Hogmanay? sounds like a really good BBQ restaurant, right? Well no, it is what the Scots call the last day of the year. It is a big deal in Scotland and Edinburgh’s three day Hogmanay celebration attracts about 150,000 people. There are several street parties,  concerts and fireworks. In what may have quite possibly been… Continue reading Bartending at Hogmanay, What Am I Crazy?

I was out and about in Edinburgh the other day and heard someone mention Boxing Day. Boxing Day? I didn’t know what they were talking about so I looked it up. Boxing Day is celebrated in the UK on December 26th. If that day is a Saturday or Sunday, it is observed the following Monday… Continue reading Fried Chicken on Christmas and Other Christmas Traditions From Around the Globe

Looking back on our trip to Madrid several years ago, the most memorable thing was the food. In fact, in looking at our photos from the trip I noticed that they were almost exclusively of food! Tapas, those bite size portions of food that Spain is known for, are sometimes described as an art form… Continue reading Madrid’s Tapas Culture

For some reason, I have been to a lot of places that have monkeys, hmmmm, just saying. In a previous post I talked about the monkey temple in Jaipur, India and be sure to look for future posts with other monkey adventures! ha! One of those experiences was at the Monkey Forest in Ubud, Bali,… Continue reading Must Sees in Bali’s Sacred Monkey Forest

When we lived in Japan on a US military base there were a lot of opportunities to take part in cultural activities, some through military organizations and some through local efforts. The City of Yokosuka sponsored a cultural awareness day several times a year and Sam and I went to one. There were wonderful opportunities… Continue reading Dress Like a Local – Kimono Dressing in Japan

This past summer when we drove cross country from California to North Carolina we decided to make the most of our road trip and stop at some points of interest. One of Jeff’s must dos was a visit to Crater of Diamonds State Park in Arkansas. This was actually our second visit to the Park.… Continue reading Where You Can Take Home a Diamond for Only $8, Legally!

No visit to Edinburgh is complete without a tour of Edinburgh Castle, in fact, it is Scotland’s most visited paid attraction. While I had been up to the castle entrance, I had never ventured in. Sam and I went on a bitterly cold, windy Friday a few weeks ago. The Castle was the Scottish royal… Continue reading What Not to Miss at Edinburgh Castle

Tokyo is a city with many specialized shopping districts. There is the Nippori textile district where you can buy fabric, there is Akihabara which specializes in electronics, anime and manga, there is Ochanomizu, the musical instrument district, the Asakusa-bashi, or craft district (one of my favorites!), Kanda Ogawa for sports equipment and Jinbocho, a huge… Continue reading Exploring Kappabashi, Tokyo’s Kitchen District – and what to buy!