Rome, Day 2

I'm not going to have much time to myself during this trip, so with today's free day before the conference, I decided to head to Vatican City, even though I've previously been.  I may not be Catholic, but I can certainly appreciate the religious and historical significance of St Peter's Cathedral, as well as admire the beauty of the architecture and sculptures within.  I realize it makes for a cheesy post, but I challenge you to step inside and not be taken aback.  If you do visit, don't forget to make the climb to the top of the dome.  Besides the much needed exercise, the views are spectacular.

Unfortunately, my excursion was cut short due to a conference call I had to take back in my room, but at least the panoramic view from my balcony is nothing short of breath taking, which made concentrating even harder.  The front desk was right to suggest that I switch from street view to city view, even if the beds are smaller.  This is just a part of my view - the domed building to the right is St. Peter's Cathedral.  If I can ever figure out how to stitch my photos together, I'll post the panoramic.

Rome, Day 1

After all the trips through Frankfurt, my upgrade for today's flight finally went through, and I got to enjoy United's new international business class, and in a rear facing seat, no less!  With the lay flat beds and 15" TV with over a hundred hours of movie and TV programming, who wants to get out of their seat?  The only weird thing is that when the curtain isn't drawn, you sometimes wind up staring straight at the people facing forward.  Also of note is that one of my flight attendants was Lois Lane, and I was wearing my Superman shirt, so everyone had a little fun with that.  "Would you like some dessert, Superman?  Why, that'd be lovely, Ms. Lane!"  Unfortunately, SFO has the highest concentration of elite frequent flyers, making these upgrades harder to come by, which makes this upgrade even more painful, since I now know what I'm missing.

My connecting flight to Rome was rather uneventful, except for this little gem, which after last time, has made me a fan of the Lufthansa in-flight magazine. Seriously, who would buy used aircraft seats?  Who is the target market here?  Would someone sitting in an airplane seat actually see this ad and want to place an order?  I wouldn't even want a new one!

Kekova, Turkey

Coco de Mer, Seychelles

Double coconuts that look like butts!

Ramos House Cafe

I originally found out about this place from a random food blog and shared it with Hanie since it was between Cerritos and San Diego, but later learned that she already knew about it. I don't make the trip down to San Diego very often, so I jumped at the chance to check it out on my drive back from San Diego.  Tucked away in a quaint neighborhood with some old Western + Native American charm, The Ramos House is literally at someone's residence, with the dining area located on the outside patio.  If it weren't for the hourly train passing by (it's adjacent to the tracks), you really feel like you've been transported to some charming little town in the middle of nowhere. 

To start, there was the popcorn garnished corn chowder, which tasted ok, but wasn't as exciting as it sounded.  My entree (duck hash w/ wild mushroom eggs & herb sauce), however, had the opposite effect.  While it looked like a regular scramble, the fresh ingredients and fluffy eggs were absolutely fantastic.  While the portions are large, I didn't necessarily feel like the dishes were very heavy (I finished my entire plate).  Looking at the menu, there are a bunch of dishes that I would love to come back and try.  There's also a great weekend brunch for $35 that sounds like a great value. 

Starlite Express

The first time I had a Moscow Mule was when Ken made one for me at Tina's. While I liked it, I always forgot the name when ordering drinks at a bar. Tonight, after dining at Phil's Phil's Phil's!!, Joel and I met up with Jason at the Starlite for some drinks, and knew I had to order the Moscow Mule when I saw it on the cocktail list.  Unlike other mixed drinks, the Moscow Mule is made with vodka, ginger beer and lime, so there's a low risk of it being overly sweet.  As an added bonus, the Starlite Mule is served in a cold copper mug, which remaind just as cold an hour after I first got it (don't worry, no risk of your lips sticking to the mug).  I'm pretty sure I could drink this all day, and now I'll definitely have to compare it with others.  At the moment, it's my drink of choice.  Great drinks, great atmosphere, and even better company.  What's not to like about this place?

Planes, Trains and Automobiles

Heading down to San Diego for a conference, I decided to fly into LAX and have my sister drop me off at the Amtrak station aimed for San Diego.  The last time I took a train in California was back in elementary school, so I was a bit excited about the ride down.  Of course, had Hanie or Jason told me just how scenic the trip was, I would have been even more excited.  Once you get out of Orange County, a lot of the track runs right next to the water.  Here is a sample view from where I sat, no zoom used:

$22 for one-way ticket from Fullerton to San Diego may be more expensive than driving, but with the views and traffic-free trip, it's well worth the price!