J The Travel Authority

  For an oenophile like me, being able to sample wines produced in clay vessels called amphora was a delight for my palate. In Portugal’s Al...

Many of my friends and colleagues assume that I only travel to far-flung locales. In fact, I'm all about discovery, whether it's al...

I know so many people who can’t be persuaded to sign up for a wine class, a wine tasting or a wine tour. Is it that they abhor wine? Hardl...

    Chef George Mendes of Aldea fame, the Michelin-starred Portuguese restaurant in New York City, recently opened Lupulo -- the name tran...

The tapestry of Luxembourg City undulates up and down the hills and valleys that bedeck the small country's capital. Dramatic defensive ...

When I tell friends I'm about to take off on a new adventure, if I happen to be traveling to Hawaii, the Caribbean, Spain, Chile or doze...

Some countries, like Romania , are just ridden with misconceptions. In fact, once I told my colleagues and friends that I would be spending ...

As far as travel styles go, I'm the compulsive and meticulous planner who likes to pack in as many --usually off-the-beaten-track or, at...

One hour from Guimaraes, a quaint town dating to the 10th century that's seen as the cradle of Portugal's identity and is preparing...

When people find out that I've visited Portugal six times in the past three years, they often wonder what is so enticing about this West...

Of course California's Napa Valley is synonymous with wines. But this picturesque land blanketed by vineyards is also dotted with leafy ...

You may not know it but I'm a bit of a science geek. No wonder, considering I was originally trained as a biologist. And I found plenty ...

I promised more postings about my recent trip to Israel. These are some of the venues where I chilled out from my usual high-adrenalin wande...

Think Israeli wines and what first comes to mind? Probably a sickly sweet Manachevitz. But you'd be completely wrong, because Israel is...

With it's rugged volcanic peaks, exotic flowers, a network of levadas or level walking paths and a wild virgin forest dating back mill...

On my recent trip to Tallinn , the medieval capital city of Estonia , I found that it straddles a fine line between quaint and trendy. Its o...

I just spent a weekend in Lisbon and ate at two new and very fab restaurants: Bocca near the Parque Eduardo VII in the city center area, an...