Search results for

If you love the top fashion brands but your budget doesn’t, visit one of the many Dod stores in Brussels. These shops carry fashion brands from around North America and Europe and range from Valentino ball gowns to Esprit t-shirts. The fashions are end of line clearance items for 30-75% off the regular ticket price. You can find some great deals on beautiful garments. Dod has separate stores for men’s, women’s and children’s clothing, as well as shoes, luggage and handbags, sporting goods and household items. There are stores scattered around Brussels but my favourite is the original Woman’s Dod on Chaussée de Louvain. It’s 5 levels of bargain goodness with a whole floor of shoes in the basement. Best of all, prices are marked down even more during the bi-annual sales in August and January; just be prepared to stand in long lines at the registers.

The best Kona coffee I have ever tasted. EVER! When he pronounced the winner in Gevalia’s Cupping Contest in 2010, judge John King said, “We were in 100% agreement that Buddha’s Cup is the winner. The trick is keeping the classic Kona mellow, sweet profile. and clearly Buddha’s was the truest to that old style, old school Kona profile. " Well done to the ohana of Brewmaster Manny Ochoa and Chris Coleman. Visit all 3 award-winning farms in the area; Imagine, Kona Kulana and Buddha’s to see hand selected coffee beans drying in the sun and learn about the multi- step process expertly done by this family to bring you the best coffee EVER! 808-322-6712 for tour info and to order. Their gift shops sell some beautiful tote bags made from coffee sacks and repurposed aloha print fabric. The coffee cups are a favorite of mine.

You can’t talk about cafés and coffee shops in Los Angeles without mentioning one of its most popular places: Urth Caffé. For an organic fix, there’s no better place. There are a number of locations throughout the city and in Orange County, including Santa Monica, Melrose, and Beverly Hills. With their trendy ambience and large outdoor patios, they are the perfect place to spend a sunny afternoon, especially if you love herbal teas, organic coffee, and green-tea Americanos—and if you’re keen to spot celebrities around the metropolis. Aside from delicious drinks, they also have a wide selection of vegetarian and vegan food options.

Possibly the most important and influential publishers of graphic novels in the last 20 years, Drawn & Quarterly has a must-visit shop in the cool Mile End neighborhood. It sells work from the extensive D&Q catalog (which includes Joe Sacco, Lynda Barry, and Adrian Tomine) and from other publishers. Check out 184 Rue Beaubien by local graphic artist Cyril Doisneau.

Visitors seeking an immersive-history experience can get a chance to travel back in time and check out the homes, stories, and daily routines of early Philadelphians, from everyday citizens to the city’s better-known inhabitants from the past. Buildings along Elfreth’s Alley, the country’s oldest continually occupied residential street, reveal the lives of the city’s earliest residents. Most of the houses on the block are private homes, but houses numbered 124 and 126 have been preserved as a public museum. Guided tours begin in the Museum Shop (Number 124). Private tours of the Alley and Museum House are available all year round.

On a cool night in November, walking alone from an outdoor food market in the center of Florence, I decided to indulge my sweet tooth yet again. I stopped for a “snack,” one that I would never eat just before dinner back home yet couldn’t get enough of in Florence...gelato. Eating gelato, with its creamy texture and multitude of vibrant flavors, is certainly one of the food highlights of being in Italy. Florence has plenty of excellent gelato shops, or gelaterie. Perché no! was my favorite choice because of its convenient location right in the historic center, between Piazza della Signoria and Piazza della Repubblica, and because of its flavors. This combination of persimmon and dark chocolate made eating gelato outside in the cold just before dinner seem perfectly normal.

I especially enjoyed the pool at the hotel. I sat at the tropical pool and read and then swam for a while.There is an outdoor bar and food service so I had lunch poolside. The service was attentive and friendly. There are several restaurants and a gift shop at the hotel. This hotel is not directly on the beach but there is trolley service to take you to and from the beach. The Hutchinson Island Marriott Resort is a 200 acre resort with a hotel, pools, fitness center, golf, tennis,beaches, water sports, and a 77 boat slip marina. The area, Hutchinson Island, is very tropical and beautiful. I enjoyed my day while visiting with friends. They had a great vacation at the Marriott. This resort is the winner in the “Local Weekend Getaway” category for the 2013 Reader’s Choice. (Martin County, Florida).

I have to say I had my doubts when, in search of a lunch spot during our final day in Marfa, a local shop owner sent us to Fat Lyle’s. I didn’t know what to make of the unique name of the food stand. But I would put my preconceptions aside and give it a try. I am so glad I did. The food was delicious. If I wasn’t stuffed from my order I would have ordered more and more and more. We sampled the Korean Chicken which was so tasty. The chicken makes my mouth water just thinking about it. I got the brussels sprouts with carmelized onions, blue cheese, and french fries. Sounds like a weird concoction but for some reason it works. Make sure you stop here for a bite to eat. I need to go back to Marfa for more.

Cal Anderson Park (named after Washington’s first openly gay legislator) is located at the Pike/Pine nexus of gay-friendly, hipster-filled Capitol Hill. With plenty of grassy lawns for picnics, reading, or playing bocce ball, it’s no surprise that crowds flock here whenever there’s a sunny day anytime of year. It’s also conveniently located near some great shops and restaurants: Molly Moon Ice Cream, Rock Box karaoke, Cure, Cupcake Royale, Unicorn, Elliott Bay Book Company, Everyday Music, and all the cheap eats on Broadway. Grab some takeout or a coffee to go and head to the park to admire the fountain or enjoy some people-watching. On Sundays, the Broadway Farmers Market is just a block away on Broadway.

Context Travel offers history, architecture and culinary tours in various European cities. I went on the " foodie” tour that began on a beautiful fall Paris morning in the toney neighborhood of St. Germain- de- Pres by meeting our friendly English speaking guide, a culinary and food history writer living in Paris, at cafe across from the Abbey. Our guide immediately taught our small group about the importance of the baguette to the French, and various virtues of real baguette verses machine- made by sampling both on the street and in a nearby boulangerie. We then took the handmade baguette and visited a cheese monger (Androuet fromagerie) to learn about different french cheeses. Next an exquisite artisan chocolate shop and finally an ice creamery . Highly educational, recommended for foodies and especially curious fist-time visitors to Paris.

The area around the rue de Bretagne in the north part of the Marais continues to be a big draw with locals and visitors for a number of reasons: the Marché des Enfants Rouges covered market with food stalls, the wincingly bobo-chic Café Charlot (people go even if the service is uneven and the fries are frozen), the Franco-British brunch institution Rose Bakery and the upstart Candelaria, one of the best places in the city for tacos and cocktails. Equally as iconic as some of these hot spots it Hier Aujourd’hui et Demain, a shop right across from Café Charlot that hawks vintage home decor accessories and French industrial lamps - both of which have reeled me (and my wallet) in many a time. A great source for original pieces and antiques to bring back with you after your trip.

You’d think that having a Meilleur Ouvrier de France (a prestigious crafstman title) at the helm of a restaurant would imply steep prices, but at Semilla, you’re in for both a great meal and a great deal. The international influence is strong here, where Ferrandi-trained chefs serve up modern interpretations of classic French dishes from an open kitchen. The crowd is mixed, the service is smooth and attentive, and the bread, an important element to any meal in France, is rustic and hearty—baked fresh in the adjacent sandwich shop run by the same owners. But the most unique aspect to the menu at Semilla is the option of half-portions on a selection of dishes. The menu changes daily with meat, fish and veggie options available for every kind of eater. Open seven days a week but be sure to call ahead for a reservation.

For spectacular views of sprawling Quito, take a ride in the TelefériQo. This aerial lift, one of the highest in the world, takes you up the east side of Pichincha volcano, but don’t worry, its active caldera is on the western side of the mountain! You’ll rise over 3,200 feet in 10 minutes. In addition to hiking trails and lookout points, there are shops and cafés at the top. On a clear day, you can see 13 volcanoes. The most challenging hike from the top is the Volcano Route, going to the summit of the Rucu Pichincha volcano. Be warned the weather can change quickly, so wrap up warm and, ideally, go with a guide. Whether you’re hiking or just snapping pics, consider going in the morning to avoid the crowds.

There are several shops in the trendy Parkhurst neighborhood that caught my eye. We were there with Jo’burg trend spotter Craig Jacobs who showed us the way. Essential Life was the first place we stopped. Here is a description from their website: “A unique retail experience awaits you at Essential Life lifestyle boutique on 4th Avenue in Parkhurst, Johannesburg. The store boasts hundreds of uniquely South African lifestyle products, interior accessories, artworks and multi-functional hard furnishings produced exclusively for Essential Life by the in-house design team. Ranges include Essential Earth home-ware and accessories themed on the essence of African botanicals, the reflections of nature Earth Furniture collection, Essential Wear’s fashion for the soul and contemporary inspirations like Symbols in the City. Lifestyle items are emblazoned with iconic images of the city that landscape the interior, bringing the outside in.”

Throughout Luzern, so many of the buildings have crazy, wild paintings all over them. Loving it! Wish more buildings in Brisbane were like this!