it’s what we do
Join Ron & Mary James as they wine, dine and travel around the World
COOKING IN BASQUE COUNTRY
Everyone in San Sebastian seems to be crazy about food–Basque cuisine specifically. Even experienced travelers may find it hard to get their heads around this cuisine savored in coastal northern Spain. Is it the pintxos, the beautiful artistic mouthfuls offered at...
DEVOURING LISBON: A FOOD TOUR
Almost every great city has signature dishes, be it clam chowder in Boston or deep-dish pizza in Chicago. Lisbon has those too - the custard tart, Pastel de Natas; bacalao or dried cod), and grilled sardines, to name a few. But there’s more - flavorful dishes...
SAILING LISBON’S TAGUS RIVER
Taking a ferry is a good inexpensive way to cruise the Tagus River. But we found a much more interesting and fun way to enjoy this busy waterway that flows into the Atlantic here. We spent a glorious summer evening on a classic ketch sailboat, enjoying splendid city...
IRELAND TO ISTANBUL: THE ADVENTURE BEGINS
There's no grass growing under our feet — It's time for our Ireland to Istanbul adventure, spanning 36 cities in almost four months. On Friday, Mary and I fly to Fort Lauderdale to board the Celebrity Apex transatlantic to Rotterdam with port stops in Bermuda,...
THE CACHOPO CHRONICLE
A few years ago, we unintentionally ended up in the Spanish coastal town of Santa Pola on a day trip from Alicante that had gone wrong. That’s when we stumbled on Restaurante Asturiano La Sidrería de Santa Pola and discovered Asturian cuisine–comfort food on steroids....
DESTINATION DINING: HOLLAND AMERICA’S KONINGSDAM
Our current seven-day Holland America Mexican Riviera cruise is unlike any of the 34 we’ve experienced. Unlike most other voyages we’ve taken, the itinerary wasn’t part of our equation. The destination we cared about was the ship itself. Our cruise, which ends...
HISTORY & FINE DINING MEET IN MADRID
The highlight of our short visit to Madrid with our friends Gary and Debbie Wasserman was undoubtedly our memorable lunch feast at Botin, the world’s oldest continuously operating restaurant. We had dined here once before at the suggestion of our friend Mary Ann Eger....
FEASTING IN ALICANTE
During our last three visits to Alicante, Spain, we walked by La Taverna del Racó del Pla a dozen times. Hidden in a narrow side street a couple of blocks from the Mercado, it doesn’t look like much from the outside, but when we peered through the windows, we were...
CRAZY ABOUT CADIZ
You may have wondered why I haven’t posted much about our stay in Cadiz for the last eight days. Besides the fact we’ve been busy exploring the city, I wanted to confirm our first impressions of this place, one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in Europe....
THE TROUBLE WITH PORTUGUESE WINES
It may come as a surprise, but Mary and I enjoy a glass of wine now and then. (Cue the laughing hysterically soundtrack). In our household, wine time has been an important ritual for more than 33 years. It always begins at 5 p.m. sharp, unless we're traveling, but I...
A LUSOPHONIOUS DINING EXPERIENCE AT BAHR
For the most part, we focus our travel dining on well-reviewed family-owned eateries that serve traditional fare. Occasionally, we take a break and enjoy a good steakhouse or an Italian or Asian restaurant. Rarely, usually once during a long stay, do we splurge on a...
MAD ABOUT BACALHAU
Portugal has some quirks. One of the biggest head-scratchers is its love affair with bacalhau or stinky salt cod to laypeople. Why a country known for its seamanship and rich fishing grounds would prefer salted dried cod over the tasty fresh stuff is baffling. Equally...
A VISIT TO THE NATIONAL TILE MUSEUM
Portugal is best known for explorers, bacalhau, Pastel da Natas, sardines, wine cork, and decorative tiles not necessarily in that order. You know they’re important because there’s a museum dedicated to almost all of them. One, in particular, caught Mary’s fancy, the...
A SUNSET CRUISE ON THE TAGUS RIVER
Mary and I sailed the Tagus River last evening to watch the sunset on a glorious summer day here. It's a popular pastime among visitors and locals. So during our time here we've eyed some of the commercial big-name tours. Too often they looked crowded and...
PASTEL DA NATA COOKING SCHOOL
It's one thing to savor Portugal's favorite sweet pastry, pastel da nata, but it's another to make it from scratch. This morning we took the always exciting number 28 tram to the Compadre Cooking School to learn the secrets of this tasty tart, first sold at a...
PORTUGAL’S SURF CITY
We're taking an overnight break from Lisbon in the surfing town of Ericeira, about an hour away from the big city. We were pleasantly surprised by the charm of the old town that hugs the rugged coastline. We enjoyed a fun meal at a popular little eatery, Taberna O...
FERRY TO STREET ART AND GREAT FOOD
Amazing day, even though our elevator has been out for the last two days — that’s seven days out of 14 since we moved into our apartment. My calves are becoming massive. Here are some shots of our excursion to our restaurant across the Tagus river. After we exited the...
BELEM WALKING TOUR PART 2
Our guide, who skipped the long line to buy Pastel da Natas for us, couldn't do the same at Jeronimos Monastery or the adjoining church of Santa Maria de Belém. We decided the line to Jerónimos Monastery, which stretched the length of two football fields, was too...
BELEM WALKING TOUR PART 1
Our first walking tour on this visit to Portugal took us to historic Belem, a political power center of Portugal for centuries. A short train ride from Lisbon, it's the home of the Presidential Palace, a grand cathedral, the riverside point where Portuguese explorers...
CELEBRATING OUR ELEVATOR
Beautiful day in Lisbon. We’re celebrating the restoration of elevator service at our apartment. It’s been out for three days, and since we’re 7 floors up, we’ve moved to a hotel until it’s fixed. An hour after we checked into the Lisbon Wine Hotel, we got word that...
A HEALING LUNCH AT DA PRATA 52
We had a great night's sleep last night, so things are looking much better this morning. The shower was perfect and Alexa is playing Moonlight on jazz piano. Also, the silver lining of our challenging day yesterday was our outstanding meal at a little restaurant just...
SORRY, THE ELEVATOR IS BROKEN
We like to say that in these times, getting there is the hardest part of travel. After a backbreaking 22-hour trip to Lisbon, our experience here so far is proving the exception. We thought the hard part was behind us as our driver stopped outside our just restored...
THE SAD FUTURE OF AIRPORTS?
The future of airports? In Toronto, there’s practically zero traditional seating at your gate. Instead, the bean counters have replaced them with restaurant seating, each equipped with a touch screen menu with an 18 percent default tip. Handy for a quick, expensive...
SPLENDID ISOLATION? DAY FOUR
Another rather dull day in isolation. I learned this morning that they would test me tomorrow and the next day for COVID. That’s good news, but it also creates a little anxiety. A negative result would free me to join Mary in our balcony suite on deck seven. A...
SPLENDID ISOLATION? DAY THREE (HUMP DAY)
Not much new here on day three. One thing of note is that I now make my bed. I learned how in the Navy many decades ago, but I’ve been spoiled for the last thirty-some years by my loving wife who takes on this chore. Evidently, my housekeeping abilities don't equal...
SPLENDID ISOLATION? DAY TWO
I’m really not sure if this is day two or not. For me, it’s day three, but the ship’s doctor considers yesterday the first full day toward my required five days in isolation when they will test me again for Covid. I’m feeling fine and my temperature and oxygen levels,...
SPLENDID ISOLATION? DAY ONE
It was really only a matter of time; I suppose. Traveling is a risky business to begin with, and even more so in the time of COVID, no matter how careful you are. Sometimes your luck just runs out. Mine did yesterday and I'll be alone for at least five days in an...
RON & MARY’S TAPAS & ANCESTRY ADVENTURE
Tomorrow we're off on a three-plus month adventure that will take us from San Diego to Spain, Miami to Montreal, and to New England. We’ll be staying two nights in Madrid to get over jet lag, then bullet train to Alicante, where we’ll spend a month and a half. Then...
Safe, Sated and Satisfied Mexican Riviera Cruise
We didn’t have high expectations for our recent Mexican Riviera New Year’s cruise on Holland America’s Koningsdam–we just needed a convenient pandemic cruise fix out of our hometown port of San Diego. We had sailed twice years ago on Holland America ships and...
Villajoyosa: Spain’s Happy Beachtown
Our visit to one of the city’s chocolate factories had a sweet ending, but the genuine star of our visit to Villajoyosa was the seaside town itself. The adventure begins at the top of the old town, where the remnants of ancient castle walls merge into narrow three and...
Alicante’s Castle Santa Barbara
Alicante's Santa Barbara Castle, among the largest medieval fortresses in Spain, is the symbol of this historic city. It also dominates the dramatic view through the wall-to-wall glass doors in our apartment. After watching it for the last twenty or so nights, we...
The Trouble With Tabarca Island
On our trip from the Alicante airport to our apartment of the many stairs and no elevator, our nice landlord pointed out a sleek orange catamaran docked in the marina. “That’s the Kon Tiki,” she said, “the ferry to Tabarca Island. It’s a good day trip. The island is...
Playing James Bond at the Palacio
Celebrating an Aztec football win at the Palacio Estoril Hotel bar with a 007 “Vesper” martini. Shaken not stirred. Ian Fleming stayed here as an intelligence officer during the war and frequented the casino next door. That’s where he met a spy who inspired James...
A Delicious Routine in Portugal
After a month in Portugal, things are becoming routine, like making Saturday and Sunday breakfasts. This morning I made us bacon, cheddar cheese, and egg sandwiches. What makes it special was that the beautiful rolls were super fresh. This morning I just walked a few...
A Festival of Food & Stuff: The Cascais Farmer’s Market
One joy of living in Europe is going to the market. We already posted a story about the spectacular supermarket here in Cascais. But to get super fresh farm-to-table produce, local farm-raised meats, and just-caught seafood, European farmer's markets can’t be beaten....
Portugal: A Food Lover’s Paradise
Shopping yesterday at a bustling Cascais supermarket yesterday was like finding a mammoth Whole Foods with Trader Joe's prices. The vast market showcased an abundance of beautiful produce, including avocados and fall-fresh apples. Wonderful fresh breads and sweets...
Hello Alfama, Lisbon!
Jet lag city. After our somewhat grueling journey from San Diego, we grabbed a quick bite, checked into our apartment, and flopped down on the comfy bed until we came to four hours later. Feeling human, at least for the moment, we invited our traveling companions from...
Sometimes Travel Adventures Can Be a Real Pain
We felt we had dodged a bullet when we missed the 48-hour strike on July 17 by airport workers in Portugal. The work stoppage caused the cancellation of some 600 flights in two days and stranded passengers who waited in long lines, frantically trying to reschedule...
White-Knuckle Travel Time: Covid Vaccination Proof & Testing
International travel is never easy. But in the time of covid, it’s become a lot more difficult. Our upcoming trip in a few days to Portugal and Spain highlights all these new challenges. No wonder we’ve faced greater anxiety and stress planning this trip than any...
The Fine Art of Packing
With only a few days to go before we begin our three-month adventure in Portugal and Spain, we’re packing — no, make that Mary is packing. She is the main packer in our household primarily because she’s seen me pack — and it’s not very organized and always at the last...
Uncharted Waters: Traveling in the Time of Covid
We’re about to begin a three-month adventure in Spain and Portugal. It’s been a long time in coming, for obvious reasons. Over the past 18 months, we planned the trip three times, but Covid surges and lockdowns in the US and in Europe forced us to postpone, again and...
Our New Blog: Travel Adventures with Ron & Mary
Stay tuned for Wine Dine & Travel's Ron & Mary James's new blog on their travel adventures. Their next adventure begins on August 16, when they begin a three-month exploration of the Iberian Peninsula.
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Ron and Mary’s favorite travel photos and videos.
