Come to Our Favorite Places

Over the years we have traveled to many countries in numerous continents. We are often asked "What makes a place special to you?" While this isn't a question that can be answered too quickly, here are a few of the things that make any place special.

• Great food. Now this doesn't mean fancy food but fresh food of the region prepared using recipes that are also of the area. We love to visit the local markets in each place we visit.
• A wine culture. We have found that generally the places with the most interesting food have their own wine to accompany it or appreciate wine from many areas. And the two just seem to work well together.
• Interesting crafts. These crafts reflect the culture and history of the country and make wonderful things to bring home so that you can always recall your trip. For us, this has meant building up a collection of ceramic plates as we have traveled. When you put the collection together, it is fascinating to see how design motifs and themes are threaded though many nations.
• Great scenery. It really doesn't matter if the view is of mountains, ocean or valleys. When it is beautiful, it makes the trip special.
• And of course the people. One of the things we have learned as we have traveled is how very nice folks are around the world. They are so willing to try to give you directions, watch out for you and provide you with a feeling of their home country.

This fall as we travel we will be going once again to northern Portugal to the area of the Douro River and the Minho. While there we will enjoy the wine, food, and scenery of this breathtaking area. We visited Portugal during our first trip to Europe together. It has been a favorite destination ever since. Check your calendar and see if you can join us!