Tag Archives: wine
12 Things You Don’t Know About Amtrak
Breakfast in bed? Wine and cheese tastings? A cafe car with a huge selection of snack and drinks? Meals served on REAL dishes? And that’s just the food.
Did you know there are really nice passenger lounges in large cities, comfy coach seating, showers and National Park guides aboard many routes?
AND your GypsyNesters show you around the… CONTINUE READING >>
Finding Germany in the Mountains of Georgia
The unexpected surprises that lurk around the next corner are one of the things that can make travel so interesting.Boy, did we get one of those in the mountains of northern Georgia when we came upon the old fashioned Bavarian village of Helen. Tucked into a valley on the banks of The Chattahoochee River, we suddenly found ourselves driving through an anachronism of epic proportions. Every building, down to the gas station… CONTINUE READING >>
Glamour + Camping = Glamping on the California Coast
Your GypsyNesters take a Glamping adventure of a lifetime up California’s Pacific Coast Highway!Follow us from Santa Monica to Santa Barbara to Beverly Hills – yes – Beverly Hills, as we discover what the Glamping Life is all about!… CONTINUE READING >>
Our Ode to Spanish Food – Tapas & More!
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The GypsyNesters eat as many tapas they can get their mitts… CONTINUE READING >>
Rockin’ Out in Castelletto d’Orba, Italy
We’re pretty sure that rock & roll concerts on the steps of a cathedral housing the relics of a martyred saint is a uniquely Italian experience. With the exception of a few old ladies exiting Mass, and us, everyone seemed to think it was… CONTINUE READING >>Festival Day in Small Town Italy!
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We came to Castelletto d’Orba for Rassegna Dei Vini e Dei Sapori Dell’Alto Monferrato, which is the “Review of wines and… CONTINUE READING >>
Venice Anyone?
Every now and then we get a chance to scratch something off of one of our bucket lists. Visiting Venezia was one of those opportunities. It’s even possible that this wonderful “City of Canals” had been a tiny sore spot in our otherwise… CONTINUE READING >>The GypsyNesters Do Venice!
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Join us as we eat, drink and “be merry” our way through… CONTINUE READING >>
Traveling in Italy: A GypsyNester Guide
Traveling as GypsyNesters — often and low to the ground — has given us a some insight into the most efficient (and the lightest) ways to smooth out the bumps in the road. We know that things tend to go awry from time to time, so we are more than willing to share some of our more stupid mistakes for the benefit of the greater good (and perhaps a laugh). Here’s what we’ve learned about Italy:Electronics in Italy:
The electrical system in Italy — and throughout… CONTINUE READING >>
Up in the Air in Courmayeur, Italy
Where Italy, France and Switzerland converge sits the fairy tale town of Courmayeur. At the top of Italy’s Aosta valley, high in the Alps, literally in the shadow of Europe’s highest peak, Mont Blanc, the town has become one of Europe’s premier alpine getaways. Whimsical slate roofed structures are set amid the amazing views of the Dente del Gigante (Giant‘s Teeth).Somehow David convinced Veronica that going on the Funivie Monte Bianco, a cable car that terrifyingly drags you STRAIGHT UP Monte Blanc was a good… CONTINUE READING >>
Casks & Tubs in Cave di Moleto, Italy
We selected the Camera Sant’Orsola for its wonderful little balcony overlooking a little chapel, the beautiful bed with its ornate wooden cathedral door headboard and the biggest bathroom we had ever been in.Since choosing a room for its bathroom was a first for us, it seems a detailed description should be… CONTINUE READING >>
Getting Gilded in St. Augustine
Irony. Sometimes people say it is impossible to define, but we think this comes pretty close: The Fountain of Youth is in America’s oldest city.Hmmm, on second thought, maybe that makes perfect sense, perhaps it is the secret to St. Augustine’s… CONTINUE READING >>
Love and Spit-takes
Have you noticed that the older we get, the less we laugh? As a mother and someone who has worked in academic settings, I find myself envious of teenaged girls who can work themselves into hiccup-inducing hysterics over the slightest thing. Admittedly, the tears come just as fast, and I have to say I’m glad I’m past THAT nonsense but just witnessing a spontaneous giggle-fest sets my heart a-singing.As a society, we unfortunately chalk uncontrollable laughter up to immaturity. How sad is that? I feel blessed anytime I’m with someone who can find humor in… CONTINUE READING >>
T-Rex and the City
There’s passion on Manhattan. I felt it as soon as I arrived on the island. For me, a major part of this enthusiasm radiates from my fast-walking, subway-chasing, black-wearing, taxi-flagging urbanite daughters, The Piglet and Decibel. The New York I know is viewed through their eyes and it is a very youthful place. The Piglet recently moved in to her first studio apartment (all by herself!), so it was decided I’d stay with her. Between work and school, Decibel is fitting me in where she can.
I’m on my own during the day (as a matter of fact, I’m sitting in a Starbucks with my laptop, just for the experience. Very civilized.) and at night, we go out. I have to say I’m a bit flattered that The Piglet feels she can drag this old T-Rex around everywhere she goes. But, apparently, this dinosaur can… CONTINUE READING >>
Wine Tasting Aboard Amtrak’s Empire Builder!
As an added entertainment bonus for sleeper passengers, the dining car is transformed into a tasting room. Amtrak hosts a wine and … CONTINUE READING >>
Italian Riviera Romp
Just a few kilometers down the Ligurian Coast from the bustling burg of Genoa –and at least a million mental miles away — is peaceful Camogli, Italy.Jet-set types like Charles Dickens, Lord Byron and Percy Shelley have been slowing down and kicking back along these shores of the Italian Riviera for nearly two centuries, back when they were “jetting” about in carriages and … CONTINUE READING >>
Vegas – Bright Lights, Big Elvis
For many of us, if over a certain age, Las Vegas conjures up images of The Rat Pack tuxedoed up at The Sands, others immediately see Elvis straining the seams of a rhinestone studded jumpsuit. Personally, we can’t help but love them both. However Las Vegas today bears little resemblance to either of those eras. Other than a few impersonators there is not much left that The King or The Chairman of the Board would recognize. Is it better? We’re here to find out.Since our first foray into Sin City, back in the late… CONTINUE READING >>
Big Elvis in Vegas, Baby!
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We needed a good Elvis, the best Elvis, the biggest Elvis… that could only be Pete “Big Elvis” Vallee at Bill’s Gamblin’ Hall & Saloon. 400 pounds of Elvis, 3 shows a day… CONTINUE READING >>
SoHo Appy Crawl
We take making a meal out of appetizers very seriously. Having them at multiple restaurants is even better. For this appy crawl, in the heart of Manhattan, we enlisted help from our middle child, Decibel, the black-wearing, taxi-flagging, fast-walking, free-lancing, f-bomb-dropping, urbanite New Yorker.Feeling generous, we asked Decibel to decide on three restaurants she’d been waiting to visit until Mom and Dad could be there to pick up the tab. She rattled off three so fast that we knew she must have been waiting for us to ask 22 to decide on three restaurants she’d been waiting to visit until Mom and Dad could be there to pick up the tab. She rattled off three so fast that we knew she must have been waiting for us to ask and next thing we knew she was at our hotel room. The girl is like the… CONTINUE READING >>
Getting High in Toronto
Can a city with over 5 million residents seem open and uncrowded? It can if it’s Toronto. Canada’s largest metropolitan area is without a doubt urban, yet the feel is neither hectic nor claustrophobic. Toronto’s city planners were careful to include open and green spaces in the waterfront and surrounding business district, lending the city it’s unique feel.
In keeping with this unconfined spirit, Toronto is remarkably bicycle friendly. The city has about three hundred miles of bike paths… CONTINUE READING >>
Rockin’ and Rollin’ Down Route 66
It is the Mother of all Roads. The escape route from the dust bowl. It is the 1950s American Dream come true. Inspiration for songs and shows. It is legend. It is Route 66. She served as America’s Main Street from 1926 until 1985, then was sadly… CONTINUE READING >>
Kalamazoo Appy Crawl
As the tee shirts say, “Yes, There Really IS a Kalamazoo!” It’s the kind of name that makes you want to stop and see what’s going on. Kalamazoo is an Algonquian Indian word meaning “boiling pot” and the city has gained fame through celery, taxi cab production, Gibson guitars, the Upjohn “friable pill” and the Kalamazoo stove. With all of this going for it, we had to drop by and try an appy crawl in this tidy little Michigan college town, proving that appy crawls can be done in anyone’s hometown.
All roads led downtown, which boasts the first pedestrian mall in the United States. Since 1959 it has hosted fun little… CONTINUE READING >>
Ethiopian Delight: Ghenet in Nolita
Nolita (north of Little Italy) is home to one of our favorite places on Manhattan, Ghenet Restaurant. It’s the perfect eatery for (friendly, non-germophobic) relatives and close friends as it is traditional eat-with-your-hands Ethiopian. Participants gather around a huge plate of communal fare and dig in with injera, a spongy, sourdough flatbread/food scooper.
We found… CONTINUE READING >>
St. Croix Appy Crawl #2
For this evening’s Appy Crawl, we have decided to hit three of Christiansted’s most established eateries. To make the crawl more lively, we are hitting the town in the teeth of tourist season—the people watching/meeting was SPECTACULAR! We meet a couple on their honeymoon, escaping the cold of Philly with an interesting toasting style (Cheers, Big Ears). Then, a woman who worked for Frank Zappa in the 70s—a true Gypsy Nester—she has just finished raising… CONTINUE READING
Fredriksted at San Tropez
The city of Fredriksted is an oft overlooked spot on St. Croix as it is the designated cruise ship stop on an island with a non existent cruise ship trade. Sadly, Fredriksted has suffered a terrific blow tourism-wise. This once quaint little tourist town has lovely beaches, shops, eateries and a really nice pier that is a blast to jump off of!
Restaurant Le St Tropez is a favorite is a favorite with the people that live on the island of St. Croix. Imagine a Caribbean style open air European bistro ala St. Maartin or St. Barts without the unattractive nude people frolicking about. This is the stuff… CONTINUE READING >>
St. Croix Appy Crawl #1
We take making meals out of appetizers very seriously. Having them at multiple eateries is even better. For one thing, it forces us to walk off some of the food between stops, for another, we get to try several different places without destroying our credit rating. We decided to hit three brand new restaurants on the evening of the St. Croix Christmas Parade in Christiansted… CONTINUE READING>>
