stunning.

Very nice. You're living the high life DD.

St Lucia - just hiked Gros Piton

Bfw

Picton, New Zealand.

In about an hour we're off for a few winery visits, including Cloudy Bay, to which I am very much looking forward.

The North shore of Kauai in Hawaii.

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Originally posted by RVARob:
The North shore of Kauai in Hawaii.

One of my favorite places on earth.

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Originally posted by FL Wino:

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Originally posted by The Old Man:
[QUOTE]Originally posted by KSC02:
Munich

Any good restaurants?
Will be there in October

Just saw this, FLW. No real recommendations. I was only in for a couple of days on business. Spent most of that time in Freising (near the airport). With the Security Conferance happening at that time the old town area access was limiting and really only got into Munich Sat evening. Shavez emailed me some good recommendations (especially in Schwabing) but did not get to try.

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Originally posted by wineismylife:

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Originally posted by RVARob:
The North shore of Kauai in Hawaii.

One of my favorite places on earth.

+2

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Originally posted by wineismylife:

quote:

Originally posted by RVARob:
The North shore of Kauai in Hawaii.

One of my favorite places on earth.

+3 Is the Blue Dolphin restaurant still there?

Kristiansand, Norway. It's too cold in STL, I needed to come some place and warm up.

Helsinki, Finland. It's been a long trip. I'm ready to head home.

Just arrived in Melbourne. Beautiful warm late summer day, and we're heading off for a brisk pre-dinner walk. Heading to Yarra Valley for some tastings in a couple of days.

San Juan, Puerto Rico. Landed in a light drizzle, but sky is clearing now. Temp a humid 82 degrees.

Made it to our little apartment beside Castillo San Cristobal. Going out to explore Old Town now and find a place to stock up on food and cerveza.

Highly suggest Movida in Melbourne for tapas. Nice wine list as well. Enjoy some of the world's greatest graffiti.

Seaquam, there is a nice restaurant in Yarra that is part of the Innocent Bystander/Giant Steps winery. They also carry one of the best Austrian beers that you'll ever get called Trumer Pils. I highly recommend a beer with lunch as well.

Key West

quote:

Originally posted by DoktaP:

Highly suggest Movida in Melbourne for tapas. Nice wine list as well. Enjoy some of the world's greatest graffiti.

Dok, thanks for the rec. There's one (Movida Aqui) a block for our hotel, and we're headed there in about an hour. While they're not keen on corkage, when I explained that I'd bought a wine at Yarra Yering yesterday and did not want to take it with me on a flight tomorrow, they graciously agreed, with corkage TBD when I get there. Anyway, I'm looking forward to our meal there, as I'm starved.

We walked around Melbourne for hours today (weather was far too nice to go to the Art Gallery or any museums), seeing Captain Cook's cottage, and going for miles along both sides of the lovely Yarra River walk. This city reminds me quite a bit of both San Francisco and Vancouver. It is rich in restaurants with lots of cuisines represented, has a great coffee culture, interesting architecture with a fine melding of old and new, lots (and I mean LOTS) of green space, and a friendly vibe. I'd come back here again.

Napa.

Beautiful Barossa Valley. The valley is much, much larger than I had expected. I should have looked at a map more carefully.

In a half hour we head out to McLaren Vale for some tastings. I expect D'Arenberg, Wirra Wirra, Fox Creek, and maybe Kay Brothers to be the most interesting. If we get back early enough-- and the distances might mean we won't make it-- we have a late appt. at Henschke. Just another day on the road.

This is all going to look really good on my WS Tasting Committee application. My CV is filling out nicely.

Did you enjoy the food at Movida?

Berlin.

North Georgia Mountains. The word majestic applies, but it has as much to do with the mood as it does the view.

Vegas, baby!

(yes, it's a cliché, so what....)

Adelaide airport, waiting for boarding call for flight to Sydney.

We've had a remarkable time in Barossa, McLaren, Eden Valleys and Adelaide Hills, with great tastings and some spectacular wines. Will take a while to get notes organized, but many visits far surpassed our expectations, both in terms of quality and especially in generosity of very special wines opened.

DoktaP, had a great meal at Movida Aqui. Sylvia is still talking about the anchovy on toast with tomato ice cream. Really cutting-edge tapas.

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Originally posted by Seaquam:
anchovy on toast with tomato ice cream.

mrs bman is quietly retching in the corner.....

London

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Originally posted by KSC02:
London

one of my faves. enjoy!

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Originally posted by KSC02:
London

Jealous.

Icebound here. All of these sound great to me.

Flew back to BWI yesterday from Phoenix. Plane diverted to Raleigh due to ice in Baltimore.
After telling us to get off the plane and take our things and go to baggage claim, because the flight to Baltimore could not continue, and after we got to baggage claim, ...and it goes on, they finally say that the plane will in fact go to Baltimore.
So, we try to get back to the gate but the TSA guy won't let us, since we now have no boarding pass. We have to go back to SW ticketing, get a new boarding pass, get back to TSA, and then to the gate.
Finally back to Baltimore.
Left Phoenix at 9:20 AM, got to Baltimore at 8 PM. But, we're home, safe and sound, with the luggage, so it's ok.

Starting Day three in Instanbul!
Loving it so far!
Spent the day at the grand bazar and the spice market yesterday.
Had to cut our visit of the spice market short, the kids were really not comfortable with the amount of people....

quote:

Originally posted by Vinaigre:
Starting Day three in Instanbul!
Loving it so far!
Spent the day at the grand bazar and the spice market yesterday.
Had to cut our visit of the spice market short, the kids were really not comfortable with the amount of people....

Fantastic, Vinaigre! A wonderful and exotic city-- I'm sure you and your family will remember it for a very long time.

It's a beautiful summer day in Sydney, and we've just returned from a tour of the iconic Opera House, an incredible structure whose construction and acoustic engineering might even surpass its visual appeal; just amazing. Sunday evening we return there for a performance (Tosca).

We're in a lovely apartment overlooking Darling Harbour, with a killer view and loads of good restaurants, bars, walking, and shopping literally outside the building's front door. I am sorry that we waited so long to come here. It is a beautiful and exciting city.

What can a person do with an 8 hour layover in Taipei on April 22nd? 3 PM to 11 PM Which essentially makes it about 4-5 hours.

quote:

Originally posted by Seaquam:
It's a beautiful summer day in Sydney, and we've just returned from a tour of the iconic Opera House, an incredible structure whose construction and acoustic engineering might even surpass its visual appeal; just amazing. Sunday evening we return there for a performance (Tosca).

We're in a lovely apartment overlooking Darling Harbour, with a killer view and loads of good restaurants, bars, walking, and shopping literally outside the building's front door. I am sorry that we waited so long to come here. It is a beautiful and exciting city.

I agree it is a beautiful area and city. I was in Sydney for several weeks a couple years back and would get my daily run in around the harbor walkway. There is something very invigorating about that view of the Opera House. I rode one of the shuttle ferries across the harbour one day to get a better feel of the area and was a nice way to spend an afternoon.

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Originally posted by snipes:

I agree it is a beautiful area and city. I was in Sydney for several weeks a couple years back and would get my daily run in around the harbor walkway. There is something very invigorating about that view of the Opera House. I rode one of the shuttle ferries across the harbour one day to get a better feel of the area and was a nice way to spend an afternoon.

We go for fast walks in the mornings around the harbour walkway, usually to beat the crowds. The city is even more beautiful when it's quiet. And today we've taking the shuttle ferry around to a couple of places that Sylvia wants to visit, hopefully getting some good photos from the water. It must have been really terrific for you to spend several weeks here, snipes, though I would guess it was work-related. Still, lots to do here in the evenings as well.

Just back from London.

What a fantastic city. It'd been far too long since my last visit. Stayed near Picadilly and Hyde Park. Spent an open day I had walking down Oxford Street, Regent Street, putzed about in Soho and down to Picadilly Mkt, strolled past Green Park and through Hyde Park.

Enjoyed a wonderful lunch at an Ottolenghi restaurant called NOPI.
Highlight meal of the trip, however, was Dinner at Bombay Brasserie off Glucester Rd. The very finest Indian cuisine I've had to date (and I've had a lot).

Back on Tuesday-Sat. Open to suggestions