DOLCI

Dessert menu at the Caffe Domiciano, Rome.

One of my favorite travel things to do is late-night dining under the stars 

in an historic part of a wonderful city. 

Oftentimes these are among the most memorable of moments.

I think we ordered gelato...and cappuccino, of course.

THE FUNDAMENTALS OF MEMORIES #1

A memorable meal in a stunning location with an ideal dining partner is an 

excellent way to make a lasting travel-related memory.

Though the shot is not my usual standard when posting, this is on the fantail of the MSY Wind Surf in the Adriatic Sea. The hills in the distance are the heel of the Italian Boot. My wife is to my right.

The chef on board made it a requirement that the meals somehow reflected the locale, up to and including visits to local farmer's markets at each port. Obviously the Mediterranean is rich in local fare.

It is one of dozens of meals I can easily recall from our travels around the world, several from that trip alone. They aren't all in such exotic places, they just have to be special in some way.

(One such "opposite end of the spectrum" is of stopping with my wife at the In'n'Out Burger in Barstow. Just a perfect confluence of experience becoming memorable. And a damned good burger.)

Memories of our travels are the primary reason we do it. Learning about a place, and enjoying all it has to offer are fundamental to building a foundation of understanding and appreciation for this incredible world we're born into.

MEDITERRANEAN SEA - SUNSET SUPPER

Among the best memories any of us has are mealtimes in a special place or at a special time.

They may be meals with family, at a family get-together. Or at a rendezvous that is a shared indulgence. It may be meeting friends for dinner at the nearby Chili's, or at a fine dining spot a world away. It might be at a Lolo on a Caribbean beach, or the local coffee house just up the street.

What often makes the difference is the family and/or friends.

As I look back at a lifetime of very happy experiences in some very exotic locations -- and more than a few just up the street -- I cannot help but be pleased that so many involved the people we treasure in our lives. It's a shared adventure, these lives of ours. And shared adventures require shared memories.

Aboard the MSY Wind Surf. Dinner with our Australian friends on the fantail at the Wind Rose restaurant, enjoying the sunset over the distant coastline of the Italian boot.

Pic of the Day: Alone at the Counter

Eating at many airports is a lonely affair for the solitary traveler.

Lone Diner, Hungry Jack's, Melbourne International Airport.

Pic of the Day: Dinner in Venice

So much more than just excellent food goes into creating a memorable meal. Environment can sometimes play as significant a role. Dining alongside the Grand Canal is itself an adventure.