Year: 2015

Cal Pep, Simple Gastronomical Excellence

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41.3833 N, 2.1833 E: Barcelona, Spain As dark ominous clouds poured upon our nifty foldable travel umbrellas in the Barri Gotic district, our basic-self stomachs growled with anticipation; the mouths salivating with excitement. Aroma of freshly minced garlic, chard, and seafood delicacies filled our senses. With limited signage, the hidden gem’s main entrance looked like a standard roll up garage door. Passerby tourists can easily stroll past and never know its existence. The only indicator is if people like myself, mother and brother were waiting patiently in the downpour early evening rain with our bodies abutting the doorway. This entranceway led to a simple gold mine of gastronomical excellence. They don’t post a daily menu. In Barcelona, they want you to explore and experience the authentic and seasonal ingredients from the Catalonian region and Mediterranean influence. Prepared fresh daily, each unique and heavenly ‘tapas’ style dish will delight your taste buds. From freshly harvested fried squid, to light and airy monkfish in a savory sauce with sautéed potatas, and delectable garlic and white vino clams, Cal …

A New Line of Sight

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I was in dire need of a new pair of eyeglasses to compliment my expansive collection of wearing eyewear for the past 24 years. Now that spring has sprung, I needed a new pair to accentuate my oval shaped face with high cheekbones. With five plus years experience in the eyewear industry I switched up my typical routine and went with a Cocobolo dark tortoise frame called Follies by Oliver Peoples. “With a sought after vintage design and luxury feel…it’s a feeling of Hollywood exclusivity. Influenced by 1960s stars and Hollywood glamour mixed with contemporary color palettes, there is a frame to suit every face shape and skin tone.” It’s high-quality polycarbonate frame and durable metal hinges will be sure to last my ongoing adventures. I always upgrade with super thin lenses, anti-scratch and anti-glare since I rotate eyeglasses every two to three years. Does it pass the yes and no test? Put on the frames and dip your head down towards your chest. Shake your head up and down, left and right. How do …

Churros and Chocolate

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40.4000° N, 3.6833° W: Madrid, Spain Zig, zag, zoom my father’s feet move quite rápido. Through narrow, dark alleyways, corridors of quaint boutiques and storefronts were closing up one evening, we strolled through the Centro neighborhood of Madrid. His inner GPS beacon, hit the ultimate Madrid jackpot. He stumbled across a hidden gem of pure chocolate delight; its illuminated sign said San Gines Chocolateria. Whiffs of rich, syrupy thick cocoa, cinnamon, sugar and café beckoned our presence to nab a table. As we peered around the classy tiled floors, the historic landmark came alive. The walls were inundated with black and whites of famous dignitaries, princes, princesses and celebrities who had graced the delicatessen and eaten its famous churros and chocolate since its grand opening in 1894. Unlike the United States, they freshly fry each churro for each customer and serve super, thick, dense dark cocoa. I love that they put sugar in a jar as a side, rather than a prerequisite of the churro’s existence. “Each bite of sweet crispy, doughy and chewy in …

When Time Stands Still

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50.0833° N, 14.4167° E: Prague, Czech Republic Perspective. That’s why I love to travel. “We often think we are the center of our universe. As homo sapiens we are quick to judge others, to protect our basic selves; it’s about survival.” Where were you Fall of 1989? I remember being small, huddled close with my older brother, hiding underneath our downstairs desk. It felt like invisible giants were angrily shaking our home. Violently the earth from the core had torn open at the San Andreas Fault. The Loma Prieta earthquake had shook, thrashed, rattled and raged into a phenomenal force that took 63 lives and 3,757 injuries in affected areas of Northern California. At that young age, I remember my heart beating so fast, terrified those invisible giants would tear our home a part; it was as if my world was going to end. Fast-forward to Winter 2014, my travels took the family and me to the largest city and capital in the Czech Republic—Prague. The fairy-tale like enchantment of the holiday season and the …

Kate Spade, The Perfect Springtime Travel Bag for Europe

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“She tucked her coral lipstick away and floated back to the party.” Decisions, decisions. Will it be practical, comfortable, stylish and a truthful expression of you? Will it hold all of your must-haves for those train connections, taxi rides, airport layovers and on the plane, fit underneath the seat? These days, I find it tricky to find the right-sized satchel/cross body bag that suits all of my intentions to be truly present and enjoy an unforgettable journey. While I adore fresh air teal and bold sweetheart pink; classy simply black never goes out of style. It’s my go-to bag for springtime in Europe. My unique version of the Cedar Street Maise comes with foldable handles, a durable and solid core body and a convenient cross body strap function. Its chic body shape never fails to perform, whether I’m drifting through unique scarf patterns in Le Marais, Paris or trying on colorful espadrilles in Barri Gotic, Barcelona; my Kate Spade bag keeps me gracefully exploring. Kate Spade katespade.com

Capture the Flag

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41.3833 N, 2.1833 E: Barcelona, Spain Wandering aimlessly through the precarious streets of Barcelona for about forty minutes, my dad had to find a Spain chip for his unlocked mobile device. We stumbled across a main street with a Vodafone and waiting impatiently on the curb my eyes were captivated by the hundreds of Spanish kids wearing red, blue and hints of yellow.

The City that Never Sleeps

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40.7127° N, 74.0059° W: New York City, United States Fresh off the plane from Aguadilla, Puerto Rico my friend and I jetted off into a golden yellow cab to the upper west side of Manhattan. “Sea urchins in hand to street urchins of New York I had less than 48 hours to soak up the scene.” We strolled through High Line Park of Chelsea that used to be a railway back in the day; it’s now a modern day park of art. From exquisite geometric enigmas of Kandinsky at The Great Upheaval exhibition at the Guggenheim to finding artist Daniel Ashram’s Snarkitecture gashing out copius amounts of foam; we reveled up the excitement at every step and corner. It’s the city that never sleeps. We bounced around Soho to find vintage shops, boutiques, dive bars then to (N) a very narrow tapas bar that served incredible food, but service without a smile. The delectable bites of rich flavors were well worth it before we hopped the zippy yellow to see a favorite Australian band Cut …

Road to Happiness

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18.4500° N, 66.1000° W: Puerto Rico Highway 413 truly is the road to happiness. As the East Coast of Hawaii, Puerto Rico offers fresh mint mojitos, se vende “limber,” turquoise Caribbean waters, rippable waves and most importantly adventure at 
every turn. Avoiding crowds, we planned our trip at the end of winter swell season. Averaging 1-3 foot waves, we tore up as many rights and lefts at Domes and Maria’s we could share in the lineup with locals, including magnificent hawksback and leatherback sea turtles. Unfortunately these splendid creatures are now on the endangered species list. “As they majestically submerged, cruised, and bobbed by us, it reminded us to be always conscious of our surroundings; everything is an ecosystem within another and another and another.” Exploring the west side of the island, we ended up on a switchback for miles and miles. The enchantments of the mystical road into hillsides led us on an unexpected expedition to San Sebastian falls in a residential neighborhood. Mindfully we passed through private property, listened attentively for running water …