An October Wine Tour Through Tuscany (from Florence!).

04/03/202508/03/2025wareontheglobe 2 Comments

We took our second Tuscan wine tour from Florence in October 2024. Our first Tuscan wine tour was back in 2016 and we had so much fun, we booked another when in Florence last October (2024). This year’s wine tour was similar to the 2016 tour but with some notable differences, which I will explain in this article. There are many, many wine tours from Florence through Tuscany at varying price points, so do your research before booking. I highly recommend a Tuscan wine tour from Florence if you have the time, and Grape Tours is a decent outfit offering such tours.

On our wine tour back at Fattoria Corzano e Paterno in 2016.

Like our 2016 tour, we met our tour guide and group in Oltrarno outside Grape Tours’ shop and wine bar, only about a 10 minute walk from our hotel in Santo Spirito and 20 minutes from the Duomo area. We arrived right on time, so we only had time to climb into the van before departing Florence for the Tuscan countryside. I suggest leaving extra time walking to the tour, as there are many beautiful panoramas to photo graph en route along the Arno River. Our first stop was about 30 minutes from Florence proper, at Fattoria Corzano e Paterno. This was also our first stop back in 2016! Our guide provided some information on Tuscany during our drive, but most people “shut their eyes” for the drive.

Everyone woke up as we pulled into the rocky driveway of Fattoria Crozano e Paterno. Fattoria means “farm” in Italian, and Fattoria Corzano e Paterno is a winery as well as a farm producing delicious cheese and olive oil. We began our visit at Corzano e Paterno with a walk to the edge of the vineyards. We didn’t go in as it had recently rained (and the ground was muddy), and it was harvest season, so workers were busy harvesting the grapes. It was cool to see large grapes on the vines and employees working with the grapes. We also walked through the barrel room and saw more grape harvesting in action after visiting the vineyards.

Arriving at Fattoria Crozano e Paterno.

We’re ready to taste the wine.

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Restaurant Review: Mandhoo Restaurant, Conrad Maldives

25/02/202513/06/2026wareontheglobe Leave a comment

Dan and I visited the Conrad Rangali Island Maldives for the third time in November 2024. We had visited each of the Conrad’s 11 restaurants on prior visits except Mandhoo. As such, Mandhoo was a must visit for me on this visit. Honestly, we had been avoiding Mandhoo because it had always been billed, at least in our opinion, as the resort’s health food restaurant, and we just felt like that was not the vibe we were going for on vacation. While Mandhoo may have one or two healthier dishes than some other places, Mandhoo is just a normal restaurant with something for everyone. We will definitely return.

Mandhoo from afar.

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Where To Find The Best Cocktails in Antigua, Guatemala.

18/02/202517/02/2025wareontheglobe Leave a comment

I did quite a bit of research on where to find the best cocktails and drinks in Antigua, Guatemala before our visit last summer. My research paid off. This post shares great cocktail spots in Antigua, Guatemala.

Cute Antigua, Guatemala.

Nahuales Mixology & Mayan Cocktails, a Fuente Mall and Foodcourt, 4a Calle Ote. n° 14, open daily 6 PM – 11 PM.

By far, our favorite cocktails in Antigua, Guatemala were at Nahuales Mixology & Mayan Cocktails. Named for the Mayan concept of the “nahaul”, or the cultural concept that everyone’s birthdate shapes ones personality and energy and based on birthdate, everyone is assigned a “nahaul”. As best I can describe it, a nahual is a Mayan sign that includes a related spirit animal, stone, metal, number, color and other unique information. We learned a lot about nahauls in Guatemala, and I never really understood it totally…but its important. Nahuales bar has the book of all nahauls onsite and can help you find your own nahaul.

This is an explanation of nahuales from the Museo Mira Flores in Guatemala City.

In any case, Nahuales Mixology & Mayan Cocktails is located in central Antigua inside an Antiguan strip mall of sorts. While small, the bar is very cool featuring an interesting menu and often a live DJ. Many of the cocktails on the menu are named for specific nahuales. We tried two cocktails each here, and they were very well made. Honestly, the best we had in Guatemala (except maybe tied with Cocktail Lobby in Guatemala City). The mixologist was also really great and even let us sample Guatemalan moonshine (which I didn’t even know existed). We highly recommend Nahuales for a true local cocktail bar in Antigua. Go to Nahuales Mixology & Mayan Cocktails for Mayan cultural information, excellent cocktails and a fun vibe.

The entrance to Nahuales.

Nahuales bar.

The interior.

The menus.

Guatemalan moonshine. Also, look at that perfect ice sphere.

One of the Nahuales cocktails.

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Airport Lounge Review: Casa del Ron, Guatemala La Aurora International

16/02/202513/06/2026wareontheglobe Leave a comment

When flying out of Guatemala City in July 2024, we visited on of the best Priority Pass airport lounges that we have visited in a while – Casa del Ron! This post reviews our, albeit brief, experience at Casa del Ron.

Casa del Ron at Guatemala La Auror International Airport. I’m certain its sponsored by Zacapa rum.

Casa del Ron

Casa del Ron is a store/bar chain in Guatemala specializing in Guatemalan liquors, particularly rum. In fact, Casa del Ron is a great place to buy hard-to-find bottles of Zacapa rum (possibly Guatemala’s best rum) and other Guatemalan specialities. Dan and I visited the Casa del Ron in Antigua for drinks and they were high quality. Unknown to us on our visit to Casa del Ron in Antigua, there is also an outpost at the Guatemala La Aurora International airport (i.e., the Guatemala City airport), and its on Priority Pass. We obviously visited.

A delicious cocktail at Casa del Ron in Antigua.

The Cases del Ron Lounge & Checkin

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Foodie Recommendations for Antigua, Guatemala.

13/02/202512/02/2025wareontheglobe Leave a comment

We spent last July 4th in Guatemala, specifically traveling via luxury van from Lake Atitlán to Antigua. Antigua is one of Guatemala’s former capitals. It was destroyed by a terrible earthquake in the late 1700s, but its since been rebuilt and is an adorable Spanish Colonial city about an hour from the Guatemala City airport, making it very popular with tourists and expats. Due to the tourists and expats, Antigua has a very decent culinary scene, many would argue the trendiest in the country. Indeed, you can find everything from hip coffee shops to delicious, incredibly cheap street food to Vietnamese pho. This post reveals what and where we at in Antigua, as well as whether we would return to said locale. Happy eating!

Antigua, Guatemala. This is one of its most famous attractions- the Santa Catalina Arch.

Panaderia San Antonio

Without further ado, I will jump right in with Panaderia San Antonio. San Antonio – for short – is a tiny takeaway-only bakery right on Parque Centrale (next to Cafe Condessa). San Antonio opens daily at 5:30 AM, baking fresh bread-based goodies until the early evening. We, however, came for its “breakfast sandwich” – a Chile Rellenos. And no, this is not the Mexican variety. The Guatemalan chiles rellenos (or at least San Antonio’s) is a sandwich made with freshly baked Guatemalan bread – a bit crusty, but still soft and pillowy. The bread is stuffed with shredded pork meat, scrambled eggs, an unknown starch to hold it all together and wonderfully spicy pickled vegetables. I came here multiple days and always asked for it “spicy” (extra pickled veggies). The sandwich was only about $2 USD. San Antonio only accepts cash and I had to order in Spanish (don’t worry – they are super friendly and I ordered known very MINIMAL Spanish). This is my favorite thing that I ate in all of Guatemala. Come for breakfast, for a budget meal and to try local food. I cannot say enough good things about this place and would return every morning for breakfast.