Carcassonne and the Hotel de la Cite. Home to the Oldest Sparkling Wine

“There has been fraud,” said the president of a criminal court in Southwest France. The fraud was done by several French producers against E. & J. Gallo, big U.S. traders. I salute the court because I know how seriously the French take their wine and it shows in every wonderful bottle I’ve had.

The news came out of Carcassonne, one of the most delightful cities in France. Its hilltop castle is just amazing. The street small and filled with shops and restaurants and one of the best hotels I’ve stayed in. The Hotel de la Cite was once a Bishop’s Palace and today is an Orient –Express run treasure all within the walls. The region is also known for Blanquette de Limoux, the oldest sparkling wine in the world. Wine fraud isn’t appreciated there!

Ritz Carlton's Central Park, GoNOMAD's Headquarters for the NY Times Travel Show 2010

After a month long slumber it is time to gear up, starting with the New York Times Travel Show the weekend of Feb 26th. It will GoNOMAD’s third year of having a booth and speaking at the show. It is also our third year as media partners for the show. It is a busy time for us, three days of non- stop meeting and greeting.

Fortunately for us our headquarters (lodgings) this year will be at the fabulous Ritz Carlton Central Park a soothing place that sets the standard in NYC for hotels. It is a perennial winner, • Travel + Leisure: 500 World’s Best Hotels 2010
• Condé Nast Traveler: Gold List 2010.

I’ve enjoyed the Ritz service in their Philadelphia, Georgetown, Shenzhen and Guanzhou properties, all terrific. For an interesting take on the philosophy of Ritz check out Simon Cooper’s interview on Gadling.

Three Sheets to the Wind in Taiwan

I love the saying, “three sheets to the wind.” It equates to a good buzz. It is a sailing term; sheets aren't sails, as landlubbers might expect, but ropes (or occasionally, chains). These are fixed to the lower corners of sails to hold them in place. If three sheets are loose and blowing about in the wind then the sails will flap and the boat will lurch about like a drunken sailor. Last night I happened to catch a show called Three Sheets on the FLN channel in which the host Zane Lamprey travels around the world drinking some of the world’s strangest drinks.

The episode happened to be about Taiwan where I had a few drinks myself. I must confess I didn’t try the snake concoctions that Zane did, though if I saw the show before going, I just might have. In fact Zane ended the show at a foot massage place to heal a whopping hangover, it just happened to be at the one I and a few traveling friends went to. It didn’t work as a preventative, but now I know, wait till morning.

Pictures Tell a Story, The New York State Museum

Pictures speak a thousand words; I know it goes something like that. I spent the day looking at photos that spoke volumes today at the New York State Museum in Albany, NY. A special exhibit from the George Eastman House Collection was on display and will be till May 9 2010. The show is entitled, Seeing Ourselves and was amazing; works by Ansel Adams, Mathew B. Brady, Eli Reed, Alfred Stieglitz and Dorothea Lang were just a few represented. As a bonus Lang’s works were also included in another exhibit called, “This Nation Will Endure, the Great Depression”. The timing was perfect! I have never been to the museum before but will again and soon. As a college student I did a mid-term semester as an Assemblymen’s aid years ago up in NY’s capital Albany. My first chore of the day was to have a scotch and soda on my boss’s desk promptly at 9 A.M. While politics has increasingly depressed me, photos set me right.

Single Gal in the City Takes on the Country

There is no better day than Valentines Day to pass this on; my friend Melissa Braverman is going on a dating spree for the next 8 weeks in 8 cities.
• Cleveland
• Atlanta
• Kansas City
• Houston
• Denver
• Portland
• Los Angeles
Her blog, Single Girl in the City has well covered everything a girl in NYC would need to know. The show goes on the road March 1 and Melissa will interview women about their cities. Dates galore are also on the agenda. Click here to vote on her last stop. Here is the story on UTube. Nothing Melissa undertakes isn’t interesting in so many ways.

Charles Darwin's 201 Birthday, Thoughts of Cruising Patagonia

Today is the 201 birthday for Charles Darwin, one of my heroes. Chuck’s note taking has played a huge part in the development of science, his observations spot on! I recently cruised on the Mare Australis from Chile to Argentina following Darwin’s path, to Cape Horn. Darwin was never able to get to the island of Cape Horn and it vexed him for the rest of his life. We were luckier and the weather allowed for us to reach the shore. I first got interested in Darwin while cruising the Galapagos a few years back. My respect for Darwin has evolved ever since, Happy B Day Chuck!

Cancun Honors GoNOMAD thanks to Max Hartshorne

I got to love it, my great friend and colleague Max Hartshorne is right now winging his way to Cancun to accept an award from Cancun Tourism for a piece he wrote for us at GoNOMAD. It is about eco-tourism in Cancun, what a mix. It to me is just proof that there is no place we at GoNOMAD cannot fit into our niche or mission. To me it isn’t about budget or luxury, indoors or out. It is about finding interesting things about a place every place has something that is interesting. I fully believe that, I live in a small hamlet near Kingston NY and constantly find great things to do. Congrats Max, you did us well!