Rome

Ofir and I just enjoyed a lovely holiday in Rome, a place that is a convenient stop over when he travels to Israel to see family. We stayed at a charming B&B near the Piazza Barberini called the Daphne Inn, and simply spent a few days eating great food and walking around this beautiful city.



We covered all the obvious must sees in Rome: The Vatican, the Trevi fountain (crowded), the Spanish steps (over-rated), and of course the Pantheon (awesome, let’s face it).


Picture Source

But two of my favorite sites were the Santa Maria sopra Minerva Basilica and the Knights of Malta keyhole (pictured above).

San Sebastian

Toward the end of July I joined two friends, Jodi and Fran, for a little R&R in San Sebastian. We all really fell in love with this place: great beaches, very laid back, lots of charm, and tapas to die for.

This is the place where Spaniards come to enjoy summertime fun in the sun. I was personally thrilled to visit San Sebastian because it’s in the Basque Country where my family name (and my mother’s family name) comes from. Note: Our family names actually come from nearby Alava, but close enough. Point being, I saw at least a handful of people that were doppelgangers of my real-life Texas relatives!

2006 vs 2007 Travel

I happened to be thumbing through picts on my computer and got the bright idea to try and compare the places I’ve traveled in the last two years . . . just to see if there are any trends or insights I can gain into my own life (other than that I work too hard).

So here is the list with a few geeky codes: (B) is for business, (P) is for pleasure, and there is an (*) for each visit. Also, for those places I highly recommend you’ll find a link.

2006
Shanghai (B), Sao Paolo (B), Aruba (P), Culebra (P), Adirondacks (P), Tokyo (B), London (B), Paris (B), Milan (B), Munich (B), Amsterdam (B***)

2007
London (B*****), Paris (B), Hamburg (***), Miami/Ft Lauderdale (P), Atlanta (B****), NYC (P*******), Munich (B**), Provence (P) , San Sebastian (P), Berlin (B), Geneva (B), Bonn (B), Rome(P), Holland: Haarlem, Zandvoort, Masstricht (P), Brussels (B), Los Angeles (B**)

My analysis: I am a geek. But to be fair, this little exercise reminds me that my work has taken me places. Now the idea that “she with the most miles wins” remains to be seen. 2007 at a glance has not been an all-out improvement on 2006. For one thing, I seem to be getting trapped in some kind of Germanic cosmic net. And I'm a bit too heavy on Euro travel, so if the travel gods are listening, Como se dice LatAm or Asia? But seriously, I think I might just need a bit more mountain air and Eastern love. So to that end, any of you regular readers out there who would like to meet up in Bali or are up for a weekend escape to Geneva, just shout. And also, anyone who wants to go with me to Africa (or anyplace on the above map shaded in green) . . . just say the word.

Amsterdam Restaurants and Sips

An e-mail went around the agency recently whereby everyone was asked to vote on their favorite restaurants in town. Since I am a vegetarian and have my own “standards” I’ve edited the list down to a few key locations and thrown in a wine bar for good measure. I will continue to edit this post if/when new candidates are born. PS – Remember in Amsterdam, reservations are required for dinner.

De Belhamel - Romantic spot with seats overlooking the canal.

Lof - One of the best restaurants in town besides De Kas. Menu changes daily.

De Kas - In a greenhouse in a park over-looking a pond and the freshest food ever.

Vyne - Wine flights on the Prinsengracht.

Koevoet - Cozy Italian in the heart of the Joordan.

De Reiger - Classic brown cafe in the Joordan.