I am Lost and Found

Category: Feast in Europe

5 Things To Do In Vienna That Will Make You Fall In Love

It’s pretty easy to fall in love with Vienna, that magical ‘City of Dreams’ in Austria. And it’s not because of the vast amount of things to do in Vienna—the palaces, gardens, or world-class food. It’s about the harmony of the city. The symphonic undercurrent of Vienna captivates locals and tourists alike. There are so many things to do in Vienna that have been written about time and again. Here are five highlights that made me fall for Austria’s enchanting capital city.

I’ve come to Vienna for one thing—to see my daughter, Ella. She’s been abroad for four months and this is the longest I’ve gone without seeing her. We decide to meet in Vienna. Because why not Vienna? If Billy Joel says it’s waiting for me, who am I to disagree?

Ella and I create a shared Google doc. Hahahahaha. Ella creates a shared Google doc. That way, we can add ideas to our week-long itinerary from opposite sides of the Atlantic. I add restaurants and she adds bars. I add palaces and she adds pastry shops. When we are face to face, we have enough things to do in Vienna to please us both.

Don’t tell Ella, but I could care less about the sights, restaurants, or pastry shops. I’ve come to Vienna for just one thing.

Click here for my Free Vienna Hot Sheet

Things to do in Vienna

Yet, we need to eat. No one wants to travel with a hangry teenager. In my food research, I noticed a Viennese ‘must-eat’ appears time and again: the Sacher Torte. I don’t know what a Sacher Torte is. Does everyone else know? Surely Billy Joel does.

We also need to fill our days. Nothing says mother/daughter meltdown like too much idle time. I buy a Lonely Planet guidebook (yes, guidebooks still exist) and start reading. I’m not sure I know what I’m looking for, but I’ll know it when I see it.

It turns out Vienna is a goldmine of a European city. Gustav Klimt notwithstanding, the city is practically paved in gold. Clean, wide streets, stately architecture, ornate cathedrals, and vibrant gardens abound. Finding things to fill our days (and our stomachs) won’t be an issue.

Having been responsible for Ella’s travel upbringing, our travel styles are similar. We like a slow morning fueled by caffeine followed by some sort of activity. Strolling an artsy neighborhood, touring a palace, or sampling cheese at an outdoor market. ‘Activity’ is a decidedly loose term. Then we like to eat lunch, have more caffeine, and head back to the hotel for downtime before our evening activity—a kick-ass dinner.

Knowing Ella’s travel style makes our reunion much easier, and much more fun. Ella and I go deep and wide in Vienna, covering lots of ground in a week. What follows are five highlights.

5 / Things to do in Vienna: Go underground

Speaking of going deep, figuratively and literally, we stumble upon St. Stephen’s Cathedral. Stephansdom, as it’s also called, is a church with a haunting past. Above ground, the cathedral is a visual masterpiece that soars high above Vienna in its Gothic grandeur. With 230,000 multi-colored glazed tiles decorating its remarkable roof, it’s likely the city’s most iconic piece of architecture.

Yet, below ground is a different world. A ghostly one. Beneath the cathedral lies a mass grave for the thousands of Austrians who succumbed to the Bubonic plague in the 1700s. Outdoor cemeteries were closed due to illness, and the only place for the dead to be buried was underground.

Click to book St. Stephen’s Cathedral right here!

St. Stephen’s Catacombs, if you love ancient history

We tour the catacombs, sinking deeper into the church and thus into Austrian history. Then we walk beside the weathered stone sarcophagi of emperors, dukes, archdiocese, their wives, and children. Deeper into the catacombs, we peer into cavities of ancient walls and see piles upon piles of bones. Tall urns filled with the organs of the Habsburgs family are on prominent display. Being dismembered and dispersed was considered a post-life privilege. I would’ve opted out of that royal perk.

Ella and I love the dark, eerie catacombs. The air is thick with antiquity, and the effect is like a storm passing through our senses. We soon hear the church bells toll above us and are transported back to real-time. We resurface, exit the cathedral, and shield our eyes from the sun overhead. It’s noon—time for cake.

Click here for my Free Vienna Hot Sheet

4 / Things to do in Vienna: Eat cake

I may have never heard of a Sacher Torte, but I will become its BFF by the week’s end. If anything binds me and Ella, it’s butter, flour, and sugar. I schedule my next dental cleaning and research the best places to have one.

The Sacher Torte is a Viennese cake conceived due to an unfortunate event. Unfortunately, that is, for the official court pastry chef of Prince Klemens von Metternich. In 1832, the pastry chef fell ill just as his services were sought to prepare a one-of-a-kind dessert for royal guests. Enter backup pastry chef, 16-year-old Franz Sacher. Tasked with creating a masterpiece in record time, Sacher whips up an extraordinary chocolate cake. Before you can say Weiner Schnitzel, the official pastry chef, is out of a job.

As any baker knows, the key to confection perfection is using the highest quality ingredients. The original Sacher Torte’s ingredients are deceptively minimal: flour, sugar, eggs, chocolate, butter, and apricot jam.

After the cake is baked, it’s sliced in half, and a thin coating of warm apricot jam is spread on each layer. It’s then reassembled and topped with a chocolate glaze. Traditionally, the Sacher Torte is served with a dollop of unsweetened whipped cream on the side.

Five Sacher Tortes, please

Ella and I have Sacher Tortes at five cafés in as many days, including the one named after the original—Café Sacher. We’re all about paying homage to Vienna’s famous cake. To say we make sacrifices is an epicurean understatement. One wedge contains 53g of carbs, 18g of fat, and 398 calories. When I arrive home my jeans don’t fit, my dogs fat-shame me, and my dentist is categorically disappointed.

On a lighter note, Ella is easy to travel with and rarely gets annoyed. Unless she’s hungry, or too full. Or if people are walking too slowly in front of us. Or, too fast behind us. If she hears bells gonging (which happens often). Or if I don’t know where I’m going (which also happens often).

Other than that, she’s a total joy.

Demel, if you love fancy cafés

A café within walking distance to Stephansdom, Demel has been in the cake business since 1786. Demel Café is textbook fancy with its gold touches and monogrammed napkins. What better place to sample our final torte of the week? But, when we see the other baked goods on display, we get greedy and decide to go beyond the torte.

While we wait our turn to enter Demel, we notice another line forming to our left. Fancy Demel has a take-out window? We learn it’s a line for kaiserschmarrn, a savory dish I can best describe as scrambled pancakes. Think of your favorite parts of homemade pancakes—the drippy parts. Then lump them all on a plate with powdered sugar and serve with plum preserves. Now, it’s clear why kaiserschmarrn needs its own take-out lane.

Demel earns the distinction of serving us our favorite Sacher Torte. The wedge is so precisely cut that it looks like it’s been sliced by a surgeon. The balance of tangy apricot jam to rich chocolate is heavenly. The cake itself is dense but not dry. While hard to crack, the whipped cream offsets the bittersweet chocolate shell.

This is the moment I realize my daughter is a metaphor for the Sacher Torte. Dense, layered, tangy, and bittersweet with a shell that’s hard to crack. I don’t tell her this of course. And by the time she reads it, I’ll be thousands of miles away.

3 / Things to do in Vienna: Dine like royalty

The Sacher Torte may have been created by an angst-ridden teenager for kings and queens, but we didn’t need titles to dine at the world’s 12th-best restaurant. Steirereck is the first restaurant I’ve visited that boasts an ‘urban-rural’ setting. This riverside dining utopia lies in the heart of the city yet also in the heart of leafy Stadtpark. Originally built in 1904, a more recent mirror-clad addition makes the restaurant look like an apparition of nature.

The interior of Steirereck is minimal, with warm wooden tones and abundant space between the round, white-linen-topped tables. In a brilliant design move, each table is set within a semi-curved wooden slatted wall which conveys the illusion of privacy. But, just a touch of privacy. We all like to people-watch while we eat, don’t we? The curved walls are separated by floor-to-ceiling windows so diners feel connected to the outdoors.

Steirereck, if you love destination dining

I make a reservation at Restaurant Steirereck the moment Ella agrees to meet in Vienna. Before I even book my flight. Before I even tell my husband I’m going to Vienna.

San Pellegrino describes the tasting menu as having ‘rare breeds, unfashionable fish species, and near-extinct fruits and vegetables’. Ummmm, is that little write-up supposed to be tempting? I shake off my reservation reservations and put my faith in Saint, I mean, San Pellegrino.

Ella and I enjoy every dish, Even the unfashionable catfish, which is served with beans and calamansi. I have no idea what calamansi is, but my guess is near-extinct fruit.

There was a time I couldn’t imagine taking Ella to a multi-course dining experience like this. Her first 17 years, to be precise. Until then, Ella swore she would never eat fish. Swore she would never eat sushi. At 19, she now eats everything from squiggly calamari to tuna tartare. I don’t dare say I told you so. But inside I’m smiling with the kind of satisfaction only the parent of a stubborn teenager can understand.

Other highlights of our 7-course, wine-paired dinner are seasonal asparagus with poppy seed, apricot, and lamb’s lettuce. Piglet’s tail with Swiss chard, shiso, and black currant. We learn that Viennese cuisine is the only one in the world named after a city. Bravo, Vienna, for the well-deserved culinary accolade.

Click here for my Free Vienna Hot Sheet

2 / Things to do in Vienna: Go Baroque

Bravo, indeed. There appears to be no end to Vienna’s allure. An inherently walkable city, our step counters reach never-before-seen numbers by the end of each day. However, if there’s one Vienna sight worth walking over 20,000 steps for, it’s Schönbrunn Palace.

The former summer palace of the Habsburg monarchs, Schloss Schönbrunn, corners the market on empirical decadence and luxury. Built in the 17th century and named a UNESCO World Heritage Sight in 1996, there is perhaps no better example of Baroque architecture in Europe than Schönbrunn Palace.

Schönbrunn Palace, if you love imperial life

What was originally built as an imperial hunting lodge for Crown Prince Josef in the 7th century later became the glittering focus of court life when it was replaced with a chateau for Dowager Empress Eleonora Gonzaga. Today, visitors can tour the buttery yellow Schönbrunn Palace, its opulent staterooms, and lavish fountain-filled gardens.

We get much more than we expect at Schönbrunn Palace. I expect to be wowed by the private apartments of Franz Josef and his wife, Sisi, with their elaborately decorated walls, intricate parquet floors, and extensive art collections. I expect to drool over the well-kept gardens. I don’t expect the grounds’ sheer size, the added architectural marvel, The Gloriette, the children’s zoo, the rosarium, or the enclosed botanical and desert gardens.

Ella and I returned to the Orangerie for a classical music performance the next evening. If there’s one top ten sights to craft an entire day’s itinerary, it’s Schloss Schönbrunn.

Skip the Line! Click here to get Schonbrunn Palace tickets in advance

1 / Things to do in Vienna: Uncover Clandestine Cocktails

I can always count on Ella to be on the pulse of what’s trending and TikTok-ing. No matter how hard I try, I’ll never have access to her adolescent algorithms. My Instagram feed is populated with accounts called @tillytheblacklab, @mytherapistsays, and @momsbehavingbadly. Her social platforms are filled with hidden bars and clubs around the world. She told me about one such place, a speakeasy called The Chapel Bar, and asked if I wanted to try to find it.

The Chapel Bar, if you love absolving your sins in alcohol

The Chapel Bar is a highlight of our trip. Part of me doesn’t want to spoil the hunt for those who may end up in search of this hidden spot. The other part wants to spill all the details. The Chapel Bar makes you work for your cocktail. Suspend your disbelief. It’s worth finding.

A touch of biblical theater adorns the cocktail menu at The Chapel Bar. Think sins, plagues, and 80s Top 40 hits with drinks like ‘A Snake in Paradise—Adam Always Blames Eve’, which combines Bacardi Anejo Cuatro Rum, cloudy apple juice, lime, and Old Judge Falernum. And the ‘Phil Collins—I can feel it coming in the air tonight, Oh Lord’ concoction made with Bombay Sapphire London Dry Gin, elderflower liqueur, pink grapefruit, and club soda.

The artistry of the drinks lives up to the wild descriptions. Ella’s drink is enclosed within a mini-birdcage and we see someone sipping from what looks like a red Christian Louboutin stiletto. Although it was pretty dark, it could’ve been a Jimmy Choo. Whoever is responsible for creating these clandestine cocktails, I need to meet you. You are my creative god.

First time in Vienna? Discover the best of Vienna (including Sacher Tortes, of course) with this self-guided walking tour of the city!

Falling for Vienna

Vienna is a city that inspires harmony. Whether it’s the delicate balance of apricot and chocolate in a celebrated cake or nymphs floating above in a magnificent palace mural. An under-the-radar cocktail bar or the combination of unfashionable ingredients served at a world-class restaurant.

It may have taken me half a century to get to Vienna, but as Mr. Joel promised, it was waiting for me. Vienna is waiting for you, too. Just don’t forget to sample a Sacher Torte or two while there. Your dentist will forgive you.

Check out Vienna’s most luxurious hotel here. It’s my top pick.

Click here for my Free Vienna Hot Sheet (including shhhhhh, The Chapel Bar)

Interactive Vienna Map with All Of My Favorite Spots

Map from Wanderlog, a trip planner app on iOS and Android

(Please note a few affiliate links above for which I may receive a small referral fee. But rest assured, I only highlight products I fully stand behind.)

June 20, 2024
This Lake Como Hotel Has Great Expectations

The Lake Como hotel everyone is talking about these days is Il Sereno. With a Michelin-starred restaurant and all-encompassing lake views, it’s no wonder this lakeside gem is so hot. Take a peek inside this glamorous, yet understated, Lake Como hotel and start packing.

It’s hard to think of a destination with more at stake than Lake Como. Famous for extravagant villas, breathtaking views, Neoclassical hotels, decadent food, and the Clooneys, of course. Lake Como has a lot to live up to. Choosing a Lake Como Hotel, however, is a no-brainer.

Where is Lake Como?

Lake Como is about an hour from Milan airport, but in many ways, a world apart from the busy city. It’s a wonder there aren’t more accidents on the narrow, winding roads that curve serpentine around the lake. We aren’t the only ones with mouths agape, trying desperately to catch a view as we peel around corners. It’s like we are in fear that the lake may vanish if we didn’t see it at that very moment.

Boats dot the water, looking computer-generated and perfectly placed Truman Show-style. Sailboats mix in with wooden Rivas, Vaporetto water taxis, and other flashy speedboats. One especially unique sight is of two nearly naked Italian men in a narrow canoe, most certainly intoxicated, rowing their hearts out to American jazz. The lake offers all kinds of entertainment!

When it comes to Lake Como Hotels: Research pays off

After a fair amount of hotel research, we opt to go against the Renaissance and Neoclassical grain. We choose a new, mid-century modern Lake Como hotel. Il Sereno sits quietly on the edge of the lake, in one of the prettiest spots on the eastern bank.

It’s a stark contrast to the lakes’ expected architecture. A contrast that calls for a moment’s pause, as it somehow naturally feels like it belongs in that very spot. A wondrous feat by acclaimed Milan-based designer, Patricia Urquiola/ She created it in tandem with botanist Patrick Blanc in 2016. I read that she didn’t want to produce a ‘fake, old’ hotel. Instead, she was inspired to be modern in a sea of tradition.

The gardens are wild, yet elegant, with an ever-so-slightly haphazard feeling. But, make no mistake—each plant, flower, and tree has been purposefully and thoughtfully placed by Mr. Blanc to achieve this laissez-faire effect. One of the best moments of each day is the short walk to the hotel’s entrance. Vivid flowers line the entryway and spill out onto the path.

Lake Como’s Lake Drama

Part of what makes Lake Como so dramatic is how it looks magically dropped between the tall mountains like a puddle. No beaches, just the idyllic villages that cluster at the base of the mountains and on the edge of the water, usually with a church tower in sight.

Villas of all sizes creep up the steep hills, which makes Lake Como feel hidden away from the rest of the world. The ubiquitous Italian terra cotta and slightly sloped rooftops lump together. They form a soothing warm palette against the green mountains and the brilliant blue lake.

Click here for my Free Wish List Destination Hot Sheet

Lake Como’s Glitzy Side

Lake Como, the third largest lake in Italy, is famously shaped like an upside-down ‘Y’, with the glitzy town of Bellagio at the crux of the three branches. We take a water taxi one morning from Il Sereno to the bustling village. It’s clear early on that Bellagio is destined to be a tourist trap, and we settle into a café for a cappuccino to discuss our next move.

Bellagio is pretty in a fairytale kind of way. It’s home to many Lake Como hotels along its steep, narrow lanes and cobbled streets. But, it’s heaving with uninspired and uninspiring boutiques, souvenir shops, and tourists. We think ahead to what lies beyond Bellagio.

The Other Bellagio

Google Maps pinpoints we are a 20-minute walk from the ‘other’ Bellagio. Quiet, unassuming homes, cobbled streets, and only one restaurant—a world away from the masses. We finish our espressos and take a scenic walk through Villa Melzi d’Eril Gardens en route to find the other Bellagio.

The villa and gardens of Villa Melzi d’Eril date back to the 1800s. While the villa itself is not open to visitors, the stroll through the gardens is a highlight of our trip. We pass Japanese maples and koi ponds with large flowering lily pads. Enormous trees, oversized rhododendron, and clusters of mature hot pink azalea bushes line the paths. Some trees are so old and knotted they hang precariously over the lake like frail, flowered limbs.

Ancient cedar trees and various Egyptian and Roman sculptures complement the botanical scene. Twenty minutes later we find ourselves in a little village where time seems to have completely stopped.

Finding Silvio in Lake Como

There are no shops or boutiques in this other Bellagio, just quiet, peaceful, steep lanes. We meander towards Silvio’s. We arrive at noon, early by Italian standards, and the kitchen isn’t open. Ordering a bottle of white wine seemed the Italian thing to do. So we do it and settle into the afternoon. It’s the antithesis of our early morning start in Bellagio, which is already a distant glitzy memory.

Silvio’s is a genuine European throwback. Built in 1919, this Lake Como hotel has only 21 rooms and is simple and lovely in a timeless way. The vine-covered garden patio where we have lunch slowly begins to fill up, and a muted buzz sets in. Fresh fish, local homemade pasta, and delicious olive oil for the warm bread have us taking our time. Soon enough two hours have passed.

The Lake Como Hotel with 360 views

Our room at Il Sereno is a corner suite that boasts a long outdoor terrace and unobstructed lake views through the floor-to-ceiling glass windows. This Lake Como hotel is a mix of contemporary and functional design and uses a combination of natural materials. Ms. Urquiola is adventurous in her scope. Leather, fabric, stone, wood, and metal, all feel as if they are meant to be combined.

The exterior lines of the hotel itself are a lesson in geometry—a Bauhaus lover’s dream. Offset by the lush gardens, Il Sereno, while über-modern in architecture, looks inviting and warm, rather than severe and angular.

Despite the fabulous materials, architecture, and gardens—natural light is the ultimate design component in this Lake Como hotel. And it comes at no cost. When light is used the way it is at Il Sereno, every room and detail naturally reaps the benefits.

Lake Life and Pool Life at Il Sereno

The large, rectangular pool at Il Sereno looks as if it is hovering above the lake itself. At 60 feet long and dotted with well-placed loungers and teepee-like canopies, it’s a perfect spot to waste time. The dedicated pool staff is on hand with wine, water, towels, and just about anything else we need. Clouds roll past and create different patterns on the lake’s surface. I find it impossible to concentrate on my book. Eventually, I give up altogether and succumb to the views.

Click here for my free wish list destination hot sheet

The Lake Como Hotel with a Michelin Star

One of the main draws of Il Sereno is its restaurant, Berton Al Lago. Milan-based restauranteur/Michelin-starred chef, Andrea Berton, and Executive Chef Raffaele Lenzi team up to create a chic vibe in a grotto-like Venetian stone setting.

The original stone archways are over 100 years old and create an intimate dining experience. They artfully frame the awe-inspiring mountains. Each time I walk past an archway, a new and slightly different view appears.

The food is modern Italian, using ingredients sourced from Il Sereno’s own gardens. The wall-to-ceiling glass wine cellar, with its sleek, modern fixtures, is a dramatic focal point. The wine list is equally dazzling. We choose the tasting menu and put ourselves in the chef’s hands.

It’s one of those moments when Lake Como decidedly lives up to its amplified reputation. The service may have been a touch slow, but we soon realize that is just the Italian way. Slow and relaxed, leisurely and calm. Maybe we have something to learn from Italian life?

Food for Thought in Lake Como

Having only three dinners in Lake Como, we give some thought to satiating our inner foodies. My husband had seen an Instagram post for Ristorante Crotto dei Platani, and we spontaneously booked it based on the idyllic lake setting.

The veranda at Crotto dei Platani floats above the lake, with snow-capped Italian Alps in the distance. It’s a bucolic scene worthy of its many insta-likes. But truth be told, the food is conventional, and we felt that the restaurant relies on its epic views at the sacrifice of the food.

The next night we drive inland for a Northern Italian meal. We sacrifice the lake view for an intimate, hilltop village restaurant in Cernobbio. In the early 1900s, Trattoria del Glicine was a rest stop and community center for passing villagers. Now, it’s a beautiful family-run trattoria.

Its outdoor veranda is on a quiet street and ancient wisteria hangs en masse overhead. Our waiter jokes that he isn’t sure ‘if the canopy is holding up the wisteria, or the other way around’. Either way, it’s a tranquil and serene dining experience. Diners hoping to walk in for a coveted table are sadly turned away. I try not to look smug.

The food is local, fresh, and authentic—exactly what we are hoping for. It’s worth passing on the lake for this tucked-away spot in the middle of nowhere.

Great Expectations in Lake Como

As we prepare to leave this idyllic Lake Como hotel, I’m reminded of a moment just a few days earlier when we first drove into the town of Como.

That Sunday morning the crowds were minimal, the shops closed, and from the medieval side streets, we heard only the occasional clanking from kitchens preparing for lunch. I didn’t know what to expect then. I didn’t know if Lake Como was just an overhyped tourist destination that couldn’t live up to expectations.

Sometimes, it’s nice not knowing what to expect.

Click here for my free wish list destination hot sheet

April 30, 2022
Hiša Franko is the 21st best restaurant in the world

Hiša Franko is #21 on San Pellegrino’s ‘World’s 50 Best Restaurants’ list. Hiša Franko’s chef is ranked #7 on the ‘Best Chef Awards’ list and has two coveted Michelin stars. Detect a pattern? Hiša Franko is climbing culinary ladders at breakneck speed.

Chef Roš has everything to do with it.

Honorable Mention: Culinary Travel

Hiša Franko

Perhaps you envision the world’s 21st-best restaurant in a cosmopolitan city like New York, with an inaudible hum coming from behind an unmarked door on West 9th Street. Or, in a posh Mayfair hotel, where London suit and ties gather to discuss private equity amid a buzz of banking activity. Where numbers and figures float around the room like musical notes.

Maybe you assume Chef Roš graduated with honors from the Culinary Institute of America or L’Ecole. Or, that Roš was taught to cook by a nurturing grandmother and spent hours in the kitchen recreating family recipes, eventually trading a stained apron for crisp chef’s whites.

You’d be wrong on all fronts.

Hiša Franko’s Lucky #21

The 21st best restaurant in the world, Hiša Franko, is not in a sleepless city or a swanky hotel. It isn’t on a quaint American main street or hidden in a European city’s back alley. It’s not anywhere you’d ever imagine. Unless you imagine it’s on a rural, tree-lined road in Slovenia.

Then, you’d be right.

You’d also be off-base about Chef Roš, who studied international science and was destined to become a diplomat. Or that Chef Roš played competitive sports and rarely stepped foot in a kitchen other than to eat.

Would you believe that Chef Roš entered Hiša Franko’s kitchen and had to start from scratch? Chef Roš, who is now a culinary powerhouse, has earned two Michelin stars and is a force to be reckoned with. Don’t believe me?

Just ask her husband.

Have passport, will travel

I travel for food the way others travel for a music festival, Broadway show, or museum exhibit. An extraordinary dining experience invigorates my senses in the same ways. A multi-dimensional artistic endeavor in its own right. When done well, for instance, a meal can be an Oscar-winning performance.

This summer, I drove four hours for lunch. I crossed an international border and through multiple microclimates with my passport and rapid antigen test results in tow. Then, I drove four hours back.

Was it worth it?

Chef’s Table, Hiša Franko

It’s June 2016. My husband and I are watching one of our favorite guilty pleasures, the culinary docu-series Chef’s Table. Chef’s Table is to food what the BBC’s Planet Earth is to nature (minus David Attenborough’s distinguished narration).

The series documents chefs in far-flung destinations and overlays interviews with dramatic music to reel the viewer in. I’m that fish who gets hooked every time.

Who’s the Chef?

Tonight’s episode features Chef Ana Roš, a chef I’d never heard of. This is exactly the point of the show—to introduce cutting-edge culinary talent to food-obsessed people like me.

Chef’s Table serves up unusual food adventures in destinations around the world. It delivers them to our living rooms to be enjoyed alongside our UberEats and DoorDash orders.

Food is presented much like a docent introduces a Manet at the Met. A well-thought-out but concise narration of the artist and painting. Using all the right descriptors to whet the appetite, create intrigue, and allow for personal interpretation.

My husband lights a fire, and we settle in. Ready to travel to Hiša Franko from the comfort of our well-worn leather couch? Beside us, the dogs are snoring. ‘Where are we going tonight?’ I wonder as I pull a cozy Sferra blanket over my legs.

Slovenia.

Slovenia?

Do they mean Slovakia? Sardinia? Or, Armenia? Where is Slovenia? We are less than two minutes into the show. I press pause to find an Atlas. My husband sighs.

‘Slovenia is in Eastern Europe, above Croatia, below Austria. Next to Italy and Hungary’, I proudly relay to Daniel. ‘Some might say north, south, east, and west,’ he replies with undiluted sarcasm. I ignore him. Geography lesson complete. I press play.

The episode chronicles Ana’s unlikely journey from a woman destined to become a diplomat in Brussels, who instead inherits a local inn and restaurant. With no culinary training, she turns it into one of the best restaurants in the world and inadvertently puts Slovenia on the culinary map.

Franko’s house

Ana Roš and Valter Kramar took over his family’s inn and restaurant, located deep in Slovenia’s Soča Valley, in 2000. It had been owned by the Kramars since 1970. Franko is Valter’s father. Hiša means house. Franko’s House.

The inn and restaurant are not only Ana and Valter’s business; they are also their family home. With Ana in the kitchen as the chef, Valter was able to realize his lifelong dream of creating a cheese and wine cellar.

Valter ages his ‘Tolminic’ cheese for years and stocks his cellar with natural Slovenian vintages. His appreciation for crazy and unusual wines adds yet another dimension to the dining experience at Hiša Franko. Ana and Valter are as naturally paired as their food and wine.

Find out about Hisa Franko’s availability and even more glowing reviews here!

Serendipity

Years after watching Hiša Franko’s episode of Chef’s Table, we plan a family trip to Istria, Croatia. My trusted atlas is again put to good use. I quiz Daniel, ‘Did you know that the Istrian peninsula borders Slovenia?’ A slightly raised eyebrow leads me to believe I just may have sparked an idea.

Serendipitously, we discover our Istrian villa is within driving distance of Hiša Franko. That is if you consider 4 hours driving distance. I hop on the computer and make a reservation.

With far fewer destination diners to compete with, I secured a reservation for our date. But truth be told, Slovenia isn’t simple to get to even when there isn’t a worldwide pandemic. And, even if you are already in the country below it. Correction, south of it.

I didn’t factor in the border crossing. Or the need for a 48-hour advance negative COVID test to cross it. More importantly, there is the minor issue of transportation. Details to be figured out at later date (aka procrastination).

What kind of foodie are you?

There are two kinds of foodies. Those who would drive 4 hours for lunch, and everyone else. If the thought of driving 300 miles round-trip for a meal seems reasonable to you, then you are my people.

At 8am, we leave our villa. Our minivan driver is a Croatian woman named Marta. She tells us about a lesser-known border crossing into Slovakia, I mean, Slovenia. This is August in Europe, and border traffic is a killer. Passport in hand, the excursion feels like a covert mission.

En route to Hiša Franko, we pass hamlets puddled at the base of towering mountains. It’s a dreary morning, and fog hangs low in the air, cutting the mountains in half. This only adds to the mystique of the journey. However, it creates drama, especially as we drive through dense forests filled with Croatia’s famous truffles. My excitement is as palpable as the earthy, musky scent in the air.

Border patrol

At 915am, we pull up to a sleepy border patrol crossing cut into the hills. Why do I feel like I’m doing something illegal? This is just lunch, after all, not the finalé of The Sound of Music.

Menacing clouds press up against the Slovenia landscape in the distance. My hand shaking slightly, I hold up my phone to show the border police photographic evidence of our negative test results. I accidentally swipe left, and the faces of my nieces fill the screen. Whoops.

The policeman grunts a guttural, ‘cute’ at their insta-worthy faces before I quickly swipe back to the results. The rain starts to gain momentum. He waves us through. We are in Slovenia. 3 hours to go.

Colors of Slovenia

The sun cuts in and out, revealing towering mountains with sheer rock face walls. Thick clouds that pool heavily in the valleys are just beginning to lift. The scene auto-fills with gem-like tones. Lapis lazuli, malachite, and topaz eke through.

In the final stretch to Hiša Franko, we notice golden flax-rolled hay bales, an emerald green river (no doubt filled with trout), and lush trees. The colors, after hours of heavy rain, are unreal.

At Hiša Franko, It’s all in the details

It’s 1145am. When we arrive at Hiša Franko, the sky is fully transformed. The ominous weather has moved on. Or, maybe it never reached this magical enclave in the Soča Valley. It hardly matters now. The blue sky is a gift after hours of murky fog and narrow, winding roads.

The Hiša Franko farmhouse is located just beyond the small settlement of Kobarid, (est. population: 1060, as of 2016). Its exterior echoes Benjamin Moore’s ‘Dark Salmon’ paint chip.

Flowers the colors of ripe red fruits spill out from tall shuttered windows. Originally built in the 1860s, it’s a small peach of a building set in front of a big apple-green mountain.

The common spaces at the inn are designed by someone with a true eye for art and photography. I intend to seek that person out, but can’t help thinking it’s none other than Ana and Valter. That their eye for food and wine naturally extends to every other type of design comes as no surprise.

Inside Hiša Franko’s dining room, the warm hues continue. Tomato red walls act as a rich contrast to white linen. A long, central, wooden table is the hub for wine bottles, glasses, and barware. Valter’s domain.

Abstract art is framed along the main wall of the intimate space. It’s aligned at the baseline, which is atypical. As is the decanter, which spirals upwards like a snake being charmed. I am in love with the decanter. I hope my husband reads this before Christmas.

Hovering disk-shaped light fixtures lower the ceiling and add even more intimacy. It’s subtle details like these that make me appreciate all that has gone into making Ana’s restaurant such a treasured place.

23 and me

How does one prepare for a 23-course lunch? With healthy trepidation and an empty stomach. We are no strangers to chef-led dining experiences, as it’s the surprises that make them all the more worthwhile.

We are a group of six, including my 17-year-old daughter. Hiša Franko is one of her first true multi-course, experimental culinary adventures. I am silently proud when she opts to try everything despite any preconceived notions of what is being served.

This is no simple undertaking, as many ingredients are unlike anything we have seen, eaten, or even heard of before.

I’m prepared for the variety of locally inspired ingredients. The hearty foods that have kept Slovenians fed for generations: notably, lamb, pork, and trout. I’m less prepared to see bear paw on the menu. Immediately, I assumed that bear paw is the name of a wild mushroom, like Lion’s Mane or Hen of the Woods.

Leave it to my curious daughter to point to the menu and ask, “Is this really bear paw?’. ‘Indeed it is!’ comes the unexpected reply.

Our server goes on to explain that a certain number of brown bears are culled each year due to the increase in population and the risks they pose to local villagers.

Was I ready to try it? Ummmm, sort of?

The meat of the bear paw is supposedly very tender, on par with slow-cooked beef. Our bear paw is minced and nestled into a beautiful dumpling. The dumpling is surrounded by a forest consommé and topped with green leaves.

I savor each bite, letting the earthy broth linger on my tastebuds. It’s worth the trip for this course alone.

Yet, there are 22 more to go.

Chestnut dumpling filled with bear paw, forest consommé

Hiša Franko: A story of reincarnation

Our menu is titled, ‘Reincarnation.’ It’s particularly fitting, as Ana effortlessly brings new life to humble ingredients. Cauliflower is accompanied by black truffle, egg, milk skin, and buttermilk powder. Trout is cured with fig leaves, barley water, cucumber, and elderflower.

Valter’s cheeses are served with local beeswax and nettle gnocchi. Unique combinations of well-known ingredients create layers of new tastes and textures. A culinary story of rebirth.

Corn beignet, fermented cottage cheese, smoked trout roe, wild chives

My favorite course at Hiša Franko is one that I had prematurely decided would be my least. Two warm corn beignets are plated on a thick slab of a tree trunk. Inside is a mixture of fermented cottage cheese, smoked trout roe, and wild chives. Heaven in a bite. Always trust the chef.

Each course is one artistic expression of Ana’s homeland after another. I photograph discreetly to have visual proof of a meal that is almost too hard to describe.

Impression of charcuterie

Valter’s Cellar

Hiša Franko’s menu has three ways to pair wine: ’Funky’, ‘Local’, and ‘Juicy’. We choose ‘Local’ as I can’t imagine having the opportunity to try eight different types of Slovenian wine again in the foreseeable future.

While I’ve never heard of any of the wines being served, each is a natural fit for its course. A 2013 Royal PetNat, a 2005 Stemberger Cherry Oxy, and an intriguing wine called Aci Urbajs Organic Anarchy are examples. If I didn’t say it then, Valter, thank you! Next time, I’m coming back for ‘Funky’.

Choreographing a meal at Hiša Franko

Hiša Franko’s dining room is slightly more formal than its farmhouse exterior belies. The servers are dressed in what can best be described as costumes rather than uniforms. Their jackets are adorned with bold patterns of vines and clusters of grapes. The experience is an organic, whimsical, and well-orchestrated performance.

It’s a ballet of sorts. Touches of theater are dotted throughout the meal. The way our table had three servers present each course in unison, making sure to use eye contact to stay in sync.

World’s Best

Ana and Valter’s is just the kind of unlikely, unconventional, and unexpected culinary story that the world needs. A world where a small restaurant, deep in the virtually unknown Julian Alps, is discovered and acknowledged for extraordinary food. Where a chef with no formal training can not only thrive, but reinvent.

Ana Roš’s star is still rising, and we are all the lucky beneficiaries of her journey. If we choose to follow.

Her story is just one reason of many to visit Armenia, I mean Slovenia.

Find out about Hisa Franko’s availability and even more glowing reviews here!

October 31, 2021
Searching for the peaceful life, at Amanzoe, Greece

Google Amanzoe. Go ahead, I’ll wait.

With 156,000 search results, Amanzoe is hardly a well-kept secret. What can I say or write that hasn’t already been said or written about this palatial property? How can I uncover beauty not instantly available by scrolling postage stamp-sized squares on the phone? Or, found in a quick Google search?

Let me give it a try. But perhaps first, a few things you will find in a quick Google search of Amanzoe, because essentials are still important, naturally.

Amanzoe, Greece: The Facts

Where is Amanzoe?

Amanzoe sits on the Peloponnese Peninsula, which is on the southern coast of the Greek mainland. It’s about a 2.5-hour drive from Athens and overlooks the Argolic Gulf and the Saronic Islands.

How do you get to Amanzoe?

There are three ways to get from Athens to Amanzoe: helicopter, Aman private car, and rental car. As you might imagine, this list is not only ordered from most to least expensive but from shortest to longest travel time.

How many rooms does Amanzoe have?

Amanzoe has 38 unique accommodations. A combination of one-bedroom pavilions, beach cabanas, and villas. The villas range in size from one bedroom to nine.

Nine-bedroom Villa 20 is the stuff of Aman legend. It has six swimming pools, multiple dining areas, four kitchens, and a Greek Taverna barbecue. Villa 20 also has a private spa, a private gym, sculpture gardens, and 360-degree panoramic sea views. Did I mention it is spread over a whopping six levels on four acres?

Oh, and a staff of 18.

Villa 20—an Aman within an Aman. How meta.

Amanzoe Facts aside

Six days isn’t enough time to become an expert on Amanzoe, or on anything, for that matter. Nonetheless, six days was enough time to learn a few noteworthy aspects of the property. As well as the people who keep it running seamlessly. Not to mention the Argolis peninsula, which is ever so gracefully situated between the Saronic and Argolic Gulfs.

Amanzoe, First impressions count

We arrived at Amanzoe at 4pm, after three flights, two layovers, and a scenic 30-minute helicopter ride. Any signs of fatigue evaporated the moment we walked through the monumental entrance. Greek in design, glossy, and white. The scent of jasmine filled the air. I turned my head left and noticed the tell-tale, star-shaped flowers, en masse.

Looking ahead, a wide, elongated reflecting pool drew my eye toward the centerpiece of Amanzoe. An enormous circular marble platform hovered above the Aegean Sea. When I use the term jaw-dropping, it is not metaphorically.

Olive trees with their chalky green leaves, and age-revealing gnarled trunks, dot the Amanzoe property. Some, are crooked and wrinkled (the elders), others skinny and lanky, (the teenagers), and all the life stages in between.

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Amanzoe, Sunset commentary

In May, the sun starts to set well after 8pm. That gave us plenty of time to settle into our villa and return to the platform for cocktails. Later, we would witness the nightly ritual of ‘sunset commentary’.

We overheard guests compare the sky to the one of the previous night—were the streaks more tangerine or pumpkin-colored? Those purples, would you say plum or eggplant?

I wondered if the staff ever tired of the setting sun, or the running commentary. I imagine they don’t since each night was similar in terms of sheer beauty but quite different in the details.

The shifting rays made the marble glow and forced deep shadows from the olive trees. Mother Nature must live here, I thought.

To add an unnecessary, yet ethereal touch of theater to the scene, a fire table was ignited each evening. A gesture of solidarity with the sun’s disappearance.

Amanzoe, Greece: Questions, Answered

Paul Linder is the master of ceremonies (aka General Manager) at Amanzoe, Greece. He floats breezily among the guests, speaking en français to the French, and en español to the Spanish. All the while looking like he stepped out of Italian Vogue. And ever-smiling—Paul is in his element.

“What don’t people know about Amanzoe?” I asked, “because it seems as if it’s all been said.” Paul paused. Then he told me that the area where Amanzoe resides, Porto Heli, is considered “the Hamptons of Greece”. That, I didn’t know.

Kings, former kings, celebrities, former celebrities, shipping, and business tycoons come here to not be seen. The entire peninsula has a distinguished air of privacy. Their mega-villas dot the landscape. And their bespoke super-yachts peek out from secluded coves and pop from the sapphire blue waters.

Paul went on to speak of the architectural elements that make up Amanzoe itself: stone, glass, marble, and wood. He spoke of the natural elements, the flora, and fauna, all native to Greece.

Each olive tree at Amanzoe had been artfully placed or replaced—some of which are up to 600 years old. Ed Tuttle, the creative genius behind Amanzoe, as well as over 30 other Aman properties, sadly died last year. But his work lives on, and what an awe-inspiring body of work it is.

If you build it

The palette of the Peloponnese Peninsula, and Amanzoe, is subtle shades of yellow, green, and purple. Wispy grasses, Mediterranean herbs, and slender emerald-colored cypress trees thrive. Bursts of fuchsia breakthrough in the form of a single flower. Or, a cluster of berries and a wave of bougainvillea. Lavender abounds.

Perhaps, the most interesting thing Paul remarked upon, was how the setting of Amanzoe was purposely built and designed. The grandiose main pavilion was created to represent the Acropolis. The villas below symbolize the city of Athens. How clever.

An intentional nod to ancient times. Amanzoe even replicated the famous theatre from nearby Epidaurus (in miniature, thankfully) on the property. Guests can reserve the amphitheater in advance, and dine privately among a hundred ambient lanterns. Mr. Tuttle, I stand in awe.

This intriguing mini-city design is certainly one way that Amanzoe stands out among its peers. Which prevents it from ever feeling crowded, even at capacity. If I had Villa 20, I would never leave it. In fact, I doubt I could even find my way out.

Amanzoe’s Villa 31

Villa 31 has the distinction of being the only one-bedroom villa at Amanzoe. There are many freestanding one-bedroom pavilions. However, Villa 31 is one-of-a-kind, perched on the far western tip of the property. It quietly overlooks the untamed landscape and the Aegean Sea.

Towards late afternoon, the mountains across the gulf start to lose detail and their sharp edges. The layers of blue melt into one another, creating a panoramic watercolor.

Mediterranean gardens surround the villa and the 25-meter infinity-edged pool. Bees feast on lavender. Amanzoe’s Villa 31 is made of stone and possesses a rustic, farmhouse feeling, unlike the other villas.

The interior is as serene and inviting as the exterior. Nearly every window and door open to the pool and sea.

A shaded terrace with cushy seating and a small reflecting pool form a separate structure from the villa. This is where our inventive chef, Stelios, created our in-villa meals.

Irina, our lovely dedicated host, helped organize everything from bicycles and golf carts to picnics, and afternoon cocktails. The staff is so warm, knowledgeable, and friendly. I’d be lying if I said I didn’t come home with a few new people to follow on Instagram.

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Plain Sky, at Amanzoe

The most unusual aspect of Villa 31 is its immersive art installation created by the acclaimed artist, James Turrell. The only one of Turrell’s permanent works found in the Mediterranean.

“Sky Plain” is a subterranean room accessed by a hidden staircase on the side of the villa. The perimeter of the 20 x 20-foot space is lined with built-in cushioned benches. The walls and floor are comprised of streaky, glossy black marble.

A square opening, in what looks like a paper-thin ceiling, appears cut with a razor. It established a one-dimensional color-blocking effect as we looked toward the sky. This flattened effect, we were soon to discover, was an essential component of the display.

In the span of about twenty minutes, colored lights in the room slowly changed, and so seemingly did the sky. It was an illusion. The sky was not gray, green, or dark blue.

In fact, it was sunset. (Or sunrise, which is the two times of day the exhibit is displayed.) The sky was pure cerulean blue. Believe me, we checked.

Only guests of Villa 31 have access to Mr. Turrell’s perception-defying installation, which made us feel like total Amanzoe VIPs.

Daytrippin’ from Amanzoe

One of the many things Aman does extraordinarily well is excursions. Amanzoe has more ways to explore the Peloponnese than we had time. We chose carefully, knowing how hard it would be to leave the villa.

At 9am, we boarded the Amanzoe One, a Wally powerboat, with a bottle of wine and a picnic lunch.

We sped past the islands of Spetses and Dokos on our way to Hydra. Hydra, we were told, is an island where time has stood still for over 200 years.

Hydra, Idra, Ydra

There are no motorized vehicles on Hydra (aside from the local ambulance). Horses, donkeys, and mules roam the streets as they had done in centuries past. They carry packaged goods, produce, and sometimes people, from the port into the town. Water taxis bob in the marina to take residents and tourists to the mainland.

Hydra isn’t only a picturesque town, with a central clock tower, and lemon and orange trees growing in abundance. It’s also an appealingly quiet one. The clip-clop of hooves was a welcome change from engines.

The slick stone steps led us high above the port, from where we could see daily life unfolding below. I got lost in a daydream of living on Hydra, with its simplicity, calm, and natural beauty.

Where wellness began

It can appear that ‘wellness’ is a new phenomenon, as it’s so trendy and newsworthy these days. The ancient town of Epidaurus, however, was at one time considered the healing and wellness center of the universe.

Sick people traveled by boat, and then walked for miles, to cure their ailments here as early as the 6th century B.C. As the fame of the region grew, so did its prosperity, which enabled an enormous stone amphitheater to be built.

When completed, it seated 14,000 people. To this day, while in partial ruins, even a lowered voice still carries to the uppermost rows. In fact, a yearly music festival returns to the stage each June. Mark your calendars.

Epidaurus also includes the ruins of a sanctuary, a hospital, temples, and a posh hotel. In 1988, it was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Since Greece had just re-opened its doors to tourism, we were nearly alone at this ancient spiritual site.

Lunch Detour

We took an alternate route back to Amanzoe via the enchanting seaport town of Nafplio. Nafplio is a popular weekend destination for Athenians, the authenticity of the old town was palpable. There we shared a traditional Greek lobster and pasta lunch. To say we overindulged is an understatement.

Tourism is the primary source of revenue in Nafplio. Yet, it didn’t feel overly touristy. I noticed how everyone seemed to know one another along the waterfront promenade of local restaurants. After a few hours of wandering, we headed back to the resort. We were eager to sit poolside and dream about our next meal.

Amanzoe’s 24-hour menu

Excellent food and wine are to be expected at Amanzoe. That again is nothing Google can’t tell you. No guest will go hungry between the two open-air Greek/Mediterranean restaurants, and Nama, the Japanese-inspired restaurant off the main pool.

Thankfully, we discovered the 24-hour menu on our first day. No, not the room service menu, but a list of special dishes that need extra preparation time. The choices were abundant, and I wished I had another week to try them all.

We opted for Lamb ‘Kleftiko’ the following evening. It was presented in a traditional rustic dutch oven overflowing with aromatic scents. Like, rosemary, cinnamon, honey, and lemon. The 12-hour slow-baked lamb fell off the bone and soaked up the juices below. Potatoes and cubes of melting ‘Kefalotyri’ cheese completed the dish. It was divine.

Our personable waiter, Adam, revealed the origin of ‘Kleftiko’, which means ‘stolen’. During the Greek revolution, the guerrillas, called Klephts, survived by stealing lamb or goats from the hillside. Who needs Google when you have Adam?

Amanzoe’s Sustainability Sidebar

The Aman brand has a strong commitment to sustainability, environmental protection, and local culture. As an example, the food at the resort was both seasonal, as well as ethically-sourced.

Wine, From the Fire

The ‘Greek Hellfires’ ravaged 670,000 acres of land in 2007. Thousands of fires scorched the hillsides, and many vineyards didn’t survive, including the Brintziki Vineyard outside of Olympia. However, almost miraculously, their grapes did. From those unscathed grapes, left to struggle in extreme conditions, came wine. They named it ‘Dia Pyros’—‘from the fire’.

There are only 2300 bottles of this celebrated wine, each bottle numbered and signed by the vintner and the oenologist. Our waiter offered us a glimpse of this rare vintage, paired with the story of its endurance.

Peaceful Life found, at Amanzoe

What’s left to know? What parting words can complete our extraordinary experience? Perhaps this—in Sanskrit, ‘Amanzoe’ means ‘peaceful life”, a fitting name if there ever was one. But, maybe you already knew that.

Go ahead, Google it. I’ll wait.

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May 30, 2021
Snow-capped Summer in Chamonix, France

Face to Face with Mont Blanc, Chamonix, France /

You don’t have to be an intrepid mountaineer to get up close and personal with majestic Mont Blanc in Chamonix. You can do as we did, which was to take the first cable car up and be gratified instantly. We stood on the chilly observation deck, gawking at the looming mountain, not believing it could be so cold up here, while at the base the July temps were soaring into the high 70s.

Suddenly, what could have been a scene from Into Thin Air played out before us. A group of four climbers, wearing full climbing gear, complete with ice axes and crampons, quite literally threw a line over the observation deck and hoisted themselves onto the tourist-filled platform. Here we were, dressed in flip flops and t-shirts, a sharp contrast to the mountaineers’ Arctic attire. They had just summited Mont Blanc, the highest mountain of the Alps at 15,781ft, and were headed down.

They spent a few minutes basking in the bright sun, accepting kudos from the crowd, contemplating what they had achieved, and taking obligatory selfies, before riding the gondola down with the rest of us mere mortals.

L’Aiguille du Midi

L’Aiguille du Midi cable car links the idyllic town of Chamonix to Aiguille. In looking back at that day, I would have been better off not knowing I was about to step onto one of the highest cable cars in the world. I’m not afraid of heights, and have been on my fair share of cable cars in the past, but something about a system originally built in the 1920s (albeit modernized many times over the following century) would have felt unsettling. Fortunately, I overcame my fear, otherwise I would have missed the remarkable panorama of Mont Blanc and the Alps.

Above the clouds

Mont Blanc towers gloriously and steadfast above the charming ski town of Chamonix, which sits on the southeastern edge of France. Spanning the French-Italian border, it is forever capped in snow, and draws many fearless climbers and hikers each year. And while we had hiking plans during our stay there, Mont Blanc is in a league of its own, the highest mountain in the Alps, where crampons, ropes, and deep reserves of stamina are critical gear.

Ski towns in the summer always seem to have a special feeling about them, the greens richer due to the winter run-off, the blues deeper against the pine-filled mountains. I have spent many green summers in Vermont which has an equally beautiful vibe. However, Chamonix has an almost magical aura to it, crowded with adventure seekers, off-season ski bums and tourists alike. Paragliders seemingly so close to the mountains that they could comfortably throw a snowball.

Charming Chamonix

Chamonix is unique in that you feel that you are tucked secretly away at the base of the sloping mountains, the Alps soaring high above you in every direction. It is incredibly dramatic, the razor sharp evergreen pines look like soldiers standing in rows at attention with military precision. Patches of the pine give way to different layers of trees, scrub and rock and then eventually snow caps, like icing on a cake. The glaciers are iridescent, often looking icy blue or even purple depending upon the light. But always moving, so we were told, at a surprising rate of 1000ft per year.

Hôtel Hameau Albert 1er

Perhaps one of the best parts of visiting Chamonix in the summer months is that all the colors of the flowers and greenery are brilliantly juxtaposed against the blue skies and white alpine mountain tops. A botanical rainbow of sorts. Tiger lilies were in season, and the orange and black-speckled wildflowers created another layer of colorful drama in an already dramatic setting.

That said, flowers of every color and variety were on full polychromatic display at our hotel, which was just outside of the village center. The Hôtel Hameau Albert 1er is a Relais & Chateaux chalet-like lodge with its gaze firmly set upon Mont Blanc. Cozy, wooden, rustic rooms, many with balconies or patios that displayed window boxes overflowing with ivy and climbing red geraniums.

The swimming pool is indoor/outdoor in a unique way. A vaulted ceiling and panels of glass and wood allow the sun to stream inside, and when outside, those glass panels become reflective. So, even if your lounge chair isn’t facing the mountains, you can see them in all of their splendor.

Between the glaciers

Our first hike, with the help of a cable car, started at an elevation of 4400ft and climbed virtually straight up to 8500ft. Daniel predicted it would take us about three hours. Fifteen minutes into the ascent, I was sure I was doomed. But then I settled into a comfortable pace and started to admire the surroundings, which took my mind off the challenge ahead. The terrain changed from pine, with brown needles that carpeted the ground, to hot pink wild azaleas and scrub, then further along we snaked high above the tree line where the flowers struggled to survive. Daniel, whether as a motivator to keep me moving, or not to hear any complaints, kept a solid ten yard distance between us. Smart man.

We scrambled over rocks and boulders, passing along a knife-edge ridge between two ominous glaciers, Bossons and Taconnaz, their menacing crevasses distinctly visible. We could hear deafening waterfalls as we turned one corner, then noticed the sound magically disappear as we rounded the next. It was mystifying how the mountains so abruptly absorbed the acoustics. We surprised some wildlife along the way, a lonely ibex leapt across our path, then later a fearless marmot followed us nearer to the summit.

Just before the three hour mark, we came upon a solo Austrian hiker on his way down. Daniel had thought we still had at least 30 minutes or so to summit, and the clouds were closing in, but the Austrian told us we were a mere ten minutes from the top, as we were just about to pass the famous sheltered boulders, Gîte à Balmat, where the first summiters of Mont Blanc spent their first night in 1786. Daniel was elated, we were ahead of the game, and maybe ahead of the weather.

As per the norm with our hikes, we were without a clear view when we reached La Jonction at 8500ft. We had been relatively lucky on the way up, and, thankfully, I capitalized on the views then, sometimes disguising rest stops as photo ops.

Summit sans view

We sat proudly at the summit, despite the clouds and impending rain, our ham sandwiches, chips and bottles of Coke tasted like the best lunch we’d ever had. As we were finishing up, it started to drizzle, and we zipped up to start the scramble down, a little more challenging due to the slippery rocks. The weather presented a unique sequence for us that day: thunder, rain, sun, hail, repeat.

The fog and clouds first obscured our views and then dramatically gave way to sunny patches that looked like a flashlight spotlighting Chamonix village far below. It was a spectacular day overall, and we felt we earned our upcoming two-star Michelin dinner that night at the hotel.

Albert 1er Restaurant

The spare, elegant, wood-paneled, and white table-clothed dining room of Albert 1er Restaurant effortlessly allows the cuisine to take center stage. Not that it wouldn’t if in the most ornate of settings, as the plates are so artfully designed and visually enticing. The flavors blend together harmoniously, as they are partially sourced from the herb and kitchen gardens on the property. The fare is traditional French, using traditional French ingredients, but presented in an entirely non-traditional way.

The written menu cleverly defies what you see on your plate when it arrives. The leeks, calf’s foot, egg yolk and Ossetra caviar dish, for example, looks completely different than what you would have perceived in your mind. Modern, artful, and skillfully designed. Chef Maillet succeeds in challenging every sense in just about every way.

A family affair

Chef Pierre Maillet’s culinary story is also a love story. Having worked for the original chef, Pierre Carrier, Maillet went on to marry Carrier’s daughter, Perrine. Together they have looked after the restaurant and preserved its two star status in the prestigious Michelin Guide. Perrine is visible nightly, greeting guests while gliding around the restaurant and glamorous Quartz Bar, which is complete with a lovely grand piano. You imagine that the French equivalent of Harry Connick Jr. could appear at any moment and start crooning.

Wine-ing and dining

Head sommelier, Marc-Henri Mialon seemed to be the lead player on the dining room floor with his subtle and mischievous sense of humor. We chose the set menu, paired with wine, which led with an intriguing Vin Mystère. At first glance, the mystery wine looked effervescent, like champagne. But that answer seemed too obvious. We spent some time thinking about it and incorrectly came up with a sparkling wine from Alsace. The correct answer? A sparkling Vouvray. Mialon luckily has much to choose from for his wine challenges, as the cellar at Albert 1er houses about 19,000 bottles.

It was a fun and lively way to start the evening, taking away any stuffiness you might associate with a restaurant of this status. I appreciated the lighthearted approach to the wine, which can be an intimidating part of any dining experience. As an aside, we discovered a week later, while at La Baumanière in Provence, that the sommelier there had worked not long ago with Marc-Henri Mialon while at Albert 1er. A small wine world, indeed!

The food and wine became more decadent with each course, from tomatoes, burrata and mackerel with kitchen garden herbs, to dace with pine bud honey, carrots, gingerbread and preserved lemon. Ten courses—an epicurean adventure—including a roving and overflowing cheese trolley. The final hurrah was a Crêpe Suzette made table-side, which actually wasn’t on the tasting menu, but that Daniel had his heart set on and we ordered anyway. Needless to say, we were happy we only had to walk about 100ft to our room. After the day’s colossal hike, and the night’s equally colossal dinner, we were officially ‘fini’.

World Cup France v. Belgium

Being in France during the World Cup frenzy was both a blessing and a curse. The village of Chamonix was pulsing with fans amped up for the matches. Finding a place that we could both enjoy a good meal as well as watch the soccer was a feat. After annoying my husband by walking aimlessly around town trying to find the ‘perfect’ spot, then vetoing a place he found with a large tv, (but no diners, bad sign!), we finally hit the jackpot. A bistro with one recently abandoned outdoor table that had pole position in front of the TV. We conspired to eat and drink as slowly as possible over the remainder of the 90 minute match as we couldn’t bear to give up our prime seats.

France won and Chamonix erupted. It was a fantastic night, made even better by the much needed low-key contrast to the previous evening’s meal. Chamonix has lovely narrow streets filled with hidden dive bars, bistros and shops, many of which are geared towards the outdoor adventure set. The slightly intoxicated bartender at the bar we had visited pre-dinner was so excited when France scored that he abandoned his post, and headed to a neighboring bar to celebrate with a fellow bartender. He reappeared 15 minutes later, more intoxicated, and sent around complimentary shots. A win for everyone!

Lac Blanc

Our second hike in Chamonix proved less lucky than the first weather-wise (not that our first was ideal, mind you) as we set out in clouds and spent the majority of the day in them as well. Yet, the Alps look breathtaking no matter what the weather, and being above the clouds created an alternate yet equally devastatingly scenic view. We were on our way to a reflective lake called Lac Blanc, known to be the most celebrated walk the Chamonix Valley.

Accessible by La Flégère cable car in Les Praz, the hike was shorter and less strenuous than La Jonction thankfully, but had more snow with which to contend. We inched across a few steep, icy passages, now wishing that we had our own crampons and ice axe. The lake was beautiful and serene, and while both Daniel and I had hoped the sun would make an appearance, even for just a few minutes, it refused. So we spent the remainder of the rainy day in the spa and indoor pool at the Hameau Albert, which felt well-deserved after our morning of hiking.

Final views

Three days in Chamonix was just not enough, as I would have loved a few more hikes and maybe a bit more sun. We were due to leave early the next morning, but when we woke up, the shining sun was too good to pass on, so we delayed our departure for one last ride on La Flégère to catch the views that had eluded us the day before.

That morning, I stepped onto the platform of the cable car without fear, and with utter happiness that I was one of the ones wearing flip flops rather than hiking boots this time. We spent a few quiet minutes taking in the awesome panorama of the Alps, then hopped back onto the cable car. Next stop, Provence.

Find it:

Hôtel Hameau Albert 1er: https://www.hameaualbert.fr/en
Albert 1er Restaurant: https://www.hameaualbert.fr/en/gastronomic-restaurant
L’Aiguille du Midi: https://www.chamonix.com/aiguille-du-midi-step-into-the-void,80,en.html
Hiking Routes in Chamonix: https://10hikes.com/france/chamonix-hikes/

September 9, 2018
The Best (and Only) Lunch in Erbonne, Italy. Pop. 11

Often, my husband and I head off the beaten path, so to speak, and wing it, when we travel. When we visited Lake Como, we did just that one morning and were rewarded with the best lunch to be found just outside of Lake Como, at the only restaurant in the tiny hamlet of Erbonne.

It was a surprise that one of our best lunches in the Lake Como area was not at a stone grotto-ed Michelin-starred restaurant, or on a lakeside patio with the majestic Alps in the distance. It was a surprise that we didn’t need to get there by Vaporetto or pull up to a parking lot filled with purring Maseratis. It turns out, our pre-COVID trip to Italy was filled with surprises.

Glamourous Lake Como

Lake Como is distractingly beautiful, with much to offer from both visual and culinary perspectives. Soaring mountains plunge directly into the illustrious lake. Villages puddle neatly between valleys, and ceramic-tiled rooftops notch up the hills like bricks of red legos. Restaurants dot the perimeter of the lake, each offering breezy umbrella-ed decks from which to gaze.

Glacial Lake Como is awfully pleased with itself and has every right to be, nestled in this idyllic locale just an hour from Milan. It is no wonder it has been a retreat for aristocrats, and for the rich and famous, since Roman times.

The lake itself offers a postcard image with each blink. Gorgeous boats (blink) alongside glitzy lakeside hamlets (blink) and swoon-worthy waterside cafes (blink). Glamorously dressed Italians, with their equally glamorous dogs in tow, teeter about (blink, blink, blink). A snapshot of chic Italian life, all in one dreamy destination.

Daytrippin’

As glamorous as Lake Como may be, the explorer in me wondered what might lie just beyond the glam. Counterintuitively, we headed away from the lake, with nothing but our Lonely Planet guidebook, and a tiny, bumblebee of a car—a cadmium yellow, Fiat 500.

Buzzing up and around the steep hilltop villages of Lombardy offered us a chance to experience the less touristy side of Lake Como. The rustic, the rambling, and the boutique-free side. Always chasing a view, we set off to see the fabled lakes from above. Our destination was Cima Sighignola, also known as the Balcony of Italy.

Not surprisingly, it was a challenge to get there. Roads became so narrow we were sure we were driving on sidewalks. Lanes looked so private, we confused them with driveways. Every turn had us doubting our navigation system, which due to never-ending hairpin turns, often had our Fiat floating in the middle of a lake.

The balcony of Italy

At 3120 meters above sea level, Cima Sighignola’s uninterrupted views of the lakes were worth the (gray) hair-raising turns. From our tourist-free aerie, we could see Lake Lugano, the city of Lugano, and the Swiss Alps, all at once.

We hovered there longer than we anticipated, mesmerized by the panorama of the lakes, and the mountain peaks that kissed the clouds. An elderly Italian woman appeared from a small wooden shack, with a better-than-expected espresso. This shouldn’t have been a surprise. After all, this is Italy, a country whose self-worth is inherently coffee-based.

Population 7, 10, or 11?

Blindly following our Lonely Planet through another series of sharp switchbacks, we headed towards Erbonne, in the commune of San Fedele d’Intelvi. This pre-roman, 3000-year-old, pin-prick of a village was once smugglers crossing between Italy and Switzerland. It was off-the-beaten-path, even by Lonely Planet standards.

We were on a mission to find Osteria del Valico, the sole restaurant of Erbonne for the past 100 years. As of 2017, Wikipedia stated that the village of Erbonne had eleven inhabitants. Other sources claimed the population was anywhere from seven to ten. Regardless of the facts, this was a place worth finding.

Erbonne’s best/only lunch

With a total of 50 buildings (a combination of houses and stables) what Erbonne lacks in structure, it makes up for in ultra-rustic beauty. Erbonne, on the edge of the Swiss border, is surrounded by layers of overlapping mountains, and a verdant, green patchwork of fields.

The village has no parking. I don’t mean ‘it was hard to find a parking space’. I mean literally, there is no parking. Not to be deterred, we left the car outside of the village and walked. Wispy, yellow, grasses lined our path, and created a colorful backdrop to the simple pink, red, and white, homes clumped in the near distance.

Climbing roses stuck firmly to painted walls. Patches of struggling wildflowers clung to dear life on crumbling edifices. Flowers poured out of semi-neglected window boxes. In Erbonne, time seemed to stand eerily still.

Carbo-loading in Erbonne

Osteria del Valico was easy to find. After all, it was the only restaurant in the village. Ancient, gnarly, wisteria vines had taken permanent ownership of the osteria’s once-white facade. Wooden steps, warped by time, led to the humble tavern entrance.

We were guided through the original ‘shabby chic’ dining room towards the outdoor patio. The wide, planked floors had undoubtedly seen decades of foodies pass over them. Crooked black and white photo frames, filled with patrons from days long gone, adorned the walls. Lacy curtains, a collection of vintage ladles, and a chalkboard-scrawled menu made the grandmother’s closet vibe that much more charming.

From the patio, we heard musical Italian laughter coming from a table within. The unmistakable sounds of friends with a long, comfortable history. I had noted the large group earlier. It was entirely possible that every known villager was having lunch there that day! Church bells chimed the hour in the distance. We settled in.

The House Special

Lonely Planet declared that Osteria del Valico’s house specialty was pizzoccheri. Never one to argue with our travel bible, we promptly ordered. If it was good enough for the seven, ten, or eleven, locals of Erbonne, it was good enough for us. It turned out to be one of our best dishes on the trip. Surprise!

Pizzoccheri is a buckwheat pasta (80% buckwheat flour, 20% wheat flour), along the lines of tagliatelle, usually cooked with greens and cubed potatoes (carbs on top of carbs). It is layered in various kinds of cheese, like Valtellina Casera and ground Parmigiano Reggiano, before being dressed with garlic and fried lightly in butter.

I swore I couldn’t eat it all, and I kept swearing—until I ate it all. How often do I get to have lightly fried pasta, I rationalized. Oh, and did I mention the charcuterie board piled high with Italian meats, and rustic Italian bread, that we had already consumed? I made a mental note to cancel dinner.

A family affair in bucolic Erbonne

Osteria del Valico has changed locations over the years, and by 2002, had settled into a stone house on the edge of town. We met the chef/owner, his wife, and his daughter, as well as a Swiss couple who had driven over for lunch from Geneva. Ahhhh, to live in Europe.

The chef, wearing a bad-ass skull patterned beret (that is if a beret can ever be considered bad-ass), and his wife, were engaging, warm, and friendly, despite the language barrier. In an effort to communicate, we attempted to find a common language. Eventually, French triumphed, as both my husband and the chef were fluent.

Found Moments in Erbonne

Osteria del Valico has very little in the way of web presence. Aside from a few Trip Advisor comments, and a simple webpage, it is virtually off the Google grid. A place like this; challenging to find, with simple fare, and a convivial vibe, is what I call, a true ‘lost and found’ moment.

It’s likely true that not everyone will find this kind of day trip as exciting as we did. Not everyone gets a thrill from seeking out a lone restaurant, in a tiny village, with an unknown population, with the hope of uncovering the undiscovered. We are those people.

Exploring a combination of experiences when visiting a place with as much hype and hyperbole as Lake Como, gave our trip more depth. I relished the juxtaposition of the obvious and the hidden. Both have a place in Lake Como and its bucolic surroundings. Why not have a bit of each? Chances are, you will be pleasantly surprised.

Find it:

Osteria del Valico: https://osteriadelvalico.business.site/
Balcony of Italy: https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/balcony-of-italy-balcone-ditalia

August 9, 2018
Cumbria. Many Lakes. One Star.

The Lake District may be England’s best kept secret.

The Lake District, England /

Dungeon Ghyll, Crinkle Crags and Harrison Stickle. No, these aren’t characters from a Harry Potter novel, they are the illustrious names for ravines and peaks in the majestic Lake District of England. Where, if you are American, you won’t see a fellow countryman for days and wonder why this place has seemingly escaped our radar. It is a mere four hour drive from London, which by US standards, is a typical Sunday outing. Some might say, well we have Vermont, or the Finger Lakes, and while those are truly gorgeous lake areas in the US, what we don’t possess are the fairytale hamlets, the tall, spired edifices and the Hobbitt-like thatched rooftop villages that accompany the lakes of Cumbria. Rolling hills, a patched quilt of vivid yellows and lush greens, ancient slate, hand-built stone walls that act as property dividers weaving like a thread throughout the landscape. It is a scene from another era.



Living the fairytale

Our first day in Cumbria started with a leisurely drive to the village of Grasmere, where we lined up for freshly baked squares of gingerbread in the very place that gingerbread was invented back in 1854 by Sarah Nelson. We were far from the only ones waiting patiently at the old stone house where she perfected her recipe (and later kept handwritten in a bank vault) and the spicy sweet combination did not disappoint! The streets we walked were long and winding, the stream banks lined with sheep. We ambled past the eroding tombstone of William Wordsworth and the very daffodil fields that inspired his famous poem.

The remainder of the day was spent driving up and around roads (a generous term!) that are supposed to accommodate two cars but can barely fit one, a virtual game of shark as we held our breath around each curve, praying no one was coming from the other direction. There is no shoulder, no give—in fact only stone walls, so that if you do come face to face with another car, (and you will) someone has to back up indefinitely in order to let the other pass. And here I thought the hiking was going to be the most treacherous part of the trip!

Meandering our way around the snake-like roads that hug the lakes, trying to find the elusive, and unfortunately for us, closed in June, car ferry to take us back to our hotel, we stumbled upon Wray Castle. Best seen from the outside than in, it is a Gothic Revival castle that was built in 1840. The grounds and exterior are beautiful but the inside was never restored to it’s 19c glory and is disappointingly used mainly as an exhibition space and for kid’s events.

The peaks of Cumbria

We were told that there are maybe fifteen days a year of cloudless skies in the Lake District, and we were lucky enough to get them, especially since we had a few days of strenuous hiking ahead. Our past track records for hiking having not been so fortunate, hiking three plus hours to the summit only to see a lovely view of drizzle and fog. My husband told me after our trip that at least three people and a dog were blown to their death off Helvellyn last year due to weather conditions. I’m relieved not to have known that sobering fact earlier. But in our case, the UK weather reported, “another glorious day with spells of unbroken sunshine.” British weather reports are truly inspired.

Orrest Head was a warm-up hike the day before our trek up to Helvellyn, which is the third tallest peak in England. There we saw panoramic views of Windermere Lake and various peaks in the distance. We could just make out a string of sailboats in the distance as we took a seat on a wooden bench and admired the hushed landscape, the immense sky swallowing the sun, the birdsong in the foreground and the baa-ing of sheep in the background. The well-known British fellwalker (well-known mainly in the UK, I’m guessing), Alfred Wainwright, wrote of Orrest Head, ‘…quite suddenly, we emerged from the shadow of the trees and were on a bare headland, and, as though a curtain had dramatically been torn aside, beheld a truly magnificent view…”

Spending time in Crook

We checked into our room at our hotel, The Gilpin, which is located in the fantastically named village of Crook in County Cumbria. The Gilpin is a place of opposites. At first a lovely old historic inn with 26 rooms and a Michelin-starred restaurant, and second, a modern feat of architecture, with separate unique, geometric stand alone rooms made of wood and glass, cedar hot tubs and modern amenities, somehow living together in harmony in this bucolic part of the country. It has been family run for 100 years, and you immediately feel as if you are part of their family.



The communal sitting areas, complete with coffee tables and books, comfy chairs and sofas on which to nap, make you feel as if you are in your own home. There is an inviting and elegant bar, wine room, and a gorgeous garden patio to have pre-dinner drinks and canapés. The owners are always wandering around and happy to chat about your day. The atmosphere is as warm and inviting as you could possibly want.

Our room had a spacious outdoor patio and a two-person round cedar hot tub that was sunken into the deck and somehow always at the perfect temperature. Bamboo and other wildflowers dotted the property, the air was dry and sunny, and it was nearly impossible to drag ourselves to the 60 second walk to dinner that evening.

A star among the lakes

Part of the allure of Gilpin, other than it’s lovely location nestled in the heart of the lakes, was the on-site restaurant HRiSHi, which boasts a Michelin star, among other awards, for it’s executive chef Hrishikesh Desai. Never ones to pass on a chef’s tasting menu (wine-paired!), we put ourselves in the chef’s hands for the night.



As a true nod to the chef’s talent, it was the first time we have ever chosen a vegetarian tasting menu. It was just too good to pass up, even for a carnivore like me. So we split the difference, my husband ordering the Signature Tasting Menu and me ordering the vegetarian option. Highlights were many, too many to count, but if I had to pick, the Lemon Gnocchi with marinated halloumi and wild mushrooms over cépe foam, paired with a delicate Albarino from Rias Baixas, Spain was an instant favorite. That, as well as the Wye Valley Asparagus, with pickled mushrooms and saffron aioli, on toasted almond cream, paired with a lovely white from Puglia, Italy. Each course more decadent and artfully designed than the last. Two plus hours later we trekked the 60 second uphill back to our room, wondering how we were going to manage in the morning.

Tackling Helvellyn

The next day started off with a lovely breakfast in a sun-lit room in the main house before we drove to the base of Helvellyn in Ambleside. I overheard a grandmother, who sounded eerily like Maggie Smith, explaining to her granddaughter, the game of cricket, “Nothing much happens. And it takes about three days to do it. “



It was a gorgeous day and once at the top, we were assured we’d be able to see as far as the Irish Sea. We reached the trailhead via Kirkstone Pass, which was a road with one of the most dramatic views of the Lake District. At that time of day, it was just us and the cyclists, which made the drive even more serene, the lakes seemingly frozen in time and the reflections razor sharp. We parked, and then began our trek along the Hobbit-like countryside, passing wildflowers, sheep, lambs, waterfalls and streams, stone walls that curled along the route like a miniature Great Wall of China, watching the villages recede further into the distance as we gained altitude and took in the drama of it all. Two and half hours of uphill later, we found ourselves scrambling over the jagged rocks and tricky knife edge ridge known on the map as Striding Edge, the place where some have met an untimely death. ‘Striding’ seemed a bit too ambitious a term, as I was on all fours, refusing to look any way but dead ahead, and cursing my husband underneath my breath.

Thankfully there was no wind and conditions were in our favor, but admittedly it was the most exhilarating part of the hike, every sense on high alert to make it at last to the summit at 3,120 feet, passing high above the Red Tarn and looking down into the valleys. Truth be told, the views were worth every gray hair I earned that day. The way down, the hike making a natural loop, was a little more leisurely, apart from the scramble along Swirral Edge, and filled with the most verdant of landscapes. Foxgloves popped out like hot purple pokers from in and around the ancient stone walls. The villages materialized, and civilization and a cold beer were in our immediate sights.

world cup: England v. Belgium

The last night of our time in the Lake District was spent at the casual restaurant at Gilpin, The Spice House, watching England lose to Belgium in a group match during the World Cup. I was assured this loss didn’t matter, which was confirmed as no one seemed particularly upset by it. The Indian menu was a nice contrast to our previous meals and the atmosphere relaxed and casual. We ordered a bottle of Grüner Veltliner and settled in for the match. Being as far north as we were, it amazed me to see light still clinging to the sky at nearly 11pm.

The next day was an early rise and on to the next stop of our European journey. In some ways, I felt like the sole American discoverer of the glorious Lake District. I would encourage anyone to add it to their bucket list of travels while in the UK, as it is a fairy-tale inspired moment in time you will not easily forget. As we headed out of town, one last moment of being wonderstruck by the rolling hills, mountains, valleys, hamlets and mirror-calm lakes, I saw a sign for The Sun Inn and smiled. Maybe I was in a Harry Potter novel after all.

Want to find out what’s hot before anyone else? Click here.

Five Reasons to get lost:

• Spending time pre-dinner on the patio at the Gilpin and watching mama birds feed their babies under the eaves.
• The hair-raising drives around the lakes, wanting to watch the view but needing to watch the roads!
• Making it to the summit of Helvellyn on a rare sunny day and popping open a well-deserved can of Coke.
• Having warm gingerbread at the birthplace of gingerbread, then roaming the very streets that Wordsworth and Beatrix Potter once walked.
• Hearing phrases like ‘dilly-dally’ and ‘higgledy-piggledy’ used in every day conversation.

Where will you find yourself next?

Consider a short flight from London to Milan and head to Lake Como for a few days.

Live in an ancient 15th c. village in Montenegro while overlooking the Adriatic Sea.

Take on the Medina, and more, in Marrakech.

July 15, 2018

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