Toasting Food, Wine & Travel

04/13/2026

The Humble Somm was a great experience. Having the opportunity to compare wines from 48 bottles, both locally and around the world, is just what I love.

The interior was so relaxing that we could just focus on visiting and enjoying the appetizers.

It was great running into the women of Bottaia while we were there.

Thank you owner Mark for bringing this to Temecula.

04/12/2026

03/28/2026

No Kings filled the intersection and up and down the streets at the Duck Pond. It was a great turnout.

12/26/2025

Kris Grant invited me to join her aboard the Queen Mary in Long Beach. What a magnificent brunch complete with a live singer, musician, and Santa—so good I forgot to get Eggs Benedict which is always a favorite of mine.

While touring this beautifully crafted ship, we loved the old wood found everywhere. Such variety used on this ship.

It was fun seeing families sitting together making gingerbread houses.

The state rooms are very large inside and even come with a sitting area to one side with a porthole to look out at the view.

The next morning before we left, we headed to the Starbucks onboard (because Starbucks is everywhere). When we entered the room, we glanced up at the windows and thought perhaps they were frosted glass. You couldn’t see through them. Nope, it was just fog which made us pause and sip our coffee.

A truly lovely Christmas experience!

11/02/2025

Day 7 was a great day. First off was the Todai-ji Temple, home of Daibutsu (Great Buddha) rising 50 ft tall. The other golden Buddha is a younger version of the Great Buddha. He is clothed which shows he is more worldly at that point. The temple was rebuilt 300 years ago after it burned during the Edo period 18th century).

The bronze sculpture with the red hood is Benzuru from the Edo period. It is believed that if you touch a spot on him, the corresponding place on your body will have no pain.

We were at Nara Park where hundreds of deer roam freely. They offer for sale sheets of edible rice paper that is good for the deer. Obviously, they love it. Once you start to open a packet, they won’t leave you alone. A friend on the tour got bit in the rear by one because she wasn’t turned to feed him!

Fujiyama-no-ya Hall at Kasuga Taisha Shrine is where hundreds of lanterns are lit daily. This hall is kept in a state of darkness with only the light coming from the lanterns.

The little girl and boy are dressed up to be blessed. They go to the temple when they are 3, 5, and 7 for this.

On our last night at our dinner, a Shamisen-ka played a traditional Japanese instrument called a Shamisen.

Off the next morning to reality.

11/01/2025

This is Gion, the Geisha district of Kyoto. It has very narrow alleys and LOTS of small restaurants and bars. It was very easy to get separated from our group, and, in fact, two women did. But they knew what to do. One flagged down our bus and the other took a csb back to the hotel.

11/01/2025

Day 6 in Kyoto. I liked this city. The first of this reel is me getting in trouble for videoing. No idea I wasn’t supposed to do this!

We are at Fushimi Inari Trisha Shinto shrine that is at the foot of Mt. Inari.

What is beautiful are the 10,000 vermillion Tori gates that line the path to the mountain.

Fox line the entrances to these gates. They are revered because fox kill rats that eat rice. Each fox had something important in its mouth like the wheat, for instance.

The most beautiful temple to me was the Golden Pavilion, built as a residence to a highly respected Japanese who asked that when he died it would become a temple. There is a green bonsai in the shape of a ship on the property.

After our tea ceremony and in the evening, we went to Pontocho, an old entertainment district in Kyoto with traditional restaurants, bars and home of the Geisha tea houses.

The alleys are very crowded, but it was so interesting seeing the variety of restaurants and bars. We didn’t see any Geisha, but we did get our photo taken with one at our hotel.

The young apprentice geishas, ages 15-20, are called Maiko. They wear more elaborate kimonos with brighter sashes and red lipstick. The Geishas wear more subdued kimonos with shorter sleeves. I believe the Maiko live in housing together as they are training to be a Geisha.

11/01/2025

A traditional tea ceremony was part of our Day 6 in Kyoto. Boy, are these people patient as they practice the ceremony. Not like impatient Americans!

The white pastry is filled with bean curd, and it is to be eaten as a sweet before drinking the green matcha tea.

To make the correct matcha, you measure out two very small amounts of matcha put in a bowl of hot water and stir like crazy until you get bubbles in the tea. That’s the perfect tea.

10/31/2025

This day in Osaka was an optional tour to Hiroshima. I decided I would do my own thing.

I got a cab to the Museum of Housing and Living. It was perfect. (I put up the photo of the inside of the cab because I was thinking how much my mother would have loved the whole cleanliness of it.)

Inside the museum were life-sized rooms that you might find during the Edo period. There was a kitchen, a toy store, an outdoor garden, a bedroom, and even a tiny replica of an amusement park that existed in the early 1900’s.

A fun opportunity was the Kimono Experience. You select a kimono after putting on Japanese shoes with the toed socks. They wrap that belt all around you with a perfect bow in the back, and you can wonder around the museum for a half hour clothed in the kimono. I felt it was something I would never do again, so I had to do it.

Afterwards, I wondered down yet another shopping mall. The usual things except there was a large gaming room. Unique. I found a shoulder massage spot for about $7 for 10 minutes. That was a great ending to my adventure.

Then it came time to hail a cab back to the hotel. Problem! I had the name and address in my phone —in English! Luckily the cab driver was very patient and through both our phones we figured it out. Whew!

Back safe and sound after a good day.

09/08/2025

What a trip we had to Corning, New York and the Finger Lakes region with over 180 wineries.

Vistas that seem to reach forever with the fervent green layers of trees bordering a wide expanse of iridescent blue water that follows the winding road and an azure blue sky above beckon the three of us to journey along the two largest Finger Lakes, Seneca Lake and Cayuga Lake, as well as

05/11/2025

My mother’s graduation photo. She was always there for us.