Verbier, Switzerland

Our hotel room (W hotel) in Verbier, Switzerland was awesome! The room was set up like a cabin and tree house. It was nice to get out and ski. The view of the mountains was picturesque. 

Now off to the next stop for Christmas and New Years.

Ciao for now!

London

London is just one of those places that I keep coming back to. It is a great city and there is so much to enjoy. I spent the few days I had in London at different museums learning more about history, Harrods and enjoying the lunch counter, Selfridges, and at a few great rare and antique shops

Ciao for now!

Long weekend in Bali

I jetted off to Bali for a long weekend for a girl’s trip. This trip to Bali was in Seminyak. Unlike most Bali vacations, I did not go to the beach once. Instead I had a great time taking a local cooking class and doing white water rafting. The white water rafting was a lot of fun but there were a lot of stairs to get down to the river and it felt like even more to get back up the river. After the fun but exhausting experience it was great to spend some time at the spa. While in Bali there was a Deepavali dinner festival.

Ciao for now!

São Paulo

São Paulo is a massive city! When looking out at the city from the rooftop view of the hotel, the city went on as far as I could see in all directions. It was great to tour São Paulo and after seeing the size of it, I was glad it was not a walking tour. I enjoyed going to an art museum and experiencing their local market which is very different than the wet markets I have seen in Asia. This “wet market” was very old European styled, it was very nice.

Ciao for now!

Rio de Janerio

Rio de Janerio was so cool. I started every morning off with yoga by the pool with a view of the beach. After yoga, I would usually go for a morning swim in the ocean. Exploring Rio was so much fun. I enjoyed going out and experiencing the local cuisine. I really like Brazilian food! It was amazing to see the Christ statue on Corcovado and Sugarloaf mountain. It was shocking to see the favelas.

Overall, Rio is a great city and I cannot wait to go back!

Ciao for now!

Walla Walla, Washington

Walla Walla, the place so nice they named it twice. I really liked visiting this small town. I had a lot of fun walking through the small, historic downtown of Walla Walla. I went to the summer musical production at the amphitheater of Fiddler on the Roof. I also went to Klicker Berries and Antiques for the “best ice cream in Walla Walla” according to my mom.

Ciao for now!

Albuferia, Portugal

I love Albuferia, Portugal. The fresh seafood was delicious. I enjoyed playing golf and tennis while in Albuferia. It was a delight to walk to along the beach before and after meals. I cannot wait to go back!

Ciao for now!  

Seville

Seville had a lot of muesums and interesting architecture. I enjoyed seeing the Moorish designs in Seville and the cathedral where Christopher Colombus’ tomb is located. It was a lot of fun to see flamenco dancers but overall Seville was a little boring after a few days of all day touring.

Ciao for now!

Madrid

My first trip to Madrid was filled with food and museums. I strolled through the Royal Palace of Madrid, spent days in Museums. I especially enjoyed the Museo Nacional del Prado.  I tried a lot of classic Spanish dishes such as paella and different tapas. It was definitely an interesting experience.

Ciao for now!

Cairns, Australia

Cairns, Australia is probably most known for the Great Barrier Reef. It was a great city to spend a day after the cruise.

I had a lot of fun exploring the South Pacific and learning the culture and about the significance of these islands in World War II.

Next stop Europe.

Ciao for now!

Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea

Port Moresby is the capital of Papua New Guinea. Port Moresby is the largest city in the South Pacific.

I spent most of the day at the Parliament House and the National Museum. I also went to Burn’s Peak lookout and the stilt village. All in all it was a good visit in Port Moresby.

Ciao for now!

Samarai Island, PNG

Samarai island, part of Papua New Guinea, is a very small island. The island measures about 59 acres. Even though Samarai is a small island, it used to be an important trading post. In 1943 during World War II, the island was evacuated and many buildings were destroyed so that the Japanese did not benefit from taking the island.

I took a couple of hours to take a leisurely stroll around the island and couldn’t resist to dip my toes in the water.

Ciao for now!

Paul Gaugin and French Post-Impressionism Art from the Solomon Sea

While aboard the Paul Gaugin cruise line, there were several educational talks given by professionals. I love art and tried to attend every talk on the subject. I enjoyed listening and learning about French Post-Impressionism. The speakers did a great job discussing the history and events that influenced the change in art. They also talked about how the art itself differed in approach from Impressionism using examples of work by Paul Gaugin and Vincent Van Gogh compared with Monet.

Ciao for Now!

Kieta, Bougainville, Papua New Guinea

In Kieta, Bougainville, Papua New Guinea, I did a tour of Arawa. Once the Bougainville Copper Limited mining township, Arawa was destroyed in the Bougainville Conflict.

First I saw, World War II artifacts such as a tank and the reminants of a plane and canon.

Our group visited Pakia Village where a traditional dance was performed.

I also visited a small market.

The drive throughout Bougainville was filled with lush greenery.

Ciao for now!

Guadalcanal, Solomon Islands

I learned a lot more about World War II in Guadalcanal. Guadalcanal in the Solomon Islands, was the turning point for World War II. This island was significant for both the Japanese and the American Allied Forces. I visited the U.S. Memorial, Bloody Ridge, Henderson Field, Memorial Garden and the Coastwatchers Memorial.

It was a great experience to hear the stories and walk where the soldiers fought. According to my guide, Guadalcanal has more war sites and relic than any other island in the Pacific. After seeing the sites on land, I was able to spend the rest of the day in the ocean off of Bonegi Beach. While snorkeling I was able to see more historical military relics and sunken battleships. I also enjoyed seeing a variety of species of marine life.

Ciao for now!

Vanuatu Day 2: Espiritu Santo

Espiritu Santo, another island in Vanuatu had a lot of World War II relics and a stunning blue lagoon.

The blue lagoon on the island was a brilliant blue. It was hard to believe that this was the natural coloring.

The World War II historical sites I visited were:

• Japanese gaol that held the surviving crew from two Japanese patrol boats that sunk in 1942.

• Eurt’s Memorial in honor of the US Army Captain who drowned while saving men from the sinking SS President Coolidge.

• Bomber 1 and 3 airfields, some of which was hard to see as the jungle has grown back.  

• Million Dollar Point, a funny name but comes from the fact that the US military dumped a lot of equipment into the ocean after the war.

Ciao for now!

Vanuatu Day 1: Port Vila

Port Vila, Vanuatu on the island of Efate was beautiful. It is the capital and largest city in Vanuatu. It is a mix of Melanesian, French, English and Chinese cultures which adds for a unique flair. We went to the top of Klemm’s Hill, 600 feet above sea level, and had a wonderful view of Mele Bay. Next we went to the Cascade Falls Trailhead. I did a short hike and saw a lot of beautiful scenery. The waterfalls and crystal-clear water looked picture perfect. I enjoyed walking through present day villages of the city to better understand what life is like for them. I received a lot of smiles and waves from the small children that were out playing.

Ciao for now!

Fiji/Samoa Birthday Celebrations

This was quite the birthday!

I started off my birthday in Pago Pago, Tutuila in American Samoa. I was pleasantly surprised when the flight crew announced my birthday once we passed the international date line and I received a round of applause from the other passengers. Lunch time was in Lautoka, Fiji going between swimming in the ocean and pool for a few hours before we set sail. I ended my birthday celebration in the South Pacific Ocean at a disco birthday party on the cruise ship that the entire ship was invited to attend. For the next few days, everyone still greeted me with “Happy Birthday!”

Ciao for now!

Maui - my favorite destination

Maui is a great way to the start the summer. Hawaii is my favorite place and Maui is my favorite island.

I really enjoy surfing in Maui, the waves were pretty good on the days that I was able to surf. After a fun and long morning of surfing, I always make sure to get Kimo’s Hula Pie. I can see why the sailors would swim to shore in Lahaina for this. Another fun water adventure was snorkeling. We went out on a catamaran to the Marine Preserve in Honolua Bay to do some snorkeling. The view of the fish and turtles was amazing. After snorkeling, I had a great time jumping off the catamaran with some of the other tourists.

During this trip to Maui, I tried a few new things. I really enjoyed the guided waterfall tour hikes on the east side of the island. My favorite part was swimming in the different pools along the hiking trail and climbing up the waterfall to jump down.  I also did an ATV ride up the West Maui Mountains. When our group arrived at the top we cut open a pineapple for a snack and then headed down a slide in to the reservoir. It was awesome! The ATV ride is a lot of fun but you definitely get dirty! I also went horseback riding in a different area of the West Maui Mountains, it is interesting to see the difference in the vegetation between the west and east side of the island.

No trip to Maui is complete without a luau and strolling through Lahaina Town.  The luau on our final night was a great way to start my birthday celebrations! Now I am off to my next island in the Pacific Ocean.

Ciao for now!

Summer 2014

School’s out for the summer!

This summer is going to be packed with adventure. My itinerary is packed with 10 weeks of travel to some amazing places.

Stay tuned…

Ciao for now!

Washington, DC

My weekend in Washington DC, was cut short as the first day I was there, I did not feel well. Thankfully, after some rest, the next day I was able to tour and visit most of the popular monuments. After a long day of walking, I had a fabulous dinner at BLT Steak, the Gruyère Popovers were delicious! I hope to see more of the Smithsonian on my next trip to the nation’s capital.

Ciao for now!

Florence, Italy

We were invited to a Gucci and GQ reception to celebrate the Lapo Elkann collection. It was a fabulous evening and was just so much fun. After the event, I went out to pizza with some of my new friends, a pretty Russian woman and her mother, a NYC entrepreneur, an Italian acquaintance and my parents.  It was the best pizza party ever!

The next day we went to a special Gucci showroom where they take really famous people, not just a normal store. There they had selected all of these items for me to look at and try on. It was so cool!

In Florence, we also went on some walking tours. One day we went on a Medici history walking tour. I learned a lot. My favorite walking tour was the local artisans one where I went local craftsmen and woman who taught me a little about their skill. It was amazing to see how much time and effort goes into making certain things by hand.

My favorite restaurant in Florence was Alle Murate. The original frescos on the second floor and the excavation work in the basement made this place very special.

Ciao for now!

Venice, Italy

Venice is the city with no cards and no bicycles. The locals walk or take motorboats, the only ones that use their famous gondolas are the tourists.  Looking at the map of Venezia you quickly discover that the lagoon is actually made up of several small islands connected by hundreds of bridges.

The famed San Marco square was beautiful, however, the infamous pigeons were not as many as I was expecting.  I thought the most magical part of Venice was the ability to take small winding paths and get lost in the city. There on these lesser-traveled streets I found quiet cafes and squares to sit and watch time go by.

I went on a wonderful walking tour with a local Venetian where I learned more about the history and how the city works. We also happened upon a school and it was great to play with the local school children for a moment.  I took a boat to Murano and learned to blow glass as the local artisans do. I also found a few beautiful chandeliers for my bedroom. After that, I spent a couple of hours on the island of Burano, famous for Venetian lace.

I also went to a special dinner event called “Gusto in Scena” which means Taste on Stage. This was my first experience with a tasting menu and a cocktail reception prior to dinner. It was a fun evening!

Well I am off to the train station, next stop is Florence.

Ciao for now!

Sundance Film Festival and Deer Valley

I was heading to Deer Valley for a long weekend of skiing. It turned out Sundance Film Festival was going on in Park City, so I tried to make it a weekend of film and skiing.  I was lucky enough to get two tickets to see The Green Prince. This was an incredible movie.  The Green Prince is a world documentary based on the book Son of Hamas. I learned a lot about Israel-Palestine relations and history. Beyond that though the human struggle and the moral obligation faced within both of the main characters really got me thinking. I think this is a must see documentary.

As is usually the case when Sundance is going on, the slopes in Deer Valley were practically empty. It was nice to enjoy the fresh powder with just a few people in my group.

I love the St. Regis in Deer Valley, it is one of my favorite hotels. After a long day of skiing, they have a hot chocolate bar and in the evening you can make s’mores by the fire on the back patio. I love s’mores! As is a family tradition now, we always have a private s’more send off before we leave.


Ciao for now!

Paris

Paris is a beautiful place. It is really pretty after dark with the Eiffel Tower glowing yellow in the night.  I enjoyed wandering around the Christmas markets with all of the bright lights, shops, smells of fresh baked food and sounds of cheer.

The best burger place is Big Fernand, l'atelier du Hamburger à Paris. The lines for this place were out the door and the size of the restaurant does not fit the big taste of the food.  I liked the French take on an American classic.

As some of you may know, I enjoy art and learning about art history. I strolled through the halls of the Louvre for hours.  The main piece is the Mona Lisa and because of my mother, we were able to go in front of the crowd to admire the work.  I also went to Versailles. The grandeur of the palace was amazing, it was also fun to walk through the gardens.

New Years on the Champs Elysees was packed with people fully of cheer celebrating 2014. We celebrated at the Lido. It was an fabulous show with amazing performers. There were dancers, elephants, people ice skating and the costumes were amazing! The food was really good too, although I don't think I am a caviar girl but I do love lobster. The show ended like clockwork 20 seconds before midnight and then the masks streamers and fireworks began. The parties and the music were spilling into the street. It was so much fun, this was my favorite New Years!

Paris was a beautiful place and I look forward to returning to the city of lights.

Ciao for now!