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Dining at Ballyfin
I have to wonder, do beautiful settings make good food taste even better? We ate very well at Ballyfin! * Breakfast The beautiful breakfast setting of blue and white Spode china and sterling silver...
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Adventures at Ballyfin
There are so many ways to fill your days at Ballyfin. I read several books and drank about a gallon of tea. And then there’s the whole estate to explore. Grab one of the golf carts (in Ireland, call...
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Saroche barge in Champagne
The word “barge” doesn’t really conjure images of a modern holiday. More likely, you’re picturing a boat that may as well be traveling back (very slowly) into the nineteenth century. And yes, there...
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Tawaraya ryokan, Kyoto
Ryokan, or traditional Japanese inns, are not for everyone. They are dim, quiet, restful places sans lobby, bar, or spa. You’ll surrender your shoes at the entrance and see them again only when you...
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Our meals at the Tawaraya
The food at a ryokan is an essential part of the experience, as both breakfast and dinner are included. At the Tawaraya, we had some of the best meals of our recent trip. Our first dinner was...
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Hoshinoya Kyoto
Want to vacation like a Heian noble? Step onto one of the Hoshinoya’s unassuming wooden boats, and 10 minutes later you’re in another world, far from the thronging crowds and bustle of Arashiyama’s...
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Hoshinoya Tokyo
Imagine an open-air onsen hot spring bath, twenty stories above the Otemachi financial district. Or an elevator with pristine tatami mat flooring, whisking you – shoeless – from the streets of Tokyo...
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Les Sources de Caudalie, Bordeaux
I certainly never imagined that 2020 would begin as it has – with restaurants closed, travel shut down, and everyone staying home as much as possible. As we all wait and hope, I’m writing about some...
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The Peninsula Tokyo
Armchair travels continue… The Peninsula Tokyo may not be the newest or most luxurious hotel in Tokyo (or the most cost-conscious), but it’s my favorite place to start a trip to Japan. Perhaps most...
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Cap Juluca, Anguilla
2020 has been a year of hopes and fears, and above all, uncertainty. One sure thing is that we won’t be visiting Anguilla this year, for the first time in a decade (D reminds me that we should have...
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