For Women, Walking the Road Less-Traveled With Food, Family, Adventures, and Friends
It’s been 5 weeks since I arrived in Paris with 2 small suitcases, keys to an Airbnb rental (first time ever) and a blank slate. Albeit unnerving, the onus on me, there’s freedom in that. If my friends and family questioned the sanity of this adventure, I didn’t know it. That was truly a gift….
Six weeks in Paris. Alone. Studio. 3rd floor walk-up. No elevator. Admit it, right now you’re thinking, shouldn’t she have done this 40 years ago? But, here’s the thing. C’est dommage. I didn’t. Now, three weeks into the journey, I am surprised by its so-far-so-good success. This trip was no whim but a dream which…
Flàneur – An observer who wanders the streets of a great city on a mission to notice with childlike enjoyment the smallest events and the obscurest sights he encounters. It’s a rainy, bone-chilling cold Paris evening, providing me the perfect opportunity to rewind this past week for you. Before these seven days blur into “If…
GOODBYE, COMFORT ZONE….. Last Saturday morning I stopped by a currency bureau to exchange my US $$$ for Euros. Having been in Paris only 3 days, I prepped for the conversation needed for this transaction. As I stepped to the window, I did my spiel en français, and felt quite pleased with my performance. The…
MEXICO’S CULINARY EXPLORER On my last day in San Miguel I took a cooking class from Kirsten West. You won’t recognize her name but this is all you need to know. Ms. West, an international chef/cooking instructor who has studied Mexican regional cuisine for over 25 years, is German. She’s worked closely with the iconic…
Today is Flag Day in Mexico. Cue a patriotic celebration, focused around the Plaza Principal, with parades and civic events . I was up as the rooster crowed, dressed quickly and grabbed my camera before heading down to the Centro Histórico. As my glorious time in San Miguel comes to an end, a beautifully sunny…
DIA de LOS CASCARONES This month New Orleans hosted its Mardi Gras and Rio de Janeiro, the world’s largest Carnival celebration. In San Miguel de Allende it’s Dia de Los Cascarones, the day of the cracked egg. While SMA’s crowd can’t rival the one million revelers of their South American neighbor, this city does a…
SEVEN YEARS OF BRIGHT LIGHTS Can we agree that seven years of blogging about food is worth 250 calories? Thus, the cake. Lately I’ve been reflecting on this lifetime of growing, cooking, eating and sharing food, realizing it’s the frame work I’ve used to build and re-build my life. Most of my happy memories are…
BE A FLU FIGHTER It’s time to take up arms. If Influenza A H3N2 heads your way, Just Say No. Shot or Not is the question. (Still time.) Vaccination is a personal decision. Our family always takes the needle because Michael, who was a doctor, said so. He also said, “There’s no simple surgery, just…
TURKEY TAILS During the holidays, as usual, I’m in Henderson at Anthem Country Club, the gated community where Michael and I last lived. Over Thanksgiving however, it was Bishop, a five-hour drive across the state line and through Death Valley, for family time. I hadn’t seen Emma and Clara since May. In grandmother hours, that’s…
During the Thanksgiving holiday my friend Meredith explored Patagonia, a meandering territory in the southern tip of South America. This rugged area of spectacular national parks in the Andes mountain range is shared by Chile and Argentina. Forty years ago English author Bruce Chatwin wrote IN PATAGONIA, ‘a masterpiece of travel writing that revolutionized the…
Let’s start at the beginning. Several months ago, spotting a cost-friendly Norwegian Airlines package to London/Edinburgh on Travelzoo Top 20, I clicked three times and magically owned an October trip across the Pond. For the past 15 years I’ve received Travelzoo’s weekly “amazing” offers and lived the dreams. Obviously I considered it time to play…
This blog is for anyone who is taking the road less traveled, turning the lights on bright and never putting on the brakes. Learn More...
