Wisetrips Travel Blog

The first time I encountered a computer was the Space Invaders  arcade video game in Rome, Italy, in the winter of 1980 (during my temporary stay in Rome, on the way to the United States). A young Italian boy offered me a chance to play, and I was immediately hooked! I have never seen anything like it before. When I moved to the United States, the very first electronic game I recall was so…

For our 17th Wedding Anniversary, we decided to have a nice, romantic dinner at the Evvia Restaurant in Palo Alto. At first, I made dinner reservations at 21:00 on Sunday, October 14th (using OpenTable), but I could book an earlier time (by calling the restaurant directly). The last time we dined at Evvia was on Bella's 83rd birthday , and we enjoyed our dinner a lot.  Evvia is similar to Dio Deka (a fine Greek res…

Alex had been making excellent surfing progress on his 6' Firewire Spitfire board. He surfed on it in various conditions at "The Hook" and Pleasure Point in Capitola. However, on Saturday, October 13th, feeling confident about his abilities, he decided to try surfing at the famous "Steamer Lane" surfing spot in Santa Cruz (near the Lighthouse). Alex encountered 6-8 foot waves at Steamer Lane, a…

Since returning from our incredible summer trip to Japan (where we tasted the most delicious ramen at a small restaurant in Matsumoto), we have been looking for a similar experience in San Jose. One of my co-workers suggested I try the Hokkaido Ramen Santouka place at the Mitsui Marketplace (Japanese grocery store) nearby. Although I lived nearby, I have never been inside Mitsui Marketplace. On Sunday, October 7 (after surfin…

“Murder, greed, corruption, exploitation, adultery, and treachery…all those things we hold near and dear to our hearts“…so begins the international award-winning Broadway and West End musical, CHICAGO. What can be said about  Chicago  - one of the finest (and possibly my all-time favorite musical) - that hasn&…

Summary A group of young puppets and humans living on Avenue Q tries to work out their personal and financial problems. Puppets Princeton: "A fresh-faced kid just out of college." Kate Monster: "A kindergarten teaching assistant, a bit older than Princeton." Nicky: "A bit of a slacker who lives with Rod." Rod: "A Republican investment ban…

Summary A pregnant waitress with an abusive husband tries to bake her way out of her problems while having an affair with her doctor. Musical Numbers Act I "What's Inside" – Jenna and Company "Opening Up" – Jenna, Becky, Dawn, Cal, and Company "The Negative" – Jenna, Becky, and Dawn &q…

Plot Directed by Tony winner Bartlett Sher, the stellar cast - led by Lauren Ambrose, Harry Hadden-Paton, Norbert Leo Butz, Diana Rigg, Allan Corduner, Jordan Donica, Linda Mugleston, and Clarke Thorell - tells the story of Eliza Doolittle, a young Cockney flower seller, and Henry Higgins, a linguistics professor who is determined to transform her into his idea of a "proper lady." But who is really being transformed?…