In the beginning, God created heavens and the earth. Jaffa came later—according to archeologists, around 7500 BCE. And Tel Aviv, founded on the outskirts of Jaffe, claims April 11, 1909 as its birthday. That’s when 66 Jewish families purchased 12 acres of land on the mosquito infested, barren sand dunes outside of Jaffa, divvied up [...]
It’s been honored as “the most beautiful town in Germany, “but despite a picture-perfect setting surrounded by hills of vineyards on the sunny side of the Black Forest, and despite being loaded with picturesque timbered houses overflowing with flowers, Sasbachwalden is not just a pretty face. It is also a village dedicated to family and [...]
Ask locals to name the things that shaped St. Louis’s historical character as well as contribute to the city’s current charisma and everyone will reply: baseball and beer. Chocolate lovers will add Bissinger’s. Beloved by St. Louisans since first opening in 1927, Bissinger’s Handcrafted Chocolatier continues to make traditional high-quality chocolates and old-fashioned confections (HALLELUJAH), [...]
Tourists like Ireland for many reasons, including Guinness, golf and the easy-going graciousness of the Irish people. I fancy the country for the accommodations and love to sleep around, savoring townhouses, boutique hotels, country manors and ancient castles. I choose properties that not only sport distinguishing factors reflecting Ireland’s rich history and/or culture, but also [...]
I don’t want to talk about this too much; it might make the Gods jealous. On the other hand, the whole SiamJunk experience is so wonderful that it deserves sharing. Imagine being in Phuket (Southern Thailand), boarding a yacht equipped with six luxury en-suit cabins and an attentive staff that includes a gifted cook. Perhaps [...]
Can you guess where I am? Let me give you some hints. Cheese is the major product, with raclette and fondue the favorite dishes. People dress in embroidered folk costumes and yodel. If you hang around long enough, you could probably hear an alphorn and would certainly spot a Heidi playing among the half-timbered chalets. [...]
I love diners. I love breakfast in diners. Not tablecloth places that call themselves diners, or the chic “retro”ones that put in a jukebox and red-plastic booths and make believe they are authentic. No, I like real, old-fashioned, Formica-table and tile-floor, long-established neighborhood diners that are warm and friendly and offer food like mom might [...]
Lucy Buffett (yes, Jimmy’s sister) runs the exceedingly popular Lulu’s at Homeport Marina, a restaurant on the Intercoastal Waterway in Gulf Shores, Alabama. With service both indoors and out and live music, Lucy’s “high-class dive” attracts boaters, families, tourists and neighbors to dine on casual-beach-bar type food. Although Lulu’s features predictable Alabama pub fare heavy [...]
Almost every city has a farmer’s market, but best of them all has to be the Dane County Farmer’s Market in Madison,Wisconsin. Held outdoors, rain or shine, every Wednesday and Saturday from May to November (and indoors, on Saturdays, in winter), the market draws the most crowds on summer Saturdays when vendors set up about [...]
Although it is self-designated “the smallest town on earth, ” Durbuy is large enough to have a restaurant serving what my traveling companions claim is one of the biggest taste treats in all of Belgium. Considering the nature of our trip, this is super-size praise for any size town. I was traveling with four fellow [...]
