Posts Tagged ‘adventure’

NAZARÉ, PORTUGAL

Posted: April 26, 2026 in Uncategorized
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You’ve probably seen on You Tube those videos of the crazy 100-foot waves that surfers try to conquer every year. Well, that happens during the winter months at Nazaré, Portugal. The primary factor in making those massive waves is an enormous underwater canyon, the Nazaré Canyon, that stretches for about 220 kilometers, running perpendicular to the shoreline. The deep-sea trench ends just a few meters off the shore of Praia do Norte, where the water depth is till about 20 meters. The drastic transition from deep to shallower water causes the enormous waves.

In the summer, Nazaré and Praia de Norte are quite a bit calmer! Almost hard to believe those waves actually can happen here.

That red lighthouse is where fans watch those crazy surfers do their thing!

I found Nazaré to be one of my favorite stops on my trip through Portugal…a sleepy surfer town with lots of restaurants and shops, and a great beach to walk.

Later in the day, the local soccer players come out and play until the sun goes down.
The view from my room balcony at Hotel Praia, where I stayed. A great little hotel with underground parking (a rarity) and excellent location for walking.
You can even do your laundry right on the street!

Of course, there’s the most casual meal to fantastic seafood available in Nazaré. The tiger prawns are the size of a lobster!

And they grow some really big oysters here, too!

And, being on the west coast of Portugal, you get great sunsets!

Plaia do Norte when the waves aren’t crazy! You can actually drive onto the beach. (The view is from the north side of the red lighthouse, whereas the town of Nazaré is south of it.)

ROAD TRIP: CLEVELAND AND CHICAGO

Posted: January 17, 2026 in Uncategorized
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Back in September, when my daughter started her freshman year at Northwestern University in Chicago, she and her mother flew out there, and I decided to take a road trip, putting the bigger, bulkier things in my car.

I stopped in Cleveland along the way, and had some fun food adventures.
Funny thing is, I loaded the photos into this blog’s library, but I never made a post out of it.
Better late than never!

It starts with the Marble Room, an incredible steak restaurant in the heart of Cleveland. Once the home to the National City Bank, this beautiful old bank lobby has been converted into a breathtaking restaurant. Clearly, the classiest joint in this city! And the food and service was fantastic.

My next day’s dining experience was not a letdown, despite the fact that I targeted a restaurant that was featured on Food Network’s “Diners, Drive-ins, and Dives.” Fat Cats is a neighborhood restaurant that puts out some very creative and delicious dishes, and on my visit, the place was packed.

Goma was my stop for sushi, just steps from my hotel and the Rocket Arena.

Once in Chicago, we had an incredible meal at the Russian Tea Time Restaurant. It always starts with a vodka martini…

Blinis and caviar.
Chicken Kiev
Herring and potatoes
Napoleon for dessert.

Of course, there were other meals in local spots.

My return trip took me through Columbus, Ohio and Wilmington, Delaware.

My Columbus stop was quick, but I had a great Italian dinner at Martini Modern Italian. I think I was so tired and hungry, the only shot I got was of my Negroni!

Banks Seafood Kitchen and Raw Bar on the river in Wilmington, Delaware, looks and acts like a chain restaurant, but they made great cocktails and served up some very fresh seafood. No complaints!

Always fun to take a drive and see what kind of food adventures I can find!