Marrakech is a surreal experience. We arrive around 2 p.m. and after a 15 min taxi ride, our driver drops us in the Medina (old city). It’s 109 degrees outside, our luggage is loaded in a wooden push cart and we are led through the DJemaa el-Fnaa (The Central Square) full of snake charmers, fortunetellers,…
View MoreWe are now in Morocco where drinking alcohol is forbidden by the Qur’an, so Muslims don’t drink and we are abstaining as well. But 3 weeks ago, we were in Champagne country… Champagne is the drink of choice for Kings, Emperors and soldiers toasting victory. It’s the drink of brides and grooms, new parents, graduations and…
View MoreThree small islands float out in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea just south of Sicily and east of North Africa. The biggest island is Malta, next comes Gozo and finally, the tiny island, Comino. Gozo is about 1/3 the size of Malta and is more laid back with only 300k-ish full-time “locals.” Our taxi…
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The Feast of Saint Joseph, patron saint of workers, is celebrated on March 19th around the world. In a country as Roman Catholic as Malta, this is a big day. So big in fact that every town/village wants to have their own celebration that isn’t interfered with by their neighbor celebrating at the same time. This…
View MoreChurch bells at 5am and loud fireworks before 8am, you must be in Malta. The previous night you ate rabbit for dinner in a cellar in Valletta ,http://www.guzevalletta.com/, you must be in Malta. Later in the evening, a wine tasting on top of a stone fortress built by the Knights of Malta and fireworks lighting the…
View MoreI’ve just had The Best Meal of My Life… is a very strong statement and something I’ve never said before. Well, maybe when I was 16 and stayed out all night, then had breakfast at Brennan’s in NOLA. Just to clarify, Douglas does not necessarily agree with this statement. We’ve eaten at some amazing restaurants…
View MoreThere is so much to do in the City of Light and just not enough time or energy to see and experience all of the interesting sites in just one week and a half. It would take months to explore all of the museums, shops, gardens, architecture and restaurants (there are 15k). There is truly…
View MoreWe are back in Paris after 2 months of travel in France. There is no other city in the world quite like Paris. The art, the food, the architecture, the ambiance, the energy from tourists from all over the world create a cultural melting pot … a playful zone of continuous aliveness. ‘A playful zone…
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Reims used to be a quaint medieval village until the city and its cathedral were bombed on September 4, 1914 by Germans during WWI. The bombing went on for almost 3.5 years destroying 80% of the buildings and badly damaging the Cathedral. That’s Reims Cathedral as a backdrop for this US army recruiting poster from…
View MoreIs the village of Belfort German or French? In the past 350 years the territory has changed hands several times. The architecture looks German but the food is French with a bunch of ethnic restaurants thrown in for a nice change of pallet. It is also very close to Switzerland so it is common to…
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You have never heard of Solto Collina. You most likely will never meet a person from there. If you were Italian and lived in Milan or maybe, Venice and you wanted to get away from the city during the Spring and Summer, you might go to Lake Iseo. One of the villages that you might…
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“Giant steps are what you take Walking on the moon I hope my legs don’t break Walking on the moon We could walk forever Walking on the moon We could live together Walking on, walking on the moon” Music group – The Police Christo and his wife, the late, Jeanne-Claude have been creating…
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Austin peeps should not be complaining about all of the new toll roads. France has a toll road every 10 miles. We paid $ 60 to drive through the highest mountain in Europe via the Mont Blanc Tunnel which goes thru the Alps connecting France to Italy. [Ed. Douglas’s ramblings, ‘time is the only real…
View MoreIf France is the gastronomical capital of the world, then Lyon is the gastronomical capital of France. It is also the third largest city in France. It is known as ground zero of French Nouvelle cuisine invented in the 60’s by Paul Bocuse- one of the greatest chefs in the world. Nouvelle cuisine was the…
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Lavender is the universal symbol of Provence and our pilgrimage tour continues in search of blooming lavender. We decided to do a sneak peak of the fields in early June and were disappointed. The lavender was NOT blooming yet! The Abbaye de Senanque is said to be the # 1 photo op on the route…
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