Exploring and Sharing the World!
While not a big shopper here, sometimes I do stop to take a look at the arts and crafts made in the places I visit – usually hoping that something unusual catches my eye: either for a purchase or a picture. During my trip to Jordan I stopped at a store that had plenty to grab my attention. Here is one of my favorite finds (nope, I did not purchase it; no space!).
Colorful bowl made in Jordan
Minneapolis is a northern city by U.S. standards and that often conjures images of snow and cold. While that may be true in winter, as in many places, that is not the grain of truth about the city I want to reveal to you today…
You may or may not be familiar with the history of Minneapolis. It seems just another modern city with a great business environment, beautiful nature, and super nice folks. It may seem that it just evolved in the great “wander West, folks” of the late 18th and 19th centuries. Well there may have been some of that but the catalyst that planted the seed of this city was none other than the Mississippi River. Where the city was established as a post along the river, though, was not random. There were these waterfalls named St. Anthony’ Falls that were perfect for powering mills. The post grew and expanded as these waterfalls powered industry whether it be lumber mills or wheat mills. And in the latter is where we find the grain of truth about Minneapolis: wheat was key in helping this city grow and thrive.
St. Anthony’s Falls were long replaced by riverworks; wish I could have seen the original!
See, Minneapolis became one of the great end points for harvested northern Midwest wheat to go to be ground into flour. The mills were located right by the river. Today, you still can see the Pillsbury Mill on the east side of the river. But the best way to learn about the grain that powered this city is by visiting the Mill City Museum on the west bank of the Mississippi river where the Washburn “A” mill was located. Since it was a short walk from my well-located hotel, The Hotel Minneapolis, it was a no-brainer to head there and learn more about the city.
The inner courtyard of the former Washburn A Mill shows some of the damage from the fire
The Mill City Museum does a great job of taking the ruins of the last mill to operate on that site (a fire in 1991 destroyed the mill, abandoned since 1965, except for its shell) and turning it into a learning experience about Minneapolis history, about the milling process, and even about baking! It is geared for all ages with specific stations for kids to learn hands-on (adults can play too…).
Exhibits include old mill equipment
Plenty of good signage around!
Many different stations for hands-on experimentation
I enjoyed the the film Minneapolis in 19 Minutes movie which does great job of helping someone like me (read: unfamiliar with the history of the city) understand the city’s beginnings, how it became a major city, and even the trials and tribulations of the changes brought about by the 20th century (the Great Depression, mills closing, etc.).
The flour tower elevator “ride” was also very cleverly done and I will not reveal any more about it. But I will say that it does take you to the top of the tower where you get great views of the might Mississippi River, the “falls”, and the east side of Minneapolis.
A great view on a beautiful day!
I love it when a museum delivers great insights in easy to follow exhibits and narratives. The Mill City Museum is a must-visit for all ages and it help connect you with that grain that seeded its home city!
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My activities in Minneapolis were facilitated by its Convention and Visitors’ Bureau.
I wrote about Stockholm being a great city to visit in summer time (as probably any part of Sweden!). As I said then, it is likely a charming city well-worth visiting any time of the year. But summertime not only offers warmth and longer daylight hours. It offers better opportunities to observe life happen as I hope the photos in this post show.
Enjoy and let me know which is your favorite scene!
More pix of Stockholm here and of other parts of Sweden here!!
I enjoyed my time in Paris when I lived there for 6 months and I enjoy it every time I go back whether for a day layover or a few days. These photos, taken during one of my brief layovers there, are of two entrances to the Paris metro at the Pigalle station. I find them evocative. And, of course, they make me want to return!
The town of Limoges, in France’s center (west-ish), is well known for the fine porcelain that bears the same name. An old town (it was founded around 50 B.C. by -guess who- the Romans), it sits in the region of Limousin, sort of east and north from the Bordeaux region. In fact, we stopped in Limoges on our way to Bordeaux from Paris!
We went out for a walk and a quick lunch as we had limited time – which was a bummer because it would have been worth exploring more. But in crossing the river we ran into the the Way to Santiago – one of the many routes followed since medieval times by people making the pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela, in northwestern Spain, where St. James is buried. Pretty neat and lucky discovery as one of my travel companions had done the Camino a few years before (check out his very informative website – and great video – here)! This bridge is Saint Martial‘s bridge which dates from the 13th century but built on the ruins of a Roman bridge.
Since the Middle Ages people have been following the way to St. James! (Santiago)
The building top left over the city walls is an arts museum. The city’s cathedral is to its right
These bricks have been the way for pilgrims for centuries!
Though we did not explore as we would have liked to, the architecture of the town was clearly charming (e.g., the city hall), owing to centuries of habitation.
Next time, Limoges, I will pay you your due!
I traveled a good bit this year for both business and pleasure. As with most travel, eating out plays and essential part of the experience, as do the places at which I stay. This year offered me some memorable experiences in both areas. Here I take a quick look back at the food and beverages of 2013!
The year opened up with a traditional get together among a group of friends to celebrate the new year and good friendships. It is our way of extending the holidays into drab January with the cold weather and nothing exciting immediately in the horizon (like, say, spring). The highlight of the evening is an exchange of gifts but the food and wine usually shows our good taste in the finer things – at least for this little party. My favorite items are usually the sweets/desserts, as you can tell…
However, I mis-type a little as I did have something exciting coming up early in the year: my climb of Mt. Kilimanjaro in February. Yes, the mountain is not going to be the paragon of fine dining and beverages. On the latter, our beverages on the mountain consisted mainly of water, hot chocolate, and the morning cup of coffee. Now AFTER coming down the mountain, that is a VERY different picture! That first cold beer as we exited Kilimanjaro and that first glass of cold South African wine that evening were glorious! But while we were not enjoying gourmet dishes up on the mountain, we ate well. The food may have been basic outside of the context of the hike but, during the hike, these lunches and dinners were royals-worthy. My favorite had to be when we were surprised with grilled cheese sandwiches! Comfort food indeed!
After two years of working with a client in Washington, D.C., it was time to end my frequent travels to the U.S. capital (which I knew was going to be hard for me). I would have to say goodbye to my favorite bar: Le Bar at the Sofitel Hotel (near the White House), where I discovered the enjoyment of specialty cocktails. I know the reason God doesn’t make me President of the U.S.A.: I would be going to Le Bar for some evening relaxation a little too often!
Leaving D.C. was hard to do but helping with that was my trip to colorful Jordan in April where the delicious food seemed ENDLESS! Whether in Amman, Mardaba, the Dead Sea, or the Wadi Rum, I do not know how I didn’t gain any weight in that trip. Or did I…
And in terms of beverage, though I had been to the Middle East before, I gained a new appreciation for drinking tea (hot tea). It may seem that what helps in warm weather is iced tea but, actually, a hot beverage is better for you – and I got to understand why! So good.
Going to Tampa or Miami is always something I look forward to because I know I will eat some the most delicious food around: Cuban food. I may be biased (OK, I AM biased) but it is just such an enjoyable feast for the palate to eat any of the number of traditional Cuban dishes. And many places around places to do so. Versailles and La Carreta are good traditional places (I enjoy the latter more) but I “discovered” El Palacio de los Jugos which is more of a take-out place than sit-down place (though there are some tables to go sit after you get your food).
My flash trip to Asia took me to Manila where I enjoyed great hospitality, exploring its history and good food. I really enjoyed M Café in Makati, where traditional food was served with some really neat twists. Thanks to my local friends for picking this place – loved it.
While this is a travel blog, others travel to my hometown so I think it is fair to talk about food in Atlanta. We ARE an eating out city and there are plenty of options from ethnic to mainstream to “nouveau” (whatever the proper term is for places like Local Three, 1 Kept, etc.). Lots of incredible new ideas in these nouveau-type restaurants.
Oh, and I also enjoyed a great chocolate tasting from Chocolate South at Perrine’s Wine Shop. They were innovative and tasty little creations!
Before the year ended, I squeezed in a long weekend trip to Minneapolis, a city I had never visited before. I enjoyed exploring culture in this great city – and some great meals! One was at Wilde Roast Café, on the east shore of the Mississippi River – the crabcake was THE best crabcake I have ever had by a bit. The turkey meatloaf was really good and certainly made me feel much less guilty about ordering it and what was to come after the entrée: the flourless chocolate cake. It TRULY changed my mind about flourless cakes which never really knock it out of the park for me. That one sure did!
I also enjoyed brunch at Café Maude where the only bad thing was that my stomach could only handle one of their dishes! I had the hardest time deciding on ONE plate – I chose the country hash which had chicken confit, red peppers, onion, potatoes and a tomato marmalade. I did not go wrong (but the Eggs Benedict were very tempting too).
So, that wraps up my year in food though I will be having some great food still in the days left in 2013! Happy food and new year to all!
As I visited the desert of Atacama in Chile‘s north, it was neat to visit small towns and villages in the area. On the way back from the Geysers del Tatio, we stopped at a village called Machuca. Atop some of the houses were small crosses. Weather-worn crosses that reflected the faith of the locals. 
It is a cold day at home and, somehow, instead of going for warm, I look at pictures of my cruise in the Baltic. But, in my defense, it was June there. Still not tropical weather but my eyes and mind wandered to my pictures of my stop in Stockholm, Sweden. And what I take away is what a great city it is to enjoy in summer time. I am sure it’s a great town any time of the year (I said having spent 3 weeks in Helsinki, Finland in the dead of winter many moons ago…). But in the summer the city is bright and alive.
I guess what I really liked about Stockholm compared to other cities by the water is that the transition from water to land felt more smooth. It did not feel abrupt with large man-made banks holding in a river (think London) nor city walls holding the sea back (think San Juan or Dubrovnik) nor being in the water proper (think Venice) nor with development keeping the city from the water (think Miami). I liked that the sea and city were seamlessly one. 
I also liked the many islands right by the city. I felt I could just skip and hop around endlessly.
Cruise ship approaching Stockholm passing through many islands
House on an island around Stockholm – nice spot!
This close relationship with the sea around it is not limited to the landscape or topography. Stockholm and Sweden’s history is tightly related to the sea around it. No better place to see this come alive than the amazing Vasa Museum, itself on an island (see what I mean?). Shaped itself like a modern steel vessel, this well-designed set of exhibits walk you through maritime history and 17th century Sweden, with a great collection of items, all well-labeled. The Vasa was a ship found in 1960 in the waters around Stockholm which had sunk on its maiden voyage back in 1628 (what is it with ships sinking on the maiden voyage? think Titanic… I think I will avoid any ship’s maiden voyage just in case…) The entire ship is not the original (clearly after over 3 centuries over water, this was not to be). However, they have done a great job so that it is obvious which pieces of the ship you see are part of the reconstruction/reparations and which are original. The museum also includes actual ships moored next to it.
After taking a boat cruise down the Rhine to return to Frankfurt from Dusseldorf, we got off the boat at Mainz from where we would take a train into Frankfurt. We had no idea that Mainz was going to be so charming and beautiful. So we took a little longer strolling around (with our luggage!) until we finally made it to the Bahnhof. Here is a snapshot of the beautiful square we hit along the way with colorful architecture. This is a town I plan to return to and explore more in depth! Auf wiedersehen, Mainz!
Square in Mainz
Thanksgiving is one of my favorite holidays: seeing family, eating well, and a valid/pre-approved excuse to just lounge around (no, I do not hit the stores!). However, it also happens to be a perfect setup for someone who likes to travel the world… The hard part about leaving the U.S. for Thanksgiving is not being with family on this date: It is hard on such a special day to not be with the family who is the source of many of the thanks I give.
However, it is also the perfect opportunity to travel for U.S. folks because you have two paid holiday days to mix with a few paid vacation days to create extra time for travel abroad. Also, it is a great time to travel because it is off-season (at least in the northern hemisphere): prices are lower and crowds are smaller without being the dead of winter.
So the hard part is always telling my family that I am opting to travel on Thanksgiving. They have always been very supportive though I know there is a level of disappointment (actually, I feel that too). Here are three things that help me with this:
I was very thankful this pizza crossed my path
This approach has allowed me to have Thanksgiving dinner in Buenos Aires, Bologna, and Trinidad & Tobago so it has been fruitful! Be it with steak and fries, or a Caribbean dish – Thanksgiving meal happens!
A delicious lunch at Veni Mangé in Port of Spain was well-deserving of thanks!
This Thanksgiving I am thankful for many things but the opportunity to travel and share the experiences is one thing I am thankful for. I am also very thankful for visitors and loyal readers to this travel site who keep me wanting to explore and share more of this world!
I have visited Heidelberg a couple of times and I have to say: it is a fun town. The second time I went, an expat living nearby took us into town to see the sights but also to sample all the beer styles on offer. A pub crawl for sure! I was invited by my friends Troy and Cybil to join them on this trip and I could not say “no” to go a second time (by the way, check out Cybil’s awesome photography at www.acybiloriginal.com).
Heidelberg sits on the Neckar River (which later connects to the Rhine) and its most famous sight is the Heidelberg Castle that overlooks the town and the river. Day or night, it is an impressive sight. But I like it the most at sunset. It is really in ruins since the 17th and 18th centuries (wars, fires and, yes, even lighting!) but it still is impressive in size and presence.
Heidelberg Castle close-up, notice the tower on the right in ruins
Heidelberg Castle in great sunset light
The town can be traced back a long way but it can mostly closely be tied to a 12th century monastery built in the area. Heidelberg University is quite old and its early 15-th century library is the oldest public library in Germany.
Details of the Catholic Jesuit Church
The old town is mainly baroque and is quite lively due to the town being quite appealing to tourists. We first walked around town and made our way to the river proper passing the Old Bridge Gate. At the start of the bridge, we saw the famous mandrill (like a baboon) guarding it and took the obligatory picture… (tou-ristssssssssss!).
The Old Bridge’s Gate as seen from the bridge
Me with the mandrill guarding the Old Bridge
But all that was just interesting… the real fun began when our host started the pub crawl. He was a friend of one of my friends’ parents but he wanted to show us German beer. He did not call it a pub crawl but we visited pubs and restaurants and we almost had to crawl… After a large lunch of wurst and sauerkraut (the REAL stuff!) and a beer, he started taking us to places that offered different types of beers. By the early evening, I was so stuffed with beer that when we went to a Thai restaurant for dinner (!), I did not eat a bite.
Cybil, Troy and I. And some of the damage along the way. The day was still young here.
But the night was not over. As the final spot, he took us to some bar that fencing groups hung out at – except they were nowhere to be seen that night. The other group there that night was a group of local ladies in their 50s and 60s clearly on a night out on the town, drinking and doing shots of I-don’t-know-what. They would look at us four and raise their glass in “cheers” mode, and drink away. It was a fun experience. To cap it all off, our friend ordered an Italian after-dinner potion called Averna which he claimed would help settle our stomach after all the eating and drinking. He was right, that stuff really helped soothe our busy stomachs, so much so, that when we returned to the U.S. months later, we hunted the stuff down!
A final note is that when it came time to leave, our host could not figure what the way out of town was. One of my friends and I had had a bit more to drink so we could not really tell anything. It was my other friend, the one that was pregnant and 100% sober, who first noticed we were going past the same spots over and over… We made it out of Heidelberg safely to our host’s house and I, for one, slept fitfully!
So don’t miss out on Heidelberg if you go to Germany just make sure you have a designated we-are-lost spotter in the group!
The charming town of Maastricht sits in the “tear drop” southeastern corner of The Netherlands by the Meuse River (“Maas” in Dutch, hence the town name). a stone’s throw from Belgium and a hard ball kick from Germany, as it were. The town is known these days more because of the European union project since Maastricht is were the sane-named treaty launching the European Union was signed here in 1992.
I went to visit a college friend who was residing there as an ex-pat because I happened to be working in Frankfurt at the time. The town is an old town, settled by the Romans who built a bridge across the Meuse River in the 1st century AD. Maastricht also sat an an important point in Charlemagne’s empire around the 9th century AD which later evolved to the Holy Roman Empire. The city has been ruled by French, Spanish, German, dukes, princes, bishops, and, of course the Dutch. The city almost ended up in Belgium when Belgium separated from the United Kingdom of The Netherlands in the 1830s. Finally, it was the first Dutch city to be liberated by the Allies in WWII. All this to say that, though you may not know much about Maastricht as me before I went, it is an old and quite historical place.
I found the locals to be quite friendly. I recall how the old owner of a pub my friend frequented told me when we went there to hang out and have a beer that he loved Americans because they liberated his town from the Nazis. This was over 50 yrs after the fact and he must have been a kid when it happened but the feeling was fresh and strong.
The town is quaint and beautiful, what other adjectives can I use? Walk its streets as does everyone there and shop or just look around )like in the high-end Stokstraat street). Admire the architecture and details (like what they used to joist furniture and other stuff up to higher stories of the buildings).
Going up the 70m tall red bell tower of the Protestant Church of St. John’s (St. Jan) is a must. St. John (as in St. John the Baptist) was built in Gothic style around the 12th and 13th century and it provides great views of the town below and the neighboring Roman Catholic Basilica of St. Servatius (St. Servaas) with its twin towers, built on the site where the saint was buried in Romanesque style also around the 11th and 12th century. Walk around their grounds and then end up in Vrijthof Square, visiting a museum or hanging out a café.
I hope that more people venture beyond ever-popular Amsterdam to discover towns like Maastricht to get a more complete view of The Netherlands. Take a look at the gallery of photos and tell me what you think! Click on a photo to enlarge it
Barranco Wall – A Great Challenge | Kilimanjaro Day 4
Preparing to Hike Kilimanjaro: More than Training & Gear
Descending from Kilimanjaro’s Summit | Kilimanjaro Day 6 and 7
Jordan’s Wadi Rum: Not Just for Lawrence of Arabia
On the Machame Route | Kilimanjaro Day 1
Tanzania’s Lake Manyara: A Cool and Easy Safari
Great Gear for Climbing Kilimanjaro | Clothing
A Fourth of July Celebration – Atlanta’s Peachtree Road Race
A Few Good Things to Do in Willemstad, Curacao
Photo Essay of the Center of Moldova’s Capital: Chisinau
