You’ll never open another bottle of wine or champagne again without thinking of this. Cork is one of Portugal’s biggest and most important exports. In fact, Portugal is the biggest cork producer in the world and produces more than 50% of the world’s cork supply. The vast majority of this is made into those forgettable or collectable wine bottle stoppers but increasingly, more and more cork is being sold to …
What if I lose my phone? Yep, this is a biggie. But first… Before departing for a trip, it’s important to take necessary precautions should the unexpected occur. “Only bring devices you need during travel and remove any unnecessary data,” said Bahman Hayat, a cybersecurity expert. “I highly recommend signing out of or deleting apps that you don’t anticipate using when traveling.” This makes it harder for someone to access …
Meet my friend Natasha. She hosted a lunch at her dacha for me a few years ago. This was formerly her great grandparents’ vacation home but is now permanent residence for her family… her husband and son. What is a Dacha? The noun “dacha”, coming from verb “davat” (to give), originally referred to land allotted by the tsar to his nobles; and indeed the dacha in Soviet times is similar to the allotment in …
This city is PACKED with drama: visual, architectural, historical, literary, culinary. It’s easy to visit, (less than a 2 hour drive from both Seville and Malaga ), to navigate on foot and has great restaurants and tapas bars. In one day you can see many of its major attractions, take pics, wander the streets and shops, marvel over its bullring and tributes to ancestral families of great matadors and relax …
Sachertorte has a sweet secret. In 1832, the Austrian State Chancellor challenged his kitchen staff to prepare a “dessert to impress” special guests. With the Head Chef taken to his bed, his 16-year old apprentice, Franz Sacher performed the original culinary magic creating a chocolate cake which soon gained a cult following. From the imperial court to the world stage of desserts. Here’s the original recipe. Order it in any …
As an American tourist traveling abroad, there aren’t many things more embarrassing than listening to a fellow citizen complain, in loud, rude disbelief, when someone in a service position in the destination country, doesn’t speak English. It happens far more often than you think. If you’re planning to travel abroad, please take the time to learn a few basic phrases in the language spoken in the countries on your itinerary. …