Ramblings and Rants

Off the Beaten Path

“Our lives are defined by opportunity, even the ones we miss.” ~The Curious Case of Benjamin Button I am a firm believer in opportunity, and I believe opportunities present themselves every day to us.  We may or may not be aware when an opportunity knocks, or what would have happened, if we said “yes” instead

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Cork Talk

Drinking Champagne in Champagne

“All Champagne is sparkling wine, not all sparkling wine is Champagne“ Champagne is a term thrown around loosely, and its confusing. The truth is only the grapes grown in the chalky soils of the Champagne region of France, can produce a sparkling wine called Champagne. The world of wine recognizes this distinction and respects its

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Cocktails

It’s Spritz Time

It’s late Spring, we are in Portugal. The cafes are humming, the weather is stunning, it’s Spritz time! The European remedy to “I like to start drinking sooner, but it’s too early.” I gave a stink eye to the shade of an orange sunset libation served up in ice packed jumbo size wine glasses, with

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Food + Drink

Next Stop The Hague

Arriving late afternoon in Amsterdam, and moving quickly to baggage claim with the final exit just beyond the glass doors, we could see him. His oversized smile greeted us. A moment reminded me he grew older, a little wiser but, remained virtually unchanged. His smile, his incredibly sunny and optimistic disposition unchanged from his first

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Travelers Notebook

Home of the Monks

München, literally translated (“Home of the Monks”) is the capitol city of the German state of Bavaria in Southern Germany.  We spent several days exploring this beautiful city. Beer at breakfast? Yes, a malty wheat beer served at breakfast, and before you think scandalous, think about mimosas at brunch. Serving beer at breakfast alongside white

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Food + Drink

Reflections at 35,000 feet and Hearty Vegetable and Beef Borscht

At 35,000 feet, I reflected on how blessed we were to be beginning a month-long journey through Europe. Our travels would bring us to Germany, The Netherlands, Spain and Portugal. We have hosted students over the decades from three of these countries. These once high school students are grown-up with careers and families of their

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