small trips around a big world
"We'd like one of each please", Nate told our waiter at Rocka Konoba, pointing to the list of pasta dishes on the "truffle menu". We had driven six hours to Croatia's Istrian Peninsula from Split for the weekend, on a quest for all things truffle. Truffles are considered an expensive delicacy in most parts of the... Continue Reading →
Like giant white and grey mushrooms sprouting up from the fields, clusters of pointy stone trulli started to appear along the roadside as we wound through narrow walled streets towards Alberobello, the last stop on our southern Italy tour. Alberobello is a small but fascinating town located in the Puglia region of Italy, just an... Continue Reading →
"I see two chameleons by that root...can you find them?" asked our guide Claudio, pointing to a patch of leaf-litter no more than four inches wide. Squinting, our noses almost touching the ground, Chris and I searched until we eventually gave up. Grinning smugly, Claudio picked them up and placed them on our hands. The... Continue Reading →
Once past the treacherous mountain roads, the drive from Vieste to Matera wound peacefully from the Puglia to Basilicata region through fields carpeted in brilliant poppies and wildflowers, an ocassional ancient wooden farmhouse or crumbling stone building dotting the hills. But as we neared Matera, the landscape became more urban, full of worn homes and roadsides... Continue Reading →
Italy is just an hour by car from Geneva. Yet we often overlook it as a weekend destination. So, to kick off a year of concerted efforts to explore our animated, pasta-rich neighbor, we celebrated our third anniversary with a five-day trip to the Apulia region (Puglia), Italy's stiletto heel, known for its whitewashed hill towns,... Continue Reading →
Just days after a rare snowstorm held us hostage in Rome, the same snowstorm shut down Geneva. Determined to meet my brother Nate in Florence for the weekend, I hiked an hour through the snow to the airport, anxiously passing by the crowd of passengers sipping free hot chocolate in the waiting area - an... Continue Reading →
Still dazzled by the sparkling streets of Ginza, and clutching a bag of fresh onigiri from one of the magical Japanese 7-Elevens, we stumbled into our hotel room for a 2am entrance to Japan. On a whim, we had purchased a pair of cheap last-minute airline tickets to visit two Japanese friends for the holidays. With minimal time... Continue Reading →
Lisbon is one of the oldest cities in the world, a charming mix of Paris and San Francisco—at a fraction of the price. The Portuguese capital has everything a traveler could want: great local cuisine, fabulous art, robust history, sensational wine, and a bustling contemporary culture. Seven exalted hillsides overlooking the Rio Tejo cradle Lisbon's... Continue Reading →
As I crossed the bustling square, I heard my name and looked up to see two smiling faces framed in the wooden shutters adorning an old stone building, now an airbnb apartment. My father and brother leaned over the iron rail, waving with one hand, a glass of wine in the other in an official... Continue Reading →
Ever since I watched Gerard Butler serenade Hilary Swank in P.S. I love you, Ireland has captured my imagination, conjuring romantic fantasies of rolling green hills and cozy wooden pubs where charming Irishmen strum the banjo all day. Ten years later, my best friend Katie and I finally found ourselves on a much anticipated road trip... Continue Reading →