A digital travel diary. · WP v1.22 · Updated
A few weeks ago, Inna and I discussed our plans for the upcoming Thanksgiving holiday. We were reminiscing about our past trips to Sedona and how much we enjoyed hiking there. We also missed the amazing Cirque du Soleil shows in Las Vegas. . . . . . Why not visit Las Vegas and Sedona with a stop in the Grand Canyon? Since we could…
Read More: Back to Las Vegas
Friday, October 13, 2023 . For our 22nd Wedding Anniversary, Inna made reservations at the Indian Springs Hotel in Calistoga. After finishing our work on Friday evening, we lightly packed our suitcases and loaded our Tesla Model Y. . . We started our drive to Calistoga at 17:20, encountering heavy traffic and about 30-45 minutes of delays. We arrived at Indian Springs at around 19:52.…
Read More: Relaxing in Calistoga
Saturday, October 7, 2023 . After landing at Rome's Leonardo da Vinci-Fiumicino Airport at 20:20 (on a flight from Brindisi's Salento Airport), we planned to take a taxi to the nearby Fly Deco Hotel in Ostia. . At first, we had difficulty finding the airport exit, but we finally managed to exit and queue for a taxi. When we reached the head of the queue…
Read More: Taxi Hell at Leonardo da Vinci-Fiumicino (Rome) Airport
Thursday, October 5, 2023 . . . From Lecce (parked at the Parkejoo near downtown), we started our drive to Otranto at 18:20 (later than I would have liked, as I prefer to drive during the daytime). . . . . I programmed Otranto on my iPhone's Google Maps application, and we started our drive there. Traffic was heavy during rush hour, and I made…
Read More: Relaxing in Otranto
Tuesday, October 3, 2023 . After touring the Norman Steps at Castelmezzano, we returned to our Opel Corsa rental (Hertz), parked in the blue spaces on Strada Provinciale 13, and set off for Matera. . . . . I connected my iPhone 14 to the Opel's USB port, and Apple CarPlay started working! It was a great help in navigating the complex roads to Matera.…
Read More: Exploring Matera
To relax during our two-week trip to southern Italy, Inna made reservations for three nights at the San Montano Resort & Spa on the island of Ischia (off the coast of Naples). Ischia is one hour away from Sorrento by ferry (making it convenient to visit). . . . . Friday, September 29, 2023 . While in Sorrento, we woke at 7:00, dressed, and packed…
Read More: Relaxing on Ischia
On Friday, September 22, 2023, Inna and I planned to board a direct flight from San Francisco (SFO) to Rome on ITA Airways, en route to Sorrento, Italy.. . Departure: Flight AZ641 from San Francisco International Terminal at 15:15 . Arrival: Flight AZ641 Rome Fiumicino Terminal 1 at 12:05. Once we landed in Rome, we planned to board a train to Naples, then switch to…
Read More: Magical Sorrento
On Friday, August 11, 2023, we started our long drive to Arnold, California, where we planned to spend two nights. We were hoping to enjoy the scenic beauty of the Calaveras Big Trees State Park and paddleboard on White Pines Lake. . Inna made Airbnb reservations at 2560 Chamonix Dr., Arnold, CA, and we shared the large home with 2 other families. . . We…
Read More: A Weekend in Arnold
When I noticed a considerable heatwave headed to the Bay Area during the July 4th holiday weekend, I looked for nearby places where daytime temperatures would be more moderate. After looking at Morro Bay, Pismo Beach, and Lake Tahoe, Inna and I decided to book 2 nights at the Inn at the Pier Hotel (a Hilton Property) on Pismo Beach. . . Initially, only Inna…
Read More: Relaxing at Pismo Beach
To enjoy the Mediterranean and visit Costa Brava, we made reservations at Hotel Terramar Llafranc. . . . . Sunday, June 4, 2023 . In the morning, we woke at 10:00 in Girona. I took a quick shower, shaved, and dressed. After everyone was ready, we walked to our favorite Federal Cafe for brunch. We ordered the following items: . . Boris: Matcha Latte, Fried…
Read More: Relaxing on Costa Brava
Friday, June 2, 2023 . I woke around 07:30 in our Hotel Claris Suite #216, took a shower, shaved, and dressed. Inna woke up next, got dressed, and we took the elevator downstairs to floor -1 for breakfast. We asked for a table for 3, as Alex would join us later. . . I ordered 3 poached eggs with bacon, tomatoes, and mushrooms. Inna ordered…
Read More: Visit to Girona
We last visited Barcelona on April 16, 2003, after a Celebrity cruise from Dover. Inna felt unwell then and didn't get to enjoy the city. . . This time, we planned five nights in Barcelona before driving up the coast to Girona and Palafrugell. After researching hotels, Inna booked Hotel Claris downtown. . . . Saturday, May 27, 2023 . In the morning, Inna and…
Read More: Return to Barcelona
Friday, February 24, 2023 . . For Inna's big birthday in February, we returned to Costa Rica to explore the beautiful national parks and see some of our favorite birds and animals, including sloths, toucans, hummingbirds, frogs, agoutis, coatis, monkeys, etc. . . . Because of the long flight, Inna decided to purchase first-class tickets. She selected Delta Airlines to fly from San Francisco (SFO)…
Read More: Return to Costa Rica
After many weeks of hard work, Inna and I decided to take a short 5-day trip to Kauai, Hawaii. Initially, we thought Christmas travel to Hawaii would be out of our price range. Still, we found reasonably priced airline tickets on United Airlines from San Francisco to Lihue. . . . . . Wednesday, December 21, 2022 . As our flight to Kauai was scheduled…
Read More: Back to Kauai
Saturday, September 24, 2022 . . Inna planned a weekend trip to San Francisco for my birthday, staying at the Clift Royal Sonesta Hotel downtown. She also pre-purchased tickets for To Kill a Mockingbird at Golden Gate Theater. . . . . . In the afternoon, we drove to Marina Boulevard and parked there. We noticed a few people going out wing foiling. I did…
Read More: Birthday in San Francisco
Since I had a few free days off work, Inna and I decided to plan a mini-vacation nearby. At first, we considered spending a few days in South Lake Tahoe, but the nearby Mosquito Fire worried us about air quality. There were many inexpensive homes for rent, but we thought the air-quality risk was too high. . . . . . We also considered driving…
Read More: Exploring Russian River
I don't know what happened, but I suddenly had a lot of unexpected repairs to complete: . . . Saturday, August 27: . . The garage door's lever broke. I ordered a new Schlage brass lever from Amazon to replace the broken lever. . Sunday, August 28: . . Toyota Sienna's Check Engine light came on during a short drive. Foreign Affair Auto checked the…
Read More: Unexpected Repairs
Saturday, August 20, 2022 . I woke up at around 9:00am, showered, dressed, and did some coding. Then, we all walked to Equator Coffees, where Inna and Alex ordered special cold drinks while I enjoyed my usual mocha. The day was gorgeous, with many people jogging and walking their dogs. . . There was a race on Marina Boulevard, but it was quiet. The Golden…
Read More: San Francisco Workation Week 5
Saturday, August 13, 2022 . I woke up around 08:00 and walked to Crissy Field for my morning exercise and stretching routine. When I returned home, Inna was ready to take a shower and did a bit of coding. . . . . . I planned to meet with Ekansh at noon and eat out nearby; Ekansh was running late and arrived at 12:15. We…
Read More: San Francisco Workation Week 4
Saturday, August 6, 2022 . In the morning, Alex, Inna, and I woke around 08:30 and decided to hike to Arsicault Bakery via Lyon Street Steps. The uphill walk was rather steep, and Inna, whose heart rate peaked at over 160 beats/minute, needed to rest a few times. . . . . . Eventually, we reached Arsicault Bakery and queued for pastries. Fortunately, the line…
Read More: San Francisco Workation Week 3