Category Archives: travel

Being Dad: London and Legoland, a very British weekend


Last weekend, we took the kids to London with the ultimate goal of heading up to Legoland in Windsor. We found that the Premier Inn next to King’s Cross was conveniently close to the Eurostar station and both clean and … Continue reading

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Club Review: Village Vacances du Soleil aux Menuires – Good Family Vacation Spot in the World’s Largest Skiing Domain


As I have done on a few occasions (like here and here), I thought I’d give my readers (particularly those in Europe that are parents of little monsters) my impressions from the ski vacation I just finished at the Village … Continue reading

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Travel and Food: Na and Ma in Chinese Cooking


Continuing on my nascent series on various cuisines discovered over the years while traveling, I am a bit late writing about China having visited there back in September, but the food memories are fresh enough in my mind to share … Continue reading

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Traveling with Kids: Cherbourg and the Cité de la Mer


I had already visited Cherbourg for work a few times (more on that in a moment), but had never brought the family up to the edge of the Cotentin in Normandy to this port-town known as a one-time marine port … Continue reading

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Japanese Menu for My Week in Japan


                A few months back, I had intended to start a series of blogs about food in various countries, but I only got around to talking about Japanese food. I need to take … Continue reading

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Random Sightings during a week in Beijing


Beijing is a city that moves so fast that literally, you blink and something changed. Entire neighborhoods have sprung into being in less than 10 years. It is astounding. And then there are other things that never change – Tian … Continue reading

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Sights in Beijing: The Summer Palace – the greatest stroll in the capital?


On my arrival in Beijing, I slept for a few hours and then headed out to the Summer Palace on the clear opposite side of town. I took the Line 1 and then the Line 4 metro out – it … Continue reading

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Hotel Review: Mercure Downtown Beijing – avoid it if you can


I took a red-eye flight in Economy to Beijing from Paris yesterday and must admit to being totally exhausted right now. A colleague was kind enough to pick me up at the airport and take me to the Mercure Beijing … Continue reading

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Fino’s Guide to (Southeastern) Sicily: Some Highlights


I have taken three vacations in southern Sicily over the last four years. Two of them have been in Marina di Ragusa and one in the Club Med Village at nearby Kamarina – the latter barely counts because, as I … Continue reading

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Chasing the Cachelot: The New Bedford Whaling Museum


I can’t quite explain my current mania for whaling museums. I find whaling to be brutish and unnecessary, but perhaps it is due to my long-standing admiration for Moby Dick and my tendency to go super deep in subjects that … Continue reading

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