Today is my first day back at work in nearly a week and I am glad it's almost Friday. We had a wonderful time in Brugge, which involved a lot of eating. Chocolate, French Fries with Mayo, Mussels and Beer were definitely the local favorites.

One of the days, we decided to go on a bike ride in the countryside and headed to nearby Damme. 4 hours on a rented bike and 3 days later my butt was still hurting. Now, I remember why I never liked spinning classes.

I'll be back shortly with more details. Until then, enjoy this picture photo of Brugge by ZBigD via Flickr.

I am in San Diego exploring Balboa Park this morning...a short stop before heading to Mexico.

My husband and I recently returned from a fabulous holiday in Florence and Tuscany.  We planned this trip a little differently than trips that we’ve taken in the past.  We stayed in one location and just took organised day trips to the Tuscan countryside.  Normally, we hire a car and I am stuck trying to read a map and direct my husband around who is equally clueless. This time someone else did the driving and it was so much better for everyone involved. I won’t give you a day by day account but I will tell you about some of the highlights.

On our fourth day in Florence, we booked a one day cooking course through a company called Good Tastes of Tuscany. We were picked up in Florence and taken to Villa Pandolfini, which is a beautiful villa in the Tuscan countryside. We walked around the grounds and met the other people on our course – A family of 5 from Northern California, a couple from Canada and a couple from San Diego.   Why is it that American tourists seem to flock to all these organised tours?

Maurizio, who was our instructor for the day, introduced himself and announced the menu for the class:

*Bruschetta al pomodoro
*Homemade pasta with pesto sauce
*Etruscan Chicken with Olives and White Wine
*Panna Cotta with fresh berries

It’s a hands on class so be prepared to get involved. This course is great for beginners or experienced cooks.

The bruschetta was fabulous – chopped tomatoes with fresh basil and olive oil on lightly toasted Ciabatta. (On a side note, there’s a fabulous shop in Islington called Monte’s Italian Delicatessen that sells great Ciabatta along with fabulous pasta, meats and cheeses, but get there early because it sells out fast!)

The homemade pasta was probably the highlight of the class.  I honestly wasn’t sure how much I would like it because I already only buy fresh pasta from Italian delicatessens and I wasn’t sure it could get any better… but it was so amazing.  Now I am dying to have my own pasta making machine and drying rack. Then I’ll host a dinner party and get everyone involved in making the pasta.

Homemade pesto is so much better than the stuff you buy in a jar.  It doesn’t have all that oily residue on top.   Just a tip, if you are cooking for a crowd, don’t even think about using a mortar and pestle.    Get yourself a good food processor...you won’t regret it.

Our dessert didn’t turn out exactly as planned because Maurizio didn’t realise that someone had mistakingly mixed the salt and sugar together, which left us with salty panna cotta---Whoops, but Elizabeth saved the day by bringing a cheesecake for everyone to enjoy.

After preparing everything, we all sat down to enjoy our meal with our new friends.  I can’t tell you how much I enjoyed this experience.    I would do it again and again.

In fact, I am already looking into much next cooking adventure.  If you are planning a trip to Florence or Tuscany, I would highly recommend this experience.  Food and Italy are synonymous with one another and this is a fabulous way to learn more about both of them.

I am in Dublin for work for a couple days next week.   I've only been to Dublin once before on a family holiday but that was probably close to 7 or 8 years ago now so I am looking for some suggestions.

I have dinner plans both nights, but on one of the days I have almost 12 hours all to myself so I need some suggestions.   The hotel where I am staying has a spa so I am going to see if I can book in a massage or facial, but I still have at least 10 hours to fill? Any ideas?

We FINALLY got around to booking our summer holiday. Next month, we are headed to Florence and Tuscany. We have hotels and flights, but other than that we have no plans.

I would really like to take a cooking course in take a cooking course in Tuscany so I will be researching options over the next few weeks.

I think I may have found my first choice for a summer holiday this year.

Sherry Page of Culinary Getaways offers weekend getaways in Napa and week long culinary getaways in Paris and Provence.

After many years in the corporate world, Sherry Page said goodbye to a very successful career high tech industry to start Culinary Getaways. I really admire people who are able take risks and move away from what is comfortable and safe.

On the week-long trip to Provence, participants will get involved with hands-on cooking classes, visit beautiful markets, sample delicious cheese and wine pairings, eat in great restaurants all while taking in the beauty of Provence. I am seriously dying to go on this trip.

I just need to convince my husband and perhaps scour my shoe collection and decide which items I am willing to part with on E-bay so I can start a little mini culinary getaway fund.

Photo Credit: Culinary Getaways

My husband and I spent a week last February in St. Moritz, a fashionable ski resort in Switzerland. St. Moritz was a good choice for us because we are a mismatched ski couple. My husband is really good and I am pretty crap, but the nice thing about St. Moritz is that there is plenty to do for non-skiers.



To get to St. Moritz, most people fly to Zurich and then the train to St. Moritz. The journey takes a couple of hours but you really don't mind because you are in the mountains and the scenery is beyond stunning. When we arrived in St. Moritz, a car from the hotel was waiting to pick us up.

We stayed at the Kulm Hotel and we were graciously welcomed by the hotel manager, Dominique Godat and his wife upon arrival. I was really impressed with the service and Dominique made every effort to make our stay enjoyable. He came over to our table several nights during dinner and invited us to a party welcoming a celebrated chef to the hotel.




The hotel lobby is very elegant and traditional. It's pretty empty during the day but people relax in the lobby after returning from the slopes and then later in the evening after dinner. The rooms are beautiful and the staff take care of absolutely everything.

We had the half board, which includes breakfast and dinner. Both meals are served in the grand ballroom. Breakfast is casual and the buffet offers a wide range of choices from eggs and bacon to yogurt and fresh fruit.

Dinner is a more formal affair and in the evening, jackets and ties are required for men.

The meal is usually 4 courses. Each night, you receive a menu and it's completely in French. Hmmm, should I start with the Consomme double aux profiteroles, Creme dame blanche or Jus de tomate au genievre? My husband's French is ok, mine is pretty terrible so most of the time, we sort of knew what we were ordering but not really. That being said, we always had a good meal so either we ordered well or everything was just very good.

We ate in the dining room all but one night when we went to Nobu at Badrutt's Palace. Our meal at Nobu was one of favorite best Nobu experiences to date. We ordered the chef's choice 7 course tasting meal. A fantastic experience!

I've always had my favorites at Nobu and I ate and then ended up loving things at this meal that I normally wouldn't have ordered.

My husband brought his own skis, but I rented mine. The Kulm Hotel has its own ski shop so they got all my gear together, put on the bindings or whatever they do and then put them all in my locker for the morning. The hotel also has a shuttle service to take you slopes although it's not that far of walk either.

When you are on the slopes, you can definitely tell why people come to St. Moritz. It's a beautiful resort. After a few hours of skiing on our first day on the slopes, we stopped for lunch in one of the restaurants.








You can't beat the view from the restaurant above and even if you are not in the restaurant, there are plenty of lounge chairs to sit, do a little sunbathing and soak up the view.

Girlfriends Getaways seem to be all the rage and why shouldn't they be? What better way to catch up with friends and do a little sightseeing, shopping, eating and relaxing in the process? Here are my top 5 picks for a girlfriend's getaway in the US:

5. Boston – My theory is always to spend part of the time learning something and then the rest of the day having fun.

For history buffs, I might suggest kicking off the morning with a 2.5 mile walk along The Freedom Trail or alternatively by visiting The John F Kennedy Museum and Library.

Then I’d recommend getting some lunch before shopping at Faneuil Hall Marketplace or on Newbury Street.

4. Chicago – Chicago never disappoints. Spend your day visiting the Sears Tower, the Art Institute of Chicago, Buckingham Fountain in Grant Park, Navy Pier and Shopping on Michigan Avenue.

For a cool and chic dinner, make reservations at Japonais and try the NY strip served on a hot river rock. I ate at Japonais the last time I was in Chicago and it was superb in every way. Highly recommended!


3. Charleston - I have a crush on the city of Charleston and I really want to visit.

Charleston is so beautifully preserved and architecturally interesting. Book in for a massage at Spa Adagio, spend some time shopping on King’s Street, tour some of the city’s historic homes and take a Ghost and Dungeon Walking Tour.



2. Miami – Miami is the perfect place for relaxing during the day and partying at night. Sunbathe on South Beach, check out the shops on Lincoln Road, have a facial at the Delano and dinner at Sushi Samba before hitting the clubs. Can I book my ticket now, please?


1. New York – New York is the ultimate girlfriend’s getaway and my personal favorite for shopping, eating, sightseeing, people watching and just about everything else.

Visit the Met, do some people watching in Central Park, stay on the Upper East Side and do little shopping on Madison Avenue before heading downtown to hit the boutiques in Soho.

For drinks, I’d recommend Bar 89 on Mercer Street and for dinner, it’s a toss up between Lupa and Pastis.