Do you pack the right shoes for walking when you travel? If your travels include cobblestone streets like these in Colmar, France you need good walking shoes.
Cremant
Cremant
Cremant means creamy in French and is the word used to denote sparkling wine made in the “Methode Champenoise” in any region other than Champagne.
For instance, Cremant de Loire is in the Loire area. Sparkling wines here are most likely made from Chenin Blanc or Cabernet Franc grapes.
Cremant de Bourgogne (Burgundy), Cremant de Jura, and Cremant d’Alsace are other regions. In the Alsace it might be made from Pinot Gris, Pinot Blanc or even Gewürztraminer.
Each region uses their blend of grapes.
Can I Take My Sleep Meds With Me? How About My Allergy Meds?
Did you know some popular prescription and over-the-counter medicines commonly used for things like pain relief, better sleep, allergies, or your common cold are illegal in some countries? That means you need to know what you can and cannot take into a country when traveling.
The United Arab Emirates and Japan, for example, are among the most restrictive nations. Many other countries ban or restrict importing narcotics, sedatives, amphetamines, and other meds you think are common. So…what should you do?
Plan Ahead
Laws vary by country and there is no central, up-to date repository. One travel consultant suggests asking your physician, travel medical insurance company, or local pharmacist four to six weeks before traveling. “When you inquire about your shots, ask about medications. Odds are they may not know off the top of their head, but they have the resources to find out.”
She also suggests checking with the embassy of your destination country. The US State Department website lists foreign embassies. It also lists insurance providers if you need one for health care abroad.
Label and Pack Your Medication Properly
Carry all your medication, from vitamins and supplements to prescription ones, in their original, clearly marked containers or packaging. You can put that in a clear plastic bag in your carry on luggage. Make sure the name on the prescription, the medicine container and your passport all match. If you lost the product information insert, ask the pharmacist to print a new one for you.
Also, check the TSA website for up-to-date rules and regulations on packing and carrying your medication when you depart. The standard rules for liquid carry-ons don’t apply to medications in liquid or gel form, but you need to inform them when you pass through security so they don’t confiscate it.
Obtain and Carry Necessary Documentation
Keep copies of your original prescriptions, if you can. Better yet, obtain a letter on official letterhead from your physician that lists the medicines you need and why they were prescribed.
Know the Names and Amounts of Active Ingredients
The documentation you carry should also indicate the generic and chemical names of the active ingredients, which determines permissibility, not brand names.
For example, the active ingredient in Benadryl, diphenhydramine, is banned in Zambia in over-the counter products. In Japan, it is allowed only if the amount in a tablet or injection is limited. However, a typical 25 milligram tablet of Tylenol PM in the United States exceeds the 10 milligram maximum amount in a tablet you can bring into Japan. Some countries restrict the overall total amount of an active ingredient an individual traveler can legally import, which may impact longer stays.
Bottom line…be prepared ahead of time.
Smith-Madrone Wine
Want to go wine tasting in St. Helena? Want to go somewhere with great wines and a view to match?
Look no further than Smith Madrone Winery. There are several reasons it’s a favorite of ours.
First…the wines. Since there are slopes that seemingly face every direction, this means different grapes get the exposure they need. Eastern exposure for dry Rieslings, southern and western exposure for Cabs, and cooler north-facing for their Chards.
Their wines are all made from the winery’s dry-farmed estate vineyards. For those of you into soil…these are mostly deep-red Aiken Stoney Clay. Volcanic rocks, sandstones, limestones, shale…just to name a few. This certainly helps in the tastes of these wines.
Then, there’s the views. You’re at and elevation of 1,300 to 2,000 feet on Spring Mountain so you can see a long distance in just about every direction.
When you visit, take some time to walk around the estate. See if you can find the 120 year old Picholine Olive Trees. Then, wander into the barn for some amazing wine tasting. This will be like no other wine tasting in the Valley.
The people are just as great as their wines and the views. Stuart Smith and Charles Smith III are down-to-earth guys who know their business. It doesn’t hurt that Stu was named one of the wine industry’s post inspirational people in 2018.
Trust me, you won’t be disappointed.
You will understand why we love the wines, the people, and the experience.
If You Go: Smith Madrone Winery is located at 4022 Spring Mountain Road, St. Helena, California 94574.
Phone 707/963-2283; Fax 707/963-2291 www.smithmadrone.com, info@smithmadrone.com
They are open by appointment only at 11:00 a.m. or 2:00 p.m. on Monday, Wednesday, Friday, Saturday. There is a tasting fee.
Is Your Computer Going to Fly?
Recently I read a post on The Points Guy that bears repeating.
The US Federal Aviation Administration has banned select MacBook Pro laptops from being carried on, or checked into the cargo holds of aircraft. The FAA’s decision follows Apple’s announcement that some of the older MacBook Pro units posed a fire risk.
According to the FAA’s statement, the agency has alerted major US airlines to the recall, explaining that the affected laptops should not be allowed to fly as cargo or in passengers’ carry-on baggage.
The devices in question are some 15-inch MacBook Pros that were sold between September 2015 and February 2017.
Apple originally announced the recall in June, saying it had “determined that, in a limited number of older generation 15-inch MacBook Pro units, the battery may overheat and pose a fire safety risk.”
Affected units can be determined by the product’s serial number and checked online. To check if your 15-inch MacBook Pro is part of the recall and has been banned by the FAA, follow these steps:
1. Click the Apple icon in the top left corner of your screen and select ‘About This Mac’.
2. Confirm your model is “MacBook Pro (Retina, 15-inch, Mid 2015)”.
3. If so, go to Apple’s dedicated recall page. Enter your device’s serial number to see if it’s eligible. If it is, you’ll be offered several options, such as getting the battery replaced.
According to a notice distributed in Canada in June, about 432,000 MacBook Pros sold in the US were part of the recall, and about 26,000 of the affected units were sold in Canada. The number of the devices part of the recall that were sold in Europe has not been disclosed.
In addition, four non-US based airlines introduced bans on these. Included are TUI Group, Thomas Cook, Air Italy, and Air Transat.
Laptops with replaced batteries will be allowed on board.
Where the Surf Meets the Turf
Del Mar Horse Racing
Where the turf meets the surf…Bing Crosby’s song gets sung here during every racing day.
Why? Bing and a few of his friends in 1937 opened this new seaside racetrack at Del Mar. This was to be a horse palace by the ocean where you could play all day, party all night, and leave the cares of the world behind.
Names like Dorothy Lamour, W. C. Fields, Edgar Bergen, Ann Miller, Red Skelton, Pat O’Brien, Gary Cooper…lots of Hollywood stars frequented here.
Then there are the horses and jockey who raced and won here. Seabiscuit comes to mind, winning in 1938. So does jockey William Lee Shoemaker. His 52 wins sets him apart from others. That was 1949.
Did you know Del Mar racing stopped during 1942 to 1944 due to the war? The grounds were used for training by the Marines. Manufacturing site parts for the B-17 bombers also took place here.
Fast forward to today. Opening day was July 17 this year and runs through September 2. So much goes on here, with concerts after races, food truck events, wine events, and more.
And…hats. Yep, hats. Opening day Hat Contest is all part of the tradition that dates back to 1937 when Bing greeted guests as they entered. The official contest was established in 1995, however. These are no ordinary hats. Many people spend months designing that perfect hat to wear on Opening Day. You want to be seen? Wear a spectacular hat.
What do I like about this track? Everything.
First of all, it’s a gorgeous facility. When you walk around the buildings and grounds, you can almost feel the essence of those who made their dream a reality. It’s easy to imagine yourself in their dream.
If you like horses, this is the place to be. When they are getting ready for the next race, they parade in front of you, not off in the distance. Gaze into their eyes as they look over the row of spectators. Am I picking a horse or are they picking me?
Want to get up close when they thunder around the track? Two ways you can do that. Stand at the rail when they’re running on the dirt track. You hear them coming before you see them. And…then they’re past you.
Or, walk through the tunnel under the track to the inside of the track. When they run on the turf, you have the perfect place to watch them as they seem to lengthen their stride as they fly past you. Maybe, not as thundering on the turf. Still, you can hear them coming.
These powerful horses are magical. It’s easy to get caught up in all the excitement as you watch some of the most talented horses in the world.
They are all striving for one thing…reaching the finish line first.
Just like the first people to watch here in 1937, when I’m at the Del Mar Track, this is one of the best places to be on a sunny summer afternoon. The cares of the world disappear.
If You Go: The Del Mar Fairgrounds are located at 2260 Jimmy Durante Blvd., Del Mar, CA 92014. More info about horse racing can be found at https://www.dmtc.com/
Cite du Vin
NEW EXHIBITION AT THE CITE DU VIN: ARGENTINA, LANDS OF CONTRASTS
From 12 August to 17 november 2019
Direction South America! After having celebrated the vineyards of Georgia and the Douro Valley, the Cité du Vin is hosting Argentina from 12 August, for its next temporary exhibition featuring a Guest Wine Region.
A journey of the senses
From 12 August to 17 November, head for Argentina at the Cité du Vin! For 3 months, visitors are invited on a real journey across Argentina’s six main wine regions. Thanks to gigantic exhibits and digital and immersive displays, the exhibition offers a sensory and participative experience of Argentina’s nature in all its spectacular diversity. Visitors can feel the differences in altitude, landscapes, climates, geographical conditions… The goal is to understand the multitude of combinations allowing Argentina to offer such a wide range of wines with their infinite variety of flavours. The legendary Malbec and Torrontès, another famous grape variety to Argentina, naturally take pride of place. At each stage of this adventure, icons from the six regions relate the story of their wines, their gastronomy and their culture. Music and literature are also part of the journey, combining a past and a present that are intimately linked to the culture of the vine.
2019 Guest Wine Region at the Cité du Vin
Each year, the Foundation for Wine Culture and Civilisations
gives a partner wine region or country the opportunity to present its wine
heritage. “The aim is to let the public discover a great wine country from the
point of view of its culture and civilisation, through an original exhibition
accompanied by numerous cultural events. We are delighted that Argentina
is our 3rd Guest Wine Region!” says Philippe Massol, Managing
Director.
Georgia, the world’s oldest wine country, was the first Guest Wine Region in
autumn 2017. In 2018, it was the Porto region, one of the world’s oldest
appellations whose Upper Douro valley is inscribed as a cultural landscape in
the UNESCO World Heritage List, that took the place of honour.
Various events will be held during the Argentina, lands of contrasts
exhibition, to explore the themes it addresses in greater depth.
Located in Bordeaux, the Cité du Vin is a new generation cultural centre, unique in the world, where wine is presented in its cultural, civilizational, heritage and universal dimensions. A cultural facility, a tourist site and a place of life and outings for Bordeaux residents, the Cité du Vin showcases vineyards from around the world through a permanent tour, temporary exhibitions, wine culture workshops and numerous events. Managed and developed by the Foundation for Wine Culture and Civilisations, the Cité du Vin is accessible to the greatest possible number and is open to all. A spectacular journey around the world, across the ages, in all cultures!
Glamping…Where Do You Want to Go?
Recently, I came across a site dedicated to Glamping vacations and experiences.
Not sure what glamping is or if it’s for you? Check out the links to some of these terrific sounding ideas.
For winery ideas:
Medieval Converted Watchtower Retreat in the Heart of Wine Country, Corgoloin, France
https://glampinghub.com/france/bourgognefranchecomte/corgoloin/converted-medieval-house/
-This medieval converted watchtower is set in the heart of burgundy wine country in France. Located on small hill overlooking a vineyard and what is currently being converted to 350 acres of organic production, this retreat offers relaxation and bliss with an incredible French experience.
Here are some go to tips and quick information about Glamping Hub 🙂
– When looking for accommodation, use the search filters which list over 27 different types of accommodations in over 120 countries. From tree houses to shipping containers, there is something for everyone.
– Read the listings very carefully. Every detail you need to know about the accommodation will be found on the listing. From amenities to features to activities. This will also help you pack as well.
– Ask your host for the MUST SEEs and Dos in the area. Your host knows best and will be more than happy to help give you the best stay ever.
– Read the reviews. It’s always wonderful to know what past guests have thought and that will give you a good indication of the experience awaiting you.
– Check out Glamping Hub’s collections to find accommodations and areas that will give you inspiration: https://glampinghub.com/glamping-collections/
Let me know what you think…
What Am I Drinking?
What am I drinking tonight?
Dr. Konstantin Frank sparkling Brut is in my glass…and it’s fantastic.
What is it? Where is it from?
Based in the Finger Lakes of New York, this is a winery we discovered a few years ago. So much of it reminded us of the wines from the Mosel River in Germany.
This could be due to the fact that Dr. Frank, an immigrant from the Ukraine, used his knowledge of cold climate grape growing here in New York.
The vineyards with the grapes for the sparkling wines were planted in the late 1970s…just for the purpose of producing sparkling wines.
These grapes get handpicked and placed into small crates. Extreme care in handling the clusters is essential for this wine. They use only the first, most delicate pressing, the Cuvee. Secondary fermentation takes place in the bottle, as per the traditional Methode Champenoise.
That might be more information than you want. Just know…it’s fantastic, refreshing, and delicious. It makes my glass look pretty and my mouth jump for joy.
TSA PreCheck
According to TSA, there will be at least 263 million travelers going through airport security this summer alone. They have a suggestion… Enroll in PreCheck. You get expedited security screening and you do not need to remove your shoes, laptop, liquids, belts, or light jackets.
In April of this year 93% of those going through PreCheck waited less than five minutes.
How do you get PreCheck? It costs $85 for five years, a short application, a 10 minute in-person appointment which includes a background check and fingerprinting. Usually, it only takes a few days to be approved and given your Known Travel Number.
It’s definitely worth it.
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