We dropped off the car at the airport and took an Uber into the city. After relaxing in the room for a bit, I stopped into ALE-HOP to look for comfy socks and found a pair of fluffy rainbow slippers...
Blog posts from restaurants
September 2023 Wine and Rugby: Bordeaux food + sights
Food + Drink Aux quatre coins du vin - Hoping for the opportunity to try a few local wines, I booked us at a wine bar on Saturday night where we shared a card that allowed us to get a 3, 6 or 10 cl...
September 2023 Wine and Rugby: 24hrs in Brooklyn
We started our adventure with an easy Uber ride to the airport, then our flight left on time AND we had an open middle seat between us - huzzah! Our room wasn’t ready at the Even Hotel when we...
Labor Day weekend in Oak Island, NC
Over Labor Day weekend we were invited to stay at a house two blocks from the beach in Oak Island, NC - how could we say no? Oak Island is less than a 3 hour drive from our place, but we still made...
Midwest 2023: Chicago food + drink
While we up in Chicago for my Dad's ash scattering, we got to visit a couple breweries and escape for dinner once evening with my siblings. It was great catching up and being in the same spot...
Midwest 2023: three days in Wisconsin
In 2022 we had plans to visit our friend's house on Lake Winnebago, Wisconsin, but ended up cancelling. Determined to visit, we re-scheduled for August 2023, first flying into Chicago and renting a...
Summer 2023: overnight in Lancaster PA
On our way back home from New York we stopped for a night with our friends in Lancaster, PA. After unpacking the car, they took us to Lititz to check out some breweries and local shops. Downtown was...
NY Summer 2023: food
Over the weeks we were in NY we tried a lot of different food options, from restaurants with a view to farmstands and spots in between. Below are our notes: July 2 We arrived in time to spend the...
Summer 2023: weekend trip to Connecticut
It has been several years since we had seen some of our family members in Connecticut, so the weekend after Independence Day we traveled up for a quick overnight visit. Our 9:30am ferry out of...
Summer 2023: overnight in DC
For our annual trip to NY this summer we decided to split the drive over two days, with an overnight in DC. That would let us see Leandra's cousin Cody, and also re-visit the Udvar-Hazy Center, a...
Italy 2023: Bologna food & drink
Monday On our first afternoon in Bologna we saw these little cakes in the window of Paolo Atti & Figli - torta di riso, so we had to try it. It is a lightly sweet cake made from rice that had a...
Italy 2023: daytrip to Modena
Modena has intrigued me for a while, after all it is the home of balsamic vinegar, with ham, lambrusco and other tasty items also produced locally. And with it being about 30 minutes from Bologna by...
Italy 2023: 24 hours in Verona
There is always a delicate balance on where to stay and visit on our longer trips - moving every night is exhausting and impractical, but we also want to 'see all the things!' While planning this...
Italy: Bardolino food & drink
Thursday Dinner at La Piccola Osteria. I tried the macaroni picante (spicy) with Gorgonzola cheese, delicious! Leandra got the beef cappacio with a pile of cheese on top! We split a 500 ml carafe of...
Italy 2023: Venice food & drink
Monday El Sbarlefo - With our first round of wine, a grechetto for me (lighter white with mineral and nice acidity) and a primitivo for Leandra, we also ordered some fried cheese bites. Leandra had...
Italy 2023: Milan
On this trip to Milan we flew into the smaller, but much closer, Linate airport, which let us take the city 73 bus to the Duomo area. After dropping our bags at the hotel we walked around, trying to...
Orlando 2023: EPCOT
Sunday was our day at EPCOT. I set an alarm for 6:55am to join the first virtual queue for Guardians of the Galaxy but didn't get in. We slept a bit longer and while enjoying my fancy cold brew, I...
San Diego 2023: food & drink
Friday Beer at California Wild Ales: Tom yum (spicy), Citrus x, Meyer, Maul, Peach. I'm not 100% sure I got the right flavors, but it was tasty nonetheless! Leandra liked her super dark and fruity...
Our Itinerary
2023 Trips
San Diego (Jan)
Orlando (Feb)
Richmond, VA (Apr)
Northern Italy (Apr)
NC Mountains (May)
Long Island (Jul)
Wisconsin (Aug)
Chicago (Aug)
Bordeaux + Rugby World Cup (Sep)
Castilla y León (Sep)
Seychelles (Nov)
Willamette Valley (Dec)
2022 Trips
Florida (Feb)
NC Mountains (Apr)
Washington DC (Apr)
Valencia, Spain (May)
Hilton Head, SC (May)
Pacific NW (Jun)
Long Island (Jul)
Florida (Sept)
Chicago (Sept)
Poland (Sept)
NC Mountains (Nov)
Euro Xmas Markets (Dec)