PhotosEnjoy a few leisurely hours driving east along picturesque Carmel Valley Road, just off Highway 1 near Carmel, California, where you can stop, taste and shop for veggies and herbs on an organic farm and …
January 8, 2013
Articles by Bonnie Maffei
Taste Carmel Valley, CA
The French Riviera: Nice, Èze and Monte-Carlo
Discover for yourself the many faces of Monte-Carlo and the surrounding French Riviera. On the way to break the bank in Monte-Carlo, Monaco, lovers of modern art will want to spend time in nearby Nice …
March 31, 2010
Indulge in Monte-Carlo, Monaco
The Nice-Cote d’Azur International Airport is a half-hour drive from one of the most unique places on the planet. A district of the Principality of Monaco, Monte-Carlo is located in the French Riviera on the …
Morro Bay, California
“The sun was shining on the sea, Shining with all his might... ‘O, Oysters, come and walk with us!’ The Walrus did beseech. ‘A Pleasant walk, a pleasant talk, Along the briny beach...’” – from …
February 23, 2010
The Bay Area's Best Kept Secret: Capitola-by-the-Sea
What? Never heard of Capitola? If you haven’t yet ventured that far north, you’re missing one of the Bay Area’s well-kept secrets. A quaint, colorful village, Capitola-by-the-Sea, ten minutes south of Santa Cruz, is slightly …
December 16, 2009
Temecula and Escondido Wine Country
In Greek mythology, Bacchus (aka Dionysus), the god of wine, is said to inspire artists, musicians and poets and bring an end to care and worry. Dionysus discovered the culture of the vine and how …
The Alhambra, Granada, Spain
Against the backdrop of the magnificent Sierra Nevada mountains in Granada, the Alhambra, meaning “red castle” in Arabic, was named for the reddish-golden hue of its walls. Dating back to the 9th century, it became …
November 23, 2009
Treasures of Naxos, Greece
The island of Naxos, Greece, is a six-hour ferry ride from Piraeus, the port of Athens. The “doorway” to the island, the gigantic Portara, was also the portal to the ancient unfinished Temple of Apollo. …
November 20, 2009
Nerja, Spain: The Balcony of Europe
My spiritual quest began in what was once a quaint Spanish fishing village. Nerja, in Andalusia, Spain, is located 50 kilometers east of Malaga along the Costa del Sol. Imagine standing on the “Balcony of …
November 16, 2009