Traveling with the Jones — Sharing Travel Discoveries

A Taste of Barcelona in an Atlanta Wine Bar

by Janis on August 18, 2012

We were in Atlanta, staying by the airport, on a Saturday night.

Looking for some good food, and a glass of wine or two.

We searched online for “Atlanta’s Best Wine Bars.”

One of those we found was named after one of our favorite cities for food and wine, Barcelona.

It was only a 14-minute drive to the Inman Park neighborhood, according to our GPS.

Off we went.

The Inman Park neighborhood –we learned –is located two miles east of downtown Atlanta and is a mecca for new condos. Street parking was a challenge but we found paid parking nearby.

It seemed that everyone in Atlanta had also decided to go to Barcelona. Crowds of people were spilling out the front door into the street.

Finally we worked our way into the bar, finding first one seat that eventually opened up into two.

Wow, were we glad we stayed:

Friendly and efficient staffers are the bar offered tastes of wine before pouring your glass.
A large selection wines by the glass, including lots of Spanish wines that you would find in a typical wine store.
Incredible tapas such as grilled hangar steak with black truffle sauces.

The shrimp ceviche was divine.

The ham and cheese croquetas were creamy smooth with a nice salty flavor of Jamon.

Our charcuteria trio included Valdeon creamy Spanish blue cheese, Jamon Serrano ham and manchego cheese.

If we lived in Atlanta, we’d be regulars at Barcelona.

Do you have a favorite wine bar in Atlanta?

Other wine-related posts that you might enjoy…..

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Photo Friday: The Colors of Summer

by Janis on August 17, 2012

School has started and summer is fading fast. Despite the heat, summer 2012 has offered us many colorful memories.

1. Roller coasters — lots of roller coasters — with our niece Justina in A 10-Year-Old Rates the Rides at Worlds of Fun.

2. Colorful seats in the Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts. Take a free tour of Kansas City’s newest gem.

3. Craggy mountains, cloud-filled skies and twisting rivers make for a scenic ride on Amtrak’s California Zephyr between Denver and San Francisco.

4. Giraffes and zebras below added excitement to the African Sky Safari, when exploring the Exploring the Kansas City Zoo With a 6 Year Old.

5. Pink sand, crystal clear water, and blue skies are just part of the spectacular Views from Bermuda’s Tobacco Bay Park.

6. A champagne toast while riding to 11,444 feet at Keystone, Colorado.

2012 has been a colorful summer, and it’s not over yet.

What destination or event added color to your summer?

You also may be interested in these Friday Photo posts”;

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We’re Half Way Through the August Break Challenge

by Janis on August 16, 2012

We are more than half way through the month of August and the photography project on our blog. Inspired by writer and photographer Susannah Conway, we’re participating in August Break 2012 – by which we committed to sharing one or more photos on our blog every day of this month.

Our August posts to date include photos from New York City to Bear Island, Norway; from cruising on Holland America Line to sailing at sunset with a rumologist; and eating and drinking at Eataly to Le Cirque.

Here’s a recap of our August Break photo posts, day by day:

Aug. 1: Enjoying Wine Round the World

Aug. 2: Destination Discovery: Bear Island, Norway

Aug. 3: Our Bags Are Packed

Aug. 4: Off to New York City

Aug. 5: Exploring New York City – the High Line

Aug. 6: A Peek Inside the Hilton New York Fashion District Hotel

Aug. 7: Exploring New York City – Eataly

Aug. 8: Sailing Away to Bermuda on the ms Veendam

Aug. 9: Sailing into Hamilton, Bermuda on Holland America’s Veendam

Aug. 10: A Sunset Cruise with a Rumologist: Goslings Taste of Bermuda Shore Excursion

Aug. 11: Views from Bermuda’s Tobacco Bay Park

Aug. 12: An Evening at Le Cirque onboard the Veendam

Aug. 13: Destination Discovery: Hamilton, Bermuda

Aug. 14: Martini Madness Onboard Holland America’s ms Veendam

Aug. 15: Cruising Bermuda: Views from the Royal Naval Dockyard

What’s your favorite August Break photo to date? Do you prefer posts with more photos or posts with only one photo?

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Cruising Bermuda: Views from the Royal Naval Dockyard

by Janis on August 15, 2012

We’ve recently returned from a 7-day cruise to Bermuda sailing round trip from New York on board Holland America Line’s ms Veendam. Our cruise ship –since it is a smaller ship — docked in downtown Hamilton, Bermuda, but most cruise ships dock at the Royal Naval Dockyard. We traveled by ferry one afternoon to explore this part of Bermuda.

Bermuda’s Royal Naval Dockyard dates back to 1809. Today it is Bermuda’s main cruise ship port.

Ferries arrive and depart frequently to Hamilton and St. George, Bermuda’s other major population hubs.

The Royal Naval Dockyard also is a departure point for a variety of water tours and other tourist activities around Bermuda.

Visitors can watch glass blowing and sample rum cake at the Dockyard Glassworks and the Bermuda Rum Cake Company, one of the nearby attractions.

Housed in a “Cooperage” building from the mid-1800s, the Frog and Onion Pub offers live music with daily happy hour specials on Bermudian favorites such as this rum swizzle. The pub also brews its own beer and offers a respite from the hot sun.

The view from the public ferry sailing away from the Royal Dockyards to Hamilton, Bermuda.

While we didn’t find much of interest to us at the Royal Dockyards, the ferry ride to and from Hamilton provides terrific views of Bermuda.

Returning to the Hamilton, Bermuda ferry terminal, you can see the close proximity of our cruise ship to Front Street.

Have you visited Bermuda via cruise ship? What did you enjoy most?

You also may also enjoy these posts about our Bermuda cruise from New York City .”;

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