Art & Culture Food & Wine French Life French Provinces Girl Talk Paris Podcasts Romance & Relationships Travel: Art & Culture Food & Wine French Life French Provinces Girl Talk Paris Podcasts Romance & Relationships Travel
by maribeth
Comments Off on Elizabeth Bard Talks About Lunch in Paris, Love and Provence
Elizabeth Bard Talks About Lunch in Paris, Love and Provence
Elizabeth Bard
I don’t think there’s a woman out there that hasn’t dreamed about falling in love in Paris. C’mon, admit it to yourself. See, I told you—I’m sure you’ve allowed just a shred of this fantasy to play out in your head at least once in your life. Many women indulge themselves with full-blown visions of strolling hand-in-hand with a lover alongside the Seine or sharing a tête-à-tête in a cozy French bistrot over a savory coq au vin and a good Bordeaux with the man of her dreams. Others just allow a glimmer of a romance flash through their minds. I bet there are some men (those sensitive types!) that have thought wistfully about love in Paris as well. I may be biased but Paris is surely the most romantic city in the world.
What makes it so? Well, it would take a whole book to divulge that—the decor, the mood, the ambiance, the food and wine. Elizabeth Bard does just that in her book “Lunch in Paris: A Love Story with Recipes.” I found it to be a terrific read. And I know Paris, love and the whole bonne salade of it all. Elizabeth has done a wonderful job at describing the sights and tastes of the moveablefeast that is Paris. (I haven’t yet tried the recipes she shares, but they seem wonderful and quite easy which is actually what most French cooking is all about.) And of course, Elizabeth meets a love, a Frenchman, and we are swept into their lives like a tourist on a fourteen-day European tour. Fortunately she provides many opportunities for us to savor their moment as well.
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Colorado Denver Hotels & Lodging Restaurants Travel: Colorado Denver Hotels & Lodging Restaurants Travel
by maribeth
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Teatime with Dad at Denver’s Brown Palace Hotel
Exquisite Treats at Denver’s Brown Palace
Travel is often most rewarding when you step out of your comfort zone, when you do something you’ve never done before. This can mean zooming on a zip-line in the jungles of Costa Rica or just sipping tea at a fancy hotel. I’ve done the latter countless times but it became a more novel experience nearly a year ago when I found myself sharing afternoon tea at The Brown Palace, Denver’s legendary hotel, with my father.
We were together in Denver on our way back east after he’d spent time in his beloved West. At eighty-four years old, those trips have been curtailed from the days when he’d spend weeks on end skiing in Aspen. But still, we’ve all tried to make sure he gets his Colorado fix even if he has to be “accompanied” throughout most of his travels these days.
Colorado Food & Wine Telluride The Rockies Travel: Colorado Food & Wine Telluride The Rockies Travel
by maribeth
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Welcoming Fall with a Feast and a Fine Wine
Scene from a Fall Hike in Telluride
It’s the weekend! And that means it’s time for me to uncork something special. I’m not talking about break-the-bank special—no, I mean something in the $10.-$15./bottle range. My sips during the week typically ring in at under $10./bottle, but I allow myself more of a splurge on the weekends. Hey, what can I say? I’m just a freelance writer. Fortunately I don’t drink a lot or else I’d really be feeling the pinch.
Concannon Crimson & Clover: Our Celebratory Wine
Last weekend my boyfriend and I said goodbye to summer and welcomed fall with a food and wine extravaganza that we’re still talking about. We feasted on heirloom tomato and mozzarella salad, a cornucopia of grilled veggies, hamburgers and the last of Olathe’s corn on the cob. (Yes, it was still sweet and delicious—not at all starchy.) It was all incredibly simple although I did jazz up the burgers by adding fresh ground pork, chopped garlic and Italian herbs and crushed red pepper—perfetto! (Don’t feel you have to cook the burgers to well done with the addition of the pork. You’ll survive just fine with pink and enjoy the juiciness of the flavorful combination of meats.)
We opened a bottle of 2009 Concannon Conservancy Crimson & Clover to accompany this fine meal, an excellent choice filled with the sort of complexity and depth you find in a much more pricey wine. We appreciated its lush blackberry and mocha notes even more at dessert when I served up my peach pie, a real delight made with our famous Colorado peaches. I’ve been a fan of Concannon vineyards for years, perhaps it’s because this vineyard, founded in 1883, was planted with Bordeaux grapevine cuttings. Maybe it’s the rich tradition of wine-making the Concannon family has been committed to for four generations. But first and foremost I’d say it’s because I consistently find an excellent price/quality relationship with all their wines. Read what I have to say about the Concannon Righteously Rosé at Summer Sipping.
All-in-all it was a memorable way to welcome autumn. We were especially happy that we had done a huge hike before sitting down to such a spread. I can’t wait to see what this weekend will bring, especially since it might be the last farmer’s market of the season for me. Buon Appetito!
Note that the fall foliage should be peaking this weekend throughout much of the Rockies, so get out there and enjoy colorful Colorado.
Art & Culture Mountain Living Podcasts Travel Writing & Books: Art & Culture Mountain Living Podcasts Travel Writing & Books
by maribeth
Comments Off on Lisa Napoli Talks About Bhutan and Radio Shangri-La
Lisa Napoli Talks About Bhutan and Radio Shangri-La
Lisa Napoli in Bhutan, Her Adopted Country
It’s almost off-season here in Telluride, the time many people in these mountain towns are heading out for extended trips to far-flung destinations. Aah yes, there are people lucky enough to go to Bhutan, a country the size of Switzerland, sandwiched between India, China and Nepal, in the Himalayas—the mountains are always calling. So I thought it fitting to make my Travel Fun interview with Lisa Napoli, author of “Radio Shangri-La: What I Learned in Bhutan, the Happiest Kingdom on Earth,” available to you now. It’s a terrific book for armchair travelers as well, a delightful read that allows you to visit one of the most exotic countries in the world without ever leaving your living room. Just click on the play button below.
Lisa talks about how she worked for public radio for years and then all of a sudden was given the opportunity to head off to Bhutan to help the Bhutanese with their burgeoning radio station. (At that time—in 2007—they only had one station for a country of over a half million inhabitants.) As she recounts in her book and in our interview, this period in Bhutan turned out to be a life-changing experience for her. I chuckled at so many of her descriptions of her time—and the cast of characters—at the radio station where she worked in Bhutan. Some of them—especially the more quirky people and the locale—reminded me of life here at KOTO, our own little public radio station in T-ride.
Here’s a glimmer of what Lisa shares about travel to Bhutan, a devout, Buddhist country that was closed to the outside world up until forty years ago:
-Bhutan does not keep track of it’s GDP. They do, however, measure GNP or Gross National Happiness. What is that anyway?
-Most people have to go through a tour operator to travel to Bhutan.
-What does the $200./day tourist tax entail?
-Listen to what Lisa likes the most about this intriguing land.
You’ll also hear Lisa read a couple of excerpts from “Radio Shangri-La: What I Learned in Bhutan, the Happiest Kingdom on Earth.”
Click on the play button below to listen to my interview with Lisa Napoli.
Thank you to Lisa for the above photo.
Phallus Symbol: A Part of Bhutanese Life (Note the T-Mobile Card Next to It)
Thank you to Sharon Shuteran for the above photo that she took of this “sculpture” on the doorway of a shop in Trongsa town. Sharon travels to Bhutan regularly to do service work, a domain that is still quite closed in Bhutan. Listen to her story at Service Travel: Two Different Approaches. Lisa refers to the proliferation of phallus symbols a fair amount in her book. As much as I wanted to, I didn’t have the nerve to ask her about them on air. Apparently they’re used to ward off evil spirits.
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Hotels & Lodging Restaurants Romance & Relationships The Outer Banks Travel: Hotels & Lodging Restaurants Romance & Relationships The Outer Banks Travel
by maribeth
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The Outer Banks: The Perfect Hideaway for a Travel Writer and a Hotel GM
Our Path to Paradise
Summer is on the wane. And if you’re like me, you’re looking forward to embracing fall while clinging to your favorite memories of summer. I shared my best trip this summer with my boyfriend, Steve, an overworked hotel general manager. It occurred late summer on the Outer Banks of North Carolina and it included everything you’d ever want from a great vacation. Yes, you guessed it! Just as Serge Gainsbourg sang in his late 1970’s hit “Sea, Sex and Sun,” we had all the key components of a perfect beach getaway.
Our First Dinner Out
More Wonderful Seafood from Awful Arthur’s
Shucking Oysters: A North Carolina Speciality
Oh yes, we reveled in extraordinary surf, the main reason so many people love the Outer Banks. We also took immense pleasure in the beach throughout our entire stay. We feasted on seafood, lots of fried food, doughnuts and ice cream. (It is the South after all.) We savored swills of wine and frosty beers perched high on the dunes at sunset. We sipped tea together and marveled at the sunrise (they’re the best here) one morning when we managed to pry ourselves out of bed. We accompanied each other on long walks on the beach and drive-arounds to scout out the best surf spots of the day. We shopped for food, surf wax, salt water taffy and bikinis, potentially loaded forays that tested our togetherness, especially when the bikini was not found. We chilled in our modest—but wonderful—seaside apartment, cooking huge breakfasts, eating leftovers from our big nights out and listening to the Grateful Dead, Merle Haggard and other classic tunes. Our days were measured by the tides and the swells; our nights were punctuated by the moon and deep sleeps made possible by the incessant crashing of the surf outside our window. Either way, the presence of the wind and water lulled us into a continuous state of happiness, the sort of euphoric sense of well-being and relaxation that’s best achieved at the ocean or perhaps after a day on the slopes.
Art & Culture Colorado Fashion & Style Mountain Living Music & Dance Telluride The Rockies Travel: Art & Culture Fashion & Style Mountain Living Music & Dance Telluride The Rockies Travel
by maribeth
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Ferraris, Blues, Brews and the Rocky Mountains
Ferraris Flanked by the Rocky Mountains
Ferrari epitomizes design and style. The Rockies furnish some of the most dramatic and outstanding views in the world. Put the two together and you’ve got one helluva good-looking scene. Add a little blues, brews, and bountiful helpings of food and wine and you’ve got a number one formula for a spectacularly good time. That’s just what you’ll get throughout most of southwestern Colorado this weekend, especially in Telluride when the Ferrari Club of America Rocky Mountain Region is due to cruise into town on Saturday, one of the peak days of the Telluride Blues & Brews Festival. Yes, over thirty of these beauties will be lined up on the center lane of Telluride’s main street for all to admire.
“We’ll be there rain or shine,” says Fred Bishel, club member and tour coordinator. “Only a blizzard will stop us,” he adds. From a near-vintage 1988 model to a brand-new 2011, in a regalia of black, silver, yellow and the iconic Ferrari red, this cavalcade of some of the world’s most magnificent cars will be traveling through southwestern Colorado as part of their fall foliage tour. Their journey begins Friday on the Skyline Drive outside of Canon City where they’ve obtained special permission to drive in the opposite direction on this stunning route. From there, they go to Gunnison for lunch and then Grand Junction in the evening. It’s no surprise they’re making Gateway Canyons, home of the Gateway Auto Museum, showcase of the private collection of Discovery Channel’s founder John Hendricks. It’s a key stop at 9 a.m. Saturday before heading to Telluride for lunch. By Saturday evening, these fine Italian specimens (I’m talking about the cars not the drivers although I haven’t met any of them yet!) will be claiming forty parking spaces on Durango’s main drag—what a sight! Sunday they’re off to Pagosa Springs, then over Wolf Creek pass to end with a fundraiser in Saguache. Members of the club will be chatting with admirers and handing out schwag at every stop.
If you love beauty, don’t miss this happening. It’s rare to see so many Ferraris assembled together. The last time I saw such a showing of these magnificent works of art was over two decades ago at an exhibition entitled Hommage à Ferrari at the Fondation Cartier, located outside of Paris in Jouy-en-Josas at the time. Leave it to a world-renowned jeweler to recognize the splendor of this celebrated brand.
Yet to see these sparkling gems set within the stunning vistas of our majestic Rocky Mountains, it looks like we’ll likely out shine them.
The Official Ferrari Tour License Plate
Read Always on My Mind: Telluride Blues & Brews Festival and Willie Nelson to read my take on this year’s lineup. Check out Gateway Canyons: One Big Discovery to learn more about this gorgeous resort.
Colorado Mountain Living Outdoor Adventures Podcasts Skiing & Snowboarding Telluride The Rockies Travel: Colorado Mountain Living Outdoor Adventures Podcasts Skiing & Snowboarding Telluride The Rockies Travel
by maribeth
Comments Off on Ryder-Walker: Global Trekking Specialists
Ryder-Walker: Global Trekking Specialists
Trekking in the French Alps with Ryder-Walker
It should come as no surprise that we have one of the world’s best alpine adventure companies based here in Telluride, Colorado. Our surrounding peaks rival the mightiest of the Alps, so it’s no wonder that Peter Walker, founder and president of Ryder-Walker alpine adventures feels right at home in our mountain town. Here he has also enjoyed a great rapport with the Telluride Ski & Snowboard School for many years, a fruitful relationship that has enabled him to enlist some of their top instructors as Ryder-Walker guides year-round. “We have the passion of an insider and an outsider,” Peter told me during a recent Travel Fun interview, referring to his company’s approach and philosophy both in the Alps and in Telluride.
Peter Schussing at the Matterhorn
Peter and head guide, Ken Fuhrer, talk with me in the below podcast about how Ryder-Walker has grown over the past twenty-seven years and why it consistently ranks as a top travel company among discerning travelers. National Geographic, in fact, has rated Ryder-Walker as one of the top ten best outfitters on earth. “We bring a very fresh perspective to everything we do,” Peter explains in the interview. This, combined with a depth of knowledge about the Alps and other destinations they feature on their tours, has assured them a devoted following partly made up of clients that have been taking trips with them for years. Kenny, a top ski instructor, emphasizes the adventure as a whole. “It’s the group experience that makes it so special,” he says in the interview, explaining how people feel about themselves and others at the beginning and then at the end of the trip. I’ve known these guys for a number of years through Telluride Ski & Snowboard School and I can tell you that in addition to being highly skilled mountain guides, they’re fun, enthusiastic, great people-persons and highly professional.
Trekking season is winding down in the Alps but it’s a good time to start planning for next year since many of the Ryder-Walker tours fill up fast. They offer a terrific trek in and around Telluride in the fall and a tour to the desert Southwest in the spring. Their success has lead them to create tours and programs in far reaching countries such as Slovenia, India and Bhutan as well. I was happy to learn that there are rumblings about Ireland, too. Know that Ryder-Walker can set you up with many self-guided hikes and no special request has proven too tall for them. (Champagne toasts roped down to a client on a high peak have become almost commonplace for these adventure specialists.)
Two Great Guides: Daniel Sundqvist and Kenny Fuhrer
Listen to the below interview to hear more about this dynamic company. Peter also talks about how he recently came to create a unique relationship with PSIA (Professional Ski Instructors of America). Yes, with side country skiing growing and pushing all kinds of boundaries, it’s no wonder PSIA asked Ryder-Walker to become a member school. Someone needs to instruct all those instructors!
Kenny also talks about Alpenglow Ski Safaris and Telluride Mountain Guides, two sister companies of Ryder-Walker that also offer some fantastic opportunities for being expertly guided through the mountains.
Click on the play button below to listen to our interview.
Break Time in the Italian Alps with Ryder-Walker
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Being Green Podcasts Travel: Being Green Podcasts Travel
by maribeth
Comments Off on Wallace “J.” Nichols: Marine Biologist Extraordinaire
Wallace “J.” Nichols: Marine Biologist Extraordinaire
Dr. Wallace “J.” Nichols
If you love our world, click on the play button below and listen to my interview with Dr. Wallace “J.” Nichols, one of the world’s biggest defenders of the big blue. Inspired by Jacques Cousteau at an early age, J. is an effective communicator about what’s going on with our planet from an ocean perspective.
“Our ocean is in trouble,” J. tells me in this Travel Fun interview. “We’re putting too much into it, taking too much out of it and destroying the edge,” he continues. Tune in to learn about his three calls to action.
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