There’s a crazy legend in the Hungarian wine region of Eger about “Bull’s Blood.” It morphs, expanding and contracting depending on the storyteller,...
Is Pest Best? Things to Do in Budapest
January 23
Buda or Pest? Buda, hilly and regal, provides a spectacular backdrop for walks along the Danube. On the Buda side, the golden Castle glows like a crown on the...
Beating drums reverberated through the small wine village of Mád. Everyone was to come out into the streets for an announcement. This is how the Hungarian...
Midnight sun and temperate weather are excellent reasons to visit Iceland during its summers. Though I would like to offer that there’s magic in this Nordic...
Watching four women lazily swivel around in ergonomically correct office chairs, singing, while two bald dancers writhe on the floor in front of them, I...
Moravia, in the Czech Republic, is a fascinating wine region. Behind the Iron Curtain until the Velvet Revolution of 1989, winemakers did not have the freedom...
How to Pack That Amazing Wine in Your Luggage
December 12
It used to be, whenever I wanted to bring home a precious few bottles of wine or spirits from abroad, my options would be: (1) Stuff each bottle into a pair of...
First, let’s get it straight. It’s spelled BOTH ways. Piedmont is how most English speakers say it; Piemonte is how the Italians pronounce it. And me. I...
With upwards of 60,000 visitors a day, tourists typically outnumber locals in this stunning, sunken Italian city. The beauty of it can be mesmerizing, with...
Seamus met two charming, well-dressed guys on the steps of the Duomo with credentials around their necks. Before the afternoon was over we were out €40, two...