Best of lists are always subjective and this one even more so. This list refers only to 2014 and it should in no way be perceived of as a best of ever list (unless noted).

Read More >

Best cheese I’ve ever eaten is in the Allgäu in the German Alps. We hiked up to the top of the mountain and stayed here:

You can either take a gondola to the top or hike in. Most folks hike from outpost to outpost.

Each night we fell asleep to the sound of cowbells and rain. Read More >

On Tuesday we had dinner at the legendary restaurant, Jules Verne, located inside the Eiffel Tower. The view, made even more beautiful by a sudden rainstorm and double rainbow, is better than the food–which though palatable, certainly did not equal the amount paid for quality, though the bread, wine, and company were fabulous. And the little shovel spoons are now our family crest:

You really can’t beat it for the view and the romance. And remember, if at no other time in your life, in Paris, at least, you gotta rock the red lipstick:

Read More >

Begins with a sunset on the Pont Marie next to our pied-à-terre in the Île Saint-Louis, one of two natural islands in Paris.

The next evening we invited some folks over for a small fête to kick of the week of events planned for the Henry Miller Memorial Library’s Aller Retour Paris literary festival. Naturally this involved much wine, bread and cheese. The calm before the storm:

Pont Marie Gang at Sunset (not featured, our photographer and pal: Debi Lorenc)

I wanted to only eat bread, cheese and butter the whole time in Paris, but after two days, I had to add some roughage. That’s all I’m saying. I made everyone go out to the bridge at sunset where we drank German sekt (sorry France) and ate petite madeleine from Combray and talked about Proust, yes, I am serious. Reading the new translation of Swann’s Way right now. Read More >