A Memorable Day of Doing Nothing in Portsmouth, Virginia

After my tour of beautiful Norfolk, I was ready for round two of quaint American charm. The seaport town of Portsmouth, Virginia, is known for its antique shops, art galleries, and children's museum. Jen, Sebastian, and I visited Portsmouth and spent the day not visiting antique shops, art galleries, or children's museums. Instead, we ate German food and traipsed around in the rain with blue umbrellas. It was perfect.

Our jaunt to Portsmouth from Norfolk began with a ferry ride. That's worth the trip right there.

Emilia-Romagna Is for Eating

How much would life suck without the existence of the following foods?

• Parmigiano-Reggiano 
• Bolognese sauce
• Mortadella
• Balsamic vinegar
• Tortellini 
• Tagliatelle 
• Lasagna alla Bolognese
• Prosciutto

A lot! Life would suck a lot. To the Emilia-Romagna region of Italy, the birthplace of these culinary wonders, I say grazie.

A Food-Filled Afternoon in Bologna

Bologna is lovingly known as la grassa (the fat one) for its rich culinary tradition and food culture. In a future post, I plan to elaborate on the history of food in Italy's Emilia-Romagna region, of which Bologna is the capital, but for now, I'll simply take you through one afternoon's worth of eating in Bologna. Think of this post as the appetizer.

After a quick breakfast of toast and orange juice (boring!), Kellie and I are ready to stroll the city and eat, eat, eat.

Favorite Moments in Paris

I swung by Paris for only three days last April, but I made the best of them. The photos below showcase my favorite moments from my most recent trip to the belle ville.

Reuniting with old friends

Trying Texan Wine

When people say that everything is bigger in Texas, does "everything" include glasses of wine? I was pondering this all-important question when I arrived at Pedernales Cellars, a convenient stop in the Texas Hill Country on my way back to Austin from the adorable town of Fredericksburg. Before this trip, I had no clue that Texas produced any wines at all. It was happy news, particularly since the wines were better than I expected. After my wine tasting, I enjoyed some quiet time on the back terrace overlooking the field and feeling very Little House on the Prairie.

The Sun Sets on Lake Travis

Part bar, part restaurant, part shopping strip, and part lookout, the 30,000-square-foot The Oasis on Lake Travis is one busy complex. Getting a table with a view of Lake Travis (really, a reservoir of the Colorado River, but let's not parse words here) may take some patience, but it's worth the effort. The Oasis calls itself the "sunset capital of Texas," and the views don't disappoint. See for yourself:

Good Eating in Porto

Although our time in Porto was short, my friends and I made the best of the city’s varied dining scene. We opted for one trendy restaurant, one elegant, and one casual. All were yum (which is what matters).

Bugo Art Burgers

Not Doing Things in Porto

We arrived in Porto, a picturesque city in northern Portugal, ready to sample tons of port wine. As soon as we checked in, we took a cab across the river to Vila Nova de Gaia, where all the wine cellars are. We insisted on beginning our tour at the wine cellar that also sold cheese and crackers because we were famished. Thing is, our cabdriver was capable of finding any wine cellar but that one. He drove round and round, practicing his French with me, talking about keeping up with French news and keeping in touch with French friends and loving all things French. He also spoke extensively about Porto -- pointing out the architecture and providing a detailed history lesson -- all in French. This was amusing, but we were hungry and wanted our cheese right now. Now! At long last we found the cellar, bid adieu to our Francophile Portuguese cabdriver, and ate some freaking cheese. We managed to tag along on two wine cellar tours and sample four ports that afternoon. Success!

Chocolate Shot Cups? I Seriously Love Coimbra.

A popular Portuguese liquor made from ginja (a sour berry), sugar, and schnapps, is my new favorite thing. They call it Ginjinha (so it’s fun to say) and serve it as a shot (so it’s fun to consume). As if that weren’t enough, at a small shop near Coimbra’s central plaza, Ginjinha comes in a chocolate shot cup. That’s right, people. Chocolate. Shot. Cup. Drink the liquor, eat the cup. It’s a thing of beauty.

Heavenly shots are ready for consumption

Good Eating in Lisbon

Food Post Disclaimer: In the era of Anthony Bourdain, Andrew Zimmern, and the Food Network, everyone seems to be an expert in the art of food description. I'm only an expert in the art of food eating, so I'm afraid that readers of Travel, Je T'aime will have to excuse adjectives like "yummy" and "flavorful." 

On the first day of 2012, I boarded a flight to Portugal. Although I was trying to recover from an eventful New Year's Eve in London (read: rum and champagne), I was also looking forward to a delicious Portuguese meal. Ignoring my nausea, I called over a friendly-looking flight attendant and asked for restaurant recommendations. He reached into my seat pocket, pulled out a paper bag -- hey, I might need that! -- and proceeded to jot down a few names.

Sir Gnome at Afternoon Tea

Sir Gnome hails from England and therefore doesn't go a day without his afternoon tea. On his recent visit to London, he indulged in tea and designer cookies at the Berkeley, where he took in the classy atmosphere and even engaged in a little romancing.

Sir Gnome tries not to be confused for one of the treats