While on a trip to Lake Como, we decided to take a tour up the lake from our base in the city of Como. We talked with a guide we had used for a quick city tour. She recommended a fast boat up to Villa de Balbianello, a state preserve of Italy which has been a location for various films, and a short visit to Bellagio. She got our attention by telling…
Several years ago, while living and working in Germany, friends invited me to visit Paris with them over a weekend. They had been; I had not. On the drive over from Wiesbaden we talked about many things. Somehow the best pecan pie came up in conversation. For me it was on a Delta airlines flight out of Atlanta. The secret was bourbon. Anyway, Gwen suggested I needed a new challenge. Bill, who…
A friend told us about a restaurant in the lower level of the Balmoral Hotel on Prince’s Street in the new old part of Edinburgh. We found it interesting that parts of Edinburgh, as a city, can be traced back to around 1100. About the time William the Conqueror came across the English Channel (1088). We stayed in the Old City on the Royal Mile, which runs between Edinburgh Castle and Holyrood,…
The Tiber River flows through Rome. Has for as long as men can remember. The Tiber served as a defensive barrier during the Roman Empire. It kept the undesirables out. It also kept those who supported the city and its inhabitants living on the other side. That was true until recently, when tourists suddenly found good food, good wine, and interesting history that had been ignored. We had the opportunity to visit…
Texas does not have a single Michelin Star restaurant. The reason has nothing to do with the quality of food or inventiveness of Texas chefs. To award stars there must be a Michelin chapter in the state. Texas does not have one. This said, for just one night, there was a Michelin Star meal served in Texas. Karen and I found Ferrari’s Italian Villa and Chop House shortly after they opened at…