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Exploring the Rome Beer Scene After almost two weeks in Italy, it pains me to say that I was wined out. And no, my liver wasn’t exhausted after twice (and sometimes thrice) daily intakes of wine – lunch, dinner, and the occasional mid-morning Prosecco – as it earned a degree in party from Ohio University. Instead, my taste buds were screaming for hops. As we wrapped up our Italian odyssey in the Eternal…
Read moreSome breweries are worth making a road trip to visit. North Country Brewing, a brew pub in Slippery Rock, Pennsylvania, is worth the trek. When my parents first told me they were taking us to a surprise restaurant an hour away I was scared. I have my rotation of must eat restaurants when I visit home. Unplanned substitutions are just not welcome – especially when they’re an hour away. Didn’t they know…
Read moreThis was the toughest installation of this series to recall yet as it brought up many food memories and emotions from Ecuador. I will always remember the family that I was placed with in Ecuador quite fondly. It was a blessing to be dropped into the midst of the love they all shared for each other and extended to me. The Valverde-Orellana family is the reason that I had such a positive…
Read moreVisiting Ancient Rome truly deserves an entire day on your itinerary. Some tourists may try to squeeze it into a few hours, but they’re not doing themselves justice. Sure, they may capture a photo to share on Facebook, but is that why we travel? To just brag about it online? Hardly. Ancient Rome is about the experience. It’s about touring buildings that are thousands of years old, walking in the footsteps of…
Read moreIf you remember from last week’s post 9 Ideas for Food Travel Souvenirs, our haul from Italy was quite large – 12 bottles of wine, 3 half wheels of cheese, 3 bottles of grappa, and 1 bottle of lemoncello. Bringing all of those items home plus an acquired t-shirt and sweatshirt was not easy. Heck, with airline luggage checking fees, overweight baggage penalties, high shipping costs, customs restrictions, and theft risks, bringing…
Read moreIt’s easy to be unknown in Charlotte’s exploding craft beer scene. From the time Brad Shell, Boss Man at Unknown Brewing, decided to open shop in Charlotte and the taps started pumping beer, the brewery count jumped from one lone brewery to five. Today, a little more than a year after opening, the city boasts ten plus breweries with weekly announcements of additional breweries in the works. Up until I had the…
Read moreIf you have just one night in Rome, visiting Central Rome is essential. This post picks up from my last post on Rome where we spent the greater part of the day exploring the Vatican. After lingering over wood fired pizza and a half carafe of wine, we explored Central Rome on a self-guided walking tour took us past the ancient of Castel Sant’Angelo and through the trendy of the Triangle of…
Read moreOur souvenir haul from Italy was huge and it was all food! It included a case of wine, three bottles of grappa, a bottle of lemoncello, and three half wheels of cheese. That may sound strange to you, but we’re foodies so our souvenirs tend to fall into the food and drink category. Our trip to Bavaria yielded four ceramic beer mugs and a bottle of Sporer schnapps. Thailand, a dinner table…
Read moreI’m not Catholic and figured visiting the Vatican would be a waste of my time. The saints, popes, and gaudy paintings of Jesus suffering would be lost to me. I grew up Protestant and our Jesus has risen. Besides, there’d be a lot of people there and I don’t do crowds. I’d read of lines winding throughout and around Saint Peter’s Square to catch a glimpse of the holy grounds now that a…
Read moreAs much as we all hope for perfect weather on our vacation, Mother Nature is beyond our control and is bound to rain on our plans. It seems like almost every trip we took last year included several unwanted rain storms. It’s easy to get frustrated and allow the rain clouds to ruin our vacation. I often tossed my hands up in anger. But a little rain shouldn’t spoil your fun! With a dash…
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