In September 2021 I revisited Portugal, except this time I ventured to Northern Portugal to Porto and the Douro Valley. I can say that I like this part of Portugal more than Lisbon and its surrounding areas. They say Porto is the culinary capital of Portugal and I can certainly see why. It is also…
36 hours in Dufftown, Scotland; Scottish Highlands
Ah Scotland. What a place. Deliciously fresh food, whisky, friendly people, rich history and culture, and amazing scenery be it rain or shine. It is to this day one of my favorite parts of the world to visit. And I have only been twice. The first was a spectacularly luxurious journey aboard the Belmond Royal…
Review: Palace Restaurant, Helsinki, Finland
As mentioned in my Helsinki post, a restaurant that is definitely worth checking out in Helsinki is the 1 Michelin Starred Palace Restaurant. I had no idea about Palace Restaurant or really any of Helsinki’s fine dining scene until I was doing my research for the trip. Palace Restaurant was the first Finnish restaurant to…
Quick Guide to Helsinki, Finland
Hello there! It has been quite a while, in fact almost a year, since I last posted. This happened for a variety of reasons, including getting quite lazy. But we are now back at it and am going to try my best to make up and post about the many trips I have taken since…
La Table d’Hôte (La Cuisine du Chateau) at Domaine de Primard Hotel, Guainville, France
In my previous post, I reviewed and introduced Domaine de Primard Hotel in Guainville, Normandy, France. I mention there that one of two highlights of my time there was the La Table d’Hote dining experience. It was so special and enjoyable I figured it could use its own post. Summary Absolutely worth doing. Definitely worth…
Review: Domaine de Primard Hotel, Guainville, Normandy, France
The European Union recently placed the United States on their green list allowing for fully vaccinated travelers to enter within each EU nation’s own parameters. One country that was fully open without any restrictions except for proof of vaccination is France. I chose to stop by France for a couple of days on my return…
A Day in Woodinville, Washington and Stay at Willows Lodge
Background and Intro As mentioned in my prior post on The Herbfarm Restaurant, I spent Memorial Day weekend 2021 in Seattle. Part of the plans was to spend a night at Willows Inn in Lummi Island, 3.5 hours north of Seattle, but those dreams got dashed when the NYT Expose was published and we opted…
Review: The Herbfarm Restaurant, Woodinville, Washington
Background Over Memorial Day Weekend 2021 I visited Seattle for the first time, as in finally stepping outside the airport. I lucked out in the 5 days that I was there, sunny clear, occasionally overcast days, contrary to the stereotype rainy and gloomy weather expected of the region. Over all, I found downtown Seattle to…
Exploring Paso Robles Wine Country and the Central Coast, California
Intro After spending a week in the Bay Area and Napa Valley in April 2021, I headed south to the Central Coast of California. I have family friends in San Luis Obispo at Pismo Beach specifically and had never been to the proper Central Coast Area, furthest south from the Bay I been is Monterrey…
Napa and Sonoma Valley Wine Tasting
I love wine. But my wine journey is a continued learning experience. I am by no means an expert nor do I claim to be one. I keep discovering new wines from all over the world and figuring out what it is that I like. I also continue to learn about the varietals, harvest and…
Review: The French Laundry, Yountville, California
Hello There! It has been a while since my last post. Have not been traveling as much though that has slowly been changing. And now I have had some extra time to catch up on a few posts I had been meaning to do. Including this one! Intro In April, I went out to the…
Review: Discovering Little St. Simons Island, Georgia, U.S.A.
6:15AM. It was pitch-black, near freezing temperature, windy and my heart was racing as I and famously not good at biking/can barely bike. Once I am away from the lighted paths of the main lodge, I turn on my headlamp and get to the bike stands only to find that none of the bikes have…
TheGastronomicTraveler 