I arrived in Mexico City early yesterday afternoon. The first order of business after checking into the hotel was a siesta. When I woke up, the sky was ominous looking. Within minutes lightening and thunder made their appearance with great gusto. I could hear hail pounding against the window. Staying in and eating at the hotel’s restaurant seemed prudent. It … Read More
Sagaponack, NY – Madoo Garden
While visiting friends in Sag Harbor, we took a drive to visit Madoo Garden. I’d never heard of it, but it’s a jewel. Though not very large in total acreage, it is laid out so ingeniously and whimsically that it feels much larger. Each small “room” has a unique character created by the layout, plants, and strategically placed, colorful objects, … Read More
Sag Harbor – Part One – The Ark
I just spent a few days in Sag Harbor (Long Island, NY) visiting my friends Pat and Sandra. Pookah came too and got to spend time with a new canine friend, Brody. On Friday morning we headed over to The Church, an art gallery with a fascinating history. In 1835 it began as a Methodist church. Since that time, it … Read More
Final day in Taiwan
I returned home from Taiwan last Friday. Total travel time, including getting to and from the airport plus a long layover, was 30 hours. There is a twelve-hour difference between Taipei and NYC, making night day and day night. I was very jetlagged for a couple of days. So now I’m catching up on our final day. It was the … Read More
Taipei, Taiwan
One week into the trip we were both in need of a “do-nothing” morning. We slept late, read emails, I wrote while Tristan played computer games. When we finally got ourselves moving, we headed to Ximending, an area Tristan wanted to explore. That didn’t surprise me, Ximending is known as a “cool” entertainment center geared towards the young. There are … Read More
Return to Taipei, Taiwan
Breakfast was another extravaganza of flavors and textures; each carefully explained in the multi-page menu. Before departing we did a bit of walking around The One hotel’s grounds. They are as well designed and immaculate as the building. Danny met us for our final day before returning to Taipei. Leaving the hotel, we passed by tea plantations. I was surprised … Read More
Taiwan – Day 6
The buffet at the La Lu Hotel surpassed any I’ve ever experienced, and that is saying a lot. The choices were endless and delicious. I tried several foods for the first time including loofah. Prior to this trip I only thought of a loofah as something to wash with. But Ivy Chen explained that if you pick it when it … Read More
Sun Moon Lake
Leaving the B&B was difficult because our host, Frank, kept bringing more and more fruits for us to try. We had plums and mangos from his garden as well as local lychees, peaches, and bananas. Then it was time for photographs in the garden. When at last we managed to say final goodbyes, we drove through the Taroko gorge. Our … Read More
Taroko National Park, Taiwan
We were up early to enter Taroko National Park. Because of the earthquake last year, the road is undergoing major repairs. There is a single tunnel to enter and exit and they are working on it, they only allow a few cars at specified times—6 am, 10am and 12pm were our choices. We took a quick look around the visitor … Read More
Taipei, Taiwan – Day 2
Today was all about food and drink. We met up this morning with Ivy Chen for a market tour. Because it was just Tristan and me, we got to ask all the questions we wanted. Ivy is a fount of information. The market is filled with small stalls, each specializing in something different. At the tofu seller Ivy explained the … Read More