The cornerstone of the 7-day train trip is celebrating New Year in the Vienna city hall, dancing waltzes under the roof of this massive Rathaus Neo gothic architecture complicated monster of a building. A monster of gilded opulence and beauty, holding true to an orchestra, waltzes, food and wine taken to the height of class.…

Old Montreal is displaced in time; the contrast of the 18-19th century granite architecture that command the entire district, runs counter to the hip vibe, cafes, stores with funky stuff you end up buying for a relative with a laugh. But it starts at The Hotel Gault, (www.hotelgault.ca)in Vieux (old) Montreal…approach it with the same…

The hotel told us the Brasserie Lipp was probably the best one on the Left Bank, on Rue St Germain. It had great, classic Brasserie feel and decorations — and being over 100-years-old, it still held onto that legendary Left Bank feeling. Yes, it seemed a little worn, but it held the aspect of classic…

POD, a northern Italian gem. Truly outstanding. Who doesn’t love good Italian food? And who doesn’t enjoy having the cute young husband (Marco, the chef) and wife dote on you, give you advice, stop by and visit and laugh with their thick English accent. Welcome to POD, Osteria Del Duomo. Marco, as he introduced us…

The renovated Ventana Inn: what was always spectacular is now made better. Ventana is Spanish for window. As you enter the property, near the top of The Hill, you will see a circular sand colored circular sculpture with an empty center. You must pull over and take the time to explore this view, especially through…

In Puglia, in southern Italy, near the vacation town of Monopoli, was the oddest, almost ignored and yet gem of a museum and ancient town site called Engazia, dating back to pre-Roman Bronze Age period when the Greeks colonized the Eastern coast of Italy. We love ancient places, they teach so much, give away so…

Bruce Canyon, Utah, Alien to the eye; avoid the crowds. This may be the shortest post we ever post. Why? Well, if you know anything about Bryce Canyon, or have been there, you know that no matter how loquacious the writing, or mastery of adjectives, it is a story of visual awe. But before sharing…

For all the panoramas, beaches, cliffs, parks, Big Sur is inseparable from the majesty of the Redwoods,. Redwoods are the mightiest trees on earth. And exist, for the most part, only in California. They can range from 200 to over 400 feet, and can be thousands of years old. The oldest can have a base…

Big Sur, California Five days at the Ventana Inn For those that have been to Big Sur, perhaps we share the same same sense that as you pass the Molera State Park and start the climb up the mountain road of highway 1, it is always the first time you have seen it. For those…

Austrian Airlines (#austrianairlines)…Business Class was truly classy, with a chef and bed! We rarely can afford Business Class, but we decided for this overnight flight, we’d splurge. But this was like being a fine dining experience that had a bed, and a many wearing a chef uniform and hat (photo below)! The food was amazing,…