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Adventures of a Carry-on | Wine l Travel l  Food and Culture

  • Wine Travel
    • International
    • Napa Valley
    • Sonoma Valley
    • Willamette Valley
    • Tasting Rooms & Wineries
  • Cultural Exploration
    • Architectural Travel
    • Churches
    • Food and Drink
    • Museums
  • Destinations
    • England
    • Accommodations
    • France
      • Alsace
    • Italy
      • Rome
    • USA
      • California
      • Florida
      • New York
      • Texas
  • Photography
    • Postcards
    • Florida Photo Gallery
  • Style
    • Fashion
    • Carry-On
  • More
    • Just for fun
    • Memoirs
  • Riboli Family vineyards moonrise Paso Robles

    Discover Downtown Los Angeles’ Oldest Winery, San Antonio Winery 

      Impact-Site-Verification: -865439856   From its early beginnings in the vineyards of Los Angeles to recognition as American Winery of the Year by Wine Enthusiast Magazine, San Antonio Winery has…

    Read more
  • vineyards in the autumn at Bells Up Winery Oregon

    Wine And Music Create A Bells Up Moment In Willamette Valley

      Dave Specter, owner and winemaker at Bells Up Winery in Willamette Valley, Oregon, loves a challenge. A French horn player throughout middle school and high school, little did he…

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  • Devil's bridge Cividale del Friuli

    Venice Alternative: 5 Hidden Gems To Visit In Italy

    Italy Is fabulous and beautiful, and we all want to go there—except for one thing: It is very, very crowded…especially now, with all the revenge travelers. If you’ve dreamed of…

    Read more
  • Shoes on the Danube by Penny Sadler

    6 Fascinating Dark Tourism Sites In France You Shouldn’t Miss

    Have you ever considered traveling with the sole purpose of visiting places with dark and chilling histories? Dark tourism is nothing new but has recently seen a resurgence. In this…

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  • Where To Find The Best Dairy-Free Gelato In Dallas

    Americans love all things Italian, especially Italian food.  Living in an urban area like Dallas ensures there any many options for Italian cuisine including gelato, but how do you know…

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  • ceviche Tasca Tasaca

    Enjoy Wine Tasting in Sonoma County, California

    Sonoma is one of Northern California’s prettiest wine country destinations. With ancient redwood forests, miles of coastline, mountain trails, and quaint towns surrounded by vineyards, it’s no wonder Sonoma was…

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  • Ca d Or winery

    IGTV Chat: Discover Franciacorta Italian Sparkling Wine

    Ciao! Join me tomorrow for an informative chat with  Franciacorta Italian sparkling wine producer Stefano Rangoni of Ca’ d’ Or.  Franciacorta is an Italian sparkling wine produced in the classic…

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  • 5 Reasons To Visit Malibu Any Time Of Year

    Malibu is an iconic destination with miles of beautiful coastline, accessible beaches, and hiking in the canyons of the Santa Monica Mountains. You can also enjoy a nice glass of…

    Read more
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Australia is known for koala bears, the outback, t Australia is known for koala bears, the outback, the Gold Coast, and kangaroos, the latter apparently are like squirrels in the USA😂 

I love learning about new regions, cities, and countries through the lens of wine. Did you know that Australia makes wine? Excellent wine in fact. 
What’s your favorite way to learn about a new country, state or city?

The Barossa Valley was settled around 1836 primarily by Germans. But also other European settlers, although there were indigenous people already living there for thousands of years.

The diversity of soils in the Barossa Valley rivals any of the major old world wine regions. In fact, it is what they are known for. It allows them to grow a wide diversity of grapes although just a few dominate.  Riesling and Chardonnay are the primary white wine varieties, and Shiraz, Grenache, and Cabernet Sauvignon are the main red varieties, though there are others.

The main city in Barossa Valley is Adelaide with a population of approximately 1.8 million. Located on the coast of southern Australia. There are two key wine regions here for Rosa and Eden Valley. Eden Valley is higher and cooler.

Australia is at the forefront of the environmental changes and sustainable measures. Water is an issue, and they use technology to measure the amount of moisture in the ground around the vines, so that they are only watered when they truly need it and they measure exactly how much water to give them. 

Adelaide is the sister city to Grapevine in Texas, a suburb of the DFW. Winemakers from Barossa Valley were in town for the annual grape fest wine festival. Hence, I’ got to learn a little bit about the wine  without traveling to the land down under. But I would like to.! 

Thanks to winemaker Scot Crosby for the mini introduction to Barossa Valley. 
we tried all of the wines in the photo and they are all available at HEB, and other stores around the DFW area.

Have you tried any wines from @barossawines Australia
Want to visit Stonehenge, Salisbury, Wells, The Co Want to visit Stonehenge, Salisbury, Wells, The Cotswold ? You need a guide. 
In my opinion the best way to experience a new destination with a short timeline is with a local guide. I’ve posted a few stories about @inbeyondbath and now I have my review and a short interview with the founder Jules Mittra. 

Check out my latest article for @mappingmegan then book your trip! 

I will put the link in stories and bio.
Here’s an excerpt 

Somerset County represents quintessential England, with rolling green hills, dramatic gorges, hedgerows, castles, and abbeys galore. Large portions of the county, located in southwest England, are protected areas of outstanding natural beauty.
It’s known for cheddar cheese, apple cider, and the UNESCO World Heritage City of Bath, among other things. Throughout the area, there are so many cultural and historic sites to see that it can be quite difficult to choose one over another.
“I have no reason to go, except that I have neve “I have no reason to go, except that I have never been, and knowledge is better than ignorance. What better reason could there be for traveling?”

This quote, by writer and author, Freya Stark is perfect for introducing Asolo prosecco. 

Freya lived in the village of Asolo, and indeed, you can visit her home there. I had a lovely walk through the village of Asolo but I was there to learn about the unique  Prosecco that comes from this area. 

know a lot of people are lukewarm about Prosecco, but they haven’t tried Prosecco from the region of Asolo.

if you love Prosecco, or even just like it and want to learn about something new, check out my article on Alcohol Professor. The link is currently in my story and I will put it in my bio linktree.

Let me know if you’ve tried Prosecco from Asolo. Have you been there? Here’s an excerpt from my article:

The vineyards are located in the wickedly steep hills around Asolo. This landscape has led poets and writers to refer to Asolo as the City of One Hundred Horizons.

Photo was taken last year at the Giusti vineyards.
Viking Cruises Portugal’s River of Gold nine-day Viking Cruises Portugal’s River of Gold nine-day cruise begins in Lisbon and ends in Porto. 

Along the way, you’ll visit the oldest university in Portugal, sample some of Portugal’s famous port wines, and feast your eyes on some spectacular scenery.

Due to the depth of the Douro River, the larger Viking European river cruise longships cannot travel on the Douro. Instead of traveling with approximately 200 passengers, you’ll travel with only 100 passengers, including the crew. This makes it a more intimate journey with the opportunity to get to know your fellow passengers (if you choose).

What Makes the Douro River Cruise Different?

The Douro Valley is the oldest delineated and demarcated wine region in the world. Though it has become an increasingly popular destination in recent years, it is still very rural.

There are no large cities along the Douro River aside from Porto. Regua is about 50,000 people, but at this time, there are no shore excursions in Regua. 

A Douro River cruise is more about enjoying the scenery and the small villages, quintas, and history of the region.

This makes the trip much slower-paced than a cruise on the Danube or the Rhine River. It’s more about relaxing and enjoying the scenery, which is spectacular, especially as you move farther north, where river access through the valley is more recent.

Link in stories
My last night in Bristol, I had a nice dinner in C My last night in Bristol, I had a nice dinner in Clifton Village and decided to walk back to my hotel, which was near the train station. That’s quite a long walk! Anyway, on the way back I passed Bristol cathedral, which I had seen during the day, but it’s really pretty at night. Of course you can’t go inside and in the evening.

So I stopped to take some photos and trying to capture a nice angle with the towers lit up and the moon in the sky and I’m so excited I think I’ve got Just The right shot and then I notice….

There’s a guy pissing in the corner against the wall.😂😂😂 no, he’s not in this shot. 

Keep reading for a little bit of history of Bristol Cathedral. 

Bristol Cathedral was founded in 1140. Like many churches in England, and other places it has been altered throughout the centuries. Bristol Cathedral was also affected by the Bristol blitz during World War II much of the Stainglass was lost at that time.
The cathedral is located on College Green, which is a popular gathering spot for students and tourists, and not far from the harbor. The church is a grade one listed building, which means it is of historical, architectural and cultural interest, and can no longer be altered.

Have you been to Bristol?
Have you been on any tasty food tours? Viking riv Have  you been on any tasty food tours? Viking river cruises Portugal’s River of Gold begins in Lisbon. An optional tour was this fun food and culture tour walking from place to place. Away from the tourists and the crowds it was one of my favorite excursions of the trip. Have you been to Lisbon?  Have you been on any fun food tours? 

#lisbonportugal #visitportugal #foodtour #gastronomylover #portuguesefood #localfood #portugaltravel #rivercruise #exploremore #foodiewinelover #walkingtour #campodeourique #visitlisboa #eatbetter
I’ve posted about Troon vineyards in my stories; I’ve posted about Troon vineyards in my stories; today I’ve been drinking this so I thought hey I should tell y’all about it. 

This is what they call their frugal farmer fizz, crafted from the Pomus of white and rosé wines. It is fizzy, and it is fruity,and  it’s absolutely delightful. 

Wines like this are different from vintage-to-vintage and they’re meant to be drunk young, and fresh. Some people might call these natural wines. I call them delicious. 

this one is fermented in the bottle and is from Applegate Valley Vineyards in Oregon. Troon is a Demeter certified, and. CCOF organic certified winemaker. 

Production note: methode ancestral is a method of producing sparkling wine with one fermentation in the bottle. It is also low alcohol.

for more information about various Oregon winery certifications, you can check out my article @thevintnerproject .

Have you tried any wines from Troon?
What a wild year 2023 has been so far. A traveling What a wild year 2023 has been so far. A traveling life is the only life for me. That doesn’t mean I’m nomadic, no I am not! I love staying in a place long enough to have a favorite coffee shop, make a friend, know my way around. I can’t say I did that on all of these trips but I stayed a minimum of 5 days in each place. My preference is two weeks. However, i should add that aside from England, I’ve been in Los Angeles, Santa Barbara, and Portugal before and have spent a LOT of time in California. I’m a slow traveler. But part of this trip was an assignment. 
What about you? How do you like to travel? Need some ideas? 
Do you recognize the Banksy art on the cover?
Places in this reel: Bath, England
Bristol, England
Porto, Portugal
Douro River Valley 
Régua, Portugal
Salamanca, Spain
Santa Barbara, California 
Los Angeles, California 

Send me a DM
#bathengland #somersetwest #bristoluk #banksy #graffiti_art #romanbaths #avonriver #lacockabbey #unitedkingdomtravel #visitportugal🇵🇹 #portoportugal #flamencodancer #visitsantabarbara #olverastreet #visitdowntownlosangeles
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