Lift Your Spirits with a Trip to Alameda Island

Faction Brewery's 4,000 square-foot deck is kid and dog friendly.

Faction Brewery's 4,000 square-foot deck is kid and dog friendly.

Situated along an abandoned airstrip across the bay from San Francisco, a handful of craft distillers, brewers and wine makers have set their sights on reviving small-batch libations while offering tastings and tours out of WWII-era hangars on the site of Naval Air Station, Alameda which was closed in the 1990s. On a stretch of Monarch Street, dubbed "Spirits Alley," St. George Spirits, Hangar 1 Vodka, Faction Brewery, Building 43 Winery and Rock Wall Wine Company have created a convivial block where wine, beer and spirits enthusiasts can meet up to raise a glass and take in the sweeping view of the San Francisco skyline.

Coincidently, it was a sweeping ocean view in San Diego that had led us to this very spot. After tasting a cocktail made with Hangar 1 Vodka at a restaurant overlooking La Jolla Shores we were intrigued to find out more about the brand and learned about the tasting and tour facility in Alameda. We were already planning to be in the Bay Area for a family gathering and so we booked a tour to visit Hangar 1 for a tasting. We took a scenic 20-minute ferry ride from the Ferry Building in downtown San Francisco to Alameda and then made the 15- to 20-minute walk from the ferry landing to Monarch Street. It was then we realized there was a whole craft collaboration happening along Spirits Alley.

In 1982, St. George Spirits was the first small American distillery to open after Prohibition and it was first to occupy space on Monarch Street when it moved its operations in 2002 to the 65,000-square-foot hangar that is now its current location. Its artisanal spirits include gins, vodkas, absinthe, whiskeys, rum, brandies and liqueurs. Unfortunately, its tasting room was closed on the day we were there so we didn't get to have a look inside. We did have time to kill before our tour at Hangar 1 so we redirected our attention across the parking lot to the lively crowd drinking beer at Faction Brewing and made our way over to see what was on tap - we found 27 beers ranging from pale ales and IPAs to porters and stouts. 

The taproom of Faction Brewery.

The taproom of Faction Brewery.

Open since 2013, Faction Brewing began with just a 6-tap kegerator and a few seats but now boasts a 20-tap direct draw system, a 30-ft. redwood bar and plenty of seating inside and out. A variety of food trucks make appearances to supplement the modest menu of ready-made snacks available for order at the bar. Faction offers pints, tulips and tasters on site as well as 32 oz. and 64 oz. growlers and bottles to go. We found two seats at the end of a community table on Faction's 4,000 square-foot deck to enjoy our beer and made fast friends with others at the table. The brewery is owned by a husband-and-wife team and the place has a family-friendly vibe. Just beyond the deck, kids played games while adults imbibed and there were even a few baby strollers parked tableside. The majority of the crowd looked to be locals meeting up with friends, celebrating family birthdays or taking a day take trip out of the city to catch some sunshine in the East Bay.

The Faction Pilsner and Brixton Pale Ale we tried were very good but when we went inside to get another the line for the bar had grown long and now looked like a queue for an airline flight. So, we went across the street to take a look inside Building 43 Winery with its large metal door welcomingly open. The space was a former locker for military explosives but today it's a tasting room for handcrafted, small-batch wines primarily from the Sierra Foothills. We each ordered a glass of wine and took a seat at one of the high-top bar tables in the lounge area. In keeping with the history of the building, the winery interior is rustic yet refined with art and objects reminiscent of its military roots. You can order wine by the bottle, glass or tasting flight and enjoy it at the bar or in the various lounging areas - inside and outside. The winery was more suited toward couples with its intimate setting but there was also a party going on in a private room. We finished our wine and headed back across the street to Hangar 1 for our tasting tour.

We entered the hangar and checked in for the tour in the tasting room. The previous tour was just wrapping up so we browsed the bottle shop just off the bar. The bottle shop is a necessary adjunct for Hangar 1 to sell its vodka on premise. Due to post-Prohibition laws still in effect, sales of the liquor can only take place through a third-party distributor which they were smart to share hangar space with. We met up with Jacob, our witty and engaging guide and entered the lab to begin the tour. Jacob told us about the master distiller at Hangar 1 Vodka - a women named Caley Shoemaker who began her career in crafting spirits with a whiskey brand in Colorado before bringing her deft hand to Hangar 1 Vodka. She is a professed "spirits nerd" who loves to experiment with the fresh ingredients she sources from local farmers in the Bay Area. Jacob was a bit of a chemistry enthusiast which came through during his explanation of how the distilling process works while the alcohol rises through 18 chambers of two very large, gleaming, copper distilling columns. 

We moved on to my favorite part of the tour which was the "see, smell and taste" curio chest. The botanicals on the cabinet included fruit in jars, stems with fresh leaves, dried chipoltes, pink pepperberries, grains and even a jar of honey - all ingredients used in making Hangar 1 vodkas. . Jacob explained the process of Shoemaker's selection of fruit as he passed around a jar containing Budda's Hand used in making the Hangar 1 Citron vodka. The distiller chose Budda's Hand because it is not as acidic as regular lemons. The Makrut Lime vodka is infused with the leaves of the plant rather than the actual fruit because the leaves offer the most flavor and aroma. The story behind the flavor profile of every vodka was very interesting, especially the Distiller's Exclusives which are only available through the bottle shop at the distillery. Those included Pink Peppercorn, Chipolte and Honeycomb. Hangar 1 even has a vodka made from fog. Its Fog Point Vodka has a very limited run and won't be available again until the fall. It retails for a hefty $129 per bottle but 100% of the profits go back to water conservation efforts. If you don't want to buy the whole bottle you can order a Fog Point Martini for $43 at Epic Steak restaurant in San Francisco made with Hangar 1 Fog Point Vodka.

There is still a lot of available space for expansion and only the vodka bottled in Hangar 1's   signature graduated cylinder-style bottles are filled at the hangar. The bottling area was modest in size and was not in operation during our tour. With the knowledge we had gained we headed to the tasting room for the real reason we were all there - to drink some vodka.

We tasted six different vodkas including the Straight, Citron, Mandarin Blossom, Pink Peppercorn, Chipolte and Honeycomb. As Jacob poured our tastings he also offered ideas for drink recipes we could make with each of the infused vodkas. The tasting room is set up for walk-ins to have tastings at the four-sided, stylish industrial bar too but there are no cocktails available. And don't expect more than six small pours because there are strict laws governing how much alcohol can be served in distillery tasting rooms. However, Bonnie who manages the bottle shop said there are plans in the very near future to have a portable bar outside that would serve cocktails under the separate third-party license. 

At the conclusion of the tour we took a look around the tasting room which was fitted out with a vintage flight yoke, bomber jacket and a retail area with t-shirts, hats and accessories and also left our information so we'd know when the next batch of Fog Point Vodka was available. We ran out of time to visit Rock Wall Wine Company so we'll have to do that on our next visit.

And although Spirits Alley might seem like a great place for a nightcap the area does have a 7p.m. curfew due to a little, politically-connected neighbor named the California Least Tern. In the 1970's the birds decided the former airstrip on Alameda Island was an ideal location to hang out and it has become a very successful breeding site for the species. So much so, the government set aside 624 acres for the birds in 2014. This means the surrounding buildings cannot undergo any refurbishing that would disrupt the birds. So the structures and facades along Monarch Street will maintain their "authenticity" and you won't find electricity bringing light or music to this stretch of road.

Hangar 1 Vodka - 2505 Monarch Street, Alameda, CA 94501 - Ph. 510.871.4951

St. George Spirits - 2601 Monarch Street, Alameda, CA 94501 - Ph. 510.769.1601

Building 43 Winery - 2440 Monarch Street, Alameda, CA 94501 - Ph. 510.263.0399

Rock Wall Wine Company - 2301 Monarch Street, Alameda, CA 94501 - Ph. 510.522.5700

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Fun and affordability in Paris' elegant 8th Arrondissement.

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The balcony of our room at Hotel Wilson Opera gave us a little view of the Eiffel Tower peeking up behind the building in the middle.

The balcony of our room at Hotel Wilson Opera gave us a little view of the Eiffel Tower peeking up behind the building in the middle.

On previous trips to Paris, Larry and I always seemed to traverse the city in a frantic fashion, zig-zagging from landmark to landmark and spending too much time burrowed in the underground consulting the route map of the Metro. Sure, we checked off many sites on our to-see list but I always returned home feeling like we'd seen a lot but experienced little. So, this year we decided to tour the city differently - slow down, condense our sightseeing to a smaller area and really take the time to experience our surroundings. 

Our hotel was a great 3-star boutique hotel tucked in among the stylish apartment buildings that are so prevalent in the 8th Arrondissement on the right bank. I had been attracted to this area on previous trips because of its quiet, residential atmosphere and beautiful tree-lined streets and boulevards. There are dozens of 5- and 4-star hotels in this upscale area including the Hotel Plaza Athenee, Shangri-La Hotel and the Four Seasons Hotel George V, but we loved our 3-star Hotel Wilson Opera, located just a few blocks off elegant Boulevard Haussmann.  

Hotel Wilson Opera

We arrived on Easter Sunday around noon and to our great surprise we had been upgraded from a basic French balcony room to one with a wrap-around balcony and a much larger sitting area. Plus, the room was ready which meant we could change out of the traveling clothes we had worn on the three-hour train ride from Bordeaux and into something a little nicer to wear to Easter brunch. The streets around the hotel were quiet both day and night. The bathroom wasn't large but it wasn't tiny either and was appointed with Nuxe natural bath products. The room was perfect for our needs and we could not have asked for a better room and view at our rate ($190/nt.) in this location. We may not have had all the extras the luxury hotels only a short distance away offered but we had everything we needed and the rates at those luxury hotels were five to ten times the rate we paid. The service at Hotel Wilson Opera was excellent and we appreciated the 24-hour reception. 

Hotel Wilson Opera, 10 Rue de Stockholm, 75008

The view from our balcony provided an up-close look at the elegant apartment buildings which were the legacy of Georges-Eugene Haussmann, the Prefect of the Seine (similar to a governor of an area) in the mid-19th century. Between 1853-1870, Haussmann was tasked by emperor Napolean III (nephew of Napolean Bonaparte) to undertake the daunting task of bringing air and light to the city's dank, and overcrowded medieval neighborhoods rife with sickness, misery and very little fresh water. Napolean III had lived for a time in England and was impressed with London's wide streets, squares and public parks and wanted to incorporate those same elements into his plan to make Paris a modern capital city.

Haussmann's urban plan included long, straight boulevards to open up and connect the city and he established a standard ratio between the height of buildings and width of streets. I had always wondered why so many of the buildings in Paris have a uniform look to them and it was by Haussmann's design. He regulated not only the height ratio but how buildings should be designed. Buildings could not be higher than five to seven stories high and roofs had to have a 45-degree pitch to allow daylight on the sidewalks below. Buildings had to be constructed of stone blocks with basements and ground floors. Above the ground floor was a "between " floor with a load-bearing wall below. The ground floor was usually reserved for shopkeepers. Above that was the first floor and then second floor - known as the "etage noble" or noble floor because apartments on this level were most sought after by wealthy families of the time. It was required that the second floor have a wrought iron balcony and detailed stonework around the windows. The interior featured elegant high ceilings, multiple reception rooms and was an easy walk up from street level since there were no elevators. Most third and fourth floors had little or no detail on the exterior and the top floors had balconies. The buildings were capped with mansard roofs which at the time were lit only by dormer windows and usually was where the maid's chamber was located. Haussmann wanted each block to have a uniform look so balconies on each building had to be in alignment the length of the block. These buildings and boulevards today are still so representative of the classic images of Paris.

Brunch at Le Vraymonde at Buddha Bar Hotel

The French have never had a reputation for being big breakfast eaters but I read somewhere that in the last few years brunch had become "a thing" in Paris and that many restaurants were now offering elaborate weekend breakfasts. Since we would be arriving in Paris in the afternoon, we decided to make Easter brunch our "splurge" meal and after researching recommended places in the 8th Arrondissement we decided to give Le Vraymonde, the restaurant inside the Buddha-Bar Hotel, a try. I made reservations three weeks before we left for France because I was sure it would be impossible to just walk in and get seated on Easter Sunday so I booked the latest seating for brunch possible (2:30pm). It was only a 10-minute walk from our hotel to the very upscale Madeleine neighborhood where the Buddha-Bar Hotel was located just a street away from the Eglise de la Madeleine, the very large Roman Catholic church built to look like a Roman temple in the Neo-Classical style.

We were seated in the courtyard which was a little chilly but staff provided plush blankets. The brunch cost 92 Euro per person and included a glass of Champagne, endless appetizer and dessert buffets and a choice of a main course, cooked to order (Teppanyaki lamb chops, Foil-baked pollack, Cheeseburger or Noodles with Japanese mushrooms). The The sweet and savory appetizers were arranged on four extensive buffets and represented cuisine inspired by one the four elements - Water, Earth, Air and Fire.  Here's just a sampling - Water (Oysters, Live Sushi and Tartare); Earth (Country-style pate, smoked duck, Parma ham, sausage with truffle); Air (vegetable spring rolls, gazpacho); and Fire (chicken skewers, coriander-baked egg, spicy prawn tarts).

The dessert buffet was set up in a separate room and included and elegant assortment of pastries including eclairs, creme puffs, fruit tarts and pain du chocolate but the highlight was creating our own Samurai Easter Egg. After selecting from an assortment of chocolate-egg bodies, helmets, shoes, arms and eyes we handed over the "parts" to the pastry chef who worked his magic by melding the pieces together and adding fondant hands to clutch two Samurai fighting sticks. We thoroughly enjoyed the brunch but I was glad we booked the late seating because I got the impression the restaurant had been much busier earlier in the day with large groups and lots of kids. 

Le Vraymonde, Buddha-Bar Hotel Paris, 4 Rue d'Anjou, 75008

Champs-Elysees

After brunch we took a stroll along the Champs-Elysees beginning at the Place de la Concorde where the slow-rotating Big Wheel was transporting riders some 225 feet high for views of the city and especially the nearby beautiful Tuileries Gardens. I had planned a surprise stop for Larry at the L'Atelier Renault, the flagship store for the French carmaker. It's an interesting venue for viewing new, vintage and racing car models as well as interactive exhibits, retail space, cafe and bar. We each enjoyed a Stella-Artois beer overlooking the Champs-Elysees which was now bustling with pedestrians. 

As dusk fell, we continued our walk onto Avenue George V and crossed the Seine then headed toward the Eiffel Towel and purely by accident we arrived in time to watch the twinkling lights come on at 9 p.m. We strolled back to our hotel along the Champs-Elysees and stopped for a nightcap along the way. We noticed a nice little perk in this neighborhood when we stopped in for a beer or a glass of wine in these neighborhood bistros - free snacks. It wasn't uncommon to be served a bowl of nuts or olives to nibble on while we enjoyed our drinks. I don't remember getting complimentary snacks in other areas of the city.  

The morning of our final full day in Paris we shared a petit dejeuner breakfast at a nearby brasserie and sipped cappuccinos at our sidewalk table while we watched the hustle-bustle of the morning traffic at the nearby intersection. We wanted to get an early start to our day because we were headed to the Musee Jacquemart-Andre which is an intimate museum (one of the few in Paris open on Mondays) that can be subject to limiting admission to control overcrowding.

Musee Jacquemart-Andre

Perhaps one of the most enjoyable things we did in Paris was tour the Musee Jacquemart-Andre. I had never heard of this museum before but came across information about it while researching things to do in the 8th Arrondissement. It is the magnificent former mansion of a French couple who traveled the world extensively and acquired a vast collection of paintings, sculptures, tapestries, furniture and other works of art. Edouard Andre was a descendent of a very wealthy banking family and spent his fortune on buying works of art and exhibited them in his mansion which took six years to complete. He married Nelie Jacquemart, a society portrait painter whom had painted Andre's portrait ten years earlier, and together the couple amassed one of the finest collections of Italian art in France. 

The Winter Garden is a highlight of the mansion. It was designed by architect Henri Parent, who was rejected for the job of designing Paris' Opera House so he took the opportunity to show the world his design flair with the Jacquemart-Andre project.

The Winter Garden is a highlight of the mansion. It was designed by architect Henri Parent, who was rejected for the job of designing Paris' Opera House so he took the opportunity to show the world his design flair with the Jacquemart-Andre project.

Walking the exterior grounds and entering the salon of the mansion you immediately feel like you are in a home and not a cavernous art museum and could definitely imagine the high-society receptions hosted by Jacquemart and Andre in the mid-to-late 1800s' in their impressive mansion along Boulevard Haussmann.

The entire first floor was dedicated to their Italian Museum and during the couple's lifetime only very close friends or prominent guests were invited to view their collection including pieces by Francesco Botticini (bottom left) and Sandro Botticelli (below middle). Andre favored Venetian Art and Jacquemart had an eye for Florentine art. The couple had an exquisite eye for art and their Botticelli painting was not attributed to the artist until much later adding significant value to the piece. They also instructed their agents to be mindful when bidding at auction so as not to drive prices beyond the means of the city's museums.

Andre and Jacquemart never had children so when Edouard died in 1894, Nelie carried on with turning the house into a museum they had both agreed would be bequeathed to the Institute of France upon her death. Jacquemart died in 1912 and the home was inaugurated the Jacquemart-Andre Museum in 1914. The museum's extensive collection includes the works of dozens of world-renown artists including Anthony van Dyck, Rembrandt and Vittore Crivelli and multiple murals by Giovanni Battista Tiepolo. The Winter Garden is a highlight of the mansion. It was designed by architect Henri Parent, who was rejected for the job of designing Paris' Opera House so he took the opportunity to show the world his design flair with the Jacquemart-Andre project. Below are a few more photos of the Winter Garden which is an architectural masterpiece. We also toured the private apartments, reception rooms and informal salons. We highly recommend this museum.

 Musee Jacquemart-Andre, 158 Blvd. Haussmann, 75008

After we spent about three hours touring the Musee Jacquemart-Andre, Larry and I walked a few blocks north and found the beautiful Parc Monceau, a 20-acre public park located in the 8th arrondissement. The park is English-style and features a large rotunda and elaborate, wrought-iron gates at the entrance. Inside, the park features many architectural structures including a pyramid, windmill, Chinese fort and Corinthian pillars. The park has free WI-FI too. We took another stroll on Champs-Elysees and found the macaron mecca, Laduree. The line to buy macarons was too long but we scored a free sample of chocolate and continued our walk. We cut over a few blocks to walk along Rue du Faubourg Saint-Honore, one of (if not the) most prestigious and fashionable street in Paris. The official residence of the President of France, the Elysee Palace is on this street as are the residences of the Ambassadors to France from Britain, Japan, United States and Canada as well as many embassies. France's most famous brands have flagship boutiques along this narrow street including Chanel, Lanvin, Hermes, Baccarat and many more. I was mesmerized by the window-dressing designs and gobsmacked by the price tags.

We veered off on Rue Royale and found ourselves in the quaint Place de la Madeleine and just steps from Boutique Maille, home of the famed gourmet mustard and vinegar producer. I had no idea Maille had been producing products for more than 267 years and made 84 mustard varieties and 120 vinegars. We were guided and encouraged by the mustard sommelier (yes, a sommelier of mustard), to taste as many varieties as we wanted. If you're in the area it is worth a peek inside to see the beautiful boutique and have a taste or two (or more). We only travel with carry-on luggage so unfortunately, we weren't able to buy a jar of one of the amazing mustards to take home with us. A few steps outside Maille, we found a bistro where we ate lunch. We shared a foot-long hotdog in a perfectly baked French roll buried in melted cheese. We were quite certain the mustard tasting had influenced our decision to order the hot dog. Not very French, but darn good.

Boutique Maille, 6 Place de la Madeleine, 75008

The interior of Galleries Lafayette department store.

The interior of Galleries Lafayette department store.

After lunch, we made our way back to Boulevard Haussmann in search of the luxury department stores, Printemps and Galeries Lafayette. The two stores occupy space in a massive Art-Nouveau iron structure each with its own soaring atrium enclosed with elaborate colored glass and both offer sweeping views of the city from their respective rooftop terraces. We chose to check out the terrace at Printemps because the store also had a Cafe Pouchkine outpost on its ground floor so we could pick up some pastries to take home for dessert. We ordered a couple of beers at the cafe on the 9th floor and went outside to enjoy the 360º view of the Paris skyline which included Opera Garnier, Eiffel Tower, Pantheon, Arc de Triomphe and Sacre Coeur. We were reminded of the nice view from our room at the hotel and decided to have dinner on our balcony for our last night in Paris.

Cafe Pouchkine, 64 Boulevard Haussmann, 75008

We selected two desserts from the Cafe Pouchkine patisserie before leaving Printemps and heading back to our hotel. The markets near our hotel were all closed so Larry came up with the idea of buying take-away from the train station (Gare Lazare), which was just a block away. There were so many options but we opted for a green salad and a quinoa salad with chicken.

Back at the hotel, I spread out my scarf for a tablecloth and Larry opened the bottle of wine we had brought with us from Bordeaux. It was a perfect and perfectly-affordable end to our two nights in Paris. We enjoyed our salads and sipped wine as dusk fell and again at we were treated to the Eiffel Towel light show just catching a few twinkle lights on the top spire beyond the rooftops and the sweeping blue beacon. We both agreed that on this trip we had enjoyed seeing an intimate and elegant side of Paris, somehow managed to spend less money and felt far more relaxed.

 

Uniworld Cruise - Bordeaux, Vineyards & Chateaux

The River Royale is a nimble ship allowing passage in narrower rivers which makes it an ideal vessel for sailing on the Garonne and Dordogne.

If you've read some of our other cruise posts you know we prefer small ships and Uniworld's River Royale was probably the smallest we've been on yet but it was just the right size to traverse the waters of the Garonne and Dordogne rivers with views of the Bordeaux countryside and its world-famous vineyards and chateaux on both sides. The ship carries just 130 passengers and on this shoulder-season cruise it carried about half that many which made for a very intimate cruising experience. The service aboard the River Royale was fantastic. Every crew member would go out or their way to help passengers with special requests or take the initiative to make sure everything on board was the best it could be for all guests. The polite and diligent waitstaff supported by an extremely attentive Maitre d' made every dining experience enjoyable and the sommelier dedicated to us all week was extremely knowledgeable about the great wines of Bordeaux.

Because we were sailing short distances on this cruise, we had many of the same local guides each day but they met up with us in different towns and villages which made it nice to have some continuity. All excursions were included in the cruise price (with a few optional ones offered at an additional price) and were very good. We visited vineyards, did some wine tasting and visited a few chateaux. Larry and I both thought the excursions on this cruise were the most authentic, professional, educational and interesting of any excursions we've taken on other river cruises. We especially liked the "Go Active" cycling tours provided by Bordeaux A Velo, owned by a husband and wife team, who led three excursions during the week. They were so knowledgeable and passionate about Bordeaux and the history of the entire region. 

Another benefit of traveling short distances was the free time we enjoyed on the sun deck most days after excursions or during breaks in the afternoon. The scenery on shore is much different along the Garonne and Dordogne rivers than say, the Rhine or Danube. There are no towering castles but instead rustic, old fishing cabins on stilts and remnants of medieval ramparts and forts. The wine that makes this region so famous today was the result of nature's gift some 50 million years ago when this basin was a tropical sea. The vast quantities of sediment left behind now provide the soils and sub-soils so ideally suited to wine-making. The soil on the left bank tends to have more gravel and pebbles and the soil on the right bank contains more clay and limestone. It is these properties that give Bordeaux wines the distinctive character and exceptional quality sought by buyers worldwide. 

Spoiler Alert: 2016 is being touted as a remarkable vintage. An Indian summer followed by early September rains brought the grapes to perfect maturity.

Some experts think the 2016 vintage will be the best in the last ten years and may prop up the dwindling interest in wine futures that the Bordeaux region has been suffering since the financial crisis of 2008 in the United States. Interest waned substantially and some big buyers in futures never came back.

If you love river cruises and wine, you should definitely give this itinerary on Uniworld a look. We hope you enjoy our trip recap below and please feel free to contact us if you have specific questions about cruising with Uniworld or any other cruise line. And if you would like assistance in planning your vacation, we are a full-service travel agency and would welcome the chance to work with you. Please click here to contact Putnam Travels or to read more about us. 

The Pont Jacques Chaban-Delmas, opened in 2013, is the longest vertical lift bridge in Europe and is named in honor of a former Prime Minister of France and former mayor or Bordeaux.

April 9, 2017 - Embarkation: Bordeaux, France

After spending one night in Arcachon and one night in Bordeaux on our own, we boarded our ship which was docked near the city centre of Bordeaux on the Garonne river. The river has a crescent shape that curves along Bordeaux's waterfront giving the port its name - Port de la Luna, or Port of the Moon. Europe's largest vertical lift bridge can be seen towering in the distance. The River Royale would overnight here giving guests who were just arriving in Bordeaux a chance to see the city. Bordeaux is beautiful at night so after dinner we took a stroll along the promenade to capture some of the evening's beauty. One site not to be missed is the Miroir d'Eau which was built in 2006 and is the world's largest reflection pool. Its field of granite covers 37,100 square feet and on some evenings a system beneath the granite turns the shallow pool of water into a fog of mist. The ornate Place de Bourse, is a city icon similar to Place de la Concorde in Paris and was designed by the same architect, Ange-Jacques Gabriel. It makes an impressive backdrop to the Miroir d'Eau both day and night. The "Pont de Pierre" or stone bridge is beautifully lit at night as well. This bridge was constructed from 1819 to 1822 and connects the the left bank of the Garonne river with the right bank.  

Aboard the Uniworld River Royale

Once we boarded the ship we checked in at the lovely reception area highlighted by a Van Gogh-inspired mosaic mural. Finger sandwiches, fruit, beverages and pastries were laid out. This area became the "early risers" breakfast area for self-serve coffee, tea and pastries each day of the cruise. Our stateroom was small (151 sq ft), but had a large picture window for maximum river views and was designed efficiently for comfort and storage. Our stateroom featured a flat-screen TV, small table and chairs, built-in closets and a Savoir of England bed with Egyptian cotton linens. Bath amenities were from L'Occitane.

The decor of the River Royale is a stark contrast to many other river cruise ships that have been recently remodeled with sleek and modern furnishings and neutral color palettes. Although my personal taste tends to lean toward neutral colors and modern design, I found that the elegant furnishings, rich fabrics and bold colors created a distinctive and compatible ambiance in which to discover the history of Bordeaux and the legacy of one of the world's most acclaimed wine regions. 

The Executive Chef on our ship was young, energetic and very personable. He made a point of being accessible to guests and took part in the culinary presentations. The main dining room had a very elegant setting and the alternative restaurant located on the top deck provided lovely views in the evening. I don't take pictures during meals but trust me, the food on this ship was probably the best cruise ship cuisine I've ever had. The attention to detail and service was exceptional.

This was, after all, a wine cruise and Uniworld delivered on the theme. Our sommelier for the week was a young women named Aline who introduced us to the wines she had selected for each night's dinner. For guests wishing to order wine off the extensive wine menu (not included in beverage package), Aline was available in the dining room to assist with selections and make recommendations. There were three wine tasting sessions available aboard the ship with Aline during the week which took place in the Claret room. The session was included in the cruise but each guest needed to make a reservation. Aline gave an excellent presentation and we learned several new things about wine and how better to appreciate it. 

We did manage to carve out a little time to use the fitness center and the jacuzzi at the aft of the ship. The deck chairs and lounges were plentiful as were plush towels. The bartenders provided service on the deck and were constantly making the rounds to see if anyone needed anything.

April 10, 2017 Cadillac

Our stop in Cadillac (pronounced "caddy ack") included a full day in the vineyards of Sauternes with a visit to a chateau Grand Crus Classes vineyard and tasting followed by and exclusive artisanal lunch and wine pairing. During the wine tasting at Chateau de Myrat we learned about the painstaking work involved in making Sauternes which makes this wine so unique. The grapes can only be harvested by hand with several passages through the vines to allow the noble rot (made from a fungus) to settle properly on the grapes which gives them their high sugar content and exceptional aromas. Sauternes are made from three grape varieties: Semillon, which gives sweetness and texture (70-90%); Sauvignon Blanc, which adds freshness (5-20%); and Muscadelle, for aroma (1-3%).

Our group enjoyed a private, three-course lunch at Chateau de Cazeneuve, the royal palace first built in the 11th century and residence of King of France Henri IV and Queen Margot. Today, the estate is in the hands of their descendants, the ducal family de Sabran-Ponteves. Our lunch included a different wine pairing with each course so we could experience the vast differences between Sauternes. 

April 11, 2017 Medoc/Pauillac/Bourg

On this day we opted for the "Go Active" excursion which was a guided bike tour through Medoc vineyards with a stop for wine tasting at Chateau Legrange.  Our tour guide, Paolo (of Bordeaux A Velo) led us on easy roads through gorgeous and historic terrain within sight of many storied chateaus you've probably heard of like Chateau Lafite-Rothschild and Chateau Latour, owned by Francois-Henri PInault, the seventh richest man in France, estimated to have a fortune worth US$ 19.5 billion. He recently bought the Araujo Estate in Napa Valley which he added to his holding company, Groupe Artemis which also includes Christie's Auction House and Stade Rennais Football Club. He's also the controlling shareholder of luxury-goods conglomerate Kering which includes the brands Gucci, Bottega Veneta and Puma and he's also married to actress Salma Hayek.

Chateau Latour, the famed first-growth chateau made a commitment in 2008 to farm all of its 230 acres biodynamically. As you can see above, the chateau uses horses (not tractors) to plow its vineyards.

Obviously, it takes a lot of money to operate a chateau and a sad fact about the chateau life in France is that many family owned estates have sold to large corporations, both foreign and domestic, because high operating costs and inheritance taxes have made it impossible for heirs to continue their family's legacy. China has emerged as a big player in Bordeaux wines. After the financial collapse in 2008, the U.S. buyers in Bordeaux wine futures dwindled and never really came back but China found favor with Bordeaux wines and began filling that void and eventually began buying chateaux. More than 100 Bordeaux chateaux are now owned by Chinese but it still only represents about 1.3 percent of the 7,400+ chateaux in the region.

Chateau Lagrange (above left); Our bike-tour guide, Paolo Saint-Laurent of Bordeaux A Velo

April 12, 2107 Bourg/Libourne

Citadel of Blaye

The city of Bourg is home to the Citadel of Blaye, a former Roman military base in ancient times. The headlands of Blaye became a Medieval village and the base was replaced by a fortress, the remnants of which can be seen today. Throughout history many changes were made resulting in the citadel becoming a modern system of defense. After WWII, the army sold the citadel to the town of Blaye and the site underwent restoration and protection. In 2007, the citadel was added to UNESCO'S World Heritage list.

Today, the Citadel of Blaye is like a town within a town and includes a hotel, restaurant, souvenir shops and artist studios where you can purchase handcrafted, jewelry, linens and wooden toys. Certain days of the week the local market is set up within easy walking distance of the citadel. Blaye is also known for its marathon which snakes through the Bordeaux wine region and runners have the opportunity to do a little wine tasting at dozens of chateaux en route to the finish line.

April 13, 2017 Libourne/Saint Emilion

Saint Emilion is a quaint medieval village located in the heart of the Bordeaux region and is easily identifiable by the bell tower of its monolithic church. Saint Emilion is named after an 11th century monk who fled Britain to escape persecution by the Benedictine Order and lived in a cave for 17 years and was believed to be a performer of miracles. Guided tours of the cave and the rare underground monolithic church are available and there are many very good restaurants and wine shops in this village. Many bottles of wine for sale in these elegant shops had eye-popping price tags in the thousands! My favorite winery that we visited was Soutard which had two crystal chandeliers hanging in the vat room and a very James Bond-esque glass elevator to take guests down to the tasting room.

April 14, 2017 Libourne Village Day and Farmers' Market

Today, we started off with a tour of Libourne's city square and a stroll through the busy Farmer's Market to join the locals gathering fresh fish, produce and cheese for their weekend meals. Later we were joined by Christiane Saint-Laurent, wife of our previous bike guide, Paolo, who led us on the day's bike ride along the banks of the Dordogne river. Christiane was the first guide to offer cycling tours in Paris and later met Paolo. The two opened Bordeaux A Velo and know this region and its history so well which adds so much to their tours.

April 15, 2017 Bordeaux - Cycling Tour

On our last full day aboard the River Royale we were docked back in Bordeaux where we would overnight until disembarking the next morning. We opted for the "Go Active" bike tour with Christiane again. We cycled along the banks of the Garonne river and rode through the backstreets of Bordeaux. Again, Christiane impressed us with her knowledge of the viticulture, history, art and architecture of Bordeaux.

April 16, 2017 Disembarkation: Bordeaux 

On the evening before our disembarkation, Uniworld provided a bus tour through the city to capture the sights of Bordeaux at night. I was glad I had taken my night pictures at the beginning of the cruise because on this night Bordeaux was bustling with thousands of runners for the Bordeaux Marathon. And yes, the Bordeaux Marathon takes place at night. The run starts around 8pm and continues into the wee hours. To read more about the city of Bordeaux read our blog post - 12 Reasons Why We Think You'll Love Bordeaux

The Place des Quinconces is one of the largest city squares in Europe (about 31 acres). The two columns in the foreground were erected in 1829 - one symbolizes commerce and the other, navigation. The column in the background was erected in between 1894-1902, in memory of the victims of the Reign of Terror during the French Revolution. The statue on top represents the spirit of liberty.

This was probably the most active, yet relaxing river cruise we have ever taken. Each excursion was well executed, authentic and definitely complemented the wine theme of the cruise. The itinerary left us with plenty of free time to see more of a port town on our own or return to the ship and enjoy the views from the sun deck. We left Bordeaux with a very good education and appreciation for its wines, history, landscape and people. If you'd like to contact us directly for more information about this cruise please click here.

Disclaimer: As a travel agent, Larry received a reduced rate for this cruise but there was no compensation provided in exchange for editorial coverage. All opinions are our own and all content on Putnam Travels Blog is for informational purposes only. We are not liable for any errors or omissions in this information and accept no responsibility for any damages or losses arising in connection with the use of this website. Links directing to third-party websites are for informational purposes only and serve as a resource to the reader. We do not accept responsibility for the content of these sites or liability from use of them.

For more information on this Bordeaux Uniworld Cruises click here.

12 Reasons Why We Think You'll love Bordeaux

I have to admit before we visited, I only thought of Bordeaux as a region and not a city, but it's both - an amazing food and wine region as well as a beautiful, vibrant and up-and-coming city. Lonely Planet voted Bordeaux #1 in its List of Top World Cities to visit in 2017 and the city has lately been a top-ten nominee in Europe's Best Destinations and the World Travel Awards ranking it among other prestigious world cities such as Milan, Paris, Vienna, Lisbon and London. These accolades are the result of a smart revitalization plan which began in 1995 under the guardianship of the Republican Mayor Alain Juppe who brought a "tough love" approach to governing the city. He offered tax credits to residents and business owners to incentivize them to clean the filthy facades of their buildings and fines to those who didn't. The bank of the Garonne river was opened up to the city by removing old, industrial warehouses and replacing them with a wide promenade created to accommodate walkers, runners and cyclists as well has restaurants, bistros and boutiques.

Another of Juppe's projects was the city's hi-tech tram network which began service in 2003 and now provides three lines of service linking the city centre with commercial areas and the outlying suburbs while easing traffic congestion. The tram cars feature large windows giving riders unobstructed views of the passing cityscape and is powered by underground control units, negating the need for unsightly overhead cables.

Bordeaux began to shine with its scrubbed, cream-colored facades, dazzling riverfront renovation and careful blending of modern urban growth with its historic buildings and spaces created in the 18th and 19th centuries. The Bordelais were rewarded for their hard work when the city was classified as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2007 and the rest of the world began to take note. Bordeaux was now clean, current, welcoming and its people were proud.

Dozens of construction cranes are now part of the skyline as multiple condo projects are in the works to accommodate the expected growth in population due in part to Bordeaux's popularity, proximity to Paris and the more affordable living costs in the Aquitane region. Bordeaux is a three-hour TGV train ride from Paris but soon to be only two hours when a faster TGV train begins service in July 2017. Many who work in Paris and used to live in its suburbs have moved here because of the favorable cost of living and they prefer the commute by train from Bordeaux to sitting in a car in traffic. Bordeaux is also attractive to young Millennials and Gen Xers because of the well-respected university here and availability of entry-level jobs.

The wine in this region has always been world-class but now so is the food. There are dozens of Michelin-rated restaurants in Bordeaux including those of celebrity chefs Gordon Ramsay and Philippe Etchebest but there has also been an influx of talented young chefs focusing on market-driven, bistro-style fare at affordable prices.

There was so much we loved about Bordeaux but here are our top 12 reasons we think you'll love this region and city too. Enjoy!

1. Dune Pilat in Arcachon

The Grand Site de la Dune de Pilat is Europe's largest sand dune and is just a one hour train ride from Bordeaux and short drive or bike ride from Arcachon. You can rent bikes in Arcachon and pedal 12 kilometers to the dune to scale its 110 meters (…

The Grand Site de la Dune de Pilat is Europe's largest sand dune and is just a one hour train ride from Bordeaux and short drive or bike ride from Arcachon. You can rent bikes in Arcachon and pedal 12 kilometers to the dune to scale its 110 meters (for those who don't like to sink their toes into the sand there is a stairway that leads to the top too). The views from the top are impressive and you can scamper down to the Atlantic Ocean below and a beautiful stretch of beach but remember the only way back up is to hike. The effect of the wind moves the dune one to five meters each year and little by little it is covering a unique forest that dates back to the middle ages.

2. Arcachon Oysters

Arcachon is a lively beach town with a wooden boardwalk, plenty of bike paths and charming vacation homes, some dating back to the 19th century when Arcachon was a resort town for the wealthy. Arcachon Bay is a tidal estuary that provides an outlet …

Arcachon is a lively beach town with a wooden boardwalk, plenty of bike paths and charming vacation homes, some dating back to the 19th century when Arcachon was a resort town for the wealthy. Arcachon Bay is a tidal estuary that provides an outlet to the sea for the Dordogne and Garonne rivers. Across the Bay from Arcachon is the still-posh resort area of Cap Ferret where many celebrities have vacation homes including Zinedane Zidane, the retired footballer and current manager of Real Madrid. The biggest draw to Arcachon is perhaps the oysters which are harvested from the bay. Tens of thousands of oysters are cultivated at some 350 oyster farms around the bay and are considered some of the best in the world. Paired with a local white wine the experience is sublime.

3. La Cite du Vin

In the city of Bordeaux, La Cite du Vin will celebrate its first anniversary on May 31. This unique museum of wine culture was officially opened last year by President of France Francois Hollande. It makes a stunning architectural statement on the e…

In the city of Bordeaux, La Cite du Vin will celebrate its first anniversary on May 31. This unique museum of wine culture was officially opened last year by President of France Francois Hollande. It makes a stunning architectural statement on the edge of the Garonne river and houses ten levels of experiences dedicated to the world and culture of wine. Visitors pass through the building like a river - following a fluid path to hands-on exhibits, films, videos amid sensual surroundings that culminate on the top floor tasting room with sweeping views of the Garonne river, Bordeaux and beyond. Your ticket gets you a tasting from a choice of wines from all over the world.

4. Bordeaux is a Shopper's Paradise

Rue Saint Catherine is Europe's longest pedestrian shopping street at 1.2 kilometers. Saturday is typically the busiest day of the week and the street is jammed with people shopping the large retail chains, small boutiques, wine and food shops. Anot…

Rue Saint Catherine is Europe's longest pedestrian shopping street at 1.2 kilometers. Saturday is typically the busiest day of the week and the street is jammed with people shopping the large retail chains, small boutiques, wine and food shops. Another option is the many outdoor markets which take place in the towns and villages throughout the Bordeaux region. We found a great hat vendor at the weekly market held in the Citadel of Blaye. The purveyor, Betty Millerate, spoke perfect English and was very helpful in helping Larry and I find hats to take home and wear to the Kentucky Derby. Click here to see our hats at the derby.

5. The World's Largest Reflection Pool is in Bordeaux

"Miroir d'Eau," the world's largest reflection pool, sits on the door step of the Place de la Bourse and is a refreshing place to cool off on a warm day. It's like a day at the pool for kids and at night, the reflecting pool is a stunning setting fo…

"Miroir d'Eau," the world's largest reflection pool, sits on the door step of the Place de la Bourse and is a refreshing place to cool off on a warm day. It's like a day at the pool for kids and at night, the reflecting pool is a stunning setting for couples looking for a little romance.

6. Bordeaux is for Active Travelers 

Greater Bordeaux boasts hundreds of miles of bike paths both in the city and the surrounding area and is one of France's most bike-friendly cities. Bordeaux A Velo (Bordeaux by Bike) offers tours by highly-experienced guides along the wine routes to…

Greater Bordeaux boasts hundreds of miles of bike paths both in the city and the surrounding area and is one of France's most bike-friendly cities. Bordeaux A Velo (Bordeaux by Bike) offers tours by highly-experienced guides along the wine routes to visit chateaux or through the streets of Bordeaux for an intimate look at the city. There is a very popular skate park on the promanade and on weekends paddle boarders glide along the Garonne with the Pont Jacques Chaban-Delmas bridge beyond. Another active past time in the city is running and it's very common for the Bordelais to run together in the evening as a date which may explain why the Marathon of Bordeaux takes place entirely at night.

7. Bordeaux is for Foodies

The food scene in Bordeaux has everything from take-away shops and brasseries to tapas bars and Michelin-starred restaurants. The markets are also filled with fresh local products including seafood from the nearby Atlantic Ocean. We enjoyed a table-…

The food scene in Bordeaux has everything from take-away shops and brasseries to tapas bars and Michelin-starred restaurants. The markets are also filled with fresh local products including seafood from the nearby Atlantic Ocean. We enjoyed a table-side preparation of Crepes Suzette at Le Bordeaux Gordon Ramsay.

8. The Chateaux and Wine

From Saint Emilion in the east to Medoc and Pauillac in the northwest to Sauternes and Graves in the south, the wines of the Bordeaux region are varied and very good. Whether your preference in wine is red, rose, dry white or sweet white you will fi…

From Saint Emilion in the east to Medoc and Pauillac in the northwest to Sauternes and Graves in the south, the wines of the Bordeaux region are varied and very good. Whether your preference in wine is red, rose, dry white or sweet white you will find a lovely wine here and a very passionate sommelier or vintner to share its story with you. And every wine from this region seems to have a rich history. The chateaux here don't just hire people to pour tastings and collect drink tickets, they have extremely knowledgeable staff who really want you to understand what makes the wine in this region and their wine particularly so special. I've never seen such passionate people speak about wine. The Bordeaux region is home to some 10,000 wine chateaux and represents about 1.5% of the wine production in the entire world.

9. Saint Emilion

Saint Emilion is a quaint medieval village located in the heart of the Bordeaux region and is easily identifiable by the bell tower of its monolithic church. Saint Emilion is named after an 11th century monk who fled Britain to escape persecution by…

Saint Emilion is a quaint medieval village located in the heart of the Bordeaux region and is easily identifiable by the bell tower of its monolithic church. Saint Emilion is named after an 11th century monk who fled Britain to escape persecution by the Benedictine Order and lived in a cave for 17 years and was believed to be a performer of miracles. Guided tours of the cave and the rare underground monolithic church are available and there are many very good restaurants and wine shops in this village. It is definitely worth a visit.

10. Art

The city of Bordeaux is brimming with museums and art galleries but for those short on time and thin of wallet it also has an impressive array of street and public art to enjoy.

The city of Bordeaux is brimming with museums and art galleries but for those short on time and thin of wallet it also has an impressive array of street and public art to enjoy.

11. Architecture

The architecture in Bordeaux is rich in history but modern buildings such as the Law Courts (lower left) and the new Cite du Vin add some modern interest to the skyline. Grosse Cloche (above), the medieval bell tower and gate belonging to the former…

The architecture in Bordeaux is rich in history but modern buildings such as the Law Courts (lower left) and the new Cite du Vin add some modern interest to the skyline. Grosse Cloche (above), the medieval bell tower and gate belonging to the former city hall was built in the 13th and 15th centuries and is a popular pedestrian thoroughfare. The result of Mayor Juppe's effort to clean up the facades of the city's buildings can be seen below, right. (Formerly, these facades wold have been black or dark gray.)

12. And finally dessert - Cannele Bordelais

The cannele bordelais is the local confection of the Bordeaux region. It's a cake with a rich custard interior enclosed in a thin caramelized cake shell baked in a copper fluted molds which gives it a unique shape. The tale of its origin is a bit un…

The cannele bordelais is the local confection of the Bordeaux region. It's a cake with a rich custard interior enclosed in a thin caramelized cake shell baked in a copper fluted molds which gives it a unique shape. The tale of its origin is a bit unclear but two versions that seem to have the most credence are 1) nuns from a convent in Bordeaux (before the French Revolution) prepared cakes made from donated egg yolks from local winemakers who needed only egg whites to clarify their wines and 2) residents who lived along the river Garonne gathered spilt low-protein flour from the loading docks then used it to make sweets for poor children. The cakes come in a variety of sizes but the traditional size is small enough to fit in the palm of your hand and enjoy with a cup of coffee or glass of wine.

Pendry Hotel, San Diego

It wasn't that long ago on our travels when people learned we lived in San Diego we'd get responses like, "Oh, that's near Mexico, isn't it?" or "We've been to LA. Is San Diego near there?" But in the last few years, people that we've met around the world now know exactly where San Diego is because they've visited - and they loved it! It seems hotel developers have gotten the message too and the city is in the midst of a hotel boom. San Diego's downtown already has its share of good convention and family hotels but could definitely use more properties in the luxury, boutique or cool-factor categories. The Pendry Hotel hits the mark in all three categories as we found out when we stopped by for lunch after attending the San Diego Travel and Adventure Show last weekend. The 12-story hotel has an ideal location in the Gaslamp Quarter on the corner of 5th Avenue and J Street and is just a short walk to the San Diego Convention Center and Petco Park.

Pendry is an offshoot of the luxe brand, Montage Hotels and Resorts, a management company which oversees such distinctive properties as Montage Laguna Beach, Montage Beverly Hills, Montage Deer Valley and Montage Kapalua Bay. Pendry is the company's second brand which skews to a younger clientele with its edgier design and personality. A second Pendry hotel, in Baltimore, is slated to open this month and there is a third in the works for West Hollywood. I can't ever remember a time when San Diego got a cool hotel before L.A. did.

The tenet of the Pendry brand as it states on its website is simple luxury, clean design, well-crafted restaurant experiences, vibrant bars with a perfect balance of polished comfort and modern edge and a taste for rebellion. It was all on display as we were lucky enough to get a peek inside after we introduced ourselves as local travel agents to the concierge in the lobby. Ryan offered to show us a couple of the hotel's 317 guest rooms and invited us to take a look at the rooftop pool deck and spa before heading off for our lunch at the hotel's Provisional Restaurant.

The lobby reminded me of a grand train station from the Art Deco era with its wood paneled ceiling, curved polished lobby desk, tufted velvet settee, mosaic-tiled floors and wrought iron and brass accents on furniture and lighting fixtures. The lobby was bright and airy with large windows, lush plants and an inviting sitting area with a fireplace situated beneath a giant birdcage pendant light.

We rode the elevator to the second floor where Ryan showed us a Premier Room with large windows and modern furnishings in soothing ocean-inspired colors. The king bed was dressed in luxury linens and the nightstand held a Bluetooth-enabled Nixon speaker for streaming music. The only separation between the bed and bath was the floor-to-ceiling glass shower enclosure which could be concealed with a curtain. I thought it was odd but after pondering for a moment I realized this feature speaks to Pendry's slightly rebellious character and I think its young, edgy clientele would likely embrace the concept. The bathroom had luxurious touches like a marble vanity, chic Waterworks accessories and custom amenities from the east coast parfumerie MiN New York.

On the third floor, Ryan showed us one of the Deluxe Suites which featured a separate living room with wet bar and floor to ceiling windows offering views of the city skyline. The luxury bathroom included a dual marble vanity, MiN New York bath products and a dual-head, walk-in shower.

We passed through the spa on our way to the rooftop deck and Pool House lounge which overlooks the Gaslamp Quarter's bustling 5th Avenue and city views beyond. The Pendry's penchant for simple luxury and clean lines are evident on the deck. The poolside lounges and cabanas are decorated with classic striped cushions, pillows and light, billowy drapery. There is also a 1,082 sq.-foot Cabana Pool Suite with full kitchen, dining room and entertainment area that opens up directly to the pool deck. The bedroom has 180-degree views of the Gaslamp Quarter.

We didn't get to see Lionfish, the hotel's fine dining restaurant specializing in seafood and prime cuts or the Oxford Social Club, a cocktail lounge open Thurs. - Sat. from 10pm-2am. We checked out some of the special event spaces, looked in on Nason's Beer Hall (which wasn't open at the time) and Fifth & Rose, the elegant and chic bar just off the lobby. I was really impressed each space had its own personality but blended well together. The design team did a great job bringing together classic elegance, industrial detailing and modern flare throughout the property. 

We bid farewell to Ryan and went to have lunch at Provisional, the all-day dining option in the hotel. It's a restaurant-marketplace with dining room and bistro seating or carry-out options from the coffee/pastry bar or gelato counter. We ordered light lunch from the Cafe Menu and added two beers from the nice selection of bottled craft beers. The staff was amazingly attentive (and because we live in San Diego we can attest that some wait staffs tend to be a little too laid back) and saw to our every need. We asked our waitress if Provisional had been busy since opening and she said lunch was their busiest time as it draws a good local business crowd and many residents from the numerous nearby condos. We shared a gelato and our waitress gave us two samples of coffee from the elaborate cold-brewing contraption on the counter. We had inquired about it while we were having our lunch and she just thought we'd like to try it. Nice!

I know new hotels can have service issues when they first open but every employee we encountered was exceptional, poised and exceedingly helpful. We had just stopped in to check out the hotel and have lunch but ended up getting a tour and were treated as if we were guests. Obviously, we didn't stay at the hotel but will definitely come back to try the other restaurants and have cocktails before a show, concert or ballgame at nearby Petco Park. If the Pendry staff is this nice to "drop in" visitors I can only imagine how well it takes care of its guests. 

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Windstar Cruise - Costa Rica & Panama Canal

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Two years ago we cruised with Windstar on the Star Breeze from Barcelona to Lisbon and fell in love with sailing the seas on this small luxury ship. So, when we found out the Star Breeze would be cruising Costa Rica and the Panama Canal we knew it would be an ideal ship to transit the Canal. The Star Breeze is just one of three power yachts in the Windstar fleet which the cruise line purchased from Seabourn back in 2013. The Star Pride, Star Legend and Star Breeze all underwent $8.5-million makeovers to enhance their all-suite accommodations, public spaces and dining rooms to create luxury cruising experiences for its guests.

Once aboard the Star Breeze, it was easy to settle in to the yachting lifestyle again. Thankfully for us, there were no formal nights or set times for dinner. (There is a dining room dress code though.) We liked having the breakfast options of the hearty buffet or smaller offerings of granola parfaits and smoothies found in the Yacht Club each morning. The casual, outdoor Star Bar was a great gathering spot for a drink before dinner and to enjoy the onboard entertainers - two different duos who performed nightly. On the second day we were on a first-name basis with crew and other guests and felt comfortable strolling to the ship's bridge to chat with the Officer of the Watch, who was always generous with information about the navigation system or questions we had. You really start to feel like you're on your own yacht!

With only 212 guests, the power yacht experience feels intimate and authentic. On our Panama Canal cruise we experienced the magnitude of the man-made interoceanic waterway but also felt fully immersed in the nature that surrounded us. At each port, the Star Breeze dropped anchor near small marinas or in picturesque bays where we were the only cruise ship and sometimes the only ship. Sporty inflatable Zodiacs, not smelly, lumbering lifeboats, were used to transport guests from ship to shore and back.

The service is extremely personal at every level and the food was very good. Windstar played to its strengths by hosting an elaborate dinner BBQ one night on its outdoor decks and showcased the talents of its predominantly Indonesian galley team with a buffet lunch of authentic Indian cuisine one afternoon.

I hope you enjoy the trip recap below and please feel free to contact us if you have specific questions about cruising with Windstar or any other cruise line. We've sailed on the Wind Surf and the Star Breeze twice. And if you would like assistance in planning your vacation we are a full-service travel agency and would welcome the chance to work with you. Please click here to contact Putnam Travels or to read more about us. 

For more information on Windstar Cruises click here.

Disclaimer: As a travel agent, Larry received a reduced rate for this cruise but there was no compensation provided in exchange for editorial coverage. All opinions expressed are our own and all content on Putnam Travels Blog is for informational purposes only. We are not liable for any errors or omissions in this information and accept no responsibility for any damages or losses arising in connection with the use of this website. Links directing to third-party websites are for informational purposes only and serve as a resource to the reader. We do not accept responsibility for the content of these sites or liability from use of them. 

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Feb. 11, 2017  Embarkation: Puerto Caldera, Costa Rica

We hired our own driver to pick us up at our hotel in San Jose and take us to Puerto Caldero where we boarded the ship. We were traveling with a group of six so we opted to hire private shuttles and schedule some private tours throughout the cruise so we could customize our excursions and have our own transportation.

It only took about 20 minutes from the time we stepped off our shuttle until we inserted our newly-minted keycard into the door of our spacious cabin and began to unpack while we sipped our welcome-aboard mimosas. With only 212 passengers, the boarding process is so fast and easy - no lines - just a quick check through security and you're aboard.

Our suite was a spacious 277 square-feet including a sitting area, desk, bar, flat-screen TV, walk-in closet and large bathroom with combo tub-shower and a generous supply of bath amenities from luxury label L'Occitane. The bed and comforter were dressed in Egyptian cotton linens and robes slippers were provided.

The public spaces are designed for intimate conversations or for groups who want to sit together. It's so easy to meet people on a small ship and by the second day we recognized everyone. Photos: Clockwise from top left - The Yacht Club; Star Bar; Compass Lounge, AmphorA Restaurant. 

There are plenty of lounges and sitting areas on the sun deck plus a jacuzzi and swim spa. We used the gym a few times which had ample space and equipment. The ship also has a Spa and Wellness Center. The spa offers a large array of services including facials, massages, mani/pedi, waxing, hairstyling and tooth whitening. The Wellness Center under the direction of the Fitness Director provides complimentary daily fitness classes and personal training, body composition analysis and nutritional consultation for a fee.

Feb. 12, 2017  Port: Quepos and Manuel Antonio, Costa Rica

The ship offered its own shore excursion to Manuel Antonio National Park but we pre-booked a private tour with our own professional tour guide prior to leaving home. The guides in the national park are professionals who undergo vigorous training and have a camaraderie that is evident on the trails. They are quick to share information with one another and inform fellow guides of animal sightings along the trail. Our private guide, Manuel, was outstanding and I would highly recommend him to anyone booking their own tour. He took some fantastic pictures for us though his telescope (the owl photo above was taken with my iPhone 6s through Manuel's telescope.) Before becoming a guide, Manuel traveled all over Costa Rica to surf the best spots but was always intrigued by the plants, birds and animals he would find in the jungles near the camps where he stayed. His passion for surfing eventually gave way to his passion for nature so when he returned back from one of his surfing trips he decided to train to be a guide. Please contact us if you'd like information about booking with Manuel.

Quepos, Costa Rica

We stopped for lunch in Quepos and bid farewell to our driver because we decided to walk through town on our way back to the marina. For lunch I had ceviche and fried plantains with a cold Imperial Light - the local beer. And we had time for a margarita at the marina before we boarded a Zodiac back to the ship.

Feb. 13, 2017  Port: Bahia Drake, Costa Rica

Windstar's excursions at this port included horseback riding, ziplining and other nature tours but we decided to stay aboard and enjoy this small bay by kayak, paddleboard and snorkel and fins. The Star Breeze has a watersports platform that opens at the aft of the ship and passengers have use all the sports equipment and water toys. If weather permits, experienced passengers can also waterski. We also spent the day enjoying the whirlpool and sun bathing on the deck.

Feb 14, 2017  Port: Puerto Jimenez, Costa Rica

Puerto Jimenez, once a bustling little logging and mining town, is now home to just 1,780 residents. Located on the southeastern tip of the Oso Pennisula, the little town is a bit rustic with its dusty roads but the area is teeming with natural wonders. We had scheduled a private kayak excursion for our group of six and met up with our guide, Roberto, on the beach. We claimed our kayaks and and began the two-hour paddle on the calm waters of the Golfo Dulce. We tried snorkeling at our stopping point but visibility was poor and the water was very shallow. The shore was muddy and not conducive to swimming so we headed back with our kayaks tied end-to-end and towed by Roberto's little skiff. Back on land we enjoyed sandwiches and fruit provided by Roberto and watched parrots, macaws and monkeys in the trees above us.

Feb. 15, 2017  Port: Isla Parida, Panama

We've been on cruises that have hosted beach barbecues for guests on private islands but none as fun and relaxing as Windstar's BBQ on Isla Parida. There were plenty of lounges for guests to enjoy the view as well as full bar and impressive buffet. The water sports team brought the kayaks, paddleboards and snorkel gear to island so there were lots of activities to work up an appetite. A few guests made an impressive showing in a volleyball game with the crew and others showed off their waterskiing talents. 

Feb. 16, 2017  Day at Sea

Our day at sea was filled with activities and leisure time. The galley tour on the Star Breeze was one of the best galley tours I've experienced on a cruise ship in a long time. (Most big ships don't even have them anymore.) The Chef gave a very detailed history of the culinary hierarchy of a kitchen staff and spent time answering guest questions and introducing his galley team who were busy prepping, baking and creating desserts for our dinner. We rounded out the day with a bartending class, sun bathing, relaxing (a lot of relaxing), visiting the bridge (which is open to guests anytime the ship is underway) and attending the Crew Show. By now, we had gotten to know our waiters, bartenders, cabin steward and many other crew members so well that it felt like we were watching a family member perform.  

Feb. 17, 2017  Port: Panama Canal, Panama

The day of our Canal passage started early - 6:45am early! While we were sleeping off the previous night's revelry our crew was welcoming aboard the local pilot who would have full responsibility for navigating our ship through the Canal as well as a local expert who would provide commentary throughout the transit. It was our first time through the Panama Canal so when we heard the public announcement from the hallway that we would soon be entering the first lock we jumped out of bed, got dressed and hurried to the deck where we were greeted with urns of coffee and fresh pastries and many other guests who had risen earlier. The best part of being on a small ship was that there was plenty of room to move around and get a great view. It took just a few minutes to move forward to aft and check out different vantage points to watch the goings on. Traffic at the Canal can be unpredictable but we seemed to be entering each lock right on schedule. We had fantastic weather albeit a little windy. Every guest received a personalized "Order of the Ditch" certificate to commemorate their Panama Canal passage.

Feb. 18, 2017  Disembarkation: Colon, Panama

We spent our last night anchored off the Port of Colon amid many other ships within site of the busy port activities. The next morning we docked and disembarkation was again fast and easy. We had a late afternoon flight from Panama back to San Diego so we scheduled our own transportation from the the ship to Panama City which allowed us a little extra time to sleep in. We were off the ship by 8:30am.

We had time for a quick tour of Old Town and took some pictures of the downtown skyline across the bay. 

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San Jose, Costa Rica - A Tale of Two Tastes

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Sometimes when you travel and you're short on time you only get a taste of a place but during a short layover in San Jose we were able to squeeze in two tastes - beer and chocolate. Chocolate has a long and rich history in Latin America dating back to the time of the Mayans and Aztecs but beer didn't emerge on the scene in Costa Rica until the early 1900's and craft beer in this country is practically in its infancy but growing up fast. Costa Rica Craft Beer Company started the craft beer movement in 2010 and now dozens more craft breweries are making quality lagers, ales, IPAs and stouts. 

Our home city, San Diego, is one of the best U.S. cities for craft beers so we're always interested to taste what other brewers around the world are pouring. Costa Rica's craft breweries are producing about 100 different draft and bottled beers and we had read about Stiefel Pub in San Jose and it sounded like a great place to taste the local brews.

We were staying in a hotel in the Heredia Province so we took a cab downtown not realizing the bridge to the city was undergoing major repairs requiring lane closures that turned our ride into a 30-minute, bumper-to-bumper crawl. The traffic downtown wasn't much better so once we got to an area we recognized on our city map we decided to hop out and walk the rest of the way and I'm glad we did because we found San Jose to be a city best explored on foot. As we made our way to the pub, we passed massive souvenir shops and small boutiques, stately buildings with ornate architecture and bland buildings enhanced with murals and many hotels, restaurants and pubs. Some areas looked a little rough and some looked absolutely regal. 

A statue of Juan Vazquez de Coronado overlooks a fountain in Parque Espana. The Spanish conquistador played a major role in the colonization of Costa Rica and was the province's first appointed Royal Governor.

A statue of Juan Vazquez de Coronado overlooks a fountain in Parque Espana. The Spanish conquistador played a major role in the colonization of Costa Rica and was the province's first appointed Royal Governor.

A few blocks shy of our destination we espied an ornate, domed structure surrounded by lush, green parkland across the street so we crossed over for a closer look. We entered Parque Morazan and learned the structure which caught our eye was the Templo de la Musica  - a concrete bandstand which looked like it had been recently renovated.

The Templo de la Musica is the work of painter and architect Francisco Salazar. It is believed Salazar was inspired by the temple of love and music in Versailles.

The Templo de la Musica is the work of painter and architect Francisco Salazar. It is believed Salazar was inspired by the temple of love and music in Versailles.

The green space was actually two parks adjoined, Parque Espana and Parque Morazan. It was lunch time so many people were enjoying the shade trees, refreshing fountains and sitting areas. It was a pleasant, sunny day so we spent a little time people watching and enjoying the landmarks throughout both parks. Pleased with ourselves for sneaking some culture into our otherwise indulgently-planned day we headed off to the pub.

The renovated underside of the Templo de la Musica dome.

The renovated underside of the Templo de la Musica dome.

Stiefel Pub is located in the stylish neighborhood of Otoya, the historical district of the city where wealthy and elite families used to live. Many of the mansions once owned by coffee barons have been converted into boutique hotels, cafes, business offices, and galleries. We spotted the big, beer boot logo on a building with green trim and entered the small but bustling pub.

The bold geometric-patterned tile floor and the walls papered in colorful handbills and posters of beer festivals from all over the world made for a cheery welcome. There were about a dozen tables, all but two were occupied and only two bar stools were open. We settled in at an open table and each ordered the beer sampler and an order of the chicken fajitas lunch special to share. The clientele seemed to be an even mix of locals and tourists.

Our samplers arrived on wooden paddles with the name of each beer, percent of alcohol noted and style written next to each glass in chalk. It had taken a little while to get our beers but when I saw the effort that went into the presentation I was impressed by the attention to detail even during the busy lunch rush. 

Larry and I got different beers so we could sample eight in total. Larry ordered the Calypso, a 7.5% IPA brewed by Costa Rica Craft & Brewing; Temporada, a 4.6% Golden Ale brewed by Primate; Ryd'ing Dirty, a 4.6% Rye Ale also by CR Craft & Brewing; and Perla Negra, a 6% Dry Stout brewed by Daba Daba Brew (my favorite brewery name). I ordered the Horizon, a 6.2% Pale Ale brewed by Bri Bri Spring; Tita, a 4.6% Golden Ale and the Stevie Wonder, a 4.6% Stout, both brewed by Baristas Brothers; and Malinche, a 5% Wheat Beer brewed by C Cimarrona. 

One of my favorite features in the pub were the four pendant lights fashioned from plastic beer cups.

One of my favorite features in the pub were the four pendant lights fashioned from plastic beer cups.

Stiefel Pub has such a great variety of local draft and bottled beers and of the eight we tried there was only one neither of us cared for - the golden ale. But as I've mentioned in previous posts, Larry and I are just good-natured beer drinkers and not professional tasters. As we were finishing our beer a young couple from Green Bay, Wisconsin came in and the wife inquired about the sampler we had. Her husband suggested they share one and she looked at him like he was mad. "I want my own, " she said. We all had a good laugh at that. 

The couple from Green Bay, WI. They were waiting to check into their nearby hotel and were already making plans to come back that evening.

The couple from Green Bay, WI. They were waiting to check into their nearby hotel and were already making plans to come back that evening.

We walked to the park to catch a cab to take us back to our hotel across the bridge and the return trip took even longer. Our driver told us the bridge, or "La Platina" as the locals call it, has been the subject of frustration for Costa Ricans for a long time. It is the major route from the capital city to Juan Santamaria Airport and the Alajuela province. If you're planning to travel to San Jose, keep an eye on scheduled closures. Our driver told us that sometimes the bridge is completely closed for 24 hours. On this day, it was only open to public transportation including city buses, tour buses and taxis. There are exceptions during the morning and evening commute hours.

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We had scoped out a quaint chocolate boutique next door to our hotel the night before so I wanted to check it out since we still had some time. Nahua Chocolate was tucked into the back of the Plaza Cariari Shopping Center (between the Country Inn Suites and Doubletree Hotel) in Heredia. It's really just a small tasting room but they do make truffles onsite. The packaged bars of chocolate, nibs and cocoa powder are produced at their nearby factory.

The gentleman behind the counter gave us samples of hot chocolate and dark chocolate chips to nibble on while we selected a couple of truffles from the glass case and looked over the milk and dark chocolate bars for sale. The bars came in a wide array of flavors including passion fruit, cinnamon, sea salt, pineapple, cayenne, mint, orange and several more.

We bought two truffles - vanilla (left) and lime (right).

We bought two truffles - vanilla (left) and lime (right).

Nahua Chocolate is made from 100% Costa Rican cacao beans from smallholder growers who are held to the highest standards of social and environmental development. Nahua owner, Juan Pablo Buchert has helped implement programs to support sustainable farming practices which in turn has helped rural farmers revitalize their cacao forests, increase productivity and their incomes as well. Although the chocolate was delicious, I wouldn't go out of my way to come here but if your hotel is within easy walking distance it is definitely worth a stop. We bought a few chocolate bars for our family and friends who would be joining us for a Panama Canal cruise the next day.

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Chinese New Year at the Bellagio Hotel, Las Vegas

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The Year of the Fire Rooster

Perched atop a 35-foot stone structure, a Fire Rooster strikes an impressive pose as the celebratory figure in this year's colorful floral Chinese New Year display at the Bellagio Hotel in Las Vegas. Each year the Asian celebration is the kick-off floral theme in the hotel's Conservatory and attracts thousands to celebrate the annual Spring Festival and its traditions and customs to bring luck and prosperity in the coming year.

The stunning showcase is located just beyond the lobby and front desk and has dazzled guests since the hotel's opening in 1998. The Bellagio will celebrate its 20th birthday next year (I know, it's hard to believe. Vegas hotels grow up so fast!) and with so many new glitzy hotels popping up along the strip I could have easily been tempted to look elsewhere but I still love the European style and elegance of this hotel and it's where I most enjoy staying in Las Vegas.

During Chinese New Year you'll find adornments of the festive holiday throughout the hotel from the cherry blossom banners swaying from the ceiling in the promenade of shops to the large urns filled with red flowers, orchids, lanterns and strings of red and gold firecrackers gracing the front desk but the centerpiece of it all is the 14,000-square-foot Conservatory bedecked in floral grandeur. This year's display was created by Ed LIbby, a favorite event designer of New York society, in collaboration with the Bellagio's horticultural staff and Feng Shui Master George Yau. Don't ask me how, but after a night of revelry I awoke at 5am one morning and scurried to the Conservatory and had the space all to myself while I took these photos.

To reach the center of the garden visitors walk beneath four 17-foot tall rose stems, arcs of shooting water and a 16-foot high Moon Gate flanked by ding-pots burning incense to protect against bad fortune. There, beneath the 50-foot high glass Conservatory ceiling, is the imposing Fire Rooster standing on its mound guarding its flock and brood of fuzzy, yellow chicks. It took 60,000 man hours to build the giant bird which was modeled after a Rhode Island Red rooster and is covered with 10,000 red, brown, gold and black feathers. It's also bedecked with Austrian and Swarovski crystals which glisten when the rooster mechanically wiggles its tail and stretches its neck to crow.

Traditional decorations of the spring festival are evident all around including hanging and pedestal red lanterns which drive away bad luck. The pedestal lanterns were custom made for the Bellagio Conservatory and provide illumination to the garden.

More light shimmers from round windows inset into stone and decorated with paper-cutting designs. Chinese paper-cutting is a centuries-old tradition used to decorate doors and windows to celebrate festivities and happiness.

My favorite vignette though, was of a boy fishing in a Koi pond at the foot of a quaint, wooden bridge shaded by a brilliant cherry blossom tree. The pond actually holds 21,000 gallons of water and is filled with 50 live Koi fish. The cherry blossom tree was also custom made for the Conservatory and stands 18-feet tall and has a 20-foot-wide canopy made of 300 water jet/heat-formed acrylic blossoms and leaves - a process that gives each blossom its own unique form.

A long-standing tradition of ringing in the Chinese New Year is to set off firecrackers and the louder they are the luckier they are considered to be. As the tradition goes, first a string of small firecrackers is set off, followed by three big firecrackers which symbolize chasing out the old year and sounding in the new year.

In the Conservatory, LEDs provide the fireworks in the form of eight- and six-foot diameter lights dangling from the ceiling. Each node contains four colors - white, red, blue and green and the colors come through acrylic rods that each have a one-inch sphere on the end. 

Chinese New Year is a very happy time for young people as depicted in the playful figures of six children on display in the garden. Schools in China are usually closed for a month and children typically receive red envelopes filled with cash from their elders to symbolize good luck and to ward off evil spirits. I'd be happy too!

Perhaps one of the most important activities of the spring festival is the Reunion Dinner when families gather to enjoy their New Year's Eve feast together. Chinese make every effort to attend which accounts for 4% of the world's population traveling during this time of year. It is estimated that 3.5 billion people around the world are traveling to visit family and Las Vegas is a very popular destination to meet. I can think of no better place to test one's new year's luck than in a Vegas casino. The Bellagio has two very popular restaurants where families can enjoy their Reunion Dinner. Jasmine, with its garden and lake views, is an elegant option which is well known for its signature dishes of Imperial Peking Duck and Chilean Sea Bass. The other, Noodles, offers a wide array of authentic noodle dishes from all over Asia including Thailand, Japan, China and Vietnam.

Chinese New Year kicks off January 28 and the celebration period lasts for about 2-1/2 weeks. However, the floral display in the Conservatory will be on display through March 4 before it goes dark March 5 - 10, and returns on March 11th with a new exhibit to celebrate the season of spring.

Bellagio Conservatory and Botanical Garden is free and open 7 day a week, 24 hours. www.bellagio.com  Want to learn more about Chinese New Year traditions? Click here

Going to Las Vegas? Please contact Putnam Travels. We'd love to assist you.

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BREWS AND VIEWS - A BEER TASTING TOUR IN PRAGUE

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Selection of bottled beer for sale at Pipa Beer Story

Selection of bottled beer for sale at Pipa Beer Story

The Czech Republic is a beer-loving nation so we decided there was no better way to immerse ourselves into the country's culture and traditions than with a beer tour of Prague. This city has dozens of beer gardens, beer halls, pubs and breweries to pick from so we decided to enlist the help of Eating Prague Tours and its "Brews and Views Beer Tour." If we were going to do a pub crawl in a foreign city we wanted to do it with a local professional.

Our tour began with meeting our host and fellow guests at the sprawling beer garden in Letna Park which sits above the banks of the Vltava river and offers a sweeping view of Prague's Old Town. Jan, our guide, was trim and fit and not exactly what I anticipated a beer tour leader to look like but he was well informed about beer brewing and beer culture in the Czech Republic. On this tour I had expected we'd get small, tasting-size cups but the bartender at the outdoor bar poured each of us a full pint of Gambrinus, one of the most popular lagers in the country. It's made from 100% malt and Czech hops and is quite similar to the more internationally known Czech brand, Pilsner Urquell.

Our group was small, just seven of us. In additional to Jan, there were four other Americans - a young couple from the midwest and two guys from southern California. We introduced ourselves and took pictures of the view while Jan pointed out the major buildings in the distance and gave us a little history about beer making. On this cold afternoon we donned gloves to hold our plastic beer cups and Jan suggested we begin walking to our next stop to warm up and because walking the streets of Prague with a beer in your hand is perfectly legal. 

The Czech Republic is far and away the #1 country in beer consumption at almost 160 liters per capita. That's nearly double the per capita in the United States. And the Czechs make no apologies. In fact, they are quite proud of the distinction. As Jan explained, "Czechs don't drink beer excessively, they drink it regularly." And they have been brewing beer regularly for centuries as the first beer-brewing textbook was written in this country in the 18th century.

We made a sweet stop at Pernickuv Sen

We made a sweet stop at Pernickuv Sen

We made two quick stops along the way to our next beer tasting. The first was a quaint, little shop named Pernickuv Sen where traditional Czech gingerbread is made and we were treated to our very own "beer cookies." The other stop was a modest-sized butcher shop in a passageway in the Old Town section of Prague that we would never have found on our own. The efficiently designed Nase Maso is well known for its aged and matured beef and Prestice pork but it also has a fan base for its takeaway hot dogs. Hot dogs were included in the price of our tour and I opted for the spicy paprika dog which came nestled in a roll that had been impaled onto a toasting rod to create a crisp bun within seconds. Our hot dogs dressed with condiments were wrapped in butcher paper so we could take them to go. We exited the passageway onto the elegant Rybna Street and headed toward our next beer tasting at Maso A Kobliha, a pub and butcher shop located in the New Town.  

Maso A Kobliha

Maso A Kobliha

The English translation of Maso A Kobliha is Meat & Donuts and we got a taste of both in addition to a very good summer-style IPA by Matuska, a microbrewery located in Broumy, about an hour's drive from Prague. Maso A Kobliha always has a craft beer on tap and is a big supporter of the new wave Czech brewing inspired by American craft beer. The pub is bright and has a quirky and nostalgic vibe. Its casual seating area consists mostly of wooden tables and benches which is conducive to larger groups and conversation. The owner, a butcher from England,  brought a bit of the UK's pub fare with him to Prague with his Scotch eggs, which we got to try along with potato fritters with ham and fried pork skins. The platters were laid out family style and we all politely shared the portions until a couple of puffy vanilla custard donuts were set before us. Then, the knives and forks flew wildly as we devoured the famous namesake specialties. I would say if I had to pick only one restaurant to eat at for the rest of my life this would be the place.  Beer. Meat. Donuts.

Jan explaining brewing styles at Pipa Beer Story.

Jan explaining brewing styles at Pipa Beer Story.

Next on our tour was a glass of Bernard Bohemian Ale at Restaurant U Benedikta, a very traditional beer hall where we were also treated to a typical snack often paired with beer in Prague - cheese marinated in oil and paprika. The beer had a 8.20% ABV (Alcohol by Volume) and was brewed in the Belgian Strong Pale Ale style. It was citrusy and had a little carbonation to it which Jan pointed out was a bit like Champagne so we all raised our glasses and he taught us the Czech toast to good health, "Na zdravi!" An easy way to remember the pronunciation is to say "Nice Driveway."

Next, we headed to T-Anker, which could be Prague's best kept secret - a beer garden on a terrace atop a department store with amazing views of the Prague skyline. We arrived at the "blue hour" - that magical hour after dusk when the sky provides the perfect lighting for photo ops. It was too cold to sit outside but we took advantage of the perfect lighting to take photos and enjoyed the much needed fresh air to give us the gusto we needed to make it to the end of the tour. 

View from the beer terrace at T-Anker

View from the beer terrace at T-Anker

We settled in at a large communal table inside the restaurant as mugs of T-Anker Light Lager were passed around. The bar featured several Czech microbrews as well as Belgian classics and the place was lively. Here, we were also served a cheese pairing to enjoy with the beer.

Marinated and baked cheese snack at T-Anker

Marinated and baked cheese snack at T-Anker

As we left T-Anker, half the group took the stairs with Jan and the others took the elevator down to street level to regroup. Jan seemed relieved to see we all made it because by this time, well, let's just say everyone was fully-participating in the beer tour and it would have been easy to lose someone at that moment.

Our happy group walked to the final stop of the tour, Pipa Beer Story located in the basement of the Food Story food hall. This place specializes in beer and food pairings but also offers more than 160 types of bottled beer for sale in their Beertheque. It looks and feels like a tavern and we had the most attentive staff waiting on us. They wanted us to try everything. And we did! We began with a bottle of Permon IPA Sherpa 16˚ which had a creamy, long-lasting head. That was followed by two lagers - one light, one dark, a hefeweizen and we finished with a Primator Stout.

Permon IPA Sherpa 16˚

Permon IPA Sherpa 16˚

I would classify Larry and I as good-natured beer drinkers and we thoroughly enjoyed the tour with our amicable guide and group. The tour delivered on brews and views and the hearty snacks were a great addition and much appreciated (and needed!). There are certainly many pubs to visit in this beer-drinking city and I'm sure self-proclaimed beer geeks and beer snobs have their own list of must-see places off the tourist trail but for us, this tour was a perfect first taste of the beer scene in Prague. For more information about Eating Prague Tours visit www.eatingpraguetours.com

Ritz-Carlton, Budapest

The Ritz-Carlton, Budapest hotel is located in the heart of the bustling 5th district overlooking Erzsebet Square with a view of St. Stephen's Basilica and walking distance to many of the city's historic sites as well as restaurants, cafes, boutiques and galleries.

In a city known for architecture ranging from Roman and Gothic to Baroque and Art Nouveau, the 20-century facade of the hotel is a modern standout. Its exterior reminded me of a stately jewel box with its clean lines and ornate marble statues original to the building erected in 1914 as a headquarters for an Italian insurance company. 

Inside, the hotel is both modern and classic. The design concept was inspired by the nearby Danube river in both color and movement.  Shades of blues and greys create an elegant tone and the curves and swirls incorporated into the design of furniture, patterns on the carpet and custom lighting give the interiors a fresh and contemporary look.

The hotel features 170 rooms and 30 luxury suites.  Ours was a deluxe room on the sixth floor overlooking the park with a view of St. Stephen's Basilica. It was a comfortable-sized room with a dreamy, king-sized feather bed dressed in luxury linens, a writing desk and sitting area with sofa. The large marble bathroom had a walk-in shower and separate tub and was stocked with bath amenities from the London luxury label, Asprey.

I like to hit the gym when I travel to help with jet lag and the fitness center at the Ritz-Carlton was efficiently laid out with treadmills, elliptical and recumbent bike machines as well as a mirrored area with benches and free weights.  It also had yoga mats, bottled water, towels and fresh fruit. The adjacent spa was still under construction but is scheduled to open in January 2017.  The plans for the spa area call for a thermal bath, swimming pool, sauna, relaxing areas and treatment rooms.

The hotel has two restaurants - Deak Street Kitchen (DKS) and the Kupola Bar and Lounge.  The DSK appears to be a standalone restaurant with its own terrace and entrance off of Fashion Street but it can also be accessed from the hotel lounge.  It's a clever design feature which creates the illusion of "dining out" even if you're staying at the hotel.  The restaurant serves Hungarian dishes as well grilled meats, salads, burgers and sandwiches.  It is quite popular with locals and was very busy the day we had lunch during the first weekend of the Christmas Market which was staged just outside the restaurant. Daily breakfast was included in our reservation and was served in the Kupola Lounge. We had our choice of the extensive buffet or ordering off the menu or both.  

The service throughout our stay was impeccable from check-in and the plate of cookies delivered to our room upon arrival to the attentive concierge team who assisted us with restaurant and transportation reservations. The doormen were helpful and engaging and I felt bad every time I used the revolving door forgetting they were standing by poised to open the swinging door for us. And it was nice to return to the Kupola Bar on our second night and have the hostess and bartender greet us by name.

Larry squeezing in a quick nap on the sofa.  

Larry squeezing in a quick nap on the sofa.  

The location was perfect as we like to explore on foot and almost everything we wanted to see was within walking distance.  As much as we tried to see everything beautiful Budapest has to offer we still didn't see enough of it. We plan to visit again and would definitely stay at the Ritz-Carlton. 

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