Category: Europe

Before we get to Vietnam, we have to leave the Maldives.

Leaving the Maldives is soooo hard.  It’s so beautiful here and the Sun Siyam Iru Fushi resort is absolutely magnificent.  But our journey continues onward to Hanoi and a Backroads cycling trip in Vietnam and Cambodia.

We gear up for a super harsh night of travel. It starts wonderfully with a 4pm seaplane to Male, the capital city of the Maldives – and continues pleasantly with a walking tour of the city because our second flight of the night, to Bangkok, doesn’t depart until 11:30pm.  It’s an interesting night as the Maldives is inaugurating a new president, so there is a pretty heavy security presence and a number of closed streets in the downtown area.

We’re no longer on an untouched Maldivian atoll.  Male after dark is hot and sweaty and feels like a pretty big and kinda dirty city.  The Maldives are a strictly Muslim country, so the call to prayer sings through the city pretty regularly – which is cool – and there is no alcohol (not as cool 😕).  

Our guide takes us to the fish market which is full of the day’s catch and smells just exactly like you would think – pretty stinky. Inside, there are vendors with huge shelves of dried fish that our guide says the Maldvian’s don’t eat – it mostly goes to Sri Lanka.  I had a taste and concluded that I would not eat that either.

The guide takes us to a souvenir store where we purchase an awesome piece of white coral and a folding rosewood table stand which is remarkably carved out of a single piece of wood.  Both coral and stand are beautiful.  And Shawn finds a scarf that she likes that the proprietor throws in to the deal for $10.  Shawn said it was totally out of place in a pile of really bad scarves and unlike anything else they had.  For the lot, we pay $200.  The proprietor gives a receipt with a stamp certifying that its from the Maldives, just in case customs officials in another country have questions.  All seems in order, so we drag our sweaty selves to dinner and then the airport.  

At check-in we discover that our luggage is super overweight and the giant piece of coral is not helping.  Our stowed luggage is about 12 kilos heavy and then they ask to weigh our carry-on bags too.  Even after Shawn hides our over-stuffed Rolling Stones duffel bags behind a row of chairs, our non-hidden carry-on is already about 5 kilos too much.  At $20 per kilo, this is going to be expensive.  But after some negotiation, they charge us just $60, and we sneak off, reclaiming our hidden duffels, which BTW weigh at least another 10 kilos.

Five hours later (around 5:30am) we land in Bangkok where we have 2 hours to clear customs, get our luggage, check in at Thai Lion Airways to Hanoi, get through security and to the gate.  Customs is relatively smooth and we pick up our luggage.  Then we get to the Thai Lion check-in counter and with one hour till take-off, there are at least 50 people in line.  After waiting about 10 minutes, we end up cutting the entire line, getting our bags checked just in front of a twenty piece orchestra and make our way to security – which asks me to open up my carry-on.  I’m pretty curious as to why, since there is really nothing special in there, but they want to know what’s in the wrapped up newspaper.  

I say, “that’s coral”.  “Open it up” says the Thai TSA.  I say “OK, but be careful, that’s delicate”.  “Where did this come from?”.  I say, “Maldives, here’s the official receipt”.  This went on for a while.  Until they said, “you can’t take this on the plane”.  Apparently, even if the coral is from another country, once it enters Thailand, it can’t leave due to a policy that prohibits removal of natural things – like coral – from their oceans.   We were angry, but with only about 20 minutes to catch our flight to Hanoi, we bid farewell to the coral.  I’m quite sure it makes a wonderful decoration on a Thai TSA officer’s desk.  At least they didn’t take the rosewood stand.

There was good news, however.  Upon further review of the scarf that was thrown in to the coral deal for $10, Shawn determined that it was actually a genuine Gucci – that someone probably lost in the store.  So, even after the confiscation of our coral, we declare victory.

Two and a half more hours and we arrive in Hanoi.  With the time change, its about 9:30am.  All goes smooth with our Vietnam “visa on arrival” and after purchasing myself a celebratory bottle of Johnnie Walker Blue, our driver meets us at the curb and we are off to the awesome and historic Sofitel Legend Metropole Hotel.  

On the drive into town, we notice that everyone drives a motor scooter.  Loads that would require a GMC Suburban in California are handled expertly in Hanoi on two wheels. In LA, if you try putting your toddler – or maybe two (with no helmets) – on the front of your scooter  they’d likely take your kids away and put you in jail. In Hanoi, that’s just running errands on a normal day.

The Metropole is a very elegant, old-school hotel.  In a nod to their multi-cultural past, you are greeted with a “bon jour” and then a cup of ginger tea.  It’s the kind of place with Hermès and Patek Phillipe boutiques in the lobby.   There’s also a selection of moving, historic photos with commentary, providing a glimpse into what is was like when Hanoi was heavily bombed in the 70’s during the “American War” – that’s what they call it here – and guests moved to shelters under the hotel. So much here to see and ponder. 

After a long nap, we take a walk around the picturesque Truc Bach Lake, right in the center of town.  It was Sunday night and the streets were closed to traffic, but packed with local people having a great time.  Bars, restaurants, bright lights, music and dancing all over the place.  Teens playing a form of hackey sack with a sack that was half shuttlecock and half ball.  Super cool.  Very family oriented and tons of smiles.  Apparently they do this every weekend in Hanoi and it looks very fun.

Next it was time to meet our Backroads group.  A pretty small group of 12 – probably because this particular trip falls over the Thanksgiving holiday which we had totally forgotten about here in Southeast Asia.  First event is a “cyclo” trip through Hanoi.  A cyclo is basically a rickshaw that is part bike and pedaled by the driver from behind.  It’s a crazy ride through downtown.  Stoplights turn red and green but they seem more like suggestions rather than hard and fast rules.  Cars and scooters drive on the “wrong” side of the road, but they all seem to get along in the chaos.  It’s an incredible place – colorful colonial homes, wide French boulevards buzzing with scooters, taxis, diesel trucks and more cyclos.  Vietnamese businessmen in suits are just as common as traditionally dressed farmers carrying massive baskets overflowing with super fresh vegetables, flowers and fish. 

After lunch at a very good restaurant called “Home”, we take a walking tour around Truc Bach Lake and hear the story of John McCain being shot down here during heavy US bombing raids on October 26, 1967, crashing into this lake and being pulled out by some Vietnamese citizens – and then taken to the “Hanoi Hilton” which happens to be our next stop.

Hoa Lo Prison is the official name of the place where American prisoners were held in Hanoi during the “American War”.  Unofficially, it was called the Hanoi Hilton.  It remains a pretty grim place, but very interesting.  It was a prison long before the American War and many North Vietnamese were held here by the French during their long occupation of “French Indochina”. They say that “history is written by the victors” and there is a section of the prison dedicated to the American War.  They depict very humane treatment of the POW’s as they play volleyball, celebrate Christmas and get medical treatment.  It’s a very different narrative than that written in the memoirs from US POW’s that spent time here during the war.

The next day we catch an early flight to the city of Hue.  After a quick change into bike clothes, we’re rolling through the Vietnamese countryside.  Small villages, rice paddies, water buffalos, and lots of ancestral monuments dot the landscape. The best part, however, is the enthusiastic and super-cute kids that are everywhere and yell “hello” and put up their hands for “high fives” as we pass by.  Super fun! 

Hue is best known for the Citadel, once the enclosure of the Emperor, and home to 3,000 inhabitants.  It was also the site of some of the most intense fighting during the Tet Offensive.  The Citadel and Forbidden City, is mostly destroyed now, but is currently being restored by UNESCO.  Our ride also brings us to the incredible Khai Ding Tomb – the tomb of the last Vietnamese emperor.  Very impressive.

Our next destination is the village of Hoi An.  But not before we ride up the only really big hill of this trip – the Hai Van pass.  It’s about 10km long and pretty steep the whole way.  On our ride, it starts out very hot and humid, then a light rain, which is wonderful, and then a torrential typhoon-like downpour which is scary.  I actually saw a scooter crash coming down the other side of the road due to the wet pavement.  But once past that pretty brutal ride, we get to a delicious lunch at a lovely beachside resort and are then whisked off to the heavenly Four Seasons Nam Hai.  This is one of the finest hotels we’ve ever stayed in.  Amazing rooms, incredible spa and a location right on the beach.  

The village of Hoi An is also really cool. It’s a UNESCO world heritage site filled with restaurants, bars, quaint bridges and lots of tourists having fun. Also, if you want some “made to measure” clothing, this is the place.  There are over 100 shops that will make you tailor made clothing.  A shop called “Yaly” was recommended to us and it seemed very reputable.  I got measured and ordered a blazer in a wonderful linen I picked out from their huge fabric collection.  When I came back the next day for a second fitting, the blazer looked so good I asked if they could make me a second one and have it delivered to the hotel the next morning before we left.  No problem.  Each custom made linen blazer, with a hand-selected silk lining was about $200 and really nice.  Shawn had three shirts made.  I also purchased two made to measure short sleeve shirts across the street at another shop for $18 each.  This is definitely one of the places that after you leave you wish you’d bought more stuff!  If you come to Vietnam, this is a town you should not miss. Very fun.  

We ended that night with a cooking class and dinner at a place called Vy’s Market.  Not sure that I can remember any of the recipes, but I do remember that it was really good – like almost all the food in Vietnam.

The next day there was an early morning bike ride scheduled before we departed to the airport for our flight to Cambodia.  Shawn and I – and every other Backroads participant – came down with a case of “Nam Hai Fever” which took us directly to the truly incredible Four Seasons spa for massages. This is one of the nicest spas we’ve ever seen. So, so good.  

After the spa and the ensuing long day of travel, we get to Siem Reap, Cambodia and the Raffles Grand d’Angkor Hotel.  This is another old, but wonderfully restored hotel with incredible service.  

The main attractions in Siem Reap are the great temples from the Khmer Empire.  Over the next two days we ride the red dirt roads through tiny villages around these magnificent temples.  The people are not as outgoing here, but we still get a few hellos from the children.  It’s apparent to us that Cambodia is not yet experiencing the great economic resurgence that we witnessed in Vietnam.

The temples at Angkor Thom, Ta Prohm (where they shot the original Tomb Raider moving with Angelina Jolie) and Angkor Wat are truly amazing.  So much bigger and majestic than I thought they would be.  This is worth the trip to Cambodia.  During our visit we see incredible Buddha images and experience a water blessing from a Buddhist monk designed to bring good luck.  It’s an incredibly interesting and fun ceremony which has something to do with new beginnings.  We see another family bring a new baby for a water blessing as well as a new truck.  Guess everyone and everything can use a blessing!

Our Backroads trip ends too quickly in Cambodia and we bid farewell to our fellow travelers.  We stay one more night to check out the Night Market and have dinner at a restaurant called Malis.  If you are in Siem Reap, don’t miss this restaurant.  Excellent food in a beautiful setting and a reasonable – for American standards – price.   Also, if you visit the Night Market don’t fall for the “baby formula” scam. Google that before you go.  

The next day, we head to the airport and fly northward to Laos and the city of Luang Prabang.  This is a city located on the Mekong river that was once – a long time ago – the capital of Laos.  It’s pretty small, and for a third world country, relatively nice.  We’re super lucky cuz our travel agent extraordinaire, Tammy Cane has booked us at the exquisite Belmond La Residence Phou Vao, an incredible boutique hotel with amazing service and a wonderful restaurant (https://www.belmond.com/hotels/asia/laos/luang-prabang/belmond-la-residence-phou-vao/about).

We’re going to China next week and have determined that Luang Prabang is the place where we’ll try to secure our Chinese visas.  The Chinese Embassy is a short bike ride from the hotel, but we soon learn that one of the requirements for a Chinese visa is having two blank pages in your passport.  Unfortunately, Shawn has only one blank page and therefore, she cannot be issued a visa.  Seems like a small issue but this becomes a really a big problem!

Trying not to stress about our unsuccessful trip to the Chinese Embassy, we take a bike tour around Luang Prabang, and eat lunch at a restaurant overlooking the peaceful Mekong – next door to where Barack Obama came to Laos and apparently had a coconut (there are photos).  During lunch we decide that we need to get to the US Embassy in Vientiane, the capital of Laos, to get Shawn a temporary passport.  Apparently, permanent passports are only issued in the US and post-2015, the US no longer adds blank pages to passports.

It’s a five hour drive to Vientiane, so we book round trip flights (45 minutes each way) for the next day.  Tammy has a car booked to drive us around – which is critical – and we head to the US Embassy which is on the outskirts of town.  It’s a new, pretty large facility – seems much to big for Laos – and other than security, which is ever-present, we appear to be the only people at the Embassy.  After having our bags searched and our phones and iPads temporarily confiscated, we proceed through a huge courtyard into the inner workings of the building and, alas, another waiting room.  After explaining what we need, we’re told to sit and wait.  So we start to play cards – cribbage actually – and are then informed by the Laotian security guard that we must put the cards back in my backpack.  So, no card playing allowed at the US Embassy.  Apparently some sort of a security risk.

After about an hour we get Shawn’s temporary passport, but are informed that some countries won’t accept it – specifically Indonesia.  Since we are going to Bali in January, that’s a big problem, cuz when they give you the temp passport, they invalidate your permanent passport.  You can’t have two passports.  So that’s another problem we’ll have to deal with later.

We get back to the car and drive to the Chinese Embassy, which is on a little side street/alley in the center of Vientiane.  Security is not nearly as tight here and it looks like they will let you play cards.  We’re lucky because we’ve arrived at 11:15am and the place closes for applications at 11:30. After quickly filling out the visa application, we ask – “can we get these today”.  The clerk grunts, “yes”, so we’re pretty happy and are told to come back at 4:00pm, but we must pay the $350 fee (very high for same day service, these usually take a week) at the Chinese ICBC bank on the other side of town.  

Back in the car to ICBC – which looks like the nicest building in town, but for Chinese visa payments, then only take cash.  And our ATM cards won’t work here in this Chinese bank.  So back in the car to search for ATMs that will give us a big pile of Laotian Rip.  Got it, then back to the bank.  We pay, get some lunch at an American themed restaurant called Senglao, then back to the Chinese embassy and pick up the visas.  Then back to the airport for the 6:30 flight back to Luang Prabang and our oasis at the Belmond.  BTW, once you’ve been in Vientiane, you really notice how nice a town Luang Prabang is.

We still have a problem with Indonesia, but will try to deal with that at the Indonesian embassy in Singapore.  

After our day trip to Vientiane, we have one more day in Laos.  This turns out to be the best one of all.  We wake up to an absolutely beautiful day.  About 78 degrees and clear with a slight breeze.  Perfect for our scheduled boat ride on the Mekong.  We knew we had a private boat booked, but no idea that it was a huge “slow boat” about 80 feet long.  

The section of the Mekong near Luang Prabang is really beautiful.  The river is wide and brown like chocolate milk, and on this day very calm.  The banks are covered with forests and you can see tall mountains in the distance.  Soon we see steep limestone cliffs as we near our destination, the Tham Pak Ou Caves which are filled with Buddha images, of every style, size and material imaginable.  The steps up to the caves are very steep, but the views are worth the climb. 

After about an hour, we’re back in the slow boat for the lovely return trip.  Back at the Belmond, we have another great dinner.  In fact, we ate dinner here each night we were in Laos.  Was so good, we decided why go anywhere else!

Now we are off for something quite a bit different – Singapore!

It takes just an hour to fly from Colombo, Sri Lanka to Male, capital of the Maldives. We’re booked at the Sun Siyam Iru Fushi Resort (https://www.sunsiyam.com/resorts/iru-fushi-maldives/) which is on one of the roughly 1,200 tiny coral islands that comprise the Maldives. We’re only in Male long enough to pick up our luggage and find the seaplane that will fly us to the Iru Fushi. It’s a magical experience as the seaplane rises above the remarkably blue Indian Ocean and drops us off directly at the resort.

If you’ve ever dreamed of a nearly deserted island paradise, this is it. Shawn and I have been to many beach resorts, but this place is very special. We were originally booked in a Beach Villa – which is really, really nice – but once we saw the Water Villas, we knew we had to try for an upgrade. If you’re going to come this far – and it is really far from the U.S. – you might as well try to get one of the spectacular rooms that are suspended above the crystal blue sea.

It just so happened that there was one Water Villa available, so we snatched it up and were very happy that we did.

There are fourteen bars and restaurants here and they are all good. Even better than good are the French restaurant – Flavors, the Italian restaurant – Trio and the seafood restaurant – Islander’s Grill. We had a half-board which included an awesome breakfast and dinner at most of the restaurants.

There is an excellent dive center on property. We took advantage for two days of great diving in the warm clear water. Again, more great stuff!

Also took advantage of the award winning spa which was truly fantastic. The resort has tons of water sports as well. We didn’t take advantage of those, but they seemed to include windsurfing, wave runners and a water jetpack that looked best suited for young people.

For the most part we just relaxed!

If you are looking for a beach vacation, the Maldives is truly excellent. It’s a long, long way from the U.S., but if you are in the area – the Maldives is a must.

Now, we’re off to another world – Vietnam and Cambodia!

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Dubai airport is really, really nice, but if you’re flying Emirates expect a really, really long walk to the gate. Our 4:10pm flight – which by the way was in the wonderful Emirates business class section – got us into steamy Colombo, Sri Lanka at around 10pm so we were very happy to have Anthony – our driver and tour guide for the next week – waiting to pick us up.

It’s about a 90 minute drive in pouring rain to the Jetwing Lake Hotel where we were very happy to get a great night’s sleep – despite the deafening sounds of bugs all around.

Our travel wizard, Tammy Cane (theartoftravelbytammycane.com) had us fully booked for the next several days. One thing to know about touring Sri Lanka is that there is a lot of driving involved. Also, the driving is pretty crazy – I’d recommend a local, experienced driver. Anthony was pretty great at high speed navigating through traffic by honking “please let me pass” and “thank you” every few seconds. It seems that everyone lives and works on the main roads which are very busy with pedestrians, bikes, motorcycles, tuk-tuk’s and all kinds of items for sale.

Our first stop was at the Polonnaruwa ancient city (https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/201). This was once the capital of Sri Lanka and has some cool buddha images, but the highlight of this morning was a huge elephant that appeared out of the jungle on the side of the road. Super cool!

Later that day we went to an incredible place – the elephant preserve at the Minneriya National Park (http://www.srilankaecotourism.com/minneriya_national_park.htm). This is a truly amazing park. Tourists load into separate jeeps – with drivers – and cruise about a mile through the jungle to a lake where we saw 50-60 elephants. The females and children huddle together in big groups while the males live alone. Really spectacular. We also saw a herd of water buffalo. Apparently there are also leopards here, but extremely rare to see.

Sigiriya (https://sigiriyatourism.com) is another must see in Sri Lanka. Sometimes referred to as the “8th wonder of the world, it’s an amazing site where a 5th century ruler built his home/fortress on top of “lion rock”, a massive rocky plateau about 200 meters above the surrounding plains. The fortress complex includes remnants of a ruined palace, surrounded by an extensive network of fortifications, vast gardens, ponds, canals, alleys and fountains. Also, some ancient frescos of topless women and a the remains of a giant carving of a lion. It’s very cool. Apparently, the king that built it was trying to make a safe place for himself and his family. As it turns out, as soon as it was built, he was murdered by his brother. Gotta love family.

Sri Lanka is one of the most important sources of gems in the world. After Sigiriya, Anthony took us to a store in one of the main gem centers – the city of Kandy. We watched a cool documentary on the sourcing of gemstones – and then did a bit of damage to the bank account. I think Shawn would wholeheartedly recommend a stop for gems if you happen to be in Sri Lanka!

Our next stop was another several hour drive away – Sri Lanka’s tea growing area. We’re told that some of the finest tea in the world – Ceylon Tea – is grown exclusively in Sri Lanka. We were booked at the Araliya Green City Hotel in Nuwara Eliya (https://www.araliyagreencity.com). This is a very nice hotel – across the street from a golf course and around the corner from the Nuwara Eliya Horse Race Course. Looks like a great vacation spot in summer.

We went to the tea plantation at the highest – and best – location called Damro Tea. It was really beautiful. I bought some gold tip Ceylon tea for an exorbitant price. It came with a cool teapot, but it better be really good!

Afterwards, we took another long drive – finally to the coast and the Viventa by Taj Hotel in Bentota (https://www.tajhotels.com/en-in/taj/taj-bentota-sri-lanka/). Our room had a beautiful ocean view – very different from the past few nights in Sri Lanka. This is a really nice hotel. We had some great meals at the on-property S.H.A.C.K. sea food restaurant.

The Madu River is an incredibly bio-diverse nature area. We took a boat ride and saw huge bats hanging from trees, monitor lizards that look like crocs, an island dedicated to cinnamon and another with a bunch of buddha statues (https://www.srilankatravelandtourism.com/activities-sri-lanka/boat-safari-madu-river/sri-lanka-madu-river-boat-ride.php). We stopped at a hut built over the water for a drink of coconut water directly out of some fresh golden coconuts. Was pretty amazing. Afterwards we stopped at a small turtle hatchery called Balapitya and saw how they hatch the turtles and ultimately bring them to the ocean. Then a trip to the town of Galle which is quite quaint and houses a fort and impressive sea wall.

All in all, Sri Lanka was an interesting place to see. Definitely a developing country – but not sure I’ll be going back. But very excited for our next destination – The Maldives!

It’s a very short flight from Mykonos to Athens and then about 4 and half hours to Dubai. A chunk of accumulated Amex miles puts us in Emirates business class for the Dubai flight – and it is extremely swanky! Our initial plan was to go directly to Sri Lanka, but Emirates allows for a several day lay over in Dubai, so were figured we should make one Middle East stop. After a few days on an abandoned Greek isle (off-season Mykonos) we were psyched to be flying in high style.

A chauffeured car (courtesy of Emirates biz class) takes us to the Taj Dubai (https://www.tajhotels.com/en-in/taj/taj-dubai/), a very modern and luxurious hotel in a great location – Dubai’s business district.

A trip to the Al Fahidi Fort (now the Dubai Museum) is a worthy place to start (https://dubaiculture.gov.ae/en/Live-Our-Heritage/Pages/Dubai-Museum-and-Al-Fahidi-Fort.aspx). It provides a good history of the United Arab Emirates and a glimpse of life here before the discovery of oil. It’s also close to the Old Souk – a traditional market with many small stores selling textiles (some very high quality) and souvenirs. It’s fun, but be prepared to be pestered by every vendor as you pass by. Nearby is the Dubai Gold Souk. Here you’ll find many, many stores selling jewelry, mostly gold. Prices seem pretty good – if you negotiate. Let’s just say there was a little bit of “damage” done here.

The biggest attraction in Dubai is the Burj Khalifa (http://www.burjkhalifa.ae/en/index.aspx). At 162 stories, it is the tallest building in the world. It’s a huge tourist trap, with a big line, and costs about $50 per person to take the elevator to the top. But if you’re in Dubai, it’s a must do.

The other big attraction in Dubai is its mall (https://thedubaimall.com) – which is actually attached to the Burj Khalifa. It’s the second largest in the world with over 1,200 stores and a 10 million liter aquarium filled with sharks, rays and all kinds of exotic fish adjacent to an underwater zoo (https://thedubaiaquarium.com/en/Default.aspx). If you like shopping, you will love this place. The stores – many extremely high end – are open until midnight. There’s a really nice movie theater where a very nice local bought our movie tickets to see “A Star is Born” when she saw we were having trouble using the fully automated system. There is also a man made lake with an incredible Bellagio-Las Vegas-like water show which we watched while having some great sushi at Katsuya. All good stuff.

It’s very interesting to see the locals dressed almost exclusively in their traditional clothes. For men, an ankle-length white cotton cloak and a head scarf, usually with cool designer sandals. For women, a long black flowing gown with a scarf to cover their hair. Some women wear a veil and others a burqa which just shows their eyes. Despite the modest “uniform” many of the women wear very blingy heels, carry drool-worthy bags and cover their heads with designer scarves.

Another major tourist attraction is the Desert Safari. We were picked up at our hotel in a private 4×4 (Toyota Forerunner, I think) and after about an hour’s drive out of the city, the driver took us for a hair-raising, high-speed cruise up, down and over a bunch of sand dunes. The car stops at what appears to be a Bedouin camp where we witness a falconry demonstration, take a camel ride, eat some local barbecue, and get a belly dancing performance. We also got a cool photo op in traditional dress. It was a pretty good time, but probably more fun if you go with a family or a bigger group.

I’m not really sure what the rules on alcohol are – since this is a Muslim country that observes Sharia law – but it seems that non-Muslims are allowed to drink in hotels, certain restaurants and at the Desert Safari.

In any case, even though Dubai provided a very cool Middle East experience, we were ready to move on to Sri Lanka after our three day stay.

It takes about 2 hours to fly from Rome to Santorini. But it is feels like a world away. Especially in late October. The main towns on Santorini are Fira and Oia. To save a couple of drachma, we were staying in a hotel called Absolute Bliss in the town of Imerovigli (https://imerovigli-hotels.com). It’s a pretty basic hotel, but our room – the Honeymoon Suite – had an awesome balcony overlooking the water with an outdoor jacuzzi. Perfect for watching one of the most incredible sunsets you could ever see.

This trip to the Greek Islands was a bit of a throw in. We knew that we’d be leaving Europe soon – for a swing through Asia – and we hadn’t yet been to Greece, so we made a hasty plan to get there. We didn’t realize however, that the tourist season in the islands ends in October and we were just catching the very tail end of it in Santorini.

Regardless, it was really beautiful. From Imerovigli its about a 30-45 minute walk to Fira. It’s actually pretty nice in October. Not crowded and perfect weather. We could see how it could be pretty sweaty and packed in the “on-season”. A lot of restaurants had already closed for the year, but we found a place called Rastoni (http://rastonisantorini.com/en/) which had excellent fish, pretty good wine and an amazing view.

Walking through Fira, I also spotted a hotel that I stayed in 31 years ago, after graduating law school, with great friends Dan Hatch and Gary Horwitz. I don’t know how we afforded the Hotel Kavalari (http://www.kavalarihotel-santorini.com). It must have been much cheaper in 1987.

We also took a taxi over to Oia – which has become the swanky part of the island. I can definitely understand why the hotels here are in the $600 and up range. This is a beautiful little village perched on the top of the cliff. Lot’s of high end everything – especially if you are looking for jewelry stores.

Best part of our time in Santorini was a day cruise on a catamaran that we booked at a local tourist experience store (santoriniyachtingclub.com). Departed out of Oia – along with about 7 other mellow guests. Great crew and a pretty nice cat – probably about 50 feet. First stop was the Volcanic Hot Springs on the adjacent island of New Kameni. Maybe these are hotter in summer, but pretty lukewarm in October. If you do go, wear an old bathing suit because the dirt is really red. Also know that this is a pretty touristed site, so boats with lots of tourists are constantly coming in. The rest of the trip was a cruise around Santorini to see the “white beach” and the “red beach”. Also an awesome lunch. It’s always great to be on a boat in a beautiful place.

After three days, we hopped the Sea-Jets high-speed ferry to Mykonos. It takes about two hours and costs about 80 euro per person. After we were dropped off our taxi driver said, “watch, your boat is going to do a pirouette it in the harbor”. We asked, “why”? And he said, “because this is its last trip until next season”. Hmmm. We were not aware that the season in Mykonos actually ends several weeks before the end in Santorini.

Basically, this island was closed. The taxi took us to our hotel, the Cova Mykonos Suites (https://www.covamykonos.com) just above Elia Beach, which upgraded us to a “suite” (not really a suite). It had a wonderful deck, which overlooked the pool and beach, but it was quite cold and very windy – and we were the only people there. Luckily, we were able to rent a car so we could explore the deserted island just a bit.

Most restaurants were closed, but we did find a couple open in the village of Ano Mera. The best was called Taverna To steki tou Proedrou and was in the Ano Mera Square. Actually pretty good and was kind of like a home-cooked meal. We did make it over to the main town of Chora. Looked like it could be really fun in summer, but we saw it almost completely shuttered.

After a couple totally non-eventful days in Mykonos, we were thrilled to get to the airport for a change of pace. Next stop, Dubai!

 

What could be more fun than a party in Tuscany with amazing girlfriends?  I was so happy when Leslie Chalmers, Tammy Cane and Val Sartini decided on Tammy’s summer strand party patio to book a trip to visit us in Tuscany!

We decided that a great place to start was Florence and so our week of fun was born.  Tammy, the travel consultant extraodinaire, arranged a great suite at the posh JK Place hotel right in the heart of Florence.  

Keith and I had just flown in from Scotland to Florence and as we were loading ourselves into a taxi we heard, “Hey you guys”! And there was Val smiley as ever! 

We met Tammy at JK Place a little later and our first night of drinks, dinning and laughing began. We ate at the delicious local osteria, Natalino, where authentic Italian cuisine is their speciality. 

The next day, unfortunately, Keith found out that his mother had suffered a heart attack and he flew to Honolulu to meet his brother and organize moving his mother to a skilled nursing care facility and to hopefully improve her spirits.

Back in Florence, while waiting for Leslie to arrive we lunched at Hotel Lungarno and took in its stunning view of the Arno River.  Leslie flew in from Rome just in time to join us for a great walking tour of the city.  So much fun to explore the city with great pals. 

That night, Tammy, of course, had booked a great restaurant, Osteria Del Cinghiale Blanc, with a secret speak easy type bar through a hidden door in the back of the kitchen.  Great food especially the boar ragu, lots of laughs and a very exuberant waiter made for a great first night together.

The next day began with a luxurious breakfast at the hotel and then a bit of power shopping before driving to the Tuscan coast.  Our Villa is situated in the quaint town of Camaiore.  Val and I drove in one car and Tammy and Leslie in the other.  My car could barely make it up the death-defying, narrow and unbelievably steep driveway to the villa. Val hopped out at the first sign of sliding as I had to rev the car up and snap the emergency brake to create enough speed to get up the hill –  good decision on her part!  I ended up driving that POS car back down to town and never attempted the hill with that clunker again! However, the view was worth the climb as the villa was gorgeous.  The first night we enjoyed an authentic Italian dinner from the private chef, Romina. Thank you so much to my party pals!

Our week at the Villa was filled with excursions all over the Tuscany.  Our first day we sailed to the local island from Marina di Carrara for a sumptuous lunch at Locanda Lorena.  Great tunes, fine wines, sumptuous food and swimming in the Ligurian Sea; what more can I say, fun, fun, fun in the sun!

The next day we were in for a Tammy style treat.  We drove to an absolutely stunning Relais & Chateaux hotel, Borgo San Pierrot, for an authentic private cooking class with the premier chef, Mama Olga.  We learned the secrets to cooking three amazing pasta dishes from scratch and then thoroughly enjoyed our scrumptious creations. 

 

We capped the afternoon with a scenic drive to San Gimignano where we climbed the town’s tower for the quintessential Tuscan view, shopped on the cobble stone streets and enjoyed our afternoon aperitif at a little cafe in the square.

Since we were close to the iconic city of Lucca, surrounded by tall walls built originally by the Romans in 180 BC, we decided to go there the following day and weren’t disappointed.

Later, Tammy and Val braved their way through Camaiore’s pepper festival to get us some cheese, charcuterie and yes more wine.

 

We had another great night watching the sunset from the villa, yes tough life!

 

The next day, Tammy worked her magic again and got us into Hotel Principe’s posh private beach club in Forte dei Marmi. We relished in a great day of laying in the sun, laughing, eating, and of course enjoying some more great Italian wine. 

After relaxing, we walked and shopped on the ritzy streets of Forte dei Marmi, a great place to visit for sure. 

That evening, Tammy and Val and Leslie made a sumptuous dinner and we all enjoyed Keith traveling back to us after 30 hours of flying half way around the world.   

I was so happy that Keith made it back in time to enjoy Val’s deluxe wine tour with a private car. 

So far, we’d been very lucky with unseasonably warm weather. We dressed in light summer faire which turned out to be a big mistake because it was about 20 degrees cooler in Chianti. The wine guide at our first stop, Castello Dei Rampolla, helped us ward off the chill by having us taste their wine before touring the winery.

 

 

Nonetheless, we were still freezing, but after some great tastings, in a better mood, to appreciate this beautiful winery.  Afterwards we had an incredible lunch – indoor – at Villa Borodini, very quaint and delicious.

 

After lunch we went to a special wine tour at another winery, Montefili.  A picturesque property where tastings of wine and charcuterie are staged in a charming little stone room with endless view of the Tuscan hills.

The next day, at Leslie’s persistent urging, we decided to hike the famous Cinque Terra trail from Monterosso al Mare to Vernazza. 

Since Val had run down and up our Villa’s steep and long driveway early each day she set the pace with ease.  The Cinque Terra path is beautiful with some grueling steps at the beginning but as it plateaus, the cliff views of the Mediterranean are spectacular before dropping back down to the iconic seaside village of Vernazza.

We were happy that Leslie booked us a small boat for the return trip and we ended the day shopping at an amazing artisan pottery store. 

Before we had time to blink, our trip together was coming to an end. The last day we decided to lunch and enjoyed a day hanging out at the villa. 

Of course we opted for some “chick hearts” where the regular rules don’t apply but tons of joking and laughs are highly encouraged.  That night we went into town for one last great Italian dinner at Le Monache.  I can’t thank my party pals enough for coming all this way for a truly memorable and fantastic time.  Many hugs and kisses to you all. 😍

 

It’s just about two hours from Orly Airport in France to Edinburgh Airport in Scotland but it feels like another world.  Most immediately it’s cold.  I really didn’t realize how far north Scotland is, but checking the map its up there with Copenhagen and Moscow.  

First thing we did was rent a car.  I’m so happy that our extraordinary travel pro Tammy Cane [theartoftravelbytammycane.com] booked the trip and put Shawn’s name on the rental agreement.  Cuz we both forgot that in the British Isles, they drive on the left side of the road and the steering wheels are on the “wrong” side too.  But Shawn being a “lefty” and a bit dyslexic anyway drove like the native Brit that she is – or at least was.  It’s actually quite terrifying.  I did my best to help by saying “left, left, left” as we made turns and we only ended up on the wrong – or is it “right” – side of the road a couple of times.  

Our first stop was the venerable Greywalls Hotel [https://greywalls.co.uk].  It’s a beautiful old property near the sea.  We had no idea that it actually sits on the grounds of the Muirfield Golf Club – one of the most famous in Great Britain.  And the host of several British Opens, most recently in 2002 and 2013.  You can walk up to the course from the rear doors of the hotel and, on this particularly sunny day, it was stunning.  I would have loved to play, but learned that it was very much private and guest play was only allowed on days that we would no longer be around (I think Tuesdays and Thursdays).  But no matter, it was a thrill just to see it up close.

We stayed in a room affectionately referred to as “the Kings Loo”.  Apparently there was a King that loved to play golf here at Muirfield and they built him a “loo” right next to the course where he could sit on his “throne” and see the course. Many years later it was converted into a big hotel room and we were very happy to stay in it. The bellman told us that in 2002 Ernie Els stayed in this room while winning The Open Championship and Padraig Harrington stayed there in 2013.

Headed into Edinburgh the next morning on a bustling, beautiful Saturday.  There were lots of people in town as a Scottish Independence Rally/March was occurring.  We heard that about 100,000 people were participating. 

We saw part of the march on our way to the Scottish Whiskey Experience [https://www.scotchwhiskyexperience.co.uk] which is right on the street called “The Royal Mile”.  It’s a cool place where they take you on a tour in a little Disney-like trolley to show you the history of Scotch Whiskey, and then provide some instruction on how its made.  Actually very cool and a fun, worthwhile experience.  Afterwards there is the obligatory tasting of single malt whiskeys from the various regions – Highland, Speyside, Islay and Lowland.   I thought it was great and Shawn started to get a slight appreciation of whiskey.

Next we walked The Royal Mile.  It runs from Edinburgh Castle right through the center of town.  Filled with street performers, churches, statues, restaurants, bars and shops, its a very fun stroll – especially post the Scotch Whiskey Experience!  After one more whiskey for me at 99 Hanover Street (per the recommendation of my very good friend Kevin Cassidy), Shawn drove us back to Greywalls with a constant “left, left, left” reminder from me. All together, we were very impressed with Edinburgh.  Truly a really nice, picturesque city.  

I think we would have liked to stay another day in Edinburgh, but it was time for us to head out to Stirling Castle – one of the largest and most important castles in Scotland [https://www.stirlingcastle.scot].  The castle has some very well restored rooms and there is a lot of history here, as many important battles were fought right on this spot.  

Then it was time for a bit of whiskey at the Deanston distillery [https://www.deanstonmalt.com]. This is an old school distillery that provides a cool tour and a tasting experience.  Also right next to a beautiful river that provides power for the entire facility.  Very cool visit.

We were having fun, but both of us were starting to come down with a bit of a cold – and the rainy chilly weather wasn’t helping – so we headed to our next lodge, Cromlix House [https://cromlix.com].  An exceptional, award-winning hotel, they upgraded us to a huge room with a four post canopy bed, a separate living room and a giant bathroom with a great bath.  Perfect place to recover.

The famous Loch Ness was close by so the next day we went for a boat cruise.  This loch is unbelievably beautiful.  It’s so deep that it is the largest body of water by volume in all Europe.  We didn’t see the “monster” but if you are in town, you have to take a boat ride on Loch Ness.

After Cromlix House, we headed north to Inverness, but first we made a stop at the super windy and cold National Wallace Monument. [https://www.nationalwallacemonument.com].  It memorializes the achievements of William Wallace, the Scotsman portrayed by Mel Gibson in the movie Braveheart.  Very cool and cold place!

Then, we took a pretty long drive north to see the brand new Macallan distillery [https://www.themacallan.com/en/the-journal/new-distillery/].  This place, which opened in June of 2018, and was constructed at a cost of over 140 million pounds is absolutely stunning.  The tour – which you really should book far in advance – is controlled by the tour guide’s IPad and is really fantastic.  It’s very different from most of the other distilleries whose operations haven’t really changed much over the past 100 years. The building is very modern with lots of glass, copper and steel, but the undulating roof is made to blend into the Scottish highland landscape and is covered with soil, grass and trees.  Even though the other distillers are a bit “put-off” by the size, scale and “poshness” of this facility, it really is amazing and was a big highlight of our trip.

The greatest highlight was a falconry experience at the fantastic Inverlochy Castle Hotel [https://inverlochycastlehotel.com]. Our falconer was the only licensed falconer in the British Isles and he brought four incredible trained birds.   A hawk, a bald eagle, and owl and an actual falcon.  Falcons are apparently the hardest to train, but a properly trained bird can fetch up to one million pounds because they race in the Middle East for massive purses.  This was truly a once in a lifetime experience!

We also did some skeet shooting at Inverlochy.  I was great in the practice session, but as soon as the six shot competition started, I folded under the pressure and Shawn was the champion.  

Next up for us was another beautiful drive to the west coast of Scotland – did I mention that all the driving is absolutely stunning – to the Isle of Erika Hotel near the village of Oban [https://eriska-hotel.co.uk].  Although this place is a year-round resort, we think https://eriska-hotel.co.uk probably better in the warmer months to take advantage of it’s private island location and great looking golf course.

 

The sea-side village of Oban however, is quite lovely year-round and its star is the famous Oban distillery.  We took a great tour with a private tasting of five different expressions of their famous single malt, including the very rare 21 year old version. The tour guide was really great guy who joined us for the tasting and it quickly felt like we were sitting with a Scotsman at a local pub. For the price, however, if you can find a bottle of the Oban Distillers edition, you should grab it.  It’s fantastic!

Our tour of Scotland was quickly coming to an end as we took at two and a half hour drive back to Glasgow.  Another drive through the stunning Scottish countryside!

The final Scottish destination was the incomparable Crossbasket Castle.  It’s a bit out of town, but a stunningly renovated 17th century castle.  This one is really amazing and a great place for special event like a wedding.

We ate a lot of fine meals in Scotland.  Each of the hotels/castles we stayed in were part of a group called the ICMI collection [https://icmi.co.uk/index.html] and each has a fine dining restaurant by an apparently famous chef named Albert Roux (the first in the UK to earn one Michelin star, then two and three!).  All are very good, with extensive wine lists in a superbly elegant surrounding.

Now it’s off to the coast of Tuscany to meet some great friends from Manhattan Beach!

Before leaving France we felt that we should go to Mont St. Michel and the historic beaches of Normandy. The town of Bayeux is a charming French village – and a great landing place to tour both sites – so we booked an Airbnb and made our way north.

Bayeux is a small, picturesque town with cobblestone streets and beautiful old stone buildings. When first rolling to our Airbnb, (literally rolling our luggage twenty minutes through town since there were no taxis at the train station) we were struck by the incredible grandeur and immensity of Bayeux’s cathedral.

It turns out that Bayeux is a very old town with a long complex history.  It was first established in the 1st century by the Romans and by the 3rd became a walled-in city.  Most of the city’s original layout remains today. The town has many cute restaurants and boutiques.

The cathedral named Cathedral of Our Lady of Bayeux was consecrated by William the Conquerer, King of England, in 1066.  It originally housed a 70 meter long tapestry that depicts how William, the bastard son of the King Edward, led a crusade to overthrow King Harold who stole the crown from him after King Edward’s death – very Game of Thrones-ish. The tapestry is really incredible and remains in great condition considering its age.  It is now housed in a special semi-circle museum where you can view it with a great audio accompaniment.  A must see if in Bayeux.

The tour of Normandy beaches is where the American, Canadian and British armies invaded and ultimately defeated the occupying Nazis, famously known as D-day. Touring this area is very interesting but depressing and profoundly moving.  We toured Omaha Beach and the American soldier cemetery. When you hear the story of how most of the invading soldiers were suffering from food poison, sea sickness, blinding visibility, horrible strong currents and capsizing waves, it really is amazing that they were successful.  Standing at the shore, looking at the ominous German machine gun bunkers on the cliffs, it felt terrible thinking about what the first and second wave of troops experienced.  Only a small percentage of these very young – mostly 18 to 23 years old – American soldiers made it onto the beach. In fact, it was a horrible blood bath as the Germans gunned down thousands. In addition, virtually all of the amphibious tanks failed to make it to shore through the swirling seas with six foot waves.  Over the next month, the invading American, British and Canadian troops cornered 21,000 young German soldiers in a small inland area, which is known as the German mass grave.  War is so hard, with true heroes, and very, very sad.

The next day we visited Mont Saint-Michele – the second most visited site in all of France.  The first glimpse of this huge granite island with its abbey built rising towards god, is absolutely stunning.  It’s situated in a huge bay surrounded by water at high tide and sand at low tide.  The sand looks easy to cross but we learned that it can be very dangerous as it’s ridden with quicksand.  People can walk to the Mont St. Michele through the sand but it’s apparently important to have a knowledgeable guide. 

Our tour took us across the long bridge that ends just before the opening arches of the island.  Legend has it that the archangel Michael appeared in three dreams of the bishop of Avranches in 708 instructing him to build a church on the rocky islet. The church took 60 years to build and was ultimately finished in 1103 with archangel St. Michael towering on the top in gold.  This large monastery has many rooms, crypts and chapels under the main abbey that are fortified with large supports and thick walls.  Even with all these architectural fortifications the North wall collapsed right after the abbey was constructed. Mont Saint-Michel has gone through a long history of fires, collapses and changes.  It is a UNESCO world heritage site and well worth the visit. 

After our two-day tour of Bayeux and Mont St. Michel, we are headed back to Paris for a quick stopover on our way to Scotland!

We really didn’t know where to go for the last week of September.  I know – good problem!  Thought seriously about going to Germany for Oktoberfest and a tour of the Black Forest, but then saw a listing on the internet for a Jimmy Buffet concert in Paris on September 26.  After calling AmEx’s travel concierge, I was able to get two face-value tix, so we decided to go to Paris before Germany.  Then, a week later, while at the El Pellicano pool in Porto Ércoles – with Gary and Kam – I saw that the Ryder Cup was being played in Paris from September 28-30.  And then, through some miracle, I saw that they had just released some tix for Friday Sep. 30 on the official Ryder Cup site!  BTW – I’m pretty sure this event had been sold out for about a year.  So, Germany was cancelled and a great week in Paris was on!  Guess we’ll get to Germany next time.

Although we had tickets to great events, we didn’t yet have a place to stay.  Unbeknownst to us it was Paris Fashion Week – apparently a really big deal – and that all hotel prices are essentially double that week.  We got lucky with a reservation at the Hotel Montecristo in the 5th arrondissement [http://hotelmontecristoparis.com].  It’s a chic, boutique style hotel that was literally only three months old.  For the first three nights, they put us in a very large suite with a huge steam room shower.  The last four nights were spent in a tiny room with just enough room to walk around the bed – but that is Paris!

On our first full day we made our way to the Jimmy Buffet concert at the La Cigale theater [lacigale.fr] in the 18th arrondissement – just below Sacre-Coeur Basilica.  Such a great place for a concert.  An old style Paris theater that seats about 900.  We had great seats in the second row of the balcony (and no one sat in front of us – five open seats).  So great to see Jimmy in such a small place.  The crowd was virtually all American Parrot Heads who knew the words to every song.  And the band seemed like they were in a great mood.  We learned that Buffet has been doing a week of shows every year in Paris for the past 14 years and that many in the crowd – including a lot of of U.S. ex-pats – make a special trip every year to see this show in a tiny auditorium.  Anyone want to sign up for next year?

The following day we learned that Paris St. Germain – the number one team in France – was playing a soccer match that night in Paris.  Again, we got lucky and were able to get great tickets in the field section.  Another really fun night.  Very nice stadium and great fans.  Especially those in the end zone that sang, banged drums and waved flags literally the entire game.  BTW, PSG won 4-1. So fun!

We spent the next day just walking around exploring the Marais and doing a bit of shopping, which by the way is really great in Paris.  Also did a bit of drinking which is also pretty good in Paris – especially after a trip to Beaune – which helped decode the mystery of Burgundy wine labels.  Fun fact – they are virtually all either Chardonnay or Pinot Noir. And, for the most part, really good!

On another fortunate trip to the internet, I saw that the Ryder Cup had released a few tickets for the first day of competition – so I bought one.  (Shawn decided that one day of golf would be enough for her). I made a big mistake and took an Uber, when I should have taken the train (Uber was slow and expensive).  But after the Uber, a shuttle bus and a long walk, I was finally at the course.  The weather was spectacular.  About 65 degrees and sunny.  The event was really set up well with hills around each hole for great spectator viewing, large walkways for the massive crowd (about 60,000 per day) and a huge upscale food village with lots of picnic tables and giant television screens.  And a massive merchandise tent – probably 50,000 square feet.  

It was a really fun morning as the USA took a 3-1 lead.  But the jubilation quickly dissolved with a 0-4 drubbing by the Europe squad in the afternoon.  So great to see golf’s greatest players in a team competition. 

Was quickly Saturday night in Paris and our week was speedily slipping by.  We knew that Jimmy Buffet was playing the last night of his four night swing so we decided to see if we could get some tickets.  After cruising around the 8th arrondissement – super swanky – and doing a very necessary mailing of accumulated stuff back to Val’s house (thanks Val❤️), we headed back to La Cigale and fortunately scored two tickets within five minutes.  We were also fortunate that the Saturday night show was going to be standing room only on the floor, so no need to get seats together.  After stealthily making our way to the front of the stage (about 5 persons back) we saw another great show and had a really fun time.  Lot’s of fans from Virginia and the Carolinas, as well as a super rowdy group of guys originally from LSU that make a point of meeting in Paris every year at the Buffet show.  Although the “big songs” remained the same, the band played a very different set from the prior Tuesday night. Another great night in Paris.

Next morning we were back to Le Golf Nationale where the Euro’s took no mercy on the floundering USA superstars.  Although there were a few flashes of brilliance – Tiger made an eagle putt right in front of us – there was little drama as the USA team melted down against the Euro onslaught.  A great event, but no joy for the fans wearing red. Bravo to the Europeans, but looking forward to 2020 in Whistling Straits.  

In addition to the great events, we did manage to have some fantastic meals.  Au bon Coin in the 5th is a great French bistro [http://auboncoin-bistrot.com].  Casual setting, but fantastic fish and meat dishes – a world class gazpacho – and the best chocolate mousse in France.  So good that we went back another night just for the dessert.  La Dilettante is another great find in the 13th arrondissement [www.la-dilettante.fr].  We had a spectacularly good lunch there.  I had the beef with chimichurri which was amazing and Shawn had the sea bass.  All followed by vanilla ice cream with the best chocolate sauce ever.  Super decadent and our favorite meal this time is Paris! Semilla is another fine restaurant [semillaparis.com].  This one is located in a more touristy – and fun – area near Rue Bici and St. Germain.  It’s full of Americans, but is very good.  Another good restaurant is La Coupole [lacoupole-Paris.com].  Suggested by our great friends Henri and Joyce, this place is known for its giant seafood platters.  We had one and it was excellent.  La Coupole is big, bright and glitzy with a roaring 20’s vibe.  It seems to be a place that the French might come for a night out in Paris.  Our reservation was for 10pm on Friday night and the place was packed.  We still had to wait almost an hour.  But some good people watching in the bar.  

Overall, we had a terrific week in Paris.  People ask us all the time – “What’s the best place you’ve been to on your trip?”.  At this point, I’d say the best “city” is Paris.  The architecture is amazing.  So much fun stuff to do.  It’s pretty clean and the people, despite the stereotype, are pretty friendly – especially those under 40.  We love this town.  

Now we are on our way to Bayeux to tour Mont St. Michel and then Normandy. Time to mix in a bit of history with all the fun!