At the end of March 2022, I decided to take advantage of shoulder season pricing and nice spring weather and headed to Athens, Greece for a weekend. It was my first time in both Athens and Greece. Athens has long been on my travel list since I was a child, largely due to a phase…
Diving and Swimming with Whales in Salt Cay, Turks and Caicos with Salt Cay Divers
I had been wanting to visit Turks and Caicos for quite a few years now, especially after I learned that it is well known for its diving. At the end of February and into March 2022, I finally had the chance to go. I did a lot of research on possibly dive adventures in Turks…
Weekend in Bermuda
In March 2022 I decided to fly out to Bermuda for a weekend to check it out. The island has been on my radar for a while. In part for the association with the Bermuda triangle but also because its geographic location in a sort of odd mid-Atlantic zone. Some consider it Caribbean, others do…
24 Hours in Barbados
My first international trip in 2022 took my to the recently fully independent Caribbean island nation of Barbados. All I really knew about Barbados was that it is the birthplace of Rihanna and that it was a British colony. But I learned that it was a crucial island for sugar production and has a thriving…
Review: Emirates “Game Changer” First Class Suite on EK 231 DXB to IAD
As mentioned in my prior post covering the Gulf Air Falcon Gold Business Class experience, for Christmas 2021 I managed to secure a last minute award booking on the Emirates “Game Changer” fully enclosed First Class suite, unlocking yet another aviation bucket-list item. So began my whirlwind Christmas journey to Dubai. Worth it? Live up…
Review: Gulf Air Falcon Gold Business Class FRA-BAH-DXB with 24 hours in Bahrain
For my 2021 Christmas holiday I managed to find a last minute award availability on Emirates Game Changer First Class Suite from Dubai to Washington D.C. on Christmas Day. I then needed to find a way to position myself in Dubai. It also was a good opportunity to visit the Dubai Expo which was happening…
Coffee and Adventures in Concepcion de Ataco, El Salvador with El Salvatours
Over Thanksgiving 2021, I traveled to El Salvador in Central America. El Salvador is the least visited of all the Central American countries and was the last one that I had yet to visit. It has become one of the favorites. The country has had a turbulent past to say the least. Having come out…
Review: SingleThread Farm and Restaurant, Healdsburg
In November 2021 I headed out to Healdsburg, Sonoma County, California. Not only to explore a bit of this wine country but for the main event: a dinner at Singlethread Farm – Restaurant – Inn. I honestly could not believe I managed to get a reservation, given my normally rotten luck with Tock reservation openings…
Quick Guide to Healdsburg, Sonoma County, USA + Valette Restaurant
Northern California. What a wonderful place to visit. Food, wine, outdoors, and all within fair and easy reach from San Francisco. California wine country is vast and diverse. You have the most famous one, Napa Valley, its more quaint but equally great neighbor, Sonoma, and the many other dotting the entire state like Paso Robles…
Day Trip to Bosnia & Herzegovina from Dubrovnik
As mentioned in my Dubrovnik, Croatia post, during one of my days in the Balkans/Dalmatian Coast, I opted to book a full day tour to visit neighboring Bosnia and Herzegovina, specifically to see the beautiful city of Mostar. A day trip or tour from Dubrovnik to visit Bosnia is well worth it if you do…
72 Hours in Dubrovnik, Croatia Game and Thrones with UNESCO Oysters and Wine
In October 2021, I ventured out to Dubrovnik, Croatia for the first time. Dubrovnik has long been on my list, especially as a Game of Thrones fan. Further Croatia was supposed to have been part of a cancelled Summer 2020 family vacation. Finally, Delta Air Lines operated a season JFK-DBV flight summer of 2021, and…
Review: Six Senses Douro Valley
Intro In September 2021, following a quick but delicious and productive 24 hours in Porto, I was off on a 2 hour train ride from Porto to Douro Valley, specifically the city of Peso de Regua, which is one of the biggest and main gateways to the valley. The 2 hour journey flies by as…
TheGastronomicTraveler 