I have only been to a few. Here are mine, out of the top 30 listed by "Far and Wide" article. Tattered Cover (Denver) Tattered Cover Book Store is the largest independent bookseller in Colorado, with six locations around the Denver metro area. Joyce Meskis, who owned Tattered Cover from 1974 until her retirement in 2017, was a high-profile activist for literacy and freedom of expression. The stores sell a mix of used and new books, and host over 500 literacy and community events each year in-store. The current owners continue Meskis’ mission to defend free speech and build knowledge and intellectual curiosity through books and reading. The Last Bookstore (Los Angeles) When owner Josh Spencer opened his now iconic bookstore in downtown Los Angeles in 2005, he was certain it would only last three years ... read more

I generally do not like travel articles like this. Frenz Hub lists twelve European countries that are ranked bad to worst. I have visited a few. Frenz Hub: Despite the allure of Transylvania, Romania is plagued by poverty and corruption. It has much work to do to make it a more attractive destination. A Romanian politician, Traian Basescu emphasized, “There is no such thing as several Romanias, but only politicians who divide Romania depending on the interests of their parties and their clout.” Granted, I was staying with great American friends, Dirty Pat and Mrs. Pat while visiting. They are quick to learn the local customs and rules, so it made my trip quite enjoyable. We dined at some of the best places, visited the famous Bran Castle (aka Dracula's Castle), and met some interesting local ... read more

Savoteur says these are the worst cuisines in the world. I have not been to all of them, but I will comment on the ones that I have endured. Iceland-the worst, boring, bland and five times more expensive than it should be. Try the fermented shark! England-I have never had a good meal in England, except for Indian food and the fabulous fish and chips at Wimbledon. Steak and kidney pie are for suckers! Australia-If you stick to Chinatown or seafood, I think it is more than passable. If you want wild game, this is the place. You can have the Vegemite! But the Aussies make up for it with their beer drinking! Mongolia-My friends on the Trans-Siberian Railway said the food was worse than Russia. The absolute worst was fermented horse milk. Kazakhstan-More fermented horse ... read more

I wrote last week about the city, San Francisco, that many of us fell in love with during the 60s. Today, everything is much different, challenging, dangerous, filthy, politically divided, and in many areas, a quagmire. First some facts (from A Piece of Travel) to back me up: The rising cost of living and lack of new housing developments has led to an increase in the number of unhoused people on San Francisco’s streets. url=https://original.newsbreak.com/@b-rose-1684746/3040385423763-san-francisco-s-homeless-crisis-reaches-unprecedented-levels-in-may-2023-prompting-urgent-actionRampant drug use among the unhoused population is commonly blamed for the uptick in city-wide property damage and petty theft. As of 2022, San Francisco has the third-highest rate of homelessness in the nation, after Oakland and Los Angeles. According to the url=https://www.sfchronicle.com/sf/article/s... read more

"I only drink champagne on two occasions, when I am in love, and when I am not" -Coco Chanel (how true!) Older article from Winespeed about champagne and sparkling wines. To celebrate today’s 234th anniversary of the storming of the Bastille (a turning point in the French Revolution), consider popping open one of the most beautiful Champagne bottles ever designed—Perrier-Jouët’s Art Nouveau-style “flower bottle.” Decorated with enameled anemones, the bottle was first designed in 1902 by glassmaker Emile Gallé as an homage to La Belle ... read more