I awoke this morning in the shadow of the snow-capped Eiger Mountain to the chorus of bells worn by cows grazing upon the rolling hills of Grindelwald, Switzerland. Now, I’m standing 11,333 feet in the open air at Jungfraujoch, knownRead more
I watch in awe at the precision and speed with which Provençal chef Jean-Marc Villard peels and cores a Gala apple. The chef is demonstrating how to make a single-serving-sized tart tatin. He spoons granulated sugar into a ramekin toRead more
In a flash of self-pity, I think about what I’m not doing while staying in L’Isle-sur-la-Sorgue, France, the enchanting and historic island town ringed by the Sorgue River in the Luberon region of Provence. I’m visiting nearby Gordes, one of theRead more
Beneath the canopy of live oaks dripping with Spanish moss are six slatted, wooden arm chairs, weather-worn by Pacific coastal fog that regularly blankets Marconi Historic State Park and gently salts the air. They lie in wait for guests wishingRead more
Monique Risch is standing at the gas cooktop in her kitchen, intently stirring the contents of a large, deep pot when I enter the room. I peek in and see an orange-red liquid slowly simmering. Knowing her garden produces anRead more
Maybe the brown T-shirt imprinted with the eye-catching COOKIE…take a bite! logo that Tracy Mattson is wearing signifies super powers, something like the “S” emblazoned on Superman’s chest. Inside the 400-square-foot commercial kitchen of Tracy’s boutique, artisan bakery in Santa Rosa,Read more
Hiking atop Tomales Point’s craggy cliffs on the California coast, dense fog swirls with abandon, obliterating my view a few yards ahead. Just as quickly it shifts, allowing a fleeting glimpse of scrubby vegetation hugging the sandy trail. Save forRead more
I’m hopeful Mr. Darcy will magically materialize and join our Art of Reading tour at Mint Museum Randolph. The Art of Reading tour is a free program that draws connections between art and literature, two of my passions. Our guide, docent Debbie Struble, spearheaded developmentRead more
A jagged hole marring one of the oak wall panels in the richly appointed library of Graylyn, once the second largest private home in North Carolina and now an international conference center, is all that remains of a Parisian loveRead more
Our plan for this sunny day in Southern California seemed straightforward enough – drive about 60 minutes from La Maison, our French-inspired boutique hotel in Palm Springs, to Joshua Tree National Park for a desert hike. Instead, we’ve either materialized onRead more