Amsterdam: Gluten-Free Friendly
Amsterdam. The name of the city conjures up the taboo of The Red Light District, the infamous coffee shops, windmills, bicycles, tulips, and wooden clogs. For those of us traveling with gluten-sensitivity or celiac disease? This city name, or any other, conjures up thoughts of the unfamiliar and feelings of anxiety. Put your worries aside, […]
Burgundy France
My husband and I don’t plan traditional vacations to go museum hopping or take guided tours to learn about the history of an area. Instead, for us there is usually only one major criteria when planning our holiday destination: what will we have to eat? Being true foodies, the thrill of culinary delight is often […]
Birmingham: Finding America’s Sweet Home in Alabama
If you live outside the American southeast, you probably don’t come across many people from Birmingham. It’s the largest city in Alabama, but with a population of just over a million people, it doesn’t rank among the nation’s major metropolises. You can probably sing along with Lynyrd Skynyrd when “Sweet Home Alabama” comes on the […]
Barcelona
A Mediterranean port city tucked among the hills of Spain’s northeastern coastline, Barcelona’s corridors of winding streets speak to more than a millennium of history. Yet, with a lively culinary and bar scene, and displays of modern fashion and politically charged graffiti, the Catalonian capital’s charm comes from the vibrance of constantly juxtaposing the old […]
Venice, A Feast for the Eyes
The historic merchant city may be famous for serenading gondoliers meandering through labyrinthian canals, elaborately costumed Carnevale, and seasonal flooding during the acqua alta, but there is so much more that comprises the essence of this floating city. One only needs to look upon the iconic Rialto Bridge crossing the Grand Canal or the Basilica […]
Finding My Zen (Again and Again) in Miami Beach
I grew up in Florida, but never wandered southeast down the 268 miles to Miami Beach. I didn’t see the point: my hometown, St. Petersburg, is a peninsula, so I was never far from the beach, fresh seafood, and sun-kissed skin. Besides, my vision of Miami included bronzed bodies in Brazilian bikinis, convertibles blasting obnoxious music, sweaty clubs full of seizure-inducing strobe lights and […]