Wine tasting in Willamette Valley is one of our favorite activities in Oregon, and one of the main reasons I wanted to go for my birthday trip. Staying in Newberg for the weekend gave us easy access...
Blog posts from Food & Drink
Eric’s 40th: Reykjavík
We spent our first and last evenings in Iceland's capital and main city, Reykjavík. Tuesday Our apartment was two blocks from the famous Hallgrimskirkja, a church design inspired by the Icelandic...
Memory Monday: Cocktails @ The Zetter Townhouse Clerkenwell
I found this bar listed in an article on excellent bars several months before our trip and planned to surprise Eric here for birthday-eve drinks. Upon arrival we grabbed an open couch near the door...
Eric’s 40th: Kew Gardens & Richmond
To help celebrate my birthday Leandra treated me to an afternoon at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew (better known as Kew Gardens). The District line took us within a few blocks of the entrance, and...
Eric’s 40th: a day in Boston
We had the option of a four hour layover or a ten hour layover, and since we hadn't been to Boston, we choose the ten hour option. Because we would have carry-on bags we knew we'd need to store them...
Middle East 2016: Muscat dining
Friday Perhaps our most memorable meal in Oman, we both enjoyed the expansive Friday brunch at the five-star Chedi Hotel. All the western hotels have a buffet brunch on Friday, and since the Grand...
Vietnam 2016: tasting Hanoi
After the snafu with our hotel, I was ready to get out and about and try some local beers (that potentially weren't yellow). Thankfully, I had read up on a place that had a variety of brews...
Vietnam 2016: living cheap in Hue
The Vedana Resort graciously allowed us to take their free shuttle into Hue, which was appreciated, but for some reason we stopped at a different hotel. It seemed like our driver wanted us to drop...
Vietnam 2016: overwater villa at the Vedana Lagoon Resort
Between Hoi An and Hue we spent two nights at the Vedana Lagoon Resort. Quiet and peaceful, it was a nice change from the hustle and bustle of the towns. Upon arrival our bags were whisked away and...
Vietnam 2016: food in Hoi An
Thursday Walking around town our first day, Leandra was ready for a snack and steered us toward Madam Khanh - The Banh Mi Queen. Just up the street from a row of tailor shops we found the small cart...
Vietnam 2016: My Grandma’s Home Cooking
I walked over to the meetup spot by 7:45am (!) to gather at the office along with three British women who were also taking the Market Tour portion of the class. After introducing ourselves, we took...
San Diego Breweries
Looking back through my draft posts, I realized that I never completed the beer post from last year's trip to San Diego. So! To keep better records, here is what we tried in 2016 and a list with...
Beijing 2015: food & drink
Friday Great Leap Brewing #6 - located in a hutong, this brewery was a bit tricky to find - thank goodness for working GPS! We grabbed a table in the nearly empty tasting room and ordered a sampler...
Beijing 2015: Dumplings Cooking Class & Market Tour
I found a few options for cooking classes ahead of our trip to Beijing but I really wanted to learn how to make dumplings, so Beijing Cooking School seemed to be the best choice for me. I opted to...
Seattle 2015: Breweries & Pubs
Post Doc Brewing - Our flight landed a bit early, so we had just enough time to stop in here for a quick beer before they closed. The bartender was very friendly and mentioned there was no rush as...
Seattle 2015: Woodinville Wineries
Most of the wineries we visited had a $10 tasting fee that was waived with purchase. No one minded if we split a tasting and more often than not we also had a chance to try a few extra unlisted...
Istanbul 2015: Food!
Perhaps the most memorable part of Istanbul was the food, with lots of nuts, honey, olives, etc, and much of it grown or produced domestically. Breakfast Eric found two great breakfast options near...
Istanbul 2015: Asian side
After spending several hours at the Topkapi palace we decided to take the ferry across the Bosphorous and explore Kadıköy, a neighborhood on the Asian side of Istanbul. As soon as we exited the...
Our Itinerary
2025 Trips
Tampa Bay, FL (Jan)
Buenos Aires, Argentina (Feb)
Villa la Angostura, Argentina (Feb)
Bariloche, Argentina (Feb)
Iguazu Falls, Argentina + Brazil (Feb)
Miami, FL (Feb)
Richmond, VA (Mar)
Boston, MA (Apr)
Kathmandu, Nepal (May)
Bhutan (May)
Slovenia (Sep)
Treviso, Italy (Sep)
Bologna, Italy (Sep)
Turin, Italy (Oct)
2024 Trips
San Diego, CA (Jan)
Sarasota, FL (Feb)
Madrid, Spain (Mar)
Valencia, Spain (Mar+Apr)
Palma, Mallorca (Apr)
Croatia (May)
Long Island, NY (July)
Faroe Islands (Aug)
London, UK (Sept)
Puglia, Italy (Sept)
Matera, Italy (Oct)
Rome, Italy (Oct)
Mosel Valley, Germany (Oct)
Frankfurt, Germany (Oct)
London + Manchester, UK (Dec)
2023 Trips
San Diego (Jan)
Orlando (Feb)
Richmond, VA (Apr)
Northern Italy (Apr)
NC Mountains (May)
Long Island (Jul)
Wisconsin (Aug)
Chicago (Aug)
Oak Island, NC (Sept)
Brooklyn, NY (Sept)
Bordeaux + Rugby World Cup (Sep)
Castilla y León (Sep)
Seychelles (Nov)
Willamette Valley (Dec)