Charleston, SC

What a nice and friendly city!!!  We were here for New Year’s Eve weekend to revisit a part of the country I had only seen as a child.  We spent time exploring the city through its history and food.  We had a walking tour though the historic old town neighborhood and tasted our way through some of the favorite city spots on a food tour too.  The food tour was informative, fun, and delicious…and we made some new friends too!

Our New Year’s Eve dinner was at a wonderful restaurant called Cypress.  We had Oysters, Fried Green Tomatoes, Tuna and Swordfish.  We paired the food with a white Spanish wine called “Txakolina Uriondo Bizkaiko”, which was new to me too!!! It is a white blend from the Basque region on Spain as was a perfect wine for the fish and oysters. I love wines that are unique and have grapes I am not familiar with. The 2014 vintage we ordered consisted of:  Mune Mahatsa (20%), Ondarrabi Zuri (70%), and Txori Mahatsa (10%).  Wonderful dry, crisp wine for an excellent price!  As for the food, all of it was wonderful but the Tuna dish was the best Tuna I have ever tasted in my life to date!  Now I understand why it is their signature dish.  It is a must try location and the Tuna is a must order dish when you are in Charleston!

The view of the kitchen at Cypress from above!

Christmas Dinner 2015

I have enjoyed hosting and cooking for friends and family for over 10 years during the Christmas season.  This past we combined a small birthday celebration at the end with gifts of wine and stories.  Rob Wilson, Benjamin Wilson’s brother, gave me this picture, reminding me again what really matters in the life we live – the people we love!  I hope everyone had a very Merry Christmas!

Costa Rica 2015!!!

My trip to Costa Rica was for my 40^th birthday.  Brian Dufek went with me to celebrate in the warm and sun.  Big thanks to him for being there with me and even more importantly for driving us safely around the Country! And when I say thank you for driving us safely, understand that most of these roads are not paved, you are driving through small rivers, while dodging huge holes.  He was a driving champion!

We left the day after Thanksgiving and spent time in three different areas of the Country. First stop was the Nicoya Peninsula on the Pacific Coast.  We stayed in the town of Montezuma with a husband and wife from Italy and Costa Rica respectively.  This part of Costa Rica is dry, warm, sunny and very relaxed.  It is famous for its great surfing but also perfect for long days on the sandy beaches.  When you have 88 degrees, completely sunny skies, a white sand beach and the Pacific Ocean; it is not a bad way to turn 40!

Besides the perfect weather and sandy beaches, Costa Rica is also known for its tropical forests. The next area we visited was the Monteverde Rain Forest and Arenal Volcano. While I’ve posted a couple of pictures, this is a place you truly need to see in person. There are so many species of birds and plant life, smells and aromas, and constantly changing weather conditions that really make this place special and unique. Brian and I went on several amazing hikes through the rain forest… hikes that made me realize I am not 25 anymore and that I really am 40! But not to be missed is Costa Rican coffee, possibly the best coffee in the world! And what better place to drink this delicacy than in the mountains where it’s grown!

The last place we’ve visited was the capital, San Jose. The real reason for going back to San Jose was to see a very good friend, Daniel Salom Soto. Daniel and I met in Italy during my initial sabbatical in 2008, and it was a real honor to be able to spend the day with him in the city where he grew up. It was a good chance for us to reconnect, and to also learn more about the history of the Region as well as the Country of Costa Rica. Another plus about being in the capital is that we had the opportunity of eating in the nicest restaurant in the Country, "Grano de Oro".

What a wonderful way to celebrate “40”! As they say, Costa Rica… “Pura Vida”!