It is rumored that princes used to race camels through the corridors and the modern concept of a public museum was born within its wall during the French revolution. Awesome is defined as inspiring awe or admiration or wonder... and walking the vast corridors of the Louvre is truly awesome. In celebration of it being the 217th birthday of the world's first public museum, I thought I share five tips about visiting this overwhelming hub of culture and art.
(1180–1223) decided to reinforce Paris' defenses with a fortress in 1190, which came to be known as the Louvre. The history of the Louvre is as rich as its immense art collection... and one is easily reminded of this while standing in the crypt with the remnants of the 12th century foundation or stumbling across the sculpted murals from the time of Napoleon I in the Carousel du Louvre. The 1.5 hour guided tour is highly recommended for a broad overview of the Louvre's history and a look at some of its most famous pieces of art.
4) The Cafe Richelieu overlooks the outer courtyard and Pyramid of the Louvre. It is a great place to grab a cafe au lait and rest your feet while people watching amongst the somber statues guarding the Palaces rooftops.
When other little girls of my age were dreaming of being ballerinas and hollywood starlettes, my ambitions laid somewhere between being on the A-Team and working with Indiana Jones. However, I was 5 years old when I went on my first trip on the Pirates of the Caribbean ride at Disney World and realized that what I really wanted to be when I grew-up was a swashbuckling pirate.
I took the BayLink Ferry from the San Francisco Warf to Vallejo in search of Pirates and hidden treasures.
demonstrations, bands, and even a pirate magician by the name of Jack Spareribs. However the biggest draw of the festival was the people watching with so many amazing dressed pirates, period dressed naval officers and Victorian ladies walking around. Even children, pets, and strollers came decked in Pirate gear! My favorite part of the day was the cannon show when a Pirate ship sailed the harbor and 
fought a battle with a village of Pirates on shore.
ouple of her pieces at a gallery in Texas and forwarded me a link to her oil painting, "Rebecca Wore a Dress of Wildflowers." (Image to the left.) I instantly loved the piece and ordered a print to frame and hang in my flat. Doing some research, I found that Amanda lives in Portland, OR. Inspired by religious and literary symbolism, art history, superstition and found photography she works to create narratives that are at once familiar and mysterious. I love how each peace tells a story. You can check out more of her work at her blog: http://amandablakeart.blogspot.com/
On the hunt for the best port in Napa Valley, my cousin E and I have traveled to vineyards all over the valley. He loves them sweet and syrupy, I love them to be smooth and nutty... so we tend to disagree on what quantifies a good port. However, we have found some diamonds in the rough that we can both agree on. Here is our list of the top four finds:
3. Rutherford Hills - Tucked away in the hills above the Auberge du Soleil hotel and napa valley, this vineyard is famous for its wine cave and picnic area with views of Napa Valley. (You may recognize it from the 2009 Top Chef Finale.) However, its hidden secret is its 2005 Zinfandel Port. Coupled with chocolate covered blue berries, this port is smooth with a hint of cherry and blueberry jamminess. (is that a word?) This port is perfect for stand alone, or my favorite, dashed over some vanilla ice cream and sprinkled with raisins. A tour of the Rutherford Hills wine caves & tasting is $20, and is one of the best wine tours of the valley. Ask for Jack... he's the most entertaining tour guide on staff. My suggestion is to pack a picnic lunch (or swing by Dean & DeLuca) and have lunch on the Rutherford picnic grounds. Its less crowded than V. Sattui and since its on the Silverado Trail, its less touristy and not as crowded as V. Sattui's grounds. http://rutherfordhill.com
1. Prager Winery & Portworks - To be short and sweet, this is a must stop for any port lover. The 2005 Aria White Port is magical and takes your taste buds on a Willy Wonka-esque adventure starting off nutty, then a fruity sweet flavor... and leaves you with a hint of burnt caramel. Mmmmmmmm... pure yumminess. The 2004 Royal Escort Port is nothing to be laughed at either. Coupled with the Prager's caramelized walnuts, it is nectar from the Gods and you think that you should always have liquid desserts before dinner. Tastings are $15 for 5 ports/wines and you can keep your glass. The gardens outside the tasting room are beautiful, however the tasting room (tucked away through a barrel cellar that leaves you smelling of oak and old vineyard) has aesthetics that needs polishing and reminds me a couple dive bars i've hoped to forget. In some ways this is a good thing as you know that the vineyard pours all it's love and energy into their wines. http://www.pragerport.com
In honor of my kid brothers having a Roman holiday next week, I thought I would post some travel notes. My colleague, Ginger, gives this advice for travelers going to Rome:
Luckily, I brought my Colorado Rockies gear back with me so that I can support my team and give the local fans a hard time. Although there were some nail biting moments, the Rockies stayed true against Barry Zito and show-off Torres, and won in the 11th Inning 2 -1. Of course, one of my friends in the box bought some Fat Tire so we could celebrate the Colorado's win! All in all, it was an extremely fun night with some good friends from the office. To quote my friend, I prefer to sit with the proliferate. However, an evening watching two of my favorite baseballs teams from the lap of luxury is not bad either.
It's official! My new professional photography website kicks off today! Please check it out!
I am celebrating from the halls of the Denver International Airport, on my way back to San Francisco. Being a frequent traveler through DIA, I thought i share it three best kept secrets, in Late-Night Show style:
Tonight's line-up was sponsored by the Black Rose Acoustic Society, a community that hosts an open stage concert bi-weekly at the Black Forest Community Center. My parents are members and are looking forward to going to more shows now that their youngest chickling is leaving the nest.
Grass It Up performs every Wednesday in Colorado Springs at the Front Range BBQ, a venue that has grown into a hub for bluegrass music in Colorado and a showcase for nationally touring bluegrass bands. If you are in the Colorado Springs area on a Wednesday evening, I recommend you check them out.
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