On our recent trip to Las Vegas, Kathryn and I decided to find the secret, hidden, nameless pizza place at Cosmopolitan Las Vegas. I had read about it in our local paper some months earlier.
Tag: Beer
I enjoy trying new beer when I travel. Many of my travel posts are about beer.
Frequently asked questions about our road trip in Europe
We’ve only been home a few days, but Kathryn and I have already heard a lot of questions about our trip. For the benefit of everyone else, I’ve decided to repeat some of them here, along with their answers.
Oktoberfest, BMW, Rothenburg, Baden-Baden, Eiffel Tower
Phew! It’s been about 72 hours since the last update, but we’ve managed to pack an awful lot in. We arrived safely in Munich on Saturday, about six hours later than anticipated, so the thought of doing Oktoberfest that evening was quickly dismissed. My friend in Munich met us at the airport and showed us … Continue reading Oktoberfest, BMW, Rothenburg, Baden-Baden, Eiffel Tower
Long overdue post
There’s a certain irony to writing a blog. During those times when you have the most to write about, you have the least time to write it. The year 2007 has been, and continues to be, almost unbelievably good to me, and for several months I’ve been maintaining a hand-written list of all the things I want to write about.
Celine Dion in Las Vegas
I had two specific goals for my recent visit to Las Vegas. I wanted to see Celine Dion, who was sick when I visited in December, and I wanted to learn how to play craps. I’m happy to say I accomplished both goals, and I did it while fighting a cold. In retrospect, I probably should have spent the weekend in bed, but I really did have a great time.
Drinking in Pasadena, redux
I spent last weekend in Pasadena, visiting the same buddy I saw in August. I’ve spent the time since then sobering up.
Last-minute solo getaway to Las Vegas
I made a last-minute executive decision this morning to do an overnight trip to Vegas. I got in the car at 8:10, and thanks to the miracle of time zones, I was at my hotel at 12:20. I’m going to see how much trouble I can get into by myself in less than 28 hours. I’ve already wandered off the Strip, and I’m settling into my second beer.
Drinking in Pasadena
One of my friends, who goes all the way back to junior high with me, finished his PhD a few months ago and is doing a residency at UCLA. His wife was out of town on business, so we decided to do a guys weekend. I arrived early Friday evening. My friend and his wife are living with her parents, and her father cooked us a great dinner. After that, my friend and I proceeded to Old Town Pasadena to do some serious drinking. However, neither of us Einsteins considered the fact that we had already done some serious drinking during dinner, so the evening rapidly devolved into sloppy drunkenness.
The prettiest pint of Guinness ever at the Guinness Storehouse
I toured the Guinness Storehouse here in Dublin today. I won’t elaborate much about this tour. It goes without saying there was a pint of Guinness at the end of the tour, which is of course said to be the world’s freshest Guinness. However, to their credit, they served it in a top-floor bar with a 360-degree panoramic view of Dublin.
Pub stop in Ireland
I’m in Ireland, and for the first time on this trip, I’ve rented a car. I left the airport in Dublin maybe an hour ago, and I started driving north until I found a little roadside pub. I’ve had a pounding headache all day.
Weight
I had a discussion with a cousin of mine a few days before I started this voyage. He was joking that I might gain 20 pounds during this trip because of all the beer I’d be drinking, which is perfectly reasonable.
Munich: Bavarian beer
I’m waiting in a bar near where my friend lives in Munich. She had to work late, so she’s not home yet. I thought I’d have a beer while waiting for her. Until just now, I had forgotten how good Bavarian beer is.
Great steak dinner in Ljubljana, Slovenia
I had the best meal of my trip this evening here in Ljubljana. I’d walked past a little hole-in-the-wall place with a sign that read “home cooking” several times since yesterday, so tonight I walked in. I don’t even know the name of the place.
Croatian beer: Ožjusko and Karlovačko
The local beer was generally one of two brands, Ožjusko and Karlovačko. The quality of both was inconsistent, especially when served on tap. A couple times I was poured beer that tasted almost stale, leading me at first to believe the way the bars were storing and serving the beer was the problem, not the beer itself.
Train ride from Zagreb to Split, Croatia
The train ride from Zagreb to Split has had some stunning scenery. We’re up in the mountains, and I’ve been seeing valleys below with lakes and streams and shallow rapids, with campsites and people wading and canoeing. It makes me want to hop off.
Punchline on the beer
A half-liter of Amstel in the hotel bar is 900 forint, which is a little more than $4. And the hotel tacks on a ten percent service charge. The half-liter beer I’m drinking now is 300 forint, with no service charge. You do the math. I’m about 100 feet from the hotel door. I wish I knew about this place two days ago.
Polish beer
I’ve had some really good beer here in Poland. I don’t know why no one ever told me about Polish beer, or why it doesn’t find its way to the US. I’ve had Żywiec and Tyskie both in Warsaw and here in Krakow, and right now I’m drinking Okocim. All have been very good. I’ve … Continue reading Polish beer
Warsaw, Poland: Local currency, done with camping
I decided to spend one more night here in Warsaw. It’s a beautiful city. Mostly I’ve just been walking around, particularly through the city’s lovely parks. I had a beer and an ice cream in the old city center. Not at the same time.
Berlin, Germany: Keeping properly hydrated
Earlier this morning, I bought a 1.5-liter bottle of mineral water while waiting for a train. I was a little surprised that I was able to drink it in about ten minutes. Mostly I’ve been drinking coffee and beer the past couple weeks, and I’ve been sweating a lot as I walk around cities or haul my pack around train stations, so I was probably poorly hydrated.
Beer in Denmark
After a few days in Copenhagen, I can say that I’m absolutely amazed by the quantity of beer people drink here. I learned during my tour of the Carlsberg brewery that historically the water was unsafe to drink here, so people drank beer instead. During the Renaissance, Danes began importing new foods from all over … Continue reading Beer in Denmark
Danish beer: Carlsberg and Jacobsen at the brewery in Copenhagen
I just finished the Carlsberg brewery tour, which naturally included a couple tastings. The beer here is very good. I had a Tuborg last night, and a Carlsberg Pilsner and a Jacobsen Brown Ale here at the brewery.
More Amsterdam, more rain
Of course, being in the red-light district, we had to have a look at the offerings in the windows. It appeared that the more attractive girls worked the main street, and as you got further away, they became, shall we say, uglier.