Latest Posts

Cal Pep, Simple Gastronomical Excellence

Published by

41.3833 N, 2.1833 E: Barcelona, Spain

As dark ominous clouds poured upon our nifty foldable travel umbrellas in the Barri Gotic district, our basic-self stomachs growled with anticipation; the mouths salivating with excitement. Aroma of freshly minced garlic, chard, and seafood delicacies filled our senses. With limited signage, the hidden gem’s main entrance looked like a standard roll up garage door. Passerby tourists can easily stroll past and never know its existence. The only indicator is if people like myself, mother and brother were waiting patiently in the downpour early evening rain with our bodies abutting the doorway. This entranceway led to a simple gold mine of gastronomical excellence.

They don’t post a daily menu. In Barcelona, they want you to explore and experience the authentic and seasonal ingredients from the Catalonian region and Mediterranean influence. Prepared fresh daily, each unique and heavenly ‘tapas’ style dish will delight your taste buds.

Barcelona_Cal_Pep_Clara

From freshly harvested fried squid, to light and airy monkfish in a savory sauce with sautéed potatas, and delectable garlic and white vino clams, Cal Pep won’t disappoint. Compliment the intimate experience with a refreshing shandy called Clara, a mix between beer and lemonade.

Barcelona_Cal_Pep_Flan

Perfectly creamy and sensational, the Cal Pep flan is a must-have; it’s worth the wait. Grab a bar stool, mingle with locals, visitors and enjoy practicing your Spanish—soy china de ustados unidos, les encantó!

Cal Pep, Place de les Olles, 8. 08003 Barcelona, calpep.com

*Editors note: The featured photo is taken from the restaurant doorway looking outward. When you find the tiny garage door, you’ll know what I mean. 

A New Line of Sight

Published by

I was in dire need of a new pair of eyeglasses to compliment my expansive collection of wearing eyewear for the past 24 years. Now that spring has sprung, I needed a new pair to accentuate my oval shaped face with high cheekbones. With five plus years experience in the eyewear industry I switched up my typical routine and went with a Cocobolo dark tortoise frame called Follies by Oliver Peoples.

OP_Camera

“With a sought after vintage design and luxury feel…it’s a feeling of Hollywood exclusivity. Influenced by 1960s stars and Hollywood glamour mixed with contemporary color palettes, there is a frame to suit every face shape and skin tone.”

It’s high-quality polycarbonate frame and durable metal hinges will be sure to last my ongoing adventures. I always upgrade with super thin lenses, anti-scratch and anti-glare since I rotate eyeglasses every two to three years.

Does it pass the yes and no test? Put on the frames and dip your head down towards your chest. Shake your head up and down, left and right. How do they feel? If they are sliding off your face or put too much pressure on your temples, this can be fixed. Take them to your optical shop and the arms of eyeglasses can be molded with heating beads to custom fit your lovely noggin.

Simply take care of them and they’ll last. My Follies came equipped with a cloth and branded case. When you’re not wearing them, don’t keep them lying around. They need proper loving. Keep them in their perfectly fitting home of a hard case and your new line of sight will thank you for it.

OP_1_Books

For you eyeglass wearers, I’m sure you’ll always remember the first day your vision had changed. I remember waking up on an early cheery Saturday morning and the off-white ceiling in my bedroom seemed a bit blurry. I knew its true color because I stared at it night after night but I couldn’t perfectly define all of its finite edges and feel the depth of the room.

At a young age, I was meant to wear lenses. Regardless of the feeling of what they looked like on, I was always nervous playing soccer since I was terrified of taking a ball to the face. I was fearful that my eyeglasses would shatter into tiny shards of glass and possibly damage my darling brown eyes. Maybe that’s why I loved playing forward. I needed to run fast and furious so I couldn’t take in a soccer ball between the eyes.

OP_1

Now I realize eyeglasses were never a con. A real pro. We’re lucky to be living in a time that eyeglasses even exist. They’ve supposedly been around since the late 1200s. And, are much more fashionable with plenty of choices. Best of all, you have the opportunity and ability to see the world through multiple lenses. Find your unique style and see for yourself.

Oliver Peoples oliverpeoples.com

Churros and Chocolate

Published by

40.4000° N, 3.6833° W: Madrid, Spain

Zig, zag, zoom my father’s feet move quite rápido.

Through narrow, dark alleyways, corridors of quaint boutiques and storefronts were closing up one evening, we strolled through the Centro neighborhood of Madrid. His inner GPS beacon, hit the ultimate Madrid jackpot. He stumbled across a hidden gem of pure chocolate delight; its illuminated sign said San Gines Chocolateria.

Madrid_San_Gines_Signs_840

Whiffs of rich, syrupy thick cocoa, cinnamon, sugar and café beckoned our presence to nab a table. As we peered around the classy tiled floors, the historic landmark came alive. The walls were inundated with black and whites of famous dignitaries, princes, princesses and celebrities who had graced the delicatessen and eaten its famous churros and chocolate since its grand opening in 1894.

Madrid_San_Gines_Interior2_840

Unlike the United States, they freshly fry each churro for each customer and serve super, thick, dense dark cocoa. I love that they put sugar in a jar as a side, rather than a prerequisite of the churro’s existence.

“Each bite of sweet crispy, doughy and chewy in the middle churro dipped into a sea of deep brown chocolate ecstasy was well worth every euro.”

Madrid_San_Gines_Choc_840

The following night, we couldn’t help ourselves, and inhaled another round of heavenly treats after our late dinner. Thankfully, you can take the chocolate artistry home and buy boxes of the native Madrid hot chocolate recipe. Trying to recreate that magical churro is another story. I believe the secret is in the type of oil and flour.

San Gines Chocolateria, Pasadizo de San Ginés 5, 28013 Madrid chocolateriasangines.com

When Time Stands Still

Published by

50.0833° N, 14.4167° E: Prague, Czech Republic

Perspective. That’s why I love to travel.

“We often think we are the center of our universe. As homo sapiens we are quick to judge others, to protect our basic selves; it’s about survival.”

Where were you Fall of 1989? I remember being small, huddled close with my older brother, hiding underneath our downstairs desk. It felt like invisible giants were angrily shaking our home. Violently the earth from the core had torn open at the San Andreas Fault. The Loma Prieta earthquake had shook, thrashed, rattled and raged into a phenomenal force that took 63 lives and 3,757 injuries in affected areas of Northern California. At that young age, I remember my heart beating so fast, terrified those invisible giants would tear our home a part; it was as if my world was going to end.

Fast-forward to Winter 2014, my travels took the family and me to the largest city and capital in the Czech Republic—Prague. The fairy-tale like enchantment of the holiday season and the seasonal Christmas Markets, led us to book a free walking tour of Prague. Originally the tour was booked online through Trip Advisor reviews but standing in the center of the Old Town Square, I felt the icy wind chill drift through my thin jeans onto my exposed flesh. Brrrr, I was no longer in California.

Prague_Old_Town_2_840

A local Czech named Dominik approached me to join his free English speaking tour. Promised we wouldn’t be “sold to” and not left wasting away in a café for the afternoon, listening to my intuitive gut I made the executive family decision to join his group.

Dominik first introduced us to the Prague Orloj, located in the middle of the Old Town Square. A medieval masterpiece, it was an astronomical clock dated back to 1410. At that time, they believed Prague was the center of the universe. They were the timekeepers.

Prague_Clock_1_840

To this day, on the planet, it’s the oldest still ticking and the third oldest in existence. It’s intricate interface displays three main segments. The astronomical dial represents the position of the Sun and Moon in the Sky, “The Walk of the Apostles” is a clockwork hourly spectacle of figures and other sculptures, and the calendar dial features medallions exhibiting the months. As the time strikes hourly, most notably you’ll see the sculpture of death represented by a skeleton.

As the tour continued through the cobblestone streets of Old Town Prague, witnessing our breath in the cold artic-like air, we listened attentively as he shared the history of the Jewish quarter between Old Town Square and the Vltava River.

Going back to how I felt as a young girl, terrified of an earthquake that shook my world – what made this free walking tour a vivid memory for me was on the other side of the world in 1989, in Prague there was a different kind of uprising and fear. With Germany to the east and Poland and Slovakia to the west, Czech Republic’s prized Prague became a center of massive political upheavals, a historical disturbing violent years of the Nazis that invaded, persecuted, and took over the beloved city. It was a pivotal time in their Czech history to break free from oppression. Brave youths protested and created the “Velvet Revolution” oppositionists that played a leading role in the autumn changes of 1989. They would become a leading political force after the fall of the communist system and unite a broken country’s nationalism.

Prague_Clock_2_840

“Often we have narrow views of life in that moment in time. The more we can be aware of our surroundings, let go of judgment, we may just open up our hearts and views a bit more. They say it’s against us, but if you choose, it’s actually on your side. All we have is time.”

Dominik, United World Tours Prague unitedworldtours.eu
Free walking tours daily at 11am and 2pm.

Kate Spade, The Perfect Springtime Travel Bag for Europe

Published by

“She tucked her coral lipstick away and floated back to the party.”

Decisions, decisions. Will it be practical, comfortable, stylish and a truthful expression of you? Will it hold all of your must-haves for those train connections, taxi rides, airport layovers and on the plane, fit underneath the seat? These days, I find it tricky to find the right-sized satchel/cross body bag that suits all of my intentions to be truly present and enjoy an unforgettable journey.

Kate_Spade2_840

While I adore fresh air teal and bold sweetheart pink; classy simply black never goes out of style. It’s my go-to bag for springtime in Europe. My unique version of the Cedar Street Maise comes with foldable handles, a durable and solid core body and a convenient cross body strap function.

Kate_Spade3_840

Its chic body shape never fails to perform, whether I’m drifting through unique scarf patterns in Le Marais, Paris or trying on colorful espadrilles in Barri Gotic, Barcelona; my Kate Spade bag keeps me gracefully exploring.

Kate Spade katespade.com

Capture the Flag

Published by

41.3833 N, 2.1833 E: Barcelona, Spain

Wandering aimlessly through the precarious streets of Barcelona for about forty minutes, my dad had to find a Spain chip for his unlocked mobile device. We stumbled across a main street with a Vodafone and waiting impatiently on the curb my eyes were captivated by the hundreds of Spanish kids wearing red, blue and hints of yellow. Read More

The City that Never Sleeps

Published by

40.7127° N, 74.0059° W: New York City, United States

Fresh off the plane from Aguadilla, Puerto Rico my friend and I jetted off into a golden yellow cab to the upper west side of Manhattan.

“Sea urchins in hand to street urchins of New York I had less than 48 hours to soak up the scene.”

NYC_7_840

We strolled through High Line Park of Chelsea that used to be a railway back in the day; it’s now a modern day park of art.

NYC4_Blur_840

From exquisite geometric enigmas of Kandinsky at The Great Upheaval exhibition at the Guggenheim to finding artist Daniel Ashram’s Snarkitecture gashing out copius amounts of foam; we reveled up the excitement at every step and corner. It’s the city that never sleeps.

NYC2_Blur_840

We bounced around Soho to find vintage shops, boutiques, dive bars then to (N) a very narrow tapas bar that served incredible food, but service without a smile. The delectable bites of rich flavors were well worth it before we hopped the zippy yellow to see a favorite Australian band Cut Copy. On stage at the renowned Terminal 5 venue on W. 56th Street, I had to band geek out and support the album with a fresh white CC tee to add to my collection.

Cut_Copy_840

With gratitude, this time there were no Amazonian 6+ foot guys or girls standing in front of us, so the awe of fifth row felt like the first row, front and center. Their rhythmic and melodic energy was explosive, as the entire crowd amped up for one massive dance party. Oh yeah, my heart was on fire! We ended up after partying at another venue in Chelsea into the wee hours of the morning.

Jamming back to the apartment, I finished repacking my surfboard bag, bikinis, snorkel gear, a heavy winter coat and over the knee boots at about 3am with a half hour of shuteye to spare.

“A jet-black town car swept me up at about 4am to dash off to JFK airport; back to home sweet home, the west coast. Sleep never felt so good.”

Road to Happiness

Published by

18.4500° N, 66.1000° W: Puerto Rico

Highway 413 truly is the road to happiness. As the East Coast of Hawaii, Puerto Rico offers fresh mint mojitos, se vende “limber,” turquoise Caribbean waters, rippable waves and most importantly adventure at 
every turn.

Puerto_Rico_Rincon_Coast_840

Avoiding crowds, we planned our trip at the end of winter swell season. Averaging 1-3 foot waves, we tore up as many rights and lefts at Domes and Maria’s we could share in the lineup with locals, including magnificent hawksback and leatherback sea turtles. Unfortunately these splendid creatures are now on the endangered species list.

“As they majestically submerged, cruised, and bobbed by us, it reminded us to be always conscious of our surroundings; everything is an ecosystem within another and another and another.”

Puerto_Rico_Domes Wall_840

Exploring the west side of the island, we ended up on a switchback for miles and miles. The enchantments of the mystical road into hillsides led us on an unexpected expedition to San Sebastian falls in a residential neighborhood. Mindfully we passed through private property, listened attentively for running water then stumbled upon a dilapidated staircase that resembled a movie set from Indiana Jones.

Puerto_Rico_Finding_Waterfall_840

Going for it, we slid on our rears down a steep muddy hillside. To keep from tumbling, with white-knuckled grips, we grasped onto suspended natural tree roots for support; our dangling body mass’ inertia became a mighty pendulum to swing back and forth, lowering farther and farther each time until our feet touched down. We were grounded. The soles of our shoes felt the sacred ground for the first time. A euphoric and timeless feeling came across each of us as we took a cool dip, soaking up its natural creation, awe-struck by its raw beauty; one that Mother Nature had provided for.

Puerto_Rico_Falls_840

The next 80-degree day, we piled into our monstrous black rental of a Pathfinder and geeked out at the entrance of Arecibo Observatory. It’s a serious sight from the gate, think Bond in Golden Eye. Primarily focused on radio astronomy, atmospheric science and radar astronomy, the 1,000-foot diameter dish is the largest electromagnetic-wave-gathering capacity on the planet.

Arecibo_840

The enormous radio-radar telescope is the most accurate phenomenon machine that receives and calculates waves from unexplored galaxies and researches exterestial bodies. In the observatory, they have a world population count ticker is currently nine billion and counting. It’s a reminder how big or small we think we are.

Read More