THE FRIDAY MARTINI!

It's Friday again, time to savor the weekend and enjoy a little of life's indulgences. After all, most of us work to pay for what we do outside the office.

This week's martinis is from Papagayo's Mexican Restaurant and Cantina

Lake Arrowhead, California.

HISTORIC TOWNS - GOURDON, MARITIME ALPS, FRANCE

The hilltop town of Gourdon, sits like an eagles aerie in the Maritime Alps just inland of France's famed Riviera town of Cannes. It's a wonderful little ancient village perched, almost precariously, atop a mountain, providing for a spectacular drive-up as well as tremendous views once you've arrived.

The shopping is excellent, with local shops and artisans, and the tour of the castle is a glimpse into Europe's medieval past. I strongly recommend stopping for a time to wander the streets, savor the food, sample a little of the local wine, and enjoy the inspiring view from your bistro table.

HISTORIC TOWNS - KEY WEST

Key West, and the island of the same name it sits upon, is located at the far southwest of the Florida Keys, tracing its roots back to prehistoric times.

Today it's a bohemian haven where live and let live is pretty much the town's motto. It's a place where one of the town's primary festivities is watching the sun set.

The locals call themselves Conchs, after the Conch shell, and have declared independence from the United States, setting up the Conch Republic in the process. It sells t-shirts and amuses the tourists.

Perhaps the most famous Conch is Ernest Hemingway, who lived and thrived in Key West, raising dozens of cats who live there until this day.

HISTORIC TOWNS - GHOSTS OF THE PAST IN JEROME, ARIZONA

"Ghosts of the past"...yes. Literally.

Jerome is reputedly one of the most haunted places in the western United States. The town was founded as a mining community perched precariously on the side of a mountain, overlooking the Verde Valley far below.

And, as will happen in mining communities in the 1800s through the 1950s, a lot of people were injured and died, the majority of them in the massive hospital ominously poised on one of the highest points in town. That hospital is now the beautiful and haunting Jerome Grand Hotel.

Poeple who stay at the hotel, particularly on the fourth floor, report, well, some unusual things to say the least. Whether you believe in ghosts or merely think it's all a product of the imagination is up to you.

As for me, I think next time we stay we're going to stay off the fourth floor. Just to be sure.

HISTORIC TOWNS - ANNAPOLIS, MARYLAND

I'm bound to get a little grief for including bustling Annapolis under the description of "town", but with a population of around 40,000 it's a small city at best. Plus I get to include it here.

Annapolis is one of the most storied and important historic towns in the United States. Founded in the 1600s under a variety of names (officially renamed Annapolis in 1694), Annapolis played a fundamental in the American revolution. The Treaty of Paris, formally ending hostilities with mother England and gaining colonial independence, was signed in Annapolis in 1783, establishing Annapolis as the first, albeit temporary, capital of the new republic.

Annapolis continued to thrive as both the capital of the state of Maryland, as well as the home to the United States Naval Academy. From its location at the outflow of the Severn into the Chesapeake Bay, Annapolis is both blessed with a natural beauty and a wonderful spot for a life on the water.

Historic dining options

Holiday cheer

Shopping in abundance

Chocolate!!

HISTORIC TOWNS - ROVINJ, CROATIA

Hello and welcome to Monday. Hope you had a wonderful and rewarding weekend.

This week's theme is "Historic Small Towns", and we start with one of my favorite gems along Croatia's Adriatic coast: Rovinj.

Rovinj, currently with a population around 15,000, is a mixture of Italian and Croatian cultures, dating back to Roman times.

The oldest part of the town is built upon what used to be an island in the Adriatic, but was later made a peninsula when the area between the island and mainland was filled in. Today it's a bustling tourist area with close economic ties to Venice as well as other cities along Croatia's west coast.

These shots are from the farmer's market on the waterfront and in the old cobblestone area on the (former) island.