Travel,Wine and Cuisine by Christopher J Davies

Story and photo by Christopher J. Davies  If you have not yet visited the Abruzzo region of central Italy, it is worth a stop. Just about 2 1/2 hours east of Rome is the culmination of Italy’s Apennine Mountains and the Adriatic Sea. There are amazing national parks and preserves plus ski resorts. Pescara is the largest city, located on the Adriatic Sea. They have an International Airport and many stores and amenities. The region is known for its Montepulciano d'Abruzzo, medium bodied, plummy red wine (no relation to Montepulciano in Tuscany). It is also famous for Arrosticini, skewers of tender cubed lamb, that are barbequed to perfection. You can find Arrosticini as appetizers on many restaurant menus and premade for sale at butchers and grocery stores. While it is mainly made with lamb or mutton, some restaurants and butchers offer beef and pork versions. A good portion of the men in Abruzzo own a fornacella, which is an elongated, charcoal-fired, or gas...

Traveling overseas this summer? Don't forget travel insurance Story and photos by Christopher J. Davies We travel a lot for business and on journalistic assignments. While most of these trips are "fam trips" or familiarity trips, that are funded by tourism associations and governments, we always take out travel insurance for personal protection. Most people are not aware that their domestic health insurance is not accepted by international doctors and hospitals. Our good friend, radio broadcaster Pierre Wolfe always takes out travel insurance before going on an international trip. Several years ago he and his wife Jean were strolling through Paris and Pierre suddenly tripped and fell on Jean, breaking her ankle. "You never know when something like this can happen". Fortunate for Jean, she was able to receive medical attention at the hospital and resume her trim, albeit on crutches. She returned home to Denver and recovered fully. Some of the travel we t...

Pastel De Choclo Chilean Corn & Meat Pie Here's a healthy traditional Chilean dish that is favorite of many locals. It is light and ideal for the summer. Vegans can leave out the chicken. Meat lovers may add more ground beef instead of chicken. Fish lovers may substitute salmon. Recipe Serves 12. 6 large ears of corn, grate the kernels 8 leaves of fresh basil, finely chopped 1 tsp. salt 3 tbsp. butter 1/2-1 cup milk 4 large onions, chopped 3 tbsps. oil 1 lb. (1/2 kg) finely ground lean beef Salt and pepper to taste 1 tsp. ground cumin 4 hard-boiled eggs, sliced 1 cup black olives 1 cup raisins 12 pieces of chicken, browned in hot oil, seasoned with salt, pepper and cumin 2 tbsps. confectioners' sugar All photos (C) 2009 by Christopher J Davies. All rights reserved. Heat the grated corn, chopped basil, salt and butter in a large pot. Add the milk little by little, stirring constantly until the mixture thickens. Cook over low heat for 5 minutes. Leave to one side while you pr...

Statues at Heroes Square, Budapest Dio Restaurant Mysterious fountain of wine! Budapest (pronounced/ Buda-Pesht), capital of Hungary, is in my opinion one of the most beautiful cities in Europe. During the cold war it had a reputation for being “the Paris” of Eastern Europe. The city is actually a combination of two cities Buda and Pest that are separated by the Duna (Hungarian) or Danube River. When I first visited Budapest in 1992, the inhabitants were still trying to grasp with their newly obtained freedom. The Soviet Union was officially dissolved. While this was mainly positive, some locals resented the jump in expenses that they incurred with freedom. When I dined in traditional popular restaurants, I experienced old world cuisine that was comprised of a great amount of heavily fried foods such as chicken and goose, doused in paprika & cream. The wine list’s consisted of 90 percent sweet local white varietals and classic Tokay and Aszu, sweet wines made in a similar style as ...

Touring & Tasting Tips 1. PLAN BEFORE YOU GO . Many of the world's famed wine regions contain dozens of wineries, from vast multi-national conglomerates to virtual garage operations. Most are clustered as tightly as old vine Zinfandel grapes along the main artery, though several sprout on scenic, corkscrewing country roads. Traffic, especially during harvest (autumn, or spring in the Southern Hemisphere) and summer, can be heavy. To maximize your time, avoid mid- and late-afternoon visits, especially on weekends. Winery staffers are usually more attentive weekdays, and you might even luck into meeting the winemaker at smaller operations. Allot at least one hour for a full-scale tour and tasting and factor in travel time between wineries. Complex ordinances require some establishments to open by appointment only (a few, such as Bordea...

Wineport Lodge GLASSON CO. WESTMEATH Athlone, Ireland NA The Irish Tourism Bureau has courted Darcy and me for several years. They have been telling us that we would be impressed with Ireland’s cuisine, wines, whiskeys and luxury accommodations. While they do not make any significant amount of wine in Ireland, the culinary scene has experienced a revolutionary transformation that sets Ireland light years apart from England’s meat and potatoes offerings. We visited Ireland in September 2007 on a self-guided press trip. The Irish Tourism Board carefully planned our entire itinerary. But when we arrived at Shannon Airport we were basically on our own self-guided, seven-day journey of the emerald Isle. We have so many stories and experiences to share from this visit. But I thought that it would be best to tell you about Ireland’s premier wine themed hotel and gourmet restaurant. Wineport Lodge Located almost dead in the center of Ireland, The Wineport Lodge is located on a peaceful inland ...