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My California wine-tasting road-trip
I was certainly amused when the U.S. Customs and Border Protection officer at the Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) asked me if I’d brought any alcohol into the US. Why would I do that, I wondered. I had just flown for 10 hours across the Atlantic and was about to embark on my California wine-tasting road-trip from LA to Santa Barbara and the Central Coast, and from there to Big Sur and San Francisco (with a detour to the Yosemite National Park). I was planning to drive on the Pacific Coast Highway and visit as many vineyards and wineries as I could (the fact that I would be driving was…
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Napa Valley: Wine, food & film
Worldwide famous as a fine wine-producing region, Napa County (not to be confused with Ayia Napa, in Cyprus), along with the neighboring Sonoma County and the perhaps somewhat lesser-known Mendocino County, is part of the so-called Wine Country, in Northern California. Napa County is part of the San Francisco Bay Area, which also includes San Francisco, Oakland, San Jose and the Silicon Valley, Sonoma and other neighboring counties. Home to Michelin-starred restaurants and to the Napa Valley Film Festival taking place every November, Napa County is the perfect destination for foodies and wine fans with a love of the big screen. Even if you visit San Fran at a different…
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Leeds: 9 tips by a (former) local
Leeds. Live it. Love it. This was the slogan of the city of Leeds when I moved there in 2011. I lived in this West Yorkshire city for 6 years. And, boy, I did love it. Leeds, the largest city in Yorkshire, reminds me of my hometown, Thessaloniki, the second-largest city in Greece. In terms of population, they’re both medium-sized cities (the city of Leeds has almost 800,000 inhabitants, whereas the population of the wider metropolitan area exceeds two million). Like Thessaloniki, Leeds has several universities that attract tens of thousands of students each year. Like many other medium-sized cities, it has a fairly compact center that can be walked…
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A cinematic journey to France
Inspired by the BFI London Film Festival I attended in October (it took place from the 2nd to the 13th of October 2019), I embarked on a cinematic journey around Europe. My first stop was the Nordic countries (‘A cinematic journey to the Nordic Countries’). I then continued my journey to East (Estonia, Russia, Poland), Central (Germany, Austria, Belgium) and South Europe (Spain, Italy, Greece). I now continue my cinematic journey to France, a country with a rich cinematic tradition. As both a cinephile and Francophile, I have always been interested in the French cinema, and naturally the French Film Festival UK (due to take place nationwide from 1st November…
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A cinematic journey to the Nordic countries
A keen traveler, I am also a music lover, and I particularly enjoy discovering and listening to music from different countries, often in languages I don’t understand. A few months ago, I published the post ‘Beyond Eurovision: A musical journey around Europe’, where I ‘visited’ 22 European countries, listening to some of my favorite musicians from each of these countries. This musical journey was followed by similar ones to Greece, Norway, Iceland, and California. But, I am also a film enthusiast, and as such I enjoy watching films from other countries, not always in English (as long as they have subtitles). To marry my love for cinema with my passion for…
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I Left My Heart In San Francisco
I left my heart in San Francisco High on a hill, it calls to me To be where little cable cars climb halfway to the stars The morning fog may chill the air, I don’t care Originally recorded by Tony Bennett, ‘I Left My Heart in San Francisco’ perfectly captures how I felt after my first visit to one of the most iconic American cities. Perhaps I am being a bit melodramatic, but few would argue with the charm of San Francisco. Despite the very large number of homeless people sleeping on the streets of this Californian city, San Fran is the highest rated American city on world liveability rankings.…
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Los Angeles: 3 days in La La Land
La La Land. City of Angels. City of Stars. The Big Orange. These are some of the most common nicknames for Los Angeles, or simply LA. The iconic city is not only the most populous in California, but also the second most populous in the United States (after New York City). When I first visited California, I stayed in Los Angeles for only two nights, so I simply had to go back and spend more time in La La Land. If you have never been to LA, I would recommend staying there for at least 3 days, and here’s how to make the most of them: Day 1: DTLA (Downtown…
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A musical journey to California
When I launched this blog last year, I said that I loved traveling the world. In fact, traveling has always been an important part of my life. As well as enjoyment and pleasure, traveling provides huge learning opportunities, helps us widen our horizons and opens us to different perspectives and viewpoints; all these can lead to a better appreciation of our own lives. As a Psychiatrist, I am passionate about optimal work-life balance and wellbeing, and I try to lead by example. So, I travel whenever I have time off work. A music lover, when I travel I get to discover new music, artists and songs I’ve never heard of before.…
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A musical journey to Iceland
Iceland. A country that I am yet to visit. Nonetheless, sometimes I feel as if I have already traveled or even lived there. I guess this is probably due to my obsession with the Icelandic culture and the many Icelandic crime novels I’ve been reading lately. I have previously written about my favorite Icelandic crime authors: Arnaldur Indriðason, Yrsa Sigurðardóttir and Ragnar Jónasson. Today, however, I’m going to write about my favorite Icelandic musicians: I’m going to continue my musical journey around Europe. The soundtrack to this musical journey to Iceland will include some my favorite musical ambassadors of the country. Ready to take off? I’m kicking this musical journey…
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A musical journey to Norway
It is no secret that I’m obsessed with Scandinavia and Norway in particular. So, following last week’s musical journey to Greece, this week I’m going on a musical journey to Norway. Sissel Kyrkjebø My first acquaintance with Norwegian music (Eurovision aside) goes all the way to 1998, when I first visited the Nordic countries. I clearly remember the soundtrack to the Norwegian leg of the journey: Sissel Kyrkjebø’s ‘Soria Moria’, an album that had been released almost a decade earlier, in 1989. With a career now spanning three decades, the famous Norwegian soprano has released 12 studio albums and has collaborated with many international musicians, including tenors…