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Where to go in 2014

Above the clouds There are so many recommendations from various travel guidebooks and newspapers of the best destinations in 2014 to help us decide where we should go this year of the Wooden Horse. New York Times has a list of 52 Places. Lonely Planet has Value Destinations, Family Destinations, Top Cities and so on. In the end, it's all up to us to decide where to go. It's all very exciting. And I'm caught up in the possibility of traveling to a new destination in 2014. So here we go. Dinner at 36,000 feet National Geographic Travel : Among the destinations selected by National Geographic are Alentejo in Portugal, Cape Verde, New Orleans, Puglia in Italy and Nyungwe National Park in Rwanda. Check this link for more recommendations:  http://travel.nationalgeographic.com/travel/best-trips-2014/ Lonely Planet Top Value Destinations: Palawan, Philippines The Top Ten Value Destinations for 2014 are: Greek Islands, Italy's Heel, Nicaragua,

Happy New Year 2014

Iloilo Strait from Guimaras Island. Image by TravelswithCharie.

Oahu Redux

Ko Olina Lagoon It's always a treat to getaway to Oahu. Much as I like to walk around Ala Moana Park as I did in the old days, I've traded this to walking at Ko Olina where the beaches are less crowded, especially on a weekday, and the scenery is enhanced by five peaceful lagoons.  It's also a good place to enjoy the sunset.  Shaved Ice from Matsumoto On my travel bucket list for Oahu is to try new restaurants. Honolulu Magazine annually weighs in on the Best Restaurants in Hawaii by category and I use their list as my guide. Last November we tried Assaggio Ristorante Italiano at the Ala Moana Shopping Center. I ordered their Fresh Eggplant Milanese over a bed of linguine and it was very good. The diced eggplant was soft to the bite. For local flavor, we went to Matsumoto in Haleiwa for their famous shaved ice. I chose the mango flavor and we sat on the bench outside the grocery store to enjoy this delicious flavored ice and were rewarded with a view of th

Boracay

It's a three hour drive to Caticlan from Roxas City, another beach town on the island of Panay. Then a short 15 minute hop by pump boat to the white sand beaches of Boracay. We stayed at White Beach where most of the action takes place. Our hotel was right on the beach, convenient for the many walks we took during our brief stay. We arrived in Boracay just about lunch time and we found a buffet restaurant close by. For two hundred pesos, we had our fill or more. While eating our lunch at this crowded beachfront resto, I watched how the pigs were prepared and slowly roasted for that evening's dinner. Soon the pigs were turning a golden hue with the patient manual rotation by these two men. A couple more hours and the "lechon" will be on the buffet table. We ate dinner at another restaurant, Mesa, where we savored their specialty - tinapa rolls along with what else, tinapa rice and fried tilapia. Tinapa is a tiny smoked fish. My friends and I th

Merry Christmas 2013

"And the Word was made flesh And dwelt among us Full of grace and truth."  John 1:14

Please help

U.S. residents may help the victims of super typhoon Haiyan (YolandaPH) by texting AID to 27722 to donate $10.00. 0r text MKHUNGER to 50555 to donate $5.00.  All proceeds go to World Food Program (WFP) which organization is on the ground now distributing relief goods in the storm ravaged areas of Eastern and Western Visayas. Or donate online  https://www.wfp.org/donate/typhoon-philippines . Philippine residents may text RED space AMOUNT to 2899 for Globe subscribers and 4143 for Smart subscribers. Donations go to the Philippine Red Cross. "No amount is too small." Check also this list of organizations that are involved in relief and rescue operations in the Philippines:  http://thelede.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/11/11/how-to-help-philippines-typhoon-victims/?partner=rss&emc=rss&smid=tw-nytimes&_r=0 Thank you for your generosity. *  *  *

Rome Essentials

Eats  Near Santa Maria Maggiore Tempio di Mecenate Ristorante/Pizzeria Largo Leopardi, 14/18 (Via Merulana) www.tempiodimecenate.it This restaurant is always full of diners. There's usually a line in front of the outdoor dining room. The food is quite good and the bill for three with wine and bottled water adds up to €52.  Panella Via Merulana This is a bakery and restaurant in one. They have a buffet table for a fixed price. Outdoor seating. Attracts a young crowd. Cute animal shaped breads at Panella Near the Pantheon Capranica Enoteca and Taverna Piazza Capranica 99/100 www.enotecacapranica.it/en Bar at Capranica This is a beautiful taverna inside the Palazzo Capranica, a renaissance era palace.  The bar, in warm tones of brown, is the backdrop of this elegant dining room. I had their salmon with risotto and zucchini. Across from the Colosseo  Oppio Caffè Via delle Terme di Tito, 72 Colosseo, Roma www.oppioc