Stowe, Vermont

Our first New England ski weekend was to the charming village of Stowe, Vermont. 3.5 hours drive from Boston, Stowe is one of the largest ski resorts in the area. We had been warned to lower our expectations as this was our first time skiing outside of Europe, but given the fresh powder, blue skies, over 115 trails and 40 miles of slopes, we were pleasantly surprised to say the least!

Eat / Drink

Lunch on the mountain

The Great Room Grill at Stowe Mountain Inn is a huge upscale cafeteria with a wide array of appetizing choices from chili to made-to-order sandwiches, salads and entrees. Plus live music at lunch-time!

http://www.stowe.com/activities/dining/page1454/

The Octagon

Serving up home-made soups and flatbread paninis, The Octagon is at the top of the Quad lift and perfect for a quick mid-day bite, hot chocolate, and a moment to warm up your fingers and toes.

Dinner after a day on the slopes

Ye Olde England Inne

Owned by a British couple, we were seriously impressed with the authenticity of this pub with tartan carpet, tankards hanging from the ceiling, hundreds of imported beers to sample, and damn good fish n'chips and steak and kidney pie!

http://www.englandinn.com/

Matterhorn

Serving up a disconnected mix of sushi, pizza, wings, and martinis the Matterhorn Bar somehow still manages to get it right for festive apres-ski drinks and good grub.

http://www.matterhornbar.com/

Cactus Cafe

Excellent margaritas, delicious tilapia tacos (might top my all time fav grouper tacos from the Riverwalk Cafe in Naples), and Deano's Jalapenos to snack on before your dinner arrives.

http://www.cactuscafestowe.com/

http://www.deanosjalapenos.com/

Special thanks to Stowe Mountain volunteer ambassador, Bob (in the blue jacket), who skied with us for the day and showed us the best runs around.

Holiday-tion style tip

For those freezing New England ski days Grandoe mittens with hand warmers are an essential investment. (I learned the hard way)

http://grandoe.mwrc.net/en/product.php?product_id=40318

Up next: Equinox Resort & Spa

Cheshire, England

This Christmas, we visited our family in Northern England in the county of Cheshire. Also known as the Peak District for its green rolling hills, we have always loved going "home" to Disley. But this year felt different and slightly more exotic, since instead of catching the 2-hour train from Euston station in London, we traveled all the way from the USA! Bring on the Chistmas pudding and fruitcake!

Visit

Bakewell

A popular Peak District market town filled with boutiques, high end restaurants, and local food shops. It is also home to the well-known Bakewell pudding which is a jammy tart with almond filling. Sounds unusual, tastes delicious.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bakewell

Lyme Park
Pride and Prejudice (the one with Colin Firth) was filmed in this expansive, green, hilly national park. Great for walks all year round, and sledding in the winter!
http://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/main/w-lymepark

Chatsworth House

A beautiful estate home and equally breath-taking landscape situated on a rolling stream.

http://www.chatsworth.org/

Eat / Drink
Conti's Italian
A staple for many years in my in-laws' village, Conti serves up excellent pizzas, a tasty and tender spare rib appetizer and sweet, creamy tiramisu.
http://cabrelligroup.com/conti.html

The Ram's Head
A cozy, traditional English pub with crackling fires in the winter, a sunny beer garden in the summer, and excellent pub grub (fish & chips, meat and potato pie, sticky toffee pudding). Our favorite spot for a Christmas Eve drink (or two).
http://www.theramsheaddisley.co.uk/

Holiday-tion lit pick

• Like many busy, working women, I have a stack of books on my nightstand I want to read but don't always have the time. This holiday-tion I finally finished The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger. I also snuck in my favorite British celeb weekly, Look. (www.look.co.uk)

Up next: skiing in Stowe, Vermont

Roma, Italy

If you’re lucky enough to have visited the romantic city of Rome, you’ve probably wandered the streets and passed hundreds of restaurants which are difficult to distinguish. Here are 3 of my favorites from our trip in August which are slightly off the tourist trail, but close enough to still be convenient during your next Roman holiday-tion.

Eat / Drink

Aroma

We passed by Aroma on our way to the Spanish Steps. We casually stopped to ask for directions and the owner coerced us to come back for lunch. Good thing we did, because it was a delicious!

Via della Mercede, 32

Cul de Sac

Right around the corner from Piazza Navora is the cute, non-touristy Cul de Sac serving Italian style tapas, delectable home-made pastas, and 1,500 different wines. On our 5-day visit to Rome, we ate here twice!

Piazza di Pasquino, 73

http://www.enotecaculdesac.com/

Grano

I choose Grano as my number 3 because it is on a secluded corner and has a lovely candle-lit terrace where you can dine al fresco in the summer. The menu is a mix of traditional and modern and the bread basket is one of the best I've had!

Piazza Rondanini, 53

http://www.ristorantegrano.it/

Huge congratulations to my brother and his fiancee who got engaged during our Holiday-tion! We are so happy for you and can't wait to celebrate this summer.

Holiday-tion style tip

• When in Rome...maybe I was inspired by the location or maybe I'm just obsessed with the gladiator trend but I stocked up on Steve Madden bronze sandals and beaded dresses from my favorite home-town boutique, Knuth's. Landerwood Plaza, 30619 Pinetree Rd, Pepper Pike, OH 44124 / 216.831.1116

Holiday-tion lit pick

• Jamie Oliver's Summer/Fall magazine. If this guy can teach ME to cook...it's worth a read. jamieoliver.com/magazine

Up next: Christmas in Cheshire, England!

Casperia, Italy

I always aim to bring you Holiday-tion destinations that are off the beaten path and Caperia fits the bill perfectly. If you don't want to see a single tourist bus, souvenir shop or menu in English, this is your ideal hideaway.



Located one hour north of Rome by train, Casperia is a tiny thousand year old medieval hilltop village.

Stay / Play

Casperia is home to 2 bed and breakfasts, one grocery store, a bank, a patisserie/gelataria, Friends Cafe and...that's pretty much it. We stayed at the 7-room La Torretta owned and run by a Welsh/Italian couple and their 2 daughters. The rooms are basic but full of charm, as is the rest of the house. Breakfast is served on the patio where you enjoy beautiful views of the Sabine Hills. If there is enough demand, daughter Jennifer gives Italian cooking lessons. And you can also go hiking and hill-climbing to explore the country side.


http://www.latorrettabandb.com/

Visit

Englishman Johnny Madge is Casperia's olive oil expert. He sniffs and drinks it like wine, he has oil stains on his shirt, and he's full of character and stories from his olive oil escapades. He also runs a wine club which is essentially an underground bar open only to the lucky ones who know to look for the gecko on the door. Johnny's private olive oil tour is a full day of gastonomical delight. We started with olive oil and wine tasting at his wine club. He then drove through the Sabine Hills to some olive tree groves where we learned about the process. And eventually we ended up at a fabulous agritourismo for a 7 course lunch (see below).
http://www.johnnymadge.com/

Eat / Drink
Other than Friends Cafe, there aren't many restaurants near by, so we dined at 2 agriturismo (farm restaurants) and trust me, you will not be disappointed. We had 2 of the best meals of our lives washed down with locally produced wine and a beautiful sunset. At the agriturismo, there is daily set menu with whatever is fresh and available and meals range from 5-9 courses of pure local goodness.

Johnny Madge took to la Trattoria Sabina for lunch
Via Conventi 1 (Via Mirtense km 10)
Casperia
tel: 0765.36346

And we went to Gusto al Borgo, which also is a cooking school, for dinner the following night.

http://www.gustoalborgo.it/main_en.htm

Holiday-tion Style Tip

• Thousand year old cobblestone streets require comfy shoes. Brazilian cult flip flops, Havaianas, saved me from breaking an ankle. www.havaianas.com/

Holiday-tion Lit Pick

• The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Steig Larsson - because who didn't read it last summer!?

Up Next: Roma!

Avoriaz, France

Avoriaz is a 1 hour 45 minute drive from Geneva airport. The car-free ski village is far enough up the mountain that you tend to get beautiful blue skies and great snow consistently. The pistes offer a wide range of difficulty making it an ideal spot for groups of various expertise, skiers and boarders. We stayed in ski-in/ski-out Chalet Marie with 10 friends and enjoyed gourmet hearty dinners, daily afternoon cakes, and comfortable accommodation.

http://www.avoriaz.com/ski-holidays/

Eat/Drink

Le Bistro

We dined here on our chalet chef's night off. You've never seen cheese fondue like this before!

Lunch on the piste

La Marmotte

Les Brochaux

A welcome break from the cafeteria style restaurants we frequented before finding this hidden gem in Les Brochaux.

La Paika

+33 (0)4 50 92 85 22 just off La Terche run in Les Gets, France.

Exquisite bbq cruisine on the side of the mountain. I would happily ski down many steep red runs just to get to eat here again.

Holiday-tion Style Tip:

• Japanese brand Uniqlo's Heattech base layers kept us warm on the slopes (only available in ski season). http://www.uniqlo.co.uk

Holiday-tion Lit Pick:

• A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith. I first read this in high school but recently revisited it during this Holiday-tion and fell in love with Francie Nolan's insightful, heart-breaking, and inspiring character and story all over again.

Up Next: It's a surprise!

Paris, France

It's an oldie but goodie...but still remains my favorite city.

Manger/Boire

George V is amazing. Just walk in the lobby to see the gorgeous flowers or go for a €20 drink. Or if you can afford it, stay here!

http://www.fourseasons.com/paris/

Hotel Costes tres cool scene and music, interesting menu, and celeb sightings likely.

http://www.hotelcostes.com/index2.php?index=2&langue=anglais

Buddha Bar

http://www.buddha-bar.com/

Restaurant Georges on the top of the Centre Pompidou - chic and good views

http://www.centrepompidou.fr/pompidou/Communication.nsf/0/C802434866E91C8CC1256D9800513026?OpenDocument&sessionM=3.8&L=2

Les Deux Magots and Cafe Du Flore (similar and next to each other) - popular for breakfast, lunch, and an afternoon cafe. Hemingway spent a lot of time here.

http://www.lesdeuxmagots.fr/index.php
http://www.cafedeflore.fr/

Brasserie Lipp across the street from Magots and Flore and good for a casual dinner.

Voir

My suggestion is to skip the Louvre, go straight to the Musee D'Orsay. But don't miss the Jardin de Tuileries outside the Lourve. The Ferris Wheel is better than going up the Eiffel Tower in moi opinion. If you love Monet, the L'Orangerie has an amazing display of his water lilies.

Holiday-tion Style Tip:

• I try to hit Herve Chapelier for bags, Bon Marche or Printemps for a wide variety of French fashion, and Petit Bateau for perfectly fitted t-shirts whenever I go to Paris.

Up next: Avoriaz, France

Devon, England

In January, we had the honor of attending our very good friends, Ben & Sophie's beautiful wedding in Devon, England. Here some other highlights...

Stay/Play

The Buckland Tout Saints hotel is a secluded William and Mary Manor house tucked away on the lanes of Devon and it was the venue for Ben and Sophie's stunning reception. The rooms are luxurious and modern and the food is delicious, especially the breakfast which will power you up for a day of walking and sightseeing.

http://www.tout-saints.co.uk/

Visit

Bantham Beach

I was sceptical, at first, of finding a beautiful sandy beach in England. But I was proven wrong as we approached the breath-taking and expansive Bantham Beach. I can imagine it is packed in the summer with beach goers and surfers alike.

Dartmouth

Dartmouth is a cute sea side village with spectacular scenery, many restaurants and shops, and possibly the best fish and chips I've had in England!

Eat/Drink

The Sloop Inn

Around the corner from Bantham Beach is the fantastic Sloop Inn pub. Yes, you're arguably in the middle of nowhere but the inventive cuisine will make you think otherwise.

http://thesloop.co.uk/?page=news

Holiday-tion Style Tip:

• Hunter wellies keep your feet dry and comfortable while exploring the Devon countryside.

Holiday-tion Lit Pick:

• The Twilight Series by Stephanie Meyer (yes, I read them!)

Up next: Paris