New items we tried at the hotel’s breakfast buffet today: makachia, a light and fluffy Mauritian style beignet flavored with coconut; vanilla + papaya jam and guava jam on crepes, and mini bananas. But the highlight of breakfast was the … Continue reading
Today we snorkeled in the Indian Ocean. (Wow that’s a sentence I never thought I would type.) We saw: tons of coral, schools of fish, some giant sea slug looking things (1 foot long and several inches thick) and something … Continue reading
It’s been almost a year since I’ve shared any travel adventures on this blog. All the U.S.-based travels hasn’t warranted new posts…until now. After 36 hours of travel, we’re in Mauritius…our first time in Africa! I’ve now been on six … Continue reading
Not sure if it’s because we’re staying at the Ritz, or if it’s island culture, but everyone is so friendly. The taxi drivers, the people working throughout the hotel, the waitstaff working the restaurants, the host at the restaurant off … Continue reading
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We’re having fun with all the Grand Cayman “wildlife.” Turtles: we saw 50+ large turtles and hundreds of small turtles that we could pick up and play with. Their skin was so soft and they flapped their fins hard on … Continue reading
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This week, the adventure continues in Grand Cayman. I was debating whether to blog about the trip, but so far my time at the Ritz and the island itself has been worth sharing! Day 1: I spent the afternoon working … Continue reading
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Today I visited Machu Picchu – an ancient city once inhabited by approximately 800-1,000 Incas spanning three generations, but abandoned when the Spaniards were invading Cusco. Over time, the jungle covered the region and it was rediscovered in 1911 by … Continue reading
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Friday — after a 2.5 rest, I followed the advice of my transfer escort and had some chicken soup at the hotel restaurant. It was so good! The soup has huge tender pieces of white meat chicken, one slice of … Continue reading
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Today I began part 2 of this Peruvian adventure. Departing for the airport at 3:30 AM was easy knowing there’s an amazing city and adventure awaiting me in Cusco. The Lima airport is busy and chaotic, but the flight out … Continue reading
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On Thursday evening I took a “Lima by night” tour which consisted of a driver, a guide, a cute couple from New Jersey and me. The majority of time was spent in the van as the driver navigated rush hour traffic, … Continue reading
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On Wednesday night, the conference speakers were invited to dinner at El Senorio de Sulco by the Dean of the local university. Similar to Tuesday night’s dinner, Wednesday’s dinner was also in the Miraflores district of Lima. Instead of being … Continue reading
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Well, two days into the Peru trip and I haven’t seen a single site recommended by a guide book. But boy have I had some yummy food! Today my work colleagues brought me to Punta Sal, a “cevicheria” with five … Continue reading
Attending this conference has not only given me the opportunity to meet like-minded professionals from around the globe, but it’s also exposed me to some new foods. The conference stopped for a 90 minute lunch break yesterday afternoon. Everyone relaxed … Continue reading
Last night I arrived in Lima, Peru. My fourth continent in four months! (If someone had ever told me that I would be traveling this often in 2012, I would have never believed it.) I’m here in Peru to speak … Continue reading
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Today we fly home from Italy – our three generation vacation that was three years in the making. Last night, after getting the kids settled for bed, Paul and I went out for a quick bite to eat. A last … Continue reading
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Today we slept in late and then spent the day exploring the main island. I took the vaporetto twice to San Marco – S. Zaccharia trying to make my way to San Lazaro island, but was unsuccessful. San Lazaro is … Continue reading
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Wireless at the hotel is up and running again. We are staying in the annex of the hotel, which is a separate building with more of an apartment feel. We have our own front door key to the building, and … Continue reading
Today (Monday) we drove from Parma to Venice, dropped off our rental car, and successfully navigated ourselves onto the vaporetto with all of our luggage and ultimately made our way to the hotel. The kids LOVE Venice…the boats, the pigeons … Continue reading
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On Sunday we checked an item off our bucket list: a visit to a Parmesan cheese factory and a Parma ham producer. It was such a busy and exciting day, that I needed a night to process the day before … Continue reading
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Today we left Monte Melino after saying arrivederci to Megan, Lino, Isabella and Ugo the dog at Villa Rosa. Miss M was sad to leave Isabella and the pool….she really enjoyed the past week. We drove a few hours through … Continue reading
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Fitting that on our last day at the villa, Paul contributes a guest post on the beauty of this place: First of all, let me take a minute to thank my lovely wife for keeping this blog. It’s been a … Continue reading
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This morning, Papa watched D as Paul, Grandma, Miss M and I ventured out to find La Pucciarella, a local vineyard on the Strada del Vino – Trasimeno. We got lost on our way there, which typically would be fine, … Continue reading
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Some images of our life here in Umbria…explanations in no particular order. The chickens at Villa Rosa and rooster which makes a racket every morning. An image of Villa Rosa in the distance; La Casetta, the cottage we’re staying in, … Continue reading
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Today we traveled 45 minutes to the town of Assisi. First stop was two espressos for Paul and I…the 1 Euro espressos are the best! Then, the church and crypt of Saint Chiara where there was a chapel dedicated to … Continue reading
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Today (July 11,) Grandma, Paul and I spent the morning in Deruta, about a 20 minute drive from the villa. Deruta is the home of hand-painted ceramics and their pottery can be found in restaurants and stores around the globe. … Continue reading
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Today (July 10) the kids spent the morning in the pool at the villa while Paul and I went on a hike. It took us 45 minutes to go up Monte Penna (which translates roughly to feather in the cap.) … Continue reading
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A few notes on some random topics: The weather has been hot with clear blue skies. Very, very hot. The day we were in Pico, the car read 42 C which I think is 107 F. Most of the other … Continue reading
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After breakfast and a quick dip in the pool, we drove 90 minutes to Orvieto. Orvieto is a medieval city perched on top of tufa rock from the Etruscan period. We stopped along the way to fill up the car … Continue reading
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On Sunday we spent the entire day in Monte Melino. We woke to the bright sun beaming through our open windows and hearing many sounds of animals. We’re guessing that we heard cows and pigs, but not sure. Definitely seeing … Continue reading
Ciao! The Lilla family has connectivity again! If I sit at the main house of the villa, outside on a bench under the kitchen window, the wireless works. So I’ve spent a good part of the day here uploading pictures … Continue reading
