We finally arrived in Vienna, the home to Mozart, Beethoven, Princess Sisi, amazing palaces, and cathedrals that the Habsburgs' and Austrian royalty gracefully left behind for history buffs and photo hungry tourists. Since Sam and I not only share a love for great coffee, but both have a sweet tooth (and are admittedly a little spoiled by our baking enthusiast families in Italy and Slovakia), above all, we were looking forward to checking out Vienna's famous coffee houses. Th

During the Paleozoic Era lived two cavemen brothers named Mario and Luigi. Every year they would go on a special hunt along with four of their cousins, two uncles, and fourteen nephews. They sought an animal that was the most dangerous of the time and yet the most delicious. They hunted a dinosaur called Sausage-osaurus. Upon their successful return, the cavemen’s grandma used her secret recipe to prepare everyone’s favorite “homemade” dish of grilled Sausage-osaurus, paired

Have you experienced this before? You find yourself in a situation that feels weird, unfamiliar, and not at all what you expected. You tell yourself… Ok, I am going to act maturely, stay calm, and be open-minded. It will either be the best or worst of (fill in the blank) experiences of my life. This is what happened to us on our recent trip to Bargemon, France. (Verdon Gorge canyon) After a full day of exploring the jaw-dropping Verdon Gorge canyon (which was unreal and we wi

For men's eyes ONLY! The secret of the oldest mystery in the world …revealed by science! What do you think is the oldest mystery in the world? And how much would you pay to know the answer to it? Is it where we came from? Or where we go after we pass away? No. The question that at least half of the planet’s population would give an arm and a leg, or ear, or elbow for, is “how to understand women.” And if you want to know the answer, keep reading. By now, it should be clear th

I will never forget the guy I met years ago, who was sure that pizza had been invented here, in the heart of America, by Chuck E. Cheese. No joke. Obviously, he has not heard of my homeland country, Italy, the cradle of pizza. As you know, pizza is a simple dish originating from Naples back in 1889. Maybe the U.S. feels a sense of ownership due to their very creative toppings that have definitely deviated from the classics. How could they think of adding BBQ chicken or pineap

This past May, Sam and I were visiting his family near Florence when his sister suggested that instead of going to the center of the city as we normally do during our annual visits, we should visit the village of Vinci, Leonardo’s birthplace. “What a great idea!” Sam and I enthusiastically exclaimed as we welcomed this change in plans. Besides our curiosity about where the master came from, it was only a one-hour drive and an exciting new place for us to explore. And since th

I think we can all agree that not all bread (and pastries) are created equal. You know that feeling, as soon as you take a bite of freshly-made, warm, crispy, and delicious bread. It is a rush of pleasure flowing through your body, and your taste buds start cha-cha dancing in your mouth. It is incredibly satisfying for us humans to eat good bread. There have been a few countries dominating the bread-making art, and Italy is certainly on top. Especially the Italian bakers in F

Falling in love can happen over a long period of time: you get pulled into the relationship as you get to know the person you're dating, and one day, you realize you were in love all along. Other times, it's love at first sight: there's a sudden and compulsory click, and the rest is history. When I met Ms. Bougatsa, Greek as anything, soft, flavorful, sweet, and creamy, I knew that it was love at first sight. It happened in Chania, Crete, the very next day Viktoria and I had

After spending three days in Athens, Viktoria and I believed we had accomplished most of our mission. The Parthenon, Acropolis, Ancient Agora, Monastiraki Square and Temple of Zeus were all fantastic, but after visiting the main archeological sites, we felt we had dealt with enough crazy drivers and crowded streets, and decided to use our last day for an escape. And what better choice than to travel to Nafplio, a picturesque town on the eastern Peloponnese coast. We jumped on

If you've ever been to Greece, you must have savored on the scrumptious dessert called loukoumades. If not, drop everything you're doing and catch the next flight that you can. It's so worth it, we can assure you. Last year during our trip to Greece, we were tantalized by something we never knew existed – loukoumades. Even when I mention that word today, it makes Sam's eyes shine a little brighter, and his face cracks an excited smile. What are loukoumades? In one word, heave

Do you remember that song "All That She Wants Is Another Baby" by Ace of Base? When Viktoria and I went to Crete, Greece, all that Viktoria wanted was not necessarily a baby, but she did want something, something unique to her needs. My theory, proven by facts, is that most women want exactly the same thing. But let me explain in an orderly manner… We arrived in Chania, Crete in the late evening, from LAX – a convenient flight that took us straight into the wonders of Greece.

All of a sudden, one can find countless blogs and articles about biscotti. But I am not here to discuss just any kind of biscotti, but rather the Biscotti (with an uppercase B) from Prato, the town that I am from, a few miles north of Florence. It's okay if cookie connoisseurs overlooked the real story of biscotti till now because once they read our blog, they'll know. Biscotti are made with a few simple ingredients: flour, almonds, eggs, sugar, and yeast. But the secret lies

It has been many years that Sam and I have been dreaming of visiting this place – the Island of Santorini. Last summer, we decided to plan a trip to Greece, and our dream was about to come true. We traveled to the island by ferry, and I remember my heart racing faster and faster as we pulled into the harbor. My eyes were getting misty with tears of joy when Sam, the history enthusiast, shocked me with some unbelievable revelation. Sam has always been fascinated by history, so

In the middle of the night, I find myself back in Italy, In the market of my hometown, Surrounded by flavors all around. I am in a food sanctuary; In front of me is a luring vision: Prosciutto, “finocchiona” (the king of salami), Mortadella, pecorino, Parmigiano and mozzarella. I have the irresistible urge To make myself a panino, With warm Tuscan bread Made fresh by the baker, Who woke up early in the morning To combine with his hands Not just flour, yeast and water, But als

You don’t need a time machine to immerse yourself in the simple, genuine and flavorful foods from centuries past. When we visited the historic Falorni butcher shop (Antica Macelleria Falorni) founded in 1806 in Greve in Chianti, Tuscany, we found ourselves back in time. When someone says Chianti region, all you can think about is wine, although there is so much more to this famous province. Falorni is a traditional establishment that still stands, following nine generations.

Viktoria and I were looking for a different experience than our usual vacation in Europe or the warm beaches of Mexico, so we decided to travel to the Rocky Mountains of Canada. We concentrated our plans in two of the most popular areas of the region: Banff and Jasper National Park. We were set to meet moose and grizzlies in person. What is so special about Banff and Jasper? Something must be because more than 4 million people visit here every year. The number one reason is i

Every time I mention our Slovakian Easter tradition to Americans, they look at me with horror in their eyes and their mouths wide open. They expect me to say I am only joking, but I am not. It indeed is the most absurd and still practiced way of celebrating Easter that I have ever heard of, hands down. As a child and teenager, I couldn’t make up my mind if I liked it or not. Today, as an adult, I am glad I live in America and don’t have to undergo this madness, even though it

In 2019, we celebrate Leonardo da Vinci’s 500-year anniversary (15 April 1452 – 2 May 1519), who is one of the foremost exponents of the Renaissance and considered by many as the epitome of the Universal Genius. Most people are familiar with Leonardo’s achievements and inventions in painting, sculpture, anatomy, and astronomy; however, many don’t know that Leonardo was also a man of letters, and among his many writings, one can find “facezie” or funny jokes. Leonardo cracking

In Poor Richard's Almanack, Benjamin Franklin wrote: “Beauty, like supreme dominion, is but supported by opinion.” The perception of beauty in the past few decades has been dominated by the physical appearance of highly paid and praised supermodels. However, the factors determining beauty have been argued among men and women for centuries. One of the first praised beauties was Simonetta Cattaneo Vespucci, the most charming woman of the Renaissance who became the model for Bot

Did you know St. Lucia is the only country in the world named after a woman? Yes, imagine that! Shortly after our arrival, we were driving down the roads of St. Lucia, admiring the beautiful scenery. Looking back, we were so happy we rented a car, which allowed us to explore the island at our own pace. Getting a car could not have been easier in St. Lucia. After minimal paperwork the staff walked us to our car about 50 meters away and didn’t even push extra insurance on us. T