FOODIE IN FLIP FLOPS

My best friend Danielle was visiting from St. Pete, Florida. Both of us have a mutual love of wine so we went to where the best Rieslings in the world are made. This was our first view of the Mosel when driving in. It was so beautiful, the views were amazing!!! We stayed in Bernkastel. It's a cute medieval German town directly on the Mosel. Narrow, winding cobblestones roads make this village so charming. The village was completely walkable with steep vineyards in every direction. There were lots of nice eateries with inviting outdoor tables. We took a 45 minute side trip to Trier. Trier was a grand Roman City second to Rome. This gate, Porta Negra, was built in the second century to ward off attackers. It is very well preserved and also offers beautiful views of Trier with its two impressive cathedrals. Inside the Porta Negra - it is hard to believe this was built over 2000 years ago. We had to get back to Bernkastel for our sc...

I have always loved Chardonnay from Burgundy, especially Pouilly-Fuissé. I was so excited to visit these tiny villages and see how this great wine is grown and produced. We came off season so this village of a little over 300 inhabitants was a little sleepier than usual. We stayed at La Maison du Hérisson (The House of the Hedgehog) and had the place to ourselves. Sébastien Chambru and Margaux Moisière team up to run this place as well the gastronomy and bistro restaurant a block away, L'O des Vignes. The Hedgehog is a unique place, it is basically a five room, all with private bathroom, guest house. There is a communal kitchen, TV room, and courtyard. The rooms are stylish and homey. Sébastien and Margaux were so welcoming, and went above and beyond to help us enjoy our stay in Fuisse! They are dog friendly too. Every morning, breakfast was a treat, homemade yogurts and marmalades by Margaux which has spoiled me forever. After we got settled, we walked the villag...

This blog is way overdue. To be honest I have been caught up in a love affair of  my European lifestyle and have been a slacker on sharing my travels. It's been great enjoying wine and trying new grapes that I have never even heard of before. I am discovering new cheeses and especially enjoying them for dessert, followed by an espresso. It's a good thing I like to workout and do Crossfit multiple times a week. My latest obsession is Belgian beer and it is only a hop, skip and a jump to get my hands on it!! Ghent has always intrigued me. I remember learning in history about The Treaty of Ghent and how it ended the War of 1812 between the British and the Americans a long, long time ago. It fascinated me then, and it certainly fascinates me now.  I think Ghent gets overshadowed by Bruges and Brussels, however I have been to both and Ghent has been my favorite. We stayed in the historic district of Patershol which has great walkability. The medieval city was gorgeous ...

And this is how our fabulous time in Torri Del Benaco started. No cars were allowed by our hotel so we were picked up in the parking lot by the hotel golf cart. It was a fun entrance, the three of us, two dogs, our luggage and all of our wine!  We stayed at the Hotel Gardesana, which was a step back in time. When I picture hotels from the 1950's, this is exactly when I think of.  Our hotel was lovely, breakfast was good, and the reception so friendly, however the hotel was noisy. Unfortunately, you could hear everything in and around the hotel.  This was our awesome hotel room key and every time we left we handed it over to reception for them to store in a cubby. I loved this! This was the castle and museum across from our hotel. Every morning we enjoyed the view while sipping cappuccinos and eating our breakfast. One morning there was a band that marched and played through the town.  Another great view of  ...