Monthly Archives: July 2007

How could I have forgotten this one? The original photos were actually taken by Greta; it’s the Villa of Mysteries in Pompeii:

While I was in Europe, I didn’t have access to my panorama software, so I didn’t get a chance to show you the panoramic photos I took. Here are the ones that turned out all right (click on the image … Continue reading →

As promised, here’s my updated weight after 7 weeks of rich European food. I weighed 217 pounds at the start of the trip, and today I weighed 215. I lost 2 pounds in Europe! Even though that’s been my pattern … Continue reading →

10. The worst wines in Europe 9. What I’d do differently if I visited again 8. What I’d do more of if I visited again 7. Should I have brought the computer? 6. Was the trip too long/short? 5. Would … Continue reading →

It’s been over 7 weeks. We’ve taken over 3,000 photos. We’ve eaten over 300 restaurant meals. We’ve flown over 10,000 miles. And I’ve written well over 10,000 words about the experience (I can’t check the exact number because at the … Continue reading →

Yesterday we wised up and took the bus to the top the highest and oldest monastery in Meteora, the Grand Meteoron. We arrived just as the monastery was opening, along with several hundred other tourists. After seeing the impossibly precarious … Continue reading →

As I write this, I’m looking at what must be one of the most incredible panoramas in the world. The sun is just beginning to peek over the sheer vertical cliffs to my left, and the spires directly in front … Continue reading →

It’s 12:46 a.m., I’m on the flight from scorching-hot Vienna to even-hotter Greece, and I’ve finally got time to write about Prague. Prague was a fantastic surprise. Even though everything I’d heard about Prague was great, I still wasn’t prepared … Continue reading →

Despite visiting Siena twice and finding my favorite restaurant in Tuscany, I never managed to write a post about it. We first visited nearly three weeks ago, while the grandparents hung out with the kids back at the villa. Since … Continue reading →

San Gimignano is famous for its towers. Apparently in its heyday there were over 100 towers, built originally for security but eventually simply to show off the wealth of the families who owned them. Towers sounded cool to me, so … Continue reading →

Among the several weighty tomes I’ve lugged across Europe in my 30-pound backpack is a hardback edition of Mario Batali’s Simple Italian Food. The idea was supposed to be that when we arrived in Tuscany, we’d need a cookbook that … Continue reading →