Sunday, August 21, 2011

State Fair

I have never even been to a County Fair, so it was pretty exciting to go to the Iowa State Fair last week. Iowa has one of the largest state fairs in the U.S. It has been featured in the book "1000 Places to See Before You Die." The fair did not disappoint, with more livestock than I have ever seen in my life and plenty of deep fried food options. New food items for 2011 included Red Velvet Funnel Cake and Deep Fried Butter. The lines wrapped around the fair and I'm sure the wait was at least one hour.


Cows

Sky Glider 

Deep Fried Cheese Curds, Candy, and Butter!

Butter Sculpture

Sand Sculpture of the Butter Cow

Saturday, June 4, 2011

Visiting the Birthplace of Pepsi

I first visited New Bern North Carolina recently after some friends relocated there. The first state capital of North Carolina and the birthplace of Pepsi Cola, the town has a great historic downtown area located at the confluence of the Neuse and and Trent Rivers. The downtown area has fun shopping options including my favorites Mitchell Hardware, Carolina Creations, Peacock's Plume, and Confluence.  There are a number of excellent dining options and hotels.  There is a Hilton that sits right on the water, as well as several B&Bs within walking distance.  One the main attractions is Tryon Palace, the home of Royal Governor William Tryon, and then the home of the first North Carolina State Assembly.  Unfortunately the drug store where Pepsi was invented no longer stands, but you can visit the Pepsi Store located near the original location.  There are also great festivals and conventions throughout the year, including large New Years and Independence Day celebrations.  The Convention and Visitors Center has a good website for additional information.




Thursday, May 19, 2011

Perfect Day in Tokyo

Only in Japan can stormtroopers be so kawaii. This is a wonderfully creative video that manages to capture my ideal day in Tokyo. It always cheers me up after a long day.

Tuesday, May 17, 2011

Not Your Father's State Department Store

The Moscow ГУМ (GUM) is a beautiful building facing the Kremlin on Red Square. Previously the State Department store, it was one of the only stores in the Soviet Union that did not suffer from shortages of goods, and lines often crossed the square.  GUM is currently a shopping mall owned by Bosco di Ciliegi, a Russian luxury company that designs the Russian Olympic uniforms.  The building looks like an elaborate gingerbread house, lit up with thousands of tiny lights at night.  A few years ago, GUM opened Gastronome № 1, one of my favorite food stores. It lacks the grand architecture and chandeliers of Eliseevsky on Tverskaya, but there is no comparison when it comes to the food.  GUM is one of my favorite stops in Moscow, a warm welcoming break from bad weather. The window displays and unique seasonal decor never disappoint.

GUM at Night

Talk about Throwback Fashion

Sakura Blooms in GUM

Sakura in Full Plastic Bloom

Monday, May 9, 2011

Afternoon in Tallinn

I am known as an over planner when I travel.  I pour over guidebooks and search every internet resource I can find, and usually have a detailed itinerary before I get on a plane.  The exception was a memorable afternoon in Tallinn.  I was in Helsinki for work, and we managed to finish our meetings early on a Friday afternoon.  A few colleagues suggested that we hop a ferry for Tallinn, a short two hour trip.  I don't remember which line we took on that day, but I have used the Silja Line for trips between Stockholm and Helsinki, and highly recommend it.  We were completely unprepared for our afternoon, but we followed the crowds to the old town, and had a lovely few hours wandering around.  The old town was a wonderful maze of small streets with tall white steeples that were particularly beautiful against the bright blue sky.

Market Hall Helsinki

Old Town Tallinn

Old Town Tallinn

Old Town Tallinn

Old Town Tallinn

View of Old Town Tallin from the Ferry

Helsinki Harbor after 10pm

Helsinki Harbor after 10pm

Wednesday, May 4, 2011

Georgian Feasts

I love traveling to the Southern Caucasus, to include Georgia, Azerbaijan, and Armenia. If I had to pick one place though, it would be Georgia.  From the mountains to the Black Sea coast, it is a beautiful country.  The most memorable thing about Georgia, is probably a combination of the warm people and the amazing food and wine.  A Georgian Feast, or supra in Georgian, is a quite an event.  The festivities are led by a Tamada who acts as a toastmaster.  Even in less formal settings, my dining partners have always designated the most charismatic individual as the tamada.  I have experienced long lunches that have lasted almost into the next meal.  I have never been to a bad restaurant in Georgia, some of the most unique experiences have been small remote places in the countryside.  Tbilisi is full of amazing restaurants, and most of the ones I have been to have amazing views of the old city, or the Mt'k'vari River.  The Hotel Kopala restaurant is said to be a favorite of President Saakashvili.


View of Old Tbilisi from the Hotel Kopala Restaurant

View of Tbilisi from the Hotel Kopala Restaurant


Preparing for a Supra at Hotel Kopala

View of the Mt'k'vari River from a Tbilisi Restaurant


Georgian food is full of vegetarian options, and many dishes are uniquely walnut based. Georgian cuisine has a very distinct taste based on the mix of spices, often including coriander, fenugreek leaves, and  marigold.  I have tried to make recreations of my favorite dishes, but never with the same result.  In fact, some Georgian friends have mentioned that their own cooking was never the same when cooking abroad.  


A Georgian Meal in Tbilisi

A Georgian Meal in Tbilisi


Sunday, May 1, 2011

The Tower and the Moon

Growing up in Tokyo, I have always loved the city at night.  My favorite place was the roof of our building.  We were lucky to have a wonderful view of the surrounding area.  I am always surprised to visit one of the city's many observatories and see the ever changing skyline.  My old building is now surrounded by skyscrapers.  When I was growing up, there were only a handful of tall buildings in the whole area.  The latest addition to the skyline is the Tokyo Sky Tree, replacing Tokyo Tower as the city's broadcasting tower.  

My hometown, with Tokyo Sky Tree in the background

As a child, I loved visiting Tokyo Tower for a great view of the city.  These days, my favorite place to see the city is the  Tokyo City View, the observation deck on the 52nd floor of the Mori Building in Roppongi Hills.  Although the admission is 1,500 yen, it can be purchased in advance in local convenience store for 1,200 yen.  You can pay an additional fee to visit the Sky Deck rooftop.  Admission to the City View is included with purchase of a ticket to the Mori Art Museum.  I always watch for exhibitions that I want to see at the museum.  Combining the two attractions is worth the cost of a ticket.

The Tower and the City

The Tower and the Bay

The Tower and the Moon

During my last visit to Tokyo City View, I spent at least an hour watching the sun set by Tokyo Tower. I was shocked to walk around to the other side of the observatory and to see Fuji-san.  The sight is rare, even in the mornings.  I don't think many others expected this either, because the Fuji side of the building was almost empty.  Unfortunately my camera battery was almost dead, and I only got one blurry shot.

Fuji-san and the City

The tragic earthquake and tsunami on March 11, and ongoing problems at the Fukushima Dai-ichi Nuclear Power Plant have resulted in power saving measures that have darkened the Tokyo skyline.  This incredible video shows the slightly darkened, but still vibrant city.

Saturday, April 30, 2011

Sign Language

Walk into almost any mall in the U.S. and you're bound to recognize mostly national chain stores and restaurants these days.  Tokyo seems to be heading in the same direction, but you can still find some great independent boutiques and regional Japanese chains with great names.  

ソウル バー ドギーズ

Socks That Make You Smile

Store on Takeshita Dori

Nothing Says High End Fashion Like Freak's

Preppy Fashion Inspired by Santa

Harajuku Boutique

Kamakura, Home to the Best Amish Cuisine

Mrs. Pot's Tea, Coffee and Pie in Kamakura

Specializing in Low Calorie Cuisine

Fashion That Makes You Want to Sing
  

Wednesday, April 27, 2011

Moscow Nights

I always love Moscow at night. Even in the depths of winter, the lights bring back color and warmth to the city.

Red Square

St. Basil

GUM

Kievskaya Station

White House

Monday, April 25, 2011

Long Layovers

When non-stop flights aren't available, sometimes a long layover is a good way to see a new city.  Amsterdam and Munich are two frequent layover hubs in Europe, with good transportation to the city center.  For shorter layovers in Munich, the town of Freising is just a few minutes from the airport.  Even when staying in the airport, Munich is my favorite airport overall.  

Amsterdam

Amsterdam

Marienplatz, Munich 

Munich

Munich

Friesing

Friesing

Freising