Hi Everyone,
Hope you have a great holiday season! We look forward to all of the adventures 2013 will bring!!
Safe Travels,
G + P
Category Archives: Uncategorized
New York, N.Y.
We had such an amazing time in NY this Thanksgiving. We played the typical tourists: Paul had his first and his last NY street hotdog, we rode on the double decker tour bus, saw the Thanksgiving Day parade, ice-skated in Central Park (bucket list), went up to the Empire State Building, toured Ground Zero, saw the Radio City Rockettes, ate way too much food, drank way too many martinis.
Here is a list of our favorite places:
Stay:
Marriot Marquis: This hotel was a hop-skip-and a jump from Times Square. The rooms are comfy and they are great with early check-in. Their bar on the 8th floor overlooks Times Square…we had plenty of martinis there.
http://www.marriott.com/hotels/travel/nycmq-new-york-marriott-marquis-times-square/
Eat & Drink:
1. Bar Americain: This is Bobby Flays restaurant. Paul may be obsessed with him. The food is AMAZE and so is the ambiance. Things to try: Shellfish Cocktail, Cauliflower and Goat Cheese Gratin, Pumpkin Soup, Porterhouse Lamb Chops.
http://www.baramericain.com/new-york-city-restaurant/
2. Tony’s DiNapoli: Want traditional Italian food (and quantity)? This is where you want to go. The portions are a little out of control, but manageable if you want to share with 3 people. The service is very good as well. Things to try: Spaghetti with Meatballs.
3. Bond 45: Another great Italian restaurant in Times Square is Bond 45. We were very tired from a long day of tourism, and this was literally the only place that still had reservations available. I’m so glad it did! The restaurant wasn’t the typical small intimate setting of other Italian restaurants in NY, but the food made you feel like you were on the coast of Italy. Things to try: Antipasto Bar, Bond 45 Lasagna, Bucatini Amatriciana, Tagliatelle Bolognese, NY Cheesecake (the best one we had in NY).
http://bond45.com/newyork/home
4. Rock center cafe: This is a wonderful cafe that overlooks Rockefeller Center’s ice skating ring. Things to try: Hot Artichoke dip, Roasted Beet Salad, Blackberry Mojito.
http://www.patinagroup.com/restaurant.php?restaurants_id=18
5. Lattanzi: We had Thanksgiving dinner here. It is such a quaint little restaurant. There are a bunch of restaurants on West46th street, so if you are looking for a quieter place to eat, this is the street you can find it.
6. Plaza Hotel: Need I say more?
http://www.theplazany.com/dining/roseclub/
Things to do:
1. Radio City Rockettes: I’m jealous of their sparkly outfits and coordination.
http://www.radiocitychristmas.com/newyork.html
2. Guggenheim museum: Picasso exhibit plus they have cafes inside for drinks (by drinks I mean you can get sloshed and pretend you are a art critic).
3. Central Park: Ice Skating, Horse and Carriage ride
4. Shopping: I highly suggest you go into Bergdorf Goodman during the holidays. It is magical.
5. Double Decker Tour Buses: Cheesy, but it is the cheapest way to get around the city and see everything!!!
6. 9/11 memorial: Nothing compares to sitting next to one of the waterfall footprints in silence.
7. Empire State Building
8. Brooklyn Bridge
9. Yankee Stadium
Safe Travels,
G + P
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Maui, Hawaii
Hi Everyone,
We spent our 1 year anniversary in Maui, Hawaii. For a pair of busy bodies, it was an interesting experience to lay out on the beach all day and read a book from start to finish. We had an amazing time and were even able to add in a couple of activities during our beach-bum vacation.
Here are our favorite places/things in Maui, Hawaii
1. Sheraton Maui. We got a great deal for a 9 night stay. We even had the chance to upgrade our room (don’t ever be afraid to ask). Our room overlooked the ocean, we spent a day just sitting on our patio drinking mai tais and people watching. The concierge was great there and we booked some of our activities through them. The bars and the pool is awesome too- if we were tired of the beach (because we were so sunburned) we chilled underneath the cabana. The Sheraton hosts one of the many traditions done on the island. At sunset, a cliff diver jumps off the cliff after he pays respect to the North, South, East, and West. It is absolutely captivating. We highly recommend getting a table early at The Cliff Dive bar and ordering a (or 5) white water cocktails. You can watch the whole ceremony from there. The spa was amazing as well- we recommend the couple’s massage. They also have their own luau on the property. We decided to eat dinner somewhere else but paid $20 dollars for unlimited alcohol at the luau.
2. Costco Travel. You will need a car if you want to explore the island. We checked out many rental car companies, and Costco Travel had the best deal. You pick the car up from the Airport.
3. Old Lahaina Luau. This is said to be the best luau on the island, and the reviews were right. We had such an amazing time watching the luau. The dancers were phenomenal and really took us on a journey of Hawaii’s history. You walk in and you are lai’d and you can immediately go to the open bar (costs about $100 dollars/person for unlimited food/drink/show). The luau overlooked the ocean and they had fun activities for families prior to the show. We spent the night drinking pina coladas. The luau has a shuttle that picks you up from your hotel. It is also located in downtown Lahaina, which is an amazing place filled with restaurants and shops.
http://www.oldlahainaluau.com/
4. Downtown Lahaina. Amazing shops, restaurants and bars.
5. Whaler’s Village. This outdoor mall was located close to our hotel. We (by “we” we mean Gabi) had a great time checking out the shops. Honolulu Cookie Company had a store there (best coconut cookies EVER).
http://www.whalersvillage.com/
6. Skyline Eco-Adventures. Yes, Paul convinced me to glide across a tiny rope. Scariest experience ever at first, but the staff that was leading us made us laugh all the way through the journey. The company was great and really took care of everything for us. If you want to go zip lining, this is the company to do it with.
7. Haleakala Sunrise Tour. You can’t get us to wake up at 1am for many things, but seeing the sunrise over a volcano is definitely one of the ways. They shuttle picked us up so early and we took a 2 hour drive to our meeting spot. There the company gave us windbreakers and backpacks. After we got our supplies, we drove up to the volcano and sat there (shivering from the cold) waiting for the sunrise. Let me tell you, the waking up early and the pain of the cold air was worth it as the sun rose. It was the most surreal and mesmerizing of our lives. We highly recommend you add this to your bucket list of things to do.
8. Mama’s Fish house. It took a while to get to Mama’s Fish House (which was on the other side of the island). Paul decided to take a “short cut” and took us on another way to get to the town where Mama’s was located. Needless to say, I hung on to dear life as Paul thought he was a race-car driver on non developed one lane roads through the villages and on the edge of the island. After an anxiety driven “short cut” (I suggest you follow the Google Maps directions for a much calmer ride), we arrived in Paia. Much to my surprise (and Paul’s despair), I discovered a Lululemon store there. After getting some cute clothes, we drove to Mama’s. All of our friends that have vacationed in Maui highly recommended this restaurant. We.were.not.disappointed. From the ambiance of the coconut grove to the swoon-worthy drinks and food, Mama’s was one of our most memorable moments of our vacation.
http://www.mamasfishhouse.com/
Safe Travels,
G + P
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Campbell, California
Heading to the Frisco Bay?
The South Bay is about 45 minutes away from beautiful San Francisco. If you are looking to walk around in a town that makes you feel like you are constantly home, Campbell is it. It’s vintage water-tower is seen from the freeway, and it is a destination to many great restaurants, fairs, farmer’s markets, artists, boutiques. We frequent downtown Campbell often when we are looking for a relaxed family/puppy friendly place.
Here are our favorite places in Campbell, CA:
1. Liquid Bread Gastropub- This restaurant/thirst-quenching gastropub is unique for its creative and oh-so delicious food and 20+ draft beers. The owners are amazing and they really take care of their customers. Their outdoor seating area is perfect for people watching + hanging with your puppy. Things to try: beet salad + goat cheese, Banana Bread beer, Duck Meat Balls, Hanger Steak, California Halibut.
Via Campbell Patch:
http://campbell.patch.com/articles/liquid-bread-aims-at-bringing-gastropub-movement-to-campbell
2. Farmer’s Market- Ok, I have been to many farmer’s markets but Campbell’s farmer market IS THE BEST! The market is every Sunday from 9am-1pm in downtown Campbell and seriously has every veggie and snack you are looking for. There are some great arts and crafts booths as well. The vendors are extremely friendly and will always be able to assist you with your questions on produce.
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Burgas, Bulgaria
Tourism at its finest, Burgas really caters to travelers from all over the world. The city is on the coast of the Black Sea. I have spent many summers here enjoying the beauty of the Black Sea and the center of the city. This city is a mixture of old-meets-new as it has been restored recently to cater to its main revenue stream of tourism. You can easily rent a car in Burgas and go to one of the many other tourist cities on the coast.
Here are my favorite places/things in Burgas:
1. The Beach. you can spend all day and night at the beach as there are many coffee shops that turn into nightclubs at night. You can literally dance on the sand as Chalga music echos off the Black Sea. You do have to pay for chairs at the beach, but trust me it is completely worth it.
2. Sea Garden (Morska Gradina). This park wraps the beach in Burgas. It is one of my favorite places in Bulgaria. Filled with cafes, playgrounds, and discoteccas, this park has everything you could ask for. Many young couples snuggle underneath the trees (and my grandpa said that this is the place that he first kissed my grandma…awww). You can actually walk to the park from the center of Burgas. Try the ice-cream from the ice-cream vendors in the park.
http://www.visitburgas.info/sea-garden-park-burgas-bulgaria.html
3. Center of Burgas. Alexandrovska Street. This is the center of Burgas. Filled with shopping and cafes (yes, this is a common theme in Bulgaria), the center is full of life from day to night. You can see the best fashion here as this area serves as a spontaneous fashion show for the young and beautiful. There are many restaurants here too, and any place you explore will have authentic Bulgarian food.
Safe Travels, G + PFiled under Uncategorized
Hello world!
Hello to the foodies- the wine toasters-and the explorers of the world,
We wanted to start a blog so we can share all of our favorite places to eat, drink, and travel to around the world. We made a pact when we first fell in love that we would spend our next 100 years going on adventures and that whatever it took for us to explore the world even if it requires Gabi to purchase less shoes, we would do it.
It’s a typical love story really: An immigrant girl from Bulgaria and a California boy meet again (timing is everything) at a local college bar both completely sober, dance the night away, go on a couple of continuous dates for the next 7 years, get a snuggly obnoxious floppy-eared puppy, get engaged, get married, and then continue to dance the next billion nights away.
Our love for each other continues to grow as we explore fun and memorable places to eat, drink, and travel to. Paul loves I mean LOVES to cook (no seriously, he can cook up a 5 course meal with a spatula, a pan, and whatever is in the pantry), and Gabi likes to watch Paul cook she doesn’t know how to boil eggs. You can usually find her playing hostess in a party dress, her favorite heels and carrying a bottle of wine like it’s her first born.
When we first began traveling we kept all of the receipts from favorite restaurants, cities, countries, but soon we realized that the box was overflowing and we needed to come up with a better way to record the places we loved that and Gabi decided to throw the box out during her “spring cleaning”. We then decided to write down all of our favorite places (restaurants, activities, sights, bars, cities, countries) in an address book. Each letter of the address book is assigned to a city we visit with a list of our favorite places in that city. So…now we want to share these favorite places to eat, drink, and travel to with you.
We hope that you use this blog to see the world from a different point of view and we hope that you ALWAYS continue to take adventures, to eat amazing food, drink swoon-worthy wine, and overflow your passport with stamps.
From an ordinary couple dreaming of extraordinary places,
Gabi + Paul
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