Month: November 2015

Wingtips Lounge Review: JFK Airport, New York

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With the holiday travel upon us, here is my review of Wingtips Lounge in Terminal 4 of New York’s JFK Airport.  I have visited twice, once at breakfast and once at lunch, and will likely return.

Wingtips is a private airport lounge located plane-side, just past security, on the second level of JFK’s Terminal 4.  Several foreign airports use Wingtips as their lounge and priority pass members receive complimentary entrance.  NOTE – if the lounge is too crowded, priority pass members’ access is cut off.  Individuals not part of priority lass can buy a one-day membership for $50 USD.

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A Cheesy Visit to Gouda, Netherlands!

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Yes, I know the title is ridiculous.  I just couldn’t resist.

Gouda (pronounced “how-da”), Netherlands is a small, canal town in South Holland, a little less than an hour’s train ride from Amsterdam.  Gouda is most famous for its namesake cheese and its famous Thursday market celebrating said cheese – the Kaasstad!  In addition, Gouda has a well-preserved 15th century town hall (the Stadhuys), beautiful canals running throughout the city and a compact center.  I visited Gouda as a day trip from Amsterdam and highly recommend it!  Here are some pictures of the charming town:

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1586 Osteria Cantine Bernardini, Lucca, Italy

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Lucca, Italy has no shortage of restaurants.  Prior to visiting, I scoured countless reviews on Tripadvisor, Yelp and several foodie travel blogs to find a great place to make a reservation before arrival (I always like to have one recommended reservation before visiting a new city).  While not at the top of all lists, several blogs/reviews highly recommended 1586 Osteria Cantine Bernardini, so I made a reservation for dinner on our first night in Lucca.  It was certainly not a mistake.  It was there that I had my favorite meal of the entire trip, and we enjoyed the food so much that we went back for lunch the next day!

Located in the center of Lucca, Cantine Bernardini is situated in a cellar on the back side of Plazzo Bernardini.  Most of the seating is outside.  The waitstaff was extremely nice, all spoke English and were happy to explain the various dishes, including the specials.  I would describe the food as modern Tuscan, and absolutely delicious!

For our first-night dinner, I started with a Lucca specialty – cecina!  Cecina is a chickpea dish, which Bernardini served with local vegetables and pumpkin.  Very delicious, and not too filling.  A good choice for a starter.

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Lucca, Italy: Delicious Food, Tuscan Scenery and Few(er) Tourists

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Lucca is a walled city in Tuscany, just over the border from Liguaria (home to the Cinque Terre).  It is also quite close to Pisa and Florence.  I visited here after spending a few nights in the Cinque Terre.  It is also the hometown of Dan’s grandmother’s maternal family!  I found Lucca to have a young feel, lots of great photo ops and not too many American tourists (although there were many Italian tourists!).  Lucca would make a great stop for those looking to stay in a town in Tuscany, but over Florence and Sienna, or those wanting to see Pisa but not stay overnight there (I’ve done that and it is not the most interesting place).

HIGHLIGHTS

Highlights of Lucca?  Lots!  Here are my top five:

  1. Bicycling on the Town Walls – My # 1 highlight of Lucca was, surprisingly, bicycling on the town walls.  Lucca’s town walls are larger than those of any other walled-cities that I have visited and the city has turned it into a public park – an old school High Line of sorts!  You can bike or walk, and everyone is doing it!  We rented bikes from Biciclette Poli, which is close to the Piazza dell’Anfiteatro, at a very reasonable cost.  You rent by the hour and pay when you return.  Bicycling was really easy, but note that no one was wearing a helmet!
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The town walls

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Portovenere – Cinque Terre’s Best Kept Secret!

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Portovenere is a bright town packed with history located just south of the Cinque Terre.  A Cinque Terre bonus town if you will!  In fact, it was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site along with the Cinque Terre in 1997.  Like the Cinque Terre, Portovenere is laid back, colorful and has delicious food and unbelievable scenery!  Unlike the Cinque Terre, Portovenre has less American tourists and misses the bulk the Cinque Terre crowds.  As a result, Portovenere is a great option for those who really want to disconnect and get away from it all! I visited in August 2015 and had such a great time!

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Thrilled to be in sunny Portovenere!

What To Do?

Everyone knows that there is hiking and picture taking the Cinque Terre, but what to do in Portovenere?  Actually, a lot, and history buffs will have even more boxes to check (Portovenere dates back to 1st century B.C.)!

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