Continue reading »]]> As wine lovers, one of our favorite things to do is seek out unique wines or wine-related experiences. So imagine my excitement when I learned that The Netherlands produces Dutch wine! There are actually over 200 vineyards in The Netherlands, though most producers are very small and make wine as a hobby.

I visited Wijnhoeve De Colonjes in Groesbeek, which started out with just one acre in 2000. Wine maker Freek was working at the local university when he started the wine farm as a hobby. He made his first wine in 2005 and won a bronze medal in a competition in Germany for wines made from the Regent grape. These days, Wijnhoeve De Colonjes has 10 different varieties of grapes planted on 13.5 hectares and produces around 120,000 bottles of Dutch wine each year. Even more impressive, Freek’s wines have won multiple gold medals in various competitions.

We were treated to a farm lunch made completely from organic and local ingredients with a beautiful view of the vineyards. The bread on the massive sandwiches, which were as big as an 9″ round cake, was homemade locally and all the meat and vegetables are from local farms. It was delicious and paired perfectly with a rosé called Belle de Colonjes Brut.

After a bit of delicious farm fresh food, we got down to the business of tasting wine. I’m not usually much of a white wine drinker, but I absolutely loved Knapse Witte 2010, a blend made from Helios and Riesel grapes (both hybrids of the Riesling grape). It had nice acidity and was very light. It would pair well with goat cheese, salads, chicken, or fish and is a great summertime sipping wine.

Harvested when the grapes aren’t quite ripe yet, the Cabernet Blanc 2011 had interesting aromas of grass and fruit. It actually tastes like green peppers a bit. It’s quite unique and is definitely a wine to drink with food like veal, pastas with cream sauces, or Asian dishes like stir fry.

I also enjoyed the Rosé Frederique 2012, named after the wine maker’s daughter. It is made from the Regent de Cabernet grape and the rosé color comes from the production process. The skins of the grapes are left on initially for the first few hours until the wine achieves the desired color. It had hints of peach, raspberry, and blueberry and is another delicious and refreshing summertime wine.

The reds were each better than the red before. The Regent 2011, produced from 100% Regent grapes, has tastes of vanilla and black cherry.  The Recortis 2011, a blend of Regent and Cabernet Cortis, followed. Scents of licorice wafted up from my glass and the taste is unique. It pairs well with grilled steaks or barbecue. The Cabernet Cortis 2009 is similar, but with a deeper taste. It ages in German oak for 18 months and tastes of vanilla and much more pronounced licorice than the Recortis 2011.

I would have loved to bring home several bottles of Dutch wine, but had to chose just one. It was the Cabernet Cortis that ultimately stole my heart.

Know Before You Go

• Guided tours of Wijnhoeve De Colonjes are available to taste Dutch wine by appointment. A guided visitor and tasting takes around 2.5 – 3 hours and is €11 per person.
• Wijnhoeve De Colonjes also hosts an open day each year in which the winery officially opens for the season. Their Wine Train runs from the market square in Groesbeek to the farm.
• Wijnhoeve De Colonjes Dutch wine is sold locally at the vineyard and in some shops and restaurants. It is also sold online.

Thank you to Visit Holland for hosting me in Groesbeek and to Wijnhoeve De Colonjes for the fantastic visit! As always, all opinions are entirely our own.

Continue reading »]]> Sometimes traveling near home can introduce you to things you never knew were there. I’m from Erie, Pennsylvania and stopped in my home town to visit with my parents for a few days before heading home to Europe. We were going to head to Niagara Falls but high winds and snow (in May!) foiled our plans for a helicopter ride over the falls and biking through the vineyards at Niagara on the Lake. Instead, we found ourselves exploring the Smethport Mansion District.

Smethport Old Jail

Smethport is a historic town in Pennsylvania. Named in honor of and financed by a Dutch banking family, the De Smeths, Smethport was founded in 1807. The town actually has a number of things it is known for, like the Old Jail being the sixth most haunted place in Pennsylvania. As the lore goes, the Old Jail is haunted by Ralph Crossmire, who was convicted of murdering his mother and then hanged there for his crimes in 1893. Old Ralph had threatened to haunt the jail if he was hung and inmates soon began begging to be moved to other facilities out of fear of Ralph’s ghost.

Aside from being home to Pennsylvania’s sixth most haunted place, Smethport can claim the invention of the first magnetic toys in the United States. Wooly Willy was invented in 1908 and is still in production today. America’s first Christmas Store and year round yuletide shop also opened there in 1935, though sadly it closed in 2005.

The most notable attraction of the historic town is the Smethport Mansion District. Located along both sides of West Main Street, the architecture of these Victorian mansions is a reflection of the wealth that built Smethport. Some of the mansions are now lovely bed and breakfasts; others are in a state of disrepair. Plans are being formulated by the Route 6 Heritage Community to develop the Smethport Mansion District into a formal historic section of the town. But no matter, the mansions are each beautiful and impressive. A few were even instrumental in shaping Smethport.

Henry Hamlin Mansion

The Henry Hamlin Mansion saw the birth of the Smethport Mansion District. It was with the completion of this 1860 Victorian Italianate mansion that the door to development swung open in the 1880s. Architects, stonemasons, contractors, and builders flocked to Smethport to design and create mansions.

The owner, Henry Hamlin, commenced banking in Smethport in 1863 with what became the Hamilton Bank and Trust Company. By 1892, Hamlin was reported to be the wealthiest private banker in the United States.

Delano R. Hamlin Mansion

Henry Hamlin’s nephew, Delano R. Hamlin, built his own Victorian Queen Anne mansion right next door to his uncle in 1881.

Orlo J. Hamlin Mansion

Henry Hamlin also built a mansion as a wedding gift for his only son, Orlo and his new bride Mirabel Folger. Orlo eventually took over the bank his father started, Hamlin Bank and Trust Company.

Judge Joseph Bouton Mansion

The Judge Joseph Bouton Mansion, a Victorian Queen Anne built in 1905, stands on the former location of the Astor House Hotel, which was destroyed in a fire in 1868. The mansion, though, I imagine is as grand today as it was when the all-American McKean County President Judge occupied it. An American flag billowed in the breeze and white Adirondacks rocked on the whitewashed wrap around porch.

It was lovely to stroll down the historic tree-lined street, even on a cold and cloudy day. I would have loved to peek inside some of these beautiful mansions, but tours of them are only available during special festivals in Smethport.

Continue reading »]]> There are exactly two places in all of Arizona where you can stand on a glass platform and peer hundreds of meters deep into a nearly black abyss with water flowing at the bottom. The first is at the Skywalk at the Grand Canyon and it will cost you $75 to do it with hundreds of other tourists also vying for a spot. The second, Audrey Headframe Park, is on the outskirts of Jerome, is free, and I was one of two visitors.

A headframe is the structure built atop a mine shaft that supports all the equipment like pulleys and cables to raise and lower ore cars. The Audrey Headframe was built in 1918 in the height of mining in the Billion Dollar Copper Camp over the Little Daisy Mine, which plunges 1900 feet into the Earth. Named after the mine’s superintendent’s adopted daughter, the Audrey Headframe is Arizona’s oldest and largest still-standing wooden headframe. Its’ wooden beams support a three-pulley system that was used to hoist cargo cages.

I stood on the glass platform and peered down into the Little Daisy Mine shaft. Specially designed mirrors and lighting help to illuminate the shaft, the water seepage from the mountain springs glistening under the sunlight far below. Unfortunately, with the sun nearly directly overhead, the light made taking a picture down into the shaft impossible.

The Little Daisy Mine was spectacularly profitable. During 1916 alone, it produced $10 million worth of copper, silver and gold; $7.4 million of which was profit. The mine eventually produced more than $125 million worth of ore and paid more than $50 million in dividends.

Cable Winch Car

Interesting mining artifacts surround Audrey Headframe Park. The cable winch car was used underground; if something needed to pulled anywhere in the tunnel system connecting the Little Daisy Mine and Edith Mine, this little car would be moved to the spot and its wheels were locked in place. The cable was then attached to the object that needed moving and the winching process would pull the object to the spot.

The little building behind the Audrey Shaft is the Childs-Irving Hydroelectric Power Plant. It was opened in 1909 when the project founders realized they could use the millions of gallons of water passing below to produce hydroelectric power. Three turbine driven generators produced a total plant capacity of 4500kW. The plant supplied Jerome and was so efficient, it was used up until 2004. It was only finally taken offline for environmental considerations. It remains for visitors to peek inside at the generators and as a National Engineering Landmark, one of only two in the entire state of Arizona.

Know Before You Go

• Audrey Headframe Park is open daily from 8am – 5pm.
• The park has a picnic table, which is shaded by the headframe and perfect for a scenic picnic lunch.
• To reach Audrey Headframe Park, follow Douglas Road from Jerome toward the entrance of Jerome State Historic Park.
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Continue reading »]]> When the Arizona temperatures soar, instincts tell you to run for the nearest air conditioned anything. But the heat doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy the scenic Grand Canyon State. After six years of living in Arizona, we’re still discovering awesome things to do. To get you started, here’s our list of 10 things to do in summer in Arizona:

1. Take a Ride to Tortilla Flat

We first heard about Tortilla Flat when the remnant of an Arizona ghost town made the news for being on sale on eBay for a cool $1 million. It has a population of just six people but there is often a wait of up to an hour for a table in the Superstition Saloon and Restaurant. Dollar bills signed by people from around the world are crudely stapled to the walls and ceiling and real saddles serve as seats at the wooden bar. Well worth the long wait, the restaurant boasts the biggest burgers and hottest chilli around. Both are delicious! And before you head out, pay a visit to the Country Store for a scoop of their world famous prickly pear ice cream.

Tortilla Flat is open June 1 – September 30 Monday – Friday from 9am – 5pm, October 1 – May 31 Monday – Friday from 9am – 6pm and year round Saturdays and Sundays from 9am – 7pm.

2. Get Your Heart Racing on a Sedona Pink Jeep Tour

Technically, we made our own Sedona Pink Jeep Tour with Tim’s lifted Jeep and hit the Red Rocks of Sedona on a few off-roading adventures during our years living in Arizona. We even took my friend, Jackie, on our version of the Sedona Pink Jeep Tour when she visited from Pennsylvania (where we spotted an actual Pink Jeep Tour). Towering canyon walls surround you and my heart would pound every time we descended “The Staircase”. Be sure to stretch your legs and take in the views, and if you go with your own off-road Jeep, pack a picnic!

Sedona Pink Jeep Tours start at $89.95 per person and $66.75 for kids 12 and under.

3. Catch a Fowl Ball at a Dbacks Game

Okay, so we had season tickets for three years and neither of us has actually ever caught a fowl ball. But we’ve seen plenty of others get one! No matter, an Arizona Diamondbacks game is great fun and air conditioned Chase Field is a great place to escape the heat for a few hours. On nice nights, the roof retracts and Friday night games feature a fireworks display and a post-game concert.

Not a season ticket holder? No problem! We always find great deals on lower level seats on StubHub.

4. Kayak the Verde River

The Verde River is public land and open to anyone for kayaking. But if you don’t have your own equipment, check out Sedona Adventure Tours. Better yet, Sedona Adventure Tours combines ducky kayak fun on the mini rapids of the Verde River with wine tasting on their Water to Wine tour. The rapids are ones that anyone can do – I survived without falling in after all – and the ducky kayaks are incredibly stable. There’s usually a nice breeze on the river and if you happen to get hot, guides will usually look the other way if you “accidentally” fall in the river to cool off.

Sedona Adventure Tours Water to Wine Tour starts at $97.25 per person. Must be 21 years or older for this tour.

5. Hit the Arizona Wine Trails

Both Northern and Southern Arizona have a number of wineries and they all have various festivals like blessings of their vineyards, camping under the stars, and other celebrations that involve lots of wine. There’s nothing like a nice glass of wine to cool you off on a hot Arizona summer day! Stop in at some of my favorites: Arizona Hops and Vines in Sonoita, who pairs their wines with different chips and cheetos (try the Moxy) or Bitter Creek Winery clinging to the cliff-side in Jerome with a stellar view over the old copper mine (try the Crusader).

6. Gunfight at the O.K. Corral in Tombstone

Relive the Old West as the Earp Brothers re-enact the famous gunfight at the O.K. Corral. See printing history in the Tombstone Epitaph building, where the oldest continuously published paper in Arizona is still being printed. After touring the old buildings of the “Town Too Tough to Die”, stop in for a drink or to play dress up at Big Nose Kate’s Saloon.

The Gunfight at the O.K. Corral takes place daily at 2pm.

7. Hike Piestewa (Squaw) Peak

I know what you’re thinking. Am I out of my mind for suggesting you go hiking in the middle of Phoenix in summer?! Yes! You’ll have to get up early to beat the heat, but the 1,100 foot climb offers amazing views over the Valley of the Sun around every bend on this one mile climb. Although the summit is only two miles round trip, be sure to bring a lot of water (and freeze an extra to keep in the car for a cold drink after the hike) as it is a taxing two miles.

8. Beat the Heat Underground at Kartchner Caverns

Inside Kartchner Caverns, it is a cool 70°F year round. Go deep beneath the ground on the Rotunda/Throne Tour, which is about 1.5 hours in length. Marvel at the stalactites and stalagmites formed from water flowing deep below the Sonoran Desert and maybe even see a few cave creatures like bats!

Kartchner Caverns guided tours are $22.95 per person and $12.95 for children 7 – 13 years of age. Note that you are not allowed to bring anything into the caves; lockers are available to store personal items.

9. Visit the USA’s Largest Ghost Town: Jerome

Not so ghostly anymore, this once thriving copper mining camp had a population of around 15,000 in its heyday. Nowadays, just 450 live in Jerome, but they’ve turned the former copper camp into a thriving a kitschy town of art galleries, shops, wineries, and restaurants all clinging to the cliff named Cleopatra Hill.

10. Find Some Shade at the Botanical Gardens

Arizona has a number of botanical gardens you can visit. I like the Tohono Chul Park botanical gardens in Oro Valley, which combine desert flora with desert fauna in art. Stroll through the park’s ever changing art collection and find a bit of shade near the babbling brook. After, duck into the air conditioned Garden Bistro for afternoon tea or lunch on the patio.

Tohono Chul Park is open daily 9am – 5pm. Admission is is $8 per adult and discounted for students and active military members.

It really is a dry heat! (Though you’ll find a cheesy tshirt making a joke of the dry heat, I’d take 110°F and 20% humidity over 85°F and 90% humidity any day.) Just stay hydrated and hit the road to any of these great things to do in summer in Arizona!

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Left plane is an Air France Concorde donated in 2003 after the Concorde was retired. The right side plane is a Russian Tupolev TU-144 which was actually the first passenger aircraft to go supersonic.

I was driving back to Italy last week and drove by a museum in Sinsheim, Germany and was immediately interested when they had a Concorde on the roof of it. It just happened I was headed back to Germany the next week, so I made a point to plan my drive up so I could visit the museum.

Normally I’m not a fan of museums, but the Sinsheim Car and Technology Museum is a bit different. Aside from the aforementioned Concorde on the roof, there are tons of 1950’s classic cars, military vehicles and equipment from WWII, Europe’s largest Formula 1 exhibit, and probably 30 planes of various kinds.

This is actually an Indy car but I included it as I got a kick out of the cars sponsor

I have been a fan of the Concorde since I was a child at the EAA airshow in Oshkosh, Wisconsin when winners of a contest got to go for a flight in one. For those unfamiliar with the Concorde, it was a French passenger plane capable of supersonic flight. For those of you tired of those long transatlantic flights, how does a 3.5 hour flight from New York to Paris at Mach 2 sound? Sadly, the Concorde was retired in 2003 for various reasons. The museum also has a similar aircraft, a Russian TU-144 on display. It is the only other supersonic passenger aircraft ever built.

US Sherman Tank from WWII

Soviet Forces T34 Panzer Tank

Okay, so you say cars, planes, and military tanks and vehicles don’t interest you? How about trains? There are numerous locomotives from steam trains to speed trains from all different eras. They have many intuitive exhibits that show how things work as well. One of my favorites is the large steam engine that was an electric power station for a paper mill from 1929 to 1961.

The museum is also home to Europe’s first IMAX movie theater which opened in 1986. The movies are played in German but as with most IMAX features you’re there to see the scenery like adventures in the Grand Canyon, flying through space, or the deep blue sea. Shows run hourly at the theater and are included for only a few euro more than your ticket price for the museum.

I was particularly impressed with the car collection at the Sinsheim Car and Technology Museum . They have over 300 classic cars from Corvettes, 55 Chevy’s, a Delorian to one of the first electric cars ever made. It is a 1904 electric car made by the Columbia Automobile Company owned by the Rockefeller Family in New York. It had 20 batteries and could run for about 3 hours with a top speed of 15mph.

Kids play area equipped with multiple planes that have giant slides you can shoot down from

Children will love the museum as well. Besides all the cool things and planes on the rooftops you can walk through, you can also ride down the slide instead of taking the stairs down. On top of that, there are some fun rides as well like this ride that will flip you upside down as you control the spin with some handles.

Know Before You Go

• Hours: Open daily from 9am to 6pm Monday -Friday and until 7pm on weekends.

• Admission: Children under 6 are free, €12 for ages 6-14,  and €14 for adults.

• Accommodations: Hotel Sinsheim opened in 2005 and is adjacent to the museum.
• Location: Sinsheim is located off the A6 highway 30 minutes from Heidelberg or Mannheim, 1 hour from Frankfurt or Stuttgart, and a 3 hour drive from Munich.

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• Also consider a visit to their sister museum in Speyer. At Technology Museum Speyer you can find a Russian Space Shuttle, submarines, and a Boeing 747 as well as many other fun exhibits.

What would you most to see at the Sinsheim Car and Technology Museum?

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Barcelona Harbor

Lake Erie Wine Country runs for about 50 miles from Harborcreek, Pennsylvania (near my hometown) to Silver Creek, New York. More than 20 vineyards and wineries snake along the lake shore and with just three – yes, three! – traffic lights along the entire 50 mile route, visiting a few wineries is a perfect way to spend a weekend. Here are just a few to check out:

21 Brix

21 Brix Winery

You can hardly miss this winery, which opened in September 2011, with its larger than life pink elephant out front. Inside, the large open space is soothing in dark wood. Be sure to look around for all the jungle animals like more elephants and chimps! When I asked if there was a significance behind all the animals, I was told that the collection started with the pink elephant, which was to attract visitors to the cherry harvest. More animals found a home at 21 Brix after.

Tastings are $1 for 3 pours and I opted to taste all reds. I started with a 2011 Pinot Noir, with aromas of blackberry and cherry and a nice taste of coconut followed by allspice and a finish of fresh oak. I followed it up with a bit of a deeper red, a 2011 Syrah with hints of cracked black pepper, fresh herbs, and an oaky finish.

My favorite wine was a total surprise! A wine made of Montmorency sour cherries from Niagara, it is simply called Cherry Wine. It actually has a light aroma of banana and tastes delicious, just like a sour cherry pie (for adults). Pick up Cherry Wine of your own for $10.99 per bottle.

21 Brix is located on US Route 20 in Portland, NY between Westfield and Brocton. Hours are 10am – 6pm daily.

Vetter Vineyards Winery

Vetter Vineyards Winery

Vetter Vineyards Winery is just a short drive from 21 Brix. Opened in 1987, the winery grows 25 different varieties of grapes on 20 acres. Run by Mark and Barbara, who have been wine makers for over 20 years, they certainly produce some interesting wines.

For a $1 tasting, I got five pours and started with a white called Mango Delight. It is a nice summer wine with flavors of mango and tropical fruit. When I asked what type of grape Mango Delight is made from, I was told it is the wine maker’s secret.

I then moved on to the reds, with another 2011 Pinot Noir, which had been aged in French and American oak for 9 months. I thought it tasted a bit “young” and was not a huge fan. The 2012 Concord smelled just like grape juice and it tasted just like grape juice, with a bit of a kick. It was a little on the sweet side for my tastes.

Next up were the specialty wines. I tried the Blueberry which is made from local blueberries and blended with a grape base. I was hoping it might be like the berry wines from Finland, which I really enjoy. Although it was good, it tasted more like drinking blueberry juice and was again on the sweet side. I finished off my tasting with Love Potion, which is a chocolate wine blended with Concord. It tastes just like eating a Tootsie Pop.

Vetter Vineyards Winery is located at 8005 Prospect Station Road in Westfield, New York. Hours are Thursday – Monday: 11am – 5 pm and Tuesday – Wednesday by appointment or by chance.

Johnson Estate Winery

Johnson Estate Winery

Founded in 1961, Johnson Estate Winery is New York’s oldest estate winery and boasts 115 acres of vineyards on which they grow 11 varieties of grapes.

What I liked about this winery is that they make European classic wines. I tried all reds but I definitely enjoyed the 2010 Chambourcin, which is aged in French oak. Medium bodied, it had flavors of blackberry and black cherries with a hint of spice.

Johnson Estate Winery is located at 8419 US Route 20 in Westfield, NY. Hours are Sunday – Thursday: 10am – 6pm and Friday – Saturday: 10am – 7pm.

I only got to explore a small sampling of wineries in Lake Erie Wine Country, but I did find several wines I would enjoy at home. And unlike the other wine regions I’ve explored in the US, I didn’t have sticker shock at the prices after living in Europe for so long. You can really find some great wines for under $15 per bottle!

Would you like to explore the largest wine growing region east of the Rockies?

Continue reading »]]> In case you haven’t heard, Montrealers are gaga over food. Montreal’s food scene is vibrant, urban, and international. Montrealers start their day with fresh baked pastries and bagels, use their lunch breaks to take cooking classes, and swing by Montreal’s markets on their way home. Dare I say that it practically borders on a food obsession? I mean, there’s even a Montreal Foodie Association with a calendar chock full of foodie events! And the rest of the world has caught on, flocking to Canada’s foodie capital to sample the international flavors and fare. Not sure where to start in the city that boasts the highest number of restaurants per capita in the world? Here are my top five foodie finds in Montreal:

1. La Fabrique

The kitchen takes center stage at La Fabrique, located between the Latin Quarter and the Plateau. The wood and concrete restaurant feels warm and welcoming with tables surrounding the raised open kitchen.

The menu is full of delicious sounding concoctions in a jug, in a bowl, in a terrine, or on a plate. But the decision of what to order became that much harder as I watched the chef and sous chef prepare artful dish after dish.

The menu changes seasonally but I learned that one signature dish that has appeared on La Fabrique’s menu since day one is the green bean salad. Fresh green beans are tossed with tomatoes, almonds, and cucumbers. Apples and croutons add a bit of crunch and a balsamic and truffle vinaigrette finishes it off.

The server recommended I pair my green bean salad with the burned crust salmon. It actually looks like a giant piece of sushi, wrapped in seaweed with rice, crispy vegetables, grapefruit and caramel mayo.

Both the green bean salad and burned skin salmon were delicious, but I couldn’t resist the smells of the fries that kept wafting toward me. Fried in duck fat, the fries were surprisingly not greasy and super tasty! Not at all a shock that bowl after bowl of fries made their way to hungry diners around the completely full restaurant.

I finished it all off with an amazing lemon merengue tart that was so good I would have licked the plate clean if I could of.

Aside from the delicious food, I loved the unique touches like the bread basket that hung out of the way on a hook on the wall, the exposed brick, and chalkboards.

La Fabrique is open for dinner nightly from 5:30 – 10:30pm. I also hear they have a fab brunch every Sunday from 10:30am – 2:30pm.

Bagels don’t get any fresher than this!

2. St-Viatreur Bagel

Oh, the bagels! Pop in to St-Viatreur Bagel and you’re guaranteed to see the bagels handmade before your very eyes. Hand rolled, boiled, wood-fired, and dipped in poppy or sesame seeds, they don’t get any fresher than this and they make over 10,000 every single day! Still hot out of the oven, grab some cream cheese and dig in at the little tables near the window while people watching. I visited twice (and I confess I actually picked up a bagel for my sister-in-law, but when her flight was delayed even longer, I ate hers too).

Note that the rosemary sea salt bagels are actually made at another St-Viateur location, but they are fresh daily and delicious!

St-Viateur Bagel is located at 263 Rue Saint Viateur Ouest and is open 24 hours.

Kouign Amann

3. Patisserie Au Kouign Amann

The butteriness of this bakery hit my nose the minute I pushed open the door. Their specialty, and namesake, is their kouign amann. Sliced like a cake, it is originally from France in the Bretagne (where it actually translates as “butter cake”). It’s a flaky pastry dough (think flaky like a croissant) that is smothered on top with a sugary butter and then baked until the sugary butter caramelizes.

The guy behind the counter insisted that even though the recipe is simple, people just come to Kouign Amann because they mess it up at home. Even if that is the case, Montreal is a long way from home and I’d like to dig into the flaky, buttery goodness again. I’ll be trying this recipe by David Lebovitz.

Patisserie Au Kouign Amann is located at 322 Avenue du Mont-Royal Est and is open Monday – Friday from 7am – 7pm and Saturday and Sunday from 7am – 6pm.

Mixed tagine and couscous

4. La Khaima

I had absolutely no idea what to expect when La Khaima appeared on my itinerary for Montreal. The website is only in French, but Google Translate told me I was headed to a North African restaurant in a nomad tent. In the middle of Montreal? Well, restaurant founder Atigh Ould did a fantastic job of transforming a building into a traditional nomadic tent from his home country Mauritania. It was stepping into another world as Heather and I ducked in out of the rain. Colorful carpets and blankets covered the walls and ceiling. Atigh himself brought a chalkboard over and explained the simple menu: lentil soup and a choice of chicken, beef, or lamb tagine. And if I wanted, he would make me a mix of all three.

A tagine is a rich stew and includes couscous and vegetables. The chicken, beef, and lamb were all fantastic but the lamb was definitely my favorite. We declined dessert but did enjoy two pots of Moroccan mint tea and Atigh snuck in a little dessert.

My only complaint was that La Khaima is BYOB, as in bring your own bottle of wine like many Chicago restaurants. A Malbec would have been fantastic with the lamb and no alcohol is served by the restaurant.

La Khaima is located at 142 Fairmount Ouest and is open nightly for dinner. Dinner is $25 CAD per person.

Macaroons at the Jean Talon Market

5. Jean Talon Market

The indoor Jean Talon Market is a foodie heaven. One whole wing alone is dedicated to fresh fruits and vegetables. The aisles are lined with food carts and little shops selling literally everything…sausages and smoked meats, fresh fish, cheese, maple syrup, macaroons…you name it, I saw it! You could literally have an international feast while walking through the market. My favorite find there were definitely the googly-eyed and other assorted macaroons.

The Jean Talon Market is located at 7070 Avenue Henri-Julien at the corner of Henri-Julien and Jean-Talon. The market is open Monday – Wednesday and Saturday from 7am – 6pm, Thursday and Friday from 7am – 8pm, and Sunday from 7am – 5pm.

Discover even more fab foodie finds in Montreal with Nadia Battani, who runs private foodie tours and is a fantastic and knowledgeable guide to not only the food scene, but also the Montreal sights and insider info!

Thank you to Tourisme Montreal for hosting us during our time in Montreal. As always, all opinions (and decisions to eat tons and tons of amazing food) are entirely my own.

Continue reading »]]> We’ve driven by the sign for Dachau Concentration Camp numerous time over the four years we’ve lived in Europe. Usually we are on the way to and from somewhere when the camp is closed. Well, I made a point this trip to plan my day so I could visit Dachau. All was going well this trip, except for the weather. It was just pouring down rain on the drive there. I debated not going and to save the visit for a nicer day. Then I thought of the thousands that were imprisoned and died there. They didn’t get a day off because of rain and so I sucked it up to pay my respects. I needed to visit if for no reason than the conditions that the prisoners had to face.

Some people may wonder why you would want to visit a place like this. For me, I guess I would say I’m a history buff. I am drawn into these places just by knowing what took place there. If you’re in an area to check out sites like this, I think we owe it to the people that suffered there. I think we owe it to the soldiers that liberated Europe and eventually the people at the camp. Other places like Chernobyl just peak my interest and are still on our wish list to visit. A few months ago I was able to visit a few WWII cemeteries at in Luxembourg and Lorraine, those sobering experiences as well.

As you walk through the giant iron gates at Dachau you’ll notice an inscription on the gate. It says “Arbeit macht frei”, which translated to English means work makes you free. Dachau was originally an ammunition factory turned work camp during the war. It was the first concentration type camp in Germany and was also a training center for the SS guards. The camp was setup to contain 5,000 prisoners but in it’s peak in 1944, held as many as 12,000 prisoners amongst the 30 huts. In it’s 12 year existence as a camp, 206,000 people were imprisoned with almost 32,000 being killed or dying there.

Walking the grounds today there are still two of the 30 huts standing. You can walk through one of them to see the bunks and toilets and you get a very quick glimpse of what life would have been like there. I didn’t spend much time inside and chances are that you won’t like the vibe there either. On site are also a few memorials setup to remember all those lost there. Throughout the grounds you will still see fresh flowers placed at different places. Some by organizations and others just small bouquets sitting on the number of bunks, or just on the walls near the administrative building. They may be gone but let’s never let them be forgotten.

Know Before You Go

• The Dachau Concentration Camp memorial site is open daily from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm. The memorial site is closed on December 24th.
• The memorial site’s archive and library are available by appointment only between 9:00 am and 5:00 pm Tuesday to Friday.
• Entry is free; however, if traveling by car there is a parking fee of €3 per car.
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Continue reading »]]> We share a lot about us personally through our travel tales, but we still like to keep a few secrets here and there and rarely share the big moments in our lives. Today is a bit different because I am so very proud of a huge accomplishment!

If you’ve been following us for a while now, you know that we both work full time jobs in addition to this travel blog. And if you also follow along on our Facebook Page, you might have noticed that I’m traveling but things seem a bit quiet. I work as a communications manager and social media strategist at Grand Canyon University and I’m extremely blessed that I was able to continue to do my job remotely when we moved to Italy. The reason things have been a bit quiet is because once a year I travel to Phoenix and join the masses commuting to an office each day.

A perk of working for an institution of higher learning is that continuing education is always encouraged and employees have fantastic tuition benefits. For the last few years, I have been plugging away at earning my degree in Applied Management one class at a time online.I’ve participated in online class discussions and written papers from Svalbard to the Maldives and everywhere in between. All while blogging and working! And yet, we still managed to visit 25 countries last year and 18 countries the year before.

Last Thursday, I took my place in the sound booth in GCU Arena and approved thousands of congratulatory text messages from proud friends and family members as our traditional campus students graduated in two separate ceremonies. Friday, it was my turn to finally step out from behind the scenes, ignore the Radian6 alerts, Facebook posts, tweets, and countless emails I receive daily for a few hours and celebrate my accomplishments.

Renowned graffiti artist Eric Wahl delivered the keynote speech and I watched anxiously from my seat on the arena floor as he painted Michael Jordan and Mickey Mouse with his hands all while telling us to follow our dreams. Finally, it was time to rise and receive our diplomas. I nervously took deliberate step by deliberate step praying I wouldn’t trip. Finally, my name was called and I proudly marched across the stage and shook Interim Dean of Ken Blanchard College of Business, Dr. McClean’s hand and grasped my diploma. I had finally done it!

Tim wasn’t able to make the trip to Phoenix with me and my mom and dad were in Pennsylvania, but thanks to technology, they were “there” and able to watch my graduation via a live stream.

I feel like I am supposed to leave you with some sort of sage piece of advice. So, I guess it would be this: it’s never too late in life to earn a degree and it is possible to do so while still enjoying the things you enjoy most!

Continue reading »]]> Literally clinging to the Cleopatra Hill, Jerome, Arizona was built atop a vast copper mine. The town has several claims to fame: it’s known as the Billion Dollar Copper Camp and because of it’s precarious perch at 5,435 feet above sea level, Jerome is also known as America’s Most Vertical City. Jerome was also once the wickedest town in the West, but the population dwindled from 15,000 to just 50 after the Great Depression and it became America’s Largest Ghost Town. All these claims to fame aside, Jerome today is a kitschy little town of about 450 with the buildings preserved just as they were when they were built over 100 years ago.

Jerome’s history goes back long before the town itself was founded in 1876. The Native American Yavapai tribe were the first to mine the area looking for colored stones. The Spanish followed in the 16th century hoping to find the mythic city of El Cibola (the Seven Cities of Gold), but finding the huge copper deposit instead. American fortune seekers noticed the old mines in the late 19th century and Nora “Butter” Brown, an enterprising Madam, set up Jerome’s first bordello. Angus McKinnon soon made a claim to the land and then in 1883, investors bought McKinnon’s claim for $15,500. It was just a few years later that the United Verde Copper Company. The United Verde Mine produced over $1 billion in copper, gold, and silver.

The mines closed in 1953, but the Jerome Historical Society guarded the buildings from vandalism and the elements. Jerome, Arizona became a National Historic Landmark in 1976.

Aside from mining, Jerome was a hotbed for prostitution up until the 1940s. As the 20th century marched on, Jerome became an around-the-clock town boasting 13 hotels, 21 bars, and 8 brothels with names like The Cuban Queen and Cribs. What then became known as Prostitution Row is now Jerome’s Cribs District, an interesting back alley of crumbling buildings.

Madam Nora “Butter” Brown’s brothel was the first wooden building built in Jerome and had its own wooden sidewalk and second story porch above that.

Would you try jalapeno fudge?

The view from Bitter Creek Winery

Today, the historic buildings are home to some 450 residents as well as charming art galleries, kitschy shops selling everything from copper jewelry to homemade jalapeno fudge, and several wineries that are worth stopping in just for their view alone!

Browse the shops up and down Main Street, Hull Avenue, Jerome Avenue, and Clark Streets. And be sure to wander up into public gardens like the sculpture garden at Gallery 527.

Know Before You Go

• Pick up a map with the historic buildings noted at the Tourist Information office.
• Stop in to Bitter Creek Winery for a wine tasting an amazing views over the old copper mines.
• The Haunted Hamburger has the best vista view of the Verde Valley and pretty tasty hamburgers too.