When my friend Sarah asked me to join her in Budapest, Hungary at the tail end of a work trip, I said yes! She wanted to visit a wine region or two, and I was game for pretty much anything. I had heard about Hungarian wine but hadn’t tried it until she gave me a […]
Europe
One Night in Brussels
When my husband, friends, and I flew to Paris to attend a wedding in Germany, we enjoyed high speed train travel between pre- and post- wedding destinations such as Frankfurt, Amsterdam, and Paris. Brussels was our last stop before returning back to Paris for our flight home, and a short stop it was! Like in […]
Charmed by Amsterdam
I never really cared to visit Amsterdam, or at least, it wasn’t on the top of my travel bucket list. So when my husband, friends, and I traveled to Germany for a wedding, we collectively decided to travel via high speed train from Paris, and we would visit a few other cities while we were […]
Giving Paris a Second Chance
I’ll be honest, my first impression of Paris was a bad one. It took two more trips to finally understand why people love the city. When I gave Paris a second chance, we flew into Charles de Gaulle, explored the city for a night and a day, and then took a high speed train to […]
Appellation Alentejo Wine Seminar in Houston
I don’t know which has the stronger influence on me: wanting to travel somewhere because of the wine, or purchasing wine because of somewhere I’ve traveled…both? Last week I attended Appellation Alentejo masterclass led by Master Sommelier Evan Goldstein and tasted Portuguese wine (for the first time, if you don’t include port) from the Alentejo […]
Discover Valdichiana at ICCC
I may be less than 10% Italian, but I LOVE Italian culture: the food, the wine, the fashion, the cars and scooters, the people, the history, and especially visiting the country. I was invited to attend Discover Valdichiana at Houston’s Italian Cultural and Community Center hosted by Italy-America Chamber of Commerce Texas for an evening […]
A Burgundy Wine Tour for the Blissfully Ignorant
A guest blog post by Tracy Let me tell you right up front that I’m no wine expert. While I greatly admire those who can brilliantly describe a wine, from its complexity to its flavor profile, that’s just not my strong suit. The most valuable piece of information to me is simply whether or not […]
How I Maximize Relaxation & Fun on Cruise Sea Days
I’ve mentioned many, many, many times that I’m the most happy on a cruise ship. One of the things I look forward to the most are sea days. Sea days are free from schedules and responsibilities, and rather than thinking I’m “stuck” on the ship, I embrace the solitude of the open sea and nowhere […]
My Cruise Kit: The Practical & the Ridiculous
I travel a lot, and I cruise as much as vacation days will allow. Even though I pack light and efficiently, there are a few items I have to make room for when I cruise. Some items are considered common sense necessities, some are considered cruise/stateroom hacks, and some are just plain ridiculous (but so […]
Little Black Trench Coat: My SCOTTeVEST Travel Staple
Much like that little black dress that every woman has in her closet, which can be dressed up or dressed down depending on accessories and setting, my little black trench coat is just as versatile. I travel A LOT and prefer to not carry a purse abroad. So when I was looking for something that […]