Cucina Testa Rossa

CDG to SFO in 37 Hours....

Champs Elysees and the Arc de Triomphe ~ Paris, December 2007

Copied from an email I sent my flatmates in Paris a few days after arriving back in San Francisco....

"...I will never, ever, ever, ever, ever fly through Washington DC/Dulles again. Ever, ever, ever! Did I say ever? NEVER!

To start, we were late leaving CDG because of a SUSPICIOUS BLUE BAG left in the terminal. Good thing I got there early because it took me almost and hour and a half to get to the gate. The airport was mobbed with people of all shapes and sizes and colors in various forms of ornate ethnic clothes, some bright, some subdued, all in need of washing. The line to check in at the gate was about 5 people deep and a veritable mosh pit. Why is it that the check in desk at Lufthansa is always calm, serene, and orderly while chaos reigns at United? Anyways, after answering various and inane questions about the whereabouts of my luggage and the content within, I made it to the check-in counter and was helped by an absolutely delightful, kind woman. WHEW! I had upgraded the night before, as you know, to Washington but was wait listed from Washington to SFO however she said, "It looked very good".

Giddily anticipating my complimentary business class cocktail, I then proceeded to the longest passport control line I'd ever seen. It snaked along the wall nearly the entire circumference of the airport. While waiting in line for nearly an HOUR, we kept hearing announcements asking the owner of a SUSPICIOUS BLUE BAG left in the terminal to come get it. I kept hearing it as I marched through passport control and as I was headed to the gate I heard a BOOM! They BLEW UP THE BAG! They didn't remove it, inspect it, x-ray it nor seal it. No. They BLEW IT UP! In the terminal! I ran for the Red Carpet Club, slammed back a glass of champagne and headed for the gate...

Click below to continue reading this explosive travel tale -->

National Indie Excellence 2007 Book Awards Finalist!!!

I was stunned to see an email in my inbox that read: "You are an Indie Excellence Book Award Finalist!" Spam most likely was my first thought. Then....yikes! Moi? My humble little livre (book), My Keyboard for a Cutting Board ~ Adventures in a French Kitchen v1.0, made it to the finals! Oooh la la! Never mind I lost out to the Junior Leaguers.... "I'm just happy to be nominated", to quote Susan Lucci. Click here to see the press release and listing of finalists and winners.

And for more information on my book, click here.

San Francisco, Open your Golden Gate...

San Francisco, Bay Bridge, Treasure Island, and the East Bay

I know, I know, I'm sorry! I promised that I wouldn't post any more photos from planes, trains and automobiles but I couldn't resist this one. Click on it to make it bigger. As we were coming in to land, the pilot tilted the wings and announced "Welcome to San Francisco." The whole plane gasped. It was such a sudden and stunning view - couldn't ask for a better welcome!

Sunset over Dulles Airport, Terminal C

I'd prefer that view from a beach but trying to appreciate the little things in life, regardless of my vantage point....

God Bless America

Dayton Airport ~ January 2007

La Vue de Ma Fenêtre ~ Sunrise in the Loire Valley

Sunrise in the Loire Valley at Moulin Brégeon, Linièrs-Bouton ~ January 2007

La Vue de Ma Fenêtre ~ Sunrise over France at 30,000 feet

La Vue de Ma Fenêtre ~ Seat 6A from Chicago to Paris

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United is such a tease. They love to set these ridiculously short connection times just to get the ol' blood pressure skyrocketing. Landing in Chicago about the time my connection was boarding, I raced from terminal B to terminal C just in time to jump in at the end of the line. I handed the gentleman my boarding pass. He slid it into the machine and I heard a buzz. Not a good buzz. A tv game show you-just-lost-a-million-dollars bad answer buzz. A buzz warning of something wrong that is going to take a while to fix and visions of already jam-packed overhead storage ran through my mind. Damn! What now!? Then the gentleman smiled, ripped up my boarding pass, handed me a new one and said "Merry Christmas!" Completely confused I looked down at the boarding pass. Seat 6a. SEAT 6A! Business class!!! Free upgrade! YEAH! I did my little happy dance and bolted up the tunnel.

La Vue de Ma Fenêtre ~ Seat 1D from San Francisco to Chicago

looking back over San Francisco

For the first time that I can recall, everything went smoothly. No lost laptops, no missed conections, no leopard spotted undergarments flying out of my carry-on at security, no circling over Wisconsin, no lost luggage, no stolen items from luggage, no bursting into tears at customer service, no running out of fuel, no confiscating of mascara, no freezing next to the emergency exit, no cranky flight attendents. Plus... I was upgraded to (begin to) make up for all of the above happening to me on my last flight back to Paris. Amen and pass the complementary cocktail!

Get Down at Sweet Lowdown

On my last trip back to San Francisco for Thanksgiving, I made a brief detour through Atlanta for the opening of the latest, hottest, hippest joint in town. One of the owners is a former co-worker from a Very Large Software Company just down the road off 101. Not realizing that it takes the same amount of time to fly from Frankfurt to Atlanta as it does to fly from Frankfurt to San Francisco, I arrived in Atlanta bleary-eyed and exhausted but no rest for the weary. A quick stop at the drug store to replace my confiscated mascara and face lotion (I love flying!), a quick change at the hotel, and it was off to opening night. Click here to get down at the Lowdown....