The third most photographed home in America, after the White House and Graceland, Villa Casa Casuarina regularly attracts a throng of tourists and curiosity seekers at its address on Ocean Drive in the swank and wealthy neighborhood of South Beach, Miami. Perhaps due to its opulent Mediterranean revival architecture that stands out among the Art…
Continue reading →I don’t need to say exactly how many years ago I was last in Italy, but there were still remnants of scaffolding in Florence then, from the long reconstruction effort after the great flood of that beautiful city. When I arrived this time, at Leonardo Da Vinci-Fiumicino Airport outside of Rome, I was glad to…
Continue reading →The airlines held us hostage. Then, they tossed us around, and threw us out in Copenhagen, exactly one day late. But when we finally arrived, a little beat up, the city was surprisingly sunny and warm…actually unseasonably hot. We were now down to just a half day to see the sights before we boarded our…
Continue reading →“Let’s meet in Cape Town!”, we promised, with a wink, when we saw Andy and Tammy before this cruise began. We live in the same hometown, and met when they were the Cruise Director and Assistant Cruise Director on our long Insignia voyage. While we’ve been on Marina, they were back on Insignia, and our…
Continue reading →South African wine has a history dating back to the mid-1600’s. Later decimated by phylloxera, the end of apartheid sparked a new wave of interest and innovation in the vineyards of the Cape, but for much of the 20th century, it received little attention on the world stage. Now, access to international markets has unleashed…
Continue reading →There is an organizational structure implemented in a professional kitchen, just like the military, that is necessary for efficiency and to avoid chaos. Developed by Georges Auguste Escoffier, a legendary French chef and restaurateur born in 1846, this system was modeled after his time in the French army, creating a chain of command that delineates…
Continue reading →Oceania hangs it’s hat, or rather it’s toque, on it’s culinary reputation, endorsed by Jacques Pépin and Bon Appétit, and it is a source of pride both at the dining table and in the classroom, where it offers the first ever at sea, hands-on culinary center that is absolute state-of-the-art. Available only on their custom…
Continue reading →The Maderian capital of Funchal, with its 16th century charm, is the Portuguese word for “fennel plantation”, named for the wild fennel discovered there by the first settlers. Famous for its wine, the island is also a major tourist destination with its lush mountainous landscape, exotic plants and trees, clear seas, and mild, sunny climate. One…
Continue reading →Cruise ships offer many ways to overindulge, and one of the best ways to do that with food and wine onboard Marina is at La Reserve, a serious special restaurant endorsed by the oenophiliac magazine “The Wine Spectator”, and limited to 24 guests, which features an extravagant, carefully chosen and prepared, seven-course food and wine…
Continue reading →Traveling with friends can be the perfect storm either way, a disaster or a triumph. With Tom, Charmaine, Jack, Linda, Dean, and I, it has been the best of times. We’ve shared day trips ashore, had parties, dinners, celebrations, toasts, and even formed our own “Flatlanders” trivia team to test our collective knowledge of useless…
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