McGoose

From the moment you depart the old train station in Avignon and enter the fortified walls, the town feels like a petite Paris. The pedestrian friendly (and car un-friendly) streets are fun to stroll, full of shops and cafes. In fact, the main avenue leading from the train station to the Palace of the Popes was widened and modeled after the Champs Elysees. The park atop the hill near the palace of the popes makes for stellar views of the river below. For a great time find local café Celestine. Robyn and I imbibed for hours here while our laundry tumbled dry in the nearby Laundromat. Across the square from Celestine you can get a great tart from Ginette and Marcel. We day tripped over to nearby Arles but it failed to impress us. The small ... read more

Monaco gets comparisons to Disneyland all the time with it's fairytale cleanliness and picturesque residences. From the moment the train arrives this place does feel like a magic kingdom, the main difference only becoming apparent later on when you realize that everyone visiting is a pauper in a land of princes. If you drive a shinny new Mercedes looking cool in Santa Monica, get ready to be upstaged big-time. Still, Monaco is used to being a tourist destination, and they’re good at not rubbing it in. If you’re decently dressed you can make it through every door, although you may soon realize nothing is in your price range on the other side. Robyn and I began our late afternoon stroll at the castle atop the hill; this is where the Price of Monaco resides. We dined ... read more

Day1 Bouquet for a sleepy Croque Madame Tooled around BHV and elsewhere while we waited to check in and take a shower at our crappy Hotel Alhambra, don't stay in the 11th, it is NOT the 4th. Dinner at Restaurant L'Industrie Day2 Rodin Museum with a walk back through St. Germain and the Marais. Dinner at Pintre. Robyn's a little sick, so I bought her some flowers and cough syrup. Day3 Picnic dinner with Cheeses and Salami's just north of Les Halles. Day4 Richard Lenoir Marche and up to Montmartre. Found a good restaurant on the back side of the hill called...Au Relais. A fantastic Chocolate Moose at Chez Janou later that evening. Day5 Luxemberg Gardens and on to Bon Marche for the goods. Excellent final dinner at Bouquet Des Archives (our favorite old haunt in ... read more

A frosty X-mas at the largest canyon these eyes did ever behold.... read more

Finally we had a day of pure relaxation in Granada. For breakfast, the delightful Casa San Francisco where I had a Nicaraguan Tipica and Robyn got a fantastic oatmeal. The owner is very kind too, we'll be back if we have the time. In the afternoon we ventured over to the Mombacho Beach Club which is the hotel/spa wing of the same company that does the chocolate making workshops. We lounged by the pool for an hour before we each got a short 30min massage for $10 each. Can't be beat. Then a nice swim with the ducks in their elegant pool as the sun set beyond the roof of this beautiful colonial building. Ahh. About ready to go home.... read more