Of the many reasons we love travel, meeting new people and reconnecting with friends or family top the list.
Exploring Chilean Wine with Sommelier Mabel
From Santiago, we took a 40- minute subway ride, followed by a short taxi ride to reach Concha y Toro, Chile’s largest winery located in Pirque, Chile. While the winery tour with its Casillero del Diablo or Devil’s Cellar is known as both informative and entertaining, we skipped the tour and spent our visit at the Concha y Toro Wine Bar.
Sommelier Mabel (my-bell, please don’t call her Mabel) shared the winery’s history while leading us through flights of its wide range of wines paired with different foods. Crab pie, Amelia chardonnay and Mabel made a memorable afternoon. Prique is south of Santiago in the Maipo River Valley. The subway ride offers glorious views of the Andes.
Practicing English and Discussing Politicians in Sochi, Russia
During a Black Sea cruise, we visited Sochi, Russia. We booked the “Stalin’s Summer Home” tour to take advantage of a group visa. Our guide, Yuri, was an English teacher at the local university and spoke excellent English.
After our tour our guide Yuri asked if we wanted to talk further; invited him for a drink. Yuri wanted to practice his English with Americans as he has never been to the United States. He was curious to know we thought of the political leaders of our respective countries. We had a terrific exchange. Read more about our Sochi visit here.
Visiting Friends in Alaska
Alaska’s mountains, glaciers and wildlife are breathtaking, but our Alaskan friends and family are what makes our Alaska visits special.
What’s your favorite reason to travel?
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