When planning your first date locale, grabbing a simple cup of joe at a trendy spot could be the key to success. Going for a cup of coffee might seem like a boring old standby, but it’s a great... Read more >>

I needed a “time-out.” I needed a moment of quiet reflection so I grabbed Gussie and we headed for one of our favorite places: Marie Belle—a Chocolate Boutique. When you just need... Read more >>

Yes, there’s a lot more to this country! As much as I love NZ, I have begun to tire of telling people there is more to New Zealand than pristine landscapes, mountains, and Lord of the Rings. Oh,... Read more >>

Describing the Daily Holy Grail Hey, Mistah Baristah, listen up! I want a didactic diet double decaf densely doused with a diddy of decadence. And whip it good! Make it in a demi-grande... Read more >>

From tree-lined canals and museums by day, to an explosion of electronic music and illicit offerings at night, Amsterdam certainly lives up to its name as a European party destination. In that spirit... Read more >>

The ocean roared under the gaze of the star-filled sky. The decimal of sound was deafening as the moon broke through the multi-colored clouds. It gave vision to each... Read more >>

I read about a Slovakian poet who lost an entire year in a Bratislava café, like an umbrella left behind in the rain. Which sounds like quite a commitment to sloth. Yet this is exactly what I... Read more >>

“Allen Ginsberg slept here,” the desk clerk said, as he filled my sherry glass at the Hotel Boheme in San Francisco. A 1955 photograph of the late great poet, smiling with Jack Kerouac... Read more >>

True Confessions 1: I spent two weeks in Florence and did not visit the Uffizi, passed by the Duomo once or twice, and did all I could to avoid the Ponte Vecchio. I was not there to travel like the... Read more >>

I am a loyal fan of Starbucks, and as a result, I go quite regularly. That said, every time I order a drink there, I strongly doubt that my drink will be made the way I ordered. My distrust has gotten... Read more >>