When traveling in Europe, Americans know that getting ice cubes in your drink, whether it’s a coke or a gin and tonic is nearly impossible. The Europeans simply don’t “do” ice. I’ve witnessed our tour guests banging their heads against the bar, crying out for ice! ice! ice! This year I decided to do something […]

Although the Atlantic Ocean is not exactly our kind of water (brrrr! We’re used to the balmy conditions of the Gulf of Mexico) the sand quality and the beauty of the rock formations more than make up for the fact that the water is a bit on the chilly side. Here’s the beach at Sao […]

The 3rd century Temple of Diana in the interesting city of Evora, the Alentejo, Portugal. This small city also boasts a beautiful 16th century acquaduct and a chapel built entirely of bones. One of our favorite hotels is also located right next to the temple. The Pousada (as state-run hotels located in historic landmarks are […]

I laid rubber on the road when I saw this scene straight out of a travel magazine. Was surprised that the farmer didn’t have a little coffee can out there for donations.

We found a source for glazed pottery from the Alentejo region of Portugal, and a shipment is on the way to our shop in Sarasota. It took quite a bit of work with the shop owner to figure out a way to get the pottery from their shop to ours, but we worked it out […]

Jenean and I just returned from our first adventure in Portugal. What a country! We can’t wait to return. Discovering a new place and planning for future tours was our first priority. A nice bonus was the ability to make purchases for our European gifts shop in Sarasota, Florida. And a third bonus to going […]

Rothenburg’s Market Square, full of tempting and bad restaurants You’ve just arrived in the heart of some fantastic European town or city. You want to be in the middle of it all and that’s understandable. Some of my most memorable meals have been near the Coliseum in Rome, San Marco in Venice, Piccadilly. Memorable because […]