I'm doing my first back to back voyage with Azamara Journey in July/August 2018 and would love you to join me. We will start in Edinburgh for our first cruise and sail up to the North Cape and finish the first leg in the fantastic Copenhagen. From there we will continue on our second sailing around the Baltic Sea stopping at the amazing town of Gdansk and the impressive St Petersburg and more before finishing in Stockholm. Check out details on my upcoming events page. You can join me for either of the cruises or better yet, both! … [Read more...]

Well I have just finished an 11day tour of Sicily with one of Rick Steves tour guides, Nina. The trip was an amazement of organization, tons of incredible food and wine (almost all of it included) and fascinating people. The group limit is 24 people and we had a total of 22. Four of us travelers were solo and the rest were couples. The age group was somewhere from 50-70 years old with Nina our tour guide in her early 40's the youngest.  I did hear from others that kids are sometimes on the trips as well.Our groupA few observations about my first Rick Steves tour to Sicily, Italy. 1. Everyone was an avid and knowledgable traveler2. Most guests have done at least one other Rick Steves tour and many have done several with one couple having gone on 14 tours. Rick Steves gives alumni $50 off for each trip they have done / person/ trip up to $750 max. 3 Our guide was incredibly knowledgable of the region and the unbelievable amount of history she remembers. She was American but has loved in Italy for years with grandparents from Italy. 4. The logistics of getting from town to town was handled brilliantly as many old town centers is only reachable by foot. So glad I was not driving. 5. The food in Sicily is amazing. The best I have had in all of Italy. 6. The mafia is alive and well in Sicily but the only time I noticed it directly was in Palermo when we visited the countessa house and the mafia had set up camp in their courtyard 15 years ago and the … [Read more...]

An out of the ordinary experience is ready to awaken your senses on board this luxury bus.  As we tour Paris and visit wonderful sites while enjoying a 6 course gourmet dinner paired with French wines. The BUSTRONOME is a high-end double decker bus with panoramic glass roof. Our tour was supplemented with a map and audioguide on demand. The Audiopen heralds a totally new, innovative concept of the guided tour. It comprises both an audio player and an interactive document.We were served a ‘prix fixe’ 6 course menu with wine. It often changes to propose fresh product of the season. The dishes are inspired by the French tradition. … [Read more...]

Can you believe it has been 10 years since I have been traveling the world and bringing peeps along with me???  WE celebrated at Matthews Winery and had a blast.  I want to THANK each and everyone that has gone on a trip, listened to me talk about my trips, discussed traveling plans and dreams, and shared stories with me.  I love to travel the world and to share wonderful experiences of food, wine, culture and adventures with people.   My absolute favorite thing to hear is that trip changed my life. One of my first wine trips was over to Eastern Washington to the Yakima area.  Many of us have never actually gone wine tasting where the grapes are grown.  I took a group of 10 women over to wine taste.  My sister even drove the van.  We had dinner at Alexander Nicole tasting room with Jarrod the owner and he brought out a magnum and everyone signed it.  Anne, Paula, Erica, Linda, Nancy, Margaret, Shirley, Frances, Deb, Diane. I love to saber Champagne.  Most times I am successful but the first bottle I was over zealous and got a bit wet but David was there to keep me dry.     O'Tierney's won the artist series box of 3 special wines from Ste Michelle.   Winemakers and artists have drawn inspiration from one another for centuries. For our Artist Series Meritage wines, winemaker Bob Bertheau crafts exceptional Bordeaux-style blends of unique power and character that honor world-class artisans such as Dale Chihuly, Alden Mason and … [Read more...]

Yesterday I went to a fantastic Champagne Tasting at South Seattle Community College.  The new building is awesome.  OK so it is not so new but it is the first time I have seen it.   Yashar discussed Everything Champagne with us.  This tasting was for students and alumni of South Seattle Community College.  It was hosted by Champagne region of France.   One of my favorite things to do is Saber Champagne.  Was fun to get some new tricks to try next time. … [Read more...]

I had the opportunity to go to Ambassador's industry launch of their new tasting room in the Woodinville Warehouse district. They have a great selection of red wines. The staff were friendly and well informed.  So if you are in the district, drop in and say hello. http://www.ambassadorwinery.com … [Read more...]

My June 2014 trip to Galapagos was so fantastic - I've decided to do it again in 2016! Please let me know if you are interested in going as cabins are already selling fast. See my upcoming trips for further details. … [Read more...]

HI Everyone,  I had the most fabulous time on my cruise last week on the Rhine river.  Below was the itinerary.  I have booked group space for Nov 26, 2014 down the Danube to enjoy the Christmas Markets.  Come Join ME!!!   Below is the schedule of our trip and all the different countries we visited.   ARRIVE IN AMSTERDAM, HOLLAND - EMBARKATION Arrive in charming Amsterdam and board your luxurious river cruise ship. Meet your fellow travelers tonight at the Welcome Dinner. AMSTERDAM After breakfast, your tour of Amsterdam begins with a scenic canal cruise through the city known as the “Venice of the North.” See the beautiful homes that line the water, the fabled Skinny Bridge, and the famous Anne Frank House. Then, enjoy a panoramic city tour, where you will see the great landmarks of Amsterdam including a photo stop at a windmill. Afterwards, enjoy some free time to explore Amsterdam before returning to the ship. We depart early this afternoon for Germany. (B,L,D) COLOGNE, GERMANY The ship arrives in Cologne around lunch time. You will have a guided tour of the city, strolling through the Old Town and Cathedral Square, and visiting the fabled 13th- century Gothic Cathedral. During your free time, browse the festive Christmas Market in Cathedral Square – one of Europe’s best – or explore the city on your own. The ship cruises overnight. (B,L,D) RHINE GORGE – RÜDESHEIM This morning, we cruise through the fascinating Rhine Gorge, … [Read more...]

I just attended the Taste of Tulalip last weekend.  What a fantastic wine event.  It started out on Friday night with the Celebration Dinner that was Sold out and proceeded with an amazing wine tasting and food pairing event on Saturday. The wines were all amazing and included, Leonetti, Quilceda Creek, Northwest Totem Cellars and many more Washington wineries.  Spanish, French and California wineries rounded out the wine selection along with a whole area of beer tastings.  My favorite food dish was the Walnut Candied Prawns.  I could not get enough of them. Mark your calendars for next years event on Nov 14-15, 2014! Below is a bit more about the special wine blend created for the Taste of Tulalip and Bob Betz, who I think it the most respected wine maker in the region. They introduced the Taste of Tulalip’s 5th anniversary wine, a collaboration between honorary winemaker Bob Betz and the Tulalip wine team.  For the first time, Betz Family Winery crafted a distinctive signature wine from their best barrels for a specific event, and worked closely with Tulalip on the process.  The commemorative blend will be introduced during the November 8, Friday night Celebration Dinner.  This annual 2-day Taste focuses on the enjoyment of food, wine and tradition. The WineTulalip’s one-of-a-kind anniversary blend is composed of 75% Bordeaux varieties (Cabernet Sauvignon dominant) and 25% Syrah.  These grapes were sourced from Washington state’s top AVA vineyards: Red Mountain … [Read more...]

We spent several weeks traveling the France from the north through champagne region, driving along the Rhone River, stopping in Beaune, drinking Burgundy wines, having 2 nights in Avignon and ending up in Nice. A huge adventure. Here are some pictures. … [Read more...]