We were lost in a maze of road construction in Dijon rushing to make a train to Avignon. The train station markings we had been told to expect were absent, and GPS is worthless in construction areas. Now the heat was on as we pulled into a tire-changing outpost unlikely to be staffed by multi […]
What I Learned in Paris: Part VI
Heading west to Normandy for our WWII D-day trip with Paul Woodadge (ddayhistorian.com) meant dealing with a Parisian train station (Paris Gare St. Lazare), with which we were not familiar. Previously, we had been traveling south to Beaune or Provence or Switzerland from the familiar Paris Gare Lyon and had been issued tickets that required […]
What I Learned in Paris: Part V
The goal for our third European trip of the last year was to fully check out the French railway system with trips south to Provence and west of Paris to Normandy. On the front, middle and back ends of the trip, we wanted to get a complete picture of how business was faring in Paris […]
What I Learned in Paris: Part IV
Debbie and I just returned from our third European trip of the last year. We have decided to make Paris our home base as we continue to expand our research on a wide front. It has become increasingly clear that the European monetary union has reached the critical stage. If the Euro blows up, in what […]
What I Learned on Our 700-Mile, Four-State Harley Tour
In Obama’s Two Economies, Daniel Henninger wrote, “For Mr. Obama there is no such thing as the American economy. Instead, there are two Americas with separate economies-one public, the other private. … Because Mr. Obama and his circle divide the economy into two parts, with the private economy merely a satellite orbiting the public sun, […]
Your Very Best Summer Island Getaway
Are you in bad need of a first -rate island vacation, but are not wanting to leave the USA? Well Debbie and I just returned from a three-day visit to a magnificent getaway retreat about which Elegant Small Hotels says, “A spirited revival of Edwardian-era elegance, this 1864 home has been a haven for generations […]
The Best Lobster in America, Eat in or Ship Home
Lucky You! Debbie and I have traveled over 100,000 miles on our Harleys, and a lot of those miles have been on the East Coast, often on the search for the best country inns and specialty eats, including lobster. Well, in the two decades on the road, we have never deviated from our vote for […]
What I Learned In Paris: Part III
An olive, to many, is no more than a humble lump at the bottom of a martini. When FDR met with Winston Churchill and Joseph Stalin in Tehran, he offered each a “dirty martini:” two parts gin, one part vermouth, and a dose of olive brine. Roosevelt mixed one for Stalin’s foreign minister, Vyacheslav Molotov, […]
What I Learned in Paris: Part II
Well, prior to our most recent French foray, Debbie and I received a five-page A-to-Z print out enumerating every detail of our trip, including our first-class TVG train tickets (do not go coach and hold on to your bags with utmost care). In Paris, be certain you know from which track your train will be […]
The Best in Your Life
That is no light statement, but I guarantee you will agree with me and go to my #1 country inn. You will be off to Rappahannock County Virginia, to the Inn at Little Washington. There is no large sign signaling you are there, but as you coast into the town of Washington’s little square, you’ll […]